The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JULY 3, 1883. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1116, 3 July 1883, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JULY 3, 1883. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Erratum.— I The concert as announced in our last issue to take place at Geraldine in aid of the church building fund on the 20th instant, should hare read 25th instant. Temuka Eoad Board. The usual monthly meeting of this Board will be held to-day, and we would remind contractors that their leaders for rarious works required musk be in before 10 a.m.

New Justices op the Peace.— J. Talbot and D. Inwood, Esqrs,, the newly appointed Justices of the Peace for the district, took their seats on the Magisterial Bench, Temuka, yesterday, for the first time, in conjunction with S. D. Barker, Esq. Yital Statistic*.— The following are the vital statistic* registered at the Temuka office for the month ended June 30th:— Births, 14 ; marriages, 2 ; deaths, 3. For the quarter ended same date:—Births, 36 j marriages, 7 ,* deaths, 5. Railway Traffic Returns.— The following are the four weekly receipts on the New Zealand Railway* to 20th May last: —North Island, £17,666 7s 9d; Middle Island, £64175 11s 6d, giring a grand total of £81,841 19s 3d.

Death op an old Timabu Resident.— On Friday last Mr Samuel William*, a wellknown resident of Timaru for many years, breathed his last. He wo* an old whaler, and arrived in this colony about the year 1845. He had gone through various vicissitudes of fortune, and at the time of his death his wants were being supplied by a few of his friends.

The Wateeloo Cup.—On Saturday night last the following nominations were received for the principal event of the season. Several names of South Canterbury owners had not been received: Messrs George Wilsden (2), E. Cutt, R. Morten, B. Crawshaw, A, Wilson, J. Farrell, J. Wild, D. O’Brien, P. Butler, Ross and Bassett, E. S. B. Bell, B. J. Halo (3), R, J. Kerr, W. Howe, B. Haskett, R. P. Hill, J. Gemmell, A. Turnbull, A. E. Slandford, W. H. Porter, H. McConnell (2), Boyd Thomson (2), J. B. Reid, E. Crowe, J: and E. Dalgleish (2), M. Connolly, E. Cleg, J. McDonald (2), W. Macauley (2), J. J. Addison, P. Taylor, C. Campbell, J. Marshall (2), Geo. Lawrie.

Illiteracy iff America. —Some very startling statements as to the great and growing increase of illiteracy in the American Republic hare (saya the Pall Mall Gazette) been made by the Eer Joseph Cook, of Boston, in a prelude to one of his Monday lectures. The following are some extracts from his remarkable presentation of the facts;—" First, notice the illiteracy ef the United States as a whole. Five millions of the fifty millions of the population of the United States over fen years of age cannot read; six and a quarter cannot write. Of the ten millions of voters of the United States one in five cannot wide his name. The nation is now charged with the education of eighteen millions of children and youths. Of these tea and one half millions are enrolled in public and private schools, but the average attendance is only six millions, Seven and a half millions, or five-twelfths ef the whole, are growing up in absolute ignorance of the English alphabet. At the present rate of the increase of the number of children not attending there will be in ten years more children in the United States out of (lie schools than in them In all but five of the Sta'es there were enough illiterate voters to have reversed the vote of the last Presidential ■lection jn each of these States. It was estimated by the statistical of tlje Govern ment that the total annual profit, to the country by the conversion of illiterate into educated labor could not be less than £80,000,000 a year.

Striking a Rate.— During tho meeting of tbe Temuka Road Board to-day a rate will be struck of three-eighth* of a penny in the £, on all rateable property in the district. It will bo payable at the office of the Board •n and after tho 12th inst. The rate book is open for inspection at the same place. Divorce Court,— ln this Court, held in Wellington on Saturday last, Daniel Johnson, a medical practitioner at Fielding, prayed for the dissolution of his marriage with Annie Jane Constance Johnson, on tho ground of adultery with one William Moore, the corespondent, who was said to be at present managing a store at Rakaia. After hearing the witnesses, a decree ni»i was granted. The Sheep Inspector.— On Saturday last an influential meeting was held in Timaru, haring for its object the signing of a petition to Government, expressing the surprise and indignation of the people in the district on hearing of the aoiion of Government in dismissing Mr Jai Macdonald from the office of Inspector of Sheep for South Canterbury without assigning any cause for doing so, and asking for his re-mstatement. It was resolved that tho petition be signed by all present at the meeting and sent to the four member* for South Canterbury, asking (hem to use their almost endeavours to give effect to the desire of the petitioners. An urgent telegram was forwarded to Government, requesting them not to gazette any new appointment until the petition had reached their hands, Changed Circumstances,— The Mayor of Dunedin (says an exchange) is a gentleman and a carpenter, every inch of him. The Hon. Mr Oliver, of Dunedin, i* a member of the Upper House—and wears fnlls—rather. When the Mayor and Mr Oliver were showing the new Governor round town, His Excellency took advantage of a quiet tete atete with the Mayor to ask him —"Mr Thompson, how long have you known the Hon. Mr Oliver ?” "About 20 -years. 1 ' "Wbat was Mr O's position when you first knew him. ?” “Well, the first time I saw tho Hon Mr Oliver, he wore a black apron, and I wore a white. He was behind a counter weighing sixpence worth of nails which I was buying to repair a client's pig-sty with. 11

The New Hebrides.— The colonies are not bestirring thenuelyes too soon in the matter of annexing the New Hebrides. A significant note has just been sounded in the XlXme. Siecle which publishes a long article extolling the climate, soil, and other advantages of the New Hebrides, and dwelling on the benefits that would accrue to France from their acquisition. It winds up as follows: “And now, if it be asked why we are not masters of this archipelago that belongs to no one—the islands, of course, are nobody’s —and why do we hesitate in taking possession of it ? We reply that the English would not show the same scruple* if they were in our place. A despatch ha* just informed u fl that they hare annexed New Gninea. If we do not make haste, (hey will do the same thing with regard to the New Hebrides, and when that takes place we may as well recognise as certain the fact of New Caledonia becoming an English colony. What a people are the English'.”

The New Zealand War Cut. —This 'is the title of the Salvation Army’s organ published at head-quarters, Dunedin, by Captain Pollard. Through the kindness of a friend we hare received a copy of it, and can say that it is a very peculiar production. It is different from anything in the newspaper line we hare seen. It is neither creditably written nor printed, but of course it does not aim at such things. It contains nothing but salvation news from all parts of the world. As a specimen we may quote the following from one of its hymns.— Sic’ love has he for you and me, He left his hame sae fine, An’ bled frae sin to set us free, In the days o’auld lang syne. Then follows the chorus ‘ Auld Lang Syne.’ The War Cry is relieved by occasional flashes of humor; in fact it is nothing near so dull as the ordinary religious journals. For instance, staff-officer Matthews, whose contribution by the bye is the best written in the paper, says, ‘Captain Edward’s sister, Garrett, and myself spoke, interspersed whh some brilliant testimony from new born babee.’ This is comical indeed. On the whole the War Cry is a peculiar production, and if it can make converts, all we can say is that people are very easily converted. Costlet's Bequest. —ln his speech to his constituents at Mount Ida, Mr M DeLautour referred thus to the Costley bequests—‘lt seems to me that one question which is at present deeply engaging tbs public mind is the unequal distribution of wealth. Men regard with amazement such a picture as was presented to us in Auckland the other day. Wo see there an old man (Costley) nearly a century old, singularly penurious, on his death bed, at the last moment, bequeathing his vast horde* of wealth to public charities. We see him followed to hie grave with pomp and show ; we hear arguments propagated that his bust should be put up in various prominent places in the town. And why ? Because he accumulated hordes of wealth, giving nothing, helping no one, and at the last moment he leaves his wealth to charities to make his peace with heaven. But how was the money gained ? Honestly ? STes, honestly, I admit, but at the expense and by the assistance of others—by men who bore the work and beat of the day ; who worked as only men of the early days had to work ; and who, when a crisis came, lost their all, sickened, and died in many oases from poverty and privation. Costley in the early days obtained possession of land, and finan cial pressure—a pressure wh’ch sent many a brave, good man to a eiokening death-bed— r enhanced its value, and enriched its possessor.’

The Geraldine Stud Company request that ail outstanding accounts due to them be at qpop paid to M l ' W> Shiers, the Hon. Secretary. Messrs G Bjssettand G- A- Smith have entered into partnership at Winchester us woolscourers, fellmongers, and commission buyers of wool, etc.

The poundkeeper at Geraldine announces that thirty sheep have been impounded from the Orari Estate (late MrW K, Macdonald’s.) Messrs Mollison, Duthie and Co, of Dune din, announce that they intend holding a thorough cheap sale of drapery, etc., in the premises lately occupied by Mr Corbett, at Geraldine, for one month. Messrs J. Mundell and Co will hold their usual monthly sale of stock, etc., at their sale yards, Geraldine, to-morrow j also, on the same date, at their rooms, a quarter acre lection, with three-roomed house and out* buildings thereon.