LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 6, 16 February 1885, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

"The oldest inhabitant" has turned up with a vengeance. According to a contemporary, a gentleman m Feilding. has kept a register of the rainfall there for 502 years and 7 months ! May ho long flourish m tho land, and attend to his rain-guage. ■ ' .■ % '■':■ To show what a profitable thing a small orchard is when properly managed a Wangauui paper cites the case of a resident of Bull-street, who has less than eighth of ah acre of 'ground planted with gooseberry bushes, from which he sold no less than 1143 quarts this season at 4d per quart, which brought in' £1G Us to the grower, and as much to the retailer, as lie made 4d or s<l a quart out of them by selling them at 6<l per lb.. a quart weighing l£lbs. At this rate five acres would give £662 for fruit, to grow and gather which less than £100 would be required. Acclimatisation Societies, are often blamed for introducing the sparrows, but the Chairman of tho Canterbury fociety recently explained their arrival m this country as follows :— He remembered how, years ago, they used to offer bonuses to captains of vessels for the importation of live birds. One captain brought out some sparrows, and offered them to the Society, but they were rejected. Thereupon the captain, somewhat annoyed, tossed the birds, which were five m number, iuto tho air, and fiom those five birds came, he had no hesitation m saying, all the' sparrows now m the country. The Mayoial chair of "the Dallarat city, which is a part of the office gear, and goes from mayor to mayor, each mayor adding a link carrying a shield with the name of the giver, and date of office ("observes a correspondent) is no^w valued nt £150. The first link an. l shield bear date 1836 7. One or two missing links have to be supplied, and aheady the chain is a somewhat ponderous appurtenance to the dignity of office. The Government have consented to reduce tho charges for space m the exhibition to 6d per square foot. Intelligence by a mail from Tonga states that the long talked -of secession from the Wesleyan Church has taken place. It is claimed .10,000 adherents to the Wesleyan Church, including 1 European minister, 12 ordained native ministers, 800 local preachers, 600 school teachers, 600 leaders, and upwards of 5000 members, are amongst the seceders who have joined the Free Church of -Tonga. - ' -.. • Lessees of native lands m the district of which Opunake is the centre are complaining that at the time they took up sections they were promised that roads would at' once be made. They state that they have to endure great hardships m consequence of the want of these roads. They cannot, m some instances, get fencing: material, timber with which to build their houses, or even grass seed on to their sections. The Government have authorised the sale of general railway tickets at Post Offices, and probably the experiment will be first tried op the Canterbury section of Railway. A laborer stood the other morning (says the Masterton Daily) with a bunch of plaited corn on his coat to notify that he was m want of harvesting work. This old English method of advertising had the desired effect m this instance, as an employer of labor engaged the bearer of the badge. It instated (says the Waipawa Mail). that there is not a vacant residence or place bf business m Napier attlie present time, whilst new beildings are going up steadily, onp after the^other. We liiust congratulate our friends on such a satisfactory state of affairs. What will it be when the harbor works commence ! The following nominations have been received for the Oroua Licensing Com-niittee:-~Mr C. L. Anderson, Mr Bowater Mr R. W. Bishop, Mr &., C. Burcham, Mr A. Gpckburn, Mr W. £[. Tonipkius, Mr Toiiilinson, Mr P. Stewart. Mr Lloyd Jones, Mayor- of Martou, has received the following telegram from MrD.M. Luckie, th the waterworks loan : — " The board agrees to grant the loan, provided the requirements . of the law are complied with, and the solicitors certify the validity of the security. The loan is to be for fourteen years ; interest payable half-yearly, on the Ist of Feb., .and tho lst<p£ August," The Colleen Bawn consultation, we are informed, was uot filled up, and m consequence of this the money will bo returned to the ticket holders. The Property Tax Commissioners are issuing numerous summonses qgainst defaulting taxpayers. The determination of the Palmerston Jockey Club Committee to hold a race • meeting on Easter Monday appears to have raised a storm m a teapot. The Feilding Star writes : — " Imitation is the since rest flattery." Feildinghad sportaonßoxiug Day. Palmerston followed suit. Feilding had races on Easter Monday, so Palmerston must have them too. Tin's . desire to play toady or cut throat is very contemptible. It looks as if the Palmerstonians were determined that if they cannot " grab all" they will allow none ■ of their neighbours to have a share. The plain fact of the matter is that the same class of persons who started the opposition to the Feilding sports to prevent the " nimble sixpence" from passing theii places of business, know how to bring judicious influence to bear. The following are the names of (he candidates for the Rangitoto (Bulls) Licensing Committee : — S. Fagan, T. Blower, J. N. Frood, W. Green, E. Read, A. E. Remington, Chas. Scales, R. Smith, John Stevens, and J. G. Wilson. Only five members are required, whilst ten have been nominated. Evidently, there is to be a sharp contest. Few towns m England under £20,000 inhabitants can boast qf a daily news- [ paper. According to the President of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, trade is fairly sound m the city of Christchurch, and if the crops are safety garnered, the storekeeper and the importer will approach the coming winter with lighter heaits and heavier pockets. It is rumoured m well-informed circles that Sir George Des Vceux, the Gover nor of Fiji, who is at present visiting New Zealand, will m all probability succeed Sir William Drummorid Jervois as Governor of this colony when the latter's period of service expires.

" General" Booth has ordered his son to stay m Australia to take charge of the Salvationists' work m tiiu colonies, ami m consequence (says the Argns), several changes have be<;ii mide m tho. headquarters' statt". "o<>louul I>r Btioth 'bocomos " Marshal," with directions to travel through the colonies and confer v/ith and direct the ollic-rs ; " Major". Howard will also stay m the colonies, taking tin: position of chiijf of the staff j" and " Major" B irker, though relieved of the chief command, will contitiue'a " 41 major," with special work allotted to him. . m connection with tho employment of sworn shorthand reporters m the Courts of justice, one of our conteiiipoiaries suggests that' the Judges' Associates might bo abolished as useless and be replaced by a reporter. Sir Moses Monfcefiore has been frequently exhorted by Christian clergyman to embrace their faith. He always listens with courteous interest to such appeals* hut never for a moment wavered' m his adherence to the creed of his fathers. : Harvest is now m full operation m Taranaki, and the yield of both wheat and oats is said to b"e large. The cocksfoot crop is also said to be exceedingly good. • In the Hawora district the grain crops are said to be heavy, but somewhat laid. The City Council of Christchurch has resolved not to press for payment of rates on the Volunteer Drillshed. From the Taranaki Herald we gather : that a good horse track has now been ciit out from ' Egmont Village to within fonr miles of Mount Egmont, and a good, foot track made right up through the scrub. Four trips have been made up to the snow lino during last month by this route. A reliable authority says that the expenditure of i'2o would form a horse track within half a mile of the lower snow line, a nd enable the trip to be made comfortably from town m a day. The Press reporters at a recent meeting of the Dunedin City Council were quietly, enjoying a little joke amongst themselves, when Councillor Barnes conceived the idea that they were laughing at him, whereupon he threatened to forcibly expel them from the Council Chamber. The Dunedin Herald mentions a rumour to the effect that if the Hon. ,Mr ; Larnach is called to the Legislative Council, Mr William Hutchison, late of Wellington, will be a candidate for the Peninsula seat. He may possibly stand a chance there, as the Peninsula electors probably do not know him as well as the electors of South Wellington. A totalizator which, was run m Dunedin on the Island Bay races returned the whole of the money to the subscribers m the two principal races, no one backing Administrator m the Gold Cup on the first day or Tigredia m tho Jockey Club Handicap on the 'second day. ' In Bombay it is estimated that the infectinusness of the cholera microbe shall be practicably tested on convicts sentenced to death, who shall be given the choice between the chance of cholera and the certainty of hanging, the sentence to be commuted if no ill attends the administrations of microbes. Three men belonging to a pilot boat stationed Lewes, Delaware, missed their boat, and drifted out to sea m a Bkiflr. After sorne dciys, being m a state of starvation, two of the men are reported to have eaten portions of their com- . panion, who had died of his sufferings. The two men were afterwards rescued. The Government intend that the Main Trunk Railway shall be opened with as much pomp and ceremony as possible. The Governor will be asked to turn the first sod near Marton, and .Tawhiao will be asked to perform a similar ceremony at To Awamutu. j < I Mr S. A. Boddy has been appointed postmaster at Bunnylhorpe, and Father Soulas at Jerusalem, Wanganui district. Post offices have been opened m both places. Mr L. Storey is appointed postmaster aj; Woodvillc, : ..": ■V ' • '••■•'■ • - ; '--• : • "-Attire Wellington Police Court on Thursday, Robert Belfit pleaded not guilty to 'having deserted! his wife, >yb/» resides at Folding. The accused, who had been out on bail for the. past week, had come down there to walk a foot race and saidhe had no intention whatever to shirk his marital responsibilities. The Bench'Yemahdbd him to'appeur at Feilding to answer the charge, bail being allowed. • ....••. .;••.-. A fatal accident occurred on Thursday (sh'ys the Marton paper), on the Mafcara-road, near llalcumbe, when a' young man namod Noffske lost his life. Deceased, with another man, was working m a gravel pit. on Neilaon and Managh's contract, when a fall of metal suddenly took placed One of tiie men sprang back and got only partially covered, but NofEske was completely - '-buried. When taken out he' was quite dead. His skull had been smashed m, his.entrails were protruding, and his legs were broken. Death must have-, .been instantaneous. Deceased', who was 24 years of age; was unmarried. From the Star we learn, that tho petition praying for an enquiry to be made into the removal of Constable Gillespie,, from Feilding, and signed by 211 residents of the town and district,, was duly forwarded to the authorities on Satur-. day. '•''■■; The Waipawa County Council have issued instructions for the impounding of cattle m future found on tho maiu roads. "What does Good Friday mean?"asked an urchin of his companion. "You'd better go home and read your Robinson Crusoe" was the withering reply* The cheap excursion system is to be tried on the Wellington railway, trains, being run on Saturday afternoons as^far us Kaitoko. Return fares 3s and 2s. The excursions m Canterbury have been largely taken advantage of. The return fares from Christchurclt to Timaru, 110 miles, were 7s 6d and 5s for first and second class. :