LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3737, 29 December 1906, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

The Herald will not be published on Tuesday next, New Year’s Day. Two furnished bedrooms with use of kitchen are advertised for.

The killing of paradise ducks has been prohibited for a year from April 25th next year. Seventy two thousand one pound shares in the new morning paper in Wellington, have been allotted.

Members of the local Oddfellows lodge are notified that the next meeting will be held on the Bth inst. instead of the Ist,

The Government has decided to take Te Arai Station, of 10,750 acres situated eight miles from Gisborne, under the Eandfor Settlement Act. The estate is the property of the Hon Randall Johnson,

On opening a bale of paper from an Aberdeen paper mill, the warehouseman of the Lyttelton Times Company found between two reams of the paper a number of sprigs of heather. They were beautifully pressed, and the color of the flower was well preserved. The sprigs were soon in enthusiastic request by the Scotsmen on the staff.

Mr C. Bannister, who has been working on the track to Mount Holdsworth, reports (says the Daily Times), that, whilst camping on the mountain side, be heard the peculiar cry of the kakapo the nathe ground parrot a wingless bird, about the size of an Aylesbury drake. The kakapo has not been seen nor heard for many years and it was believed that it had disappeared ; but Mr Sutherland, who had been accompanying Mr Bannister on the work of forming the track, also heard the call of the bird, which is unmistakable.

In a certain office in Petone, the motto “Do it Now ” was prominently posted on the wall in bold lettering, as an incentive, we (“ Wairarapa Daily News ”) suppose, to the staff to eschew all procrastinating methods. One day the employer had occasion to give a sound oral castigation to a junior for continual remissuess in his duties “ If you don’t improve by the end of the month, I’ll have to get another .boy,” said the employer as a final warning. Raising his eyes from off the floor, the lad cooly pointed to the motto on the wall and quietly asked, “Hadn’t you better I do it now ’?” Next morning when the staff reassembled, it was noticed that the American recommendation to get a hustle on had disappeared from view,

Miss Elizabeth M. Eobins made a dramatic appearance at a Tunbridge Wells conference as the champion of the imprisoned suffragettes. The author of “ The Queen Question ’’ and the “ Magnetic North ’’ and the heroine of Ibsen’s productions in England is said to have described “ with glowing eyes and impassioned words ” the scones in Westminster Police Court, and her own conversation, very recent, to the methods of the Women’s Social and Political Union. One day Miss Eobins went, she said, to a meeting held under the auspices of the new movement for women’s suffrage, and f ound there " a body of extraordinarily earnest, sincere, quiet people, who had no axe to grind.”

A former resident of Wallace, had an anxious experience about a fortnight ago (says the Otautau Standard), travelling from Canterbury, his portmanteau miscarried. Inquiries through the Railway Department led to its recovery several days after the arrival of the owner at his destination. A friend, present at the time of its recovery, noting the look of pleasure on the owner’s face, remarked, “ You look very considerably relieved.’’ “Well, yes I am,” was the reply. “You sec I have a roll of £SOO in notes in this bag, and I was a trifle anxious about it, and it is a relief to have it turn up.”

No better holiday magazine could be secured than the January Review of Reviews. One of the first articles is on the Peace Movement, and nothing could be more appropriate. The interviews of the month are on Rabour matters, Australasian plus British (Mr Ramsay Macdonald), Raw Making by Plebiscite (Dr. Haynes), and the Negro Problem (General Miles). The character sketch is upon the sensational memoirs ot Prince Hohenlohe. The issue is a very fine and complete one, and is a very mine of information for the interested reader.

The following competitors won races at the Beach on Christmas Day in connection with the Wairangi Feast tendered by Mr Wi Manauariki in return to one given' by Mr Raua Rarkin: —A. Raing (boys;, R. Whitehouse v (girls), P. Marsh, Miss P. Dahl, (E. HoJb6n. A very pleasant concert programme was gone?, through during theevening and the affair broke l up about 2 a.m„ on Boxing morning. *! L: illy],

A girl to assist with housework is advertised for.

Welcome rains fell throughout this district yesterday to the delight of the farmers. Mrs Hussey’s name-guessing competition for the handsome doll closes to-night at 8 o’clock. Mr P. H. Rae-Howard reports the sale of two valuable town sections this week at very satisfactory prices. W. Chellis, of Tasmania, won the world’s championship chop (ißin) at the Axemen’s Carnival at Eltham on Thursday. We acknowledge season’s greetings from the proprietor and staff of the “ Otaki Mail ”, and Messrs Keeling and Mundy. The cricket match England v. Wellington ■ resulted in a draw. The scores were England 463, Wellington, first innings 211, five wickets down for 148. Hewitt has cabled from Sydney to the effect that he has accepted a retainer of to ride for Major Edwardes’ stables in England next season. It is Major Edwardes’ stable that shelters Noctuiform.

We acknowledge receipt of a handy calendar from Messrs Sutherland and Rough, local agents for the South British Fire Insurance Co.

The Borough Council notify that the freehold of a valuable section will be sold by public auction at the Council Chambers on Thursday, 31st January. Full particulars appear in advertisement. The Oddfellows are requested to meet at the lodge room at 9.30 on Tuesday morning in order to march and welcome the visiting brethren and members of other orders on arrival of the train. Devotees of my Lady Nicotine are reminded that all their wants for the New Year holidays can be supplied at E. Ball’s tobacconist establishment. Requisites ofevery description and only the leading brands of tobaccos, cigars and cigarettes stocked. The quarterly general meeting of the Foxton Chamber of Commerce will be held in the Borough Council Chambers on January 7th at Bsp.m.B s p.m. Several important matters will be discussed and all members are requested to be present.

The services in the Methodist Church on Sunday will be conducted in the morning by Mr G.. Huntley, in the evening by the Rev J. Southern, At the evening service the choir will render an anthem.

The time occupied by the Stan-bury-Webb sculling match on the Wanganui river was 18 min. 50 sec. The fastest time in a world’s championship match was made by Stanbury against Towns on the Parramatta in 1905, viz., 19mm 5 sec. The Parramatta course is a few hundred yards over the three miles

We remind the general public of the Friendly Societies Sports to be held in the local Park on Tuesday next. Special trains will convey picnicers from Palmerston and other parts and a most enjoyable time should be spent. A band will discourse music at intervals during the day and hot water will provided free of cost.

“ I cannot help thinking,” said Mr Devlin, the Irish envoy, recently, ‘‘whenever I hear the phrase ‘ God’s own country,’ that there is another little island, our own grand old country of Ireland, which can well lay equal claim to this title. God made New Zealand a splendid country, and man has assisted. God has made Ireland a splendid country, but man has denied her the advantage of her natural conditions.

From an English paper of 9th November we quote the following ; —“A recent visitor to us was the Rev. S. Barnett, late Methodist minister at Pahiatua, New Zealand. Mr Barnett became a Spiritualist several years ago, and finding it impossible to reconcile his Spiritualism with his theology, he has . abadoned his relation to his connexion, and is now here to pursue his investigations, prior to his return to his southern home.” The Primitive Methodists of Foxton and Shannon will be interested in this item of news.

During a police visit to the gipsies’ camp at Gisborne a betrothal according to Romany fashion was witnessed. It appears that it is their custom to wed or rather betroth, the future young man and maiden during childhood, and John the Greek’s little daughter was formally engaged to the equally small son of a cousin. The little pair were appropriately dressed for the occasion, the boy in long trousers and other elderly equipment, and the girl in full skirts. According to their usual way, the mother of the son will adopt her future daughter-in-law until such time as the parties are of an age to undertake the duties of life. The ceremony of betrothal was followed by dancing and singing and other light-hearted revelry.

A resident of Ohakune, about 30 miles north of Taihape, says the exertions of the Auckland firms for the business of that quarter are rapidly growing stronger. The northern city is making huge efforts to capture the trade and is meeting with every success. In this connection Wellington and Wairarapa are out of it. Auckland'goods are already dribbling fhto the district and /sold at a cheaper rate than from elsewhere, and once Ae line is .through the Wanganui river traffic will be completely knocked -.out. 1 ' Freights will be cheaper from.-the qorth; .and the Aucklanders dire not , : slbw to recognise this, “and .are. Already, sowing the seeds’of what \yjJi be a rich harvest in time to pome, ,

Mrs. Emily Whitworth, a .very old resident of the Wellington district, died oa Christmas morning. She was brought out by her parents to Taita sixty-four years ago, when she was an infant of twelve months.

The inquest held at Dunedin on the body of the child of a single woman named Mary Kearney was concluded yesterday. Medical evidence showed that the child had been born alive and that it died from suffocation. The jury returned a verdict that the child was born alive and died from suffocation but there was not sufficient evidence to show how the suffocation was caused. After the inquest the girl Kearney was arrested by the police on a charge of infanticide. A suburban inspector of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway, Mr George Wollard, on reading the farewell message of the late Mr Seddon—“l am sailing for God’s own country to-night ” —■was so much struck with their solemn and appropriate and prophetic character that he has written a short poem on the theme and has set it to music as a “ Sacred Song.” The language is simple and touching and is allied to a suave and pleasing melody which is sure to become popular. I hear that the first edition has become a success, and that a second and much larger edition is in hand, while I understand that a special edition for New Zealand is in course of prepa|&tion. Inspector Woollard has presented to the King a copy of his song, and has received through Ford Knoliys, & gracious acceptance.