LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1206, 10 February 1914, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At the local police court yesterday morning, the Mayor convicted and discharged Weer Singh, arrested for drunkenness. In this issue appears au advertisement with regard to the coming Garden Party, to be held ou Wednesday, the iSlh Feb,

The All Saints’ Harvest Festival will take place ou Sunday, Feb. 22nd. All fruit and vegetables will be sent to St. Mary’s Rescue Home, Karori. There were present at last night’s Council meeting, His Worship the Mayor (Mr G. H. Stiles), and Crs Coley, Whibley, Chrystall, Read, Henderson, and Speirs. An apology for absence was received from Cr Freeman.

There was a large congregation at a certain local church on Sunday evening, aud the minister is wondering whether the ’quake had anything to do with it! Supernatural happenings have a knack of making people realise that they are only temporary lodgers on Old Mother Earth. Its good to know that such happenings remind some of us that boodle can’t barter with nature. Mr F. Pirani, chairman of the Wanganui Education Board, put up a record on Saturday between 2 and 5 p.m. He cycled (pushbike) to Hiwinui, some 12 miles from Feilding, and a considerable part of the way uphill, in 50 minutes, was hospitably entertained at lunch by the residents, competed in the 100 yards married men’s race from scratch and only missed first place by inches, made a speech on education, presented the prizes, had a chat with a number of old friends, cycled back to Feilding by 5 o’clock, and ended up by playing five sets of tennis.

Having jusr, landed an up-to-date supply of catering utensils from England, Mr M. JPerreau is now in a position to specialise in catering, which will be undertaken in any part of the district.*

Accounts amounting, to ,£397 18s id were passed for payment at last night’s Council meeting. The local agent of the N.Z. Shipping Co. informs us that the Ruapehu arrived from London at 1,30 a.m. to-day. A special meeting of the Borough Council is to be held on Monday, February 23rd, to consider the water and drainage scheme, and Mr Blackman’s report re gasworks. The Australasian Medical Congress opened at Auckland yesterday. Three hundred delegates, including eighty from Anstralia, are attending. Owing to the townspeople observing a holiday to-morrow, there will only be one complete delivery by the mail carrier starting at 7 a.m.

The special train tor the State school excursion will leave Foxton at 8 o’clock sharp to-morrow morning for Ashhurst. Children and parents are requested to be on the station at a quarter to eight. It is reported that cases of benzine have been washed ashore along the Raugitikei Beach, It is presumed that the wreckage is portion of the cargo of the illfated Moa.

Mr K. J. Martin recently sunk an artesiau bore for the Racing Club, and struck a fine flow at 50 feet, which rose to within eight feet of the surface. The water is considered excellent, A local carrier asks us to compliment the local goods shed staff on the excellent manner in which the goods traffic is handled iu the station yards. We have pleasure iu passing the encomium on. A man named Sydney Murdoch, 33 years of age, and an ex-military man attempted to commit suicide at Palmerston on Sunday by cutting his throat. No rational reason is assigned for the act. When Constable Gow arrived at the scene Murdock was raving incoherently about the police beiug after him, and blamed some unionists for the reason. From his appearance he appeared to be mentally deranged. He is being attended to at the hospital. The Inspector of Nuisances and Dog Registrar repotted at last uigbt’s Council meeting as follows:—“I have inspected the business premises, and find them in a fairly clean condition. For the month ended January 31st, 26 head of cattle were impounded. I collected four shillings for driving lees, and five shillings for a hawker’s license ior one day at the Foxton races. Up to date 126 dogs have been registered, the fees amounting to £2B 23 6d.” There was a very poor attenddance at the McEwen entertainment iu the Royal on Saturday night. The first portion of the programme was devoted to pictures while in the second Mr McEwen proved himself to be a master in the art of trickery. He also freed himself from handcuffs of various patterns, and his mind-reading test was very clever. The performer was subjected to interjections Irom a person, apparently under the influence of liquor, but who was deservedly rebuked by Mr McEweu, to the satisfaction of the audience.

At the Presbyteriau Church ou Sunday morning, just prior to the earthquake, the Rev. J. M. Thomson was addressing the children ou a portion of Pilgrim's Progress bearing upon Christian’s journey through the valley ot the shadows, and' was graphically describing the weird surroundings and noises, when the 'quake rumbled and the building creaked and trembled in appropriate accompaniment. The minister continued his narrative, with a reassuring smile, although the words were jerked out during the tremble. The stillness following the shake was the most eerie period. The amount of gas manufactured at the local works during the month of January was 3it,000 feet, which with the amount in holder ou January ist, 7,000 ft., makes a total of 318,000 ft. The amount sold to consumers for lighting was 146,400 ft., and for cooking and power ioo,oooft ; 28,000 ft. was used in the street lamps, 30,0001 t. in the works and manager’s house, aud there was 6,000 ft. in the holder on February ist, leaving 7,000 ft. unaccounted for. Twenty-seven tons of coal were carbonised, yielding 11,516 ft, per ton. The earnings totalled ,£145 93 3d, made up of, gas sales £uS is yd, tar sales 3s 3d, coke sales £7 193 6d, fittings £$ 16s sd, and weighing 8s 6d. The expenditure was ,£lO6 19s rod, made up of, coal £35 23, wages ,£6B X2S gd, pipes £3 5* id. This morning we sampled some fruit grown by Mr Hughes ou his ideal farm, No. 2 Tine. One luscious, full flavoured peach turned the scale at nine ounces, and most of the fruit produced from this tree averaged six ounces. The egg plums brought to us were mammoths and full flavoured, For fear of misleading any one we might mention that the iruit has all been gathered 1 Mr Hughes informs us that the peach trees require to be protected against curly leaf by spraying with Bordeaux mixture in the spring, just before the leaf bursts open. His principal pest, so far as apples are concerned, is a tiny beetle which bores into the fruit and causes it to drop off. The land adjacent to Mr Hughes’ farm is not only capable of producing prolific iruit crops, but Mr Hughes has demonstrated that the soil can produce grain and vegetable crops to the best in the Dominion.

For Children’s Hacking Cough at night, Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure, 1/6, 2/6.

The Rev D. C, Bates wires at noon to-day as follows : —Wind freshening, northerly strong to gale, and veering by west to south after about 24 hours; weather clouding over, rain later. Barometer falling, but rising after about 24 to 36 hours. Sea and tides moderate.

Three tenders were received at last night's Council meeting from licensed surveyors for surveying and laying out the cemetery, the tender of Mr A. J. Patterson being accepted subject to certain conditions.