Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 136, 8 December 1896, Page 2

Local and General News.

The Pohangiua County Council will meet on Saturday next. Additions aye made to-day to the entries foe Mr Charles Carr's Feilding stock sale. Members of the Manchester Rifles arc reminded of the Government parade on Thursday next. T&e Returning Officer, Mr T. Watson, to day officially declares the results of the general election and licensing polls. Nominations for all handicap events at the Feilding Athletic Club Sports on Boxing Day will close to-morrow even in» at' 8 30. Mr T. Meeban bas purchased Mr C. Wickbam's carrier's plant aud is now prepared to deli Fer goods aud parcel., to any part of the borough. Three of the defendants prosecuted iv connection with the raid on totalisatos shops at Colhngwood (Melbourne), have been eacb fined £'75 aud costs. At a committee meeting of the Manawatu Racing Club held last evening, it ' was decided that bookmakers, layers of odds and spielers, should be prohibited irom entering the grounds. Nominations for the Apiti Ath'clie Sports on New Year's Day close on Friday, the 16fch iustant. The programme which bas been prepared on a liberal scale, will be found on our fourth page. Once an eminent astronomer was asked what he thought to be tbe Philosopher's Stone, that wonderful magical stone which turns everything it touches into gold " Pay as you go," was the answer. 1 Those interested are reminded Messrs Gorton and Son will sell at noon to- « morrow all the privileges in connection with the Polo Sports to be held on the Feilding Race Course on Wednesday 16. A Maori woman was terribly burned at Gisborne on Saturday through tbe long grass in an orchard catching fire. '. It is supposed she had been smoking, and had thrown a lighted match into the grass. Three members of the Wanganui Education Board— Messrs Carson, Pirani and Lethbridge— were elected members of the House of Representatives on Friday and a fourth (Mr Robbins) was only defeated by a narrow majority. It is expected that Dr Nansen's book of his Arctic voyage will be ready for publication early next year. The explorer is to visit London and give an account of the expedition before the Royal Geographical Society. A donkey race will probably be in eluded in the programme at tbe Polo Sports meeting. We have heard it stated, it will be difficult to ascertain which is intended to represent tbo ' favourite ' from Ramsgate, the rider or the pony. On Friday last, tbe day ofthe general election, refreshments were provided at the polling booth at Upper Pohangina by Mesdames H. Fraser and F. Richards and all visitors were freely invited to partake of the bountious provisions so kindly provided by these ladies. While Mr Seddon was assisting his party in various constituencies in the colony, Mrs Seddon was conducting tbe campaign on his behalf in his own elec> torate, and Miss Seddon was addressing meetings in the Wairarapa in favour of tho Government candidate. To-day Mr Edward Smith, of Colyton, showed us noma very rich specimens of gold from Coolgardie, brought over by Sir David Knight (his brother in law), who has been mining there for the last two years. We are glad to know that Mr Knight has been moderately successful. At tha Police Court this mornmg. before Mr T. A. Bryce, J.P., John West was fined 5s and 2s costs on a charge of drunkenness and disorderiy behaviour in Fergusson street on Monday evening; and Michael Lee was convicted on a charge of drunkenness and discharged. The Napier Telegraph, referring to the hotels being closed on election day says : — The Working Men's Club also closed its doors durincr the prescribed period, although it might have been legally kept open and reaped an abundant harvest. The action of the members in deciding , £hus to close was most creditable and £o#aß?fpdable. A garden pa»iy will be held to-mor-row afternoon, coma&fe&ciug at 3 p.m., iv Mr S. $. Turner's p^d'4'o^ ftsar the juuctiiie oi the Ivniboltpn rojid South street. The proceeds wij'l pc devoted to liquidation the qlefyt pn jfche Young Men and Boys Club piano winch amounts to J. 12, and the committee hope to be able to raise sufficient fnnds tomorrow to pay off this small amount, when the Club will be free of debt. The locality selected for the party is most .suitable for the purpose aud it is hoped tJiWe-syill be a large attendance. The committee FVI r, Qpide the usual picnic games and refecshnjie.^ts. Tbe following are ithe haj&djoaps fo? i tomorrow's shooting competition;— 1 . Class A Mrs &irton*s trophy: Liei?ti B_trltK>p. Sorgi Aitkin, Sjayweii, Parker, Scott aud Wilson, see . Sejigfc Mg Murray, 4 ; Vol Parl.e?, 5; Corp Evaas. _} > ggrgt petherick, Vols Bensemann, Evaoe ttud Sbti&r^ 8- Class B— Captain Kirton's trophy : toil? X>. Bennett and E. Bennett, scr; Vols &fcj_£iHan and Menz, 8 ; Vols Isaac and Reid, 4- £&rpl Humphrey. #; Vols Taylor, W. B_-«W}._,n, J-Breuos-i.. 4-- Wilson, Smith and Waito^ 8 ; Vols J Jse__*W-s_i, Gosling, Hicks, Jeuinns and Detcuer, W. *?<(. Jor- Sergt Mil son and Vol Bill, 12 These competitions will also count for Captain Kit.ou'a

Mr A. W. Watts, an old Feildingite and well known athlete, returnedto Feilding to day from Coolgardie. A bicycle race has been arranged to take place this evening between H. C. Tarrant and J. H. Mingin. , the conrse being from Lee's line to Feilding. The race will start at 7 o'clock. At tbe conclusion of tbe race the committee of the Feilding Cycling Club will meet in the Feilding Hotel. A man named J. F. Griffiths was arrested at Kopani, near Rongotea, yesterday by Monnted Constable Healey, on a charge of failing to comply with an order of the Court, issued at Wellington, requiring him to provide maintenance for his wife. The accused will be taken to Wellington this evening where he will serve two months hard labor in default of complying with the order of the court. Mr D. Barrett, the late proprietor of tbe Colyton Hotel, bas desired us to contradict the rumour that he offered to take i'Boo before the licensing poll or _P4OO after for the goodwill of the hotel and that tbe former offer was accepted by Mr Nicholas, the purchaser. Tho facts are that he asked for aud obtained £400 for tbe goodwill, the stock and furniture being taken over at the valuation.