LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 94, 29 March 1883, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

' Architects state the scarcity of skilled labour and inadequate supply of bricks and other material has caused many large works m Melbourne to be postponed. It is said that there has, perhaps, never been a year m which so many dwelling ••houses have been erected as m 1882. The latest thing m Sydney tramway accidents. A tram car, an omnibus, six cabs, three carriers' dray, an eighteenths century carriage, and a venerable lady and gentleman, got mixed m a marvellous manner, but came out clear, and without i damage. More evidence of the terrible effects of that curse, heavy drinking, was, writes the Ballarat Courier, presented at the lock-up the other evening, when two individuals, at one time holding good positions m the colony, and who have received splendid educations, were locked up, while covered with filth and vermin, on charges of drunkenness. The following advertisements appear m the Post — For sale, a splendid Buggy pony, bright bay, black points ; staunch, fast, and gentle ; never kicks or shies — one m a hundred ; — For sale, one old knacker's Horse, broken-kneed and winded j falls down if you try to ride him, and , falls back on you if put him m the shafts — a perfectly useless brute, not worth feed* ing ; very cheap for cash. Who wouldn't own one or other of the above. The export of draught horses to New South Wales still continues. The Wakatipu, which left for Sydney last Mondaytook 70, which she brought up from the South. The R.M.S. City of Sydney, with tbe February colonial mails, reached San Francisco on Wednesday last,2lst instant, a day m advance of timetable date. The Zealandia, with the February London mails, left San Francisco, on Sunday, 11th instant, a day late. A farmer named- Thomas Vincent, of West Melton, Canterbury, was driving homo a few— days •ftgo~gs3-»-v— fcha -hovso shied and dragged the cart over an 8-feet embankment m the Eyre River bed. Vincent was bably crushed, and lay till next morning, when he was found and conveyed home. He died an hour afters wards. Ratepayers will do well to bear m mind that the financial year of the Borough Council closes' on Saturday next, after which date defaulters are liable to be sued without further notice. A charge is pending against a Welling-* ton barmaid, named Lucy Bolger, for perjury. When the case was first called on she failed to attend and was arrested under warrant, but was admitted to bail. Dr Curl's patents are reminded that tomoirow ia his weekly visiting day to Pal* merston, on which d.iy he can bs consulted at Remington's Medical Hall. Mr J. Weight is advertising for a steady competent man cook. Mr J. B. Hamilton's new advertisement will be found m our third page. The Bulls Autumn Horticultural Show has been a great success, due to a large extent to the enthusiasim infused into the local public by Mr Hunt and others. We trust that he will inoculate our Palmerston folks with some of the spirit that appears to imbue the residents of other parts of the West Coast m the matter of horticultural shows. The s.s. British King, on her homeward trip, (says the Post) will take a somewhat notable passenger. We refer to Mr Wm. Basset.; a Petone farmer, who arrived m Wellington on the 7th February, 1810, ond who, having borne the burden and heat of the day as a colonist, thinks he should like to pay a visit to the Old Country. The. worthy old pioneer, who is a native of Cornwall, is 85 years of age. but it is as hale, active, and cheerful as possible, and gaily announces his inten« tion of coming out too New Zealand again after he has had a look at his native country. It is worth noticing m connection with the passage of the s.s. British King to Wellington that she left Plymouth on the same day that the new Orient steamer Iberia started for Melbonrne, and reached Wellington four days before the Iberia at Melbourne. This is a very creditable f_at. We will Boon have halls enough m Palmerston. The Oddfellows are about to commence theirs shortly, and that for the volunteers ia already m progress. Many people are of opinioi that Palmerston should possess a theatre worthy of the re* pute for progressiveness which the place enjoys m other parts of the colony. A curious advertisement appeared m a late issue of the Liverpool Mercury. It read as follows : — " I lost my purse con« taining two guineas and a sixpence. The finder can keep the gold if they will return the sixpence, as it was the amount of damages received from tbe Midland Railway for breaking my leg. Ihe bit of silver cost me £210.— George Amesbury."

The Manawatu County Council will lold its monthly meeting' on next Tueslay, and the Palmerston Borough Counjil m the following day. The Marton paper has got hold of a jock and bull story about the still case. Has the editor being sampling the brew, or what has happened 1 The story is jadly mixed anyhow, though that is not unusual for the Marton publication. Feilding is m a terrible state. Palmerston first took away its clerk of the Court, its own private property and then when another clerk is appointed, and the Pal« merston clerk pays a visit to Wellington the new clerk also is sent to Palmerston. We fear the Riot Act will have to be read m Feilding yet. The fiery and impul- j sive folk away up there won't stand this. A. H. Malcolm was released on bail this afternoon, Messrs Linton , and Mackie having- been accepted as bondsmen. Messrs Linton and Hankins came bail for Messrs R. Peck and J. Jessop, who were also released.