LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2153, 22 January 1891, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashbukton.—The valuation of the borough of Ashhurton this year is £17,451 an increase over last year of £346.

Missino Steamer.—The Hioemoa was under orders to sail lust night for the Macquarries, should the Kakanui not airive before ut Invercargill. The latter ia now away exactly four weeks.

The E«mont Seat.—ln view of the probable vacancy for the Egmont scat a requisition has been signed urging Mr R. 0. Bruce, formerly member for Rangitikei, to offer himslf for election. A Drizzle.—The Geraldine district was blessed with another four hours splendid drizzle on Tuesday morning. Since then the weather has been dull and cloudy, consequen ly the crops will get the full benefit of the moisture. Mb Back in Tasmania.—The services of Mr F. Back, late of New Zealand, as manager of the railways in Tasmania, are so much appreciated by the Government of that colony that his salary has been raised to £IOOO par annum, with £IOO a year house allowance.

Early Closing at Dunedin. There is considerable dissatisfaction in both trades owing to the lending cheTaisls and butchers breaking through the oarly closiog movemement. The Pharmaceutical Society wish a clause in the Shop Hours Bill to enable a majority io any city to fix the hour of closing. Parish Festival and School Treat.— The Annual Parish Festival and Sunday School Treat in connection with St Mary's (Jnurch, takes place in the Geraldine Domiin to-Jay. These gatherings are always most popular and if the weather is propitious, as it promises to be, there will doubtles a very large attendance.

Death of an Old Pensioner.—An Auckland telegram says :—One of the few surviving old peosiooers, Mr Francis Ormaby, or belter known by his friends as Franc's Ormsby Meenan, the latter name being adopted, has died at 93, being born in County Sligo in 1798. His father was a colonel in the British army, and aide-de-camp to.the Duke of Wellington. Deceased was related to Lord Dunraven by marriage. He had baen a major in the Army and sold out and re-eoliated, serving as a private in the wara. His brother ia Sir Maurice Ormsby, baronet. Deceased has had an adventurous and chequered career, and for 45 years had drawn a pension from the British Government.

Competition in England.- In his oneminute sormoo Dr Parker expressed a hope that General Booth would get every penny he asked for his new scheme, but declared that there was a darker England than the darkest he had in view—the Eng'aod of genteel poverty and gentee' misery. An advertisement for a copying clerk »t 26* a week, within his knowledge, brought more than 2000 replies within four postal deliveries, and many of these were University graduates. Qualified governesses were walking the streets not knowing where the next crust was to come from. An educated youth told him that he dared not ask a slight increase to his pound a week, because twenty men were sitting on the office steps who would do all his work for half hie income. Dr Parker urged parents to bring up their children to trader and not to clerkships, i

San Francisco Mail.—The outward Sin Francisco mail closes to-morrow. The Mariposa left San Francisco for the colony on January 12th, two days late. The Monowai arrived at San Francisco at schedule time. Resmned. Colonel Lean, who has been commanding the North Canterbury volunteer district for ten years, has been relieved of command at his own request, tie will be succeeded by Major Gordon, district adjutant in Otago.

Success of a Blind Girl.—One of the ] successful candidates at the recent matriculation examination at Melbourne i was Miss Matilda Ann Aston, who is totally blind, and has been an iumate of the blind asylum for years. Drainage of Wellington.—A public meeting in Wellington on Tuesday evening approved of a paoposal of the City Council to borrow £165,000 to carry out a scheme of drainage for the city, the rate to be secured by a special rate of 6d in the £, AN Ex-Police Inspector in Trouble —Robert Bulien, describing himself as an ex-inspector of police in New Zealand, was bound over to keep the peace for using threatening language towards his lodginghouae-keeper, at the Melbourne Police Court last week.

Swimming. —An Auckland telegram sayß : "At the Amateur Swimming Club's sports the 100 yards championship of New Zealand was won by H. J. Bailie, H. Nicholson Becond, and M. Scott third. Four started. The time was 74aec, the fastest on record in the colony." Fire.—MeLaod'a store at Broad Bay, on the Peninsula, near Dunedin, was destroyed by fire on Tuesday morning. The building was owned by Mercer Bros., and is believed to be insured, but there was no insurance on the stock, which had been added to on the previous day. A Maori CLaiM.--It is expected that the fishing cases, in which the Maoris intend to assert what they hold to be their right to fish in all the rivers of the South Island without let or hindrance, will be heard at Cbristchurcb on the 26th. The cases have been several times postponed.

A Good Haul.—Mr G. H. Rhodes and party at the Rangitata on Tuesday landed five fish scaling 561 b. The largest weighed 191 b, aad was a remarkably fine fish, although not in prime condition. The river is at present in an unfishable condition owing to nor'-west weather on the hills.

Important Sale at Moana. —Attention is directed to the clearing sale of live and dead farm stock and household furniture and effects at Moana,near Geraldine, by Messrs J. Mundell & Co. to-Tuorrow. The sale should command the attention of all classes of buyers, as it will ba aa unreserved one. it will start at 11 o'clock. An Experiment with .Fruit. A gentleman just returned from a trip to Victoria brought over two small boxes of fruit in powdered charcoal by way of experiment. It is a complete success. Of the fruit, which are black currants, gooseberries, and cherries, the currants were picked quite ripe, ten days'ago, and are still as fresh as when picked.

A Shocking Occurrence. A Mel- ) bourne telegram in the Hobart Mercurj saya :—"On Saturday night a charwoman ■ named Annie Williams, living at Collingwood, was discovered lying by her hearth, a ball of fire. Her head and left breast had been partially burnt off, and her left ' hand and forearm completely destroyed. On the way to the morgue flames twice burst out in her body, and destroyed the i sacking covering her. The woman had . been drinking." 5 The Late Mr Turnbull.—At a public meeting in Timaru on Monday evening, convened by Mr James Bruce and others, > it was decided to open a shilling subscript tion throughout South Canterbury for : the purpose of providing funds for the . erection of a suitable monument to the memory of the late Mr Richard Turnbull. It was decided to send subscription lists to the secretaries of til societies in the district, and also to country storekeepers who were willing to take charge of same. [ Science Association.—At the meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Science at Christchurchon Tuesday Dr 1 Bacon advocated the appointment of a Minister of Public Health for the colony, ' and urged that science should be taught in the public schools. Mr Robert Wilsnu, engineer to the Midland Railway, detended the use of the Abt system over Arthur's Pass, assarting that it would save £400,000 in the cost of construction and afford every necessary facility for traffic. Pastoral Interest in Victoria.— The pastoral industry has had a bad year in Victoria. For some reason the clip this season is extremely low quality, and as there has been a decline in prices of about 20 per cent all round, the results to the woolgrower have been sadly dis. appointing. As compared with 1889, the decrease in the quantity of wool sold is almost alarming. The figures are :—IBB9, 214,219 bales; 1890, 173,532 bales. So that on the year the decrease is over 40,000 bales. The figtire3 as to the values are even worse. In 1889 tho value of th 9 wool sold in Victoria was £3>239,134 ; in 1890 it only reached £1,993.886. or a decrease of no less than £1,245,328. Not only so, but the average price per bale shows a startling decrease, In 1889, the average value per bale was £ls 2a 5i ; in 1890 it has only reached £ll 9s 9J, or a fall of 24 per cent. Joined the Majority.—Ever so many

famous people (writes a correspondent of the Argus) are dying and dead, unnoticed amidst the turmoil of the crisis—good old Lord Cotteslop, aged 92,- who heard every Budget speech for 60 years, and took the communion with a great concourse of his friecds eveiy birthday bv way of thanksgiving; Sir Barnes Peacock, whose ingenuity as a special pleader got Daniel O'Connell out of Kilmainham nearly 50 years ago, and was the best judge India ever knew ; Charles Marvin, the authority on Russia's Asiatic policy, who, as a copyist in the Foreign Office, betrayed the I "Sbouvaloff agreement" to the Globe, he having committed it to memory whilst copying it once ; and Mrs Arthur Peel, the wife of the Speaker, a woman of great worth, who filled a brilliant social position with great dignity and suoces°. Her death is chiefly of importance as affecting the chances of her husband retaining the chair of Commons. He is subject to an affection of the veins of his lege, which his duties as Speaker tend to aggravate, and it believed that the sorrow for the death of his wife may produce so serious a breakdown as to load lo his retirement at the end of the present Parliament,

Alleged Libel.—Write claiming £6OO damages have been issued and served upon the proprietors and printer of ihe Weekly Press, Christchu:oh, for an alleged libel that appeared in that paper in October last, referring to Frederick Thomas, keeper of an accommodation house in Wairau Valley, in connection with a death by drowning of one George Lamb.

Good Templary, Gebaldine.—At the usual monthly meeting of the Welcome Retreat Lodge of Good Templars, Geraldine, there was a good attendance. C.T., Bro. J. M. Sutherland, presided. Two candidates were elected and initiated as members, and one member re-obligated. The chief templar presented the prizes won in the recent recitation competition. \ recess for harmony having been declared readings were given by seme of those present. The lodge was closed in the ÜBua! manner at ten o'clock.

Would-be Speculators.—Certain persons in England (auys the Evening Post) have applied to the Government for information as to whether facilities will be given to them for the formation of New Zealand land companies in Great Britain, such companies to have blocks of 50,000 or 100,000 seres each at their disposal for settlement by practical agriculturists. Ministers have replied that they cannot set apart blocks of land for the disposal of companies, and that all information with respect to land laws in the colooy may be obtained at the office of the Agent• General. . Lobusts in Victoria.—Fearful havoc has been caused throughout many districts of Victoria since the beginning of the year by the ravages of the locusts, and many farmers are threatened with absolute ruin. Crop*, grass, and gardens have all suffered, in many instances unripe orops being completely stripped. Where 40 and 50 bushels to the acre were expected not half will be yielded. The season was a remarkably good one for grabs, but now every vestige of green fodder has disappeared, whole gardens have been devastated in a wholesale fashion, and stock owners have been compelled to reduce the number of cattle and sheep all round. In many districts acres of ground are covered with young locusts just hatched.

PRIMITIVE METHODIST Ch^RCH.—The following is the final draft of stations adopted by the Primitive Methodist Conference at Auckland :—New Plymouth, John Nixon; Wellington (1), Henry Williams and John Dumbell (supernumeraries), William J. De<m (supernumerary) ; Wellington (2), Charles E. Ward and one from England ; Auckland (1), James Guy, one from England, Wm. Woollass, one year's rest, Joseph Long, supernumerary; Joseph Sharp and Thomas Lyons ; Timaru, W. 0. Woodward ; Thames, John Dawson; Greendale, George Clement; Christchurch, W. S. Potter; Ashburfcon, James Cocker; Manawatu, Walter Harris; Geraldine, W. 0. Wood ; Dunadin, Pdter W. J. Jones, mission ; Auckland (2), William Laycock ; Oamaru, one wanted ; Waimate, one wanted ; South Invercargill, one from England ; Foxton, ft. Raine ; Stratford, James Clover ; Danniston, John Olphert. The Rev. A. J. Smith is returning to England.

A Judge's Rebuke.—At the Ashbarton District Court a bankrupt, who had been doing a term of imprisonment in Lyttelton for refusing to answer certain questions, came before His Honor Judge Ward with a view of purging bis contempt of court. This he did (says the Lyttelton Times) by making some rather startling revelations with reference to his disposal of a number of horses that had been covered by bills of sale. His Honor reminded him that ho stood a good chance of returning to his quarters in Lyttelton in a different capacity, and that he had rendered himself liable to be prosecuted for larceny of the horses. The bankrupt replied that he had been told the bills of sale were useless, and he thought he had been quite right in taking advantage of the fliws and selling the horses to pay some of his creditors. Directing a look of reproach towards the bankrupt, His Honor retorted: "It strikes me Barabbas was a model of honesty compared to you. Stand down." And he stood down, looking very much abashed.

A Dkunkbn Hitsbind Punished.—At the Cbristcharch Police Court on Saturday a man named John Bruce Watson, a drunkard, who was in the habit of neglecting his wife and family and treating them I with cruelty, was sent to prison for three months and ordered to pay £116*3 per week for the support of bis wife and four children. Watson had a bouse of bis own and £l6O in the bank. Mr Hoetham, in disposing of the case as above, said it differed from the ordinary run of such affairs, in which the Bench vvas often deterred from punishing the husband because the wife and family being deprived of the husband's wages were made to suffer. Fortunately in this case another course could be pursued without inflicting hardship on the unoffending wife and children. Thd case was a typical one. The husband, with his sottish propensities, gave way to the most beastly habits, he outraged his wife and his children, h. 9 beat them like a brute, and polluted their ears with the most beastly language. He rendered what might have been a happy home a perfect hell upon j earth, and there seemed to be nothing e!s9 to bring him to a sense of his position than to punish hi en severely.

Dr Kock's Remedy. The London doctors have been studying the Koch cure at home (says the London correspondent of the Argus). Sir Morrell Mackenzie has inoculated certain pitients at the Throat Hospital, and there have been "demonstrations " at two other London hospitals for the benefit of the profession. Kooh has supplied fehe lymph for these operations, We are now awaiting the effects of the inoculations, as to which a report, or reports, may shortly be expected. Our medical men agree that if Koch's " cure" does nothing else it will help them enormouslj in diagnosis Bat Sir Joseph Lister tells us W'th confidence that the results <ire marvellous, and that the cure will be effective in two other dangerous diseases, of which we have yet to hear. The Telegraph says these are diphtheria and tetanus, so that the "seuret" has again leaked oat. Lister his been in Berlin lately, studying alongside Koch, and he is convinced of the bona fides of the savant and his remedy. Meantime our College of PbyaiciaDa has been dia- J tinguishing itself by declining to send any J repsesentative to Berlin, because, for- I sooth, the lymph h % secret, and, there- j fore, in the nature of a " paleut inedi- i cine !" I

Lecture by Bishop Julius.—lt will be seen by our advertising columns that the Bishop of Chriotohurch will visit Temuka on Tuesday, 27th, and deliver his lecture on the " West Coast." The lecture was originally fixed for Wednesday 28fch, and tickets were issued bearing th«t date, but certain exigencies have com* palled his Lordship to request an alteration. The Volunteer H-tll wi'l doubtless be filled to ovetflowirjg, and none should rnißS the opportunity of hearing the reverend lecturer.

Mixed.—li an English country church, I the curate had to give out two notices, the first of which was about baptisms and the Utter had to do with a new hymn book. Owing to an accident he invented the order and gave out as follows:—"I am requested to announce that the new hymn book will be used for the first tima in this church on Sunday next, and I am requeued to call attention to the delay which often takes place in bringing chiidrsn to' be baptised ; tbey should be brought on the earliest day possible. Tbis is particularly pressed on mothers who have yonng babies." "And for the information of those who have none," added the reetor in gentle, kindly tones, and who, being deaf, had not heard what had been previously said—" and for the information of those who have none, I may state, if wished, they can be obtained on application in the vestry immediately after service to-day. Limp ones, odo shilling e»oh ; with stiff backs, two sbilliogs." SYNOPSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS. Leoture—By Bishop Julias «t Temuka on Tuesday evening next in the Volunteer Hall. Alfd. W, Gaze, Main Street, Temnka— Is booking; orders for Andrews & Beaven's ' Zealaadia' and ' Australasian ' chaff i cutters.