The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1885. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 73, 27 February 1885, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1885. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Chinese soldiers' uniform consists of a blue tunic and as many- more clothes as he feels like getting inside of. A good many of them use their shoes for breast-plates and stuff cotton m their ears to keep from being scared. A juryman summoned for service at a District Court, New. Plymouth, was excused on a very sufficient ground. He is just now serving Her Majesty m another capacity — being under seutouce of imprisonment for larceny ! London has on an average seven inhabitants per house, but New York has twenty-five. In London there is an average of forty-nine people to an acre, la New York there are m certain sections from 300 to 350 persons to the acre. A new clock has been invented, and coming into use m Europe, which is warranted by its manufacturers to run for five years without either winding or regulating. The Belgian Government placed one m a railway station m 1881, sealed with the Government seal aud it haß kept perfect time ever since. New Zealand with its infant settlements- and only half a million of people, has 30 daily newspapers, or more than a third more than ail the daily papers m Scotland. ■ .', It is stated that footrot is assuming alarming proportions amongst the sheep on the Canterbury Plains. Many experts who have had xperience of both scabandftfotrotstatethat they would rather encounter and could more easily cope with the former* • A London druggist has this cheerful invitation m his shop window : — " Come m and get twelve emetics for one shilling." The Post is sorry to see that a number of volunteers arid others are. making themselves ridiculous by offering their seYvices for the Soudan. It is perfectly well known that offers of the kind cannot be accepted, and the making them with the foreknowledge that they will be refused is certainly no proof of courage, but really rather the reverse. As a very remarkable example of how unclaimed money accumulates, it may be mentioned that it is not customary to pay fractions of a penny on Government stocks, and a " windfall" of no less than £143,000 — the amount of such accumulated fractions— accrued to the Chancellor of the Exchequer m the Session of 1882. The population of Australia is increasing at the rate of 100,000 per annum. Mr Hayter expects that Victoria will contain 1,000,000 inhabitants by the middle of 1886. An epidemic of interic or typhoid, fever is being experienced m Sydney arid the suburbs, nnd is said to be the the worst outbreak that has occurred for years. Bad drainage, as usual, is the cause assigned. The cesspit system is still retained m sumo of the suburbs. The Waltham Watch Company at Boston has given notice that a large reduction will be made m both the force and wages.

Prayers for rain, snya the Western Grazier, were lately offrred up m Scotland. Farmers' crops submerged, bridges swept away, roads torn up, and Hoods' everywhere have followed — and yet peoplo grumble. The monument m course of erection at Washington to the memory ot George Washington has now reached a height of 520 ft lOin, which is higher than any other structure m the world . Half a ton of sulphur has been sent from Tauranga to Napioi, to the order of a runholder for the treatment of lung disease among stock. A decree of President Grevy is officially published, announcing that the Paris Universal Exhibition will open on May 5 1889, and close on October 31. How to serve a summons expeditiously and cheaply was illustrated m the Napier Court. A man suing a Maori, actually walked from Patea to Napier to get a Buininons to recover his wages. He walked back and served the summons and then returned to Napier to give his evidence, the journey altogether occupying a month. A- deputation waited on Sir Julius Vogol m reference to the South Sea Island trade ,making inquiries as to whether, if a large company was formed to trade to the islands, the Government would give it assistance. The Colonial Treasurer expressed an opinion that if a company was formed, and it was well supported by the .Auckland members, the House would not be disinclined to give it a reasonable amount of aid. At the request of several local insurance companies, Sir Julius Yogel has promised to consider the advisability of effecting an alteration m the law whereby local companies may be placed on a level footing with some of their foreign rivals, by being enabled to limit their liabilities, instead of being obliged to keep them unlimited as at present. In the' course of the interview with Sir Julius Yogel it was represented that some companies from abroad were doing considerable business with a very small basis o£ capital and very small security to residents m the colony. Wiremu King's people at Opua, beyond Opunake a following the example of their European tenants, have fenced the road line of thoir reserve, which is about ninely-five chains, and have erected a suitable entrance gate, which they were most particular m having made after the design of those of a European neighbour. It was Wiromu Kingi and To Whiti who saved the ■ lives of the passengers m the Lord Worseley, wrecked near Opunake about twenty-one years ago. Te Whiti, Titokowar'u, and thoir followers hayo started on a tour of the East Coast. The WairariDft Star learns from tho natives that they iutend marching by tho coast to Wellington, thence back across the Bimutaka to Groytown, and then up the valley to Masterton, whence they will pass to the Forty-Mile Bush. Tho contract for cutting the now track towards Mount Egmont was let on Saturday last, and the work is to be finished m a fortnight. The tendering was very wild, varying from 9d a chain to 11s. Shocks of earthquake were felt on Wednesday afternoon at Greyraouth, Kumura, and Hokitika. . The Feilding paper says that a nursery for the rearing of pigs m tho Rangitikei is euphoniously entitled'The Hibernian Ostrich Farm. This sounds well anyway. Our contemporary is slightly inaccurate. The proper and orthodox designation is the Rangitikei Hibernian College. The time for receiving applications of the Industrial Exhibition closes to-inotio W . Mr Callis stated at the last meeting of the- Local Committee that already applications covering 51,000 feet had come to hand, and there were still a dozen committees to make returns from various parts of the colony. According to the official programme the total available space at the Exhibition does not exceed 58;055 feet, including passages, which, it was stated at a recent committee meeting, would take up about 18,000 feet. The out-break of small-pox on board the steamer Ringarooma, from Auckland to Sydney, has created some little excitement m Wellington. The examination at New Zealand ports of each Sydney vessel will be a must minute one, and every precaution will be taken to prevent the spread of the disease iv this colony. The monument which is to be erected to the memory of tho lato Rev. Father O'Reilly has'arrived m Wellington. The Wellington Hospital is said to be the worst managed public institution m the colony. •:, According to the. Post ministers will all probably reassemble iv Wellington some time next week. There is a good deal of Cabinet business awaiting attention. When this is settled, tho Colonial Secretary will complete his inspection of charitable institutions m the places he has not yet visited, and the Hon. Mr Tole will probably visit the South. The Hon. Mr Buckley, Colonial Secretary, is understood to be now engaged m the preparation of a Bill for the management of hospitals and other charitable institutions. The Hon. Gk M. Waterhouse, M.L.C. is about to leave the colony on a visit to England. The Wairarapa Star, with good reason, comments on the fact that while the Forty Mile Bush is literally teeming with yellow pine, riinu, tawa, and other kinds of useful timber, it is specified that tho desks and furniture for the new schools now m process of erection there shall be made of Icaini from Auckland. It points out that tho cost of kauri at Masterton is 22s 6d per 100 ft, and that of timber of equal quality at the local mills 9s per 100 ft. An accident occurred on the railway contract near Hawera on Saturday. Shunting was being done, when several | trucks came into collision with the engine and knocked it off the line. The j engine was damaged to some extent, | but no one was injured, tho driver nml foreman, when they saw a collision was .inevitable, having shut off steam, lumped off the engine. The Taranaki News states that m he Waikato it has been proved positively that a farmer can make £8 per annum out of each dairy cow by supplying milk to a factory at 3£d per gallon, and it must be remembered that the cow still remains, and when it is remembered (hat the farmer receives hard cash from the factory for his milk, the advantages to him cannot be over-rated. From a Wellington paper we learn that satisfactory progress is being made with the work of erecting targets, cutting trenches, &c, m connection with the colonial prize firing at Island Bay next month. Mr E, B. Haughton, the con* tractor has a staff of men engaged m carrying on the work, and it is expected that the range will be ready for uso soon after the opening of the month. The other arrangements m connection with the meeting are proceeding satisfactorily, and the committee are confident they will bo able to manage mat-" tf'is ir.ore successfully than was the case eithor m Auckland last year or m Dunedin m 1883. The meeting will commence on Monday, the 9th proximo, and will continue for four or five days.