LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 10, 10 December 1884, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

♦ Writing on the retirement of Mr Mitchelson, the late Minister of Public Works, from public life, the Post highly oulogjses his administration of public works. The ar-tiple B.avs that Mr Mitchelson's'retirement will be reerettod by men of all shades df po'litid^l ophijdiii, and that many much more prominent men could have been better spared.

Wai])ii\v;i is threatened with a delude of bankrupt drapers' stocks, splendid bargains, and the usual etceteras. It is understeod that there is likely to be very keen competition for the Oroua riding seats m the Manawatu County Council. The Scottish Land Restoration League at Glasgow have decided to raise a fund of .£I,OOO to bring over Mr Henry George from America for a lecturing tour throughout Scotland. An Age special cable message, dated London, Nov. 27, states that it is runioured m diplomatic circles that Sir W. D. Jervois is to succeed Lord Agustus Loftus m the Governorship of New South Wales. We have to acknowledge receipt of No. 7 of the Anglo-New- Zcalandcr. and from the Government Printer No 22 of Hansard. WThe additions to Mr Hastie's Peilding Hotel are having the effect of giving a most imposing appearance to the ingWe are glad to notice Mr Stevens has resumed his duties as postmaster, at Feildihg having quite recovered from his illness. ; Among the names gazetted ad members of the Industrial Exhibition Committee we observe those of R. C. (Bruce,. M.H.R. for Rangitikei ; D. H. Macarthur, M.H.R. for Manawatu; J. G. Wilt son, M.H.R. for Foxton. "" . , The Feilding .Stow understands that " a knight of the cleaver," well-known .m Pahnerston,- will probably continence business in 1 - Peilding m a very short time. He will take up the business recently given up m the Kimbolton, 'road.- ;: . ■•: '■ T':; \' . '■ ; : \ "•■■'' : There are five lawyers retain'eel :for the defence of W. Waring Taylor. He must have some money left somewhere to indulge mso much luxury. ;'' • ' '■■ The Feilding paper is glad tQ learn that there is a slight c change for the betv term the healtK of "Mrs W. E. Chamberlain, who has been- seriously ; ill for" ' some days pas.t! ' j ■ There is a strong feeling, .m favor of the decision 'm the case of Timms v. Spurdle' berng^subjected to ilde test of an appeal, arid 'several gentlemen' have ex-, pressed a willingness and desire to subscribe the necessary cost of such being done. They think the verdict jwas i"a strained interpretation -pi the law, jand m no wise' based on the "equity and good conscience" powers given to the" dispensers of the law as laid down for 'Justices of the. Peace, who have a latitude given them, that the Judges, of the •Supreme Court do not possess. [Since ■ the above was written we (Herald) learn that it has been decided to appeal against the decision.] . ■ • The Native Minister expects to be !- back m Wanganui early m January, ! when he will attend a large native meet-' ing up the river. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday the' up coach did hot arrive at Foxton until 7.30 p.m., owing to the flooded state of the rivers up .the. coast. This is quite an unprecedented state of things for this time of the year, so far as we (Foxton paper) have been able. to learn. Captain Fraser iniormed us that Ijhe sea on the coast on Saturday was very heavy, there being a true " ocean roll," and not the short beam sea usually no-, ticeable m heavy westerly weather. This is also a most exceptional circumstance. ■ ' : The Colonial Secretary and Mr G. S. Cooper, tJnder- Secretary, will leave Wei- _ lington on their tour of inspection of hospitals, &c., next week. The South Island is to be visited first. . ; ; The Feilding Star has it that thte A\vahuri Bridge hag, been washed away. We are glad to say this is not correct, The fire at Opunake the other night, at ope time threatened the destruction of noj; only the stable, but the whole of Pifosser's large and expensively furnished hotel. As it was, the stable which was very costly and extensive was clean swept, and several vehicles, including the buggy the Native Minister had arrived from New Plymouth m that day, were more or less damaged. The horses were only resaued with the greatest difficulty by the groom who worked like a Trojan to save property. < We (Hera ld)h&\e very discouraging accounts of the continued wet weather, we have been experiencing, on 'the potato crops af the district, many of which will be an utter failure, as, the seed has rot-, ted m the' ground from the wet. If the " weather does not take up, and a long spell of fairly dry and warm set m, the grain crops will also be destroyed^ as the continued rains cause the whole ; of the growth to centre m the strand, which gets too rank and falls to the ground and there rots away. . | No prophet is accepted m his- own country. A teacher m this district (says and southern exchange) not on good terms with his committee, has been offered a lucrative appointment m the, North Island by an Inspector of Schools who has been an observer of the times. Mr McKerrow, the surveyor-general, accompanied M. de Harven to the-, South, presumably for the purpose of affording the visitor every facility for inspecting the waste lands of Otagq, with a view to their settlement by Belgians.' An employe on Sir Wiliam r Fox's . estate the other day killed a fat sheep, which seemed to be m perfect health. ;He was not a little astonished, on split- ' ting the head open, to see a number of fat grubs fall out of one of the . hollows above'' the eye. ; Extensive changes (saysjthe Post) are. being made m the postal arid Telegraph Department throughout the country by the transference .of ■ officers and rear-, rangement of duties. .'lt is understood that this branch of the service will shortly be strengthened by the employment of a number of additional cadets. A meeting of the Manawatu County Council will be held on Thursday, at noon* ., ■. .. :■_.; ... .. . ... . : S,ays an exchange :— She. squabble between the public and the bakers as to who should, get the benefit of the s present unprecedentedly low price of wheat which has been raging fiariou^ly m England for some tune/^ast, has nqw been raised m the colonies, alsq, *md tbje papers, everywhere are full of anirqate;d correspondence oft the subject.' Iridig; nant consumers, declare, that with wheai going begging at ruin rates, wWJe the price of. bread is the samp as usual,' the bakers must ba malting fabulous ; promts, Co-operative companies, public ovens,, and all sorts of other devices are" sug, gested, for bringing the bakers to their senses. ■ > i • • , : : At the Marylebone Police ' Court, on the 24th September, a woman appeared to answer summonses for neglecting to send her three children to school m the district of Marylebone. The defendant, who said she had ten children and that her husband was a carpenter, stated that she arranged her domestic affairs so as to admit .of her teaching her children herself, and that she taught them reading, writing, aritlnnetic, grammar, geography, and drawing. Sheghad brought one of the children and their lesson beoks, and she asked the Magistrate to examine both. It appeared that the $choQf Board required' tJiQ children ' to, undergo an official examination., The Court adjourned the case for ft week,