LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 11, 17 April 1885, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Wellington libel case Goldsmith v Anderson, has been finished. Plaintiff was awarded Is damago,each patry to Day his own costs. The Post writing on the Local Option poll, to take place m Wellington, remarks : — " There is no danger, we think, of any but a first-class house ever obtaining a license m this or any other city ward now, but it would be very injurious to the public interest to give the present owners of hotel property m this ward an actual monopoly for the next three years, and so prevent the necessary required increase of public aecoinomdation being sunplied." ' The New Zealand Shipping Company (says the Press) havo lost close on i'looo through the grounding of the steamer Buapehu. One hundred and fifty pounds has gone as demurrage m connection with the mail contract. A day or two ago we mentioned that the barometer had risen to 30.46, and that the reading was a very unusual one for Masterton. These figures were completely eclipsed yesterday, when the instrument registered 30.58. This morning it had fallen a trifle. — Wairarapa Daily. It seems that opossums are increasing m the bush near Masterton. Some time ago we (Daily) recorded the capture of one of these strangers, and we are now informed that the other day another was shot by a resident at Manaia. How they got about is a matter that appears to be involved m mystery, nobody seeming to admit the honor of having introduced them. As they are harmless, and their fur is valuable, we would suggest, settlers that they would only be serving their own interest by not shooting them for a year or two. The Post says something will have to Be done, and that soon, to relieve the .Judges of the Supreme Court m Wellington from tiie enormous pressure of business which is devolving upon them. According to the Wairavapa Star, tho Salvation Army m Masterton created some diversion on Saturday night by the Captain and Lieutenant heading the musical torchlight procession with a wheelbarrow, m which they had a man hound hand and foot, who was stated to represent the dcvii. Bishop Redwood was accompanied on board the liuapuhu by nearly all the Catholic clergy of the diocese, aud amongst others who came down to say good-bye to friends were His Excellency the Governor, Mr Pennefather, private secretary, Sir Julius and Lady Yogel, Hon. P. A. Buckley,' Mr C. J. Johnston, M.H.U., Mrs Johnston, &c. From the Post we learn that the Wellington and Manawatu Kail way Company have accepted tender of Mr Joseph Saunders for laying the permanent way from Johnsonville to Parramatta (about 10 inilesj for £4129. The time allowed for completion iB aixteen weeks. kJThe Asiiburton correspondent of the ytteltori Times writes : — " The local police have been busy collecting the names of the men between the ages of 17 aud 30 eligible for service m the militia of the first-class. Many bouncing young wives of farmers havo suddenly developed a willingness to tell their age m consequence, and to confess for the first time to being on the shady side of 30, aud of course John is older than his wife." Wo regret to have to record the death of Mr Richard Riddiford, third son of tho late Mr Daniel Riddiford, of Woburn, who died on Tuesday at his brother's residence, Fern Grove, Lower Hutt, the immediate cause being typhoid fever, which had been contracted on his station at Te Awaiti, on the East Coast. The deceased, who was a young uiau full of /animation aud vigor until quite recently appeared to have a long life before him, being only 33 years of age. He leaves a young vrife and two children behiud. The deceased was a son-in-law to Mr Wardell, R.M., and brother-in-law to Mr G, S. Cooper, Uuder-Secretary. The Napier News give 3 the following ,as an effect of the war scare : — Tho pro 'footers of the proposed Woollon Factory met this afternoon, but m view of the intelligence from the Afghan frontier, it wag deemed advisable to adjourn the meeting uutil the situatiou was more .fully developed. The members looked upon the news of the outbreak with feelings of tho gravest possible concern, and the futility of attempting to float a company while the political atmosphere was so much disturbed, was endorsed almost unanimously. The report from the subcommittee was, however, read and adopted, and some dozen of the promoters signed the guarantee to defray the preliminary expenses m connection with the floating of the company. It is probable that Parliament will meet m June and if the Ministry meet a reverse on their local government policy, an appeal will be made to the country. ' Some of our contempories are circulating the following : — " A rnmour is current that if the Wellingtoa-Manawa-tu railway line i^ taken over by the Government, an effort will bo made to '•have the junction at Foxton, the line from Lougburu into Fitzherbert being made simply a braueu line." We need scarcely say tho above is entirely uuauthentic, and is simply a canard. Lord Aylesford'B was one of the most highly-insured lives, and a good many British Life Assurance Societies mourn his loss. Three years ago his life was insured, with some difficulty, m various English and Scotch offices to the tune of £80,000. The medical officers of the societies met at the time m solemn couclave, and the only dissentients were the medical representatives of a wellknown American office, which consequently refused the risk. : Great excitement prevails m Melbourne, as regards the impending war with Russia. The Minister of Defence refuses to give any information as to what grounds there are to expect a speedy attack. The Austrian officers of War ship Saida assert that the Russian ships at tho Cape are old-fash iond .vessels used to convey stores via China to Siberia. The following inscription is m Belturbett churchyard, Iroiand : — " Here lies John Higley, whose father and mother were drowned on their passage from America. Had they both lived, they would havo been buried here." Some Southern farmers contemplate holding their wheat until the AngloRussinn crisis is definitely settled. In the event of war with Russia, wheat would quickly take au upward turu m price. The Wanganui Herald regn-ts that sevi-ral of the promoters of the Progress and Industrial Association are thinking of allowing it to collapse.

Wo have received from the Secretary j so the Postal department a utatly got up pamphlet issued from the Government Printing Office, showing the time of the arrival and departure of contract mail steamers, and also giving the rates of postage, &c. We (Herald) are informed that Captniu Somuerville on hearing of the disturbance between the Russians and Afghaus, at once wrote to Major Stapp offering the services of the Alexaudra Cavalry hi any way that the Government might choose to make use of them. Mr James G. Wilson, M.H.R. will address the electors of the Foxtou district at the Karori Hall on Saturday evening. Busiueßs m Napier must be pretty flourishing at present to judge from the fact that an advertisement of a three roomed cottage, appearing, m the Daily Telegraphy elicited no fewer than 17 applications within a few hours after its publication. During this season (says the Napier Telegraph) somewhere about 170,000 Bhe<.-p have been ezported from this provincial district, exclusive of the number killed for freezing purposes, and boiled down. These figures show that Mr M. R. Miller was not very far out m his estimate of the resources of the Hawke's Bay nooks. Of the 170,000 exported, 70,000 went to Wellington, aud the rest found markets m Auckland, Wauganui, aud Waikato. The Mar ton paper regrets to hear that the'avorage yield of the wheat crops m the Sandon Caruaron district, will barei ly exceed fifteen bushels to the acre ; | the oat crops have been very fair this year, some of them running up to forty bushels. The room m the old Immigration Barracks, Feilding, m which a Sunday School is held, was broken into last week, no doubt with the hope of finding the money-box m which the children's subscriptions are placed. But a similar attempt had been made twice before, the treasurer of th» fund had taken the box away, and the intending thieves were disappointed of their booty. Regarding the proposal to revoke all commissions m the Militia made uuder that of Major, a southern paper says that it is m contemplation to fill up the vacances so resulting from old volunteer officers, at the same time opportunities will be given to men of all rauks to qualify themselves for the higher grades, aud presout themselves for examination for certificates which will qualify them to hold commissions m the Militia. In our remarks .yesterday regarding the Hunterville township extension, to be offered for stile by Messrs Buckett Hammond and Dick on the 26th insttnt, we omittnd to mention that a railwaystation on the Central line will be erected |n the middle of the township. We need hardly say that this fact should prove a great inducement to purchasers. Tho distinguished medical clairvoyant Signer Otto Hug was m Feildiug on Wednesday. He was visited by two of" his old patients who called to assure him of their complete recovery under his treatment. Several new' patieuts were examined, and have expressed themselves highly satisfied with his diagnosis of their several cases. — Star Dr Schwarzbach may be consulted at the Rutland hotel, Wanganui, up to the 25th iustaut.