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Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9386, 4 March 1909, Page 4

An earthquake was felt in Wanganui at 1.6 this morning. The friends of Mr O. Green of Rata will be glad to hear that [he is recovering from the effects of the recent accident and returned to his home yesterday. Mr O. F. Rookel has been appointed to. Marton High School, temporarily, in place of Mr Wilkes, and will take up his duties on Monday.

Last evening Mr W. Orozier, who is leaving Marton on an extended holiday, was entertained by a large number of friends at the Druids’ Hall. The proceedings passed off very pleasantly, and during the evening Mr Orozier was made the recipient of a travelling bag as a mark of esteem and goodwill At the meeting of the North Canterbury Education Board the Buildings Committee reported that the Heathcote Valley Committee had been informed that the Board concurred with them in the opinion .that the grant for school books would have been better spent on copy books, etc., but that the conditions under which the grant had been promised would jhot admit of that being done.

A meeting of the John Stevens’ Social and Presentation Ootnmittee was held last evening, when final arrangements were made in connection with Sir Joseph Ward’s visit on the 16th inst. A committee was set np to arrange for entertaining of the Premier while in Marton, and there is no doubt that a large gathering will be present at the Town Hall in the evening. An advertisement will appear in a future issue.

At a special meeting of Marton Borough Council held last evening, the Mayor.' Ors. Sutcliffe. Lyon, Hilton and Gould were present. Leave of absence was granted to Gr. Gibbons. The business considered was tenders for scrub-cutting at the water works reserve. On the motion of Or. Gould, seconded by Or. Hilton, it was resolved that owing to the great variation in prices between the tenders received none be accepted, but that the work be done by day labour under the supervision of the Council’s overseer.

A deputation consisting of Messrs Gomez, Coker, Duck, and Goile, waited on Marton Borough Council last evening to ask that the footpath between Morris and Gubbaballa streets have immediate attention, and that a footpath be formed between Russell street and Tutaenui bridge; also that the roadway in Ross street be extended to Hunia street extension. The' Council decided that the matters referred to would be kept in view when nest years’ estimates are drawn up.

It is stated that the inquiry into the allegations made regarding the manner in which work is done°atthe Addington Railway Workshops will open on the 10th inst. The exports from Wellington for February show a satisfactory increase in value compared with February of last year. The total value of shipments last month was £688,817,, as against £544,409 for the corresponding month of last yeaiv The following are the latest alterations to Marton Exchange list: —Additions, 98, Lawrence. G. W., cycle agent, Broadway. Altered to read 16, Morris, G., butcher, High Street. Please delete 16, Marsh, H.

A Westport telegram states that the Millerton mine is now completely sealed up and water from a four-inch pipe running in. No smoke is now issuing and it is thought the fire is now under control and with an extra supply of water could soon he put out and work resumed inside a month. It is off dally reported that the task of draining the Piako Swamp is proceeding apace, and there is every prospect of it being a big success. ■ The Government has power to issue debentures to the amount of £BO,OOO, but it is now considered probable the cost will not exceed £60,000. The Taumarunui Town Council is said to have become so weary of the inactivity of Government Depatrments in respect to many local matters, that it has decided to give up the struggle. It is reported' that at a public meeting of ratepayers the Council will tender its resignation in a body. Last Tuesday morning-a Mangaweka resident made several attempts to burn down his private dwelling, and subsequently went to the police station and asked to be taken in charge. On visiting the house, Constable Potter found that the man had made three attempts to fire the place and each time he had extinguished the fire. The unfortunate man who has a family of seven children, the eldest being about 18 years, and whose wife is in a mental hospital, has been sent to Wanganui to be medically examined'. Two constables on a recent Saturday night visited the Hotel at Sefton while a social gathering was in progress, and after the hour of closing (10 o’clock) took the names of nearly a score of the guests who were saying farewell to the licensee. These have been summoned to appear at the next Amberley Court to answer the charge of having been illegally on licensed premises when the hotel should have been closed. About 11 o’clock yesterday morning a gentleman passing along Cameron |Street, New Plymouth, found a woman lying on the pavement in a dying condition. He at once communicated with the police, and a doctor, who ordered her removal to the hospital, but she died on the, way. Deceased is at present unknown. She appears to be about 60 years old, medium height and build, sharp features, and fresh complexion, and has dark hair tinged with grey. An inquest will be held. Mr John Cook, who has a number of patrols in connection with the Boy Scouts, stated that he expected Mr Frank Baden-Bowell in Christchurch very shortly, and he would he armed with full authority from General Baden-Powell to organise the movement At present Mr Cook, in conjunction with Mr Fmpson, of Wanganui, has been instructed to draw up and submit a scheme for organising the Boy Scouts of the Dominion. They have resolved to nominate Colonel Cossgrove to the charge of the South Island.

At the meeting of Auckland Board of Education a report was presented by the Chief Inspector (Mr Petrie) on the results of the examination for certificates of proficiency. He dwelt on the fact that the large number of failures in the examinations was due for "the most part to weakness in arithmetic and spelling. The chairman (Mr O. J. Parr) quoted a number of statistics showing the large number of failures in arithmetic in the various schools. He thought the position was a serious one and one that demanded their earnest investigation. Mr Purdue said the failures this year were 600 or 700 than last year. It was a very serious position and they should try to ascertain the resaon. It was decided to refer the matter to the Board’s Inspector for an opinion. At New Plymouth yesterday, before Mr Fitzherbert, S.M., a farmer named John Wilkinson was charged by the Stock Department with having neglected to give notice to the Inspector of Stock that one of his cows was suffering from a malignant growth on one of its eyes, the defendant having suspected the cow to be so suffering. After hearing the evidence of the prosecution the information was amended by the inclusion of the word “cancer,” The evidence disclosed that milk from the cow was not sent to the factory, but nsed to feed calves. The defendant denied that he knew the cow was diseased, considering that the eye had been injured, perhaps in the bush. Mr Fitzherbert. in giving judgment, said there was no doubt that the cow was suffering from cancer. Only one day was mentioned in the information and the defendant would be convicted and fined £5, with costs £5 5s 6d. The minimum penalty is £5 x for everyday of the offence.

On Tuesday evening while milking operations were in full swing at Mr S. R. Lancaster’s at Pitzherbert a stack of clover containing about 40 tons accidentally caught on fire. Thomas Quale, a young man employed by Mr Lancaster, Immediately procured"a horse and cart and ' proceeded to the river to get water for the purpose of trying to quench the flames. As he was passing through a gateway the horse shied and ran into the post and then immediately bolted. The was thrown out of the trap a;;-d getting tangled in the reins was dragged along for a couple of chains or more. When picked up Quale was unconscious and terribly ont about. A doctor was sent for, who on arrival and after examination of the injured man ordered his removal to the hospital. The loss of the hay will be great to Mr Lancaster as a stack of that size would no doubt have lasted him through the winter months. The cause of the fire is unknown unless spontaneous combustion be accepted as the explanation. When the fire occurred Mr Lancaster was in town at the Earn Fair. On inquiry yesterday the Standard learnt that the injured man had recovered consciousness and was progressing as well as could be expected under the circumstances.

H. E.-Kerr, who was selected to represent Wellington in the walking events at the amateur athletic championship meeting in Dunedin on the 20th Inst., will he unable to make the trip, owing to illness. 5 The Broken River correspondent of the Evening News states that the following telegram has been sent to the Ministers of Public Works and Labour :—“The position here is unsatisfactory, and the contract price does not permit a living wage; jnable to get definite information or satisfaction from the local authorities ; will you intercede? The matter is serious and merits immediate attention; about 100 men have knocked off.” The Huntly Miners’ Union have passed a strongly worded resolution expressing disapproval of the action of the Empolyers Federation in the collection of money for presentation to the four officials who remained at their posts during the recent trouble, while the Arbitration Act makes it penal for unionists to assist their fellows in time of trouble. They urge that employers should not be perrmitted to bribe men to oppose unionist piuciples. Before the Supreme Court sitting in Invercargill, Maud Buchanan was charged with attempting to murder D. W. Mackay, aud with assault and unlawfully wounding Vera Mackay. Mr Solomon, for the defence, said accused fired six chambers from a revolver as the Maokays were leaving home in a motor car. Strained relations existed on account of anonymous letters. The defence was that accused was in a distressed state of mind on account of the letters, and only fired to create a scene, in order to put a stop to the annoyance. The jury found a verdict of not guilty. At the annual meeting of the British New Zealand Meat Company at Christchurch yesterday a dividend (the first) at the rate of 6 per cent, was passed. The year’s operations showed a balance to the credit of the profit and loss account of £2OIB 10s. Mr M. O. Orbell (chairman) spoke hopefully of the Company’s pros, peots He said that from what he had heard and read lately a pessimistic feeling with regard to future prices had taken possession of some Canterbury people. The old bogey had been again brought forward and fears had been expressed that Australia and the Argentine were going to play havoc with the New Zeaand meat trade. He did not believe it and never had believed it, and ho still believed that a remunerative market would always bo found for whatever quantity might come forward. It was only a question of time, and not a very long one,“before the Continent, with its huge population, would he a consumer. The agrarian interests were in power at present, hue the masses were becoming day by day more alive to their strength and were not going to pay lOd and 13d per lb for meat when their neighbours could obtain it for half that price.