LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1148, 6 March 1884, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Important Timbbk Salk,— Towards the end of the present month Messrs Maslin and Sherratt will hold an important sale of sawn timber at the Baukapuka steam saw mills. Machine Accident, A seven year-old boy, the son of Mr Saunders, of Pleasant Point, got one of his lingers caught between the cogs of the wheels of a chaff cutter, and was so badly injured that the finger had to be amputated by Dr Hayes. Larceny. —Nathan Williams was charged at Timaru yesterday with stealing a purse containing 3s 9d in silver, the property of Agnes Smith, at Sandietown, on 3rd inst. Accused, who was a lad of eleven years of age, was ordered to be whipped in the presence of his father.

The Publicans and Good Templaus.-® The Auckland publicans have decided to lodge petitions to upset the city licensing elections on technical grounds. Mr E. Hesketh, solicitor, has been retained in the case. If successful, the publicans will at the new elections adopt eleven o’clock closing and non-Sunday trading in their ticket.

The Otago Gbain EiNG.—The resolution of the Dunedin Grain buyers only to buy grain with bags included has created a good deal of feeling among the farming community in Otago, and on Saturday night a largely attended meeting of farmers was held at Ngapara, at which the following resolution was passed—That the farmers sell their grain and bags as heretofore, and pledge themselves to sell in no other way ; and further that they seek the co-operation of other communities.” Anothbb Poisoning Case. —Another case of poisoning from taking “ rough on rats ” occurred in Wanganui last Sunday evening. A man named Peoples, who bad been drinking got a box] of the poison, which he bought at a local store, and took two doses, though it is not known how much. He was in a very precarious state when visited by Dr. Tripe but is now out of danger and recovering. No reason is assigned for the deed except that the man is temporarily deranged from the effects of drink.

Arrest.—A man named S. R. Hansen has been arrested at Oamaru on suspicion of haring cashed a cheque drawn by Vincent and Co., brewers, Christchurch, in favor of Mrs S. Hansen, of Kaiapoi, for £75, which it is supposed he obtained through misdelivery of a post letter. Licensing Courts.—Owing to there being no business to transact the quarterly meeting of the Temuka Licensing Committee was not held last Tuesday. The quarterly meeting of the Licensing Committee for the Raukapuka district, set down for to-day, will not be held till Tuesday next, March 11th at noon. The Wbithke.—A heavy shower of hail stones was experienced in Temuka yesterday. The weather in the evening was very cold and stormy, and there appeared some evidences of a change. At Q-eraldlne a slight thunderstorm passed along the mountains at the back of the district and rain was threatening, the wind veering round to the gouth-west, blowing strong and very cold.

The Customs.—in exchange says : —The anticipations entertained of a recovery in Customs during the current quarter of the financial year have been so far realised that February shows a bettor result by £2OOO than January, which was some £20,000 better than December, but the result is still £2OOO under even the estimated monthly average. Consequently the deficit was still further increased instead of diminished, and now amounts to £110,194 for eleven months, the receipts for that period being £1,283,138. March is sure to be a fairly good month, but can hardly be expected to exceed the esti mated monthly average (£126,666), so we may make up our minds to find Customs considerably over £IOO,OOO short. The beer duty, too, is deficient by £4590 in eleven months’ returns, and the deficit under this head may probably be set down at £SOOO. Inconsistency.—At last Saturday night’s meeting of householders held in the Templar Hall, Temuka, for the purpose of amalgamating the townships of Wallingford -and Arowhenua, Mr Edgoler protested in very yehement language against the proposal, and warned those present that they would sign away their children’s birthright if they signed a petition for uniting the two towns. Yet notwithstanding this Mr Bdgeler signed the petition on Monday, so it took him only 48 hours to change his mind. He thus, according to his own showing, signed his own children’s birthright away. This is extraordinary.inconsistency on Mr Bdgeler’s part. It is so flagrant that we are beginning to think he will not be a successes a public man, Mr Edgaler at the public meeting in the Volunteer Hall said he intended to represent the Geraldine constituency in Parliament after next election, but we think he has destroyed his prospects by the rapidity with which he has changed his opinions on this subject. . Rather Amusing. — A pleasant item of news comes to us from a pleasant point of New Zealand. The rev. gentleman of the place a short time since created some amusement when on one Sunday he announced that he had been so busy packing up preparatory to going to a meeting of the Synod, and that his bead was so full of thoughts of that meeting, that he could not preach a sermon on that day. His congregation were evidently not angry if we are to judge from the fact that they all left the church smiling. On the following Tuesday he left home, bearing in his hand a small portmanteau, and people wondered what was in it, that it took up so much of the rev. gentleman’s time in packing it. He evidently got the cue from the newspapers. Whenever an editor of a newspaper is hard pushed he announces that “owing to pressure on our space our leading article is unadvoidably held over.”

Sotjvknib. —On Monday afternoon last the teachers and scholars at the Geraldine Public School, assembled after school hours, for the purpose of presenting Mr Finlay Bethune (who had recently resigned bis position as second master in the school, for the purpose of occupying a similar position at Masterton, in the North Island) with a handsome sourenir in the shape of a morocco writing desk. Mr Hughes, the head master, made the presentation, accompanying the same with a few remarks in which he bore testimony to the high character and ability of the worthy recipient, and wishing him happiness and success in his new sphere of labor. Mr Bethune replied in suitable terms, thanking the teachers and pupils for their kindly gift. Three cheers were giren for Mr Bethune and the proceedings terminated. Mr Bethune has also been the recipient of a yery pretty silrer inkstand as a memento from his numerous circle of private friends, who at the same time wished him ‘God speed.’ Mr Bethune left Geraldine on Tuesday morning for Masterton.

Sudden Death. —Mr D. D. McAlister, of the Post office Invercargill, died suddenly on Tuesday. He had been ailing some time ago of nervous] derangement, but to all appearance he recovered and was in his office on Monday. It appears he had been suffering from insomnia, and was prescribed for by Dr Gloss. The draught not having had the required effect, Mr McAlister unfortunately fell back on an old prescription of 1873. This he got made up, the bottle containing fifteen doses. On Tuesday morning, not feeling well, he did not go down to the office, but sent his keys. He was about bis house and garden during the forenoon, and it is supposed that, suffering from want of sleep, he took an overdose from the bottle referred to. Mrs McAlister noticing a change in her husband’s appearance, during the afternoon sent for Dr Hannan, but McAlister was dead before his arrival. About two-thirds of the medicine had been taken from the bottle. McAlister had been about three and a half years Money Order and Savings Bank clerk in Invercargill and was previously in Queenstown. Ha was a hearty robust man of 33 years

The Lath Accident at Waitohi. —We learn that Mr Baxter, who sustained serious injuries by a fall, from his horse last Saturday evening, recovered partial consciousness yesterday, Ha is still in a precarious condition, but hopes are entertained of his recovery.

Opening or Good Temlab Hall, Gbbai dine. The formal opening of the Good Templar Hall at Geraldine will be celebrated on Wednesday next by a public tea meeting in the hall, when tea will be on the tables at half-past five p.m., and a grand concert by the members of the Philharmonic Society, in the Oddfellows’ Hall, commencing at 8 p.m.

The N.Z. Shipping Company.—A dinner was given on Tuesday night by the Hew Zealand Shipping Company on board the Ruapehu now at Auckland. Mr Murray Aynsley, Chairman of the Company, presided. About 70 sat down, including members of the General Assembly and Legislative Council, and loading merchants. Sir P. Whitaker made the speech of the evening in proposing the toast “ Success to the New Zealand Shipping Company.” The saloon was decorated, and the vessel was lit up with the electric light. The affair was a great success. Drunkenness and its Results, — At Timaru yesterday two men, named Sweeny and Sutherland, were charged with drunkenness and riotous conduct. It appeared they were both drunk at the Cave Hotel on the 18tb instant, and quarrelled. After hearing the evidence of some lady witnesses of the scene, they were fined 20a each and £1 3s 6d expenses. McCormick, the licensee of the hotel, was charged with having permitted drunkenness on his premises. Several witnesses were examined, including Sweeny, the defendant in the previous case, who stated that the reason he quarrelled with Sutherland was because he called him a Dutchman, and that McCormick introduced the dice and of course got all the money. At Mr Hamersley’s request, the case was adjourned until next Saturday, Drunken Stuff. —How many children and women are slowly but surely dying, or rather being killed, by excessive doctoring, or the daily use of some drug or drunken stuff called medicine, that no one knows what it is made of, who can easily be cured and saved by Hop Bitters, which is so pure, simple, and harmless thatjithe most frail woman, weakest invalid, or smallest child can trust it! See Advt.

Mr A. O vrles, Geraldine, invites tenders for the erection of a four-roomed cottage.

Mr George Wood, of Woodbury, has 100 acres land on Orari plains to lease or sell. Messrs J. Mundell and Co., will hold a sale of 250 half bred lambs, at Winchester fair, to-day. Tenders are wanted for grazing for one, two or three years, 65 acres of the Temuka Park land. Tenders close on Tuesday next.

Mr W. TJprichard, as agent of the National Insurance Company, advertises some particulars re the Company, and notifies that ho is prepared to take risks on steam threshmachines, stacks, merchandise, household furniture, &c. ‘Rough on Rats.’— Clears out rats, mice, roaches, flies, ants, bed-bugs, beetles, insects, skunks, jack-rabbits, giphers. Druggists. New Zealand Drug Co,, General Agents. 2