LOCAL & GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2300, 2 January 1892, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Accident. —Captain Russell broke one of his legs while playing in the lawn tennis tournament at Napier. Found Dead.—Dr. W. Guy McLennan, of Ekatahuna, Wellington, was found dead in bed last Wednesday evening. Larceny.—At the R.M. Court, Timaru, on Thursday last, John Fergusson, alias Brown, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for stealing a saddle, valued at £2, and a pair of trousers, valued at 15s. He sold the saddle to a pawnbroker for 7s Cd.

Educating the Horse.—On Wednesday evening next Professor Lichtwark or his son will lecture in the Geraldine Volunteer Hall on “ The Education of the Horse.” The Professor is a very high authority on the subject, and all who have anything to do with horses should make a point of attending the lecture.

Fatal Accident. —At Claremont, near Timaru, on Thursday last a little daughter of Mr M. Mcßae, between two and three years of age, fell into a water-tank and was drowned. Mr Mcßae was away from home, visiting his wife, who is an inmate of the Timaru Hospital, at the time of the sad occurrence.

Temuka Flower Show. —We arc glad to learn that the forthcoming Rower show under the auspices of the Temuka Floral and Horticultural Society promises to be most successful. A large number of private prizes have been very liberally promised, and entries are coming in satisfactorily. The show takes place on Thursday next, and intending competitors should note that entries close with the Secretary, Mr H. M. Miles, or Mr E. C. Dann, at 8 o'clock next Wednesday evening. A Heavy Crop.—Mr J. F. Carr reports the cutting of an exceptionally heavy crop of oats with a new McCormick reaper and binder on the property of Mr Arthur Bruce, Prebbleton. The oats were over six feet high, and an estimate may be gathered from the fact that llOlbs of the best Manilla twine, or an average of lOlbs to the acre, were used. It may be added, in further illustration of the heaviness of the crop, that the stookers were unable to make wages at 2s (id per acre, and struck for higher pay.—Lyttelton Times.

Geraldine Floral Society.—A committee meeting of the Geraldine Floral,. Horticultural, and Industrial Association was held on Monday evening last, Dr Fish, president, in the]chair. Samples of gummed tickets to be affixed to exhibit cards were submitted, and the secretary was authorised to obtain 500 of each. It was decided that entries for the cottage garden prizes should close on January 7th. Arrangements were made for staging the hall, class stewards were appointed, and the meeting then adjourned until January Bth.

The Weather. Early on Thursday morning there was a heavy shower of rain, which lasted until about half-past eight o’clock. Some of the heavier crops were laid, but on the whole the damage was not much, and, taking the light lands into consideration, the rain has probably done good. About mid-day there was a fearful squall from the southward that did a good deal of damage in the locality of Orari between the railway and the sea. The squall was accompanied with hailstones of large size. The windows in Mr Stewart’s house at Orari were shattered, and a great deal of heavy crop upon farms in that neighborhood was literally thrashed to the ground. There is no information to hand as to how far the line of hailstorm extended. Towards the hills there was a little rain, and tb© wind was very blustering, but no damage to speak of was done.

Dr Frankish’s Impressions. —Dr Frankisl), who has just returned to the colony after a trip Home, has been interviewed by a representative of the Lyttelton Times as to the impressions formed by him during his visit. In the course of his remarks the doctor said ; —" England is a lovely country, with beautiful cities, and a magnificent landscape when the weather will permit you to see it; but I would rather live in New Zealand on a crust than live in England with all that wealth could procure. England’s hospitality is boundless, but ifs climate is execrable. While travelling through Eprope I noticed the warlike spirit which prevails, 1 likewise noticed the utter unpreparedness of England for the coming conflict. There is a Triple Alliance, and yet the only Power prepared for war is France. 1 speak ftqrq observation, and I can say that the cqmr bination that can secure the Turk will win. We in New Zealand have spent lots of money,on forts and guns. The forts are reliable. After thy explosion ill Auckland I cannot answer for the gu'nsl ’ In case <4 conflict, have we the requisite am munition/ If not, it ought at once to be obtained. Can wc make it here If not, why not.’

The Doric. —R.M.S. Doric arrived at Plymouth on the 24th instant, with her cargo of frozen meat in good condition. Primitive Methodist Church. The services for to-morrow in connection with this Church will be found in our advertising columns.

Union Insurance Company. The Union Insurance Company have declared the usual half-yearly dividend at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum. Larrikinism.— Seven lads, from 15 to 17 years old, were found - guilty of larrikinism on Christmas Eve by damaging buildings at Addington with paint, and Mr Beetham, R.M., fined them il‘2 each. The Late Mrs Pender. —Mrs Pender’s funeral in the Catholic cemetery at Christchurch • was very largely attended on Wednesday afternoon. The police and firemen turned out in force, and there were over 50 vehicles, with representatives of all classes of the community.

The English Mails.— All that has been finally arranged as yet in reference to the English mails is that the federal service of the Australian colonies shall be a service to alternate with the San Francisco in keeping up the fortnightly despatch and receipt of mails decided upon by Parliament. Details have not yet been agreed upon.

Dunedin Hospital.— Miss Edith Mawe, of London, has been appointed Matron to the Dunedin Hospital, and Lady Superintendent to the new Nurses Home. Miss Mawe has had considerable English experience, and was selected by the British Government to proceed to Gibraltar and organise the nursing arrangements at the colonial hospital there.

Unseasonable Weather. —The recent and'prevailing winds at Palmerston North have done a great amount of damage to growing crops in that district. In several instances whole fields have been levelled. Should rain fall the damage will be intensified. Bush fires, aided by the wind, have destroyed a great amount of grass. Timber and fences have also been burned. Fire. —A four-roomed house in Yarrow street, Invercargill, owned by Mr J. W. Mitchell was burnt on Wednesday night. The owner formerly resided in it, but it had long been unoccupied and used as a storeroom. The house was insured for £2UO in the Phoenix office and was valued at £IOO. Mr Mitchell thinks that there is also an insurance of £IOO on the contents. The Misses Mitchell had been burning oil business papers in the house during the previous two days.

Things Not Understandable.— An bid Scotchman is said to have risen in a meeting one night and, apropos of nothing, delivered himself of the following remarks: —There are three things I never could quite understand. First, why boys will throw sticks at green apples, when, if they waited, the apples would ripen and drop off; secondly, I could never quite comprehend why men go to war to kill each other, when if they remained quietly at home they would die a natural death in good time; thirdly, and most important of all, I do not see why the men chase round after the women, since, if they sat still, the women would run round after them.

Factories’ Act. By Order-in-Couucil Muckland, Wellington, Christchurch, aud Dunedin districts are constituted under the Factories Act, 1891. The regulations under the Act, which came into operotion yesterday, are gazetted. The table of fees for the registration of factories and workrooms is as follows : —For every factory or workroom in which more than thirty persons are employed, £2 2s; for every factory in which more than ten or not more than thirty persons are employed, £ 1 Us; for every factory or workroom in which more than three and not more than ten persons are employed, ss. Mr Edward Tregear is appointed inspector for Wellington district, and will also have general supervision over the administration of the Act throughout the colony. In addition to Mr Tregear, the following persons have been appointed inspectors: Richard Gamble, Auckland; John O’Donovan, Wellington ; Herbert Ferguson, Christchurch; Thomas King Weldon, Dunedin.

Hilton Sabbath School. —The annual picnic in connection with the Hilton Sabbath Shool, took place on Tuesday last, and was well attended and successful in every respect. The children and their parents and friends met at about 9 o’clock and had a pleasant drive up to Kakahu Bush, the usual tryst ing place beingselected. After a ramble through the bush a good meal was served out and a couple of hours spent in games, of the usual kind, the most popular' being rounders. The children were then mustered and some pretty toys presented to each of the scholars. Short addresses were given by the Rev A. B. Todd, of Geraldine, Mr Stewart, of Orari, Mr Hughes, of Waltham, and the captain of the Salvation Army at Geraldine. Mr Todd distributed the prizes to the Sabbath School children, and Mr Stewart presented Mrs Woodley, who has acted as superintendent of the school for the last fifteen years, with a purse of sovereigns as a token of the esteem in which she is held by the district in general. Mrs Woodley very feelingly thanked her friends for the most unexpected and handsome 'present. Hearty cheers were given for Mrs Woodley and the speakers.

The Governor in Westland. The Governor, accompanied by Mr Guthrie, A.D.G., Mr Allan Scott, and Mr Ryan, the special artist of the New Zealand Graphic, arrived at Taipo on horseback on Tuesday. They were met by the mayor of Kumara (Mr Benzon) and the Hon. Minister of Mines, and the Borough Council, who had proceeded in a special coach to meet the vice-regal party. The Governor rode as far as the town boundary, where he was met by a procession of friendly societies and the Catholic and Volunteer Bands, and was conducted to a stage erected in the centre of the town. Rain fell heavily at the time, but in nq wise damped the proceedings. At a banquet subsequently the Mayor, in alluding to the visit of the Governor, said that the town ought to be congratulated in first being visited by his Excellency, and he also warned the Governor of the dangers of the southern rivers, saying 95 per cent of the inscriptions on the tombstones in southern cemeteries showed that they were erected to lives lost by drowning. The Governor in replying created roars of laughter by saying that the geographical position of Kumara certainly rendered it necessary for him to first visit it, and he hoped Greymouth and Hokitika would take note of the remark. He had nowhere had such a cordial reception as at Kumara, where pleasing reference had been made as to his occupying a southern cemetery. (Loud laughter). He was used, however, to the terrors of the south, and when he had the burly Minister of Mines to hang on to ho would feel quite safe. The Hon. Mr Seddon, in replying to the toast of {dip Hew Zealand Parliament, said the Governor claimed to be a moderate aqd practical mafl. Re testified to the profound loyalty of the miners, and said colonial traducers I ought to have first visited the coast before making their onslaughts. The Governor visited the hospital on Wednesday afternoon in spite of the wet, and expressed his approbation. He left on Thursday for Greymouth’. ‘ 1

Promotions. Majors Goring and Newall, of the New Zealand Zealand Militia, and Major Bonar, of the New Zealand Volunteers, have been appointed Lieutenant-Colonels.

The Late Government. —The Wellington Herald has the following report of a speech recently made by the Honorable Mr Beddon: —“He defended the action of the Government, and in referring to the late Government he pointed out with few exceptions they were only jewellery pedlars, coming down from their high places and trafficking in dead men’s watches. (Volcanic cheering.) He showed that the present Government was not afraid to probe their iniquitious actions. What could he more iniquitious than to purloin the necklace or any last remnant of jewellery from the person of a dead mother, and to refuse to give it to an only living son; who begged and prayed to have this momento of his dead mother restored to him, but to no effect. Still worse and more abominable was it when the boy sought to establish his claim to this trifling (but to him, everything) article, the department added more poignancy to their vile conduct by attempting to prove the boy to be illegitimate. (Terrific roars.) Was the present Government backward in investigating these irregularities ? No, certainly not, no matter what the expenses might be.’’ This of course refers to the transactions in connection with the Public Trustee inquiry, when it was discovered that even Sir Harry Atkinson had been trafficking in dead men’s watches. Cyclists and Others visiting Christchurch do not forget to call and inspect the largest Manufactory of Cycles in the colonies. Bicycles from £5, Safeties from £lO. Adams, Cutties & Co., 70, Manchester Street, Christchurch. —7

SYNOPSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS,

Primitive Methodist Church —Services to-morrow.

South Orari School Committee —Want a pupil teacher. A, E. Cox—Sell sheep, cattle, etc., at Geraldine on Wednesday.

J. Langridge—Funeral notice re late Miss S. Bradford, of Waitohi.

J. Mudnell & Co.—Advertise entries for Geraldine Stock Stle on Wednesday. H. B. Webster & Co.—Publish entries for Geraldine Stock Sale on Wednesday next. Temuka P. and H. Society —Entries for forthcoming show close on Wednesday evening. Professor Lichtwark or his son—Will lecture at Geraldine on Wednesday next on “The Horse.’’