LOCAL AND GENERAL

Horowhenua Chronicle, 8 February 1915, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

In Eketahunt the bakers have taken their carts off the road and are soiling bread at 4Jd cash over the counter. The wife of'a French soldier has pre senterl him with quadruplets. All nro well and they have been named after Allied rulers. The Waikawa flaxmill was destroyed by fir« in the early hours of Friday morning. The mill was owned by Messrs Row and Co., of Foxton. who purchased it from Mr T. Be van.

The annual report of the Auckland Gas Company shows a profit for t'e past year of £00,008 15s 2d. Three valuable heavy 'draught horses the property of Riri Mahiina were killed by a passing train 011 Friday morning at Manakau. Mr George Luke, builder, of Wellington, diod suddenly at his residence tile other morning. Deceased wus the youngest son of the late Mr Samuel Luke, and up to tho time of retiring tho previous night he was in his usual state of health, and his sudden deni'so came as a great shock to his family and wide circle of friends. A Wanganui lady during last year took 337 books from tho Public Library, all being books of fiction. A male child, alive and about six weeks old, was discovered the other night in the hollow of a ree 011 the river Avon, near Darlington bridge, Christchurch. The foundling was not affected by its experience and was taken to a maternity home. A local resident who has returned from a holiday to Nelson states that the drought has been severely felt in that province. The ground is thor* oughly parched and there is not a blade of grass to be seen. No rain has fallen for about nine months. Fruit crops have turned out well and hop crops are expected to be very good. Mr Massey says the Government istiL making every effort to obtain sufii cient refrigerated steamers to enable producers to get consignments away at the end of tho season. In regard to vessels in berths, or likely to be, the Government asks the Harbour Boardto expedite matters by working overtime. Absolutely nothing is bein.L' left undone to supply steamers. A startling incident happened at the Folding Show during tho lady linntors' competition. Mr 11. T. Sanson's Golden Glow, ridden by Miss J. Angus, the well-known horsewoman, had safely negotiated the last Hurdle when he appeared to get slightly out of hand ana making through the entrance gate jumped the railings on the inside course striking hard and throwing Miss Angus fell heavily. Fortunately she !'el! on the sand track and sustained only a severe shaking. Mr C. E. Mackay. of Wanganui, uss been assigned by the Crown as couikH to defend. Arthur Rottman, the Gorman, who has "been indicted 011 n charge of triple murder at Ruahine i>: December last. The prisoner 'will.com-' up for trial at the Wanganui criminal session of the Supreme Court. Hi' 1 the prisoner been financially ahle to engage his own counsel he could have selected any member of the legal fraternity he desired, but under the Justices of Peace Amendment Act, 1912. under which counsel for impecuniousprisoners are appointed, it is necessary that a lawyer should be select-?d who carries 011 practice in the district in which the trial takes place. Mi Mackav's appointment was made at the request of Rottman himself. Tho Commissioner of Crown Lands calls for written tenders up to the 24th instant for leases of three sections ji Levin township. See advertisement. At the Supreme Court, Tinniru John Daintry Campbell Birch, age. 10, who pleaded guilty yesterday te the attempted murder of Jame: O'Connell, was sentenced hv Mr Justic Denniston to life imprrsonment. The Justice stated that accused's failure V. complete his purpose should not be allowed to place him in a better position than if he had actually killed the victim. ''Banjo" Patterson, the Sydney Her aid's commissioner with the Australian forces in Egypt, says: "Our Polish mentor has settled one very moot point. He has taught us how to pronounce Przemysl—he says it is ronouncod Chemcz. It does not sound very likely to our ears, but a word spelt that way must be allowed a 'ot of latitude.' A Press Association message from Dunedin states that information has been received by the Returning Officer for Dunedin Central that 230 absent voters' permits and 54 seamen's votes were exercised on Wednesday. One is on its way from a district north of Auckland. The official count will probably be commenced to-morrow evening, and it is likely that the final result will be known on Monday. J. Nelson, of the Palmerston North Fire Brigade, has been presented by the United Fire Brigade's Association with the long-service (25 years) gold star. His service commenced with the Marton 1* iro Brigade, and since going to Palmerston North he has attendo'l 555 calls out of (560. The badge is to be presented to him at the ami lal demonstration at Timaru. Although a continual search has been maintained no trace has been found of Mrs J. Dixon, missing from the Maunwatu Heads since Saturday. The search is still being continued and the south beach is also being patrolled in case the body should be washed up. A sad accident occurred at T.ambto.'i station (Wellington) on Saturday night in which Private Frederick William Black, a Dunedin member of the 4th Reinforcements, met his death. Blackwas found lying 011 the rails next o the platform at 11 p.m. He was unconscious and terribly injured, his condition showing that he had been run over b ya train some time previously. No one apparently saw the occurrence, but Black was known to bo standing on the platform of a carriage attached to the outgoing train to: Trent-ham. It is surmised that he fell off and was -un over bv a train-some time previously, front of the incoming Hut-t train, which arrives at Lambton at 10.50 p.m. Or Henry was summoned immediatelv Black was found by some of the station hands, but lie died in the waiting room before the doctor arrived. Besides severe internal injuries and wounds on his head ho had an arm and leg broken. Tt is understood that Black was a son of Mrs Janet Black, a widow., residing in Mornington. Dunedin.—Press Association.