LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 499, 26 October 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A meeting of Master Printers was held at Palmerston North on Saturday. The President (Mr F. Pirani) presided. The destroyer Saracen was badly damaged through collision with a cargo steamer on the coast of Suffolk last Friday. Mr J. M. Mcßachlan, one of Auckland’s oldest residents died on Saturday, He was formerly in business in a large way. The death occurred at Wanganui on Saturday last of Robert Loftus Stanford, formerly Stipendiary Magistrate, aged seventy years.

At the local Police Court yesterday morning, before Mr Hornblow, J.P., E. Tanner, a previous offender, was fined £i, in default seven days, tor drunkenness. The local rowing club open the season co - morrow afternoon. Afternoon tea will be provided for members and their friends at the boat-shed. An outing on the river in the pleasure boats will be arranged by the club captain. Should the weather be fine a most enjoyable time is anticipated. Fee Sing has been sentenced to death at Sydney for the murder of May Phillips. [This is the sequel to a sordid tragedy which occurred in the Chinese quarter, of Sydney on September 11. A white woman named May Phillips, who was living with a Chinaman, was found dead in the latter’s residence. Her head was frightfully battered, and a blood-stained axe, with which the deed was evidently committed, was found" near the body.] In the Wellington Supreme Court last week Fredk. Henry Rambert, for bigamy, got two years’ imprisonment; Thos. Francis Foster, a youth, who had pleaded guilty to five charges of arson ( at Gisborne, was sentenced to five years. Mr Justice Cooper directed the gaoler to keep prisoner from association with hardened criminals so far as was consistent with discipline. He intimated that he would send the deposition to the Executive. The Hon. George F. Richardson, Minister for Rands, Agriculture, Mines and Immigration in the Atkinson Government, died at Wellington on Saturday, aged 73. He arrived in New Zealand in the ship Dominion from Rondbn in 1851, and joined the Government service in tB6o as a cadet in the Survey office. . He has been closely identified with Southland affairs lor many years. About eleven mouths ago the deceased gentleman met with a buggy accident while inspecting a Wairarapa property on behalf of the Government, and he never recovered from its effects. He was only seriously ill for a few days before death. He was a prominent officer of the Institute of Surveyors. A widow, two sons, and three daughters remain to mourn their Joss. An incident which had the elements of both comedy and tragedy was witnessed on the Christchuch railway station platform on Wednesday evening (says the Press) on the arrival ot the mail express. Among the passengers were a young woman and a youth, who appeared to have bad some words during the Journey, The youth was first on the platform, but as he was moving off he was overtaken by the young woman, who struck him a resounding blow on the back with the handle of her parasol. She excitedly explained to the astonished bystanders that she had been insulted. The young fellow, who was naturally abashed by the publicity which had been thrust on him, denied all the charges, but was unable to shake himself from the pursuing female. The station officials then intervened, with the result that the lady, apparently satisfied with the limelight which had been directed upon the incident, withdrew all charges, breathed threats of what she would do if she met the youtn again, and left the platform to the vanquished.

Mr J. Newth, Mayor of Wathi, is at present on a brief visit to Foxton.

In a few days the German super - Dreadnought, Thuringia, will be launched, making the third battleship of this class launched in 60 days.

A youth named W. Taylor, 17 years of age, fell on a stump at Tryphena, Great Barrier Island on Saturday. A shoot penetrated his eye with fatal results, the lad dying the same night.

Standard V. and VI. were the winners of the shield for the best attendance at the local school last week with an average attendance of 95 per cent. The Devin Railway Station was burned down early yesterday morning. Only the luggage room is left standing. The whole of the i ll KK a ge and cash in hand was saved.

Mr B. G. Gower,President of the local Rowing Club, will be unable to perform the opening ceremony to-morrow, and his Worship the Mayor has been asked to perform the ceremony. The date for the local school concert has been definitely fixed for the 19th and 20th November. Mr Jackson and the teaching staff have arranged a programme, in which nearly the whole ot the scholars will take part. Messrs Mounsey and Co. advertise that they have been favoured with instructions from Mr W. S. Heyes to sell the whole of his household furniture and effects at the residence, Cook Street, on Monday next, at i p.m. The Pope privately gave audience to a number of Australian priests last week, and manifested great interest in religious affairs in Australia, He asked a number of searching questions regarding the prevailing conditions. The following Australian scullers have nominated for the Sculling Handicap to be rowed on the Manawatu river in December;— Hagney, Felton, Thoroughgood, James, Ellis, Mitchell, Bob Green, E. Darsen and Day. Olgilvie’s name was omitted from the list of New Zealand entries received and published in our last issue. At a meeting of the Wellington Socialists on Sunday afternoon, the following resolution was adopted : “This meeting records its deep abhorrence of the official murder of Ferrer, the Robert Owen of Spain, whose work has been recognised as worthy of wide recognition, and earns the enconiums of the Catholic Bishop of the Philippines.

At the Pure Food Congress in Paris the representatives of the French wine trade secured the passing of a resolution permitting the use of a percentage of sulphuric acid in the manufacture of wine, despite the protest of Professor Gautier, president of the Academy of Medicine, and the warning of a Russian delegate that it would probably result in the exclusion of French wines from Russia.

At last night’s Harbour Board meeting when the question of inviting applications tor the position' of secretary was brought up, Mr Wood said he regretted very much that Mr Bock could not see his way to continue with the duties. He referred to the great amount of work that Mr Bock had done, and it was due to a great extent to the energy be had displayed that the affairs had been put on such a good footing. Other members present also referred to the good work that Mr Bock had done. Nominations for the different events at the Foxton Athletic Club's annual meeting to be held on the King’s Birthday, close today. Already a large number of entries have been received, including nominations from as far afield as Auckland. Among the nominations for the half and mile handicaps is that of Alick CampJ bell, of Tikokino, Hawke’s Bay, undoubtedly the best mile runner in the Dominion. It is expected that this year’s entries will constitute a record for the Club.

At last night’s Harbour Board meeting, the Harbourmaster reported that owing to the constant sprdad and growth of lupins adjacent to the Sanatorium there is a great risk of fire from picnic parties camps especially during the summer months, and that he had takeu the precaution to clear the lupins in the vicinity of the pilot’s dwelling. East year he had received a number of complaints from persons with families strongly objecting to the use of. firearms in the vicinity of the dwellings and he suggested that a notice be erected warning persons about lighting fires in the open and also as to the use of firearms. The Board decided to have the Harbourmaster’s suggestion carried out.

On Thursday a social will be given to Archdeacon Harper in the Masonic Hall, to commence at 7.30 p.m. This will be Mr Harper’s first visit to Foxton as Archdeacon. The social will consist of musical items and speeches. At the close, the ladies of All Saints’ Guild have kindly consented to give light refreshments. No charge will be made, but a plate will be placed at the door for contributions to help to pay expenses. The following programme will be submitted -Song, Mr A. Jenks; song, Miss H. Barber ; vocal duet, Mrs Clemett and Miss Jenks; song, Mr Fowler; song, Miss Tatton; quartette, Messrs Betty, Wrigley, Jenks and Preston; song, Mrs Tiviotdale; song, Mr Cook ; quartette, Messrs Betty, Wrigley, Jenks and Preston. Special offer of a best pair of kid gloves to every cash purchaser of drapery to the value of £2*.