LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1056, 13 June 1912, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

While arrivals in New Zealand from overseas in April last totalled 3,337, number of departures was 4,265. In the corresponding month of last year the arrivals totalled 2,298, and the departures 4,262. There was a considerable excess ot departures over arrivals ol Chinese, 22 coming in while 51 went away.

“Do you know,” said the Premier at Opunake, "my old messenger (naming him) told me one day that 1 had myself sent 13,000 letters to iarmers that year? That,” continued the Premier, “may give you an idea of some of the work which comes within a Cabinet Minister’s duties.”

A Hawera resident on Thursday received from a friend in L,oudon an interesting memento of the Titanic wreck. It was in the form of a postcard containing the music and words of the hymn, "Nearer, My God, to Thee,” which was played by the Titanic’s band as the vessel went down. The postcard was dated April 30th, just 15 days after the date of the wreck.

In telegraphing on the 6th inst., the Dunedin correspondent ot the Oamaru Mail said : "I have the best reasons for stating that Mr J. A, Millar’s indisposition is much more serious than is generally believed. There seems little prospect of his recovering the sight of one eye, and there is grave possibility of the other being seriously affected. He has been ordered complete rest, and the general opinion is that there is practically no hope of his taking an active part in political affairs again.”

The Tciuuka News chronicles a kindly acl. Two men, one a sailor, the olher a resident ot the town, got on “the spree” together and lauded in the lock-up. Result, convicted and discharged. The sailor did not have a penny on him, but the other man had 7s 6d, and he gave the sailor 6s 6s to help him on his way, keeping the shilling for himself (all the money he had). The News remarks that considering the men were total strangers to each other the assistance so willingly rendered to a brother in distress was all the more commendable.

Mr Hwang, Chinese ConsulGeneral (one timd Consul in New Zealand), in an address at, the Wesley Church, Melbourne, this week, describing the national developments of China, said she would take her place in the world’s affairs, and wanted to be treated as a free people. China was forcad to open her gates to other nations, and protested against the exclusion of Chinese to other countries. This is going to be a great question, and Australians will do well to consider it.

For chronic chest complaints, Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure, is 6d, 2s 6d. Read Rimmer’s advertisement 7 '.

Mr S. Messena left Foxton by this morning’s train for the North where he will take up his residence for some time for health reasons. On account of the exodus of bricklayers to Australia, contractors are finding great difficulty in procuring tradesmen. Experienced bricklayers’ labourers are also scarce.

The Foxton Literary and Debating Society opens its session tonight with a debate on the naval subsidy question. The proceedings are open to the public. The leaders will be the Rev J. M, Thomson, m.a., and Mr Claris.

Miss Jenks will be a competitor in the pianoforte test piece at the forthcoming Levin musical and elocutionary competitions, and Messrs Alf. Jenks and Buglasswill compete in the vocal duets. Mr R. T. Betty has opened in temporary premises, next to Mr Walls’ bakery establishment, where he will be pleased to meet old and new customers. He is arranging a clearance sale of salvage goods in order to make room for his new stock of boots and shoes.

A married woman, wife of Patrick Keegan, has been missing at Wanganui since Tuesday, and as her father-in-law was found drowned in the river about a mouth ago, it is leared that a similar fate has befallen her, as a portion of her garments was found on the river bank. She had been suffering<Jrom influenza lately. The Hon, W. D. S. Macdonald, Minister for Public Works, in an address at Rotorua, said the Native land owners should be placed on the same footing as Europeans as regards local taxation, but safeguards were necessary in respect of land dealing. During the next session he would introduce an amendment to the Native Land Bill embodying the suggestions of Native Land Court Judges. Mr Chenery Suggate, M. Inst. C.E., of Auckland, is visiting Foxton in connection with the proposed water and drainage scheme. Mr Suggate is one of the leading experts in artesian water supplies in the Dominion. At present schemes are being carried out under his supervision at Otahuhu and Franktou Junction. He had a conference with the Mayor and several Councillors yesterday.

The first jury trial iu China under Western methods has taken place. The case was one of murder, and some Lincoln’s Inn men were employed on either side. The jury returned a verdict of guilty, and sentence of death was passed. The Chinese seem to have founded their procedure on the English and Scottisn systems, viz., that of three judges in the Criminal Appeal Court in England, and of seven jurors in the Summary Sheriff Courts in Scotland in inquiries into fatal accidents, etc. "If I milk on 50 acres,” said Mr W. D. Powdrell at a farmers’ meeting at Hawera on Saturday, 4 ‘T would not have a machine on the place.” Thereupon one of the farmers rejoined, ‘‘Eeave the machine alone ;if I only milked ten cows I would use machines.” Inr Powdrell admitted that milking machines had been a contributing factor to the rise in the price of land, but he held to the opinion that the owner of a herd would get greater profit by having his cows milked on two-fifth shares than by buying and paying depreciation on machines.

The next of the series of dances under the auspices of the Catholic Church, will be held in the Coronation Hall, on Friday, the 48th iust. On this occasion the commkte have arranged for a concert to be given prior to the dance, by the children of St. Mary’s Convent. Patrons desiring to attend the concert only will be accommodated in the dress circle, admission to which will be one shilling, and those who wish to remain to the dance, for which the usual prices, gentlemen 2s 6d and ladies 1 s od, will be charged, will be admitted to the body of the hall. Full particulars will appear in a future issue.

During a thunderstorm a week or two ago a private telephone wire in the Glen Oroua district was struck by lightning. The effects were remarkable. Two poles close to each other were shattered to splinters from lop to bottom, while a third some distance further on was left in the same state. The wire was fused in many places. At the houses on each side of the affected length of wire the inmates got a great scare, the shock being most seveie, and where the wire fell the grass was fired. Some time ago lightning struck a telephone wire in the Carnarvon district, with the result that a long piece was cut clean out and apparently completely destroyed, for it could not be found.

Fashions may come and go, but the useful and practical blouse still retains a firm footing in fashion’s decrees; these are advertised by C. M. Ross and Co., Palmerston North, in a replace advertisement to-day.*

For comfort and ligure elegance the corset we most strongly recommend is Warner’s Rust-proof No. 601 at 8s lid.*

The microbe moaned and wagged his tail, Threw up his eyes and sighed—“lf I should try to kill and fail. I’m down for suicide.” He bit a larynx savagely, hut Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure

Came down and killed him instantly. And saved the patient sure. 3

Perreau’s tea rooms are admittedly the best on this coast.*

Discovery has been made of another lilebuoy from the dredge Manchester, William Douglas, of Kohe Kobe, Auckland, states that his son picked up a lifebuoy marked “S.D. Manchester, Lyttel-

ton,” seven or eight miles south of Manukau Heads, and about a mile from the spot at which the previous buoy was discovered on June sth. The lands of the Dominion are held as follows : —Area held as freehold, 17,022,590 acres ; re served for public purposes, 11,804,341; leased, 18,519,696; Native land, 7,278,1x0; barren country, not included in other headings, 4,850,157 ; occupied by roads, rivers, lakes, etc,, 2,160,4x1; open for selection, 1,323,202 ; remaining for future disposal, 3,908,678 ; total area of Dominion, 66,098,185 acres. There is a talk of a break-up of the Flax Workers’ Union owing to the attitude of a prominent leader of the Union who lately has been supporting the cause of the Federation of Labour. Unquestionably the Union affiliated itself to the Federation some two years ago, but the majority of the flaxhands now say it was a blunder to have done so. The formcoming ballot on the question of a 20 per cent, grant to the Waihi miners is evoking widespread interest, and the signs point to the fact that the proposal will be rejected by a large majority. If the Federation “captured” the Union it would mean a big thing for the Federation—but the general opinion among workers in the swamps is that the Union will adhere to the unity organisation. Horowhenua Chronicle.

It is understood that the first year’s operations of the gas department of the Eltham Borough Council show an actual profit on the working account of about which represents the excess ot income over expenditure, but without providing 101 the payment ot interest. It is anticipated that the current year's operations will be so satisfactory’ financially as to be able to provide interest and inking lund and also show a i-.cu.L ..fiance. If the

former statement is correct as we believe on reliable authority it is, « the Borough Couucil and the citizens are to be congratulated upon the successful result ot the first year, or rather, really ouly the first eleven mouths, working of this municipal enterprise. A confession that a dream prevented him from sailing in the Titanic was made by Mr J. C. Middleton, vice-president of the Akron-Canton Railway of Ohio. Mr Middleton told the dream to his mends ten days before the tragedy, and this is vouched for by several well-known people, Mr Middleton says: ‘T booked a cabiu on the Titanic on 23rd March. I felt unaccountably depressed at the time, and on 3rd April 1 dreamt that I saw the Titanic capsized in mid-ocean, and a lot of passengers struggling in the water. The following night I dreamt exactly the same dream. The next day I told my wife and several ol my Irieuds, and afterwards, on receiving cable advice irom America that my business did not necessitate my crossing at once, I decided to . cancel my passage. ’ ’

It was recently reported by cable that during the voyage to San Francisco from Newcastle of the American four-masted schooner Americana, a fracas occurred, and, as a result, Captain Benson lost his life. A private message received at Sydney from San Francisco gives the full particulars, as supplied by the chief officer who, aiici ojc death of the captain assumed command. On January 27, in latitude 0.52 north, longitude 166.33 west, at 6.50 a.m,, Captain Benson went to the forecastle to speak to the cook, and was in the galley for several minutes when five shots were heard, and when investigation was made it was found that the Japanese cook, S. Okulo, had shot the captain five times. Three of the shots were in the chest, one in the shoulder, and one in the forehead. The captain lell out on the deck, and died close to the main batch in 20 minutes. The cook stated that the captain insulted him and knocked him down in the galley, when he reached for his pistol and shot him. Okulo was immediately placed in irons and handed over to the police on the vessel’s arrival.

Try the Roslyn Writing Tablets, containing too sheets superior paper, with artistic picture of Rotorua and two handsome women with useful calendar for 1912, 6d and is each from all storekeepers.*.