LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 452, 6 March 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Otaki No - License and “ trade ” parties each have tickets for the Licensing Bench election next Tuesday. An old age pensioner named Clarke Rampling died suddenly at Manakau on Wednesday. The coroner does not consider an inquest necessary.

The vicar of All Saints’ Church, assisted by Mr W. L. Barnard, conducted a very enjoyable service at the Matai flaxmill on Monday evening last.

The contractors are making good headway with the erection of the local Post Office, which should be completed about the end of next month.

We notice by a Wellington paper that owners of unregistered dogs are being sued, and that they are liable to a penalty of £$. — Local defaulters, beware!

The vicar ot All Saints will preach a special sermon on Sunday evening, as an appeal to the people for co - operation in the religious instruction for the young in Ibis town.

Duriug a marriage service at the parish church at Celle, Hanover, a young man suddenly fainted. When he regained consciousness he explained that he had fasted for two whole days in order to do justice to the wedding breakfast. A meeting of the Foxton Borough Council will be held in the Council Chamber on Monday, Bth March, 1909, at 7,30 o’clock, p.m. Business : Consideration of petition to cutoff part of borough, and general. It is officially reported that the task of draining the Piako swamp is proceeding apace, and that there is every prospect of its being a big success. The Government has power to issue debentures to the amount of ,£BO,OOO, but it is now considered that the probable cost will not exceed ,£60,000.

Crown lands to the extent of 221,543 acres are to be thrown open for sale or selection during the present month. Of this, over 8,000 acres will be available in the Wellington district, 1,258 in Auckland, 9.156 in Hawke’s Bay, 772 in Westland, and most of the remainder, 202,122 acres, in Otago, with a small area in Nelson.

Done Pland for March is an excellent number with a very pretty cover picture representing summer. The contents are, as usual, typically Australian, and the. various articles, sketches and yarns are fully up to the high standard set by the editor, as necessary to find admission in the pages of this brisk and illuminating magazine.

Sir Joseph Ward, in replying to a question on the subject, said he did not desire to say anything as to the finding of the nautical inquiry into the wreck of the Penguin. The recommendation of the jury at the coroner’s inquest as to the desirability of a light being erected on Tongue Point would come up for consideration by Cabinet in due course. There is considerable press comment on the fact that while the coroner’s jury recommended the establishment of the light, the Marine Court made no remark on the matter.

A membership of 17,0571 s reported by the latest return of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in New Zealand. This is an increase of 442 on the previous year. In addition there are 3,368 junior members and 300 on probation. The ministers number 146, of whom eight are Maoris. No fewer than 72,600 persons are identified with the Wesleyan cause in New Zealand, either as members, adherents or Sunday school scholars. There are 324 Wesleyan Churches, and the value of the properties exceeds ,£380,000. Speaking of the wages of lumbermen in American sawmills, Mr C. W. Cropp, of Tacoma, who is on a visit to N.Z. says : —“ I figure that they are not greatly inferior to the wages paid in New Zealand. Both in the forest and the mill from the lower grades of ‘unskilled’ work to the higher grades of mechanics, ttye range is from 7s a day to £1 —but you’ll find that in most American business enterprises the man who can do the better work gets the better money, and there is keen classification- There is no Arbitration Court, as you know, but the unions and bosses arbitrate considerably, and the law of supply and demand seems to take the place of a Court. ’ ’

The sale of postcards, which has assumed such enormous dimensions of recent years, shows no signs of falling off, except to some extent in regard to those cards which display actresses and actors in various poses. The view postcard is evidently the favourite purchase just now, and as many are sold at the present time as ever was the case. The post-card, for choice that depicting some local view, is now the popular means of communication between one person and another, a fact to which postcards salesmen testify, and letter-writing has with many people quite dropped out of practice. As an indication of the actual sale of postcards, the proprietor of one large establishment in Dunedin informed a pressman ;hat 144,000 view postcards had aeeu disposed of readily in t\yp nouthis a'u4 $ l}alf.

Wni. Porter was fined £SO and costs on Thursday for sly-grog selling in the Ashburton district. Report of the concert held at Oroua Bridge last night is crowded out of this issue-

The Moutoa and Foxton school cricket teams are playing a match on the local school pitch to-day. The local boys are well ahead. Mr Rae-Howard has just landed 30 cases ot prime Frimley peaches, which must he quitted to-day at 4s per case.

A blizzard continues throughout England. Light inches of snow fell in London, with slight frosts. Many hamlets in the Midlands are isolated. Berlin is snow-bound.

Mr Tatt was inaugurated to the Presidency at Washington on Thursday, 50,000 participating in the parade, including the Governors of 15 Stales. Congress finally fixed Mr Taft’s salary at 75,000 dollars and 25,000 dollas travelling expenses.

Ten thousand people greeted James Jeffiies at New York this week. Me verbally promised to meet Johnson if he can train to his old form. He is being bauquetted every night. Jeffries is the undefeated ex champion heavy-weight of the vvoild.

A meeting of the John Stevens’ Social and Presentation Committee was held at Marton ou Thursday evening, when final anangements were made in connection with Sir Joseph Wald’s visit on the 16th inst. A committee was set up to arrange for entertaining the Premier while in Marton.

A swell thief, calling himself Doctor Pullman, of Chicago, invited a jeweller to bring ,£2500 worth of goods to his suite of rooms at the Savoy Hotel. He attempted to escape with the booty, but an assistant stopped him, whereupon he drew a razor and committed suicide..

After a 70 days’ trial involving 150 native witnesses and costing the prosecution .£IO,OOO, Dinizulu, the Zulu chief, has been found guilty of sheltering Bambaata, Mangati, and other rebels, but not guilty of inciting to rebellion. He was sentenced to four years imprisonment, dating from his arrest, and fined ,£IOO. The Dondon Daily News says Dinizulu’s sentence is vindictive and excessive.

Two constables on a recent Saturday night visited the Hotel at Sefton while a social gathering was in progress, and after hour of closing (10 o’clock) took the names of nearly a score of the guests who were saying farewell to the licensee. These have been summoned to appear at the next Amberley Court to answer the charge ol having been illegally on licensed premises when the hotel should have been closed. The contributor of local items to the Church Chronicle (Anglican Church organ), under the heading of “ All Saints,” says inter alia: “ On February 7th we had a visit from our late vicar, the Rev. H, F. Wilson, and on the t4th the Rev. A. E. Worsley conducted the services. The parish was rather discourteous to our visitors, the attractions of the beach keeping many from church At present we are feeling the depression of the flax industry, and if it continues the winter will be a hard time for many, It is hoped that all church people will rally round the church and make her a power in the time of trial. We understand the depression is only temporary, and with a little consideration by the owners of the green leaf, our industry will flourish again.”