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Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9072, 12 February 1908, Page 4

The number of stock which passed through " Addington sahyards in 1907 was 673,321 sheep, 25,116 pigs, and 27,078 cattle, being an increase on 1906 of £.67,000. There was a decrease of 2000 pigsjand 1700 cattle. One female witness in the Wellington Magistrate’s Court was by no means flattered by a question put to her by counrel. “You are this man’s mother, are you not?” queried counsel. “His mother! I’m his wife!” was the astonished reply. Counsel blushed. A Press Association message states that Mr R. B. Smith, who has been manager of the Bank of Australasia at Dunedin for the past three and a half years, has received the appointment of manager in Wellington, in succession to Mr Webster, recently appointed inspector. Mr T. T. Miller, of Palmerston, will succeed Mr Smith at Dunedin. A remarkable statement is made by Thos. E., Thompson, keeper of the refreshment rooms at Kaitoke. He took over the rooms in Mav, 1905, there being then in stock dozen cups. Up to December, last he jipurchased 668 dozen cups. He estimates his total loss of cups in two and three-quarter years to have cost him £l6O 3s 7d. In addition to that there has been a large loss in plates and spoons. Messrs Ross & McGregor, land agents, Masterton, advertise a property in the Waikato, which should appeal to land buyers as being a genuine spec. This firm has a wide knowledge of the Waikato and state that better values are to be obtained there than in any other part of the Dominion. We also publish their quarterly sale returns which should show the general public do not. consider that values to-day are too high, and that in their district there is still an unsatisfied demand for good farm lands. Those buying or selling could not do better than communicate with them. At Dunedin Police Court yesterday William Booth, a young man, was charged with having on January 31st stolen £6 and an umbrella valued at 5s from Henry Hill, and also with having assaulted Hill. The evidence of the complainant, who is a veterinary'surgeon, was to the 'effect that he and the accused had four drinks together, and that, while going along the street afterwards the accused asked for money, witness refusing. Complainant alleged that theraccused then assaulted and robbed him. Accused reserved his defence, and was committed for trial-

The Conciliation Board has decided to subpoena the employers in the dairying industry to attend the next sitting at Palmerston. Westport reports that the cruiser Prometheus sails to-day for Melbourne after ten days stay at that port. The barque Min nock is ready to sail for Valparaiso with a cargo of coal.

An epidemic of chicken pox is prevalent in Auckland, a large number of cases being-recorded. Income cases the attack'is pretty and adults have, suffered from the complaint, which usually claims children as its victims.

Stratford reports that notwithstanding the fact,that no rain |has fallen there since the new year the district is standing the dry weather remarkably well and the back country also has plenty of feed. Fires in the locality have been very few and no damage of a serious nature is reported. Mr A. Mason, who has been in charge as Clerk of Marton Court foxsome time, leaves to-day for his new sphere of work at Stratford. Mr Mason has been an obliging and courteous offiical and carries with him the best from residents of Marton and members of the Bar. Mr A. Morgan, of Palmerston, has been appointed to fill the vacancy. An attractive programme is pixbIsihed to-day by Rangiwahia Sports Club. With the exception ?of the horse events it will be seen that the races are for local competitors, which means a resident within 18 miles of the Rangiwahia Post Office. The prize money has been divided xxp on a liberal scale and should bring in excellent entries. The sports are to be held on 17th March. The deterring effect of the prohibition order is not always as evident as the authorities could desire, but occasionally testimony is brought to the Magistrate and police authorities that bears witness.to its efficacy. At Auckland the other day a woman whose husband was put under the ban nearly twelve months ago wrote to Mr Kettle saying that the order had made a different man of her husband, who when able to get liquor was too weak to resist the temptation. She asked for a renewal of the order at the expiry of the year. The “British Medical Journal” has been analysing a number of patent medicines, estimating the cost of the materials, and comparing it with the prices ch *rged for the compounds. The results will be startling. even to persons who know something of figures of the wholesale drug trade The most startling discrepancy- is found in the case of a mixture which is sold for 11s a bottle, and can be prepared, we are told, for Is 3d a bottle ; but the average discrepancy is surprising enough. Sixteen medicaments are dealt with in all. The total cost of them all to the vendor is 3s 2d. To the purchaser in the chemist’s shop they cost £4 3s 4d, a profit of something like 2,000 per cent. What -must surely be the very highest price ever paid for bread in New Zealand, if not in'the world, is recorded by the “Mataura Ensign” in a biographical notice of Mr D. M’Leish, a well-known resident of Gore, who died r "last week. “Mr M’Leish,” says the Ensign, came over to Dunedin in 1861 at the first of the gold rush, and went up to the Dunstan, where he started business at his trade. We growl at the price of flour nowadays, and the 41b loaf is considered at famine price when it exceeds 6d. Mr M’Leish had to pay £l2O a ton for his flour on the diggings in those early times— £2O in Dunedin and £IOO cartage to his bake-house. In return he charged 10s per loaf.”

An immense meteor fell at Bellefontanie, San Francisco, on December 22ud, demolishing a house and causing the death of Mr C. E. Beckett, who belonged to London. A great ball of fire was seen flashing across the sky soon after midnight. It struck the earth with a terrific explosion near a boardinghouse occupied by Mr W. Westhaven. The meteor sank deeply, and a blaze from the opening in the ground set the house on fire. A horse which was being driven along the road by Mr Beckett bolted, and Mr Beckett, who was hurled from the buggy, sustained such injuries that he died shortly afterwards. The meteor has been dug out of the ground, and will be preserved as a curiosity. It is twelve feet in diameter. The hole which it made in the ground is twenty-five feet deep.

A curious thing happened this fall in relation to butter. Canada has always been a large exporter of dairy products, but of late the domestic demand has been so large that importation has actually taken place. It was announced that a Toronto firm had given an order through an English house for 500 cases of Australian butter. This is most surprising, and its significance applies as much to local conditions as to trade possibilities. When facilities for ready exchange are provided it is astonishing in what directions trade develops. We are accustomed in discussing commercial problems to limit possibilities to either country; but cases like this importation of butter, small though the amount involved may be, plainly show that we should not bo, dogmatic about such things.

Messrs Ross & McGregor, land and estate agents, Mastertou, -report having sold for the quarter ending January the 31st, the following properties: district, £8 5s per acre; 278 acres, Greytown , £2B per acre ; 236 acres, Inglewood, £l4 10s per acre. ; 5100 acres, Otakie Hills, £4 17s 6d per acre; 50 acres, Woodville, £2B per acre; 30 acres, Mastertou, £SO per acre ; 87 acres, Mercer, £4; per acre ; 500 acres, Mastertou, £lO per acre; 600 acres, Mastertou £7 per acre ; 87 acres, Mastertou, £l3 per acre; 20 acres, Mastertou, £25 per acre; 532 acres, Mastertou, £lO per acre 373 acres, Master ton, £2B per acre 131 acres, Mauriceville, £l6 10s per acre 587 acres, Mastertou, £lO per acre 181 acres, Pahiatua, £35 per acre 418 acres, Waitoa, £l4 per acre; 400 acres, Waikato, £l2 10s per acre; 153 acres, Oartertou, 2£4 per• acre;

10 acres orchard, Mastertou, £2000; 33 acres, Master ton, £OS per acre; one first mortgage, £2500; one'house, Mastertou, £760 one house, Mastertou, £1000; one house, Mastertou, £1000; oue house, Eelbourne, £1000; oue house, Kelbourue, £1100; one house, Mastertou, £430; one house Mastertou, £750; oue house, Mastertou. £500; one house, Masteton, £550; one house, Mastertou, £250; one house, Mastertou, £550; two houses, Hutt, £1200; pne house, Kelbourue, £900; eight houses. Lower Hutt, £5000; four shops, Foxtou, £4OOO.

Feilding Horticultural Society hai decided to abandon the intention t< hold an autumn show [in view of th< improbability of being able to obtaxl sufficient entries on account of th< very dry weather.

The Chairman of the Wanganui Education Board states that the total cost of Feilding technical school with furnishings will be about £4OOO. It will be by far the best in the Wanganui educational district. Mr Andrew Collins, interviewed by a pressman, stated that he has been too busy to devote much time to the farm labourer’s organisation, but his arranagements are well in hand.

The adjourned conference re the dispute initiated by the Palmerston North Painters and Decorators Industrial Workers was resumed yesterday before the Conciliation Board, and, oontrary*to expectations, the case was settled amicably. Admirers of E. E. Fisher, who won the|22o Yards Championship at the Athletic Championship Meeting in Wellington on February Ist, are subscribing funds to defray his ex-: penses to the Australasian Championship Meeting at Hobart. At Palmerston District Court yesterday the discharge of W. Axup was suspended for a year with leave to apply again. The publicSexamina--tion of H. O. Cullen of Feilding was declared closed, the. facts stated: being the same as at the meeting of creditors. A good deal of pilfering took place at the great fire at Christchurch on; Thursday night, and the charged at the Police Court to-day Peter and Edward Power with having stolen £5 worth pf drapery the property of the Wellington Woollen Company, and drapery to the value of over £2O, the property of Gotfc Bros. Accused were remanded-on bail.

Owing to the shortage of water, mining operations inland in Auckland province, are being sadly interfered with. In some cases batteries have had to cease operations, and a large number [of miners have had to be'discbarged. During an altercation on board the barque Hermea, lying at the Bluff, a sailor named Jacob Soareman stabbed the steward Andreas Armesten in the breast, inflicting a"wound two and a half inches long, but not touching a vital part. Accused was remanded to the 17th inst. At a meeting of the Roxburgh Railway League, it wis decided to draw the attention of tie Mmister'.of Public Works’to the slpv progress of the construction of the railway, and to urge that more men be put on at the earliest possible moment to ensure reasonable progress. A sum of £20,000 was voted for the work last session.

In connection with the rivers question Cr. Fitzherbert of Feilding, who was deputed to see the Minister of Lands is calling a meeting of the delegates to receive his report on his interviews with the Minister. Or. Fitzherbert will recommend that the Government be asked to appoint a Royal Commission to inquire into the river question and take evidence and he understands that if such a request is made it will be granted. Cutting a crop of oats that was sown eighteen months ago is a bit of a record. Yet this is the experiecne of Mr Win. Munro, of Toiro, states a Balciutha paper. He sowed a twenty-acre paddock with oats and grass seed in August, 1906. It lay in the ground dormant owing to the drought all the following summer till late in the autumn, when it came away. It has now turned out a fine crop, rye-grass seed and oats being all ripe together. The“late Mr W. Osborne, sen., who passed away at . his late residence (Kairanga) on Sunday last, came to the colony over fifty years ago, and resided at Kairanga for the last 36 yeasr, excepting for a short period, during which he visited England. He leaves a family of eleven children. These are Mr H. Osborne (Apiti), Mr G. Osborne (Shannon), Mr W. Osborne (Kairanga), Mrs Ross (Hastings), Mrs Harris (Fitzherbert West), Mrs Roberts (Hamilton), Mrs Morris (Newberry), Mrs S. Svendsen (Feilding), Mrs Meyer (Matron), and Mrs Gray (Kairauga), also eighty grandchildren, and thirty-one great grand children.