LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 353, 12 February 1881, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An entertainment will be given in the Volunteer Hall on Monday evening next, in aid of the Temuka School treat. The programme, which appears in another column, is a very attractive one, and the object being meritorious, a bumper house should result.

Mr K. P. Gray will sell, this day, nt 4 p.m., at his yards, 42 pigs, without reserve.

William Smith and William Ross were arrested on Thursday evening for fighting in the Crown Hotel. They were both let out, on hail, and will make their bow before J. N. Wood, Esq., R.M., on Monday next. ’ Messrs Maclean and Stewart will hold their usual sale of horses, &c., at the Timaru Horse Bazaar, this day, at 11 a.m. Mr W, Marcroft, of Waitohi Downs, invites tenders for threshing his crops and cutting one or more stacks into chaff. Tenders are also invited for carting the grain.

and monthly sale will take place at his yards, on Wednesday next, 16 th inst., and, as the entries are large, a good sale may be expected. Further entries are solicited.

The House of Lords has decided, on an appeal, that a wife has no power in law to pledge her husband’s credit wit hout his express sanction. The original action was for the recovery of £4O odd for millinery, &c. Tills decision ought to be of interest to many of our colonial “ hubbies ” these dull times.

The present very hot dry weather is beginning to have its effects upon the public health. At Ashburton typhoid and scarlatina is said to be prevalent. This, following the severe attack of dysentery jiihich carried away a number, will make people uneasy while this weather lasts. Timaru is also, we are credibly informed, much affected by typhpid and scarlatina, and a good many patients are in the hospital. So far as this district is concerned we hear of nothing serious, but we would do well to remember that this is just the sort of weather we had ’ when diphtheria committed such severe ravages amongst our young spots. As the dry heat finds out our weak spots, it would be well for all interested to be careful not to allow stagnant water, decayed vegetable mutter, or any sort of filth to accumulate near their dwellin?s. Now is the time for the Inspector of Nuisances to keep his nasal organ, as well as his eyelids, open.

A match between a local cricket team and the Timaru Crusaders takes place on the Park grounds to-day. The wicket will be pitched at 1 p.m. Temuka will .be represented by the following players : T. Ollivier, E. Brown, P. Carlyon,. H. Smith, G.o. Smith, F. Bethune, J. J. Heap, U. Pinkney, S. Burrows, Dr Hayes, and F. vVellsman. Emergency men—J. flaj’hurst, C. Rayiier, and W. Austin.

It has been rumoured in town (s&ys the Otago Daily Times) that the principal object for which Major Atkinson recently Visited Dunedin was to make arrangements, in the interest of economy, for the removal of the headquarters of the Public Works department from Dunedin to Wellington. The Times denies that there is any truth in the report. The Lake County correspondent of the Southland Times writes “ Harvesting operations have now commenced in earnest, the late continuation of hot weather brought the crops forward rather faster than was expected. The harvest hands, taking advantage of this, struck for wages, and farmers were compelled to pay the old price of one shilling per hour, in lieu of two pounds per week as originally intended.”

An official telegram on Thursday reports that another large fire has occurred at Pnrihnka, causing extensive destruction of potatoes. Fully 30 acres were totally destroyed, and a lot of whares and other buildings were burnt. A heavy wind on Thursday blew over and completely destroyed a camera obsciii’a recently exhibited in Wellington. Mr T. W. Draper, of the firm of Draper, Charters and Co., a well-known resident, died suddenly at Christchurch on Thursday morning of congestion of the brain. On Wednesday he was in his usual health, and is said to have broken P. blood-vessel in his head. His-life was insured for £2OOO. The new season’s wheat i.s now arriving at Lyttelton. It is the intention of Mr Bryce (says the Wanganui Herald) to address his con stituents immediately after Hie Premier has addressed his constituents ; the latter event is expected to be in about a fortnight. Mr Bryce in this instance defers as a matter of courtesy to a late colleague, who has the right of precedence, and the oonstiluency, ol course, will view the ma ter in the same light. A bit of inexorable logic is thus put by a northern contemporary. The New Zealand Times is satisfied now that Fiji should be annexed to New Zealand because some printing for Fiji has to be done at the Government Printing Office, Wellington, the Fiji Government being debited with the cost of the work. This is a kind of patriotism we can all understand.

The Dunedin Cricket Association have disqualified for twelve months W. J. Moore, for his conduct in the Australian match.

Mr W. D. Stuart having refused to give such an apology for a statement he made regarding touting for business, during a dispute with Mr Townsend MacDermott, in the Police Court, Dunedin, the other day, as Mr MacDermott will accept, an action will be commenced in the Supreme Court for £2OOO damages for slander, to give Mr Stewart an opportunity of justifying his remarks.

There is a post town in the V ellington district which lias been known by the native name of Taratahi, which anyone

would suppose a good name indeed. The Postmaster-General • moved very likely by some snobbish person—has, however, decreed that the Maori name shall disappear, and the place in future be known by the meaningless term “Clarevillo.” It would be of interest to know the ostensible, if not the real, reason for the change. For an example of to what extent a man is affected by circumstances it is only necessary to go to the Supreme Court during the examination of a debtor. Even smart business men appear to lose their memory and have their power of

tie had of bankruptcy, and to be re minded by the Judge that - the question was not a difficult one before be ventured to answer it, and, after all, replied in the negative.

How does the dog tax apply to Maori villages 1 The dog registrars in this district are in a fix. They know that a Maori village contains nearly as many dogs as men, but to go and seize the dogs or shoot them at the whnres is a native question that may involve open war. Mr Bryce has retired just in time to escape this new native trouble. It would require as many A.O.’s to capture the native dogs ns to capture Parihaka. A dog registrar may go into a native village with his ten-shilling licenses in one hand and revolver in the other, and he may threaten these as alternatives, but is he likely to get 10s for each dog ? To expect Maoris to welcome tKo PaUoha dogtaker is like expecting the leopard to change his spots. The collector won’t get the money and will perhaps try to shoot the dogs. A prudent collector should make his will and appoint executors before starting into the bush to collect the dog tax from the Maoris.—Patea Mail.

The property tax assessments by Government officials are (says the North Otago Times) causing much dissatisfaction, and bringing out innumerable protests in all parts of the Colony. Such protests have been anticipated by the authorities beforehand, for they have printed replies of an accommodating nature ready for transmission when needed. A gentleman who owns a small section in Otepopo, which ho would be glad *o sell for £SO, was assessed in respect of in under the property tax at £3OO. A protest was sent, and a printed reply duly received intimating that on reconsideration it had been determined to reduce the assessment by £IOO, and asking if the holder would agree to that. The term “£loo’’was written in a blank left for the purpose. The holder was not pacified by this ex parte settlement, and wrote back saying he would decidedly not consent to be taxed treble the value of the section, and challenged them to enforce the penal clauses with regard to him.