LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1312, 7 March 1885, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Sporting. —At Melbourne on Thursday last, at the Y.R.C. Races, Ringwood won the Australian Cup, with sheet Anchor second, and Stornoway third.

The Survey Department. —A reduction is being made,in the Survey Department, Wellington, and thirty-five officers in various parts of the colony have received notice that their services are to be dispensed with. The saving to the colony will be about £IB,OOO. Drunk and Disorderly, A first offender was fined 5s or the usual alternative at the R.M. Court, Temuka, yesterday. Two more men suffering from the same compiairit werh locked 1 up and will figure in the same Court this morning.

Mechanics’ Institute, -The meeting of the Mechanics’ Institute members which was advertised to be held last Thursday evening to consider the advisability of closing the Institute on Sundays lapsed for the want of a quorum. This indicates that very little interest is taken in the matter notwithstanding all the noise made about it, New WashdykbSaletabds.— The new Sabyards built by the Company at the Washdyke were opened yesterday. Mr Moody, on behalf of the Chairman of Directors (Mr Balfour), delivered the opening address, and Mr K. F. Gray spoke on behalf of the auctioneers. Appropriate speeches were also delivered by Messrs J. T, Ford, E, R. Guineas and J. Mundell, all of whom spoke enthusiastically of the future of the yards. The entries of sheep and cattle were very large, and a good deal of stock changed hands at very satisfactory prices. The Temuka Brass Band.—A meeting of the members of the above was held lust Thursday evening in the Volunteer Hall. AH the members were present, and Mr E, Brown was voted to the chair. It was decided to invest the uniforms as well as the instruments in trustees, and to arrange for getting the loan of them from the trustees for service when the {Band joined the Volunteers. It was also decided that, according to the rules, five members of the Band should be exempt from drill. An inventory of the property of the Band was drawn up, which showed that the instruments were worth £75 and the uniforms £35, and an agreement was ordered to be drawn up as to the conditions under which the property would be handed over to the trustees. Suicide.—A great sensation was created in Temuka last Thursday evening, by the spreading of tho report that Mr W. R. Uprichard had committed suicide by taking poison. It appears that he went about two o’clock on that day and bought some strychnine at Mr Rayner's shop. He went over to his office, which is exactly opposite, and took about a teaspoonful of the poison. He shortly afterwards felt sick, and about 4 o’clock he went home, and his wife put him to bed. He„continued sick and vomiting until about 7 o’clock when he told his wife the cause of his sudden illness. Mrs Uprichard at once went for the police, and at her request Mr M. Scamiell went to look for Dr Hayes, who was soon afterwards in attendance. Dr Hayes applied the storoaolj pump, and hopes, bf the unfortunate man’s recovery were entertained. He passed the night as well as could be expected, but he got much worse early yesterday and died at 2 o’clock in tlie afternoon. He leaves a wife and four young children to mourn his'doss, and as it is said tho cause that led to the commission of the rash act was financial difficulties it is to be presumed they are poorly provided for, Mr Uprichard was a native of Belfast, Ireland, and came to Temuka many years ago. He was brought up as a draper and worked for a time in j limaru and also in Temuka in that j capacity. About 5 years ago he gave that | occupation up for the precarious one of commission agent, which lie followed up to the time of his death. An inquest will bo held this morning.

Raukapaku Licensing Court.— A sitting of tliis Court will take place in the Courthouse, Geraldine, on Monday, at II o’clock. Crown Lands Sale.— On the lst%pril, at tho Waste Lands Office, Christchurch, five sections in the township of Geraldine will be offered by public auction, the upset price being £l2. Geraldine Eoad Board. —The ordinary monthly meeting of this Board will be held in the office on Tuesday next at 10 a.m. Tenders for repairs to Thew’s bridge, Orari, and formation and drains, Barker’s Road, Waihi Downs, must be sent in before 10 a.m. on that day. Blight or Peaches.— The Woodville Examiner says : —The peach trees in the district hare suddenly sprung into life again. A few weeks ago they seemed all dead, and there is hardly a peach to be had this season in consequence. Doubtless the continued fine weather has a deal to be with the change for the better.

Railway Returns.— The following are the railway returns for the four weeks ended 21st January ; North Island : Receipts £26,043 Is Id ; expenditure £15,693 19s Id Middle Island : Receipts, £57,523 13s 4d; expenditure, £36,202 6s. Total receipts, £83,566 14s 6d ; total expenditure, £51,875 5s Id. Percentage of rerenue ; North Island 71.63 ; Middle Island 64,68 ; total, 66.61. The Excursion to Christchurch. Messrs J. Mundell and Co., coach proprietors, to suit the convenience of excursionists from Woodbury and Geraldine, will run coaches to and from the Orari on Thursday next. Intending passengers are requested to secure their tickets at the booking office, Geraldine, on or before Wednesday the 11th inst. For particulars see the advertisement in another column.

New Zealand Tobacco.— The products of the Auckland Tobacco Company are meeting with favor. Several brands of their goods have been placed in the southern markets, and they seem to give general satisfaction. The Auckland Star says Sir G, W. Des Voeux took 400 cigars of the “ Cupido” brand for use on tho way to England, expressing his opinion that they were the best cigars he had smoked in the colony. The Weather. —The weather has now fortunately taken a change for the better, yesterday being a splendid harvest day. The continued spell of wet weather has had an injurious effect on tho grain in stook, for although it has been too cold to cause the gram to .sprout, its colour will be effected. A correspondent writing from Fairlie Creek on Monday says;—“We are having a spell of sou’-west weather, which, as moat of the grain is in stook, it is to be hoped will soon change for the better,” Cheap Excursion to England.—A Melbourne weekly is responsible for the following It is reported on good authority that a certain large shipping firm are desirous of placing six largo ocean steamers for excursion trips to London, so that all may have an opportunity of visiting the International Exhibition at cheap rates. It is proposed that first-class tickets only be issued and at the rate of £25 for return tickets available for two months, the only condition imposed being that the agents should be guaranteed 500 passengers for each steamer. Temuka Rifle Volunteers. The monthly meeting of the above was held last night, at which there was a good muster. Captain Hayhurst occupied the chair. The minutes of the meeting held to consider the proposal of taking over the Temuka Brass Band were confirmed. Tl*e Captain stated he had received a letter from the trustees of the Band in which they agreed to let the Company have the use of the instruments and uniforms for volunteer purposes. At the end of the meeting Mr Barker attended and swore in the members of the, Band as well as six new recruits.

Inquest. —An Inquest was held on the body of Margaret Gleeson, at Waitohi, yesterday, before J. Beswick, Esq., Coroner, and a jury. The evidence was to the same effect as already stated, viz., that while coming down stairs with a bucket of water she fell. This happened on Tuesday, and at about 3 o’clock on Wednesday afternoon Dr Hayes was called in. She died about an hour after the arrival of the doctor. The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental Death,” and added a rider to the effect that “Mr Gleeson, licensee of the Hotel and son of the deceased, was much to blame for not calling in medical aid sooner.” Federation. —The following cable message in regard to the Federation question ha* been sent by the Hon. Mr Stout, Premier of New Zealand to the Premier of Victoria “ After due consideration, the Cabinet has resolved to send the following to the AgentGeneral For us to have agreed to the Bill would be to defeat the vote of the House of Representatives on the Federal Bill. Until Parliament meets I cannot speak outhoritatively. Our views are the same as were expressed in the resolutions proposed to the House. We object to the Bill alio as altered by the Colonial Office on the ground of its interference with the autonomy of the colonies in not allowing the colony to reject or adopt the laws passed by the Council. We think the Bill should be postponed until the colonies are better agreed.” FußEziNct Companies Oonpebbnoe,—A conference of delegates from the Freezing Companies of New Zealand toot place in Christchurch on Thursday last, there being a large attendance. Messrs E, Acton and E. Elworthy represented the S.O. Company, A resolution was carried to the effect hat lid per lb and 10 per cent primage is the highest rate of freight the trade can at present afford, and a hope was expressed that no difficulty would be found in getting the Shipping Company to meet these views. It was also resolved—“ That this Conference is of opinion that in consequence of the unsatisfactory results of the present system of selling frozen meat in England, it is absolutely necessary in the interests of sheep growers in New Zealand that steps be taken to arrange for the disposal of meat in a more satisfactory way Therefore, in order to place the trade on a proper footing, it is highly desirable, in the interests of the Now Zealand frozen meat trade, that tho consignees in London should elect from their number a Committee for the purpose of controlling and regulating all matters in connection with the disposal of the meat ; that the Directors of tho Canterbury Frozen Meat Company and the New Zealand Refrigerating Company be requested to take steps to induce shippers here to give the nccssary instructions to their respective consignees, and to draw up a memorandum setting forth in detail the nature of the action to be taken and the remuneration to be paid to the said Committee of consignees. Further, it is suggested that a suitable person should, if possible, be sent Home to facilitate tho organisation of the Committee of consignees, and, if necessary, to remain there, carrying out the views of the Conference, all expenses to be made a pro rata charge on the meat passing through the hands of the Committee.” A resolution was then passed that each Freezing Compahy should be asked to confirm tho resolutions, and the meeting terminated.

The Lion and hue Cubs. —The Watchman has the following :—The young Lions haye began to feel their strength and show their teeth. Imperceptibly, unheeded almost by the world at large, they have gathered strength, and now with a bound they suddenly come forward, full of lusty rigorous life. What is the cause of this sudden commotion among the young Lions ? Is it that they see the old Lion, she who gate them birth, sore pressed by a horde of baser animals, and they see and hear others plotting the old Lion’s downfall ? True to their noble instincts, now that their bodies are matured and their teeth grown, at the first note of distress from tha old Lion, with one accord they turn towards her and rush to her assistance. Tha acceptance by the old British Lion of the assistance offered by her eldest Australian cub, marks a new era in English History : it inaugurates, if we mistake not, a truly Imperial era.

Mr K, F. Gray, Temuka, advertises a first-class milk walk for sale.

Messrs J, Mundell and Co. hold s sale of household furniture and effects on the premises of Mr Mills, Geraldine, to-day. Mr K. F. Gray will hold a clearing sale of live stock and farm produce on the farm (" Th# Willows”) occupied by Mr J. R. Leask. Mr Leask has sold the farm and is leaving the district.