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Manawatu Herald, 1 December 1900, Page 2

New potatoes, locally grown, are now fairly plentiful. The past week of dry weather is causing the hemp-mills to be getting ready for work. The usual quarterly social at the Methodist Church will be held next Wednesday. A nolle prosequi has been entered in tho remaining charges against James Solan (Brother Kilian). There is likely to be a very large number of people on the beach this year, as tents are being purchased and made for camping out in. Mr Oswald Gardner some time ago invented and patented a new wash for flax, and some ot the millers on the river are securing the plant from him. The Russian naval budget for 1900 has been increased from sixty to ninety-seven million roubles. It* is intended lo build five ironclads and one cruiser. Field-Marshal Lord Wolseley was to have retired from the command of the army yesterday. General Sir Evelyn Wood, Adjutant-General, will act as Commander-in-Chief till the arrival ot Lord Roberts. The first long journey by motor-car made in the colony took place this week, Messrs N. Oates and Carl, of Christchurch travelling from Christchurch to Ashburton on Monday, and going on to Timaru the following day. The subject of the sermon to-morrow night at the~Methodist Church will be " The Boy who rose from the Streets to be one of the World's Greatest Preachers." Mrs Woollass will sing by request "Only remembered by what we have done." The witness for the Crown, a lad, William Hardwick, broke down in cross-examination in the case against Edouard Forrier (Brother Wybertus) at the Supreme Court on Thursday. The judge said he would not punish a cat on the boy's evidence. He directed the jury to return a verdict of not guilty. We understand that the Friendly bocieties expect a very large number for their outing on New Year's Day, and that there will be four trains arranged for. Excursionists will, with paying their fare, have a tree entrance to'the Sports or a free trip to the beach. A conference of representative Evangelicals and High Churchmen has been held at the instance of the Right Rev. Mandell Creighton, Bishop of London, to discuss questions of doctrine, ritual and Holy Communion. The conference, however, proved abortive, having failed to remove differences. During a chat with Mr Palmer, the Government Pomologist, in which the scarcity of fruit all around was mentioned, Mr Palmer said he thought one way to account for it was the continual wet weather at the time the trees were blossoming, which kept the pollen so wet as to prevent its being dispersed, and thus the blossoms were not fertilised.

A meeting of the Doctor's Committee will be held on Monday evening to receive report of canvasser. The jury failed to agree and were dismissed in the case in which Mrs Mary Henderson was charged with the murder of Winifred Luke. The charge brought against Ernest Abigail, a solicitor, at Sydney, of having offered to give one Thomas Coogan a bribe in order to persuade him to give false evidence in the Coniugham divorce case, has resulted in committal of accused for trial. We reter our readers to our advertising columns with reierence to a special sale to be held at the residence of Mr Thos. Westwood, on the Avenue Road, on Wednesday afternoon next. The sale comprises houses, land, cow, horse, gig and harness, firewood, bicycle, and all household furniture as stated. Mr Westwood is leaving the district, having entered upon a new ventute, and everything must be sold. We advise our readers to turn up at i p.m. sharp and secure some of the bargains. There is much alarm in the Midlands owing to an epidemic of alleged arsenical beer-poisoning. Numerous cases have been observed for several months. The Health Officer at Salford states that there have been eightyeight deaths from alcoholism in Salford alone during the past eight months. The brewers deny that they put arsenic into their beer, and invite investigation. They are also withdrawing supplies open to suspicion of contamination. The United States warship Kentucky has been sent to Smyrna to enforce the appointments of an American Consul at Kharput, in Turkish Kurdistan, which contains the College of Armenia. This is the principal establishment of public instruction in Armenia and Turkestan, and was founded by American missionaries. Trooper W. Greenough, of Otaki, in a letter to Mr James Cootes, mentions after some fighting which he well describes, that we had a day out last Saturday. The garrison held sports, and the colonials were well represented. Captain Pringle and Lieut. Elder won the officers' fugitive race ; the N.Z. battery won the tug of war for £50 aside against the Australian Imperial regiment, our own boys won the wrestling on horseback against all comers ; the fifth contingent won the 100 yds handicap ; Captain Pringle was third in the officers' mule race. The Sydney Daily Telegraph, commenting on the speech of Sir G. O'Brien, of Fiji, to which we referred to in our last issue, strongly condamns the use of such arguments, and adds that the plain inference is that the natives are encouraged to resist any change from the present form of Government. Coming from such a functionary these views are inexplicable. No doubt when the affair is reported to the Imperial Government, which Mr Seddon doubtless will see to, steps will be immediately taken to enquire into this. This, at least, the New Zealand should ask, if only in self-defence against this extraordinary attack from the very last quarter where it could be expected. He blossomed as a ro3e — the Post says Mr W. B. Rose, Mayor of Foxton, said Imrie had been looked upon as one of the best of their townspeople. A billiard cue with a square tip in 1 stead of a round one is an innovation that may shortly be put to a practical test. A well-known amateur of Philadelphia conceived the idea, and had a special cue made with a square tip. He says it answers every purpose to which the ordinary cue can be put, in addition to which it has a number of advantages over a round tip. For one thing it is impossible to make a miscue. The full surface of the cue strikes the ball and gives it more purchase. The point of contact between the rounded tip and the ball is, perhaps one tenth less than the ball, and where side is used the latter tip assured a much greater control. The arsenical beer-poisoning epidemic is spreading at Chester, Birminghan, Stroug, Stourbridge, Birkenhead, and Liverpool. There are seven hundred cases in the Manchester and Liverpool hospitals. The disease is described as peripheral neuritis. Its symptoms are like those of beriberi fevers. The chemists are unable to discover the cause, but a sugar substitute is suspected. The London beers are being examined. At a meeting of the Napier Chamber of Commerce, Captain Todd, New Zealand representative of the Tyser Line, said the experience of his company in endeavouring to get freight in the colony for South Africa convinced him that the trade would never pay working expenses. Australia produced everything New Zealand did, and the weekly line of steamers from there supplied all requirements. The Chamber decided that while it was desirous of establishing trade with South Africa, in the absence of sufficient information it could not recommend the State to give the proposed subsidy.