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Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9377, 22 February 1909, Page 4

We have to acknowledge the receipt of one guinea for the Massey testimonial from Mr J. Mitchell, of Marton.

The potato blight is spreading fast in the Feildiug district, and ; is said to be very bad in the northern part of the Kiwitea.

The Penguin relief fund is now over £llOO. A benefit matinee of the “Red Mill” on Saturday by the Williamson Ooera Company realised nearly £3OO.

Bishop Neligau, of Auckland, returned by the Tonganro on Saturday, bringing with him five clergy foxwork in the Auckland dioceses and three school mistresses for the Diocesan Girls’ High School, Auckland. Two clergy for work in tho Wellington diocese, selected by Bishop Wallis during his visit Home, arrived by the Athenic,

The plans for the London’s ford bridge, which for one cause and another, though in hand for some years, had not been drawn to the satisfaction of one of the local bodies concerned, are now practically approved by both, and when they have been passed by the Government Engineer tenders will be called for the bridge.

The Feilding Mounted Rifles have gone into camp on the Feilding Racecourse for their annual training. Lieut. Dick is in command. They had a large number of visitors yesterday, and the Feilding Brass Band played on the ground. This morning there will be a meeting to nominate a captain.

At a meeting of Martou Farmers’ Union on Saturday the Secretary (Mr S. Thomas) tendered his resignation on account of pressure of private business. He felt that he could not do justice to the Branch. The Chairman asked Mr Thomas to allow the matter to stand over till the annual meeting and he agreed to do so.

Mr H. W. Olimie, the Hawera engineer who has been requested to report on the Marton waterworks, arrived by mail train to-day, a'ud it is intended that members of the Council should visit the reservoir with him this atfernoou. , This evening the water question will be dis'cnssed.

A party of Invercargill motorists, states the Daily Times, who happened to get stuck up on the road between Bransholmand Wallacetown through the supply of petrol giving out, got out of their awkward, situation in a neculiar manner. One of them had thoughtfully procured a bottle of whisky earlier in the journey, and the genius of the party suggested emptying this liquid treasure into the petrol tank for use as fuel. This desperate ' course was reluctantly adopted, and the party motored cheerfully on, the whisky carrying them almost into town.

Taranaki sheepbreeders have every reason to feel dissatisfied with this year’s prices for stad rams, reports the News. Two-tooth rams that three or four years ago would readily average up to six guineas are hard to quit at anything over one guinea this year. Several well known breeders in Southern Taranaki, who have on hand more rams than there is demand for, have expressed their intention of boiling the animals down for tallow. It is expected that by this method the animals will average about 16s. A man nmed John William Campbell was convicted in Wellington Magistrate’s Court on Saturday of a despicably moan offence. He was charged with having procured Penguin matinee tickets from J. O. Williamson’s Company on false pretences. The value of the tickets was £2 2s. Accused communicated with one of Williamson's clerks in the name of Mr Smith, Taranaki, and asked if he might get tickets to sell for the relief of the sufferers by the wreck. In the evening ho was found in a drunken state. He was sentenced to three mouths’ imprisonmeuut, and on a second charge of having procured IDs (id worth of cakes'by false pretences was sentenced to two mouths, the sentences to be cumulative.

Fonr rinks from Palmerston are coming to play at Marton on Wednesday next. At the inquest at Wanganui on the body of T. L. Cooper, who was drowned while bathing in the river on Thursday, a verdict of accidentally drowned was returned.

The entries for the New* Zealand Marathon race on March sth are incomplete as some of the Southern Clubs posted their entries on Saturday. So far the entries total 36. In connection with the Westport murder case, which is down for hearing at Hokitika on March 11th, application will be made for a change of venue to Christchurch on the ground that the accused Connolly would not receive a fair trial at Hokitika.

Bishop Lenihan, Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland, returned last evening aftdr a twelve months trip abroad. He was met by a Reception Committee and escorted to the Bishop’s place, Ponsonby. At Invercargill Police Court, John Templeton, of Waimatuku, was committed for trial on a charge of stealing fifty sheep, belonging to a neighbouring farmer, which he sold at Gore, fifty miles away. Bail was allowed in a surety of £3OO.

A house on the old Ken wick read, near Blenheim, was totally destroyed by fire on Saturday afternoon. It was owned and occupied by Mr James Orr. The insurances were: £l5O on the house and £4O on the furniture, both in the State office.

The Mannka was much overdue on her last journey from Lyttelton to Wellington, but the delay was explained when it was found that she had the disabled Pukaki in tow. Both vessels anchored outside the Heads all night.

The Pohangina-Komako branch of the Farmers’ Union held a most successful picnic on Saturday in the Forest Reserve. Messrs Howie, president of the branch, D. H. Guthrie, M.P., Lethbridge, and Atkinson were the chief speakers.

The Atheuio, which arrived 'n Welington on Sunday, had on board 678 passengers, of whom 596 were in the third class, and of these 396 are assisted immigrants, whose capital ranges from £35 to £IOOO. The list includes 40 farmers and 49 domestic servants. The Athenic left Plymouth on January 9feh, and had a fine passage, excepting three or four days of fog.

The hearing of the libel action brought against Francis Augustus Jones, proprietor of the North Auckland Times, by'Mr John Stallworthy, M.P., proprietor of the Wairoa Bell, in which £IOO damages was claimed for an alleged false and malicious statement published in the defendant’s newspaper, ended on Saturday, plaintiff getting a verdict for £SO.

It is understood that in consequence of the improved conditions for carrying passengers and mails on the Main Trunk Railway, the Union and Northern Steamship Companies contemplate considerable alterations in running their steamers between Onehuuga and New Plymouth. On Sundays the Rarawa’s usual mail for the South amounted to 800 bags and hampers. Yesterday she took only ten bags and 28 hampers. / Mr W. L. Little, Marion, writes as follows I would like to suggest that in view of the serious deficiency in our water supply, that the Council take steps to have a nightwatchman employed to patrol the main thoroughfares. lam sure that a fire breaking out in a certain area would ha awful to contemplate. Cur Fire Brigade which has hitherto performed creditably with the very scant water supply at their disposal would be utterly helpless under the present circumstances—an empty dam.

, The-Minister of Railways informed a reporter on Saturday that the Government was bnildiug at the Railway Workshops sis of the biggest engines ever built in New Zealand, two being already completed. They weigh with tender (loaded) 90 tons, and are the heaviest it is possisble to run on our narrow gauge. One is now on the road doing splendid work. “If the railways are to he run economically,” said the Minister, “it can only be by inceasing the tractive power of engines, so that one locomotive may be able to do work'which up to the present has needed two. ” ’

: A very heavy southerly, with a rough sea, was blowing on Sunday at the scene of the Penguin wreck. Another body, identified as that of Noel White, a passenger from Blenheim, came ashore two miles on the city side of Oterangi Bay. The body recovered on Saturday has been identified as that of Edwin Herbert Hall, second cook on Penguin. His father resides at Hope, in the Nelson district, but the remains will be interred in Wellington. The body picked up on Friday, and stated to be that of George Ocoke,, is now stated by the police to be that of Forth Rotherham Cooke, aged 20, a sou of Mr Cooke, solicitor, of Wanganui, where tie remains are being sent for burial. Mr Millar is making inquiries as to how few trains will suffice on non-paying lines,"and he has already stopped four superfluous trains, and is inquiring with reference to others. With regard to’ rates the Minister said : “There is no need to take away any privileges already granted to the travelling public, and I am in hopes that by reducing -the number of non-paying lines and by economics effected by the acquisition of the Manawatu line and the completion of the Main Trunk, neither long distance fares nor concessions in freights granted to farmers, etc., will need to be interfered with. Alter twelve months’ experience under more favourable conditions 1 shall be better able to form an opinion of what our railways are capable of doing. ”

A deputation of unemployed waited on Sir Joseph Ward on Saturday. The whole question of immigration was traversed, and it was stated to the Premie' there were 500 unemployed in Auckland. Sir Joseph Ward promised that work would be found nu the reproductive works now going on for all who wished to take it, and advised the men to register at the Labour Bureau. He said that the High Commissioner only assisted agricultural immigrants, and dwelt on the importance of immigration to a young country. No doubt seme of the shipping companies were inducing people to take passages to New Zealand, and perhaps some of the charitable institutions at Home assisted others. Representations would be made to tho shipping companies on the matter. The Premier declined to start relief works.