LOCAL & GENERAL

Horowhenua Chronicle, 28 March 1916, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL

The Mayor of Levin (Mr C. Blenkhorn) and Councillor Hotter (of the ilorowhenua .County Council) attended a meeting at Marton last Saturday, in furtherance of the scheme for deviating the main trunk line (Levin to Greatford). Sir James Wilson presided and Mr Newman, M.P., was present; also Mr M. LucJtie, as associate to Air fcikerrebt, K.O. Evidence by the committee was discussed. The evidence got together at the northern end of the district is very full and complete; the representatives there are very .much in earnest, juhl a. like (spirit Characterises Levin. 'Jjic d«'ito for thu sitting of thp Commission is not yet decided, but probably it will sit in the middle of April; or by the middile of May at the latest. A Press Association telegram states that the Auckland City Council has every reason to believe that aibout -10T) tone of steeJ, required tor the market buildings was aboard tue Matattia, which was destroyed by an .explosion at St. John. It was covered by insurance, but the market price has advanced £10 per ton since the steel was purchased. The Balkans proper form the boundary between Bulgaria and Eastern Houmeiia. The ridige is crossed by some thirty passes, it which Shipka is the mctet noted in history. In the war of 1877 it was the scene of desperate fighting between the Russians and Turks. German ironmongers have announced to Scandinavian firms that all contracts will be annulled and prices raised by at least 75 per cent. At the same time, the regulation of export licences will be strengthened. An earthquake was felt over a wide area in North ytaifuidshire and North Bhrqpdhire about. 7.30 p.m. on Jan. 14. 'flie tremor was accompanied by a loud rumbling noise, and resembled the effect of a mine explosion. At Stafford chimney pots fell on housetops, furniture in houses oscillated, and peo-

pie walking along the street were thrown off their feet. At the Stoke Theatre the shock \va« very plainly feifc, and some alarm was caused for a minute or two. At the Stoke Town Hall the building was felt to rook distinctly. In the House of Commons on Wednesday, 19th January, Dr Macnamara announced that a Court-martial would be held shortly to ascertain the cause of the loss of H. M. S. Natal. This reversion to the tradition o_t" the Navy to hold Courts-martial on tne'survivora from the loss of all warships was foreshadowed by Mr. Ba'ifour in the House of Commons in Moveiniber. ile then stated that the Admiralty desired to udnerc to the spirit of tin , tradition, fio far as the public interests and the conditions of modern naval waif are Would allow.A Press Association message lroin Wellington states that a shooting case occurred at Nairn-si reet IJeserve, beyond Upper Willis-street, last night, but beyond the fact that the two principals are now in the hospital in a serious condition, little is known. A man named! Devoy, s»id to be a hairdresser of Foxton, came to Wellington

tliis week to tiiarry a young woman, Miss White. The p.w went for n walk in the evening. Two shots were heard,in the reserve and the two were found badly wounded. The man apparently sliot the girl with a revolver, and then shot himself. , -v Lemonade lying promiscuously about on the Railway Station at Shannon proved too strong a temptation for thre youngsters, who proceeded to enjoy themselves with a fine disregarai of the canons of "mourn et tuum." However, the youthful delinquents wore observed, and there was a scatter. Two got away, but the tnird was caught. A sequel occurred in the Magistrate Court yesterday, when the youth who was caught was charged with stealing 24 bottles of soft drinks valued at ss, the property of Frederick yiiaw. The lad admitted the harge and wa6 warned that if he did things like that again he would be severely whipped. The lad tremblingly assured' His Worship that he wouldn't "do things like that again," and was discharged on condition that his parents pay the os.—Manawatu Times. At the concluding wool sale at Ghristehiirch yesterday 8597 bales were ottered. There was a good attendance of buyers, but several prominent colonial firms were not represented. Much of the wool was of inferior quality compared with earlier sales. The bulk entry was secured by the Dominion and France buyers. Home representatives are largely holding aloof. There was a good all-round—competit-ion, but for fleece wools, prices suffered a decline of about Jd per lb. In the Quebec Legislature, Mr Armand Lavergne, Nationalist, made au\ anti-war speech, owing to the failure by agitation to give "the French language equal status with English over the whole Dominion. The Isinaili Khoja community of Zanzibar sends the following message to the King:—''We night and day pray to Almighty God that He may grant every success to the British Empire, and* long may His Majesty the King reign over us." The Grand Lodge of Druids has decided that its subordinate lodges throughout New Zealand shall initiate ao new members until t'lie war terminates. Tlie Grand Lodge is responsible for the solvency of the district lodges, and in the event of any of these proving unable to meet its liabilities the grand lodge must subsidise the finances. Hence the decision aoove referred to, which is directed to prevent the initiation of departing soldiers into Druidism. A notable incident at one of the .British Association meetings—at Brighton in 1872 is being recalled. Stanley, lately returned from Africa, was the attraction on that occasion, fcjtaniey was a- journalist as well as a traveller, and something of an orator, too, and he worked off a startling effect, as lfe told of his meeting with Livingstone at TJjiji. Livingstone had asked for "news of the outside world. "I told him"," said Stanley, "Jturope-- had been convulsed; dynasties have been overthrown Napoleon 111 is at this moment a refugee in England." JNunolemi. with the Empress Eugenic at his side, was eittin-g among the audience. .As Stanley's worde thrilled his hearers the c<mperor was seen to start and turn pale, and he did not recover his oomposiiro for some minuter.