LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2180, 26 March 1891, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Gold. —The Frankton Beich Dredge, Otagr>, -obtained 51 ounces of retorted gold in nine days, A Good Price. —The directors of the Safton Dairy Factory have received newa that their first shipment of butter io the Home market (28cwt) realised 112 s per cwt. The Weather. —Captain Edwin forecasts very unsettled weather during the week—heavy gales from the north, change by the west to south-west, between noon 2lrih and noon BlshAllegbd Dummyism.—At the Mftgis? trate’s Court, Wellington, yesterday morning, in the dummyism cases, Coleman Phillips was committed for trial, and allowed bail, himself £2OO and one surety of £2OO. Christchurch Cathedral. The Cathedral Chapter have signed a contract with Mr William Stocks to resiore the cathedral spire in fire brick. The price is Opt known. It is expected the whole work will be completed in fjve months. An Auckland MAKKsaiAN. The annual firing by tbe Auckland volunteer? fpr the Government district medal resulted ip Sfergeapt Sf. McCallura, of 0 Battery Artillery,>innips with seventyone points.

ChristchtjtßCH. The valuation of Christchurch, including the recently added Richmond ward, has been finally Retried at £199.350. Deducting the Richmond valuation, £6155, the amount is less th'm last year, when Richmond was notarised. Shjs4rer£ anb Laborers Union. - A meeting of the Temuka Branch of the Amalgamated Shelters and tiaborer? Coioq will be hold io the Social Had, Temuka, on Saturday evening, at 8 o’clock, when the annual report and balance-sheet will bo submitted.

A School Committee Case. —ln the Supremo Court, l)unedin, Mr Wilkinson, solicitor, seeks to recover £IOO 12s from the Kaikorai School Committee, costs in the enquiry before a Royal Commission and Supremo Court. The questions involve the right of school committees to initiate litigation.

Winchester Cricket Club. — A meeting of the members of the Winchester Cricket Club will be held in the Sunday school room on Saturday evening next. Easter Holidays at Geraldine. — On account of the Easter holidays the business places in Geraldine will be closed from this evening until Tuesday morning next.

St. Saviour’s Church, Tbmuka. Special morning and evening services are being held at this church during the week. To-morrow morning service will be held at 11 o’clock. Picnic at Temuka. Tt -morrow a monster picnic, under the auspices of the Good Hope Lodge of Good Templars, Temuka, takes plaoajjn the Victoria Park, and if the weather is favorable a large attendance is expected.

Temuka Blacksmiths and Wheel weights. six firms of blacksmiths and wheelwrights in Temuka notify that they will close their business places from to-night until Tuesday morning for the Easter holidays. Railway Holiday Arrangements In our advertising columns will be found the arrangements made by the railway authorities for the Easter holidays. Special trains run from Dunedin to Christchurch and Christchurch to Dunedin to-night, calling at Temuka to pick up passengers. Dunedin Licensing Elections.— Active negotiations tor the approaching licensing elections have been going on between the moderates and the prohibitionists, with a view to a compromise, and it is believed this will be arrived at, as the moderates have adopted the platform suggested by the Otago Daily Times, namely, a reduction in the present number of licensed houses with compensation, the compensation to come from increased fees. They pledge themselves to try and bring about 1 legislation to give effect to this mians of compensation.

Accident at Akowhenua. Mr C. Miles, of Timaru, met with an accident in Arowhenua on Tuesday evening last. He was driving io a gig towards Tomuka, and when going round the corner of Alexandra and Garaack streets, near Mr Spooner’s, the horse cat the corner too sharply, end the vehicle cops'zad. Mr Miles was, of course, thrown out and somewhat severely bruised, the horse was cut about the knees, and one o£ the shafts of the gig was broken, Some timely assis aoce was rendered by Mr M. Melvin, and Mr Miles was able to make his way to Temuks.

Tkmcka Stock Sale. —It has already become, apparent that Messrs Mundell and Co. will have to ex'end their Stock yards io Temuka before long. Last sale day over 6000 sheep were penned, and there was not room enough for all. Of these Messrs Mundell & Co. had 3000, Messrs Cox and Guinness 2675, and Messrs H. B, Webster & (Jo. 1000. There was also a good entry of cattle and pigs, and the attendance was very large, the whole roadside being taken up with traps of all kinds. There can be no doubt that the Temuka sale is the sale of South Canterbury now.

Fire BRiatiDES Conference, The annual conference in connection with the United Fire Brigades’ Association of New Zealand was opened on Tuesday at Auckland. The roll showed that there were 75 delegates present, and that four others ware represented by proxy. The annual balance-sheet showed a sum to credit of £233. This report was adopted. It was decided to present a valour medal to T. E. Thompson, of VVanganui, for saving the lives of two children at a fire on the 24 h March, 3890, and the Hon. Mr Ballance is to be asked to make the presentation. The conference decided that salvage corps should not be admitted to the association. An application from the Wellington Fire Brigade for a long-service medal for George Taylor, was granted.

Barbarous Practice. —Finland has a peculiar mode of dealing with its paupers and aged, but a good deal has been done to get the iahaman practice of selling the poor creatures by auction abolished. The Government has been awakened to the fact that the practice is birbarous and entirely out of accord with the otherwise cultivated institutions of Finland. An instance of the dreadful manner in which these auctions are held may be recorded. A very old woman, sick and weary of life, almost too feeble to exist longer, bad been sold to a farmer. Her term was up and she had to be resold. It was an exceedingly cold day and a feaifal snowstorm was raging. The poor old creature knew that she cou'd not liye over the night, so she asked her owner if he would allow her to die in her coiner, where she would be as quiet as possible and give no trouble, and not eat anything. She begged hard, but her rrqust was not granted, and she was sent out to the auction. The price paid was very, low poor thing, for everyone knew that she could not last long. After the sale was over «nd the buyers were preparing to take home their purchases, the old woman was found dead. Stie had kept her word. The had been no trouble to anyone, but had died without a murmur.

The Kakaniti Disaster. —At Invercargill on Monday night Mr Hatch delivered his exposition on the Macquarrie [aland episode and the circumstances leading up to the despatch of the Kakanui to bring away his workmen, Mr Hatch was particularly severe on the Hon. T. Fergus and Mr Wilson, Undersecretary for Marine. He accused them of being actuated by malice, which he alleged arose from previous disagreements he had had With then?. He read telegrams which he had sent tq the Government informing them that there w aß net the slightest necessity for sending a to the islands, and that the Kakanqi was not fit fpr the work, these statements being backed up by Messrs tVapd, Kelly, and Mackintosh, M.H. R,’s, and telegrams had also passed in which Mr Hatch remonstrated with the Minister of Marine for interfering in a way likely to cause him serious loss. The reply returned was that if the rumors were true a serious obligation rested on the Government to relieve the men. B£r Hatch stated that during his tlisit to the island he and the

Gratitude’s crew actually used the stores for }ac|j of wfaiclf the men lost were alleged to be starving, apd fhat the greatest discomfort the shore party had had was want of fuel, for which they had to substitute blubber, skins, &c. Tobacco, tea, and sugar were also done, out there were plenty of other goods. Mr Hatch asserted that he had not made a sixpence out o£ the industry as yet, principally because of the action of the Government during the past twelve months re the transfer of the islands from Tasmania,

Production of Flour. —At the Millers Association dinner Mr 0, W. Turner said it, was calculated that some 2500 tons of fl >ur were required in New Zealand every week, and there was sufficient milling plant in the colony to produce 3500 tons. They must, then, either limit the output or find markets in other parts of the world. He believed they would soon find foreign markets. Ministerial Policy. Speaking at a banquet at Keefton the Bon. Mr Seddon briefly outlined the policy of the Ministry. He stated that they would abolish the property tax, adopt a graduated land tax, and classify the Civil Service. Various speakers referred to the confidence which the Government policy inspired, and said it was in complete touch with the large body of the taxpayers. A Small Cyclone. —A brief storm of a cyclonic character occurred at Athol, Southland, on Sunday night. The iron roof of a large stable was stripped in ribbons, and the woodwork blown five chains away. The residents had to prop their houses against the hurricane. Stack tops were whirled away although wired

down. Harvesting has been brought to a standstill by the rough weather, heavy hail, and rain showers. Oub Education System. The We'lington Education Board at a meeting yesterday consideied the Auckland Herald’s article on “ Education in New Zealand,” and a resolution was passed to the following effect; —“That the article is unworthy of serious consideration, but as the Minister had asked for a reply to it the chairman, on behalf of the board had replied in a lengthy letter.” Alleged Sly Grog-Shop. The Temperance Refreshment Rooms at We - lington of Mrs Helen Harding, formerly an hotel-keeper to Wellington and Auckland, were raided by the police yesterday and a quantity of beer was found secreted ou the premises, which are situated two doors off the Opera House in Manners street. The police have laid two informations against her for sly grog selling.

The Governor and the Maoris. — The Governor, who arrived at Rotorua on Tuesday, has received the following telegram from the Premier ;—“The Ministers in Wellington congratulate Your Excellency upon the successful result of your visit to Uriwera. The visit must htvea large influence in establishing more friendly relations between the Government and the Uriwera tribe. We are glad Your Excellency has enjoyed the trip.” The Governor left for Auckland on Wednesday, Stack Fire. —Early on Tuesday morning a stack of barley belonging to Mr W. Matthews, of Mill Farm, Temuka, was destroyed by fire, and Messrs Smith and Sticking’s combine, which was hauled in, alongside of it, was badly burned. Another stack was pulled away and saved. The circumstances point clearly to incendiarism, and the police have been communicated with. Constable Morton was engaged all Tuesday in following up traces , of the offenders, to whom there seems to be some clue. Mr Matthews estimates bis loss at £4O, and the damage to the combine will probably be about £BO. I.O.G.T.—The usual weekly meeting of the Good Hope Lodge, of Tsmuka, was held in the Social Hall on Monday, 23rd inst. About 50 members were present. Three new members were initialed into the order, making a total of 165 on the roll. A digest of business to come before the G.L. in the coming session was read and approved. The picnic committee reported that invitations for tho picnic to be held on Good Friday had been issued to several of the surrounding lodges. It was decided that the members of th'a lodge wear rosettes in place of regalia. Correspondence was received from the Timaru Lodge to above picnic, The lodge was closed at 9.10 p.m. by the C.T.

Hardships of Millers. Mr Thom is Meek, at the dinner of the Master Millers Association in Oamaru last Friday, said millers, like farmers, are an isolated class. Scattered, all over this land they hear much of each other but seldom meet. Nearly every day in the year they feel the pressure from both sides, standing as they do between the buyer and the seller, neither of them ever satisfied. The one always wants more than his grain is worth, and the other wants the flour for less than it cost; they both a ant the earth. The one wants the cash, the other wants indefinite credit. Between the two the miller is scoured, brushed, rolled, ground, and re-ground until daylight becomes a a vexation and nights a succession of nightmares. Shark Food.— An immense shark was recently brought ashore in Oamaru and exhibited there. The N.O. Times says that the proprietor of the monster shark made a post mortem of that interesting fish recently, and discovered that a shark is generally not particular as to the digestibility of the articles it swallows. The shark had in Its inside a kerosene tin (Noonday brand), a stave of a barrel, and nine young sharks. What use a kerosene tin and a barret stave could be in the economy of a shark it would be difficult to say. Perhaps they were taken in for billast or to make a noise, However, we are informed there was . capacity enough for even larger objects, and It may be a comfort to know (when we think of the number of persons who bathe in the harbor) that it contented itself with kerosene tins and barrel staves. The shark was armed with 184 formidable teeth, sufficiently aggressive looking to make even a kerosene tin shudder.

The Light Brigade Relief Fund.— 1 The Committeo of this fund h-*ve decided (o close the subjcrinliou list. The amount received or promised has now reached a total of nearly £6900, which is considerably in excess of the sum original y asked for. The fund baa been administered by a small Executive Committee, which has included Lord Wo'aeley, Sir Ugclvmb Boiler, Sir Ralph Thomson, K. 0.8 , Pmrnaoent Secretary of the W-.r Office Lieut. General Sir G. W. Higginson, K.C.8., Sir Albert Rol.'it, M. P,, and Mr F. Faithfull Begg, assisted by Lieut. Wightman, a survivor of the Charge. As a result about £2700 has already been distributed in sums of from £lO to £6O, and with tjie balance of fhe money it is understood that the comopttee are endeavoring to arrange with one qf the large insurance societies for the grant, on exceptionally favorable terms, of stmll annuities to a few of the most infirm and necessitous of the old Light Brigade man. Considering the publicity which has been giyen to the movement (adds a Home paper) it is not very likely that there are ready any destitute survivors who have failed (q teceiyo uomo assistance from the fupds at (be disposal of the committee, '

| The Rimutaka. —The B.M.S. Rimutaka, from Loudon, arrived at Wellington yesterday evening, Holloway’s Pills.—Teachings of Ex' perieHoe.—The united testimony of thousands, extending over more than foity years, most strongly recommends these Pills as the best purifiers, the mildest aperients, and the surest restoratives. "They never prove delusive, or give merely temporary relief, but attack all ailments of the stomach, lungs, heart, bead, and bowels in the only safe and legitimate way, by cleansing the blood, and so eradicating those imparities which are the source and constituent of almost every disease. Their medicinal efficacy is wonderful in renovating Infoebled constitutions. Their action embraces ale that is desirable in a household medicine They remove every noxious and effete matter ; and thus the strength is nurtured and the energies stimulated.

SYNOPSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS. Thos. Scott, Undertaker—Funeral notice re the late Mr Hugh Blair. £1 Reward—Offered for return of lost purse, containing ring, etc. A. O. Kimball, Geraldine tenders for fencing at Waitohi, Business Places in Geraldine—Will be closed from Thursday till Tuesday. Cricket at Winchester—Meeting of the Cricket Club on Saturday evening. Tt-muka Branch Shearers and Laborers Union-—Annual meeting on Saturday evening. Backsmilhs and Wheelwrights of Temuka Close places of business from to-night until Tuesday morn ng. D. McCaskill, Baker, Temuka—Notifies that “Hot Cross” Buns can be obtained at his bakery, Arowhenua, and shop, Temuka, from 6 a.m. to-morrow. Priest & Bofdgate, Ironmongers, Timaru—Have just opened their season’s stoak of sporting requisites, including guns by various ackers, powders, filled eod empty cartridge cases, etc., etc. ; guns repaired by experienced workmen.