LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 504, 6 November 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr O. Robinson returns thanks for the support accorded him at the Moutoa Drainage Board election on Monday. Mr Ed. Newman, M.P., arrived in Foxton yesterday, in conection with, the Hon. Mr Millar’s visit to-day. .'**■

During the tree - planting operations in Wellington last winter, the corporation planted over 42,000 trees, comprising from 25 to 30 different species. The Greytown Borough Council has sanctioned a loan of £6OOO for the purpose of installing coal gas works. A poll of ratepayers will be taken at an early date.

We desire to acknowledge, with Mr Newman’s compliments, a copy of the voluminous report of the Royal Commission on tine police force of the Dominion..

The Manawatu No-License Council contemplate publishing a monthly journal, which is to be circulated gratis. A canvass has been made for advertisements throughout this and other districts with very encouraging results.

The New South Wales Alliance has decided to secure the services of Rev L. M. Isitt and Mr T. E. Taylor, M.P., in connection with the No-License campaign at the forthcoming elections. The Secretary of the local Band informs us that that institution has secured the services of Mr J. Colder, of Waipawa, as conductor, and that he will take up his duties at an early date. A meeting of the Foxton Borough Council will be held in the Council Chamber on Monday, Bth November, 1909, at 7.30 o’clock, p.m. Business : Minutes, correspondence inwards and outwards, reports, pay-sheet and general. A coach that has been running continuously for 24 years between Gisborne and Ormond is to be pensioned off. It has travelled during that time 179,129 miles, says the Poverty Bay Herald. Mr F. Hockly, who was the Opposition candidate for the Rangitikei seat, will be honoured with a banquet and presentation at Tiriraukawa on November 12th, in addition to the banquet at Hunterville, to be held on November 15th. Not frequently, says the Lyttelton Times, we find a man gettting into Parliament whose qualification is his knowledge of the parish pump. Parliament would be better without him, and would be without him under a system of proportional representation.

Captain Scott, who is to lead another expedition to the South Pole, says he hopes to start from England at the end of July or the beginning of August, 1910, and does not yet know from what port he will sail in New Zealand — possibly either Lyttelton or Dunedin—but he expects to enter the ice in December, 1910.

A new prophet has risen up in Paribaka (says the Stratford Post), a Maori named Waiwera having assumed the mantle of Te Whiti, and at the present time he has about 80 followers. It is very doubtful whether Waiwera will have such influence with the natives as Te Whiti, but he promises to be troublesome with hi s religious cant as a cloakGuy Fawke’s Day was celebrated by the juveniles in Foxton last night by the setting off of fireworks and the burning of effigies. During the early part of the day hideous effigies of Guy were carted round the town in barrows and push carts and a large store of coppers were gathered in, which in turn were exchanged for rockets, squibs, double bangers, etc. We are informed that a horse, startled by the report, was seriously injured and that the police have another matter in hand as a result of the celebrations:

Hokio beach is becoming famous as a fishing ground, says the Levin Chronicle. A few days ago Messrs Langley and Son, of Foxtou, concluded a most successful trial of the locality, landing in five days with lines no less than 250 schnapper. The largest haul for one day was 84, and the next largest 63. Mr Langley used an xßft. flat-bottomed boat, and being a skilled oarsman and fisherman, his operations were watched from the shore by quite a large number of interested visitors to the beach. The Natives say this portion of the beach, from the scene of the Hydrabad wreck. to the mouth ot the Ohaii river, is an old fishing ground, and it is considered by some who are supposed to know that a fishing depot for regular supplies could without difficulty be establised there. The Lone Hand for November is to hand from the Gordon and Gotch Proprietary, Wellington. Tenuis players will find in it an interesting aiticle on the game by Mr Anthony Wilding, freely illustrated. The second instalment of Mr Roosevelt’s account of his African’ wanderings in search of big game- occupies pride of place, and includes a description of his first lion hunt. In the September number there appeared an article on “The Suction Gas Fiasco ” this month Mr H. F. Nicholas writes defending the gas engine. In other respects the number maintains the standard of its predecessors. The illustrations are excellent, the coloured frontispiece being a reproduction of a painting “ Day Dawn,” by D. G. Reid. Time and again, in sentencing prisoners for forgery and uttering, the presiding Judge has commented strongly and pointedly on the ease with which it is possible for valueless cheques to be manipulated and cashed, simply on the work of the tenderer that a slip of paper is genuine. In a case before Mr Justice Cooper at the Wellington Supreme Court recently, his Honour emphasised this carelessness on the part of the tradesmen in cashing cheques for people of whom they knew nothing. In the present case, accused tendered a shop-keeper what purported to be a £lO cheque, and it was accepted altogether without enquiries as to either the character of the document or its bearer. As a result the tradesman with such a large confidence in casual callers and their cheques will almost surely lose his money. His Honour alSo commented on the extreme carelessness of people in giving unknown persons blank cheques.

Mr Brewer advertises two small paddocks to let, or will graze cows at per week. Mr James Desmond has been elected a member of the Athletic Club Committee vice Mr R. Hynes.

The good attendance Shield at the State School was again won this week by Standards V and VI, with a percentage of 96. Mrs John Vile, mother of the late Mr Job. Vile, M.P., was present at the Show yesterday. Mrs Vile has turned her 90th year, but is still remarkably hale and hearty. The festival of All Saints’will be continued to-morrow at All Saints’ Church. There will be two celebrations of the Holy Comtnunion, and it is to be hoped that those who were unable to communicate last Sunday will do so to-morrow.

Mr Parkes, the local watchmaker and jeweller is opening up a splendid assortment of gold, silver and electro-plate goods suitable for presentations. Watch the window displays.* It has been suggested to ns that the flaxmill owners on the river bank should combine and purchase a small manual engine for fire prevention purposes. The cost would not be great as large quantities of hose would not be required. The matter is worthy of serious consideration.

The services at the local Presbyterian Church to-morrow will be conducted in the morning by the Rev. G. K. Aitken, at which there will be a communion celebration and in the evening the pulpit will be occupied by the Rev. Wm. Ritchie, M. A. The evening subject will be “A Ministering Church.”

Foxton presented a very deserted appearance yesterday. All the shops were closed. The principal attraction was People's Day at the Manawatu Show and the special trains conveyed a very large number of local residents, nearly every family in the town and district being well represented there.

Edgar Joseph Mercer, formerly a clerk at Devin railway station, was charged at the Devin Court on Thursday with fraudulently omitting to account for 18s Bd, belonging to the New Zealand Railway Department. Inspector Ellison, Wellington, conducted the prosecution, and Mr H. O’Deary, Wellington, appeared for accused. Evidence was given by Mr Dyne, stationmaster, and Detective Dewis. Mercer pleaded guilty, and was committed by Mr Thomson, S.M., to the Wellington Supreme Court for sentence, bail being refused.