Local and General.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 9, 23 January 1906, Page 2

Local and General.

:o: A special meeting of the Waipukurau Town Board was held last night, the following members being present —Commissioners Chambers (chairman), Bailey, Mitchell, Gore, Staines, and Williams. The only business to transact was the determining of the statutory weekly half-holiday within the town district. On the motion of Com’r Mitchell, seconded by Com r Bailey, it was resolved, That the weekly half-holiday be each Wednesday afternoon. This resolution will be duly forwarded to the Minister of Labour.

Mr P. Barrie, of Waipukurau House, announces an annual clearing sale for twenty-one days. Exceptional bargains are offered during (he sale.

The co-operative workers on State works numbered 5897 at the end of last month, 183 being artisans.

New Zealanders living in London entertained the footballers from their country at a farewell soiree at Holborn Town Hall. Lord Kinnaird read a letter from Baron Knollys expressing the King’s hope that the team had enjoyed its visit, and wishing it a safe and pleasant voyage to America and home. Hundreds of people farewelled the team at Waterloo Station, including Mr Reeves (High Commissioner), Mr Rowland Hill (secretary of the English Rugby Football Union), and leading English footballers.

An elderly man named John Shaw died at Hastings yesterday morning as the result of an epileptic fit. About ten thousand people attended the Wellington races on Saturday, when the new course at Trentham was opened. The principal event of the day,the Wellington Cup, was won by an outsider— Ropa —who returned £29 18s tor each of the 29 pounds invested on him. Boris won the Anniversary Handicap, and Ailsa the Telegraph Handicap, the divi’s being small. On the second day, Clanchattan won the January Handicap, dividend £6 Us ; Letherin the W.R.C Handicap, £7 ss; Cuneiform the Wellington Stakes, £1 9s.

The matron of the District Hospital reports for the week ending Saturday, January 20th:—Patients in Hospital, males 23, females 8 ; admitted during week, males 7, females 1; discharged males 6.

A monument erected to the memory of the late Nepe te Apatu was unveiled yesterday afternoon by Archdeacon Williams. There was a large attendance of visitors from Waipawa and surrounding district. The deceased native was held in high esteem. Bunyan’s “ Pilgrim’s Progress ” was written during the author’s 12 years’ imprisonment in Bedford gaol. This work has been presented in more editions and printed in more languages than any other book except the Bible. A man named Morgan Nolan has died in County Carlow at the age of 110. Until two years before his death Nolan retained all his faculties, and could relate stories of what he had seen in 1798. A carrier pigeon can average 17.33 yards a minute.

The overdraft of the Hastings Borough Council is £3412. The consumption of intoxicating liquors in Canada is increasing The amount of beer, wine, and spirits used per head of the population in 1904 was 23 per cent, greater than the average for the five years preceding. The increase in the convictions for drunkenness in 1903 (the last year for which statistics are as yet available) was 36 per cent, over the average for the preceding five years. This increase is shown in every province with the exception of Prince Edward Island and Quebec, which show a slight decrease. In Ontario the increase is 60 per cent. The local smithy and wheelwright ing establishments are very busy just now, ana orders art? filled in quick succession. Besides the large cart referred to in last issue, Mr Booth also completed last week a strong metal-carrying cart to the order of Mr Verran of Onsia Onga, and another is on the stocks to be finished this week. A Havelock boy —Alex. White — gained the highest marks [66l] in the examinations for junior national scholarships and for free place in secondary school. For milk supplies during December the Taieri and Peninsula Co. paid out £27,000. Under the supervision of Dr Truby King, the company will at once instal a plant for the manufacture of humanised milk. This is an important departure, and the company is the first to take it up seriously. In Canada there are over one hundred thousand square miles of oil lands, a greater area than all the rest of the world’s oil-fields put together. Sir Joseph Ward will visit Palmerston on Friday, to open the new post office there. At the end of the week he will leave for Southland, where he is to be entertained at a banquet by the people of Winton prior to leaving for Europe. Miss Ellen Terry deplores the age that speaks of the beauty of an actress rather than her capability of working, and the actor’s proficiency for golf and social popularity in place of his talent in his work on the stage. New York papers publish a little tabulated statement, showing that Mr John D. Rockefeller, on Dec. 15 last, has taken for last year £4,000,000 as his share of the Standard Oil dividends. He now owns 50 per cent, of the capital stock of the company, in addition to 49 per cent, of the capital of all the subsidary companies. It is estimated that Mr Rockefellers income from all sources last year, including the oil dividends, railway, gas, and other investment s, amoun i - ed to at least £8,000,000, with which, as the New York World says, “ he ought to be able to worry along for a time.’ 4 Twenty six acres of land opposite the Lower Hutt railway station has been sold by Mr E. J. Riddiford to a syndicate for thirty thousand pounds.