LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 823, 7 April 1910, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

All accounts owing to the Herald up to March, 31st, have now been rendered, and an early settlement of same would be much appreciated by the proprietor. The first sod of the new East Coast railway will be turned by the Minister of Public Works at Tauranga early next week. Ploughing matches are being arranged at Waipukurau for the current year, and subscriptions of cash and gold medals are being sent in.

The Timatu Roman Catholic Church was burned down early yesterday morning. The church and contents were insured for ,£1,500 and were valued at ,£3OOO. The Rangitikei County Council on Saturday passed a motion, proposed by the Chairman and seconded by Cr McGregor, that the Government be asked to declare hares vermin within the meaning of the Act in Rangitikei County, and to move the restrictions against killing them. At the usual fortnightly meeting of the local Druids Lodge held last night, the secretary was instructed to communicate with Hro. Hartgill, District President, asking permission to hold a public installation of officers at their social and dance to be held on Wednesday, June xst. The committee have matters well in hand and the success of the function is assured. A farmer in the Masterton district states that he has noticed that the caterpillars have been worse this season in crops that were grown in paddocks that previously contained turnips. He could give no explanation of the fact, unless it was that the moths had deposited their eggs in the turnips, and when hatched the young grubs or caterpillars had taken to the ground, and remained there until the next crop was sown. A former resident of Christchurch, now in Pretoria, states that Pretoria at the present time is going ahead like wildfire. A new post office is being built, also a fine block of buildings for the Union offices. “ This time next year," the writes continues, ‘‘ no one will recognise the place- I don’t know what the back-veldters will say when they come into town and see the electric cars running along where their oxen transport used to travel in the old days. They thought motor cars were bad enough.” Victoria is taking energetic steps to combat consumption. The municipalities are expected to prevent the spread of the disease, and the Government propose to found an institution of 100 beds for advanced cases. It is said that there are 500 of these 11 foci of infection ” in the metropolitan area alone. The Government propose to spend on the erection and equipment of the institution, and to give ,£2500 a year (half the cost) for its maintenance, the municipalities to find the other half.

At the Magistrate’s Court, Palmerston North, on Monday, beiore Mr A. D. Thomson, S.M., R. K. Creswell, farmer, of Whirokino, proceeded against J. R. McDonald for allowing two bulls over the age of nine months to wander on to his property in his (plaintiff’s) occupation. Plaintiff also claimed special trespass rates therefore. The parties were neighbours and plaintiff alleged that defendant’s cattle were frequently straying on to his property. Mr Thomson decided that the dividing fence was sufficient within the meaning of the Act and fined defendant £1 and costs and also allowed plaintiff £$ special trespass rate, and ordered defendant to pay costs.

A Wairarapa fanner states that he has known the roots of Californian thistle to go down as deep as thirty teet in certain soils. The Mauawatn County Council invite tenders for supplying and delivering 150 cubic yards of clay on the river bank and Rosiua Eine, also for constructing 60 chains of drain near Foxtou.

The local police last night arrested a boy named Fred Ellis or Rusling, 16 years of age, on a charge of having obtained goods from several local residents by means of false pretences.

At Te Aroha on Saturday an eight-year-old boy named Joseph Wolfe was playing around the heels of a horse, when the animal lashed out and struck him in the face, smashing the whole front of the upper jaw. A meeting of the Foxton Borough Council will be held in the Council Chamber, on Monday, April nth, 1910, at 7.30 p'.m. Business: to receive annual report, balance sheet and general.

Footballers are reminded that the annual meeting of the Albion Club will be held to-night in the Mauawatn Hotel and to-morrow night Awahou’s annual meeting will be held in Whyte’s Hotel. East night as a lady was leaving the Public Hall she fell over a pile of bricks that had been tipped just outside the door, and measured her length on the ground. The bricks in question are a source of danger and should be removed at once.

Messrs Mouusey and Co. have received instructiaus from Mr E. W. Wilson, to sell by public auction, on the premises, Duncan Street, on Wednesday, April 13th, the whole of his splendid household furniture and effects. Also horses, buggy and freehold property. For full particulars, see advertisement.

The friends of Mr C. J. Whiblcy, who has been an inmate of the Palmerston North Hospital for the past sixteen mouths, will be pleased to learn that he is making progress towards recovery. He was able to leave his bed for the first time on Monday last.

In the civil session of* the Supreme Court Blenheim, yesterday, Mrs Andrews, wife of a Flaxbourne settler, claimed ,£IOOO from the Railway Department for injuries sustained in a train collision at Blenheim railway station on June 14th. The Department offered but the jury returned a verdict for £ 550, with costs. Says a writer in the Lyttelton Times ; The cost price of laud is the farmer’s chief trouble, and the cause of dear land is the speculator. Too lazy to farm himself, he merely finds good land which the farmer will soon want, buys it, laughs as the farmer arrives, raises the price, grabs the gold, and repeats such robbery as often as possible. Who wouldn’t ? A young man named Brooke, employed in a Wanganui brewery, had a narrow escape of being dashed to pieces on Tuesday. He was caught in the belting when trying to shift the belt, and was carried to the top of the shafting. His cries attracted the engineer, who was fortunately handy, and he stopped the machinery. He had his thigh broken and was considerably shaken. At the Blenheim Supreme Court on Wednesday, a young man named William Barrow was sentenced to iS months on each of two charges of assaulting two girls under sixteen years in the Awatere district, sentences to be cumulative. Prisoner stuck one girl up on the road while she was going to music lessons, and the other he improperly approached while asking for a billy of hot water at her house.

If anyone in the Dominion has reason to complain about what people are saying in reference to them it is the escaped prisoner, Powelka. He is being blamed for everything that happens in the Wellington province from the setting fire to buildings in Palmersto n North downwards. Notwithstanding Mr Kendall’s statement that it was Powelka that “stuck him up” we are of opinion that the escaped prisoner is still “lying low” in Wellington. It is hardly feasible that a man who is endeavouring to escape the police would be likely to attempt highway robbery.

At Palmerston, on Monday, George Brown, ot Shannon, was charged with supplying liquor to a Maori within a prohibited area for consumption off the premises. The Licensing Act provides that in certain areas any person shall be liable to a fine up to who supplies liquor to a Native for consumption off the premises. The police alleged that liquor was lett_ in some raupo on the Foxton Shannon road from which the Natives afterwards procured it. Mr Cooper raised the point that the liquor was not supplied, to the Natives on any premises, but on the road and that therefore no breach of the Act had been committed. Mr Thomson upheld this, and accordingly dismissed the case.

Messrs Ross and Co., of the Bon Marche, Palmerston N., announce their first grand show ot latest London novelties for autumn and winter wear in stylish coats, costumes, millinery, blouses and dress goods. It is claimed that this season’s importations eclipse all former occasions in extent and variety, and the firm are anxious that visitors from this district to Palmerston will make a point of looking through their warehouse, and inspecting the goods and values now at their disposal,*