LOCAL & GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2738, 15 November 1894, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL.

The Colonial Treasurer.—The Colonial Treasurer will address a public meeting in Auckland early in December. Both the Premier and he will attend the formal opening of the Auckland • Rotorua line on December Bth. Rangitata South. The Rev. Mr Barclay will inaugurate a service here in connection with the Presbyterian Church, Temuka, and preach on Sabbath afternoon at 3 p.m., and Temuka morning and evening, November 18th. Volunteer Districts.—After March Ist the colony will be divided into five volunteer districts as follows :—l, Auckland ; 2, Wellington (including Taraaaki, Wauganui, Wairarapa. Munawatu, and sub-districts of Hawke's Bay)- 3, Canterbury (iuoluding North Canterbury and sub-distriotaol Souta Canterbury); 4, Otago (including North Otago, Oamaru. Dunedin, and sub-districts of Southland); s,'Nelson (including Nelson, Marlborough, and the sub-districts of Westland). " •* Cheviot.—The Hon. J. McKenzie returned to Christchurch from Cheviot on Tuesday morning. He is greatly pleased with what he saw at the settlement. On Monday night he was present at a largely attended meeting at which various matters affecting the welfare of the settlement were discussed. He suggested that the settlers should take steps to form a county, so as to be able to control their own local affairs, and a meeting will be held shortly to consider the proposal.

OCR Land Settlembnt. Our land settlement is attracting' the attention of Australia. Last year Mr Mclnryre, the Victorian Minister of Lands, visited New Zealand and inspected our village settlements. Since then a new Government is in office in Victoria, and have commissioned Mr Fulbert Bere (who acted as private secretary for Mr Rhodes duringlaßt election), to visit and report on village settlements in the South Island. Mr Bere passed thr ugh Temuka la t Tuesday on his way to the Orari Village Settlement. Primitive Mkthodist Church.—The anniversary soiree of the Geraldine Primitive Methodist Church will be held to-night in the Geraldine Drill Hall. The tea will be on the tables at 6.30. At the after meeting short addresses will be delivered by the Revs. Preston, Todd, Cocker, Captain of Salvation Army, and W. S. Maslin, Esq., M.H.R. The chair will be tiken at 8 p.m. by F. R. Flatman Esqr., M.H.R. A special feature of theafter meeting will be the rendering of a choice selection from the Fisk Jubilee Songs by the choir. The choir will also give several anthems, etc. WooDB&BY Athletic Club Social.— On the evening of Nov. 9, as a close to the day's sport, the most successful social ever held under the auspices of the Woodbury Athletic Club took place, about 40 or 50 couples being present. Some rattling good songs and step dances were contributed by Mr McColl to the evening's amusement. Dance music was supplied by Messrs A. McPherson and Campbell, while Mr A. Ferguson acted as M.C. Refreshments were supplied by Mr James Riordan. A very pleasant broke up about 3 o'clock the next morning'. Our Population.—The population 1 of the colony (exclusive of Maoris) on 30th September last is estimated at 360,830 males and 319.767 females. The births during the September quarter were 24 1 males and 2280 females, andthe deaths 1079 males and 864 females. The arrivals for the quarter were 2921 males and 1471 females, and the departures 3701 males and 1448 females, showing an inorease of European population of 2011 for the quarter, but an exoess of departures over arrivals of 767. \

Court of Appeal.—The Appeal Court at Wellington •'' heared an aotion by the Commissioner of Taxes who claimed that certain deeds made in his lifetime by John Chambers, sheep farmer, Hawkea Bay, are intended to evade payment of the succession duty. Chambers died in 1893, and his estate w#s valued at £75,000 to £IOO,OOO, and a large amount of duty was involved. On Tuesday the Court gave judgment. The Court was of opinion that the transactions, involved ought not to be treated as a mere Boheme to evade the payment of duties under the Deceased Persons Estate Duties Act, 1881, but they held un"imously that the deeds of conveyance and covenant . «~* 0 f 1885. Costs were ai»sut under the au ■«» the highest scale. lowedtheComuissionerw. '■ Pareora Small Homesteads. —The _ Homestead Settlement, the last organised iu South Canterbury, appears to have started well. The settlers for the most part have erected very comfortable cottages thereon, and the sections, which average a little over 20 acres, are well fenced, lhe crops of wheat, oats, potatoes, and mangolds look fairly healthy, and although great financial results cannot be expected immediately, yet there should be sufficient return to enable the settlers to live. The land is of good quality, although having a somewhat tough subsoil. This upon such small allotments oan be easily remedied by subsoiling. Some of the settlers complain that the rentals are a little high, but these will not be felt when the preliminary expenses have been overcome. The land is eminently adapted for fruit culture, and one of the settlers, Mr Boutcher, who has had Californian experience, intends to endeavor to or.anise some co-operative canning system. Such an industry should receive Government support.

Accidents.—As a result of the gale on Monday night, we have to record a peculiar and severe accident. Mr James Dwyer, in the employ of Mr James Austin, was engaged on Monday evening in culinarv operations in a galley located at Mr Austin's farm at Orari. A violent wiui cipsized the galley o oe or twice, it is said, with the result that Mr Dwyer was severely injured by alternate contact wit'i the side*, •stove (which broke loose) culinary uiensils, etc. lie was rescued from hid perilous position by other employees, an 1 taken to Air Austin's re«i lenoe. At fir.it the unfortuuate mun ignored hia injuries, but as hiscon littnu appeared serious Mr Aust n communicated with Dr Hayes, who attende l to him yesterday. The lull extent of bit* injuries are not known, bat they arc sutlluiently serious t-.i cause a certain amount of anxiety. Ah evilenoo of tho .or e too gala, it may be mentioie i tmt t.ic ualloy measures l.'ift x Bft x Bft. It was built upon lov wheel*, which wcru sunk into tie ground, so that no in-cou-i itrable must have been required to lift it. It now lies at Messrs Comer and Larcombe'e yard in a very shattered coadition.

Arrivals and Departures.—The departures in October were 1779, and the arrivals (including, however, the whole Wairarapa list) 1906. There would have been a net gain of 127, but this is reduced by the number of passengers drowned in the steamer. Temuka Town Board,—A special meeting of the Temuka Town Board was held lust evening (Mr G. J. Alison in the chair), when the overseer reported on the damage done to the footpaths by the recent fires, and also as to other repairs necessary to them. It was resolved to have the other damage caused by the fires made good at once and also to have necessary repairs to the asphalt footpaths effected; with regard to the damage to crossings, etc., owners to be given notice to repair them within fourteen days, or the board will have the work done at their expense. St. Saviour's Church, Temuka.—The Rev. T. Farley was inducte.i to the Parish of St. Saviour's, Temuka, last night, in the presence of a good congregation. The impressive induction ceremony of the Chu- oh of England was conducted by the Ven. Archdeacon Harper, M.A., who was attended by the Rev. L. Brady as acting chaplain. The Rev. Mr Farley, having formally acknowledged his installation, read the abbreviated evening service, the lesson being taken by the archdeacon, who al.-o preached an eloquent sermon from orinthians, i., 4. Appropriate hymns were sung. At the conclusion of the service a welcome social to the Rev. Mr and Mrs Farley was held in the schoolroom, at which there was a large attendance. A fuller report will appear in our next issue. A Huge Fortune.—The huge fortune of the late Mr Hugh M'Calmont, which for seven years has been accumulating at compound interest, is about to pass into the sole control of the heir, Mr Har-y Leslie Blundell M'Calmont, the well-known owner of Isinglasß. The amount is believed to be not much if less than £4,000,000 sterling, and the bulk of this enormous sum was accumulated by the testator whilst a member of the once prominent firm of M'Calmont Brothers. That firm, together with Messrs Peabody & Co., were the pioneers in introducing American railroad securities upon the London market, and they were for many years very closely connected with the now hopelessly bankrupt company—the Philadelphia and Reading Rumour has it that the amount to which Mr M'Calmont will succeed is greater than that at the absolute disposal of any other single person in this country, and this is not improbable. Of course (says the Westminister Review) larger amounts are owned by some of the great city magnates, but probably in most oases their wealth is not entirely unfettered; it is either subjest to heavy charges, or else is invested in business from which it could not be easily disengaged. Fires.—A fire broke out in an upper room of Mr Raymond's house, near Timaru, known as " Belfield," about noon on Monday, but by the exertions of one or two hands from the freezing works it was extinguished after a couple of rooms had been gutted. Much damage, however, was done to the plaster of the lower rooms through the water breaking it do vn. The fire was traced to a defective chimney. The house is insured for £ISOO, and the furniture for £3so.—At Palmerston North, Thatcher's boot shop was gutted by fire on Tuesday morning. The ladies' showroom was destroyed. The stock was valued at £2OO, and is rendered useless for sale. Grubbs, confection r, and Baker, solicitor, adjoining, were damaged by water. Insurances £ISOO.—A five-roomed house at Styx, North Canterbury, occupied by J. Pearson, was destroyed by fire on Monday night. Insurance £250. The fire originated through a mautlepiece catching fire during the temporary absence of the inmates. —At Christchurch on Tuesday morning the galvanized iron building owned by T. Crooks, Worcester street, was destroyed by fire. The building contained a plant for nickel plating, photographic appliances and material, three thousand magic lantern slides and magic lanterns, none of which were saved. The fire is supposed to have been caused by chemicals stored in the building. Crooks estimates his loss at £IOOO. and the insurances amount to £350. SYNOPSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS. J. B. Wareing—Reward for lost dog. Mrs Deßenzy—Wants general servant. In bankruptcy —Re J. B. Kirk, of Temuk, hairdresser. Temuka Road Board—ls prepared to purchase small birds eggs and heads of young birds. Rangitata South—Rer. G. Barclay on Sunday afternoon. Primitive Methodist Church, Geraldine —Anniversary soiree in Drill Hall, to-night. Cbas. Bates & Co —Have a new stock of paperhangings to hand; specially low prices ; a caU solicited.