LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 881, 20 August 1910, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The local Catholics are making arrangements to build a convent in Foxton. We are informed that the building will be completed early next year. The average attendances at the local school for the last lour weeks was 294.1, 305.6, 304.6, 317,4. The average for the whole period were 305.4 out of an average roll number of 364.5. The roll number at present is 369.

Mr J. R. Stansell has informed the Dominion that he intends to stand for the Manawatu seat at the next election. Mr Stansell’s preliminary canter at Shannon on Saturday night lasted nearly three hours. The cry of legislation by exhaustion possesses no terrors for this budding politician. The ordinary meeting of the local School Committee, to have been held on Thursday night, lapsed for want of a quorum. Apologies were received for the absence of Messrs Aitken, Headerson and Coley and there were present, Messrs Hornblow, Speirs, and Hussey. The meeting will be held on Thursday next. There was a record attendance yesterday morning in the Rev G. Y. Woodward’s religious Biblical instruction class at the local school, the number being 56. The attendances at the classes conducted by the Revs. Messrs Aitken and Mairs are equally encouraging. The effect of the teaching upon the children should strengthen their moral character, and parents should encourage their children to attend regularly every Friday morning.

Mr Edgar F. Stead, the wellknown naturalist, will leave Christchurch next Tuesday to start upon his expedition in search of huias in the Ruahines. Taihape will be his headquarters. He intends to make his way towards Mount Aorangi, which is about thirty miles from Taihape in a straight line, but about forty-five miles along the route he will take. A considerable part of the journey will be through dense forest in very rough country. Mr Stead expects to spend two weeks actually in the forest or on its edge, and is very hopeful that he will obtain some huias, which are to be carefully placed in the Government Island sanctuaries with a view to saving the bird from extinction. Mr Hamilton, curator of the National Museum, has conducted several similar expeditions without result in the Taupo country. For Chronic Chest Complaints Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure, is fid, and 2s fid.

There will be a celebration of the Holy Communion at St. Boniface’s Moutoa, at 11 a.m. tomorrow. Representations are being made by Mr Newman, M.P., to get the Prime Minister to open the re-cently-erected post office at Bulls. The fight between Bill Dang and Al. Kaufmann at New York was called off, notice having been served by the Acting-Mayor that it would not be allowed. The new radium waters at Carlsbad have cured many chronic patients of rheumatism, gout and neuralgia, but has proved ineffective against senile weakness. Out of 209 patients 169 have benefitted. The golden wedding of Mr and Mrs Darius Miller has been celebrated at Bridgeport, Connecticut. Four sons, all millionaires, attended. To each of them Mr Miller, fifty years ago, gave apiece as a start in the world. M. Loblane won the Matin's prize of ,£4OO for circular flight through Paris, Troyes, Nancy, Cbarleville, Douai, Amiens and back to Paris, with five stops. His actual time in the air was 12 hours, and he covered 459 miles. A huge crowd gave him an ovation at Issyle Mowneux when he alighted. Mr H. Holmes, of Matahiwi, Masterton, has been notified, through the Colonial Consignment and Distributing Company, that a line of lambs sent Home by him has topped the market for the North Island, the price obtained being 13s id per head. This is 3s gd in excess of the prices ruling locally at the time of export. An inquest was held at Waikanae on Wednesday, touching the death of Jean Rankin Jarvis, a married woman, aged 28 years, living apart from her husband. Deceased came to Waikauae on a visit on Saturday night. She died on Monday night, and a verdict that deceased died from natural causes was returned.

At London, this week, a verdict of wilful murder was returned against Nicholas, who, presumably in a fit of madness, killed his father, Major Nicholas, with a sword snatched from the wall. Major Nicholas was a resident of Croydon, and was holiday making in Cornwall. The Major recently came to New Zealand to take home his son (the murderer), who was 28 years of age, and who had been in a lunatic asylum. A very fine grey seal paid a visit to Caroline Bay recently (says the Timaru Herald), and created great interest amongst those who saw it. Had it not been for a few unthinking persons, the seal would have been viewed by many more than it was, but it had not been on the sands very long when it was driven to take to the water again. During its longest stay ashore it came right up on the sand, its ungainly mode of scrambling ashore and its antics creating much merriment. At one time the seal rolled about like a kitten at play, and brushed its nose with one of its flippers. The seal was in very fine condition, and judging by its magnificent set of teeth, was not very old. It is rather ja coincidence that both in New Zealand and Australia three infectious diseases—diphtheria, typhoid fever, and influenza —have been unusually prevalent this year. The similarity of experience suggests some connection between the cases in the Commonwealth and the Dominion. It is the opinion of medical men, however, that infection from Australia to New Zealand, or from this country to Australia, through passenger traffic, is practically impossible. They regard the singular prevalence of infectious diseases in both countries as one of those mysteries which are not easily explained.

The Minister for Railways has informed the Member for Otaki that he cannot authorise the Auck-land-Wellington express trains to stop between Palmerston N. and Wellington to pick up and set down passengers. The Minister says : “ This portion of the line is at the present time particularly well served, inasmuch as the New Plymouth and Napier up and down expresses stop alternately at the various flag-stations, and each of the trains in addition stop at every officered station on the line. In the course of the day there are the mixed trains, which lurnish additional facilities. The through express cannot be stopped for the purpose of serving local traffic.” On Tuesday evening at Paekakariki, writes a correspondent to the Evening Post, “ I went on the beach to pick up driftwood. About thirty feet above the ebb tide I, saw what I imagined was a log of wood. I approached with the object of testing its weight and seating capacity. Conceive my surprise when the large head and open mouth with canine teeth, of a six-foot seal were revealed. It lay asleep, head on the sand and fins closed by its side. At my approach it woke up and snapped viciously, and made for me slowly. I retreated and threw a small pebble at it. It deliberately yawned, buried its nose in the sand, and after the lapse of a few minutes, flapped vigorously towards the water, and disappeared in the breakers. The oldest inhabitant of Paekakariki cannot recall such a visitor, lam told. So the incident should be of interest to students of nature in New Zealand. Those who have not already taken advantage of the great reductions in prices of goods during M. Hamer’s Sale are advised that greater bargains than ever will be obtainable during the next few days, previous to stocktaking.*

The attendance shield at the local school was won this week by Standard IV., with an average of 95.8 per cent. The death is reported from Feilding of Mr John Strawbridge, aged 84 years. At one time deceased was a well-known settler in the Wairarapa. Antonio Valetto, who was employed on the Hutt railway duplication works, was killed yesterday morning through being run over by a truck containing spoil. The Greytown gasworks loan proposal was carried by 152 votes to 110. There are 383 voters on the toll, and the poll created a good deal of interest. The Taranaki Petroleum Company has received its first order from the Railway Department for filty barrels of crude petroleum, with a view of testing its value as fuel on the railways. A man has been canvassing the town, offering for sale silks and Fox’s serge in suit-lengths. He states that he is an officer off a Home boat. For indecently assaulting a girl under sixteen years of age, Dong Hou, a Chinese interpreter, was sentenced at the Wellington Supreme Court to nine months imprisonment with hard labour. At the Christchurch Supreme Court John Isherwood was convicted of perjury and Sued William Duncan, a vety old man, was convicted of indecent assault, and was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. Permission has been granted by the School Committee for the local amateurs to use one of the rooms in the old school for rehearsals and in future all rehearsals will be held there.

At the musical and elocutionary competitions held at Napier this week, Miss Avis Symons, late of Foxton but now of Hastings, won the violin playing for advanced pupils and the open violin competition. The engagement is announced of Miss Isabella Wighton, of Palmerston North, and Mr Hector Roy Allen, (late of Foxton), son of the late Sir William Allen, of Sunderland, at one time M.P., for Gateshead. The Featherston Town Board has been in the habit of collecting a # license fee from hotelkeepers* in Featherston, but it now finds that it is only empowered to collect £25 and will, of course, have to make a refund of the excess amount charged. In the Auckland Divorce Court decrees nisi were granted in the following suits : —'Kathleen Brown v, Ringi Brown, Maria Theresa Whorskey v. Patrick Whorskey, George Baker v. Elizabeth Baker, Josephine Rhodes v. George Edward Rhodes. A 52-miles walking contest between Mr A. W. Woollatt, a Feilding advocate of the no-break-fast system of dieting, and Mr Sefton Beaumont will take place on Wednesday, September 7. The walk is intended to be a test of endurance. The contestants will leave Feilding at 7 a.m„ for Marton returning immediately by the same route to Feilding, says the Star.

Mr R. McNab has promised td' visit Foxton at an early date and deliver a lecture on ancient Maori history and Maori customs. Mr McNab has a large number ot excellent slides of interesting Maori implements, etc,, which he has collected at great expense, some of the illustrations having been obtained by him from the British Museum in London during bis recent visit to England. A very peasant social basketevening was held in the Masonic Hall last night, when a most enjoyable time was spent in dancing by about thirty-five couples. The hall was prettily decorated with flags and Chinese lanterns, and presented a gay and inviting appearance. The supper arrangements were a very pleasing feature of the function, and altogether the affair was a thorough success. Spirited music was supplied by Mr F. C. Berthold, and Mr A. Orwiu officiated as M.C. Mr W. D. Bauckham notifies the residents of Foxton and surrounding district that he has commenced business as a general storekeeper in premises in Speirs’ building, Main Street, Foxton aiyf N solicits a share of public patronage. Mr Bauckham has a first-class knowledge ot the trade, having been in business in Ashhurst for a period of twelve years and subsequently at Kilbirnie, and customers can therefore rely upon getting only the best brands of goods procurable. The business will be conducted under the name of “The Cash Trading Company,” and goods will be delivered to any part of the district.

The organ recital held under the auspices of the Huia Masonic I,odge in St. Andrew’s Church, Palmerston on Thursday night was well attended. Bro. Rev. G. K. Aitken, of Foxton, gave a short address on “Charity,” on which he said the whole Masonic structure was based. There appeared to be an impression that Masonry was merely a medium for social pleasure, but this was most erroneous. The rites and symbolic teaching had a very deep meaning, and the truth most forcibly taught members was “charity.” In educational and philanthropic directions Masonry always lent its aid, while Us principles and tenets were based the highest conceptions of and honour. A beautiful assortment of electroplate goods, brooches, engagement rings, etc., at Parkes’ jewellery establishment, Main St.*

The annual general meeting of the Foxton Racing Club will be held on Monday night. Messrs E. White and Son, of Palmerston N., advertise that they are prepared to supply metal in any quantity. A meeting of the committee of the Foxton Horticultural Society will be held in the Council Chamber on Monday night. The latest additions to the local telephone exchange are 69, Mr G. P. Walker; 71, Mr W. N}'e (private residence); 72, Mr E. A. Coley (private residence.) Mr T. Haywood, who was licensee of Whyte’s Hotel for some time, was a visitor to Foxton this week. He left for his home at Auckland this morning. The services at the Presbyterian Church, to-morrow, will be conducted in the morning by the Rev. G. K. Aitken, and in the evening by Mr J. Chrystall. The services to-morrow in the Methodist Church will be conducted morning and evening by the Rev P. J. Mairs. The subject for the evening will be, “ How Religion is Portrayed in the Individual.” An anthem, “ Awake, Put on Thy Strength, O Zion” (Curweu), will be sung by the choir. A replace advertisement in [this issue from Messrs Ross and Co., of the Bon Marche, Palmerston N., announces a three days’ bargain carnival of the balance of winter goods on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week, to which the attention of our readers is directed.*