LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2198, 7 May 1891, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Concert and Dance. To-morrow evening a concert and dance will bo hold in iho G rddioe Flat school. Geraldine Licensing Committee.— Candidates for election oo this Committee must be nominated by neon to-day.

Kauri Gum.—Nine hundred tons of Ifaiin gum, valued at £40,000, have been exponel from Auckland during the past year.

Fire. The Gladstone Hotel near O-iterton has been burned to the ground. Insurances : £225 on the building, £3OO on the furniture

The Weathet, —Captain Edwin fore casts heavy gales from north, changing to west and south-west, botveen noon yesterday and midnight to morrow. Entertainment. —Abdool Ahumud, the great Indian Juggler, and party give an entertainment in the Volunteer Hal', Temuka, on Saturday evening next.

Price oe Town Sections. Messrs Ojx and Guinness, on last Tuesday, at the Temuka sale, sold four quarter-acre sections ic the centre of tire township of Arowhenua for £46. They belonged to Mr Gmrgs Batty, of Onri, and Mr J. Gunnard was the purchaser. Choral Society,— A meeting was convened last eyaniug in the Oddfellows’ H-*II, Temuka, for the purpose of estrblishiiign choral society. Tharewere only four gentlemen aod fifteen or sixteen ladies present, and, as so little sympathy was exhibited, it was decided not to go any further with it. Burglary. —House-breaking is becoming common io Dune in. Tire premises of Mr James Mills were broken intoon Sunday night, but the safe resisted the thieves, and no money was taken. fr'TATiSTiOAL. The population of the ci'y of Wellington is 30,955, When the precious census was taken three years ego it was 25,945. It lias therefore been increased by 5000 during the three years.

The Minister, op Lands.— The Hon. IVIr John McKe’ zie, Minister of Lind-!, in a latter to Mr Georgs Edgeler, Belgrove Cottage, Arowhenua, has intimated hie willingness to confer with the settlers there when again in the district. RETRENCHMENT,— Mr Q. H. Graham, who has been clerk of tho Wairaate Resident Magistrates Court for more than twenty years, lias received notice of his, dismissal, tha change being with tho view of retrenchment.

Accident. —A lad named Geo. Deyerell, 11 years old, son of .Mr A. Deverell, of the Survey Department, Auckland, was paying with a Icy cannon, when the weapon went off. The charge entered his abdomen, and injured tho intestines, causing hoemotihage. The lad is not ex» pectod to live. . Lighting Christchurch.— The lighting of Christchurch is causing some trouble. The council wish lo accept the offer of the electrical syndicate to light the city for 20 years at £2OOO a year, but the Gas Company insist that their contract extends over the next three years. The matter was loft ip abeyance.

Volunteer Carnival.— A great Volun.(M r Carnival has been opened In Tirnaru, bo object being to raise fands. ti wen opened last Tuesday evening ■r.g by Mr Hall-Jones M.H.R. for Timaru ID the presence of His Worship the Mayor, Colonel Gordon Lieutenant-Colenel Bailey, Commandment Laing-Maison, Majors Young and Moore, Captain Poarpoint, Lieutenants Macdonald and McKenzie, besides the local officers. The show of goods in the various stalls is excellent. Canterbury Land Board. .At the Canterbury Land Board meeting last Thursday the following allotments ware grunted on perpetual lease 200 acres, Block 2, Rangitata district, to J. T, Charles ; 640 acres, Block 14, Shepherd’s Bush, Miss L. S. Anderson ; 640 acres, Block 1 (Rmgitata) and 14 (Shepherd’s Bush), to Robert Anderson , 320 acres, Block 14, Shepherd’s Bush, to Miss Esther iSiizibeth Anderson ; Lots 1 and 2, Reserve 350, 280 1 Bp, to Francis W. Tarbotion ; Lot 7, Reserve 1261, 1 acre, to Anthony Crowe ; Let 11, Reserve 1291, 1 acre, to John Crowe. Ministerial Banquet,— Mr Seddon the Minister of Mines, was entertained at a banquet last Tuesday at the Thames. In replying to the toast of hia health he dealt tsome length with the question of the ino'dencs of taxation, and announced that I he Government were determined on the repeal of the property tax, believing that it was the wish of the majority of the neople, that owners of large estates should be made to bear a greater share of the financial burdens of the celony than was 'he case at present. Ministers had tba :>pinion that the land was the heritage of the people, and it was .their intention to legislate in the direction of facilitating the acquisition of small areas by men of moderate means. Football. —The football season, so far as Tcmuka Football Club is concerned, promises to be a,greater success this year than ever, that there is a, first-class first fifteen in the club was very patent from the manner in which the team acquitted themselves in their match on Saturday last. A strong impression prevails that the cup to be played for by the various clubs affiliated to the Rugby Union will fall to their lot. It has been decided to leave no stone unturned to gain the desired end, and with ibis object in view the Volunteer Hall has been hired, where practices to “ screw scrums,” etc., will be held on three evenings in the week, the first one commencing to-morrow evening. The match with Linwood tabes place on the 25th of May, end the following are specially requested to go in for training J. Anderson, R. McKinley, F. Storey, G, Velvin, J. Gillespie, B, Oarr, B. McLeod, J. Brosnahan, W. Fitzgerald, T. Gaffaney, J. Austin, J. Duncan, J. MoAuliffe, R. Robinson, J, Polaschek, W. ■VlcOallam, R. Hawkes, K. Lavery, J. Meechim, J. Henry, W. Russel l , H. Rodgers, C. Goldstone, H. Stevenson, and H, Holden.

I.O.G.T.—The usual weekly meeting of the Temuka Lodge was held on Monday evening, Bro. Metson in the chair. Two candidates were initiated. The quarterly reports were then read, and showed the lodge to be in a flourishing condition, there being now 101 members in good standing. The finances are also very suisfactory, the treasurer having a balance in hand of £lO. After some more buaines Bro. Cooper, L.D., installed the following officers for the ensuing q rarter : —O.T., Bro. Barr; Y.T., Sisiter M. McCallum ; P.0.T., Bro. Metson; Superintendent Juvenile Temple, Sister A. McCillum ; Sec,, Bro. J. Cooper; A.S., Sister Bird ; F.S., Sister M. Qoodey ; Treasurer, Sister L. Bowman ; 0., Sister Bates; M., Bro. Judson ; D.M., Sister A. Goodey ; G,, Bro. Levens ; S., Bro, Binley, A hearty vote of thanks was given to the retiring officers. Special thanks were accorded to Bro. Lynch, the retiring S.J.T., as under his superinlendanca the Juveui'e Temple has become one of the most successful in the colony. Monday, the 18‘h ins*., being the first anniversary of the openitig of the lodge it was resolved to celebrate it with a pub ic meeting, and a committee was appointed to arrange for the same. This being all the badness the meeting terminated.

Orrery ad Tellurian. These most extraordinary pieces of mechanism were on view yesterday in the shop next door to Mr G. J. Mason's, Temuka, and were well patronised. In the evening the attendance was larger than the place could comfortably accommodate. The orrery is so called after its inventor—the Earl of Orrery—an Irish nob’eman, who gave a great deal of attention to astronomy. It consists of a most complicated piece of mechanism containing about 300 little wheels, by which all the planets are set in motion. It shows plainly all the solar bodies revolving round the sun, and the lecture Mr Roberts gives in explaining them is most interesting. It would be impossible to convey to the reader any adequate idea of the mechanism of this wonderful contrivance, the first of its kind ever seen in the colonies, and it would be difficult to over estimate its value as a means of teaching astronomy. While sitting down the observer sees the whole universe in motion before him, while everything is described most minutely and interestingly by Mr Roberta. Ha sses how night changes to day and day to night, the causes of the various phases of the moon, the transit of Venus, why Mars, though farther away, cm be seen better than Venus, and so on. All is made perfectly clear and so simple that any child can understand it. The Tellurian consists of a lamp and globe, with an attachment representing the moon. This, too, is a most interesting affair. It shows how the change of seasons occur, how day is longer in soma parts of the year than at another time, the'eauses of tides, eclipses, &c,, and the simplicity of the illustrations make everything plain to the dullest comprehension. From both inB'rumauts combined a better understanding of astronomy is obtained in half an hour than 20 years of cursory reading would impart. Ttie two piec:s of mechanism ure put in motion by u little model engine, constructed by a prisoner in the Dru e din Gaol. This is really a most interesting piece of mechanism in its itself, aod would receive more attention from visitors, only that attention is completely arrested by the movements of the solar bodies, A little horiaon'al boiler supplies the steam which (urns theengine, and when all is to full working order the regularity and smoothness with which everything works is a most interesting sight. Parents should not neglect to send their children j to see this most novel sight. The price charged to sehoo 1 children is only threepence, and under such circumstances we ’ have oo doubt that all children old enough to appreciate it will see it. It will be ope oed for the whole week, i

Social. Gathering —A social gathering takes place in the G.'.pes’u Y.l-.y Schooled*) to-moirow evmiug. Wesleyan ('huroh, Temuka. The Rev. W. J, Williams, of Timiru, will preach at this church on Sunday next. Licensing Meetings. - The annual meeting of the j.iratdi o Licenmng Committee will bo held on the 2'id June, anil that of the Ran k .poka Committee on the 3rd June, Federation. —Sir LI, Stout in an imor. view with a New Zealand Times represents®, said that iu his opinion federation at the present was an academical question and that thejpresent Rill shuts it out f om practical politics, ns the financial question bars the way. He pointed out th it if New Zea'and is to marge herself in Australia it would ma»n the decadence of New Zealand's national life. Temuka F. and H. Society. Th« second annual meeting of the Temuka Floral and Horticultural Society takes place in the Social Ha'l this evening. The business to be dealt with includes the consideration and adoption of the report and balance-sheet, the election of officers, revision ot rules, and general. A full attendance of officers and members is requested.

Taxation. The Government bare decided to piopoae tha abolition to the property tax, and to substitute a graduated land tax. Other taxes will be necessary to make good the amount derived from tho property tax, and the form these shall take, whether income or other tax, is still under consideration. Ministers have not yet settled the details of exemption, under the land tux, or the question of bow far improvements shall be taxed.

Obituary.—Mr Blair died in Wellington last Tuesday. The cause of death was disease of the kidneys, from which he has been suffering for a considerable time past. The deceased came to Otago in 1862, and was District engineer for Otago, then Resident Engineer for the Middle Island, and on Mr Blackett’s appointment as Consulting Engineer in London he succeeded him as Engineer-ia-Cbief. Mr Blair’s body will be taken to-Morrow for burial.

Football. —A match was played between teams representing the Temuka Darktowu Club and tbe Star (Jlub, Tunaru, oo the Temuka ground on Thursday, and retu ted in a win for Darktown by S points to nil. Play was commenced about 4 p.m. T. SpiUano captained the home team, and J. Findlay tbe Star. The game was a friendly ooe throughout. Tiies were obtuned by Fenton (2), Tangney, and Anderson, while 2 goals were kicked by Fenton and Spillune. For Timaru J, Findlay, Holmes, and Anderson were the pick, while for Temuka J. Morton, T. Sheen, T. Spi'lane, Broanahao, and Webster played well.