LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1676, 22 December 1887, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Obicibt.—A match between the Temuks Slbhool Cricket Club sad s team from Timaru tikes, place in tha Temuks Park' this afternoon.* : Concert at Geraldine.—A concert in aid of the prize fund of the Geraldine Public School takes place to-morrow •rening. A first-rate programme has been arranged. . Excursion to Christchurch.—ln our advertising columns will be found full particulars regarding the excursion train ,to Christchurch from Limaru on Boxing Day, picking up* passengers at stations between Tirriaru and Ealing. ■ < Th* Bellringers. —The Lynch Family of ' Bellringers, Instrumentalists, and Vocalists appear at Temuka on Thursday and Friday evenings, the 29th and 30th "Th* entertainment is a firstclass one. • f ;v ‘A Bridge on Fire. —About 10 6*cloek on Tuesday morning the decking of the Ashburton traffic bridge was discovered to be on fire in two places. • On the alarm being given the Ashburton Fire Brigades tumid out promptly and extinguished the flames. But little damage was done.

The Caledonian Schoearshifs,— I The following are the names of the pupils who have entered for the South Canterbury Caledonian Society** scholarship of 12gs.: —Emma Campbell, Nellie Malthus, Annie Oxby, Harriet Sibley,: Barbar*. ritrachan, Lettie Hassell, George Stubbs, John Parr, and William McKenaie. The examination takes place next month. All Hid competitor* belong to the Timaru School. ■/ ~

The Timabu Breakwater.—Meisr* Jones and Palliur, the contractors for the Timaru breakwater, laid the last monolith on Monday. The last monolith, according to the •ngineer’s plan, will b* protected • on the eastern Iso# and northsrn end by a lot of pellmell blocks laid so as to break the force of the sererest seas, At the Harbor Board meeting on Wednesday matters will be put in trim respecting the north wall, so that an early start can be made. Government and Village Settlers. to the complaint of an Auckland village settler the Government are going the right way to work in starving the settlers off the land. He alleges that money due to the settlers fdr road making alid improvements has not been paid for the last three months, and meantime they are suffering severe privations. This is on* of bringing discredit on the Village Settlements. They will say by and by that it was a failure,

: A New Wheat. An extraordinary new while wheat is described in ‘the English papers ad-producing--80 to ,88 bushels per' ac're,' with Jehgthofetraw seven feet long, which, it is thought, will place '’wheat-growing in England 'on 1- ' a better footing than has previously beta the case. This wheat is perfectly distinct, is bearded, but the' awns drop off at harvest. The chaff is smooth, the berry is white, and the quality unusually good for such an enormous yielder, Jt has been grown by Messrs Oakshot and Millard, of Reading. Larß. -AND- Income Tax,—‘Mr Tanner has given notice in the House to move the following important resolution on - the first favorable, opportunity next session : “ That in the opinion of this House it is d»sirable that a change..-ahould b* made in the form of direct taxation, and that Government .bo requested to. repeal the Property Target arid bring forward a Land Tax Act and Income-Tax Act in lieu thereof, the Land Tax to be on the' uriimproved value 'of the land without exemption, the amount derived therefrom to be treated as land revenue and paid into the, land fund account,., the Income Tax to harq exemption ’atxd : to be treated as ordinary revenue.” ■; -

Failing to Provide.—At the Resident Magistrate’s .Court, Timaru, on Tuesday last, before J. Olliver,Esq., R.M., H. Qayson w«s prod«ede4 against by. Mr Lough, Secretary to -the Charitable Aid Board, for failing te oon--tributi 7*. .6d per week lo the support of bis illegitimate child on ,arj order made by tb# Resident'Magistrat* in September last. Mr Perry appeared for the plaintiff and Mr White for defendant. Mr Perry stated that the defendant was now £4 10s in arrears, in addition to the costs. After hearing a conliderable amount of evidence and addressee •f counsel, Hie Worship said he ehould insist od the order being complied with. Defendant would be committed to prison for two months for contempt of Court in not complying, with the order .6P* the Court. He would also be bound over in the sutii of £SO, aj*d have.-tD'fiad two lilretieiof £25. each for the- futura'pay msnb df -tho' sum stipulated, or again go to gaol for three months;.

1.0.G.T.- -The weekly meeting of the members of th* Welcome Retreat Lodge, No. 44,1.0.G.T., was held in the Good Templar Hall, Geraldine on ’ Monday •vening last. There was a good attend, aoce, and-Bro. G. H. Patrick presided. After the roll of officers had been called out, and the minutes read and confirmed, 'corr spondence was read from the Grand Sefci-etary. The office of W.A. Secretary having be*omtf vacant, rßrq; Ti - Sherratt was appointed. An account was passed for payment for insurance of. hall. The Odinuiittee appointed for the purpose laid before-jib* Lodge tenders from Messrs J. Williams and Son apd d- Rtordan for providing refreshmpnta at the forthcoming pienio. It was nj-eisidod Jto refer the report to a generakcommittee, consisting of Sisjbers Dunlep, Stonehouse, Maslin, pye, spd Ray, and-Bros, Pye, Hay, T. and (?atricjk, Tjrith power to add to their npipber. ft iyas resolved that os next Monday will fye Boxing-Day the Lodge,meet qn.lhe following evening. The receipta of th* evening having been announced, the Lodge was jelled in doe form : by the W.C.T, A Oommiftpe fpeetfng was afterward* held, when details were gone" into if} regard to various irrangemeata connected with the proposed picnic.

Distribution oif Piuses. Tho annua distribution of prizes will taka place at the Temuka District High School at 2 p.m. to«motrow. The Hon, <7. Rolleston will present the prizes and deliver an address. Parents and friends are cordially invited to be present. Thb Estimates.— Referring to (he wholesale manner in which the oetim ‘es wore accepted the Wellington correspondent of the Otago; Daily Times says.-:—",The action of tHe Committee in rushing through hundreds of thousands of pounds ip .a few minutes w.-s sufficient to cause sober-jninded , f people to feel sorry for gentlemen who could lend themselves to suoh a vicious system of legislation. Wi'hjn the -short.-space, of; eight minutes (I watched the clock) ons-arid'a-half millions of money (41,500,000) was vote.i away without a word of comment. No less than : seven classes were allowed lo pass through without tho slightest criticism.”

Arrival or thb S.B. Dowo.—The s.e. Doric, from Plymouth, via Tenenffe,' Capetown, and Hobart, arrived at Pqrt Chalmers on* Tuesday last, after a passage of 42 days II hours 22 minutes from Plymouth, including 22 hours stoppages at the ports of call, fhe brings 28 saloon, 20 second saloon, and 71 steerage passengers for this colony, haying landed 9 passengers at the ports of cal!. During the yoyage the general health has been good, and neither births or deaths sre to ba recorded. Her cargo consists in all of 2360 tons, divided ss follow* :~1060 tons for Otago, 490 for Canterbury, 488 f r Wellington, and 339 for Auckland. V i >PkrßDNa£ and; Pointed.— lt iVsaid that Mr Spurgeon is in the habit of testing the abilities of the more promising of the students hiVcollege by obliging lh»m to go up inti the pulpit with a sealed envelops in their, .hands -oontoiningT- the: toxtofthiiL*’address? On one of these occasions a student, on opening .the paper, found this subject set : " Apply the story of Zacohaus to your own personal' qualifications' ; and : call.” And- 'lie delivered.bimaelf in f the following wayi—- " My brethren/ tus iubjaot on which I have to address you to-day is a comparison between Zacchaus and my own qualifications. Well, the first thing we. read of about. Zacqbaus was that be was'of small'stature, and I never felt so small as I do now. In the second place we read that be climbed up into a tree, which is very much my position now. Thirdly, we read that Zicobaus 'made haste lo comedown,' in which I joyfully follow his example/’ ■

Obabi Esinas Fc&ooi Committee.—The monthly meeting of the Committee of the Orari Bridge School was held on Saturday last. Present—Messrs Bartrum (Chairman), Grant, and McLean." The marer’i report for the month was read, which allowed the number of pupils on the roll—boys, 24 ; girls, 24; total, 48; and the average attendance during the; pass four weeks, 42.5; highest attendance, 48. Mr Gow examined the school on the 16th inst., every standard pupil being present.. 2nd, and 3rd standards made each 100 per centy The papers of the others had not all been examined. On the motion of Mr Grant it waa resolved that the master's request for two weeks’ holiday be granted, to commence on Friday, the 23rd inst.; also, that he bo empowered to obtain school stationery where, be de.ems moit convenient to himself; also, that no charge be imposed for pens,.mk, and slate pencils. The Chairman was instructed to see that one of the outbuildings be repaired during the Ah explanation was received from Miss Hclem (sewing mistress) about her absence from duty on two oecas'ona, and the Committee considered it satisfactory. Mr Grant was oppointed visi'or for the ensuing month. £ll6* was received from the m ieter, Mr Stevens for books supplied.

John Rvskin's Romance.— When quite (i young man, Jt&a interested in atif ijnVordly maiden r snrnjs years his junior, whom he thought beautiful according to the rues and theories ef-art, and" whom ‘he wooed on art principles. He married her, and treated her a* if she had' been a statue, admiring her in a cold, abstract way, not altogether grWfefiiLto a young woiiMn of ardent temperament. Months p*s««d, their, relations undergoing no change, he contented ahe discontented: Meanwhile he had engaged Millais, with whom, as a pre-Rsphaelile, hr. was much impressed, to paint her portrait. The susceptible srtist was struck by her beauty wd fell passionately in-love with her. , But, friend, He ahqjred her only the conventions! respect fhat was due, stiff ng the hunger of his heart. ..Raskin was .at H-d aroused io' his own marital defects, and'to th'e sense»of,the iniitusl lovo between his wife nnd the painter,’ ' 'acted magnanimously, deciding not'to stand jn the way of the happiness of two persons who were fitted for one another. The matter was managed quietly, and iti due time she was rul'ea&d' frohv TieV'inatrimonial bonds and ;b6c me Mre Millais. The celebrated artist having been knighted sheds now Lady Millais, The three hare been good friends ever since.—Exchange,

• Wateb jbou JohdaN,—A christening, . |uite unique in its surroundings, and renurk. able in its accessories’ '"(says the Dunedin Herald), took place on Sunday lust (December 4th) at Swift Creek, when Mary Grace, infant daughter of Mr James Finlay, and Christopher Francis, infant son of Mr GHiinan, received the my atic rite of baptism at the hands of the Eer. Mr Rothwell, Wesleyan minister, the water used on the occasion • having been brought ; jtho tfarrbJl •river Jordan, 1 and the vessel into which it was poured was from "the street which is called straight ” in tire anciSht efty of Damascus. It is not presumed thdfth'e ' water' itself possessed any •peoitfc'Vtrluitf-tilift'.*' 'than ■'l6' 'edited rtiooiationain hfii^g ; Jttfe r -WHsaml river in which'^feifus‘dhri}t W(iiHimself baptised, "and possibly touched , the’ very stones on* ‘banks 'of ' _that fast flowing river where, Ht?‘ HiVmelf stood when He went down to tpfcptuko of'that rite. For the: first born son.of.the Princsof Wales wlter-wai taken from thdrßiver Jordan some 8000 miles, but th'eje chilflren of Heriot probably are the first in Jfesv Zealand to have been so favored. In this instance the water was brought by a lady, (Mrs Miles Coverdale Bellamy) who has lived long,in-the East, and five time* made a toijr qf-the Holy L#nd ? and who has carried ’ with, her through Am, Europe, Africa, and to, Hew Zialand tbsse mementoes of a land dear to all hearts. We wish the Heriot liittle ones a hearty "God speed ” and & blessing on their whole lives. * Balmy sleep, good digestion, , rich blood, elastic stop, and cheotfillness, in Dr Sonlo’fl American Qp.’s Hop Bitten. Read anfi believe adyt. To the ladies q! Timaru and . surrounding district.— Another reduction to meet the times. A cup of tea or coffee *wHh cake sup-, plied at all bofirs at tlie Railway Refreshment Ropms for fid. Lunpheon'’'as jn fgr ladip?. Ips Shilling Lunches still cojßinup at tlie Opb Hotel. D. McGuinness, Proprietor.—Advfr. BaxtbVs Lung Pbeseeweb has gained great popularity in this district as a speedy and effectual remedy in the treatment oi Coughs, Colds, Bbonchitis, and othm cHejjt' and thypait gpmpltyiptj. Read -iilyt. and try it,

SYNOPSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS. School Concert—At Geraldine to-morrow eyenine. , X.Y.Z., P. 0., Temuka -r Matrimonial noiioe. J. Lawson, Poundkeepsr, Temuka—Notice re impounded bay draught gelding, N.Z. Railways—Particulars of cheap exoursion to Christchurch on Boxing-Day. r Lynch Family of Bellringers, instrumentalists and Vocalists—Appear at Temuka on 29th and 30th December. J. Ballantyne and Co., Victoria House, Timaru—Announce that the great realisation sale of the drapery, clothing, and millinery slocks of the 5.C.D.1.0. (purchased by Ballantyne and Co. at the enormous discount of 76 per cent off original selling prices) is now going oq, the goods being sold at reduction* varying from 6s to 15*. in tho £ ; apologise to the public for any parcels that may have sent out on Saturday last, in a condition hardly creditable to the firm, the same being caused by the great press of business.