LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1196, 26 June 1884, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

G-ERALDINE StKBPLECHASES. Those steeplechases ooina off to-day, and a good day's sport should be enjoyed. In the evening, at the Oddfellows' Hall, G-eraldine, a ball will take place, under the management of Messrs Somerville and Pye, and should be well patronisod. Thk Elhcxions. —Electioneering has now commenced in earnest in this district. The Hon. Mr Rolleston has arrived and entered upon a canvas. Mr Alfred Cor has also arrived, and is receiving a great deal of eupporfc. A requisition to him appears else whore, I

Sale of Cbown Lands.—A sale of Crown Lands situated between the Bangitata river and the Waihi Creek (being part of an old railway reserve) will take place at the Land Office, Christehurch, on the 26th September ext.

Public Meeting.—On Saturday evenisg next a public meeting will be held in the schoolroom, Woodbury,, for the purpose of considering the advisability of requesting the Q-eraldine County Council to construct a water-race at Woodbury. Entbetainhent. Mr F. W. Fisher's Comedy and Burlesque Company appear at Winchester this evening. The entertainments provided by this Company are really enjoyable, and well worth the money charged for admission. The Company appear in Q-eraldine on Friday (to-morrow) and Saturday. The Coming Elections. —In the House on Thursday last, the Hon. Major Atkinson said the nomination day rested with the Returning officers to fix, but the nominations would take place about the 16th July. The fixing of the polling day rested with the Q-overnment, and they had decided upon the 22nd July. The writs would be made returnable on the 28th, and the new Parliament would be convened on the 6th August. The Peoperty Tax. —During the year 1883-84 the number of persona who paid their property tay was 25,460. The taxable property returned has grown from £72,500,000 assessed m 1879 to £85,000,000 assessed in 1882. The value of the total real property in the colony is set down at .£101,000,000 in 1883, as against £93,000,000 in 1880. No fewer than 2045 taxpayers paid the tax on sums under £IOO, excluding the exemption. In 1883 2674 persons paid on £IOO and under £2OO, and 2189 on £2OO and under £3OO. Coming to larger figures we find that 112 persons paid od sums between £50,000 and £IOO,OOO, 44 oh amounts being £IOO,OOO and £200,000, and 33 on £200,000 and over. To put it in another way, no fewer than 8698 pay under £1 5s per annum in property tax, while going to the other extreme 543 pay £62 10s. The tax on the large properties of £200,000 would amount to no leas than £625.

New Guinea. —The Melbourne Age Row G-uinea exploration party has returned, one member missing. They entered the mouth of the Macassar Biver and proceeded northward and .westward for 120 miles, and discovered nine large rivers, draining 10,000 square miles of fine pastoral country. At the mouth of the Macassar they found the river blocked with large canoes, containing from a thousand to twelve hundred red natives, who drove them back. The party had to abandon their vessel and take to the mangroves. Here they were attacked by a party of natives, and one of the party was wounded. They managed to baffle pursuit, but camped in the mangroves for three nights, suffering from want of food. They marched waist-deep in the sea during the day and spent the night m the trees on the edge of the beach, and finally reached the Point mission station, and thence Thursday Island. The country as a rule is healthy, with good soil and valuable timber, and the plains would make splendid cattle country.

Freeholders in New Zealand. - Some of the information in the now famous Doomsday Book has been forestalled and laid on ihe table of the House. From this it appears that the number of small occupiers of land is very much larger, and that of large landholders is very much less, than is generally supposed. There are in the colony no fewer than 14,740 persons and twentysix companies owning pieces of land between five and 100 acres in area, and 14,248 persons and nineteen companies owning pieces varying in size from 100 to 1000 acres. On the other hand, when we come to larger blocks the numbers drop off considerably. Owning tracts between 1000 and 10,000 acres in extent there are 1466 persons and eighteen companies. There are ODly 215 persona and nine companies in possession of land of 10,000 acres and under 50,000 acres in extent ; while in regard to blocks of 5C,G00 acres and over, the names of only fifteen persons and eight companies appear as owners.—Press.

Taylor v. Siegert and Fautbl.—At the R.M. Court, Timaru, on Tuesday last, Mr Hameraley, on behalf of the plaintiff, reminded His Worship (Mr Beswick, R.M.) of the case of Taylor r. Siegert and Fauvel, claim £l7 59 for wages, in which, "judgment had been reserved till after the hearing of the embezzlement charge against Taylor in the Supreme Court. He eaid his client wanted the money, and if he was entitled to it it was hard to keep him out of it. His Worship said he had formed an opinion on the cage before the trial, but the question had arisen in his mind whether the disagreement of the jury at the trial had introduced a new element or not. Mr White (for defendants) said Taylor was still on trial. His Worhip's opinion was, that a conviction for embezzlement would bar a claim for wages then accruing, but not for wages due. The plaintiff was a monthly servant, end would have, he thought, a right to wages earned prior to the month current at the time of the alleged offence. It would be a monstrous thing if a man having a large sum of money due to him for wages should lose it for a small embezzlement; such a thing n?ight lead employers to get up charges of that kind against their employees. Mr Hameraley pointed out that the other side had no conviction to show as a bar. Mr White said a conviction was no bar. He had never argued that it was, but that continual embezzlement was a bar. After further argument, His Worship said he would take a little further time to consider the case, and as it turned on a point of law purely, he would be very glad to state a ca 96 for appealjif j either party desired it. I

Dissolving View Entertainment. Messrs McCaskey and Ennis gave their entertainment in the Volunteer Hall, Temuka, on Tuesday night, to a rather small audience. Those present appeared well satisfied with the entertainment provided.

The Footballers. The New Zsaland Football Team have returned from their tour in N.S.W., having taken all before them, '"'"r On their arrival at Wellington they were entertained at a dinser. The Auckland people have decided.to present their representatives with silver medals.

The Indebtedness of the Colony.— From the information attached to the Colonial Treasurer's statement, it is possible to give the exact indebtedness of the colony as a whole. The net debt of the colony, after deducting the sinking fund, is £29,574,902, involving an annual payment for interest and sinking fund of £1,548,651. The Counties, Boroughs, Road, Town, River, and Harbor Boards owe £4,193,995. regard to private indebtedness it appears there is a sum of £30,016,461 owing on mortgages, of which £15,018,904 is foreign capital and £14,997,557 colonial capital, while exclusive of mortgages the debts, deducting, the taxpayers on the property tax returns, amount to £13,040,000, and by nontaxable persons to about £1,500,000. This gives a total public indebtedness of £33,768,897 and a private indebtedness of nbout £44,556,461.

The G-eraldine Town Boakd.—ln the Gf-azette of June 16th, the Town District of G-eraldine is gazetted. The boundaries are described as follows :—All that area in the County of Geraldine bounded towards the north east by the north side of the North Town Belt of the township of Geraldine and the northern boundary line of section No. 14 of the said township of Geraldine ; towards the east by the eastern side of the "Waihi Terrace road to the southernmost corner of Keserve No. 755 ; thence towards the northwest by that reserve to the Waihi river j_, thence again towards the east by that river to a point in a line with the north-western boundary of section No. 10309, Block V., Greraldine Surrey District ; thence towards r the south-east by a right line to and by that *V section as far as section No. 9949 j towards the south-west and south-east by said section No. 9949 and section No. 10459 to Pye's road; thence again towards the south—west by the last mentioned road to section No. 16801; thence towards the north-west, generally by thac section and section No. 21616 to the Raukapuka Downs road ; thence across thaC road and by sections Nos. 8890 and 7456, all of the said Geraldine SurTey District to and across the North Town Belt aforesaid, as the said several boundaries are shown on the maps in the Survey Office, Christchurch". ,- Mr C. E. Sherratt has been appointed Eeturning Officer, and the 16th of July is appointed for the election of seven Commissioners. Never Return'. —It is said that one out o ? every four real invalids who go to foreign eouairiea to recovor health never return, oxci'pt as a corpse. Too undertakers, next t > the hotel-keepers, have the most profitable business. This excessive mortality may be prevented and patients saved and cured . under the care of friends and loved ones at homo, if they will but. use Sop Bitters in time. Bead Advfe. The Temuka Eoad Board invite tsndsrs for a number of works. Mr C. J. Eayner has a paddock, near Wheelband's nursery garden, to lee. Mr Alex. Frew invite 3 tenders for ploughing. Tenders close on Monday next. Messrs J. Mundell and Co., hold their next monthly sale of stock on 2nd July next. Tenders for widening and deepening drain for Mr D. Shaw close to-day. ' Kotjqh on Rats.'—Clears out rats, mice, roaches, flies, ants, bed-bugs, , beetles, insects, skunks, jack-rabbits, " gophers. Druggists. New Zealand Drug Co., General Agents. 2