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Manawatu Herald, 4 July 1899, Page 2

A perfectly-proportioned man is said to weigh 281b for every foot of his height. Both parties in the House of Commons have agreed to facilitate the progress of the Australian Federal Enabling Bill next session. A writ was served last week on a Christchurch doctor for £2000 damages for an alleged unnecessary operation on a woman in Sydenham. It is proposed to form a new county in the Rangitikei district, with its headquarters in the town of Mangaweka, after which it is to be called. Bobby : " Popper, what is a respectable fortune ?" Mr Ferry : " One big enough to make its owner's opinion on any subject entitled to respect." It is stated that Messrs G. G. Couper and Ralston have bought 30,000 acres of the Darlinghurst Downs, Australia, at £± per acre. The homestead is a magnificent one, containing thirty rooms.

The regular meeting of the Borough Council was not held last night only Crs. Hennessy, Walsh and Westwood attending. The meeting was adjourned to Thursday night. Instead of the Perthshire presenting the appearance of a battered and weather-beaten derelict when she reached Sydney she was as spick and span as if she had just come out of the builder's yard. From her funnel to the water's edge she shone in the glory of new paint, while her brass work was as polished and bright as if she had belonged to a crack passenger line instead of being a big ocean cargo steamer. The officers and crew gave no indication of having passed through an experience as thrilling as was ever told by Marryat or Clark Russell. They were as cheerful as if they had just made port on an ordinary and uneventful voyage. The thousands who went to look at the ship manifested their disappointment at finding her in such perfect trim, with barely an inch of paint rubbed off to show the thrashing about she had received while drifting about in the Tasman Sea. One of the latest feats which Cinquevalli. the famous juggler, is now performing in Melbourne is to juggle with a potato and a knife and fork, which he keeps flying through the air. Presently there is a flashing movement of the cutlery, and the potato is found to have been cut in mid-air into three parts of which ong is sticking to the back of the knife, another to the front, and the third is on the fork, which has balanced itself upright on the juggler's chin. A silver fox skin which was ofiered for sale by public auction by Messrs C. M. Lampson and Company, of Queen-street, London, was knocked Jown, after very spirited competition, to the highest bidder for the sum of £340. This is believed to be a record realised at public auction for this class of skin. The utterances of a certain temperance advocate were drawn attention to at the Auckland City Council meeting. In submitting his motion Councillor Stichbury quoted from the utterances of the lecturer, and said that when a creature used v such words in connection with highly respected citizens, some of whom were dead and some still living, as "murderers," " robbers," " poisoners," etc., it was pretty nearly time such a person was either drowned or had something else done to him. Personally he would have no compunction at all in drowning a man like that, and he would not think that he was a murderer after he had done it. The Mayor said he had been pained to hear that such language had been used. It would be a mistake on the part of the Council to interfere with the administration ot the law. The Council had a by-law which touched on the matter, and it was for the police to administer it. On a discussion the motion was lost by seven votes against four. Flax on the brain. We have one storekeeper hard at it grinding out fibre as fast as it is possible. We have another who is selling — not all he possesses, but — his store on purpose to go fully into flaxmilling, and now — lo ! and behold — a third storekeeper is getting ready to start a mill. We understand that this latest ' spec ' just clears off all the flax the Motoa Estate has to let. A man named George Thomas was drowned in the Rangitikei River on Friday, near Rewa. He was crossing the ford, when his horse fell, throwing him into the water, and he was washed under the cliff in deep water. The body has not yet been recovered. The Hon. R. W. Best, in his report to the Victorian Parliament, says of his travels in New Zealand : — The first thing which struck us in -our journeyings through the South Island was the grandeur and magnificence of the scenery ; not only in its massiveness and stern ruggedness did it impress us, but the charm and delicacy of its detailed beauty is beyond description. It must, I think, be fairly admitted that we have not in Victoria anything which, taken altogether, can compare with it. As to that scene of volcanic activity — the thermal district in the North Island — the boiling mud, ever active geysers, hot lakes, and other phenomena, make up a scene so weird and fascinating that the word " Wonderland" is an inadequate description. Mr Rhodes addressed a meeting of his company the other day in London and spoke out straight about foreign competition. He said "it may be said that this American tender was a question of workman and strikes, and it may be the fault of capitalists. I am afraid it is rather a habit, when a little wealth is accumulated, for the heir to it to disregard his father's work, and spend what has been left to him between Picadilly and the South of France. I think this question generally is worthy of % consideration. It is as important as a London Municipal Council Bill or an Old Age Pension Bill; and it is a thought which I should like to give through you to the English people. The following account of a remarkable leap by a horse appears in the Feilding Star :— Mr Hight, of Colyton, drove a young half-draught horse in his smithy. As soon as the door was closed, the horse, seeing no means of getting out, other than by one or two small openings for windows, made a leap and jumped clean through, only touching the ledge of the opening with its hind hoofs in its leap. I measured the opening, which is as follows : — One foot ten inches wide by two feet five inches high, the opening being sft 4in from the ground. The fibre known as sisal has been assuming great importance in the hemp market, and a Foreign Office report on the trade of Yucatan for the year 1898 will therefore interest manufacturers of rope, twine, etc. — a very considerable industry in these colonies. The quantity of sisal hemp exported in 1898 was no less than 418,972 bales, nearly the whole of which went to the United States. The cost of producing this article is about £9 per ton, but owing to the American-Spanish war th« nwket ruled very high*

The municipal authorities of Paris have adopted motors for the propulsion of fire-engines and water-carts. Madame Melba, the Australian prima donna, has been engaged to sing at Paris and St. Petersburg, and in Germany and Italy. It is officially announced that the Duke of Connaught has renounced his claim to>the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg in favour of the Duke of Albany, who is now fifteen years of age. How very similar the language of the inhabitants of the Cook Islands is with the Maori is shown in the first communication of Lieut-Colonel Gudgeon, British Resident there, in place of Mr Moss, resigned. Lieut-Colonel Gudgeon has had thirty years' experience amongst the Maoris in this colony, and he has informed the Governor that he finds he can communicate with Makea (the chief), and others without the aid of an interpreter. Early Rose potatoes are quoted at 40s per ton in Christchurch, kidneys at 20s per ton. The following is from the Government Insurance Recorder : — " One of the Department's most energetic and popular agents, who seeks for business in every possible nook and corner, recently canvassed a large asylum in the South Island. Business was fair among the warders, one individual especially (whom we will call Ebenezer) showing great intelligence and knowledge of life insurance. He thoroughly believed in it, and the agent got him to sign a proposal form without much difficulty. The day's work over, the agent prepared to return to the bosom of his family, and in bidding farewell to the medical superintendent, through whose courtesy he had been permitted to canvass the institution, he spoke of the great success he had experienced, saying that he had insured several of the warders, including Ebenezer, of whom he was especially proud. An official of this name not being known to the superintendant, inquiries were made, and it transpired that one of the warders had, in order to escape the astute canvasser, placed his coat and cap on one of the most intelligent lunatics in his charge as soon as the agent hove in sight." At the Supreme Court yesterday in the case of Joseph Myers the juryfound him guilty of forgery. • Mr Speirs secured the contract for the addition to Mr Loveday's shop. The Uitlander case is thus stated to a London paper by an influential correspondent : — The British settlers and other foreign residents have no right to have a voice in the levying and spending of the taxation of the country without becoming naturalised fifteen years before receiving the benefit of the franchise. No power to control the payment of officials. No power to control the educational grants of the State, or benefit under them unless they learn through the Dutch language, which is the only medium of education above the Third Standard. No control of the municipal government of their town, which they have built. No freedom in their Press. No freedom to hold public meetings. No right to be tried by their peers.