LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 127, 4 May 1885, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There was no attendance at the football meeting, convened for last Saturday evening. ' The Sandon Hack Race meeting will be held on the 23rd iustead of the 28th instant. Messrs Stevens & Gorton's next stock sale at the Borough dale Yards, will take place on Tuesday the 12th inst. beginning at 1 o'clock. The catalogue is elsewhere advertised. I Thoa. Fitzgerald was this morning i charged before J. Waldegrave, Esq., 1 JJP. with larceny from the housn of j Lud.wig Williamson. Prisoner pleaded not guilty and was remanded to the sitting of the R.M. Court on Monday next. Arrangements have now been made m I all the principal towns of the Colony for enrolling the Militia, and, unless the political aspect of affairs at Homo beI comes more settled, the first muster will take place about three weeks hence. A man m Georgia tells of a ten-pound trout which stoppod a mill wheel. Either the wheel must have been smaller than the trout or the lie bigger than the mill. A young man fed man gazed at his mother-in-law's two trunks m the hall, and sadly remarked : She has brought her clothes to a visit ; would that she had brought her visit to a close. Writes a Wellington paper : — As the usual courtesy m the shapo of a complimentary ticket was not extended to this I journal by the Wellington Racing Club, our representative has been under the necessity of paying for his privileges during the Autumn Meeting. It is very seldom that a Press reporter visiting a race meeting m an official capacity ia called upon to pay to enter the saddling paddock. The resignation of Lieut. D. Buick, Petone Naval Artillery, m accepted. Feilding can claim to be the most sober Borpugh m the colony. Only one " drunk " has been punished since Christinas. A meeting of the Rangitikei-Mana-watu Branch of the Educational Institute was held m Feilding on Saturday m the school house. The Manchester ' Road Board met on Saturday. Messrs Stevens and Gorton's stock sale at Awahuri will take place- to-morrow. Mr A. F. Halcombe is now on a visit to Feilding. i " ; At'the poll re local option taken at Ashurst on Friday for an increase of accommodation licensas, there were 15 jttotes.^ against, 13 ; majority for, 2. For an increase of bottle licenses, 10 ; against, 14 ; majority against, .4. Amongst other applications for commands m the New Zealand militia we hear of one for the post of Major-Gene-ral. And why not ? It is not more absurd than spine of the applications that h&ve been sent m. The following is not a bad reply to a foolish question on a school examination paper : — ' If King Alfred were still alive, what part would he probably take m the politics of the present day ?' Competitor — ' If King Alfred were still alive, he would be much too old to take part m politics.' . Borough councillors are going a begging m the Patea municipality. For two vacancies the returning officer has three times successively called for nominations through the public journal, but without response. A third vacancy has been twice advertised, but there are no offers. This is not creditable. to Patea. If the position is nol now thought to confer "any honour upon the holder, it is none the lees a duty. The people of New Zealand aru great sticklers as for local self-government, and th« leading men m the various localities should prove themi selves willing to sacrifice sufficient time io give effect to the principle. — Chronicle. The number of bales of wool received by rail at Timaru up to the 25th instant was 19,466, and by road 3497, mat ng a total of 22,993 ; and of sacks of grain by rail 74.931, and by road, 28,691, uiakiug a total of 98,622. The Secretary of the Masterton-Man-gahao Special Settlement Association has received a communication from the General Crown Lands Office intimating that as the Association will purchase the whole of the township, the Mintstor of Lands has no objection to membfirs holding one acre each should they desire to do so. On Monday night, as two men m a boat were making their way towards the wharf at Picton, they discovered a boat floating n«ar the island, apparently under the control of nobody. Ou coming closu up they round a Maori lying dead drnnk m the bottom of the boat, quite unconscious where he was or whither he was drifting. The Wanganui Herald says of Mr Vollbracht : — •' Wangnnui grower* are getting tired of his continual promise* to come and see them and his as regular failures m dojng so," The ivirft north of Cnntlepoint was down on Saturday evening, and telegraphic communication with Auckland aim Napier was suspended m consequence. A crop of oats on a farm at Wendon, Otngo, haH yielded over 93 bushels to the acre over 63 acres.

The rlofence works at all the piincipal ports are now nearly completed. The guns have been placed m position m Auckland, Lyltelton, and Otago, and willalso be ready m Wellington m a few days. In fact, had it not been for BOine defective gear, the guns there would have been placed m position on Thursday last. The young men of Awahuri and the surrounding district are about forming a cavalry corps. The annual grain, root, produce, and poultry show, under the auspicen of the Sandon and Carnarvon Farmers' Club, will be held m the School-bouse, Sanson, on Friday 15th inst.