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Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9411, 3 April 1909, Page 4

During the voyage of the Marama the polar bear and valuable giraffe in Wirth’s menagerie died. A large number of business and professional men of Feilding are taking steps to form a Defence Rifle Club.

The appeal, Dixon v. Abraham & Williams was proceeded with at Wanganui yesterday. Mr Oollins appeared for appellant and Mr Oook for respondent. Mr Johnston, of Fahiatua District High School, who has been appointed to take charge of the secondary classes at Marton, will begin work on May 3rd.

March was the busiest month on record at Belfast Freezing Works, 116.000 sheep and lambs be ing slaughtered. The heaviest day was on the 34th, when 5860 were killed. Edgar Hnpe, who was charged at Palmerston yesterday with setting fire to the, Royal Hotel, pleaded gnilty, and was committed to the Wellington sittings of Supreme Oonrt for sentence. ** Ranaitiksi County Council has received intimation from the Department that the improvement of the access to Bonny Glen, railway station will be proceeded with at once.

Mr J. J. McDonald, District Coroner, has received information that a Maori named Ngu was killed by a fall from his horse at Rata yesterday. An inquest will be held to-day. In the Oalton Hill case against the Crown for damages to a brick kiln owing to the construction of the Mosgiel Railway duplication works, the Court awarded to claimants £l5O without costs.

The Porewa bridge, near Silverhope Creamery, having collapsed, Raugitikei County Council advises travellers to use the Aid worth Road to and from Hunterville, till repairs have been effected.

Whangarei reports that an Austrian gumdigger, middle-aged, single, named Marin Marijan, was found dead yesterday at Kaitara, with his throat cut and a razor alongside the body. He had apparently been dead several days. Despondency is the alleged cause. During the fracas in Cuba street, Wellington, last Saturday night it was alleged that a constable who was near the scene when kicks, thumps and bottles were used on the arresting constables, refrained from rendering assistance.' He was off duty at the time, and was afterwards called upon to give an explanation by his superior officers. It is stated that his resignation has now been handed in. Lieut. Shackleton has written to the Lyttelton Harbour Board, declining the invitation to a banquet owing to pressure of work and the scattering of the members of tbe expedition, tut acknowledging the compliment, however, and thanking the Board for the many kindnesses shown to himself and the other members of the expedition, and for placing the harbour resources at his disposal. Speaking at Upper Hutt last night Sir Joseph Ward referred at some length to the offer to the Imperial Government of a Dreadnought or two if neoesasry. He said that the occasion was an exceptional one and immediate action was necessary. The Cabinet bad fully taken into consideration the fact that the offer had to be ratified by Parliament, and if Parliament refused its consent, then the Government had either to resign or appeal to the people. He, however, now believed that the Government’s action would be endorsed by a large majority. The Clerk of the Oroua County Council (Miss Shere) yesterday put in her resignation to take effect in June. In discussing the matter Councillors were of opinion that it would not he advisable to again appoint a lady as they would be liable at any time to lose her services through marriage, as in the case of Miss Shere.—The resignation was received with regret, and the Council expressed their appreciation of her valuable services during her term of office. Miss Share is shortly to be married to Mr Roy L. Harding, ■the County Engineer.

Wellington Trades and Labour Council generally provides some interesting discussions at its meetings. On Thursday evening an explanation was given why the half’ holiday petition recently presented to the Council failed to contain the requisite number of signatures. According to the written statement of the canvasser, who did not appear at the meeting, he had lost a portion of the petition containing one thousand names. He denied that he had been paid to Jose it. An extremely warm discussion followed the reading of the letter; and it was ultimately decided to withdraw the money paid to tbe canvasser, to suspend him from the Council, and report him to his Union.

There was wild excitement in one of Melbourne’s busy streets one night recently. Edgar Allan Poe wrote a story of an escaped monkey. The present history is first cousin to it. There is in the possession of a practical joker a remarkably fine gorilla skin, hideously life-like. A friend of his rushed into the street suddenly the other evening very late, and informed a motor-man and some cabbies that a huge monkey bad escaped, to look out for it. The man in the motor, with a cynical smile, observed that if he saw it a hot reception would be its lot, and that people ought to be looked up for keeping such pets. Next minute tbe animal dashed into the street, and pandemonium at once prevailed. The first to howl and run for it was tbe motor-man; then the cabmen ran for it, leaving vehicles to their fate, the horses being in terror at the ugly, dancing, chattering apparition. A policeman hid himself somewhere, aud the street was utterly deserted. Then, as a crowd hove in sight, the monkey-man’s friend, about half his size, took him gently by the paw, and led him indoors like, a lamb, Instantly he skipped off, and when several policemen and informers gained admittance of course nothing was to be seen. The disgusted men in blue thereupon accused those who had complained of seeing things. The joke has since been given away, but the actors in it don’t care about talking of it. Complete stocks of new goods for the Autumn and Winter season are now showing in all departments at the Bon Marche. Feilding, Messrs Spence & Spence’s display of winter goods will be found most attractive and the prices reasonable.*

A report of Apifci show reached as too late for publication in this edition.

Palmerston North timber merchants yesterday decided to reduce the price of timber from 15b to 12a 6d retail.

Customs duties for the port of Auckland for the year ended March 31st were £652,936, less by £115,312 than in the preceding year, but in 1908 £70.000 was collected in sugar duties alone. This sum disappears under the new tariff, making the actual shrinkage about £45,000. During the recent floods in Christchurch, an old lady was carried out of her house by one of the rescuers. She enquired his name, and on learn ing it, and also something about him, she informed him that his father had rescued her twenty-one years ago from the self-same house under similar conditions.

The tender of J. Wright, Taumaranui, has been accepted by the Public Works Department for erection of a post office at Ohakuue, the contract price being £770. The unsuccessful tenderers were :—Setter and Daley, £BBO 7s 4d; R. Roth, £905 7a 6d; Dette and Aldridge. £929 Is; Wallace and Harper, £974 9s. Undisposed of sections in Ohakune township are likely to receive the attention of the Wellington Crown Lands Commissioner shortly. The Land Board on Thursday empowered the Commissioner to deal with the undisposed sections as seemed to him desirable in the public interest, either by reservation, sale, temporary leasing, etc. The jury's verdict concerning the death at Fetone cf Samuel Wilson, found that death was due to a severe shock received by a fail with the roof of a building in course of erection at the Gear Company’s works. The jury expressed the opinion that the roof fell by reason of the braces at both ends being removed too soon and by the H faot that principals number one and two had not been placed in properly. A meeting of the Ladies’ Hiawatha Hockey Club was held on Thursday evening. The following officers were elected ;—President, Mr Newman, M.P. ; vice-presidents, Messrs P. P. White, O. B. Collins, A. Sutcliffe, Lloyd, Knigge, H. Sutcliffe, Bredin and McEldowney; captain, Miss Mogridge; vicecaptain, Miss Gordon; secretary, Miss Mclndoe. It was arranged to commence as soon as a suitable ground is procured.

A few days ago, says the Ofainemuri Gazette, fourteen men were wanted for a labouring job in this district at nine shillings a day, and the job would last about a month. After spending a day in.the hunt for men, only four could be obtained. Others there were, of course, who were out of work, but because the job was not right at their back doors or very handy to them, they declined to take it on. It was work that could be done by any able-bodied man who really desired to earn a few pounds, but apparently it was not suitable for some of tbe unemployed, and they therefore refused it.

At Thursday night’s meeting of tbe Wellington Trades and Labour Council, Mr W. T. Young moved: “That a further letter be sent to tbe Prime Minister asking whether the Governmment will or will not in all future contracts insert a clause, providing that a proper wage be paid to all employees, and a further clause providing against anything in the nature of an exertion wage.” The mover said they had already sent two letters to the Prime Minister, and received only evasive replies. The Prime Minister seemed more concerned to preserve Britain by presenting Dreadnoughts than to conserve the best interests of Labour , in this country. He thought the council, as representing Labour in Wellington, was entitled to a reply. The motion was carried.

At Taihape last evening a deputation representing tbe Local Bodies, Chamber of Commerce and settlers interested, waited on Mr Hogg, Minister of Roads and Bridges, respecting the metalling of the Main Trunk Road between Taihape and Turangarere. The deputation pointed out that the sum granted by tbe Public Works Department had been inadequate to put the road in a thorough state of repair after the road had ceased to be used as a service road in the construction of the railway line. Although the Rangitikei County Council had supplemented tbe amount granted by the Department, a portion of the road still remained nnmetalled. It was estimated this would cost about £2OOO. The Minister promised to give the matter favourable consideration in drawing up the estimates for the coming year.

REWARD OP ORIGINALITY. Substantial fortunes are the reward of handy inventions. Simple improvements to articles of every day use provide a substantial increase in the inventor’s income. See the specifications and drawings are faultless. Read “Advice to Inventors.” Post free. HENRY HUGHES. Patent Agent, Queen’s Chambers, WELLINGTON.