LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1497, 24 April 1886, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Lath Tbaik.— The express train proceeding North yesterday wai an hour later than usual. ChRISXOHURCK Letter. A very interesting letter from our special correspondent in Christchurch, will be found on our first page. Meeting of Ratepayers.— The annual meeting of the ratepayers in the Mount Peel Road District will take place on Saturday next, the Ist May, at noon. The Taiaeoa. A telegram from Kekerungua reports'The hull of the Taiaroa is broken in two at the main hatch. She is breaking up fast, and cargo and wreckage is washing ashore 1

R.M. Court.—Monday next, 26th April, being Easter Monday, there will be no sitting of the R.M. Court at Geraldine. Grain Returns,—During the five days ended Thursday lest 3380 sacks of grain were forwarded from th* Temuka Railway Station, One thousand nine hundred and sixty-five bags remained on hand on the same date. Woodbury Racks.—We again remind our readers that these races take place next Monday, and if the weather proves fine a visit to them should prove moat enjoyable. Correction. Through an accidental transposition of figures in writing out the report of the Vestry meeting of St. Mary's Church, Geraldine, it was made to appear that the amount collected for the stipend f und was £286 instead of £268, which is the correct amount. The Holidays.—The trains during the last few dais have been crowded with h did ay makers, the special to Dunedin, and the express to Christchurch on Thursday afternoon, particularly so. Several parties left IVmuka for varices parta of the district on shooting intent. Mount Reel Road Hoard Election.— The Returning Officer for the Mount Peel Road District, Mr Robert Irvine, announces that an el,cion of the members of the Board will take place on the 7th May. Candidate* must be nominated before the Ist VI ay, nomination forms being supplied by Mr Irvine, The Mrlvtllb Hotel.—The Melville Hotel, Timaru, has again changed hands, Mr William Moore being now the proprietor. It i» being completely refurnished, and, although the hotel hss always borne a firtT-olass reputation for the accommodation it hss afforded its patrons, Mr Moore has decided to considerably enlarge it. The liquois are firstclass ; there i« a good billiard-room, and stabling and paddocking for 40 or 50 horses. Harbor Board.—At the Timaru Harbor Board on Wedmsday last, after consideration of the .Engineer’s report, it wao decided to decline tbe Oamaru Horbor Board’* offer of a half share in their dredge, as it could only dredge to 24 feet, and to order a dredge from Homo at a cost of £4OOO. The dtanding Committee’s report was read and adopted. The Committee among other things suggested that the Board should fir. up the Engineer’s office and store as a Board office at a cost of £64 10s. The annual saving to the Board will be £52. The Harbor Mas:er was authorised to order the articles that he stated in his report he required. Mr J. Bruoe applied for a site on the foreshore for an oatmeal mill, and the matter was referred to tbe Standing Committee to deal with, fix price and call for tenders, with power to accept one if suitable. Accounts to the amount of £6552 15s 2d were passed for payment and the Board adjourned. Ashburton Cheese Factory. —At a special general meeting of the shareholders in this Company last Wednesday a resolution was proposed that the Company should be voluntarily wound up. The Chairman el plained that the present liabilities of the Company amounted to about £4600, and th* moveable assets to £1,600. £247 10s were still due from the shareholders on the second shares. £4OOO was due to the Bank, which had to bo settled by a given date. The loss during the fi-st year’s operations of the Company had amounted to £1785 17s 7d, and since that time the Company had not been able to recover from it. A clear profit of £lO per ton had been made on the cheese turned out during the past season, but the Company bad also gone into bacon-curing, and thi* account showed a serious deficiency, An amendment was proposed to the effect that the Directors should prepare a detailed statement of the position of the Company but was negatived, the original motion being carried by a majority of 15 votes. A special meeting of the shareholders will be held on May Ist to confirm this resolution. The endeavor of the Company to secure the Government bonus forthe fist 50 tons of cheese manufactured in the colony had not a litfle to do with the present difficulties of the Company. A Query. —We have received the following letter: —“ Mr Editor, Appreciating your courtesy towards Ignoramus, I venture to ask if you, or some of your numerous readers, will inform me what b;cameoftbo noted Lady Hamilton’s children (as I think there were two). Nelson, the hero of Trafalgar, we read of, but the one thatconqueied him, and made slaves of others, we can only mention England's beauty (Mary Queen of 8co(e excepted).-Vulcan.” We must confess that we are completely “bowled out” by this letter. We have shown no courtesy to any “ Ignoramus j” we don’t do business with ’hem, and no “Ignoramus has yet published a letter in our columns. Our correspondent is not very clear with regard to Lady Hamilton. From his letter one would infer that Lord Nelson waa a son of Lady Hamilton, whereas the relationship which existed between them was altogether of a different nature. Historians accuse Nelson of intimacy with Lady Hamilton during the lifetime of her husband, Sir William, and he died commending Lady Hamilton and his daughter to the English na'ion to take care of. Th* English nation did not do so, and Lady Hamilton, who began her life as a s-rvant, died in extreme poverty in Calais ia 1815. What became of her children we cannot tell, only that Nelson was not one of them. Hospital and Charitable Aid.—At a meeti >g of the South Canterbury Charitable Aid Board on Wednesday evening, a cheque for £5 was received from Mr T. O’Driscoll. The Secretary of the Dunedin Diocesan Trust Fund (Mr Amger) wrote forwarding the sum of £ls, the amount, of dividend due on Match 81st, from the Russell Trust Fund, Dr Hayes sent in an account for services rendered in assisting at an operation performed at the Hospital, and it was considered. The account had been previously received, but the Board bad decided not to entertain it. The Secretary said that he had not forwarded that resolution to Dr Hayes, as he understood the Board considered it unnecessary to do so. After some discussion it was resolved to adhere to the former decision, and the Secretary was instructed to inform Dr Hayes of that fact. Returns showing the recipients of charitable aid in tbe district during the four month* *nding March 81, were laid on the table as follows »—Timaru (town), 57; Levels, 30 j Temuka, 51 \ Geraldine, 26; Waimate (town), 40; Waimate (outside), 26 ; Burnham (deserted children), 10 ; Total 240. The return for the same period in 1885 was 245. A large number of applications fot relief were dealt with. Several people applied for money, instead of rations, and a discussion arose or this question, in tbe course of which it was stated that under the old regime it was usual to grant money to people in the outside districts instead of rations. This Board had changed the system to a certain extent, by giving rations in some instances and money in others, Objections bad come from the Geraldine County and not from Tim* r h and its immediate suburbs, It was ultimately resolved —“That the system at present ip force re distribution of charitable aid, be unaltered, aod that each recipient be furnished with a printed form of contract the same as the storekeeper,’

Geraldine Monthly Stock Sale.— Messrs J. Mundell and Go. announce that they are now receiving entries for this sale, which takes place on Wednesday, 6th May. Clearing Sale at Obari. advertising columns will be found full particulars regarding the sale by Messrs J. Mundell and Co,, of James Grsgg Esq.’s lire and dead stock at Oakley Earm, on April 30. The sale is u most important one. The East and West Coast Railway.— Mr C. C. Bowen has received the following cablegram from Mr H. A. Scott, the West Coast railway delrgal# in London: —"Company registered; requisite capital underwritten. Directory: Sir Charles Clifford, Messrs Thos. Salt, Horns (? Hoare), Hilton, Barnett, and Davis.” The Rate at which Rabbits Increase. —Doubt has been thrown upon the statement that h pair of rabbits will in a twelvemonth multiply many thousand times. But this doubt should bt removed by the statements published in recent reports issued by the chief inspectors of rabbits in Victoria and New South Wales. The Victorian inspector states that two rabbits will, under favorable circumstances, in three years multiply to 4,000,000, The chief inspector in New South Wales goes far beyond this calculation, and estimates the increase from a pair for three yearsjat 13,000,000. A Charge op Arson.— N. Mitchell, formerly proprietor of the Zealandia Carpet Factory, was committed for trial last Thursday evening at Christehurch on asbarge of having set fire to the factory with intent to defraud the South British Insurance Company. A witness named Richardson swore that shortly before the fire Mitchell had offered him £4O to burn the factory down. Richardson informed the agent of the Insurance Company of the fact, without, however, mentioning any names. Other witnesses stated that before the fire Mitchell 1 had removed two pattern machines of the looms from the factory, and that it was impossible to tell his financial position from his books, as they only tell vrhat went out and not what came in. Geraldine Town Board.— The special meeting of this Board, called for the purpose of ratifying the previous resolution of the Board to strike a rale of Is in thb '£, was held on Thursday evening at the Board’s office. Present—Messrs R, H. Pearpoint (Chairman), J. Mundell, W. Maslin, J. Huffey, N. Dunlop, and R. Taylor. The Chairman stated the purpose for which the meeting had been called, and asked someone to move a resolution confirming the previous resolution of the Board. After a short conversation, in which Messrs Taylor and Dunlop spoke of the rate as being too high, it was proposed by Mr Maslin, seconded by Mr Mundell, and carried—“ That the resolution passed at the previous meeting of the Board be confirmed.” This being all the business of the meeting, the Board rose. Pigeon Matches,— A series of pigeon matches were held at Ashburton last Wednesday afternoon, which were well attended. Mr F. Hill proved the winner of the first two matches, Mr Baker the winner of the second, and Mr J. Hill and Mr Frieby of the third. There was a large number of birds provided. A lad named Leeson broke his leg just above the ankle while pursuing a wounded bird. The Ashburton Guardian, in a leading article, condemns —but none too strongly—the sport. The article concludes“ Yesterday afternoon no less than 17 wounded pigeons—some with broken legs, others with broken wings, and a few partially disemboweled—were picked up in a paddock adjoining the shooting ground by the children of one family. How many other wretched birds are now dying lingering deaths in ditches and hedge-rows we are unable to say—we are afraid to think ; but if the gentlemen who took part in yesterday’s matches will give a few moments’ serious thought, we believe tbeir sense of humanity, their appreciation of true manly sport a* opposed to wanton cruelty, will induce them to display their skill as markmen in some more innocent and sportsmanlike manner.” Temperance Addeessis. Mr Thomas Seatree delivered bis second address in the Good Templars’ Hall, Geraldine, on Wednesday evening. Mr Bridges occupied the chair. Oa this occasion Mr C. E. Sherratt had a small choir composed of some of the scholars attending the Primitive Methodist Sunday School. Ths attendance, though better than on the previous evening, was not a large oae, no doubt owing to the fact that a camp fire was announced to be lighted at the volunteer camp, and this being a novelty in Geraldine attracted a goodly number of those who might otherwise have been present. The subject of the lecture was “ Some of the men we have mat with ; or, History teaching experience.” —Mr Seatree concluded bis course of lectures in Geraldine on Thursday evening, his subject being “ London by Night." The audience was slightly larger than on the two previous occasions, though the hall was by no means crowded. The Rer. Jesse Boothroyd occupied the chair. The lecturer described a great deal that is to be seen in the great city at night—much, indeed, that it is to be hoped may never be seen in these colonies. To some of the older portion of his audience the scenes that ho depicted were familiar, while to the younger portion, at any rate, who have never seen a great city, the lecture was a revelation. Mr Seatree again pointed out the evils of intemperance, and urged upon his hearers the necessity of becoming total abstainers. Thb Cultivation of Linseed.— The following communication on the subject of linseed growing, by Mr M'Carthy, is made to theTapanui Courier ;—“I have got 10 or 15? tons of linseed this year. I produced that quantity from very few acres of land ; and the same land would neither grow oats nor wheat. Linseed will grow anywhere in this district. The land here reminds me of that in the north of Ireland, where they grew linseed on a large scale. seasons there are, as here, very late, and cold and wet. Linseed will stand any kind of weather. It is a late crop, to be sown in spring, and comes in early for cutting. It can be sown in the latter end of September or the beginning of October, and is ready for cutting in the middle of February. Linseed is the crop for the farmers to grow. If cut by the reaper, you can grow linseed on the same ground for years in succession. Two years from now we will 1 be able to have plenty of linseed factories instead of dairy factories. X would advise anyone who is sowing linseed to put in fresh seed. The quantity sown to the acre is 301 b. In cutting it you do not require many men, as from 12 to 16 acres a day can be cut with one of Reid and Gray’s reaping machines, and it needs no tying or stooking. After being three days cujb it is fit for stacking. One team with two men will stack 20 acres per day, at the rate of 50 bushels to the acre ; and it takes only four men to thresh it with a mill. Thi? will giye yoq a good idea that there is leas expense attached to it than any other crop grown, The cnaff frorp the mill is worth £8 alone for horse*feed, I intend to sow 200 acres of it this year.’ (

In another column we publi ah an advertisement of Mr A. Fraaer, coaohbuilder, Timaru. A apeoimen of Mr Fraser's work came recently to Tamuka. It ia a splendidly* furnished gig made to the order of Mr Charlei Story, and ia in erery way creditably turned out. It ia yery lightly Jbut strongly built, handsomely mounted, and has steel tires on the wheels. It is what is known as the commercial gig, and its great feature ia lightness and strength. Attention is directed to the advertisement of Mr A. Maxwell, saddler and harness maker, Timaru, which appears in another column. Mr Maxwell has been only a little more than a year in Timaru. He bought out Mr Crawford, and when he started he had hardly enough work to keep two bands going —now be employs six bands, and very fre* quently more. No one would think that the business was capable of such expansion a* >■; this, but it gives evidence of what perseverance, and good business habits cany do. Mr Maxwell spent money freely on advertising, he established branch places of business in the outlying districts, not for the purpose of keeping them permanently opened but to introduce his work to the public, because he knew that he required only to be known to be appreciated. And be was right, as the great increase in his trade testifies, He his also imported the most improved American machinery, which enables him to manufacture in the shop, and turn out, harness, cheaper, better, and more auitable to the requirements of the district than it oan be imported. In this respeot he has a great advantage, and his increasing trade seems to indicate that his efforts are fully appreciated by the general public. In addition to the harness-making and saddlery business, ha has started tha making of portmanteaux, and leather bags •( all kinds, and at this he employs two hands, one of whom is a man of very long experience in the trade. A good deal of the goods he thus manufactures, he disposes of to wholesale houses in Christchurch and to the retailers in many of the -South Canterbury and North Otago towns, and appears to be making it a very paying business. To manufacture goods I locally, and give employment in the district is certainly commendable, and deserving of support, and this is what Mr Maxwell doss. His stock of all kinds consists of locally-made goods, and of course as bis good name is latched he takes care that the quality of the goods is as good as possible. Taken all round Mr Maxwell has displayed wonderful energy and business capacity during the short time he has been in Timaru, and a large measure of success is his .reward. SYNOPSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS. W. Moore, Medville Hotel; Timaru—Business not if e. T. Farrell, Crown Hotel, Geraldine— Wants a groom. Mount Peel Road Board—Annual meeting of Taxpayers on Ist May ; election of members of Board on 7th May; nomination of candidates on Ist May. J. Mundell. and Co.—Publish full particulars re sa’e at Oakley farm, Orari, on 30th April; are now receiving en'ries for monthly stock sale at Geraldine f n 4th May. Flibb and Boas, beetles, insects, roaohei, anti, bed-bugs, rats, mice, gopheri, chipmunks, cleared out by " Hough on Itati,” Kempthorne, Prosier and 00., Agents, Christchurch. 8