LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 360, 8 March 1881, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Death op an Old Journalist. —MiRichard Pheney, for many years editor and proprietor of the Taranaki News, died on Friday last in the 70th year of his age. We learn that he was one of the early New Plymouth settlers, and in his younger days was au associate of Shelley, Cates, and Leigh Hunt. Funeral of Str Cracroft Wilson.— On Saturday last the funeral of the deceased knight took place at Halswell, and was largely attended. The service was conducted by the Primate and the Rev. 0. Watson. Illness of the School Inspector. We regret to hear that Mr Hammond, Inspector and Secretary to the South Canterbury Board of Education, is seriously ill through an attack of typhoid fever which, at the present time, is,so prevalent in Timaru. Temuka Cemetery Board. —The usual monthly meeting- of the Board was held on Thursday evening last, there being present Messrs Mendelson (Chairman), Gray, and J. Brown. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. An account, amounting to £6 4s was passed for payment. After the transaction of some routine business, the meeting terminated. Proposed Town Clock.—The following gentlemen form a Committee for the purpose of obtaining a suitable clock for the township :—Revs Chaffers-Welsh and Father Fauvel. Messrs A. Cox, D. M. Mackay, J. Mendelson, J. Brown, J. Put-irsou, K. F. Gray, M. Quiun, C. J. Rayner, and W. Wills. Collectors having also been appointed, it is to be hoped that persons desirous of subscribing towards so laudable an object will hand over their donations to the following ladies at the earliest possible moment :—For Temuka : Mrs Quinn, Misses Morley and McNair ; George Town: Miss Demuth; Milford : Misses Green, Watt, and Smith; Winchester . Mrs Swinton and Miss H. Klee ; Waitohi : Miss McSheehy Gentlemun, Cunningham, McCulloch, and Langridge ; Kerry Town : Mrs Spillane, Misses A Brosnahan, Gaffney, and Mcßratney. The Footpaths.—We would urge the attention of the Temuka Road Board to the necessity of having the holes in the footpaths in the main street properly filled up with shingle prior to the wet season setting in. We noticed that with even the little rain that fell during the night, the footpath between Mr Mendelson' and Mr Wareing's stores was yesterday morning almost impassable through pools of water laying thereon. A Welcome Rain —A gradual change came over the weather on Sunday last, rain falling in some parts of the district the large part of the day. Shortly before sundown, however, it began in earnest, and during the night a most acceptable quantity fell. Unclaimed Newspapers.—We quite agree with our contemporary, the Otago Daily Times, that it would be far better were the unclaimed newspapers and magazines lying in the dust-bins and other recesses of the various Post-officea in the Colony to be distributed amongst the hospitals. They would assist in whiling away many a tedious hour of pain amongst the patients, and thus be put to some real use. We commend the matter to the serious attention of Government, Acknowledgment.—After mass yesterday morning the Rev. Father Fauvel paid a compliment to this journal whilst commenting upon the necessity of subscribing towards the fund for the purchase of a clock for the township. We need only reply, in thanking him for his remarks, that it will always be our aim to assist in forwarding any work having for its object the advancement of the town and district. The Compulsory Clauses.—lt may not be generally known that when a School Committee puts in force the compulsory clauses of the Education Act, parents violating the clauses can be fined in sums for each offence, not exceeding £5. A Timaru Impostor.—We, (Qtago Daily Times) aro iuforu? ed that * talC able-

bodied man, with one eye, lately orrived, as he alleges, from Tinwu, has been applying- for relief to the Benevolent Asylum, and on investigating his case strong evidence was discovered that he is an impostor. He produces certificates as a teacher, but they are in a different name from that which he gave as his own. Alterations in Customs Duties.—The following notice has been received by the various Collectors of Customs :—From and after March Ist, 1881, instead of March 31st as before announced, cases containing 1 doz reputed quarts of brandy, whiskey, old torn, or rum, will be charged as two gallons, and 18. bottles of each spirit will be taken as three gallons, and 24 bottles as four gallons. When there is any excess over the reputed quantity, duty is to be charged on the actual contents as found on examination. In dealing with geneva, the case containing 12 small bottles is'to be charged as two gallons, and the case containing 15 large bottles as four gallons. The strength will be calculated as heretofore. Extreme Love.—The following is an example of the extreme to which persons may go whose hearts have been pierced by one of Cupid's arrows :—At Stuttgart a student in love with a very pretty girl had repeatedly written to her parents for their consent to a marriage. Receiving no reply, he poisoned himself at the girl's lodgings. Next day dime a letter with the parents' consent. At the funeral the girl swallowed poison and fell lifeless into the arms of one of the choristers singing over the grave. A Query. —" Does oat grain alter in weight per bushel by keeping ?" is a question which, if put to agriculturists, is variously answered. Perhaps the general opinion is that the grain does grow in quantity, hut becoming drier, harder, and firmer, is heavier per bushel. The opportunity afforded to test this point was taken advantage of lately. Having ascertained the weight per bushel when cut, without dressing as for market or for seed, the grain from Aboyne was kept for five weeks in small bags, and again weighed. In each case the total weight was less. Wheat and barley being much heavier than water, however, will, by losing water, probably in every case, increase in weight per bushel; while the oats, being just about the same weight as water (rather heavier when plump, lighter when long), will, in the case of fine quality, probably increase in weight per bushel by keeping, but inferior quality will decrease in weight per bushel.—North British Agriculturist. A Rotten Post-office. —Generally spea king, Government goes in for erecting buildings of a superior class for the use of their several departments, but this is tlie reverse in the Empire City. The Post, in an article on the subject, describes the local Post-office as a rotten old matchbox, which is fit for nothing but to be chopped up for firewood.

Civil Service lledcctions.—An exchange is informed, on good authority, that the 10 per cent, redaction on the salaries ■of the Civil Service ceases on the 31st of the present month, being the close of the present financial year; Chinese at Westland. —In order to the further development of the golden resources of the district, Westland recently had an accession to its population of thirty-three Chinamen. Libel Suits at Hukitika.—Tho air of Hokitika is redolent with libel suits, Mr Joseph Philip Klein, newspaper proprietor, and Mr Henry Parker, bootmaker, both having been served with writs by Mr Morton Purkiss, solicitor, at the instance of Mr E. B. Dixon, schoolmaster, for the modest sum of £IOOO each, together with the cost of the said writs twelve guineas each, making a total of £2025 4s.

Marriage tn Persia. —In Persia a marriage puts Gretna Green in the shade. The Cadi makes the bride and bridegroom join hands ; pnlls out a watch, counts six seconds, and then declares to be man and wife.