LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hastings Standard, Issue 424, 13 September 1897, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Supreme Court commences its sittings at Napier to-morrow. The report in the Napier morning paper that a lmka would be held in the Waipatu Pah this evening is unfounded. The members of the Hastings Cash Cycling Club, under Captain M'Dowell, had a run to Napier and round the Spit yesterday. Quite a number enjoyed the outing. It is now stated that the negotiations between the Government and the Cassel Company for the cyanide patent rights have been actually concluded on the basis mentioned, of a payment of £15,000. Sir Walter Buller left Auckland for Fiji on Friday last. He will visit Tonga and other places before returning to New Zealand. It is probable that Sir Walter will shortly leave on a tour to Europe, remaining for the French Exhibition of 1900. Colonel Hume, Inspector of Prisons, in the course of an interview in Cliristchurch expressed himself very emphatically on the inefficacy of the present mode of dealing with habitual drunkards. He states that the short sentences passed 011 them in the Courts are worse than useless. The Hastings Town Band discoursed good music at both ends of the main street on Saturday evening, playing first in front of Cowlrick's and afterwards opposite King's. A collection on behalf of the instrument fund was well responded to. The band under Air Barrett is certainly increasing in popularity. The improvements in the condition of the police offices are completed, and may be summed up in the statement that visitors are not obliged to pass through the stables in order to reach the office, but can now enter direct through a door on the other side of the building. The improvements are not by any means of an exhaustive nature, but at any rate something litis been done. Mr T. Crosse occupied the chair at a meeting of the Hawke's Bay Gun Club on Saturday. The club trophy, which has to be won three times before becoming the property of the winner, and which has never yet been won twice by the same competitor, will he shot for at Clive 011 October 6th. Twelve new members were elected and a programme for the competition was drawn out.

Operations on the additions at the Mataura freezing works are being pushed on, and it is authoritively stated that when these are completed something like ten times the number of operatives now engaged will be required. In anticipation of this, and the gold and coal booms in the vicinity, a revival in the house building trade in Mataura is expected.

Ranapia, an old chief of the Whakatobea tribe, died at Opotiki lately. Rannpia and Tiwai (who is still living at Opotiki) were the two man who objected to the murder of the He v. Mr Volckner at Opotiki by Hauhaus in 1865. The former attempted to rescue the missionary, but was upset into a creek, and Mr Volckner was hanged. King Maliatoa, of Samoa, is at present staying at an old Malietoa possession at Alao, where he sought refuge during the German campaign in 1887. His Majesty has about twenty men with him, and these are erecting several Samoah houses and clearing the bush, which threatened to destroy the plantations. A remarkable case of the recovery of speech and hearing is reported from the Canton of Tieeno, in Switzerland. An Italian, aged 41 years, who live years ago became a deaf mute in consequence of a serious disease, was startled by the sudden appearance of a runaway horse. As he jumped aside to avoid the animal he uttered a scream, and soon after found that he was able to talk and hear.

A movement is afoot to organise a grand social at an early date to raise funds to send a team from the local Fire Brigade to the next demonstration to be held in Auckland. It will be remembered that last year the Hastings boys well maintained the reputation of the brigade at Christchurch, and it is certain that some of the members of the local corps can hold their own against any firemen in New Zealand. Under the circumstances it is hoped that the public will heartily support the proposed movement, and that a sufficient sum will be raised to allow of the Brigade being worthily represented.

At Clive on Sunday morning some early risers discovered a five roomed cotage of Mr G. Clifton on fire. The premises, which were insured for ,£2OO in the New Zealand Office, have been unoccupied since the flood to allow the building being raised 4ft. so as to ensure its being out of the reaoli pf future floods, and as this work with some other improvements was nearly completed the family intended to reside in it shortly. Some person who passed the place at midnight says there were no signs of light or fire, and though swaggers had been seen in the vicinity no satisfactory explanation can be given as to the origin of the affair. Two shilling tickets for the Grand VarietyConcert, Tuesday, 21st September, may be reserved without special charge at Mr Hunt's Book Depot.*

In his paper on " The Soldiers of Our Queen "in the Illustrated Magazine for July, Sir Evelyn Wood relates the following good yarn against himself : " The soldiers are certainly more intelligent with the increase of education, but nevertheless they are still sufficiently drilled into automaton - like procedure and rigid obedience as occasionally to produce a comical situation. Four years ago when I was in command of the Abler,shot Division I was riding past the regimental cook - house. I had been taking considerable interest in the preparation of the men's rations, and seeing a soldier coming out of the cook-house with his mess tin and what appeared to be very thin soup a few minutes before 1 Q'cl.ucji yrhen the dinner bugle had only just sounded, I Crrdej-pd thp man to halt and another bring me a spoon frqm t-ho cook-house. ' Hand me up that tin,' said I, and the man obeyed and stood motionless while I tasted the liquid. Getting rid of the stuff as quickly as possible i sajd, ' It appears to be nothing but dirty water," when the man answered with the most stolid gravity, ' Please, sir, that is what it is ; I am washing out the tins! ' " Breathes there a man with soul so dead Who never to himself hath said : The man who would alleviate The ills which by an evil fate, Poor mortalsmust expect to share Deserves a crown of jewels rare ? If, such there should be let all hope that he May a frame-shaking cough just endure Till he has to confess, it was cured by no less Than Woods' Great Peppermint Cure.— Acvr.