Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. TUESDAY, MAY 6, 1884. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 134, 6 May 1884, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. TUESDAY, MAY 6, 1884. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Premier will address the . citizens on the leading political questions of the day At the Tbeatie Royal Wellington this evening" at 8 o'clock. It is announced that seats will be reserved for ladies. Some moa bones m an excellent state of preservation were receutly found (says the Uawke's Buy Herald) m the vicinity ot Lake Taupo by a native named Werewere. One of them is a leg-bone that once formed part of a very large bird. These relics of former timeß are now the property of Mr Axford, who has left them at our olfice. The commencement of the National debt took place on February 16lh, 1689. It amounted m 1697 to about live million* and was then thought to be of alarming magnitude ; but owing to subsequent wars the debt now amounts to about £786,000,000. Tho following feat m the way of expeditious bread production is reported by •m paper : — At aix minutes after four the reaper stood beside the growing wheat, men being statioued every few feet along the line of grain, ready to seize an armful as it fell, and rush off with it to the thresher hard by. The mill was jui?t!6 rods distance. At the 1 drop of the hat ' the mules spraug to work j m a minute and & half a peck of wheat was m the sack and on the back of a horae that set off at a gallop for the mill. Just one minute seventeen seconds later the flour was delivered to the agriculturist's wife, and m three minutes two seconds from the starting of the reaper the first girdle cake was eaten, whilst more than a minute later a fftn of well-baked biscuits was passed round to the spectators.

A woman, living on the ground fl >or <■{ a house at Ctichy, «n<» had ehi>rno of an Jnfunt of six inoinhn old, was «w.ikened a ni^ht or two ayo by hearing an extraordinary di.-turb;ince m her chamber. Ou procuring a liyht, she discovered, to her alarm a jmck of enormous rats takinc flight m all directions from the room. The cradle was f<mn<i to be drenched m blood, the voracious animals having almost gnawed away the legs and arms ot thu unfortuuat infrtiit. A doctor of the neighborhood hastily dreasod the wounds, but doubts are expressed ul the recovery of the litlle sufferer. It will be gratifying to those who have friends on board inn British Kin* to learn that the Government ha,ve received intelli« gence that the passengers are reported to be m good, and have preferred no complaint as to their treatment on the passage out. The District Grand Lo^ge of the North Island of New Zealand, E.G., has granted a dispensation f<>r the formation of a lodge at Oarterton, under the title of St. j Mark's Lodge. Dr .Smith is the fiat W.M. | Elect. It is known (say 3 the New Zealand ] Herald) that Sir George Grey will at the nest session of Parliament again introduce his Bill to facilitate the admission or persons to practice the hnv upon passing an examination of a character which will show that their know!© g-» < f Jaw is c m •• plete, without their being subjected to any examination m what is called general knowledge. A. Birmingham artisan named Simeon Shorter, evidently an admirer of Mr Gladstone, lately made an axe for the Prmie Minister's .special use. Shorter made an axe of steel, and having accomplished hia task, determined to present it himself without ceremony. Accordingly set out for . Hawarden, where he announced his errand, but at first had some difficulty with the detectives. Mr Gladstone preatly admired the implement, which is fitted with an old English oak handle. After taking refreshment, I short«r wa« presented with Mr and Mrs Gladstone's photographs and auto- , graphs. ' As Prince Albert Victor of Wales has entered upon his twenty-first year, it is highly probable that Parliament will, m the present session, have to consider the question of a separate establishment for him. In such a case the Legislature would he wholly unassisted by precedents directly m p"int. Never yet has the eldest son of he Prince of Wale* come of age during his f-uher'« lifetime and be* fore his father's succession to the Throne. Frederick, son of George 11., who went nearest to doing so, whs twenty years and a few months old when m 1727 the latter became King. It would however, be misleading t> compare the status of Prince Albert Victor with that of his an* ceslor, who never set a foot m England till a year and a half after he had suc> ceeded to the position of Heir Apparent to the Crown. An experiment of great interest to New Zealand set'lers is now being made m Sydney by Messrs Mort and Co. Writing to a friend m Pa tea, a gentle nan m the ofS.ce of the firm says ",— ' 'JVday we take into our cold rooms some muitou from New Zealand. I believe it is an experiment, and if it succeeds I dare say we will have supplies from New Zealand till the fat stock are a more reasonable price here. Rump steak at present is, for good quality, 8d per lb. 1 dare aay you can get it down there at half that.' It is to .be hoped that this experiment will turn out successfully and lead to a demand for New Zealand beef as well as mutton. A deputation from the committee of tlw Wellington Trades and Labor Council waited upon Sir George Grey on his arrival by the Manapouri yesterday moruing, with the object of inviting him to deliver au address to the industrial classes of Wellington on his return from the South. A new and not very creditable form of * local industry ' is thug described by ' iEijles,' in the Australasian :— ' A distinguished man dies, and within a few day» his bereaved widow or orphaned family receive a puuegyric upon his virtues m what, for courtesy's sake, I will call verse. At such a time the feeliugs are tender and the sorrowful are susceptible. A letter is probably written thanking the versifier for his kindness, &c. By return of post it i 3 intimated by the poet that m previous cases when his composition has been sippiored,as m this instance, itTias been customary for him to receive a ch<qu6 for £20 to £30 as a compliment. And what can the folks do? Why, m nine cas«a out of ten they feel that it is incumbent upon them to comply with a requost which (between the line.*) is really a demand. It may bo that some of those who read this may be* some day similarly favored, and it will be no harm if they should know upon its receipt what the pym pathetic poeai redly means,' and what may be expected to follow.'