LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Te Aroha News, Volume XIV, Issue 2088, 24 March 1898, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr C. Ahier, who formerly carried on business in TeAroha, ia at present atTe Aroha. Monthly meeting of the Ohinemuri County Council takts‘place on -Thursday next, March 31tt, at 2 p.m,.

We are glad to hear Mrs McLean is pro grossing- favorably towards recovery.

As will he seen from an advertisement in another column, the Te Aroha Creamery and District Picnic will take place in Mi J act son’s paddock on Thursday, March the 31st,

We had the pleasure of meeting Mr Curtis (of Messrs Bewioke and Moreing) on our return from Auckland. He is in Te Aroha for the purpose of reporting on the Mt. Ryan S.C. Mr Moss Davis paid a brief visit to Te Aroha this week m connection with the new Hot Springs Hotel, tenders for which fllosed yesterday. Mr J Brown, ofjthe Wairarapa Observer, has been staying in Te lioiia for a few days,

A preliminary meeting of those interested in the Te Aroha Hack Sports will be held at the Palace Hotel on Friday night.

The date of Messrs McNicol and Co’s third Sheep Fair has been fixed for Wednesday, 13th April. We regret to hear that intelligence has been recieved by Mrs McFarland that the Vicar has been so unwell, while in Auckland that hia departure on his proposed trip has, been again delayed. 1 It was reported on Friday that a notable. Maori chief, Haimona Hireti, 85 years of age, had died at an up-river settlement. Instructions were sent to Wanganui to engage an undertaker to embalm the- body and prepare a coffin. After travelling all Friday night, the undertaker found the old chief alive. He had merely collapsed, aud this condition was mistaken for death. Ho is in receipt of a pension for bravery during the Maori war. It was owing to. his courage at the battle of Moutoa (an Island up the Wanganui River) in 1864, when herallied the friendly natives by saying, here j fight, and here I die,’ that tho Hauhau’s. who were ooming to attack Wanganui, were defeated. The chief is. suffering from cancer in the throat, and his death is hourly expected, f The personnel of the next Ministry* is thus outlined by an over-confident correspondent of the Otago Daily Times Captain Russell, Premier and Minister for Justice and Defence; Mr Duthie, Colonial Treasurer, Postmaster-General and «.lus toms; Mr Rolleston, Minister for Lands; Mr Hutchinson, Minister for Works and Railways; Mr Scobie Mackenzie Colonial Secretary ; Mr Allen, Minister for Mines; Auckland to have a Native Minister and a minister in the Legislative Council without portfolio i And Mr H, D. Bell to be Solicitor-General if he obtains a, seat on the next dissolution.

Mr Gladstone is still in a serious condition, and much anxiety is felt. G. B. H organ, late of Paeroa, has been committed ta the Avondale. Asylum. A London journal, in recording the death of the Rev Dr Moulton, says : * He was a native of Leek, graduated at London _ University, and received honorary degrees from Edinburgh and Cambridge. He was formerly President of the Wesleyan Conference, and was an acting magistrate for Cambridge borough, while this year he was the Mayor’s chaplain. He was held in i high esteem by all classes of the community. Mr Moulton, who- was a brother of Mr Fletcher Moulton, the well-know Q C., was in his 52rd year, ! and was a man of great learning. He graduated M.A. at the London University in- 1856, gained a gold medal in mathematics, and was prizeman in ’ StT-ture examinations and Biblical er do sm. After 16 years as classical tutor in the j Wesley an Theological College, Richmond, Mr M mlton, in 1872, was appointed headmaster of the Leys. The deceased was one of the New Testament Revision Committee. He served the Wesleyan body as, President in 1890-91.*

The body of a man, apparently middle-aged, in an advanced stage of decomposition, was found on Monday in a ditch near the Park racecourse, Gisborne. It is totally unrecognisable, and there is nothing about the clothing by which the i-body can be identified. A bottle half full of rum was by the side of him, and a hymn book in one pocket. No one is known to be missing.

The forests of Alaska are likely to prove of greater value than its gold. At present the law forbids cutting trees there for timber and fuel, or shipping wood from the territory. Sawmills already exist there, and wood is burned at the salmon fisheries, but only, on sufferance. The pine forests of south-eastern Alaska and the coasts of the south-weet. are believed by Americans, to be the largest in-the world.

We have to eall attention to several new advertisements in to-day’s issue, to which we hope to be able to draw more particular attention in Saturday's paper.

We were glad to learn last night that Mr Ben Lawn was getting on really well after his late serious aecidont at Komftta, His many friends will be glad to learn that he will pro T bably arrive in Te Aroha to-day to recuperate. His sprained ankle is the worst of his injuries, though he received two bad cuts on the head besides a severe shaking.

. The Minister of Justice declines to mitigate the fines inflicted on MrC. F. Spooner, an Auckland printer, for neglecting to place an imprint on a set of verses of questionable taste issued ; by him. The informer in this case was ' clearly influenced by personal .feeling when he caused to be bought two dozen copies of the pamphlet in question when one was sufficient to secure a con viction. It is not for us to inquire into Mr Spooner’s motives in printing such a set of doggerel verses, we pre-fer-to think it was a case of sheer neglect on his part; for that neglect he was liable to a fine of £5, and we certainly think to be mulct as he was in a fine of £l2O is wholly disproportionate to the offence. I