LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1298, 3 February 1885, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Eoad Board. The monthly meeting of this Board takes place to day. This Wesleyan Church.— The Rev. D. Thomas has been appointed to the Temuka circuit of the Wesleyan Church. The Bey. B. F. Bothwell goes to Gore. The Customs. —The Customs returns at Timaru for the month of January amounted to £1437 18s 7d. For the corresponding month of 1884 the amount was £1466 8s 4d. Choir Picnic. —The choir of St, Mary’s Church, Geraldine, will hold their annual picnic on Wednesday next, at Woodsido, the residence of Mr W. U. Slack. A coach will leave Mclllwraith’s corner at ten o’clock, Licensing- Committees. —ln our laet issue we gave the result of the nominations of Licensing Committees for the Temuka and Geraldine districts. The official announce, mants will be found in cur advertising eolumns. Geraldine Town Board, —The ordinary meeting of the Geraldine Town Board will be held to-morrow evening in their offices, ot half-past seven. Tenders for the lease of reserves within the Town District will be considered at this meeting. County Works. —ln our advertising eolumns the Geraldine County Council invite tenders for re-decking the Temuka Bridge, re-decking Geraldine bridge, and tarring and painting Opihi Bridge, Tenders close on Wednesday next. Timaru Harbor Board.— The Returning Officer for the Mount Peel Road District, Mr Robert Irvine, notifies that Mr John Talbot, being the only candidate nominated, has been declared duly elected to represent that district on the Timaru Harbor Board, Fatal Accident.— A. son of Mr Thomas Cosgrave who is in charge of Mr James King’s farm, Mount Horrible,was found drowned in a creek near the farmhouse on Saturday afternoon. It is supposed that the child, who was only two years of age, was playing beside the stream and fell in. Geraldine Road Board. —Tenders are invited by (this Board for shingling Pye’s road, Raukapuka Bush. Specifications are to be seen at the office, where tenders are to be sent, endorsed with number of contract, not later than 10 a.m. on Tuesday the 10th inst. Auction Sale. —Messrs J. Mundoll and Co. hold their monthly stock sale at Geraldine to-morrow, entries for which will be found in our advertising columns. A special entry of a horse, druy and harness is also advertised, and ot the conclusion of the sale of stock, Messrs Mun-lell and Co., will sell a large quantity of household furniture, o c. At His Old Tricks. — A causal correspondent to the Melbourne Bulletin, writing from India, says;—“Ben Allah performed one night in Bombay, and secured a gooij house ‘on his gift bill,’ but a a»nber of the audience wishing to interview him, lie quietly got out by the back way, and took steamer for Colombo. His natural ; bashfulnes* placed the desired interview out of the question. He seems (o be pretty considerably broken up, having bad a severe attack of fever in that delightful Dutch-forsaken place ycDpfc Acheen.” Railway Excursions.— The railway excursions recently planned by Mr Back from Christchurch having proved so successful, it has been determined to continue them as long us the public give their support. Two take place this week one from Christchurch to the Wnimaknriri Gorge and Oxford on Tuesday, and a second from the same place for Timaru on Thursday. The return fares are 7s 6d first-class and 5s second. Timaru should have such an influx of visitors from the City of the Plains on Thursday as it has never before known. It may be mentioned that this train does not stop at intermediate station?. It will reach Timaru at 1 o’clock and start on the return to Christchurch at 6, arriving there at 10. The Christchurch Telegraph notes that great difficulty always exists in procuring tickets for excursion?, the prevailing method of passing in single file opposite the ticket office being far too slow, and advocates that tickets for the trip should be procurable at various places in the city.

Fibb in Timabu.— Yesterday in Timaru, about one o’clock, a gorse fence between the V properties of Messrs Wakefield and Smith at ' the Southern end of the town was found to be on fire, and the fire-bell at the police station was rung. The fire brigade was quickly at the scene and extinguished the fire before much damage was done. Onb Wat op Squaring Accounts.— At the Christchurch Police Court the other day, a Chinaman was brought up charged with the larceny of a chair, the property of Margaret Pender. The accused was a hawker of vegetables, and let Mrs Pender have goods to the value of 2s fid on credit. On calling for the money, he was requested by the prosecutrix to call again as she bad no change. At this he became vsry indignant, and sailing a chair which stood near ho ran off with it. The chair was, however, afterwards returned. After hearing the evidence the Magistrate dismissed the case, but informed the accused that although such a simple way of settling accounts might do for China it would not do in New Zealand. The Chinaman was ordered to pay the costs of an interpreter who had been engaged in the case. The Annexation of Fiji and Samoa.— The Governor of Fiji, Sir W. Dec Yceux, who recently arrived in Auckland, has given his opinion as to the annexation of Fiji and Samoa to New Zealand. He believes that to connect Fiji with New Zealand would be a great mistake on the part of the latter, and is satisfied that within two or three years of its accomplishment a great majority of all parties in this colony would come to regard it as such. He deems it impossible that the interest of 120,000 natives and colored laborers can ever be computed on all fours with those of 200 or 300 whites. If the latter were not principally regarded, they would through their friends be able to cause no inconsiderable embarrassment to the Government; whilst if they were so regarded a considerable garrison of troops would be required, which would absorb so much of the revenue of Fiji as to render necessary a large subsidy on the part of New Zealand. He says the annexation of Samoa would be a far greater mistake, and thinks that the best policy of this colony is to concentrate its capital and energies upon the development of its own vast resources, and he believes that in this way it will obtain a tar greater benefit from the Islands of the Western Pacific than if the whole of them were subject to its control Tenders for harvesting 80 acres for Col. Bayley, Moana, Geraldine, close on Thursday Tenders for harvesting for Mr O. Boutcher, Gapes’ Valley, close on Thursday. Mr John Blissett, Winchester, offers' a reward of 20s for the recovery of a dark brown gelding hack.