LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 453, 16 March 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The trial of Dr, Goode, on a charge of murdering Mrs Klenner at Waitara, will come on at the Supreme Court, New Plymouth, this week.

Arthur Stevens,<‘4o, single, was killed while bushfelling at Taihape on Saturday. He was cutting away a tree on which another had fallen.

Mr Green, sen-, of the Green Flax dressing Company, has taken over the control of the Matai and Poplar mills from Messrs Green Bros., and is managing them himself.

Following is a list of the business set down for transaction at the ensuing si tilings of the Com I of Arbitration at Palmerston North: Disputes. Dairyworkers’, drivers’ and tailors' award (the latter an application to add parlies). Enforcement. —Inspector v. Whittaker, Compensation claim.—Adams v. Holben and Kirk.

Kxtract from the Honolulu Advertiser, rolh January, 1909, by a recent visitor to New Zealand : —“The people in New Zealand have more religion without having Christianity, can drink more whisky without getting drunk, and can bet more on horse races without gambling than any people I ever saw in my life.”

A Southern paper reports a malicious plot that came to light last week on a farm in the Taieri. barge pieces of scrapiron bad been placed in three sheaves, and when the first sheaf entered the machinery of the mill the piece of iron (lew out quite close to the hand of an employee. The other pieces were thrown out in the same way, fortunately, without injury to anyone, but the beaters of the mill were damaged through contact with the hard substance.

In proposing a toast to the memory of Robert Burns at the dinner of the London Burns Club on January 25, Mr F. Faithfull Begg, said there were two principal Scottish anniversaries—the day of the national saint and that ol the national poet, or, as some regarded him, the national sinner. “ I have heard it questioned whether the saint or sinner ranks highest in the national heart,” be added, “ but I think the sinner has it by a large majority.”

An important native gathering is convened by Te Heu Heu Tukino and twelve other leading chiefs at Tokaanu on April 10. It is expected several thousand natives will be present. The object of the meeting the Standard) is to urge the Maori people to combine throughout the dominion to insist upon the native race being placed on the same tooting as Europeans in regard to laud, civil and electoral rights, with reservation of fishing rights over certain lakes extended by the Treaty of Waitangi. The Governor and Ministers of the Crown have been invited to be present.

A Tauranga correspondent of the Minister for Labour (Hon. A. W. Hogg) refers to the fact that the Government is sending out mining parties to prospect for payable gold. The Te Puki hills, he says, are full of quartz reefs, untouched, cropping up in many directions, and he asks that the Government should get one of the experts to go that way and ‘ ‘ show our people what to do with the many reefs that are here. The late Inspector of Mines,” he adds, ‘‘told us that our land and reefs would cause one of the greatest laud and mining booms ever experienced in New Zetland.” The Minister will place the communication before the Minister for Mines (Hon. R. M'Kenzie).

A pathetic story, quite true, is told in Sydney in connection with the visit of the American fleet to that port. A little mite, who waved a tiny flag from the cliffs at South Head as the fleet proudly entered Port Jackson, taking for excuse that his birthday fell upon the same date as her own, wrote to the Admiral, asking him in quaint baby talk if he had noticed her little flag as he came through the Heads. In a charming letter the Admiral replied that be had of course noticed her flag—that it stood right out among all other flags, and he said how sorry he would have been if by any chance that one flag of all others had not waved him a welcome. Eater on the Admiral wrote to the little girl, telling her how the fleet had arrived at Manila, and how he had missed her little flag among the many flown. Since the receipt of the last letter the little flag-bearer has died, and her parents have written to Admiral Sperry informing him of the fading away of his “little Australian flower,”

Mr William E. Goode, lOTVictoriastreet, Christchurch, N.Z. says: “I have been a bilious subject all ray life, and though I have ivied all sorts of things for it, have never found anything like Chamberlain’s Tablets for warding off bilious attacks. When I feel one of these attacks coming ou I take two of Chamberlain’s Tablets and lam soon well again.” For sale everywhere.— Advt.

Locally-grown grapes of , the “Albany” variety were being sold in the fruit market at Auckland last week at is 6d per box of i2lb. Peaches, also, were very cheap, as many as sixty being sold for a shilling by street barrow* men.

Reuter’s Paris correspondent re* ports that the difficulties of the Minister for finance, M. Caillaux, are increasing, owing to thfe stationary population—(Last year the deaths exceeded the births) — and to the constantly augmented burdens of taxation. The actual Budgetary deficit is 2! million sterling. The Estimates for the coming year foreshadow an extra 19 millions of taxation.

Mr Hone Piripi, a candidate for the Northern Maori electorate, has withdrawn from the contest at the last moment, in deference to the request of the old chiefs. A further reason for his withdrawal is, he states, that the legality of the ensuing poll may be questioned, on the ground that one of the candidates has not resigned his appointment in the Civil Service. A very fine crop of oats has been grown by Mr J. S. Rutherford on his properly at Kohatu (says the Nelson Colonist). The growth is phenomenal, the stalks being 7ft in length from the root to the lip of the ears, and from a quarter to a half inch in diameter. The land, which was purchased from the Crown a few years ago at a very low figure, has been recently cleared of bush, and this is the first season that it has been cropped.

The Basham Concrete Company, formed at Kltham, has now been duly registered and is about to commence operations. About 30 chains on the Kltham road will be laid with the blocks as a test, and if the experiment proves the success which the promoters of the Company anticipate, the present method of road construction will be revolutionised. The idea of the inventor is to place the blocks so as to form wheel tracks on the road.

A well-known resident of this town (says the Wairarapa News), had rather an alarming experience with an aluminium kettle. This kettle, he declares, brought on a very serious complaint, suggestive of lead-poisoning. Another resident had much the same experience. He purchased two pots at 10s each, and when first used the potatoes boiled in one were turned black, and in the other the cabbage was turned blue. It could only be considered there was something wrong with the pots.

Mr A. S. Walsh met with a painful accident to his eye last week, which necessitated a very delicate operation. He was removing an iron hoop from a cask, when a steel chip from the chisel Hew into and penetrated the ball. He was admitted to the Palmerston Hospital for treatment, and the medical attendants expressed a doubt as to whether they could save the sight. However, the obstruction was removed and there is every liklihood of the sight being retained. Mr Walsh is now about town again. A meeting of those interested in the formation of a Card Club, was held in Whyte’s Hotel on Friday evening. There was a fair attendance. Mr T. Henderson presided. It was resolved to form a Card Club, and the following were elected a Working Committee: —Messrs Ward, Howard, Hunt, Anderson, Tozer, T. Henderson, D. Whibley, b. E. Reade, H. Coley and J. Nightingale. It was decided to hold the first committee meeting in Whyte’s Hotel on Friday, 19th inst., at 8 p.m. The entrance lee was fixed at 2s 6d per member, and thereafter a monthly subscription of 6d.

When the Taranaki publican is “riled” by the opposition his revenge is complete when he lowers the price of beer. This was the explanation of one of the various placards displayed ontheWaitara hotels recently. The history reads like a page from a nursery pictorial educator. Two publicans at Waitara contributed to the regatta funds. The other didn’t as he had just given medals (to cost about £7 ios) for the encouragement of rowing. Then followed an evident attempt to boycott. The regatta committee p’acarded the contributing hotels somewhat like this: “ This house supports the regatta funds.—H. Spurdle, secretary.” Theu came the third man’s turn. Up went roughly displayed signs, “ All beers fourpence.” As yet it is not know who had the best of the deal.

At Saturday’s meeting of the Horowhenua County Council, the engineer reported as follows in connection with the Whirojdno Riding“ The metalling of the Florida road is now completed satisfactorily. T ap rerforming and widening a portion, ot the Muhuuoa road (eastern end). I propose to get the metal repaired when the forming is done, Ihave got Potts road re-formed, and it is now in good order, but, of course, it will cut up again if it is not metalled. I find that we will encroach on a very small portion of Mr S. M. Baker’s land with the proposed straightening of : the Tavistock road. I would suggest that a committee of the Council wait on him and try and make some arrangement, failing which notice be served on him that the land will be taken under the provisions of “ The Public Works Act,” There is only a perch thereby taken.

Indigestion nearly always disturbs the sleep, and is often the eause of insomnia. Many cases have been permanently cured by Chamberlains Tablets, For sale everywhere.’’ Ajut.

A report of the findings of the Rivers Commission, will appear in our next issue.

Mr John Stevens, ex M.P., is to be banquetted at Martou to* night.

Parents are invited by the School Committee to accompany children to the State school picnic at the beach to-morrow. Each adult will be charged one shilling to cover steamer fare. In the case of a little child, at Taihape, who was taken seriously ill after eating plums, arsenical symptoms were developed and are considered to be due to the spraying mixture adhering to the skin of the fruit.

On Saturday a resolution was moved by the Chairman, and seconded by Councillor Venn, conveying the Horowheuua County Council’s sympathy to the bereaved in the recent Penguin disaster, and their admiration of the bravery of the rescuers. The Paparoa which arrived at Wellington from London brought 182 immigrants, among them being 63 for Wellington, 39 for Auckland, 22 for Port Chalmers, and 23 for Lyttleton. They are mostly women and children coming to their husbands and fathers already settled here.

The Minister for Railways has informed the Horowhenna County Council that the Government had carefully considered the mailer of reimbursing the County Councils for loss of rates through the Government taking over the Manawatu Railway, and stating they could not accede to it. The chairman (Cr McLevey) and Crs Tompsitt, Richards, Venn, and Windley were appointed a deputation to interview the Minister on the subject.