THE Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 1892. LOCAL & GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2306, 16 January 1892, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 1892. LOCAL & GENERAL.

N.Z. Insurance Company. The N.Z. Insurance Company has declared a dividend of ( 2* per cent. Bush —Y man named John Porterman was killed at Wellington, on Wednesday,through a log falling on him. MORE Pests. The North Wairarapa Rabbip Boapd bgve decided to expend the surplus af Rs disposal, anjoupthig to £IOOO, in the importation of ferrets. The Barque Inverurie—The medical officer at Napier under the Public Health Act has informed the Under Secretary that sudor no circumstances will he grant pratique tbthg barque Inverurie. The UNRMPLO-VEO..---Tbe Chief Surveyor has informed the Mayor of Dunedin that the unemployed can find work at bush falling on the Waikawa and Gatlin’s river, and make reasonable wages. 'fltE Governorship. —The Government have asked Lord Knutsford, Secretary of ‘State for the Colonies, that tbe name of \ possible appointees to the Governorship ,of New Zealand snu" be submitted to them before the final vnado,

Political Address. —Mr Native Minister, addressed his constituents at the Thames on Wednesday evening. The whole proceedings occupied only one hour, and at the close of the speech Mr Cadman received a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence, and a similar compliment was also enthusiastically accorded to the Government. Attempted Intimidation. — A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a man who attempted to stab Dr Grace at Wellington on Monday night. The man, with whom Dr Grace had had a law suit some years ago, visited the surgery and demanded money, and being refused drew a pocket knife and attempted to stab Dr Grace in the abdomen.—Later news states that a man named James Madden, an ex-publican, was apprehended on Thursday on a charge of attempting to stab the Hon. Dr Grace.

Hessian Fly. The Wairarapa Daily, which recently!’or warded a specimen of grub which is causing damage to crops of wheat in the Masterton district for examination, received the following telegram from Sir Jas. Hector on Wednesday:—“The grub you now send with wheat is the larvel condition of the Hessian Fly ( drstrnetor).

It is the same pest which appeared near i Merton in January INKS. and was i successfully suppress ■ I. It is much to be i regretted that it b ; reappeared, as it is a } frightful pest. I have referred the mattir 1 to the Minister of Agriculture," 1

Primitive Methodist Church. —Mr D. Goldie preaches in the Primitive Methodist Church, Geraldine, to-morrow. Mr Goldie was at one time a member of the House of Representatives for Auckland, but on account of an overpressure of work in his business was compelled to resign.

Mr E. Tennyson Smith at Temuka. —To-morrow evening, at 8.15, Mr E. Tennyson Smith will give an origimil address in the Temuka Volunteer Hall, and on Monday evening will give a number of choice selections from Gough’s orations. Both the meetings will be free, but collections will be made to defray expenses. Wool Sale. —The third wool sale for Christchurch took place yesterday. There was a fairly good attendance of buyers. Prices as a whole were as good as last season, considering the nature of the wool, and some considered them a slight advtnce. The greater demand was for merino, which in the main realised the best figure. The Governor ox the West Coast.— His Excellency the Governor and party arrived at Pembroke on Wednesdayevening, and was accorded a most hearty welcome. His tour all through has been most enjoyable. The scenery, he says, is the grandest and most gorgeous he has ever seen, and with the roads slightly improved, he considered that tourists from all parts of the world would visit it in large numbers. The Francis Joseph glacier alone, he considers, stands unequalled in beauty. The party proceeded by coach on Thursday for Queenstown.

Suicide. —Adnon Chapman, of Norman’s Hill, Onehunga, Auckland, committed suicide at 1.30 a.m. on Wednesday. He got a single-barrelled rifle, and attaching a strap to the trigger and to his foot, fired the weapon and blew his brains out. The neighbors heard two shots at an interval of ten minutes, which is somewhat singular. Deceased was found, fully dressed, sitting in a chair. He was a man of independent means, about 50 years of age, and married. A man named Pownall, at West Clive, near Napier committed suicide by hanging yesterday morning.

The Revenue. The total revenue of the colony for the quarter ending Hist December last, was £1,014,030, made up as follows (shillings and pence omitted): — Customs, £37(5,770; Stamps, £123,334; Postand Telegraph cash receipts, £10,703 ; Property Tax, £200,800; beer duty, £15,834 ; Railways, £2(5(5,09(5 ; Registration and other fees, £16,421; Marine, £5208; miscellaneous revenue, £4031 ; Territorial revenue, £15,567. The revenue returns do not contain the receipts for the last week of the year, which owing to closing of the banks had not come into account. The Treasury is quite satisfied with the figures, and the estimate is expected to be more than reached. The Customs are weU ahead, and the railway revenue, which hitherto had been deficient, is now only £20,000 behind, and the next three months are expected to easily make up the arrears, as they are very busy ones for the department.

Polynesian Society. — A meeting of gentlemen interested in the formation of a Polynesian Society was held in Wellington on Monday. Mr S. Percy Smith, the Surveyor-General, in moving that the society be formed, explained that in response to a circular written by him, 11 2 members had joined the proposed society. They were scattered over the whole area of Australia and Polynesia, and numbered among them some of the most distinguished linguists and ethnologists who had visited or dwelt in Oceania. The response from Honolulu was particularly encouraging, as more than 20 members had been enrolled theye. It had been long considered a desirable thing that efforts should be made to rescue from oblivion the fast fading knowledge of the past among the natives of'New Zealand and the South Seas. It was intended.to issue, if possible, a quarterly journal of transactions, which should contain papers on history, archaeology language, customs, and poetry of Polynesia, Melanesia, and the whole Pacific people. The motion was carried, and it was decided for the next two years to hold the annlal meeting at Wellington. The Phonograph. —Nothing has surprised us for a long time so mgeh as that the attendance at the exhibition, of the phonograph given in the Terauka Volunteer

Hall last Thursday evening was not large. We expected a crowded house; we expected that this, the greatest novelty of the age, and certainly the supreme triumph of the inventive genius of man, would at any rate have drawn a large audience, but to our surprise some third rate variety companies had as good if not better. But those who did go certainly did not regret it. We have never witnessed more

enthusiastic applause, uqji/ nave we ueen present fit any entertainment wh}ch appeared to give greater satisfaction, Ihe Phonographic mechanic m is chiefly encased in a wooden box, apparently about two feet long by about nine inches wide and the same in height. I here are many parts of it exposed to view, amongst which are the governors which regulate the speed, and the place on which what is called the record is put. This record consists of a cylinder of wax, the composition of which is only known to Mt Edison himself. On this a needle (operated an by. (be coneussiqn of air caused by the_ voice of fffie ' anflqker sinner, &c.,) make indents as ip travels round, and another needle tp-aveßing over the same ground J'<?]irodiices phe sounds. The whole mechanism 13 §?t m npojtiou by an electric current produce

from cells changed with bichromate of potash. Immediately after Mr Eelly explained the mechanism of the phonograph, he introduced Mr Ducarrou, fiq expert from Edison’s factory, who proceeded to operate. The first experiment

w,a£ the reproduction of a Euphonium solo, played by Mr E. Whitehead, apd the applause which its production by the machine was. receiver! ' -Mfied tbe pleasure ,of the audience. It sometui*”' 9 ’fcrtSSl flbvei to hear Mr Whitehead play the sol J T** to the machine faithfully reproducing . * A song entitled “Maggie Murphy’s home,” sung over two years ago in San Francisco, a cornet solo, a descriptive orchestral selection, and many other pieces, were given with excellent effect, each and all of which met

with enthusiastic applause. Amongst the best pieces were a banjo solo played in America, and.a piccolo solo by Mr Phor, of Christchurch." These came out so distinctly and loudly that one could hardly realise that the player was not actually on the stage. During the evening Mr Kelly recited two of Mr G. R. Sims’ highly dramatic poems, one being “ The life boat ” and the other “ The station master ” in a masterly manner. Mr Kelly is an elo- i cutionist of the realistic school. There is I no straining after effect, no “ tearing passion j

to tatters,” but a quiet, well spoken, natural, i unaffected recital, in which every sentiment which the poet desired to express are brought out powerfully. He is certainly a splendid reciter. At the close of the entertainment a large number of people went up to the platform to listen to the machine through tubes which are put to 1 the ears. With the tubes the sounds are heard far more distinctly than they are ] hear I in the hall. The Phonograph was ex- i hibited iu Geraldine last night. 1

Geraldine Rifles. —The Geraldine rides held a parade, on Thursday evening last. Land Association. The North Island Land Association, formed at Christchurch, have decided to take up 20,000 acres of the Whakatane swamp in the Bay of Plenty district, on HO years’ lease at Is per acre. The area each member will receive is 500 acres.

New Freezing Machinery. —The Wellington Meat Export Company’s new works at Ngahauranga, Wellington, were fitted with the Linde Company’s ammonia freezing machinery, instead of the usual Haslam or other compressed air type. This is the first time this machinery has been tried in the colonies and the experiment is watched with some interest. The machinery commenced to run on Sunday, and the Company report that it is completely successful.

Death of the Duke of Clarence.— In another column will be found particulars of the death of the - Duke of Clarence, which occurred on Thursday last. The Government have sent the following cable to the Agent-General—“ Ask Lord Knutsford convey Prince Princess Wales deep sympathy colony in their bereavement.” A copy of the message was also sent to the Governor. Yesterday the flags at Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Timaru, and other places were all half-mast high.

Another Run Case. At the R.M. Court, Christchurch, on Wednesday, an information was heard against D. Matheson, lessee of a small run for which he had been in arrears of rent. It was sought to obtain under the Lands Act an order fixing the penalty of £1 a day for the time he was in default, amounting to £75. Mr Beetham, R.M., in view of the recent case at Invercargill, doubted whether he had jurisdiction. He was inclined to believe that the matter rested with the Land Board, and adjourned the case till the 21st instant.

Fatal Accidents. —A boy, nine years of age, named George Lipsey, while boating on the Waihou river, Te Arnha, Auckland, fell into the water and was drowned. — Alfred Selby, son of a teacher at Lumsden, Southland, was drowned there on Thursday morning while bathing. He was learning to swim and had successfully crossed the lagoon, but in returning he sank. The body was recovered, but long continued efforts failed to revive it. The lad was a pupil of the Normal School, Dunedin, and uad just gained a scholarship.—Alexander McDonald, one of the crew of the Manapouri, fell overboard as the steamer was going down the harbor at Dunedin on Thursday afternoon and was drowned.— Jonathan Richardson, a child, was found drowned at Gatlin’s river on Wednesday afternoon.

Primitive Methodist Conference. — The New Zealand Primitive Methodist Conference opened at Christchurch on Thursday. At 1 o’clock fifty members were present, and regret was felt at the fact that two of the clergymen were detained at their homes on account of illness. Mr C. Bellinger (Mayor of New Plymouth) was elected Chairman of Church Committees and the Rev. W. Laycock Vice-Chairman. A large amount of business was done, including the consideration of the plans for the new church the body are about to build in Temuka. The president and officers for the conference proper were elected on Friday morning. It was reported that during the year churches had been built at Dennistou and Abbotsford, schoolrooms at the Thames and Newton, and a parsonage at

Manawatu. The debts on church properties hid been reduced by £517, and there were 4:4 churches and 14 parsonages of a total value of £28,000. The attendants at divine worship numbered between 5000 and 6000. Magisterial. At the Courthouse, Temuka, on Thursday, before Messrs J. T. M. Hayhurst and M. Quinn, J.P.’s, William Eaglestone was charged with being upon enclosed premises without lawful excuse. He pleaded “ guilty.” From the evidence of Stephen and Mrs Spillane it appeared that the accused was found at about 4 a.m. on Tuesday morning standing over a bag of pollard, which was placed near the end of Mr Spillane’s house. Mrs Spillane had been visiting a sick neighbor and returned unexpectedly. Accused on seeing her threw a bucket he was carrying over the fence into his own section which adjoins, and ran away. Evidence was also given as to accused's previous career. The magistrates took into consideration the fact that harvest was approaching and sentenced accused to 28 days’ hard labor. —At the same sitting a first offender, charged with drunkenness, was cautioned and discharged.

Conference. The conference of ihe K'ew Zealand Alliance and the local temperance bqdies was held on Thursday afternoon, Sir "VVilliam Fox presiding, The following resolutions were carried:—(l) That it is expedient that the modes of operation hitherto employed by the Alliance executive be continued: (2) That this conference sees no other way of

meeting strictly the local demands upon temperance effort and liberality than by the united action of all the local temperance workers and their raising separate funds to

meot local requirements ; (3) It is expedient that the Al|ianoe continue to raise funds as hitherto 1 only for colqmal as distinct from purely’local work, and that ip ' the opinion of this conference the Alliance tfhpuld favpiirably consider any proposals ‘for financial pe|a|iioua which may be mutually advantageous from hi}? l9 cal temperance organisations; (4) This confepopee copdially commends the colonial and legislative ivprh qf the Alliance to generous moral and financial support, pud considers that the most cordial relations should be maintained between all temperance bodies ad 1 ? Alliance,

TifC Wellington Election. The Wellington eiectiqn tqqk plage yesterday, and ve regret we are not iu a position to (fiyq fqll particulars of ft. We iqade "Wa«ggmenss tb ge| til® resqfta but they miscarried fll<3§SWgep fPQiq Tjnpiru brought the informal that Mr Maolean was elected, but failed to asC? l ’tMh by what majority.

The Largest and most Complete Cycle Works in the Australian Colonies is at 70, Manchester Street, Christchurch.— Adams, Curties & Co. Safeties from £lO, Bicycles from £5. —1