LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 497, 21 October 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The monthly meeting of the Foxton School Committee will be held this evening at 7.30 o’clock.

At the local Police Court this morning before Mr Hornblow, J.P., a first-offending inebriate was convicted and discharged. In consequence of the Harbour Board meeting being held on Monday night the special meeting of the Borough Council will be held at 7 o’clock instead of 7.30 p.m.

Mr I. Fake is doing the brick work at Messrs Wilson and Hawkins’ mill at Whirokino, which he hopes to finish by Saturday next, Mr Fake has had considerable experience in this class of work, and his services are at the disposal of flaxmillers in this district.

The aggregation of large estates was a subject dealt with by Mr Hogg in his Address-in-Reply speech. Between 1891 and 1907, he said, over 18,000,000 acres of Crown lands: had been settled and about one-third of that huge area had passed into the hands of 5t persons. In 1891 there were 31 estates of over 50,000 acres, totalling an area of 2,600,000 acres. In 1907 those 31 estates had increased to 88, each of over 50,000 acres, totalling an area of over 888,000 acres.

His Worship the Mayor] returned from a visit to Wellington yesterday. While there, he interviewed the member for the district on matters relating to the visit to Foxton of the Hon. Mr Millar, Minister of Railways. The Mayor states that the Minister’s time in Foxton will be very He will arrive by motor on arrival of the morning train at L,evin, and will be motored back in time to catch the down express. The Mayor suggested to Mr Newman that the Minister should be conveyed to the heads by motor launch, in order to inspect the Board’s endowments.

A rather miraculous escape from death occurred at Maungaraaunu (states the Kaikoura Star). While playing in the vicinity of a well, a nine-year-old lad- named James Noiton slipped aud fell down, a distance of 43 feet, into about six feet of water. The boy, who had bis arm in a sling—the result 0 an accident sustained some weeks ago—kept his wits about him after bis involuntary dive, and steadying himselt with his feet against one side of the wall and his shoulders against the other, was

rescued about half an hour later by his father, who had been attracted to the scene by the cries of the other children and was let down by means of a long rope. Beyond a scratch on the skull, the boy escaped scathless. The antics of a “scratch” baud that appeared on the stage at the conclusion of the test selection at Kaiapoi, on Wednesday night, vastly amused the large audience. All the men were in bandsmen’s uniforms, with one exception, the drummer, who was evidently the chef from one of the hotels or restaurants, and wes arrayed in white drill. He worked very hard with his drum, dealing it countless sledge-hammer blows, which threatened to let daylight into it. The rest of the bandsmen were armed with tin whistles and accompanied by the frenzied strokes of the drummer, who apparency imagined he was the hope of his side, proceeded to produce a series of shrill discords from their “twopenny tubes,” the conductor meanwhile frantically flourishing a motor horn from which he produced, at intervals, numerous “honk-honks” The “test selection” chosen by the players was the popular “Redwing.” Although the piece was popular, the rendering of it was not, and it was not mentioned in despatches when the awards were announced.

Mr K. Wanklyn advertises a cottage to let. To-day is the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar,

By a curious coincidence the gas in one of the Geraldine churches went out as the hymn “Lead Kindly Eight” was being sung.

The prospects of the coming season, considers the chairman of the Canterbury Dairy Company, are splendid—he has never seen the country looking better. The enforcement of the law forbidding Canadian boys to smoke cigarettes has resulted in a decline in the consumption to the extent of thirty millions in eight months. The total consumption of cigarettes for the period was 370 millions. Lieut. Shackleton has arranged to give 123 lectures altogether on Antarctica, including those in the chief Pmropean cities, and 30 in the United States. It is estimated that he will add less 200,000 people. A large number of Woodville residents have petitioned the Government, through Mr Ross, to purchase from the Maoris the first class land surrounding the town, so that dairy farms ol one hundred acres each could be made available for settlers. What is being done at Woodville could with equal advantage be followed in this district.

“What cannot fail to impress one coming from Home is that here, at the other end of the world, we still find the Britisher, In the broadest sense of the word, with all his pluck and enterprise and love of home,” remarked Mr P. Warnford-Davis, London Chamber of Commerce delegate, to a New Zealand Times reporter recently. Mr Winston Churchill, speaking at Dundee, said the Suffragist tac tics were silly. Disorder and petty violence would never induce any Government to concede the franchise. ‘ ‘Their advocates must convert a substantial majority of our sober-minded cnmmunity,” he said. “The frenzy of the few is no substitute for the earnest conviction of millions.” So long as the present tactics were continued he would be unable to assist.

A good story is related in connection with the Tariki fire. Just after the outbreak was discovered the landlord awakened the inmates and warned them of their danger. In one room he left a candle, telling the boarder to “get a move on,” as the flames were not far away. The boarder not puttng in an appearance downstairs, the landlord rushed upstairs again, went into the room and —lo and behold, the boarder had put out the candle, turned over, and gone to sleep again. A very quiet wedding took place on Tuesday, at 8 a.m,, at All Saints’, Foxton, the contracting parties being Miss Elizabeth Jarman and Mr Wm. Coley, eldest son of Mr H. Coley, of this town. The Rev. G. Youug-Woodward officiated at the ceremony. The bride, who was given away by Mr Gavey, was attired in a navy blue costume, with white hat, and was attended by Miss Georgina Gavey as bridesmaid. Mr Currie acted in the capacity of best man. Mr and Mrs Wm, Coley have taken up their residence in Foxton.

During the cruise of the Government training ship Atnokura in quest of the missing steamer Duco, two large schools of whales were observed when' the vessel was several hundred miles off the New Zealand coast. One of the schools was composed of the “sulphur-bottom” variety, the other of “fin-backs.” There were among the former, reported Captain Cooper, some cetaceans between sixty and seventy feet long. The “sulphur-bottom” whale is of very little value from a commercial point of view, and is exceedingly difficult to capture. We have received from the publishers the Christmas number of the Christchurch Weekly Press, and the edition this year is without doubt the best yet published by the Christchurch Press Company. The studies Maori life, which have become common enough to be hackneyed, are done away with, and beautiful and magnificent scenery in all parts of New Zealand is pourtrayed in their place. The only thing Maori is the coloured supplement given away with the edition, and this represents a finely tattooed chieftain of high degree. The finest art paper is used throughout the book, and the letterpress and pictures are not only a credit to the printers, but a tribute to the printing work which can be done in New Zealand. These books may be obtained from Mrs Nye, stationer, at the moderate price of is each. Mr J. Peate, one of the British Chamber of Commerce delegates, is much impressed with the type of New Zealand manhood and womanhood. It is, he says, the best he has seen in his life. Some of the young women he saw working in the Dunedin woollen mills were magnificient specimens, and fit to grace any drawing room. He thought the climate had a refining influence upon them. The New Zealand people appeared to live in accordance with the natural laws of health, and the splendid type was the result. He had seen fathers and mothers with New Zealand born sons and daughters superior in stature, and in every way, to their parents, and finer types of manhood and womanhood.

Messrs Ross and Co., of the Bon Marche, Palmerston North, announce specially attractive values for this week in ladies’ blouses .and costumes, and some charming lines of millinery at moderate prices.'*'

Mrs C. Collins, senr., advertises a four-roomed cottage to let in Union St.

Messrs Millar and Georgi advertise a special line ot fancy vests in this issue.* The debate on the Address-in-Reply concluded shortly before one o’clock this morning. Entries for the sculling handicap close to-day. We are informed that there are a large number of New Zealand entrants.

The congregation of -St Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Wanganui, decided last night to extend a call to the Rev. John M’Kenzie, 8.D., of Colac, Victoria.

Mr W, E. Carter notifies that he is a candidate for a seat on the Moutoa Drainage Board at the forthcoming election. Mr Carter should make a very useful member, and we can recommend his candidature to the ratepayers. ‘‘No sign of the Waratah,” was the report made by the officers of the New Zealand Shipping Company’s steamer Rimutaka, which arrived from London yesterday. The vessel made no special detour to look for the missing steamer and received no sailing directions at all in the matter.