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Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 66, 15 April 1879, Page 2

School Committee.— A meeting of the Foxton School Committee was held on Saturday lust, ut 4.30 p.m. Present — The Chairman, Messrs Stewart, Gray. Flower, and M' Culloch. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. With the view of obtaining the early appointment of a school mistress, it was decided to ask the Inspector if the division of the school into boys' and girls' departments, would facilitate the appo.ntment. It was also resolved that a copy of the plans and specifications of the now school-house be laid before next meeting. The meeting then adjourned. Anglican Church. — A meeting of the parishioners of All Saints Church, Foxton, was held on Thursday evening last, to consider the advisability of making arrangements for the lodgings, &c, required by the Rev. Mr. Nowth. It was felt, however, that until the parishioners had some idea of Mr Newth's own wishes on the matter, it would be premature to make any specific arrangements. The rev. gentleman wili arrive in this district about the end of the present month, and will hold Divine Service at Foxton and Palmerston alternately. We understand he will reside at the latter place, where, we notice, steps are being energetically taken for the early erection of a parsonage. Purebbed Poultry. — The desire for improvement of " stock " in this district has taken a new form, — this time in the poultry line. By the last trip of the Jane Douglas there arrived three largo " cjops," containing a number of pure-bred Dorking, Cochin China, and Bramah fowls, besides several Paradise ducks, and some fowls, which are a cross between the game fowl and the pheasant. They arrived at Wellington on Wednesday last, per ship Wave Queen, having been imported from London by Mr Eliot Warburton, of Palmerston, through the New Zealand Loau and Mercantile Company. The fowls appeared none the worse for their long journey, and we trust will tike kindly to their new country. Excursion Party. — The Jane Douglas, which arrived here on Good Friday, brought from Wellington to Kapiti same 25 excursionists, consisting mostly of Wellington people who desired to spend their Easier holidays on the island iuhing, shooting, &o. Two large whaleboats were transported with, them, in which to fish and travel about. The scene of departure from Wellington was graphically described to us by an onlooker. Banjo parformancep, songd, and fiddling greeted the ear* of the crowd who gathered on the wharf to say " Farewell." But as the little boat pushed her way round Sinclair Head, the musicians gradually forgot their skill, and the rattle of the engines, the splash of the waves, and the whistling of the wind went on, in. terrupted only by the muffled groan of some excursionist laid low, or the loud " Eu-roop !" of some juvenile, who declared " upon his saored honah he waa only look* ing ovah the side to see how fast the steamah was going." But as the terrible " rip " was reached, all attempts at delusion were in vain, and tho excursionists in a body gave themselves up to tho pangs of sickness, and unwillingly sacrificed many dainties at the shrine of Neptune. The jovial skipper's advice to " save that until they got to Kapiti, and they would oatch all the fish in the Pacific," caused a siokly smile, but was not acted upon, for obvious reasons. After a night much to be remembered, those excursionists were glad to get ashore at Kapiti at 7 a.m. on Good Friday. Reserves. — By Proclamation, dated April 3, the Governor has made the following permanont reserves :— Town of Foxton, lot 96, 4a Or 38p, reserved as a site for a school. Town of Sjndon, lots 252 and 28a, 49 acres, reserved for improvement and protection of the Rangitikei River. Town of Bunny-' thorpa, lot 570, 44a 3r 27p, reserved as an endowment for secondary education. Lecture. — The Foxton School Committee have decided to ask the Hon Mr Fox to give a lecture on the occasion of the opening of the new school, about the end of May. Heavy Sheet. — At the Wellington R M. Court recently, there were no fewer than 89 civil cases and 12 criminal cases down for hearing on one day. Registered.— The Rangitikei Lodge of Odd Follows, situated at Bulls, bos been registered uuder " Tho Friendly Societies Act, 1877," as a branch of " Tna Independent Order of Odd Fellows of New Zealand." What can it bbP — The last Gazette contains a notice of an application for a patent for improvements in apparatus for roasting offee, to be called " Afenliplay's Thorniteropotocon." The name certainly smells well. Will the coffee bo as good as the name? Prize Fight. — We havo received a letter from Feilding, stating that last Sunday (Easter Day), a prize fight took place a mile or two from Feilding, in the presence of some score or two of men and boys. The fight is said to have lasted one hour and forty minutes, there being fourteen rounds in all. Tho writer adds : — " It is to be hoped the authorities will at once take steps to put a stop to any: other exhibitions of the kind, as I hear another match is intended, and if possible make an example of the principals and their abet tin at yeater-

tldj's pitgiliatic encounter." Wo co^ suler it our duty lo place the statement' before our readers, leaving the police authorities to inquire into the matter. Ourcorres" uondent, wo may say, givos the namos of the pugilists, One of whom is 1 said td have beeii severely punished. We 1 trust aso irching enquiry will be made into this affair, as it would be perfectly disgraceful if such disgusting exhibitions were winked at. Mail. — The (Jan Frdnciscd mail for .Wanawatu and Wdngnnili arrived at Foxfcou per s;s. Tui on Siinctiiy afternoon, and was t-ikon northward per train yesterday morning. It consisted of 18 large packages, mid is said to be the largest mail ovel? Uncled at Foxton; Pkooress. — The town oi Adhhiirst appears to be growing rapidly. One of the litest signs of civilisation is the formation of a Fool ball Club. The Timber Tradh; — From various parts of tile colony, ■we hear of the dulness iii the timber trade. A Wairarapa content porary recently stated that " for the last twa years the demand in the timber trade has exceeded the supply, but at last the position is reversed, and new orders arebeginninw to be scarce at the Various mills in the Wai-* rarripa. . T/llis, of course, is the natural result of the present bad times. A a yet most of the mills are fairly busy completing old order?. It is only in the new ones that the signs of the times are apparent." From Pelorus Sound, we hear that Darnell's mill has stopped Work for lack of ! orders, and the name thing has occurred on the West Coast of the other island. Considering these facts, it is gratifying to hear that, another mill is about to be started at Manawatu. Mr Fawson, of Feildingr, has purchased the plant belonging to the Romnson's Bay sawmills in Akaroa Harbor, and intends to start a sawmill near Feilding. The steamer Muia has gone to Akaroa for the plant and gear, and will land it at Foxton in a few days. Manawatu is without doubt destined to hold a high position amongst the timber producing districts of the C6lony. Invextiok.— lfc is very gratifying to notice the many inventions which are being patented in this colony, especially ia the direction of improvements in our agricul* tural machinery. Wo notice that Mi 1 Horatio Bunting, of Christchurch, has applied for a "Patent for an invention for reaping a standing crop, making bands of the crop, and therewith tying the crop (when oat) into sheaves." It Mr Bunting's machine fully answers .all his expectations, it should prove a very valuable invention to the colony. Maori Chkistianitt. — A circular was printed in Maori at our office: a few days ago. It was an invitation to the natives of Wanganui, Rangitikei, Wairarapa, Manawatu, &c, to attend a great native meeting at Oteki on January 1, 1880, for the purpose of commemorating their oonversion from heathenism to Christianity. The circular was signed by Ihakara Tukumarn, Moroati Eihaioa, Horomona Toremi, Matene te Wiwi, Karanama Eapakai, Hoani Taipua, Takarei te Nawa, Hoani Meihana, liopata te Ao. An Emu.— An emu from Otataia has, says the Standard, taken up its abode on the Waihenga township, much to the terror of a great many horses, &c. ; in fact, we heard of one horse falling down dead from sheer fright of this ungainly looking bird. It is extremely tame, and will feed oufc of a person's hand. Thb Ehv. Mr. Fitchbtt. — The Church Chronicle for April contains an article regarding the " ecclesiastical aspect " of the Key Mr Fitehett's " sudden transition from the charge of a Wesleyan congregation in Dunedin to the care of All Saints in the same city." The Chronicle says : — " It was generally known that Mr Fitohett was highly esteemed as a preacher in the body to which he belonged. Churchmen would gladly welcome him or any other able Wejleyan who became convinced that it would be more satisfactory to them to receive holy orders in their Church We are not aware that any doubt whatever is entertained in reference either to Mr Fitehett's ability or the sincerity of his motives in the step ho has taken. But the ecclesiastical aspect of the subject is an important one, and calls for some explanation. We are not alluding to Mr Fitchett himself, but to those who have taken part in the proceedings connected with the change." Having quoted from the Dunedin Churchman, which defends the action of the ecclesiastical authorities regarding Mr Fitehett's appointment, the Chronicle goes on to say : — " It would appea I*,1 *, if the Churchman ia. rightly in« formed, that the Bishop of Melbourne, without any personal knowledge of a gentleman, who had only been a few days in his diocese, ordained him deacon for another ecclesiastical province. It woull further appear that the usual testimonials from three clergymen, the xi guis, and all other formalities of a like nature, were dispensed with on account o f the exceptional nature of the case.' This is a very strange reason to assign for irregular proceedings. To most persons it would occur that the exceptional nature of the cane called for a more stringent adherence to canonical practice than perhaps might have been needed in the case of a licensed lay reader of the Church, who, after' many years' service might be admitted to deacon's' orders." Those wuo know Mr Fitchett will be inclined to think that, whether he be a deacon or a priest, ho is as competent to assume the "cure" of All Saints' Church as any other clergyman in New Zealand. He once remarked himself that so far as ordination was concerned, the Bishop's hands on a man's head made little difference. It was what the man had in his head should be considered. No doubt lie holds the same opinion still, notwithstand* Ing the fact of his ordination by Bishop Moorhouse . Otago Sheep Reti-rns.— The Dunedin Evening Star says : — " The Otago sheep reports show about 3,500,000 sheep in the whole of the Provincial district, being a decrease of nearly 450,000 on lost year, atcounted for by losses mainly attributable to the snow storms of last winter. The imports for the year were 30,000, including 170 stud sheep from Victoria and five from Tasmania. The remainder oame from Canterbury. The exports amounted to 24,500. The meat preserving establishments consumed 24,500 during the year" A Long Shot. — D urine; the Maori war, in 1860 (writes a correspondent of the Wairarapa Daily), on the day after the battle of Wairaiki, a volunteer stationed intheOmata stockade observed a Maori near the Wairaiki Pa, the distance bein£ about two miles. The man used tin to make a sufficient elevation for his rifle, aDd tried the experiment to see if the rifie would carry so far, and having taken a careful sight, fired. An officer standing by with a field-glass observed the Maori spring into the air and fall down, after which they proceedoJ to the pa, anc* found him dead, shot through the heart. It is generally admitted by everybody who has visited Jacobs' Athenaeum Bazar that it is the only shop in Wellington thaj contains a good and complete assortment of Fancy Goods and Jewellery suitable for Presents.Birthday Gifts, or Wedding Pressents. Parties requiring any of the above articles will save themselves a lot of trouble by calling and inspecting the immense assortment, which is too gigantio to partioularise by advertisement. — [Advt.]