LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 390, 28 May 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Chinese connected with the local opium raid will appear before Magistrate Thompson at Palmerston on Monday next. The D.O.A. notifies that a first and final dividend of 3s id in the £ is now payable in the estate of A. O. Oliver. The School Committee will meet this evening in the school house at 7.30 o’clock-

Interviewed at Eltham on Tuesday, Sir Joseph Ward stated that either an absolute majority bill or a second ballot bill would be introduced next session.

“What would happen to the man who betrayed his mates ?” was the question put to a fireman during the hearing of cargo broaching cases at the Christchurch Supreme Court recently. “He would not dare to,” was the reply. “ He would probably find himself shot over the side of the ship during the next voyage.”

It is stated that there are no rabbits on the Chatham Islands. Two skeletons of rabbits have been found, but it is thought that they are the remains of pets. Pigs and cattle apparently are the only wild animals on the islands (says the Lyttelton Times). The pigs eat the young lambs and the cattle destroy some of the vegetation.

Mr A. F. Kennedy, replying to the toast of ‘ ‘ Commercial Interests ” at a banquet held at Gisborne, said the late drop in the price of wool had cost the districts surrounding Gisborne fully ,£220,000. However, he was confident the district could stand the loss, though a cautious policy would have to be followed, and expenditure curtailed. Land values would obviously be affected, and it would perhaps be a good thing to get back to values based on average market prices for a series of years instead of on maximum rates, as had been the case latterly.

A peculiar incident occurred at the Christchurch police station last week, A woman called and said that she had thrown her jacket over her bicycle, and in doing so had jerked her purse out of her pocket. She trusted that the police would ■ be able to find her purse. A full description of the contents was given, the owner saying that a worn gold ring was in the purse. During the evening a purse was lelt at the police station containing a sum of money corresponding exactly with that described as in the missing purse and also a worn gold ring. The purse that was handed to the police was found in a tram-car, and the station sergeant is ’ still wondering how a purse lost from a bicycle could haev been found in a tram.

A key awaits an owner at 'this office. Additions are made to the Hiraatangi stock sale list. Mr P. M. Page makes additions to his mart sale for Saturday, including household furniture on behalf of Mr Dickson who is leaving the district. Mr P. M. Page has a consignment of oysters to arrive to-mor-row which will be offered for private sale.

The Valeta Quadrille Assembly will commence their series of dances in the Masonic Hall on Friday (to-morrow) evening. Admission, gents as, ladies free.

To-day being Ascension Day, there will be evensong and short address in All Saints’ Church, at 7.30 this evening. The Rev. G. Young-Woodward, vicar of All Saints’, will conduct the services at St Peter’s Church, Wellington, on Sunday next. Nominations for the Tuapeka seat closed on Tuesday. Dr Chappie, Mr Chas.. Horn, and Mr Robert Scott are candidates.

Constable M. Sweeney appointed to succeed Constable Dickson as junior constable at Foxton arrived from Wellington last night and entered upon his duties to-day. Mr Alex Speirs was the successful tenderer for the purchase of a section of land in Russell Street, in the estate of the late B. Spelman.

The Secretary of the Palmerston Chamber of Commerce has communicated with Mr P. Hennessy, Chairman of the local Chamber stating that the Borough Chambers have been engaged by the Palmerston Executive in which to hold the conference re the proposed Foxton Harbour Board 011 June 4. Sergeant Bowden, of the Feilding Police Force, stated in Court that there had not been a local female resident convicted of drunkenness in Feilding for two years, and no local male resident for six months. Occasional offenders who came before the Court were strangers to the district. Wei done Feilding ! A young man named Arthur Percy Cooper, a traveller for White and Sons, drapers, New Plymouth, was found dead near the mouth of the Oeo River on Tuesday morning with a shot gun lying between his legs. The de- , ceased was about 24 years of age, and had been about four years in the Dominion where he had no relatives. He had complained of ill-health.

A quaint custom prevails in the Kaikoura and surrounding districts for naming a horse after the man from whom it had been bought. The coach-driver, steering his team round a sharp curve, yells the names of prominent individuals encouragingly, and the party returning to the city on the Cheviot coach after the Prime Minister’s visit to Kaikoura was highly amused at the frequency with which an animal bearing the surname of a well-known local official had to be appealed to to “ get up, there, ” Special trains for races, football matches, sports meetings, theatrical performances, or even for dances, are not unusual things, but Napier is probably the first town in the Dominion from which a special train has been run to a surprise party. On Friday evening, it is understood, a special train, containing about 40 passengers, left Napier for Hastings for the purpose of enabling the occupants to pay a “surprise ” visit to some friends. The surprise proved a thorough success, and the party returned to Napier in the early hours of Saturday morning after spending an enjoyable evening. The annual meeting *of the North Island Newspaper Proprietors’ Association was held in the Club Hotel, Palmerston North, on Tuesday evening last, and a very rep resentative gathering assembled. Mr Gilbert Carson presided, and was re-elected President for a further term. Among those present were :—Messrs Pirani (Feilding), Nash and Coombe (Palmerston), Walker (Wanganui), Cargill (Patea), Copping (Stratford), Weston (New Plymouth), Hornblow (Foxton), Petherick (Pahiatua), Allen (Eketahuna). Much important business was discussed. Mr Pirani was authorised to purchase a roller-top desk on behalf of the Association for presentation to the energetic Secretary, Mr Coombe, to mark the Association’ s appreciation of that gentleman’s excellent services. The licensee of the Lyttelton Hotel, at Lyttelton, had an unpleasant experience recently, which shows that it is not always safe to change a ,£lO note. A man presented a note of that denomination at the bar, and requested change. The barman took it to the licensee, who changed it, and the man departed. It turned out that the latter had stolen the note, and that the lawful owner had taken the number thereof. The note was identified through this precaution, and was taken possession of by the police, when they arrived to make enquiries. The thief was caught, identified, and sent to gaol for six months by Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., who ordered the note to be returned to the man from whom it had been stolen. The licensee of the hotel remarked that was very hard upon him to lose the money he had given in change, and Mr Bishop agreed. He sympathised with the hotelkeeper, who had acted in good faith, but he held the note was stolen property and must be returned to its lawful owner.

Ask to see our new samples of linoleums‘ and floorcloths—a lovely range direct from the manufacturers, at Watchorn, Stiles and Co.’s.— Advt.

Mr J, H. Gilchrist circulates his cash price list as an inset with this issue. The body of A. H. Baskerville, secretary and promoter of . the New Zealand professional Rugby team, who died at Brisbane, aged 25, arrived at Wellington by the Monowai from Sydney last night. The luneral will take place tomorrow. The Supreme Court at Wellington yesterday, at the request of the jurors, adjourned a case from 1.30 to 7.30 p.m. to enable the jurors to witness the football match, Anglo-Welsh v. Wellington. Mr. Boland, who has been acting I in the capacity of relieving, pos. master at Foxton during the pa month, left here to-day for Pat.. on relieving duty. Mr Clemresumed duty to-day. Messrs Macmahon Bros., v by the way, have altered V itinerary, in order to it \ Foxton in their tour, have s, *■ electrical motive force to V" their picture machines. Mi V mahou informed our reprcs h live in Palmerston yesterday 6 Foxton audiences will betreaf. to the same elaborate prograop as submitted in the metrop* dt centres. ‘•Yes, sor,” said the man the frayed collar, “that l| is now worth £2O a foot, and cf; a year ago I could have bougll for a mere song.’’ “But | couldn’t sing ?” chuckled funny man. The man with' t frayed collar eyed him distautb and replied in quick cutting tone; “ I could sing, but I couldn’t g the right notes.” In connection with the narrov escape from drowning of the How ard-Vernqn Company whilst cross % ing the river at Westport in the punt, there were some humorous, touches even in the midst of danger. One young lady ,'looking at the river and the bridge in the 1 distance, when the punt was going x down the river, said with a sigh: “ How far is it from Westport The man replied: “I can’t tell - you ; it seems we are not far from* heaven.” “Oh,” said the lady,* “my mother always told me I would be punished for trying to bet an actress.” Another lady tied*; her husband’s boots together, andp as the punt neared the shore Ihr threw the boots on the bank. Tb punt, however, moved on dow stream, arid when at last- she g ashore she cried out: “ Oh! wh; a shame; my husband’s new boc gone!” For Children’s Hacking Cough : night Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure*'■ is 6d and as 6d. *

Never buy your prints, flannelettes, damasks, sheetings, and calicos, outside Foxton, as Watchom, Stiles and Co. import these goods direct, and their values are household words.— Advt.