LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 223, 16 August 1884, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

As an instance of quick telegraphy, it I is mentioned by the Syduey Mottling | Herald that Messrs Mason Bros., of / Sydney, on oue of the last days of July, ' lodged a cablegram for Glasgow between 5 and 6 p.m., and received an answer at 2 50 a.m. next day, the time between despatch and receipt of an answer -at_ Sydr ney office being a little over nine""hours. .The Wairau river is m a very bad stato iust nowV The local paper states that it is silting up to such an extent as to seriously threaten navigation. The bar is subject to periodical attacks which close it up.. , Says an, Auckland exchange : — Mr Ofmond sat continuously m the House for twenty-one years, namely, from 1860 to 1881, when he was defeated: at the general election. He was a member of ' four. Ministries, and he has held the portfolios of Lands, Education, and Public Works. When Sir Julius Yogel left for England m 1877, Mr Ormond was asked to take the Premiership but he declined, and Major Atkinson assumed the position, He is a man who enjoys universal esteem, his public career and private character being altogether blameless. A; Wairarapa paper says : — A few words upon the present price of moat may be interesting to our readers. We believe that the directors of the Gear and Barber Companies m Wellington are deliberately, and ; intentionally . forcing; prices dow.n ; their instructions to their, buyers being to buy at twopence a pound for mutton and one penny to twopence for beef. Wo fancy that Mr Gear ancf Mr Barber\ personally would have acted' more liberally towards settlers than these bodies of directors, and also that the local buyers for the"two companies would be inclined to act liberally if allowed to- do: so •;■- but it is evident that the directors will no allow them, and intend mercilessly to cut down prices to the grower. Settlers can expect no mercy from them. .._..•- --.A Wellington paper says :—Subsequently to the granting of an application for the adjournment of the public examination of Mr W. W. Taylor at the Bankruptcy Court yesterday, Mr Edward Shaw (counsel for the bankrupt) made a short statement on what may be regarded as the other side of this case. He was instructed, he said, that it could be shown that what appeared so far to be a conversion of trust moneys could be satisfactorily explained, seeing that a number of trust moneys had been placed "absolutely at Mr Taylor's disposal for investment as he might think fit, either m his own or any other business. Judge Richmond expressed a wish that Mr Shaw would be successfal, pointing out that the wigh would, no doubt, be shared by many. Says the Dunedin Star: — Our reporters are constantly pestered with applications to keep the names of individuals out of Police Court reports, or to suppress them : but it is almost needless to say that neither request receives the slightest consideration. To-day ourrepresentative at the Police Court had this.commuriication put into his hands : — " Kindly alter my name as witness to Frank Hunter, and give as few particulars as possible, and you will extremely oblige. — Fred Hunt." We wish people like Mr Hunt to understand that all future applications of this kind will be treated exactly m the way we have done with his. A common trouble of the blacksmith is the going out of the fire .while, the smith is doing 'work s away from it. The annoyance can be prevented ; by keeping at hand a box containing sawdust. When the fire seems to be out throw a handful of sawdust on the coals and a good blaze will quickly follow. This may seem a small matter, but there, are many who will find the suggestion' a good one.