LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1340, 14 May 1885, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Grain Season.—The number of sacks of grain received by rail at Tiraaru up to the 9th inst. was 108,403, and by road 35,327, making a grand total of 153,730. Meeting at Mount Peel. —A meeting of the ratepayers in the Mount Peel Road Distirct in reference to the closing of certain roads, takes place to-morrow in the Mount Peel Road Board Office at 2 p.m.

The Late Mr J, Kennedy’s Estate. —Messrs Mundell and Co. announce that on the 28th May they will sell the freehold property of the late Mr John Kennedy. situated at Orari, Hilton, Geraldine, and Kakahu ; also horses, cattle, and sheep. Cay airy Enrolment. —On Monday evening a meeting was held in the Bush Hotel, Geraldine, for the purpose of enrolling the Geraldine Contingent of the Canterbury Yeomanry Oavdry. Captain Wright (from Titnaru) was present, and duly enrolled seven members. On Tuesday they were drilled for an hour or two by Captain Wright.

The Oamabu Election.—The nomination of candidates for representing Oamam in the House of Representatives took place yesterday. The candidates proposed were Lord Beidhaven (defeated candidate at last election) and T, W. Hislop (former member of the House). The show of hands was in favor of Mr Hislop. A poll was demanded by Lori Reidhavon. Police Surveillance. The following order has been issued to the Police of Wellington by Inspector Shearman :—" When young girls or lads are observed by the Police about the streets under suspicious circumstances at unreasonable hours after dark, their names and addresses should be taken and a report made of the same, in order that their parents or guardians may be informed. Discretion should be observed in not interfering with any who may be in company with persons of mature age who are capable of looking after them properly.” Oxford Nursery, Temuka.—Mr Geo. Smith, the Manager for Mr Wheelband (now on a visit to the Old Country), draws attention through our advertising columns to the large and varied assortment of fruit and forest trees now to be seen at the Oxford Nursery, Temuka, which he is offering at a gieat sacrifice, the nursery being overcrowded. The planting season is at hand, and doubtless planters will take advantage of the special inducements held out and purchase at the local nursery. Attention » drawn to the special collection of apples now on view.

Temuka Park Board. The usual monthly meeting of the above Board was held yesterday in the Town Board office. Present—Messrs Gray (Chairman), and Aspinall. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The caretaker’s report for the past month was read and approved. Mr G. Phillips wrote offering to rent a portion of the Park. The letter was deferred for consideration to a full meeting. A letter was read from the Secretary (Mr Bolton) resigning his position, and thanking the Board for past kindness. Accounts to the amount of £9 34s fid were passed for payment. Ths meeting then adjourned.

Proposed Irish Volunteer Corps.— The list containing the names of those willing to he enrolled in the proposed Temuka Irish Volunteer Corps was forwarded by Mr B, D. O’flalloran yesterday to Wellington. It contains 52 names, and there are several others who have signified their intention of joining but are living at too great a distance away at the present lime to get their signatures. It is expected that at least the corps will have a membership of 60, if they are accepted. The prospects of acceptance, however, appear to be rather gloomy, as there are ninety offers in before them, according to the latest accounts, and the Government have not arms enough to supply them all.

The Law on Attempted Suicide.— At the Police Court Christchurch, the other day, a man named John Stephen Stanbury was brought up on remand from Amborley, charged with attempted suicide, when the following conversation took place:—lnspector Pender —The accused, who was cook on Cheviot station, and had been drinking heavily, stabbed himself—cut his throat. His Worship—That was very foolish of him! Inspector Pender—Constable Whitty will be able to give you all information about it. His Worship —Well, what do, you want us to do ? We are not going to commit him or anybody else on that charge. He has committed an offence against common law, it is true, but if sent for trial he would not be convicted. Is there nothing else againit the man ? Inspector Ponder ; That 11 all. His Worship : Oh, let him go, [To prisoner].— You can go —you are discharged. The prisoner, who was a mm in the prime of life, but who looked to be in a weak state, then left the dock and the Court,—Press.

Salk ob Pigs.—Mr K. F. Gray holds hi* annual sale of pigs at Temuka, to-day. He advertises several hundred, and receives further entries up to hour of sale. Litkbat Institute, Geraldine. A meeting of the Committee of the Literary Institute, Geraldine, will be held in the Institute this evening at half-past seven. Geraldine Road Board. —At a special meeting of the newly-elected Road Board, held on Monday (at which there were present Messrs Slack, Postlothwaile, DeRenzy, Kelland and Flatman), the election of a chairman for the ensuing year was proceeded with, and Mr W. U. Slack was unanimously re-elected. Mr Shiers was reappointed Clerk and Overseer at his present salary of £250 per annum, this amount to cover all the Board’s work. The meeting then adjourned till the 9th June at 10 a,tn.

Local Option,—The poll, in accordance with the Licensing Act, to determine whether the ratepayers were in favour of an increase in the number of publicans’ or accomodation licenses during the next three years in the Temuka Licensing District, took place last Monday, the result being against any increase. Very little interest was evinced in the poll. The following is the way the Toting went: — Publicans' Licenses—For increase ; Temuka 8, Waitohi 0, Winchester 5, total 13 ; Against: Temuka 23, Waitohi 3, Winchester 2, total 28. Accomodation Licenses—For increase : Temuka 8, Waitohi 1, Winchester 4, total 13 ; Against: Temuka 23, Waitohi 2, Winchester 3, total 28. Blue Ribbon Aemt.—A meeting of the Committee of the Blue Ribbon Army of Temuka was held at the residence of the Secretary on Tuesday evening last. Present; Rev. T. A. Hamilton (in the chair), Rev. E. Macintosh, Messrs J. Brown, G. Darey, Dimond, Metson, Fletcher, McCaskill, Bussell (Treasurer), and Cooper (Secretary). Letters were read from Mr R. T. Booth offering to address a public meeting in Temuka on Thursday evening, the 28th inst., and, as an immediate reply was required, the Secretary reported that be had, after consultation with the President, accepted the offer and had called the present meeting that they might confirm his action or otherwise, and if they confirmed it to make the necessary arrangements. The Secretary’s action was approved, and the following arrangements made : —“ That the Treasurer and Secretary see to the advertising “ That tickets be printed and sold at Is each : no one except members of the choir to be admitted without a tickets“ That a letter be written to Mr Booth to ask him to extend his visit by one or two nights" That Sankey’s hymns be used, with Band accompaniments;” and “that the President (Mr Hamilton) be the Chairman.” Other matters of detail having been settled, the meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the Chairman.

Burnt to Death.—A sad occurrence happened at Shirley, three and a half miles from Christchurch,*on Tuesday afternoon, a child being burnt to death. The parents a laborer named Briggs and his wife, left the two-roomed cottage they occupied about 10 tun. Their three children, the eldest a boy aged 4 years and 3 months, remained behind. The door was latched but not locked, and a coal fire was left burning in the grate. Mrs Briggs returned at 2 p.m., and on entering the house found it full of smoke. On the floor lay the eld esc child dead, his body charred almost to a cinder, while beside him lay the youngest child, a boy 11 months old, severely burnt about the lower part of the body. The third child, two years old, was standing in a corner of the room uninjured. Mrs Briggs screamed for assistance, and Mr R. R. P. Hill, who lives close by, came, and after doing what he could, rode off and fetched Dr Townend, by whose advice the infant was removed to the Hospital, where he now lies in a precarious state. A hole a foot in diameter was burned in the floor where the body of the dead child was lying, and a smaller hole near by. It is supposed that bis clothes caught Are at the grate, and that he rolled about the room till he died. The deceased’s name was James Joel Briggs. Magellan Straits.—The following extract from a private letter just received by the mail from a late resident in Christchurch, who went home in the R.M.S. Tongariro, may not ba uninteresting “ The most interesting part of the voyage, and the most wonderful, was the passage through the Magellan Straits ; and if people only knew what they gained by going by the N.Z.S, Company’s line through this wonderful scenery, the ’Frisco line, as regards passengers, would, 1 think, very soon be a thing of the past. The first view you get when sighting the Straits is a vast snowfield lying in the hills, of course many miles off. On the north side of the entrance is a long line of hills, and on the south you can clearly see Cape Horn, and many rocks standing alone far away at sea. The channel at the entrance is very narrow, as it is in many parts going through ; indeed in one or two places, where there happens to bo a turning, you begin_ to think you are going to be dashed against the cliffs. On either side of these wonderful Straits you see vast snowfields and glaciers, coming, in some parts, down to the water’s edge. These are interspersed with beautiful waterfalls; and altogether the sight is one which can never be forgotten.”— Press. New. Grand Old Man.—Sir George Grey addressed hit constituents &t Auckland last Monday evening. He praised the action of New South Wales in sending troops to the Soudan, tnd regretted New Zealand had not adopted a similar course. He urged that this colony should prepare to 1 defend itself by bringing into existence a colonial force of volunteers and giving them a fair capitation allowance. He condemned the Government for having added to the Legislative Council and thus added to expense. He also said the war between England and Russia must come sooner or later, and we ought to be prepared for it. He referred to the land syetem of Canterbury, and to the fact that Mr Ballance had acknowledged that the commercial stagnation wasjthe result of it. He denounced Mr Ballance’s leasing system, which would make the tenants the serfs of runholders. If the people of Auckland left him (Sir G. Grey) in his present position he would bring in a Bill to compel every owner of 1000 acres to keep a laborer ; also a measure to inquire into past land purchases ; to purchase some of the lands at fair rate; to protect innocent purchasers of Crown-granted lands; to trace out evil-doers, and to recover all lands the State had been robbed off. He next referred to the district railways. Six days after Mr Stout gob into office the Waimea Plains Railway affair was brought on. The charges of dishonesty made by both sides in the House in regard to the matters, rendered it neoeasary that the Waimea Plains Railway Bill should not pass till the present Government were put out |of office, as they were largely interested in it. It was the duty of the Premier on coming into office to hare made an investigation into the scandalous charges bandied about of Parliamentary corruption and robbery in connection with the District Railways. Mr Stout might say that the men was impracticable who kept to one beaten path, and never diverged therefrom, but so long as he lived

he would continue to act as ht had dons, and to pursue the course he had hitherto followed.

1.0.G.T., Geraldine. —The usual meeting of the Welcome R»treat Lodge, No. 44, was held in the Hall on Monday evening last. The Lodge was opened in due form by Bro. G. H. Patrick, W.C.T. The roll of officers was called and the following declared absent; W.1.G., W.D.M., W.L.H.S, One candidate was proposed for membership, and, being in altendance, was duly initiated as a member. The usual routine of business having been gone through, the Lodge was closed in duo form by the W.C.T. at 8.30 p.m. The meeting was then opened to the public. Bro. G. H. Patrick occupied the chair, and rhe following programme was gone through, Bro. T. Sherratt accompaning most of the singers on the har monium:—Overture, “Buonaparte’s Grand March,” Bros. Gibson and Sherratt; song, “ We’d Better Bide a Wee,” Sister E. Beckley ; comic song, Bro. T. Bateman, encored sang “My Grandmother’s Old Arm Chair”; reading, “The Sailor’s Bible,” Mr G. 0. Manning ; song, “Do they Think of Me at Home,” Sister E, M. Porleous, and in response to an encore “No, Sir” ; recitation, “Wreck of the Ship Akbar in the Timaru Roadstead,” Miss E. Freeman; song, “Her Bright Smile Haunts me Still,” Mr J. Thatcher, who responded to an encore with “ She Left me with a Bunch of Watercress. ” Refreshments were then handed round by the Sisters, kindly provided by Bros, J. Quinn and J. Brown. After this the entertainment was resumed—Song, “ Wait till the Clouds Roll by, Jennie,” Bro. E. Logan, encored, and responded to with “By Studying Economy I Live Like a Lord.” A Temperance Address by th Rev. H. Clark was listened to with rapt attention. Duet, “ Over the Summer Sea,” Mr and Mrs Manning. This was the best item of the evening ; song, “ Where is now the Merry Party,” Sister E. Beckley ; song, “ The Cottage by the Sea,” Mr J. Thatcher, who also sang as an encore “ The Rose of Allandale,” both of which were very well rendered ; song, “ Fair, Fair with Golden Hair,” Sister A. Beckley. Mrs Manning played several selections on the harmonium in her well- ; known style. Comic Song, Bro, T. Freeman. Bro. T. Sherratt then proposed a hearty vote of thanks to those who had kindly assisted during the evening, more especially to those who had come from a long distance to oblige the Lodge. He also intimated that the next open meeting would be in four weeks, and the Lodge hoped to be able to present a better programme than they had that evening as it was got up very hastily, and the Lodge Choir had not time to practice anything for that occasion, The vote of thanks being put to the meeting was carried unanimously. The singing of the National Anthem brought a very pleasant evening’s entertainment to a close at 10.15 p.m.

Strange Insubbobdination.— Who has not experienced a sort of maladr when all tho faculties seem in rebellion and labour is absolutely impossible ? It is a condition of nerves and stomach and brain that can only be cured by the use of that irresistible remedy American Co.’s Hop Bitters. Read advt.

Thomas Talbot, of Waitohi, farner, has filed a petition to be adjudged a bankrupt. Mr W. G. Aspinall is his solicitor. Mr A, saddler and, harness, maker, near”' King’s stables, Timaru, announces that he has a large and superior stock of horse clothing in stock, and is prepared to make corers, etc., to order. Mr Maxwell inrites inspection, and notifies that he deals liberally with cash customers. Highway Bobbibt Almost, to sell the poisonous, drunken, purging stuff as medicine to honest men, innocent women and harmless children to,weaken and destroy their systems and health, when pure harmless Hop Bitters that cures always and continually at a trifling cost. Ask Druggists or Physicians. Bead Advt.