Local and General.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 167, 26 June 1884, Page 2

Local and General.

Our Representative.—lt will be seen, by a telegram from Wellington, forwarded by our special correspondent, that beside the £lOO obtained by Mr. Locke from the Government for the widow Downes, our representative has succeeded in obtaining a sittings of the R.M. Court at Ormond, a polling place at Patutahi, and to having the Motu block examined with a view to an equitable settlement. Mr. Locke has, in the short time he has been in Wellington, been of all the service to the district that has lain in his power, R. M. Court.— There were no cases for hearing to-day. Fire Brigade.—The members of the Fire Brigade had dry practice last night. J Battery.—The usual monthly inspection parade of the J Battery, will take place at the Drill-shed to-night, before Captain Porter.

Tologa Bay.—Cases in the Resident Magistrate’s Court and Licensing Court were heard to-day at Tologa Bay before Mr. Booth, who proceeded to that place yesterday morning. L. & M. Co.’s Building.—We may soon expect that space, between Mr. Ward’s office and the Albion Hotel completely filled up, as the contractors of the Loan & Mercantile Co.s new buildings are pushing their work forward and will soon have the brick framework erected.

Liberal Association. —A meeting of the working men was held at the Good Templars’ Hall last night for the purpose of forming a Liberal Association. There were about forty present. There was not much business transacted. A committee was formed to draw up rules and regulations. Another meeting will be held shortly. Auction Sales.—The Deputy Official Assignee in Bankruptcy notifies in our columns elsewhere the sale of Mr. T. E. R. Bloomfield’s stock, goods and effects. The stock will be sold at Tattersall’s at noon on Saturday next. The household furniture will be offered on the 4th of July. Other things in connection with the estate will also be put up to auction at different dates mentioned in the advertisements, when full particulars can be obtained.

Paper Making. —The Mataura Paper Mills Company are now turning out from ten to twelve tons of paper per week. Hitherto only wrapping paper has been manufactured, but the company contemplate making paper bags, and for this purpose a machine capable of turning out 2,000 an hour has been ordered from Home. The Company are at present employing sixteen hands, and on the arrival of the new machinery the staff is to be considerably increased. Football.—lt has been decided not to send a football team down to Napier to-mor-row, to contest a match against a team of that place, on the 28th, Coronation Day. This is owing to the members not rolling up and indulging in that practice necessary to compete with their opponents. We are extremely sorry to observe this apparent display of inertness, and can only account for it by the late election, which has kept the most prominent officers of the Club very busily engaged, and has consequently detracted their attention from the club’s proceedings. Gate Money.—The cablegrams which supply the intelligence of the matches played between the Australian cricketers and the Home teams, must have cost the New Zealand Press many hundreds of pounds, and the expense is not yet concluded. Is the news furnished daily from London worth the money paid for it ? We think, certainly not. The Australians do not go Home either as gentleman, or gentleman players. They go for “ gate money.” There are but a sorry lot, with perhaps three exceptions and are certainly not worth the money the Press spends upon them. Fire Inquests.—At the inquest held on the fire which occurred on Mr. East’s premises, the usual verdict was returned of “no evidence given as to the origin or cause of the fire.” The opinion of the jurymen summoned and of the public generally, is that the fire was due to the act of some incendiary. The members of the jury were quite right in demanding that when fire insurance companies call for an enquiry, they should pay for the same. The public should not be supposed to work for the benefit of shareholders, who while receiving their dividends, decline to give any return for services rendered in their behalf.

Wheat, Oats, and Barley.—The total estimated yield of cereals for the Colony for the past season are: Wheat, 8,836,034 bushels; oats, 9,205,648 bushels; barley, 064,234 bushels. The total for 1883 were: Wheat, 10,270,591; oats, 10,520,428 ; barley, 707,163. These returns show a falling off in wheat of 434,567 bushels, and oats of 1,324,780 bushels. In barley there is an increase of 230,161 bushels. The average yields for this season wereOf wheat, rather less than 26 bushels to the acre; of oats, 34| bushels; and of barley, 29. During the year there was an increased area under grass of 874,665 acres.

Gisborne Institute.—There was a large attendance at the newly-formed Institute last evening, about 50 gentlemen and twenty ladies being present. These expressed themselves highly pleased at the interesting and most instructive paper which was read by the Ven. Archdeacon Williams, the subject dealt with being chiefly on Botany and Geology. Both are out-door, healthful and instructive pursuits, which do not demand very close study to acquire an elementary knowledge of ; not nearly so much as is generally supposed. On Wednesday next a paper will be read on “Light Literature.” On the followihg Wednesday, on which occasion the room will be open to the public, Mr. O’Ryan will give a lecture on “Astronomy.”

Lumps of Gold.—A big yield of gold is reported from the Thames, where, according to the Advertiser, three large specimen stones, which have been the cynosure of visitors to the Prince Imperial office for some months were crushed recently, and gave the magnificent return of sozs. of gold to the pound avoirdupois. The collective weight of the rocks was exactly 201 bs, and the total yield 101|ozs. retorted gold. They have been acknowledged to be the richest stone ever obtained from the mine, and their value is enhanced by the fact that they were broken about 420 feet below the sea level in the stopes on No. 2 reef. No stone of similar richness has L ever been obtained at a similar depth in any part of this or any other goldfield in the colony.

Another Healer of Souls.—A man named Wood is at present acquiring considerable notoriety in South Australia and Victoria by going about as a healer of souls and bodies. He appears to be a fanatic of a very ferocious description, and does not hesitate at using very strong language about the press and those who will not accept his ministrations as being genuine. A Rev. Mr. Shorthose always accompanies Wood on the platform, and assists him in denouncing those who deride him. This second edition (not improved) of Mr. Milner Stephen a few days ago held an all-hight meeting in Adelaide, and some severe comments were made on it by the Press owing to the large number of young people of both sexes who attended it and made it the excuse for not going home till morning. In the same city he tried to give an address on the Lord's coining, but was hissed and yelled down. He was heard to say that he had cured 3000 souls and bodies in South Australia, a statement which the Town and Country's correspondent says was received with incredulous laughter and jeers. He also affirmed that the Holy Ghost would shortly retire from the world, and those who had opposed him from quarters where he had at least expected opposition would meet an angry God and go to eternal damnation.

Dramatic Benefit.—There will no doubt be a very crowded hall this evening on the occasion of Mr. Frank Wihnott’s benefit. In the burlesque of Alladin, (a wonderful scamp) Mr. Montagne Smith, will appear as the Widow Twankey; Abanazar the Magician, by Mr. H. Saville; Mr. J. R. Scott will appear as also Mr. P. McFarlane. They are in addition to the full strength of the Willinott Company. The curtain rises to the dramatised version of Miss Braddon’s Aurora Floyd. After the drop, Mr. M. D. Alexander does “ The Vagabond,” and Mr. J. R. Scott will sing the highly comic ditty of “Bound to be right in the Morning.” The whole to conclude—in the language of the play-bills with the “ Sparkling Burlesque of Alladin.” If this is not a full bill of fare, sufficient for one night, we do not know what would be considered one. Reserved seat tickets may be obtained at Mrs. A. M. Browne’s Fancy Repository, next Herald office.