LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 464, 3 July 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

We have received a wire from Coleman’s Entertainers advising that their tour of this end of the island has been cancelled, and consequently they will not show in the Public Hall to-night. A party of Stewart Islanders have hired a small steamer, and intend setting out for the West Coast in search of ambergris, which they think will be cast ashore in payable quantities as a result of the recent storm. At, a meeting of the Christchurch Charitable Aid Board on Monday, the chairman pointed out the great and increasing expense incurred by the board in providing for the wives and families of men who had left the Dominion. It was decided to bring the matter under the notice of the Attorney-General, asking that more drastic legislation be brought down in regard to the punishment of wife deserters.

Owing to continued ill-health Mr A. Seifert has been compelled to postpone his proposed visit to the Philippines and Mexico in connection with the hemp industry. Mr Seifert had intended sailing for Sydney yesterday, but Is at present confined to his room. His many friends will wish him a speedy and complete recovery. The following sentences were passed in connection with the robbery on the warship Indomitable: —W. Tomey, petty officer, five years’ penal servitude on a charge of stealing ; Alston, a seaman, and Ethel Stagles, married woman, 12 months and three months! respectively on charges of receiving. The general public are notified elsewhere in this issue that as from the 12 th inst., the local dental surgefy of Messrs Dr. Tatton, Son and Boyes,will be kept open permamanently instead of on two days per week as at present. This fact will be much appreciated by a number of the firm’s clients. The local surgery will be in charge of Mrßoyes, who needs no introduction to the Foxton public, who are fortunate in securing the services of one so well-qualified and experienced in the dental profession. A ploughing bee was tendered to a new settler, Mr Jaffery, at Lovells Flat the other day. There was, despite the very boisterous weather, a turn-out of twentyeight teams and about 65 acres was turned over. There were 122 horses engaged in the work—five six-horse teams, three five-horse, seventeen four-horse, and three three-horse. Such a day’s work done at a ploughing bee, it is stated, was unique and it was a sight to see thirteen teams following one another round the field. It is worth noting that the value of the horseflesh could not have been less than /

A sister of Madame Clara Butt is the heroine of a romantic little story. When the well-known singer started for her recent trip to Australia she took with her a younger sister who Was suffering from a relaxed throat, and whom it was thought would benefit by the voyage and the sun cure. On the way out one of the officers of the vessel paid a good deal of attention to the sister, and subsequently, when the voyage was over, followed in the track! of the younger Miss Butt. The course of true love, though in this cape it was rather a long one, has fortunately ran smooth, and the engagement between the sister and the officer, whose name is Williamson, is announced.

The first session of the jßth Synod of the Diocese will be opened in Wellington next Tuesday. Among other business, the following notice of motion will be considered by the Rev. .G. Y Woodward:—That this Synod recommend the establishment of a Brotherhobd, devoted to voluntary service, in this Diocese, for the purpose of coping with the three greatest needs of the day: (i) Religions education of the young ; (2) Street missions; (3) Religious vvprk among bodies of labouring men ; and that a Committee be appointed to promote and carrj into effect the object of this institution ; such Committee to consist of the Right Rev. the President, the Reverends C, C. Harper J. Walker, J. H. Sykes, and the mover, with power to add to theii number.

The Wairarapa Age referring to the commencement of the Masterton electorate under No-license, says everyone must hope that the drastic step accomplished by the .voters in November last will prove successful, for a movement that costs many people a great deal, and involves some of one’s fellow men and women in a condition of ruin, certainly requires a substantial measure of success to justify it. It is somewhat astonishing to read a statement of this nature. We have grown so accustomed to the domestic and financial ruin of hundreds of our fellow, men,,, together with all the harrowing details caused by the traffic, that we take it as a matter of : course — use becomes second nature. What has now happened to a few licensees in Masterton and other electorates through the carrying of No-license, -is as nothing compared to the ruin wrought to thousands through the traffic. No charitable person cares to gloat over the turning of fortune’s wheel. It is gratifying to know that the licensees effected are not ruined mentally, physically or financially. WOLFITS. SCHNAPPS stands pro eminent among stimulants' , and cordials. '

Stephen Orr, working at a sawmill at Mataroa, Taihape, had his hand cut off at the wrist by a saw this week. , ■

In the' proposed silver coinage for Australia, the half-crown will be abolished, in conformity with the report of the Decimal Coinage Committee,

Hoani Mauihera,* Chief of the Rangitekaiwaho, dropped dead at Papawai on Wednesday. Preparations are being made for a great tangi.

A movement is afoot in Masterton to form a national fund to recompense Mr A. W. Hogg, M.P., for the financial sacrifice which he made in resigning from tire Cabinet rather than sink his political principles. While a house party was dining in Senator Morgador’s Castle at Navia, in Northern Spain, a bomb was thrown through a window, and fell on the table, where it exploded. The explosion killed six persons, including Senor Morgador and his wife and daughter. The crime was the outcome of a politi-’ cal feud. *

The average attendance at the local State School for the quarter ended June 30th, is the highest on record, viz., zso’zi. If this average is maintained, it will entitle the school to receive the assistance of another teacher, and the capitation will also be in • creased. We urge parents to see that children are not allowed to remain at home for trifling reasons. The German Navy Deague invited the German-American National Union to join the League. The Union replied that the League ought to remember that the members of the Union were'citizens of the United States, hnd that: “With all their love for their old home, and bridge in Germany's greatness and power, they must decidedly object to the League’s invitation ; and every German - American should do likewise.”

A Maori at New Plymouth recently exhibited a fine piece of ambergris picked up on the beach near Cape Egmont. The find is said by experts to be the real thing, and, as it weighs within an ounce of two pounds, the Maori may be considered a very fortunate individual indeed. The valuable stuff was enveloped in a sheet of newspaper, but needless to say, was very jealously guarded by its fortunate owner. A record of attendance woirth mentioning is that of'Sydney Knapp, a pupil of the Kaitaja school (South Wairarapa), who has attended school on every day during the past seven years. The boy walks three and a half miles to school every day, making a distance pi seven miles there and back.' During the seven years the boy has thus covered about ten thousand miles. His sisters, Clara and Hilda, have attended five years and three years, respectively, without being absent a day.

Mr J. C. Cooper, chairman of provisional directors of the Wellington Farmers’ Meat Company, informed the Pahiatua Herald that worth of shares in the company had now been subscribed, and that the canvassers were energetically at /work obtaining applications. The question of a site for freezing works will probably be settled very soon, as sopie of the farmers are withholding their applications for shares until it is definitely known where the works will be located. . Mr Cooper stated that the general feeling seemed to be that the works should be established near Wellington. The Auckland Herald says that the subject of Detective Cassell’s visit to England in company with Sir Joseph Ward is to shadow the Premier against a possible attack by an ex-emmigrant who, it is alleged, was induced to come to New Zealand two or three years ago by reading some of the rose-coloured literature on New Zealand which has been published at Home. He was unsuccessful and after spending some time in Wellington, worked his way Home as a stoker, only to find that his wife had died of starvation during his absence. Hence his threatening letters to Sir J. G. Ward, whom he seems to have blamed for his misfortunes. To those who cannot say “ When God sorts out the weather and sends rain, w’y, rain’s my choice;” a word of comfort. Rain falls on the just and unjust throughout most of the Dominion. There may be sunshine in the far North, but since the people there (so they say) have no railways, no roads, and no Cabinet Ministers, let them have clear skies without protest. From Bluff to Napier rain is as common as mud. On the West Coast . “ the rain raineth every day.” For about three weeks there has been, a kind of blockade of shipping. The present weather, no doubt, is still the disturbance named ‘ ‘ Taylor, ” who impulsively ..came three days ahead of Mr Wragge’s appointed time. It is cheering to know that “a fine weather wave under the increasing pressure will soon obtain.” Early in July, however, Mr Wragge’s strange meteorological friend “ Davenport ” is to call upon us. Perhaps “Davenport ” will be the very dickens of a storm. All things considered, it is clear why a prophet hath no honour in his country. A wet man is not full of praise. The present. weather is bitterly cold and boisterous.:. Dick and Jack Arnst we have heard, Rode to fame on the trusty Red Bird ; Now Jack i tends his plows and punches his cows,i While Dick’s pace in-a skiff's not- - -deferred.

’ The vital statisticsfor the hwhth of June were s—Marriages, nil ; births, two ; deaths, two. At Wellington yesterday afternoon, William Lovedale fell head first from a building in course of construction to the flag pavement below, a distance of 70 feet. He died five minutes after the fall. On Monday the Rev. 0, Y. Woodward and Mr W. S. Stewart leave for Wellington to attend the Diocesan Synod. During, the vicar’s absence all matters relating to the parish may be referred. to, Mr A. S. Easton, churchwarden, who will comfnunicate with the vicar if necessary.

Passengers arriving at Wellington from oversea pprts during June totalled 1226, including 10 Chinese. The departures number 1141, The .arrivals were made up of 691 from the United Kingdom, .503 from Australia, and 32 from other parts. Of the departures, 1018 went to Australia, and 123 to the United Kingdom. The Crown has decided not to proceed with the . remaining charges against John Cline and Alice Maud Shepherd, of having unlawfuly disposed of the body of a child, at Woodville, with intent to conceal its birth. The Crown Prosecutor entered a nolle prosequi. The accused were on remand and were acquitted on the charge of child murder.

The services in the Methodist Church to-morrow will be conducted in the morning by the, Revi P. J. Mairs, taking for his subject, “The Box of Ointment,” and in the evening “ My CapitalHow to invest it.” There will be communion at the close of the evening service, when the individual communion service will be used, being presented by Mrs M. H. Walker. Tradesmen and unskilled workers in search of work are still leaving the Dominion in large numbers, says the Dominion. The chief destination is Australia.; Thbtjgh there were only So saloon passengers by the Moeraki, which left for Sydney direct yesterday, there were about 20b in the steer- * age, a.good’ proportion of whom were tradesmen, and others, who : were bent oh seeking work in the Commonwealth. '

It is sometimes hard to distip- / guish between luxuries and necessaries. luxuries so easily become necessaries [that,-in this advanced age, we consider many things necessary which our forefathers thought were rare luxuries. Take the case of Welsbach radiators. Here you have an instance of what we mean. By comparison with the old-fashioned gas, fire, 1 the Welsbach is a luxury-—an ■ economical luxury! You light, and put your fire out'at will. There is no dirt, no smell, no black eyes from chopping the wood, and no running out in the wet and cold to fill the coal-scuttle. If you are not unfortunateJenough to consider warmth, and personal comfort a luxury, them instal a Welsbach radiator. The initial cost is small, the consumption of gas in proportion to the heat given off is very low. Then again, these' radiators are handsome in appearance, and a useful ornamentation to any room. Welsbach are used in the palaces of royalty*' and have been installed in the ’ Governor’s new railway carriage for the Main Trunk Dine. Their very cheapness makes it possible, for poor people to enjoy this economical luxury.