LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 707, 11 January 1910, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A new Masonic Lodge is to be opened in Palmerston to-morrow, to be called “Lodge Huia,” No. 171, N.Z.C. On Sunday the Rev. G. Y. \V oodward held an open air service at the Beach. Some thirty people formed a ring while others listened bom a distance. A special feature of the service was the singing of the well-known hymns, which on the open shore had a most pleasing effect.

Entries are made for the N.Z.L. and Mercantile Agency Co’s, next Himatangi stock sale on the 17th iust. A small circular gold brooch, lost last Sunday between the Presbyterian Church and Hulke Street is advertised for. The County Clerk invites tenders for deepening about 76 chains of drain near Himatangi. Tenders close at noon to-morrow. A sale of bankrupt stock and general drapery, boots and shoes, is advertised to take place in Mr Speirs shop, commencing from today and lasting for a week. “ A politician’s hide requires to be as hard as that of a rhinoceros, and his face of brass,” remarked the Hon. R, M’Kenzie at the banquet to him at Kumara recently. Spurious coins are at present in circulation in the Dominion, and it would be well if local storekeepers were to keep a careful watch on all money which they handle. The many friends of Mr Andrew Jouson will regret to hear that he has not been enjoying very good health for the past mouth, and on medical advice he intends taking a health-recruiting trip to Rotorua early next month. Mr R. J. Thompson, who purchased Mr H. Baker’s farm and orchard at the top end of the Avenue, advertises fruit for sale in any quantity. Orders left with Mr J. Newth, milkman, will receive prompt attention. A delivery of orders will be made twice a week. The early bird this morning paused at the Post Office for the purpose of ascertaining the time from the clock to set his watch thereby. He was astonished to see the hands indicate 12.40. Being had, he had his revenge in seeing several of those who work in the mills, river boats, etc. when close on 7 a.m., pulling out their watches to ascertain the right time, found the clock had stopped, thereby being in the same position as the early bird. At last night’s Council meeting, Cr Ritumer asked what further steps had been taken in reference to the sale of portion of Tbynne Street. The Town Clerk said he bad placed all the papers before the Magistrate at the last sitting of the Magistrate’s Court, and, as there were no objections to the closing of portion of the street, the Magistrate had approved of closing same, subject to the written consent of Mr F. W. Frauklaud, who held a five feet right-of-way. This had since been obtained and sent on to the Magistrate, but noting further had yet been heard from him. At last night’s Council meeting the street lighting was again adversely commented on by councillors. Cr Coley said that a number of the lights were practically no good at all, and he was quite satisfied they were a long way below 60 candle-power. He considers that they should all be tested at once in order to ascertain if the Council is getting value for its money. Crs Stewart and Adams and the Mayor were also of opinion that the lamps were not the full strength, but no action was taken. We regret to record the death of Mrs McKenzie, wife of Mr R. B. McKenzie, member of the Mauawatu County Council, which took place on Sunday after an operation by Drs. Wilson, Christie, and Stowe, for goitre. Mrs McKenzie was a daughter of the Hon. J. Bryce, the late Mrs D. H. Guthrie having been a sister, her other brothers and sisters being Messrs Robert Bryce (Fern Flats), John Bryce (Rangiwabia), T. A. Bryce (Kimbolton), James Bryce, Mrs W. McKenzie (Hamilton), Mrs Duthie (Ohingaiti), and Mrs Currie (Brunswick). The interrment took place to-day at the private cemetery at Raumai. Messrs Fowler and Gordon are on to something good in the Lux Light. This is the first and only light that has caused gas companies or electric light companies any lear. This light is being adopted by business men in the larger centres in preference to all other lights on account of its general utility and small consumption of oil. The railway departments throughout the Empire are using it extensively ; every lighthouse in the Mediterranean and Red Sea is lit by Lux, and for the cottage there is nothing to equal it for cheapness and allround satisfaction, A replace advertisement will appear in our next issue.* A meeting of session of the Foxton Presbyterian Church was held at Glen Oroua yesterday, the Rev. I Jolly (Moderator; presided over a representative gathering of elders. An apology for absence was received from Mr Alex. Speirs on account of sickness. It was decided to hold congregational meetings at Foxton, Glen Oroua, Oroua Bridge on the 23rd inst. and at Tiakitahuna on the 25th in reference to inducting the Rev. Mr Aitken to the charge, the meetings to be presided over by the Moderator. Mr Aitken was appointed representative to the Presbytery. The plan of services for the current quarter was presented and approved. Permission was given the Tiakitahuna managers to call a congregational meeting for the purpose of discussing the erection of a church in that centre. Save your soul from everlasting regret by keeping your promise at the Yerex Studio. Life is short and uncertain so don’t be foolish by putting off this important matter, *

A farmer named McMillan, living near Young, (N.S.W), mixed treacle with sheep dip powder thinking the latter was sulphur. He took a dose himself and gave some to two of his children. One child is dead, and the other is in a critical condition. McMillan is recovering. At a meeting of the Wellington Wharf Labourers’ Union a motion was proposed that .£2OO be Voted to the Newcastle coal strikers’ fund. Objection was taken to onefourth of the Union’s funds being given for this purpose, and the vote was reduced to in addition to ,£lO per week being granted as long as the men are on strike. We read of the English Great Western whisking its patrons from Paddington to Plymouth, a distance of 225 miles, in just over four hours ; of the Midland covering the 206 miles, London to Liverpool, under the four hours; of the sixty - mile - an-hour expresses of the principal French companies, or of the New York Central and Pennsylvania’s eigh-teen-hour expresses between Chicago and New York, a distance of a thousand miles, and we are envious. We naturally hesitate to compare the twenty-two-and-a-half-mile-au-hour express between Wellington and Auckland, or the even worse twenty-one-mile-au-hour New PlymouthWelliugtou star train, and the tweuty-mile-an-hour Napier-Wel-lington flyer, with such records. — Auckland Star. History is silent (says the Melbourne Age), as to the authorship of the waggish story told concerning the Geelong gaol, according to which a grumbling prisoner is alleged to have declared that he “would not remain longer in it unless the walls were mended sufficiently to keep cows out.” But no less au authority than the Inspector-General of Prisons (Mr Connor) relates an incident scarcely less amusing- Some months ago the sentence of one of the prisoners, who was engaged on some brick work, expired at 9 a.m„ but he refused to leave uutil he had finished the job, and remained in the gaol till noon. Even then he was loth to go ; but it was pointed out to him that the State could not undertake to keep him longer, and that if he did not at once depart and ejectment order would be obtained against him. The late Mr Seddou used to relate an amusing incident of prison life in the early days of Hokitika, when the goldfields were “lively.” Accommodation was scarce and prisoners were allowed a lot of liberty, but at 8 o’clock at night the gaoler rang a bell and all prisoners that were not in by that hour were locked out for the night. An amusing assault case came before the Court of Petty Sessions at Hay, New South Wales, recently. It arose out of a wedding,, which took place in the afternoon a few days previously. The wedding party adjourned to a building used as a boardinghouse. At nine o’clock the majority of the party were assembled in a room, and the mother of the bride proceeded to cut and distribute the cake, which was described in Court as a “threedecker.” The best man, who is married to a sister of the bride, took up the whole, or a big part of the top tier, and went outside with it. The bridegroom followed and struck him, which brought about a fight. The mother of the bridegroom came out, and scooping up a handful of gravel, threw it into the best man’s eyes, disabling him for a few minutes. Eventually the best man was taken away by his father-in-law and his wife, and the wedding party broke up. The bridegroom, Henry Bloomfield, was the complainant in the case, and the best man, W. J. McDonald, was the defendant. While the case was proceeding the Police Magistrate suggested that it should be withdrawn, but the suggestion was not adopted. The Magistrate: “I hope you will invite me to the next wedding.” Mr Alexander (solicitor 1 -. “Your Worship should take a stick.” The Magistrate: “I shall take my camera.” The defendant was fined one shilling. Those connected with newspaper work will appreciate the argument of the editor of the Fowler (Ind). Leader, he jokes with a seriousness which leaves an impression ; —“About once a week the printer of this paper is ripped up the back for lack of business principles. O Lord, how would we live if we had any ? While we have something like ,£7OOO invested in the printing business and our weekly pay roll is larger than any dry goods store in Fowler, we manage some way to make both ends meet. Not long since a merchant came to us and requested us to publish some very touching resolutions about Rev. Truby, written by our dear friend Banker Dague ; the resolutions were printed. The merchant thanked us very sweetly for doing so. A month or so afterwards he wanted an extra copy of the Leader to send to the Rev Truby. It took an hour to find the missing number, the merchant was under many obligations to us for the trouble. A short time ago he came into the office just as the paper was going to press. He wanted to announce that brother Brightman would be here next Lord’s Day to preach. A forme was unlocked and the item inserted. The paper was delayed about fifteen minutes. Again we were thanked very sweetly. Yesterday we wanted a darning needle and the merchant charged us a.cent for it, and that was business. We could tell a hundred stories like that. If there was any business about us we would get mad and swear. But there is no business about us, so wi don’t care, and rather enjoy the joke on us.”

Last year au Australian farmer. refused 15s per head for a line over 300 "lambs, his reserve befflr 16s. He sent them Home on hW ■ own account, and after paying penses, he received on an iisjqd per lamb. Mr Lloyd-George, at Peckham, made a violent attack on Mr Balfour as a tail-twister. He declared that his Hanley speech was the last resort of a thoroughly desperate man, who saw bis cause was lost. To talk about war with Germany was a danger to peace and a disgrace to British politics. / In the final game in the championship, Grierson’s sealed - move was probably not his strongest. Mason pushed on his attack, winning a piece on the 24th move. Later on he added a pawn, which disorganised the position of Grierson’s forces, and on the 41st move Grierson resigned, Mason thus winning the championship. Mr Hugh Wilson, of the Wairarapa Bacon factory, has gone in for the Scottish custom of skinning his pigs before curing them. this means the rind of the bacon done away with, and the meat given a more excellent flavour. ; Mr Wilson has had the skins tauned, and these, we are assured by Mr J. A. Hudson, saddler,--7-" Carterton, who has a dozen of these hides on hand, are really ex- . cellent leather, and suitable for almost any purpose. Mr Robert McNab will probably take the platform in England presently, under the auspices of the National Service League. He has attended a few of the lectures given by the League, and is impressed with their effectiveness. While in Loudon Mr McNab made the interesting discovery that the first passage of a British warship through Cook Strait was in 1821, not 1827, as he had supposed. A telegram from Westport states that a unique condition o): affairs has arisen on the Norwegian barque Odd, which, being a foreign vessel, is not subject to the New Zealand law. Upon her arrival from Motupi, the crew made complaint to the Norwegian Vice-Consul about the food, and Ilf demanded to be paid off. The' T captain refused, and denied that there was any ground for complaint. The mates and crew then refused either to work or to leave the ship, and shore labour had to be employed. The dispute cannot be taken into court here, and to refer it to Norway would be too costly and protracted. “New Zealand is a good country.” said Mr Peck, of Ne w York, who was one of the pas-**C sengers by the ill-fated Waikare, “ and as vertising, I may ■ mention that r there were five Americans ami , twenty-five Britishers on boam who came to the Dominion for this particular Sounds trip.” Continuing, he said that he was a frequent traveller, and on his present trip alone had been to Honolulu, Canada, Japan, China, Philippine Islands, and Australia. Auckland harbour, he said, was one of the finest things he had seen, and the trip up Otago harbour between 9 Port Chalmers and Dunedin was • also beautiful. Some time ago the Veterans’ Association urged the Prime Minister to use his best endeavours to get a pension of ,£3O a year for all those men who had fought during the Maori war. Sir Joseph Ward gave a sympathetic reply to the Association, and it was expected that he would bring up the matter during the recent session. The Association feels disappointed that no move has yet been made in the desired direction, and it will probably again approach the head of the Government with the object of getting a promise that something will be done when Parliament reassembles. It is estimated that there are over four hundred veterans who would be eligible for the pension. For various reasons, these are barred from gaining the old age pensions of ,£26 a year. The Master of Newport Pagnel Workhouse, England, has received the following letter, bearing the postmark of Cardiganshire, the reading of which caused immense amusement to the Guardians - at their meeting recently:—“Rake- .M ley, Germiuston, Cardiganshire.— 1 Dear Sir, —Can you find me a wife in your Union ? i am a singel chap, and feels a bit lonesum at nites i ain’t pertickler what sort of gel it is, but it must *be a femail not over 25, good luckin; i aint pertickler about the colour of her ’air, her must be abel to luck arter a singel'chap as wants to marry her. i don’t wants her to get up very erliee of morning, as i am used to it myself, and i alus put kettle on, i as a good incumbe, but her must not expect to wer the breeches, as she will find me a god husban. — George Goodfellow. —i as bene in you hous and i knows you as some ud sute me,” The Wanganui Herald relates a story which illustrates the independent spirit of a little twelve-year-old orphan boy. The lad has j been an inmate ofi the Orphanage for the past sevey years. Some time ago -he asked the matron whether he could not pay for his maintenance by going on a milk-cart morning and evening. The trustees were loth to let the lad, who is of delicate build, undertake the work, but as he wished to feel that he was paying for himself, he was allowed to do as he wished, Accordingly 4s 6d , is paid every week to the Charit-' able Aid Board, while an extra shilling or so is, at the request of the trustees, kept by the lad. The secretary of tfie Charitable Aid = Board said it was the only incident of the kind that bad come under his notice perience. *" : ’

Messrs Lazarette and Haslett have opened their up-to-date fish shop and oyster saloon in Main Street.

Mr E. Nelson, Australian representative of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, who is touring in New Zealand, will give an address on an important Bible theme to-morrow (Wednesday) night in the Masonic Hall, (see the advt.). The subject is one which no Christian can afford to ignore. If the doctrine of eternal life in torment is true—is taught in the bible —it shoul 1 be preached daily, hourly. If it is not true, if it is not part of the Gospel, we should know it, in order that “ that Holy Name ” may no longer be blasphemed. Come all and bring your bibles.* The big event of the year, so far as Collinsou and Cunninghame are concerned, is their big Drapery Sale, which starts to-morrow-Their Mr Cunninghame has just returned irom the Old Country, and reports a very wet, cold summer, the only summer weather being a few days in August, but Mr Cunninghame was on business, and the wet, cold summer was just his opportunity for buying summer goods at very low prices, the manufacturers in many cases being glad to get even halt prices. In to-day’s issue Collinson and Cunninghame give you a foretaste, but it is impossible to convey on paper the qualities represented by the price quoted.*

After the service at the Beach last Sunday, one of the visitors, Miss Kuhtze, of Palmerston North, handed the Rev. G. Y. Woodward £i 13s, whichjshe had collected from the visitors at the Beach. This money is to go towards the building of a church for which some £so is required. The vicar in thanking Miss Kuhtze for her zeal explained that it was his intention to erect a smalf ch&tch as soon as funds could be obtainerfr--H&-d}.is3-J* , sw : - in cash some £5 12s and as he had not as yet received any help from Foxton he had hopes that the sum would soon grow very rapidly. The vicar explained that it was the idea of some to have a public hall where concerts and entertainments could be held as well as church services, this he did not like—he wauled them to have a sacred building—a h ouse of God —a church whose doors would always be open where people could go and spend a quiet time in communion with God. At holiday time houses would often be overcrowded and consequently the devotional life was forgotten, but a church in their midst would remind them of their spiritual duties, and also be a sanctuary where they could knee!- in-private as He hoped

that many would see it in this light and send him a contribution that the church might be started by next season.