LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 921, 23 February 1882, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Horse Stealing. —Charles Heatly was brought before Julius Mendelson Esq., J.P., last Tuesday, and remanded to Tinum where he will be tried on the 27th inst.

Freehold Property Sale. Messrs Maclean and Stewart will hold an extensive sale of freehold property in Timam today. The properties comprise town sections in Timam.

Pleasant Point Races. —The programme of the race meeting which will be held at Pleasant Point on St. Patrick’s Day, the 17th of March, appears in another column. There are seven events in the programme, and the prizes offered are very creditable, and likely to draw a sufficient number of horses to make the race meeting very successful.

Arrested tor Debt.— Thomas Henderson was arrested last Monday, at Helensville for a debt of £67. The charge was heard at Oamaru in his absence. Henderson stated he never received the summons, and on the advice of his solicitor he deposited the amount owing in the hands of the police until His case is heard before the Court.

Piscatorial. —An immense fish, suppose? to be a trout was caught by Mr C. Nicholas in the Temuka river last Tuesday evening. The fish weighed 191bs, measured 22 inches around the girth and was 2ft 7in in length. The fish has been sent, by Mr Nicholas, to the Christchurch Acclamatisation Society, with the view of ascertaining whether it belongs to the Californian salmon or the trout species.

The Late Dr. Cumming’s Property.— We direct attention to. the auction sale of the household furniture and effects of the late Dr Gumming, together with the tei - roomed horse and section on which it stands, which Messrs Wildie, Allan and Stumbles will hold today. The property and other goods which will b.e offered are very valuable, and aught to induce many purchasers to bo present. ,

A Large Shark. —On last Friday some men who paid a visit to the beach caught a shark seven feet long. The men wont bathing in the lagoon, and on noticing a strain on the line which they had thrown out into the surf one of them hurried fo, it, and pulled the shark ashore. On being pulled ashore the fish began wriggling and “truck a terrible blow of its tail on the naked leg of its captor, cutting and severely bruising it. The Roval Prerogative. —A despatch received in Wellington from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, gives a list of the Acts passed during last session in respect to which Her Majesty “ will not be advised to exercise her power of disallowance.” The list includes all the measures passed; last session, except the Chinese Act and the Divorce Act Amendment Act, which were reserved for the Queen’s assent, and concerning which Her Majesty’s pleasure has not yet been made known. Accident. A farmer named Thomas White living at Milford met with a very serious accident last Tuesday. It appears that he was on the top of a load of cornwhich he was carting, when ho overbalanced himself and fell on his head to the ground. He received a partial concussion of the brain, internal in juries to the chest, and was very much bruised and shaken. He was attended by Dr Hayes who did all that surgical skill could suggest to alleviate his sufferings, and from latest accounts we learn that he is progressing favorably. Orari School. —At a meeting of the above school it was resolved to support Messrs Bellield, Gray, and Dr Foster for the seats vacant on the Education Board. The teacher Mr Sumner tendered his resignation and it was accepted. Mr McLeod produced a map showing the extension he proposed to be made to the school district which he said would reach as far northwards as Cooper’s creek. As it was said it might encroach on the Orari bridge school district, and there were only four members, present it was decided to postpone the question.

Further Civic Service Retrenchments. —It is rumored from Wellington that further extensive, reductions and amalgamations in the Civil Service are contemplated, chiefly in the Department of Justice, which it is reported will, if possible, be retrenched to the extent of some £30,000 per year.. This is probably an exaggeration, but I have reason to believe that the absorption of the Department of Justice into the Colonial Secretary’s Department is under the serious consideration of the Government. It will be remembered that formerly the two used to bo in one portfolio, and the Department of Justice was merely termed the “ Judicial Branch ” of the Colonial Secretary’s Department. It is now believed that large economy can be effected by consolidating both under one permanent head (as well as ministerially) and it is not unlikely that the present Undersecretary for the Colony (Mr G. S. Copper) will have the offer of this position. In that case Mr Fountain, the present Secretary for Justice, would probably retire on a wellearned pension.

Harvest Prospects, —The crops generally throughout the Invercargill district are very indifferent, the only exception being on the Elver and other alluvial flats, or on some other specially growthy land. The weather, for seasonable purposes, has been everything that is bad, and the loss from shaking has been serious.

Election Petitions. Judgment was given in the Stanmore election petition last Monday. An order was mode declaring the seat vacant and, election void. No costs were allowed. Mr Pilliet was therefore unseated and a new election will have to take p’ace. The Wakanui election petition com. menccd Igst Tuesday at Eakaia, in which Joseph Ivess claims the seat on thp ground that aliens, minors and persons unqualified to vote, give their votes for John Cathoart Wason, who was declared elected, Ultimately the election was declared void. The Court had no grounds for supposing the,t the petitioner was entitled tq the seat.

liiiAKir Harbor Board. —At a meeting of the above, held last Tuesday, Mr Archer was elected Chairman. The Engineer was instructed to report fully on a pier to run at right angles with the Breakwater so as to provide shelter for vessels. The formation of a sand bank inside the Breakwater, and the existence of rock having been reported the Engineer was instructed to have them removed. Mr Evans gave notice that at nes4 meeting he would move that it was desirable to procure a steam tug for the use of the port. After some further business was transacted the meeting adjourned. Industrial Insurance.— A Wellington telegram says : —The new Industrial Insurance seheme is to be started forthwith, and the regulations will probably be published in a Supplementary Gazette to-night. I hear that the main object is to bring insurance within the reach of all, by granting policies for any amount from £5 upwards, with premiums payable by weekly instalments to be called for by a collector. With a view to meet the convenience of insurers under the new scheme, anybody by payment of a few pence weekly secures a policy payable to his family at his death. Premiums run as low os twopence per wee k- Another new feature in the new industrial insurance scheme now offered by Government -is that all policy* holders will share in the profits, and policies of the value of £2O and upwards after existing three years can bo surrendered for cash or for a free policy on which no furthei payments have to be made. lam told no private company grants such liberals conditions as th se. The accounts of the industrial br; nch, are to be left entirely distinct and st parade from those of the ordinary branch. The chief officers of the new branch (under Mr Luckie, who remains Commissioner of both) are Charles Godfrey Knight, Actuary and Manager; George Thorne, Superintendent of Agents ; Henry Olapoott, Lecturer.

Tun WeLLIN’GTON t -Ma.N/\\VVCTJ RAILWAY. —A Wallin ;ton correspondent of ah exchange says :—The contract between the , Government and the. Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company is not yet signed, b.ut is practically in the same position a s when I last telegraphed on the subject. The' only difference is that the directors have now decided definitely to accept the contract as finally agreed upon with the Government. The delay has arisen from their hesitating whether to proceed with the undertaking or to. leave it for Government to include, in the new public works scheme for which a fresh loan is to be proposed next session. The directors were uncertain whether the intimation of such a scheme might not seriously interfere with their enterprise by competition. However, on full consideration, the. directors have determined that as the prospects of the railway were so good, they would in any case proceed with it at all hazards. Acco-dingly they have notified Government to that effect, and the contract was engrossed, but then a new hitch occurred. The fifteen miles distance within which land may be granted to, the Company, at a rate not exceeding 30 per cent of the cost, was. forced, to extend over the range of hills into the Wairarapa country, which is sti cnuously objected to, and as the proposed railway did not actually “ serve,’ the land, as required by the Act, Government did not feel justified in granting it, but unluckily there is no other land acquired from the natives which fulfils all conditions, and the question now at issue is whether the deficiency in quantity due to the. Company can bo supplied by a eonditional grant of tho. balanoe on its being acquired by Government from the natives. This is now under consideration, and up to to-night no. definite decision hau been arrived at. The question is one materially affecting all other lines pro. posed to be constructed under the Act of last session.

Mr W. Marcrofb invites tenders for threshing and carting the produce of 300 acres. A notice is given by Mrs George. Gibbs that all accounts not paid to her by the end of the present nopnth will be sued for. The trustees in the estate of Boyd Thompson notify that a dividend is to be declared in the estate, and that all accounts not rendered by the 25bh instant will not be recognised. The attention of farmers is directed to.. Mr C. W. Turner’s advertisement in another column, in which he offers to give the.high.est value for 200,000 bushels for the Canterbury Flour Mills, oshburton and Christchurch,