Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 137, 9 December 1896, Page 2

Local and General News.

I The Manawatu Times says :-By some it is asserted that the cause of Prohibition has been thrown back twenty years by the recent elections. A mcetiug of the Finance Committee j of tbe Manchester Rifles will hv held tomorrow evening after the Government parade. According to the r?c:<-o( .< -'i.-'ic---, M-» | inhabitants oi the e:ir:h rnu.jii iJio rt i starvation at the end of 280 years. In that time the population will have increased so much that it will be impossible to secure food for all. Personally we arc not interested. A woman in New York State is about to celebrate her 10S birthday. For over half a century sho had been un inveterate smoker, but she has now decided to give up the habit, fearing it may shorten her life. On Saturday tbe 19th inst. a concert will be given in the Birmingham Hall in aid of the Birmingham Cricket Club. Considerable interest; is being taken in tbe entertainmentand the promoters arc sparing no efforts to make it a success. A portion of the programme will be devoted to a Christy Minstrel entertainment and several outside vocalists, including some from Feilding, will assist. The programme will be published in a future issue. A visit to the steam furniture factory of Mr 'W. G. Sheerer should convince the most exacting that they can be as well supplied, and at lower prices, than in any of the large towns Mr Shearer has just received new goods for the Xmas season, and while he is prepared to supply all demands, offers a liberal discouut to cash buyers. A new advertisement appears to-day. We regret having to record the death of Mr Charles Bentley, of Ngahauranga, cue of the pioneers of Otago, but who has been settled in this district for the last seven years. Mr Bentley came to the colony in the John Wickliffe with oue of the first parties of settlers in Otago, and in the early goldfield days was engaged as a carrier and contractor on the diggings, i n which occupation ho accumulated considerable means. The closing days of bis life have been spent with his sons at Ngahauranga.— tost. The color of the sky at particular times affords a wonderfully good guide to the weather to be expected within the coining twenty- lour hours. Not only does a rosy sunset presage good weather and a ruddy sunset bad weather, but a bright yellow sky in the evening indicates wind ; a pale yellow rain. If in the morning the sky is of a neutral grey colour, the indications for a good day may be considered favourable. Generally speaking, it may ba said that any deep or unusual hue in summer betokeus either wind or rain. The Hon W. P. Reeves on elections : — " Who is there to lift up his voico for a Press, staggering and reeling under the intolerable weight of speeches made at the general elections ? Is there no oue to say a word for the non-political reader upon whom these columns of speeches are inflicted day after day '? May I not add a word for the unfortunate editor and for the unhappy reporter ? May I not add a word for the widows and orphans of the reporters — reporters who fall victims to tha effort to assimilate these intolerable outpourings." The prehistoric saurian discovered in Taranaki has (writes tbe correspondent of the Southland Times) so far as I can gather from the particulars furnished, its contemporary in a fossilisation at Preservation Inlet. It is embedded iv the sedimentary rock or boulder clay (I woald not be sure which) forming a cliff to the sea at the head of a cave or marine grotto on the Cuttle Cove side of the inlet. Its outlines are iv many respects distinct — head, eyes, fangs, and feelers, all well defined. Its measure ment cannot be less than 20ft by, I should say, 18in at the fullest part of rotundity. Mr Justice Denniston gave a judgment of considerable importance at Cbristchurcb on tbe application of the the City Council for a mandamus to the Registrar of the Supreme Court to sell a certain properties on which rates bad not been paid. The Registrar bad ob jected on the ground that there was not a sufficient identification of the property which be was asked to sell with that on which the rates had been found to be doe to protect him »om responsibility in case of an error. His Honour held thai }f the Registrar did bis duty in good faith, he could not be personally responsible for ao error. Judgment was given tor the City Council, without costs. A correspondent of the Lyttelton Times writes thus:- 1 know of no scheme more commendable to the Government as a solutiou of the annually recurring unemployed difficulty than the immediate replenishing of our rapidly vanishing native forests. Seeds of nearly all oar more y&luable timber trees are generally eas#y procurable, and the young trees are easily reared from seed while some are readily propagated from cuttings. Tho gathering and sowing of tbe seeds, and tbe rearing and planting of the yonng trees, would furnish ample employment for all surplus labor dnring the winter months. A few men to attend to the nurseries of seedlings and youug trees would suffice during the summer and autumn lEOUtiIH."

Denmark has an old maid's assurance company. Several new advertisements are unavoidably held over. The Rangitikei Licensing Committee met at Marton today. ' The telegraph delivery boys will be mounted cm bicycles this week. The Rev Mr .J. Cocker's reply to Mr H. C. Wilson will appear tomorrow. j ] A Gaelic proverb says that " Tossing ; | the head will not make the boat row." \ l I Alterations and additions are made to- ! day to the advertisement for Messrs | ! Abraham and Williams 1 sale at Palmers- ' ! ton North. J The so far unsuccessful attempts to recover the tools lost iv the petroleum bore at New Plymouth has cootthecoinpany about i'2so. The committee of the Foildicg Athletic Club will meet this evening at Mr Sherwill's office at H p.m. Nominations for the sports close at 8.80. We have to thank Mr Sam Daw, the popular mnil contractor, for the first ' Pictorial Almanack of the season, cntit ) Jed " The fight for the Staudard." j Those who die by shot wouuds have generally a quiet smile on thuir face, i j Just like p, man who has a ticket on the j | machine carrying the number ot the ] winning horse. We hone there will be a good muster at the garden party and tea this after- ■ noon, in Turner's paddock. The gate j is at the end of Kimboltou road, a little to the left of the coruer. One result of the mining boom in the North has been that the Thames Couwty Council has been able to clear off ail its liabilities, mid start another year with a credit balance of nearly i"20(K). Mr JR. D, Tosswitl, of Apiti, ndvortises for sale two hundred aud three acres of land, fenced and in grass, with a new house aud ontbuildiugs. Applications for particulars are to be made by letter to the advertiser. On clit, that in about six months' time His Ilouour the Chief Justice will be eutitled to his pension, and will probably retire from the Supreme Court Bench. It is also understood tint Mr Justice Williams will retire about; the same time. The stiike-nut-thc top-line cmye led to another <\< sciiptiou of " strike " dur mi» the election camp&'gu. In an Oamaru n'tuiL-r 1 :) tn.p. clvravrosvi «^!.-^d t.l->; r.'mir fi j ! : ;■-■•■ " <:rv:o Out- rho To i)\ ■-••.'• Hi'; *b. : >. | I i .cy cio.-iincd (o uo, r\nd t ' 'r o C-jiiu'T^;- - tiou. when appealed to by the minister, also declined. Today Mr G. T. Murray, road surveyor, Wuujjauui, invites tenders for roads ni detail -d in the advertisement which i appears in another column. Specirica--1 tions may bo seen at the survey office, Wan«auni, an.l the post offices Raetilii, • Manquvcka. Mavton, aud Palincrston ■ North. Tenders will close on Oth January, 1597. :• Mi W. Light, the popular host of the Denbigh Hotel, has the usual Christmas . notice in to day. Mr Light is making i special arrangements for the accomrno- : edition of visitors during tbe coming fns- . rive season, besides haviny provided a • lar^e stock of the best brands of wines - and spirits. Christmas hampers will be - made up to order. The Observer says : - The want of rain 1 is bciu« felt in the Wairaraf-a- There will practically be no hay this spring, 7 tbo cold weather that preceded this 2 drought having been against the growth s of grass. The oat crop is a failure also, i There is already a falling off in the milk r supply, which can only be checked bj' 3 early and copious showers. J Iv a replace advertisement Messrs • Spenco and Spence draw attention to ' the fact that the Bon Marche is now stocked from Moor to ceiliug with new i and fashionable goods suitable for the , Xmas season. Every montu shows a a marvellous increase of business at the 3 popular Bon Marche aud all preparations 3 have been made to meet the demands of i this the busiest month of all.