LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 495, 16 October 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Constable Sweeney is at present in Rotorua enjoying his annual leave.

The s.s. Gertie which has been searching for the missing Duco returned to Wellington on Thursday. She saw no sign of the steamer.

The Anglican Synod at Auckland carried a resolution expressing the opinion that it was advisable to take into consideration the formation of a diocese in Taranaki, . The day is coming, by present portents, according to Mr Newman (Manawatu) when there will be no aristocracy in the country but the Maoris. They are the privileged class now. —Mr Newman’s last remark referred especially to the advantages enjoyed by Maoris in regard to lands.

The papers publish remarkable details of the Juvisy aeroplanists’ carnival. The crowds invaded the permanent way. The officials cut the electric current, and the people were blocked in one tight wedge on the railway line. Mrs Susan Millen, who arrived in Wellington in 1840, died on Monday at IJorokiwti Valley, where she had lived for the greater part of her life. Her husband (Mr William Milieu) predeceased her by some years. Mrs Milieu, who was 83 years of age, has left four sons (Messrs Gibson, David and Charles Milieu, of the Feildiug' district, and Mr James Millen, of Horokiwi Valley) and four daughters, two of whom are married and living at Feilding. J

In another column Mr Alf. Fraser notifies the fact that he has a nice six-roomed house to let in Hulke St. Mr Cochran notifies that he has an upright grand piano for sale—a bargain; also a Beehive knitting machine. ,

The Auckland Anglican Synod passed a resolution protesting against the granting of wholesale licenses in the King Country. Duile Millante, against whom there were three previous convictions, was sentenced at Wellington yesterday to six weeks' imprisonment for sly-grog selling. The Greytown Borough Council has decided to ge to the poll for a loan .£5,500 if the necessary public meeting assents, for the erection of coal gas works. During the past year 803 accidents occurred in factories in New Zealand, of which four were fatal, 13 serious, 216 moderate, and 570 slight. The average was one fatal accident to every 19,721 workers. The Town Clerk is bard at work making out summonses for unpaid rates. He informs us that he has got a big batch this time—news which might interest some of our readers. The friends of Mr Alfred Seifert will be pleased to hear that he is improving in health. He is at present in the Wentworth Sanatorium in New South Wales, and the treatment he is undergoing is having very beneficial results. Mr Seifert will remain in Australia for eight or nine months, and will then, it his health permits, continue his interrupted trip to America and the Philippines. The number of applications received for the Te Akau Block sections is said to have established a record for the Auckland district, the Dand Board having been set the task of handling over 1000 applications. Among the successful applicants for sections were W. Campbell (Palmerston North), R. F. Fraser and T. Martin (Reilding) and J. O’Connor (Otaki).

The services in the local Methodist Church to-morrow will be of an evangelistic character. In the morning Messrs A, J. Arnold and Thompson (of Levin) will conduct the service, and at 3 p.m. there will be an open-air meeting at the Triangle, the Rev. P. J. Mairs being the leader, assisted by other speakers ; in the evening the Rev. P. J. Mairs and Messrs Arnold and Thompson will deliver addresses, and the solo u Afar From God ” (Torrey-Alexauder) will be rendered ; at 6.30 p.m. opposite the church there will be a song-service, and the usual 7 a.m. prayer meeting will also be held. The services at the Presbyterian Church to-morrow will be conducted both morning and evening by the Rev. G, K. Aitken. Throughout New Zealand tomorrow is known as “ Young People’s Day,” in which the services of the church are directed towards the young people and their place and work therein. In accordance with that idea Mr Aitken’s sermon in the morning will be for the youth of the church, and in the evening a special sermon will be preached to young men and women, the subject being “ A necessary condition on entering upon life.”

Mr O. Hermausen, a contractor at Messrs Henuessy and Gibbs’ mill, had the misfortune to lose a valuable horse, also dray and harness, yesterday. He was engaged in some work near the river bank, when the horse commenced backing and backed over the bank into the river. The water was very deep at the spot, and all that was seen afterwards by those on the bank were a few hubbies arising from where the horse and dray had disappeared. A Maori on the river bank, after watching the bubbles for a short time sa|d : “ Py golly, I bet the old horse whip the cat when be back himself in there !”

John O'Connell, the jockey injured at the Napier Park Races on Wednesday last by a fall from the hurdler Corazon, died on Thursday at the Napier hospital without recovering consciousness. At the inquest the evidence of jockeys and of eye-witnesses of the accident went to show that, the deceased got tangled up with Forest’s legs when he came down at the hurdle. There was no suggestion of interference. A verdict of “ death from fracture of the skull, with no blame attachable to anyone,” was returned.

With this issue Messrs Mounsey and Co., auctioneers, Palmerston North, advertise the sale of the popular seaside sections at the Manawatu Heads, Foxton. The ever increasing demands for these beach sections prove that this report is growing in popularity every year, and the decision of the Harbour Board in throwing them open to public competition is a very good one, as it will give the resdents of the inland towns in the Manawatu an opportunity of securing an excellent site to build upon, where they can enjoy all the privileges and comforts of the watering places in the Old World. The leases are for a term of 33 years, with a re-valuation on the rental every eleven years. The sale will take place at the Masonic Hall, Foxton, on Monday, October 23, at 11.30 a.m. The train arrangements will suit buyers admirably as the train leaves Palmerston North on Mondays at 9 a.m,, arriving at Foxton at 10.30 a.m. Keen competition is expected as there have been numerous enquiries.

If in want of Birthday, Wedding or other gifts, go to Pakkes’, the eweller, the shop for presents,*

Johnson and Ketchel fight for the world’s heavy-weight championship to-day. The match takes place at Coloma, San Francisco. Qaptain von Hildebrand committed suicide at Hanover this week by throwing himself from a window, on the eve of his wedding. Hildebrand was a principal in a famous duel in 1901 wherein Lieut. Blaskowitz was killed on the eve of his wedding. The .monthly meeting of the Moutoa Drainage Board, to have been held last night, lapsed for the want of a quorum, only Messrs Gower and Kaston putting in an appearance. Messrs Hammond and Barber forwarded apolgoies for absence, and the other member of the Board (Mr J. Symons) has left the district. It was decided to hold the meeting on Friday evening next.

At the recent ballot for the directors of the new meat freezing company in Wairarapa, a rather funny incident was noticed. The Masterton Age printed the ballot papers, and, as is provided by law, had put the imprint on. Quite a number of farmers filled out the voting papers and then opposite the imprint (Age) inserted their ages.

Lord Chief Justice Aherstone, Sir Charles Darling and Sir Thomas Bucknill, King’s Bench division, refused to issue a summons to Mr Gladstone, Home Secretary, for the alleged assault of Miss Laura Ainsworth, the suffragette who was forcibly fed, but directed the Birmingham Stipendiary Magistrate to grant a summons against the governor and doctor of the gaol in order that the facts might be investigated. The Agents-General were present at a meeting in London on Wednesday, of those interested in Antarctic discovery. The Lord Mayor of London announced that Lords Milner, Curzon and Sratbcona and the Royal Geographical Society supported Captain Scott. He stated that the Inggest item was wages. They could man the ship with unsalaried men tomorrow, but the geologist would know nothing of geology and the cook would be unable to cook. It was proposed to spend ,£12,000 in purchasing a vessel. Sir Edgar Speyer opened the subscription list, donating ,£IOOO. The primary objects of the First Offenders Probation Act were to place first offenders under surveillance, and to give them an incentive to good behaviour, and thereby check what might be the beginning of a criminal career, without sending them to prison, and to save them from the contaminations which are almost inseparable from prison life. The Act is effecting both these objects, according to the report of the prisons’ branch of the Department of Justice, which has just been presented to Parliament. Of the 2i 13 persons placed on probation since the passing of the First Offenders Probation Act, 1886, 1771 have been discharged after properly carrying out the conditions of the licenses, 116 have been re-arrested and sentenced to various terms of imprisonment, one committed suicide, four died, two were sent to industrial schools, 46 absconded and 173 still remain fulfilling the terms of their licenses. It will be seen that while a percentage of 83.81 have done well and completed their probation, a percentage of only 2.17 have eluded the vigilance of the police and probation officers by absconding. Articles, postal notes, money orders, bank notes, and valuables of all descriptions, of a value of no less than ,£11,189, were discovered in the Dead Letter Office of the Postal Department last year, and returned to senders where practicable. Apart from the value of the articles included above, it is interesting to know that such things as the following were also dealt with: Five gold, twelve silver, and eleven metal watches, nineteen gold rings, twenty-three gold and other brooches, ten greenstone pendants, eleven watch chains, eleven gold tie-pins, one Royal Geographical Society’s medal for Antarctic discovery, 1902-1904, and a King’s medal for the same expedition, in addition to eleven Tattersall’stickets ; 2531 letters were posted without addresses, and 58 letters with libellous addresses were intercepted ; 46,744 other articles were returned to foreign countries ; 18,720 were returned to senders through the Dead Letter Office ; 210,247 were returned by chief postmasters ; a total of 269,621 book packets and circulars, as compared with. 267,500 in 1907; and 11,911 letters were wroxxgly addressed, Trade generally is improving all over New Zealand, according to the reports from the different districts published in the Labour Journal. In New Plymouth, and Taranaki generally, things have almost reached their normal level. Great difficulty is being experienced in getting labour for milking and larm work, though £1 or -£i 5s “atxd found” are the terras. Gisborne, Napier, Wanganui, Masterton, Carterton and Palmerston N,, all report changes for the better, Wellington itself has not such good news to offer. “During the month,’’ says the Journal, “trade generally has not been good. Some branches show a slight improvement, but not to any appreciable degree, and, although the number of unemployed has considerably decreased, employers still ponfplain that trade is exceedingly slac]k. Tljere is no indication of an improvement iu tfie building trade, but dressmaking and tailoring are now exceedingly busy- Employers are more hopeful of an improvement generally in the state in the near future.”

The attendance shield at the local school was won this week by the Upper Primer class with 93 per cent. Mesdames Henderson and Cunningham have just imported a fine selection of confectionery including biscuits, assorted sweets and chocolates, also novel lines for the children. Messrs L- W. Wilson and Hawkins have taken over the flaxmills at Whirokiuo, erected by Mr J. Symons, They have made extensive alterations and will commence stripping probably next week.

At the last Council meeting when the poundkeeper’s report was read Cr Coley said that very little impounding was being done and the best thing they could do would be to get rid of the poundkeeper at once. Mr Coley informed us this morning that he meant “ the services of the ranger, not die pound keeper, should be dispensed with.” Further, he says that lie counted on the borough roads this morning nine head of cattle.

Thomas Donovan, aged twenty, whose father is employed in the Railway Department, was accidentally killed iu Mr George Winder's ironmongery establishment at Wellington on Thursday night. It is surmised that he pulled the cord to bring up the electric lift, and was looking over to see whether it was moving, not noticing the balauce weight, which descended on his neck. Death must have been instantaneous. He was missed at about 5.30 o’clock and the premises were searched. The lift could not be got to work for some little time before the employees knocked off, and it was supposed that one of the wires had fused. The storeman the following morning found Donovan’s body blocking the mechanism.

The proceedings at the annual meeting of the Mon Dairy Co,, bristled with lively incidents. The meeting took place in the Parish Hall, Inglewood, and a peculiar incident is thus related by the Daily News. The Moa Dairy Company’s meetings of shareholders are generally provocative of a little amusement, sometimes a little excitement. Arguments often appear to narrowly miss the pugilistic stage, so ex-Inglewood folk will not be very greatl y surprised to learn that fire arms played a part in Saturday’s annual corroboree. None ot the shareholders, however, took part in the shooting nor was it serious. Members of “The Englishman’s Hothe” company were working at the back of the stage, and as the meeting bach got from spicy to “dead slow,” one of the “actor chaps” (as they were playfully called) produced a couple of property rifles and “let her go.” The buzz of conversation ceased like magic, and a silence followed that could be felt. The shock soon wore off, and the arguments re-commenced where they had been so violently interrupted.