LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 956, 18 February 1911, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

F. Gabites has a replace advertisement in this issue. Read it. A replace advertisement from Messrs Millar and Giorgi, the great outfitters ot Palmerston North, appears in this issue. ±<or watch, clock or jewellery repairs go to Parses, the jeweller, Main Street.

Walker’s selling good dining chairs 5s each to make room for fresh stock to arrive.*

The Wanganui river is reported to be lower now than at any previous recorded time. Mr Alf. Fraser has been reappointed census enumerator for this district. The census will be taken on the night of April 2nd.

The service in the local Roman Catholic Church to-morrow will be conducted by the Rev. Father Kelly. Mass will be celebrated at 5.30 a.m. On Wednesday next the competition tor the Austin Shield will be continued, the representatives of the Foxton Cricket Club meeting Himatangi on the latter’s own ground.

The services to-morrow in the local Methodist Church will be conducted by Mrs J. L. Wright, evangelist, of Wellington. The services at Himatangi and the Beach will be conducted by Mr J. Chrystall.

Maize growing for cattle feed is now being rather extensively followed in the Bulls and Martou district. It has been found to auswer the purpose admirably and much larger areas will no doubt be cultivated next year. The thrifty woman who visits M. Hamer’s will find some remarks able snips to be picked up during the next few weeks. A few lines ot print are offering at 5d yard, and all millinery will be disposed of at cut prices to make room for winter stock.* To-morrow the Harvest Festival will be held in All Saints’ Church, Special hymns and psalms will be sung. In the afternoon the vicar will present the prizes to the Sunday school children, and the superintendent, Mr W. S. Stewart, will give an account of the year’s work. The fruit and vegetables given for the Festival will be sent to the diocesan homes.

A witness in a Supreme Court action at Palmerston North on Thursday, said that when he complain* 3 ' about his time being wasteu the other man retorted “ You had better tell the boss to get you a time table so as you can run to time.” The Chief Justice remarked that he supposed that was what the old bushmen would term “ poking borax at a man.” Nearly every household in the borough is anxiously waiting for rain to replenish the tanks. Numbers of people are buying water, and washing day is long deferred. Flower gardens are parched up and hardy shrubs have died while the lawns present a sorry spectacle, Those who opposed the water supply scheme are now being roundly abused for their shortsightedness in defeating the loan proposals. Property owners throughout the district have suffered considerably on account of fires. The back portion of Messrs Barber Bros.’ Himatangi run has been almost entirely swept, the fire burning fences and everything. Passengers travelling by train from Foxton to Palmerston can get some idea of the damage done, acres and acres of land being absolutely bare. On Tuesday a fire started in the bleaching paddocks at Messrs Saunders Bros.’ flaxmill at Moutoa and spread to the flax swamp and bush. With the assistance of a band of some 20 helpers it was kept within bounds and eventually extinguished, but not until about 15 acres of bush and flax had been destroyed. Practically the whole of the fibre in the paddocks was saved. Had the firs not been taken in time very serious loss must have resulted.

Anyone travelling between Rongotea and Martou could not help being struck with the great amount of good hay that is absolutely wasted by the farmers in that district. Rye grass grown for seed purposes is gone in for a great deal by the farmers in and around Sanson, and after threshing, the straw is thrown in a heap, and is eventually burned to get rid of it. Rye straw makes first-class winter feed, and no doubt many farmers in this district would welcome the opportunities for using it that farmers in the Sanson district are throwing away.

An intellectual and historical treat is in store for local people next Thursday night, when Mr Robert McNab, ex-Minister lor Hands, will deliver a lecture on Cook Strait and the West Coast of the North Island from the time of Captain Cook to Teßauparaha. The lecture will be illuminated by lantern slides. As the lecture has a special bearing on the early history of this district, it should attract a very large audience. It is unnecessary for us to state that Mr McNab is one of the best recognised authorities on the subject in New Zealand. The Mayor, G. H. Stiles, Esq., will preside.

Owners of orchards in and around Foxton are complaining of the depredations of fruit thieves. Not content with taking sufficient for their immediate needs, some ot the plunderers fill sugar-bags, and even sacks, with the fruit. One of these gentry even went so far as to take a trap in which to carry the The trees also receive a rough handling, and a great deal of damage has already been wrought in some orchards. A party of four were surprised in two orchards they visited the other night. In the first they got away without being recognised, but in the second the owner of the orchard came right upon them. He gave them a little friendly advice, and they have reason to be thankful that their names are not going to figure in the Magistrate’s Court at the next local sitting. No doubt they will not be so lucky if they are caught again.

Mr A. King inserts a thanks notice elsewhere in this issue.

The Rotorua Cup run on Thursday resulted ; —’Miss Winnie i, Miss Levouia 2, Scotch 3.

Mr Low, m.a., of Palmerston N., will conduct the services at the local Presbyterian Church tomorrow.

We were shown an onion this morning grown on Mr Gower’s property, which turned the scales at nearly e^lbs. Standard 111. with an average of 97.7 per cent, won the attendance shield at the local State school this week.

The Hon. Geo. Fowlds, Minister for Education, opened the new Palmerston High School buildings on Thursday.

A special train in connection with Messrs Wirth Bros, circus will leave Foxton for Palmerston North at 6.15 o’clock to-night returning after the performance. Mr J. M. Johnston, secretary of the Manawatu Racing Club, has been appointed secretary of the Racing Commission. The first meeting of the Commission will be held at Wanganui next month.

The Town Clerk notifies that the district electors' list is now open for inspection, and all objections, under section 10 of the Act, must be made on or before the Ist proximo.

A very heavy fog was experienced in this district on Thursday night and again last night, which was increased in density by the smoke from grass fires. The fog hampered the Gertie in clearing the river on Thursday night. The following interesting reading matter is to be found on the fourth page of this issue; — “Catholic Criticism Resented,” “Harbour Rating Area,” “Beginning of Knowledge.”

A fire occurred on Lambton Quay Wellington, yesterday, in the shop occupied by Hill Bros., grocers, and owned by R. Hannah. Considerable damage was done. The shop was insured for in the Atlas, and the stock for ,£750 in the United. A big lire was raging in Mr Craw’s flax swamp at Linton yesterday, and was spreading in the direction of Tokomaru. A considerable area ot green flax has already been destroyed. The fire is a continuation of the one which started in Mr Akers’ swamp last week. A band of about 50 men are engaged fighting the flames.

Several Maoris in this district made enquiries of the Town Clerk as to whether the Government intended to send a contingent Home to take part in the coronation. The Town Clerk communicated with the member for the district ou the subject and received the following reply Mr Newman received from the Premier : “The Government has already decided that a contingent is not to be sent Home. I regret therefore that nothing can be done in the direction indicated in your wire.”