LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 383, 27 February 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

1 1 is announced that the Government will give the Education Bill precedence over the Licensing Bill. The Queen has acceded to the request of the Palmerston North Hospital Board to style the new woman’s ward the “Royal Alexandra Ward for Women.”

Councillor Yarr, of Masterton, has tabled a motion—“ That this council take into consideration the desirability of establishing a retail municipal butchery.”

The Minister of Defence has concluded peeparations for the establishment of a cordite factory near Melbourne and a small arms factory at Lithgow. A party of motorists, leaving Christchurch on Tuesday morning, undertook to cover the 386-mile journey to Invercargill in one day, and carried through the undertaking successfully. An Auckland telegram states that Martin Henry Hanison, foreman at J. J. Craig’s stables, was run over by a vehicle at Parnell and fatally injured. The wheel passed over his thigh and Harrison died on his way to the hospital. There arc very heavy c - ors of stone fruit in North Canterbury this season, and a few days ago there was quite a glut of fruit at the Rangiora auction market. Fine plums were sold at per lb and even cheaper, cases containing about 301 b going for is. Peaches realised qd per lb, and apricots 3d. “ You have got one of the grandest countries that God has given to people, and with proper legislation and with proper men to conti ol and guide you, you ought to be one of the mightiest nations on the face of the earth,” was the emphatic declaration of Commissioner M’Kie at Dunedin.

Pending definite arrangements for office accommodation in connection with the Moutoa Drainage District, Mr Bock has secured the offices in the Council Chambers, lately occupied by Mr Bullard, and has fixed temporary hours at from 12 to x daily, and 3 to 5 on Saturdaj s. • The condition of Mr McLean, of Hunlerville, who was injured in a collission at a railway crossing, is reported to be improving. The latest bulletin is.that the sufferer is doing marvellously well, and barring accidents, has a chance of recovery.

The Grey town Rifles have accepted a challenge sent them by the Eketahuna Rifles to a tentpitching competition for aside. It will be remembered that the Grey town Rifles won the tentpitching event at the New Zealand Exhibition, and the Eketahuna Rifles won a similar competition at the military sports at Palmerston North on January Ist. The competition between the two corps will take place during the Easter encampment at Wellington.

“ What is your objection to the fixing of a minimum wage for the average competent man?.” asked the labour representative of a witness in the farm labourers’ dispute in Canterbury. “All men are ot varying capacities,” said the witness, “and when God Almighty started them out in life, he did not endow them all equally.” “Oh, I want you to answer my question,” rapped out the labour man, “ not preach me a sermon,” An applicant for the erection of a street lamp On or near Woolcombe terrace, says the Taranaki News, waxed eloquent, thus i

I trust the Council will grant ruy request, not only for myself, but more especially for lovers aud others who do congregate on the terrace at the time when the stars, those everlasting blossoms of heaven, begin to shed their silvery light through the ethereal sky.” A number of young men acted in a disgraceful manner at a house, in Mjraqda Street, Stratford, on Wednesday evening (says the Post), where .a wedding party was congregated,’ They went so far as to obtain a water ,hose from an adjoining house and directed it on any person who happened to make an appearance. We understand that Constable Mclntosh put in an appearance on the soeue, and besides capturing some of the trespassers, succeeded in recognising a' number of others, aud more will probably be heard of the matter.

- Watchorn and: iitijes’ replace advei tisemeut will appear in our next issue.

Full grown sheep, ewes and wethers are selling, on an average, af five shillings a head less than they were last year. The bush and grass fires have contributed something towards this serious declension.

Mr F. L. Jenks was the only nomination for the vacant seat on the Foxton Borough Council, and at 12 o’clock yesterday was duly declared elected to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Cr Austin.

The ceremony of dedicating St Patrick’s Cathedral at Auckland was performed by Cardinal Moran on Sunday morning last who afterwards preached a sermon on the mission of the Roman Catholic Church. The collection taken up at the end of the morning service amounted to ,£571. By advertisement in another column it will be noticed that Mr W. Hounslow is starting a chipcarving class tor boys and girls. We have a sample in our office of the work done by Mr Hounslow, which is characteristic of one who is undoubtedly a past master in the art. He is aiso an adept in the art of teaching, and parents entrusting their children to his care can rest assured that they have one of the best teachers the Dominion can produce. ■ The terms, too, are very liberal, viz., 12/6 for a course of twenty-six lessons.

■‘No bush land for me ! ” said a settler to a Tiahape Times reporter. " I have seen something of the backblocks, aund I am off back to Canterbury.” This man was in quest of some bush land, but after his brief experience ol the Main Trunk fires be has become a convert to the advantages of the more open country. Accosting a friend on the road near Ohakune, the reporter enquired how the fires affected him. “ This is all it left me,” he said, looking down at a seedy pair ol old plants. ‘-‘I must go into :Taihape to-morrow to get some new clothes.”

A party who arrived at at a Poverty Bay station the other day in a dishevelled condition and asked for some food, was the cause of some excitement, says the Auckland Star. He averred that he had walked over from Auckland in seven days, coming previously from Timaru, “ walking acrossthe straits.” He also relates how he hid a big sum of money along the road under a pile of manuka. The lady, who first attended to this wanderer, became so worked up that she fainted, and when the men came on the scene, the stranger became violent, and a severe struggle ensued. Police were summoned from town, and the man was taken into custody for examination as to his sanity. Despised of men as he is (says the Sydney Telegraph), the Chinaman can set his Christian brother many a lesson in humanity. One of the greatest is in the treatment of his horse- It is proverbial that a chinaman will rarely be seen with a poorly conditioned beast, and even when fodder prices are highest his horse will be sleek and fat, while the poor things in the city cobs and ’buses seem almost like animals of a different species by comparison. The reason that it belongs to a Chinaman does not make a horse fat; it is becauee it gets careful treatment and the best of feeding. In the Sussex Street produce markets you will often hear a buyer object to a price for the reason that it is a “ Chinaman’s price.” The explanation is that when a shipment of chaff arrives the yellow man will pay from 5s to 10s above the market rates to have his pick of the choi cest for his horse. •

The fire reported in our last issue as having taken place at Mr Barber’s residence at Motuitiwasa mistake, and referred to the destruction or Mr O. Barber’s residence at Himitaugi. The fire was discovered at 9.15 a.m. on Tuesday last, by the domestic servant, Annie Robertson. Mrs Barber and she being the only persons at home at the time;were attending to some duties 5 outside, and on returning to the house the girl discovered the wall above the mantle in flames. She quickly gave the alarm, but the devouring element had gained such a firm hold that nothing could be done to save the house. About £$ worth of furniture and some clothing was all that was rescued from the flames. The cause of the fire is put down to a defective chimney. The house was old and dry, and in a very short time was reduced to smouldering ashes. We have not yet obtained particulars of insurance, but it is almost certain to have been covered. ■

A ladies’ meeting was called last night to discuss and arrange matters with reference to holding a bazaar in connection with the local Rowing Club. Much interest was evinced by the fact of the large number present, and the general business done bids fair to aforesaid being an immense success, and we have no doubt will considerably aid in swelling the Clubs’ funds. It was decided that the money in hand be passed over to Misses Edith Collins and Cook to dispose of in the most appropriate manner, and so enable the ladies to commence work almost immediately. The bazaar, which is.to be held in June, is to be of a very attractive nature, fancy dances, etc., being well to the fore, under the able tutorship of Miss Eevett, The regular meetings for the Bazaar’s sewing bee will be held every Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m., and Thursday evenings at 7 p.m., when it is hoped there will be a good attendance,

■ Messrs P. H. Rae-Howard and Co. will hold an unreserved sale of furniture and sundries, at their rooms on Saturday next, commencing at 2 o’clock sharp. Mr Perreau’s fine block of buildings in Main Street, are now nearing completion, and will soon be ready for occupation. Mr Perreau intends opt, ing his rooms with a pleasant fmction of which notice will be given later on, when afternoon tea will be served on the upstairs balcony to his many friends and customers. In a later issue we will give a full description of the premises and their suitability and comfort for his numerous patrons.

There has been trouble among the hands in the fruit industry at ■ Mildura. Strikers, numbering about 150, visited several fruit farms on January 22nd, pursuing the tactics of calling out men receiving less than 7s a day, John Edmonstone was assaulted when he sought to maintain his rights, and a grower, named Fitzpatrick, was grossly insulted when under similar circumstances. Many of their vines were trodden down. The Shire Council asked for further po ice protection', breaches ot the peace having begun. It was claimed by some growers that fully half the men allied with the strikers would gladly resume work if protected from violence. An accident which might easily have had a serious ending took place after the championship race near Wanganui on Tuesday last. A party of four,, two ladies and two gentlemen were returning to town after the race and by some mishap the trap overturned and one of the ladies Miss Esaw was thrown violently to the ground, her head coming in contact with some willow roots, while the horse in its efforts to release itself struck her on the head with one of its hoofs. The young lady, who was rendered unconscious, was conveyed to Wanganui for medical treatment. Mr Esaw, the father of the young lady, was also pinned down to the ground under the gig, but on being released did not appear to be badly hurt. The other occupants, Mrs Esaw and a gentleman friend, jumped clear of the trap and escaped Injury. Messrs F. D. Whibley and P. T. Robinson of this town who were on the scene rendered valuable assistance.

On Tuesday afternoon, at 4.30 o’clock, several members of the local School Committee, including Messrs Baker (Chairman), Frankland (late Secretary), Betty, Coley, Henuessy, and Perreau, deputationised Mr John Stevens at Gray’s Post Office Hotel, with reference to a resolution the Committee had passed some months previously, urging a uniform system of inspection and classification for all the schools throughout the colony. * It was sought to . enlist Mr Stevens’ aid toward accomplishing this object. We shall have elsewhere a full report of the proceedings, but may here state that Messrs Baker and Heunessy opened the ball by pointing out very forcibly the dissatisfaction which had arisen in Foxton from the present system. Children who had been placed in certain standards by one headmaster had been disrated one, and sometimes two standards, by his, successor ; and both they and their parents had been grievously disheartened as a consequence. Mr Frankland followed: with an impassioned speech pleading for thecentralisation of the inspection system. It might seem, he said, to be taking power from the Boards and transferring it to the Education Department in Wellington; but he maintained that in our tripartite educational machinery, the two most vitally necessary factors were(i) the Committees, which should always be the -repositories of - great power, as representing the parents ' of the children, and (2) the central Departmerit, as representing the taxpayers of the Dominion, who, had to “pay the piper.” Mr Stevens replied in a masterly speech, agreeing entirely with the views of the previous speakers as to the necessity of a uniform system (which alone, he. said, could deserve the name of national ”) and promising his utmost support to the object sought to be attaiued by the Committee’s previous resolution, of which he asked to'have another copy.

Monday 2nd March, last sale day at Watchorn, Stiles, and Co.’s, Don’t miss the bargains. Advt.

Messrs C. M. Ross and Co., of the Bon Marche, Palmerston, announce in our advertising columns, the termination of their summer clearance on Saturday, 29th inst. Giving away prices will prevail during the last week of sale.— Advt, v ,

Monday * and March, last, sale day at Watchorn, Stiles an<i Co.’s, See our skirts and costumes at 3s nd. - ' •• ;

This serves tp remind ybu that R. P. Edwards and 'Sons have opened a Retail Department in conjunction with the wholesale ironmongery business in the Clarendon Buildings, The Square,. Palmerston North., Sterling value in Builders, Household, and Furnishing Ironmongery. Special display of bedsteads, Cutlery and carpenters tools. Every line imported direct from the Manufacterers. — Advt. • ■ ■

Monday, 2nd last sale day at Watchorn, Stiles and Cods See our 3s iid vyindo\y. Adv£. . Messrs' Gardner §1 Whibley have received a consignment of fript including Queensland pineapples at 4d, sd, and 6d each; Fiji bananas, 6d per dozen ; Friinley ; nectarines , and peaches, 6d per lb ; oranges, is and is 6d per dozen. Mason’s jars just arrived.*