Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 11, 13 July 1896, Page 2

Local and General News.

The Wanganui Education Board meets to-night and to-morrow. The Financial Statement will probab- j ly be brought down next Friday. ( The Pollard Company have engaged i the Assembly Rooms for July 31st and ( August Ist. • Additions are made to-day to the entries for Messrs Abraham and Williams' ( next sale at Palmerston. ' Those interested are reminded of the school of instruction this evening in the Orderly Room of the Drill Hall, by Lieut. Barltrop. Mr C. Sherlock has leased his farm, with the right to purchase, to Mr Cooper, of Palmerston North. The transaction took place through the agency of Mr E. Ratliff, of Feilding. A new advertisement from the well known firm of Barraud and Abraham appears in another column. The firm announce for sale seed oats, Canterbury seed, seed spring wheat, etc. We direct the attention of our readers to the sensational " inset " issued with to-day's paper from Spence and Spence, quoting prices and bargains now ruling at the great clearing sale at the Bon Marche. The prosecution in the case on the charge of embezzlement against Mr E. G. Cox, clerk of the Manawatu County Council, will be undertaken by Mr Cohen who appears on behalf of the AuditorGeneral. A man named James Curran, -alias " The Native," was arrested at Auckland on Saturday. In April last, at Feilding, Curran was sentenced to three months' imprisonment on an information charging him with using obscene langage. It is probable that no steps will be taken this session to introduce the Bill dealt with by the Fruit Growers' Conference, relating to the cleaning of orchards, the provisions of which are in some quarters thought to be too harsh. According to the latest statistics the public debts of the European nations aggregate £4,448,000,000, about Ll3 per capita for the whole population. The heaviest per capita indebtedness — £32 — is in Portugal. France comes next with £27. England's rate is about £21. Switzerland is the smallest— £l. Our Birmingham correspondent writes: — Services in connection with the Baptist Church have been held in the Town Hall for the past two Sundays.— A good deal of interest is taken by settlers in next Tuesday's sale, I suppose tht value of a thing is what it will bring. The real value of land in this district will in all probably be known on that day. The committee appointed for the purpose of selecting a site for a sheep bridge over the Pohangina river, met on Saturday last in the County office and decided on the site known as Beehive Creek, near Mr Wilkinson's gate and about a mile higher up the river than the Pohangina township, which it was proposed to approach by a deviation of the road through Mr Wilkinson's property subject to that gentleman's permission. The bridge will be built by means of private subscriptions and plans will be prepared at once. It will be noticed from our wanted column that John Cobbe's colossal sale commences on Friday next. Owing to Mr Cobbe being a large direct importer, it is absolutely necessary in his case to make room for big shipments now on the way from London. As his customers know it has been his practice for years to clear out each season's stock at very low rates and start with fresh goods at the beginning of the new season. This aci counts for the fact that although he has i been a good many years in business his stock is always as fresh and up to date as if he had only just started. A largely attended meeting of those interested in the frozen meat trade was held at Messrs Abraham and Williams' rooms on Saturday. The following resolutions were passed :— " That this committee, after carefully considering the question of opening up a retail trade in England for frozen mutton from this district is unable to recommend proceeding further in the matter at the present time." " That Capt. Hewitt and Mesers Engels and Wilson be a committee to draw up and circulate a report stating the reason for coming to such conclusion, and that the said committee act as a permanent committee and call the general committee together if any fresh developments take place, or any new information is to band to justify further action." — Standard. A young man who went into a New Plymouth shop to " ring the changes " asked for 31b of biscuits, and then altered it to three pennyworth of biscuits. He tendered half-sovereign, and when the shopkeeper gave him change, 9s 9d, accused said he had a threepenny bit, and said, " Give me that half- soy ereign back." The storekeeper did so, and then mixing the halfsovereign and silver up the young man asked for a pound, as he did not wish to carry so much silver about with him. He received the pound note and tendered the half-sovereign and silver in exchange. The accused left then, and the shopkeeper realised be had been " had." He said so, but several people who were in the shop said they could not see through it. The Magistrate saw through it, however, and sent the enterprising young man to gaol for a month. A circular was recently sent out by the New Zealand Polo Association to all the polo clnbs affiliated to that body asking for their opinions as to the most suitable place for the headquarters of the Association, and also asking for opinions on the question of buying ponies during tournaments, and what ponies could be played. Ten clubs have sent in their votes on the question of headquarters, with the result i hat after this season, Wellington will be the future headquarters of the Association. The following clubs voted for Wellington Feilding, Wellington, Auckland, Oroua, Manawatu, Poverty Bay, Wanganui, and Christchurch, the other two clubs, namely Wbarerangi and Warrengate being for Palmerston North. Nine clubs have sent in their votes on the question of ponies, but these will be considered at ft meeting of i he Association, which will shortly be called, when the election of secretary and treasurer will also take place. We are indebted to the courtesy of Mr J. A. Menzie, of Perth, for a copy of ' the Western Australian, a very interest- : ing and well illustrated weekly journal. There is a detailed description given of , the township of Menzie, which is nearly ' due north of Coolgardie, and owes its ' existence to the fact of there bring water there at certain seasons of the year. Until 1894 the country now converted into a thriving mining district, was but a wild and waste scrub, without a vestige or mark of civilization. Then Mr L. R. Menzie, after prospecting the dis- \ trict, made the discovery which brought him fame and fortune, and perpetuated ! the name in the township. In February 1895 the town site was pegged out, now ' a municipal council is established, and a local and enterprising newspaper, the Menzies Miner, made its first appearance at the end of the same year. Among other interesting illustrations in the ! Australian is one of the camel which ac- ■ companied Mr Menzie on bia prospect- j ing trips. ' i

An unfounded rumour was current in town on Saturday evening to tbe effect shat the body of the late Mr J. Lawson and been found at tbe Pohangina bridge. Neither the Railway Department or the police have received any intimation, the rumour being untrue. Since the reward was offered the river has been swarming with Maoris in canoes from Foxton and Oroua Bridge, eagerly intent on finding the body. — Standard. A propos of tbe waste of money in tobacco smoking and Ghewing, it has been brought under our notice that if the energy expended by the " emancipated sex " in piano thumping was concentrated into two bours a day sewing and mending, ample apparel could be made to warmly clothe the unclad savages in every part of the known world. Any surplud power might be utilized for the benefit of members of their own families.