The Waipukurau Press. Friday, January 26, 1906. Local and General.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 9, 26 January 1906, Page 2

The Waipukurau Press. Friday, January 26, 1906. Local and General.

:o: The Waipukurau Troop of the Hawke’s Bay Mounted Hides will parade here on Wednesday next. Fall-in at 1.30 p.m. The British Australasian of 14th December published a f all - page cartoon showing Mr Seddon in the act of kicking a goal on the football field, while the scoring-board shows the record —Government 60, Opposition 16. The cartoon is entitled, “ The Big Kick of King Dick,” and has over it-a motto, “Ake, Ake, Kia, Kaha.” Advice has been received by the Agricultural Department to the effect that the* spread of the potato disease has received a check in many districts by the spell of hot and dry weather. The presentation of a testimonial to Capt. Seddon has been arranged to be made at a conversazione tendered to that gentleman at Wellington on Ist February. Government propose to secure the Kaukatatahi block, H. 8., for closer settlement. The London and Sydney wool sales are in good heart. We heart that Mr O’Donahue has acquired a business site opposite Mr Lomas’ blacksmith’s shop, and intends to erect a building thereon shortly. This land looks like a town reserve, but apparently it isn’t. Mi’ ,T. T. Blake, of Hastings, who paid £5OO for a JJ-acre section some time back, recently sold half for £lOOO, thus showing the big advance in the price of land in the borough.

The death occurred on November 14th, at the Island of Noumea, of Jean Charles Louis Mace. He was commonly known as the public executioner of the colony. Ho was born at Dunkirk in 1833. A sailor by occupation, he had been condemned to hard labour for life for the murder of his wife. He was, however, liberated in .1890, when he was appointed to his late office. He lived in a small house witn his assistants, and in the intervals between executions looked after a vegetable garden. Besides a fixed salary, Mace received for each execution the sum of ten francs a bottle of wine, and a tin of sardines. He complained bitterly to visitors that the clemency of the Governor sometimes deprived him of what he regarded as his right. He was of a jovial nature, and carried out his unpleasant duties attired in a tall hat and frock coat.

A gentleman who attended the Ellwood performance at Waipawa on Wednesday night informs us that the entertainment is fully up to specification, and he advises the Waipukurau people not to miss this musical treat.

Charles Gowland, writing to the Wellington Times, says: —It seems strange at first sight that a change has come over the British electors, and that they are voting solid fop Liberal Labour candidates. In my opinion they have followed New Zealand, knowing how successfully this country has been run on Liberal lines. On December 7th, 1 forwarded twelve of your papers, giving the result of the elections here, and a photo of the Right Hon. R. J. Seddon, to the following (and it may be that the article has been copied by the Loudon dailies) : — His Majesty the King, Sir H. C. Bannermaiq John Burns, the editors Referee, Daily Express, Daily Mail, Lloyd’s News, Mr Geo. B. Sims (Dagonet of the Referee), and some others.

There was a good attendance at Wednesday’s horse sale, and fair prices ruled, though the sale was more of a “ sellers’ ” than a “ buyers’.” Some good stock was offered; “ weeds” anu “ screws” were conspicuous by their absence. The Parliamentary shield competition, in which prizes of £5O, £3O, £l5, and £5 were offered to persons who forecasted the largest number of members of the late Parliament who would be defeated at the general elections, has been drawn. The first prize , was won by H. Burns, of Napier (13 selections). The second prize money was divided between H. B. Willis, of Wellington, and Leslie Woods,of Brooklyn (12 selections each). Mr Willis also won the third prize, with 11 selections, and the fourth prize was divided between Messrs George, of of Carterton, J. Martin, of Wellington, and W. H. Joyce, of Spreydon, Christchurch, each with 10 selec* tions.

Fifty trucks of live stock left the Waipukurau railway station on Tuesday ; 42 of these were consigned to the Gear Meat Co. The late Australian drought was calculated to have cost sheep farmers the enormous sum of £25,000,000, and the rain which followed it to have been worth half a million an inch.

Next September Mr Bogle will have been stationmaster at Waipukurau for a period of thirty years.

A resident of Wanganui states that notwithstanding the efforts to keep the disease down in his district by spraying, the potato destroyer has spread to lettuce,cabbage, beans etc. —even dahlias and other flowers being smitten with it. A subscriber to the proposed Waipukurau telephone exchange is equiring as to what steps are being taken towards a consummation of the system. We understand that some time ago a movement for a private line to Waipawa was finally placed in the hands of a Waipawa gentleman to deal with, but lack of support has interfered with the proceedings. Waipukurau being rather scattered, a town system would unquestionably be of considerable utility. Miss Eva Booth announces that the Salvation Army is about to build a gigantic industrial home in Chicago, where food, shelter, and employment will be provided for needy persons of both sexes. Mr G-. P. Gunzel has this w r eek opened a branch tailoring establishment at Hampden in charge of Mr Simmons, from Napier. Present orders are encouraging. Owing mainly to the inability of the British Government to find a suitable site for the proposed Imperial memorial to all those who fell in the South African war, the scheme has been abandoned, and all subscriptions are to be returned. Doctor: “ Why, how is this, my man ? You sent me a letter stating you had been attacked by appendicitis, and I find you suffering from rheumatism.” Patient: “Well, you see, doctor, it’s like this : there wasn’t a soul in the house that knew how to spell rheumatism.” Arabs assert that Eve’s tomb is at Jiddah, in a graveyard surrounded by high white walls The cemetery has remained unopened for interment for over a thousand years

Vital statistics.—-The following business was done at Waipukurau by the Registrar (Mr 8. F. Logan) during 1905 : —Births, 39 ; deaths, 21; marriages, 8. The Westminster Gazette, referring to the result of the New Zealand elections, says: —“The Right Hon. Richard John Seddon, Premier of New Zealand, who has once more been confirmed to power by an enormous majority of the electors, has had a career that is parallel to Mr Chamberlain’s in several respects. Like the latter, Mr Seddon went from trade into municipal politics, developed into a Mayor, made that office a stepping-stone to a seat in Parliament, in a few years was a Minister of the Crown, and—there the parallel ends for the present. Mr Chamberlain is not yet Prime Minister. A mild form of eye-blight seems to have attacked Waipukurau residents. It is not so severely felt as the potato blight, however.

The wheels of the British War Office move very slowly. Is is over three years since the Boer war was ended, yet it was only last month that the Australian Military Board was able to issue in the military orders a list of officers of the Victorian contingents to whom the British authorities have granted a “temporary commission” in the Imperial army in recognition of the services rendered by those officers during the time they were at the front.

Another instance of slowness appears to be the matter of the Scott memorial. “Is anything being done, or will it be allowed to fade away and gradually die ?” asks a resident. A white diamond, weighing 149| carats, has been found at Karreepan, on the Vaal river, near Kimberley. The lucky digger sold the gem for <£2691. Yesterday was one of the hottest days experienced this summer. At 1.30 p.m. the glass showed 85 degrees in the shade. A curious will dispute has just been settled by the court at Rebel, in the department of the Ardennes, France. A gentleman of independent means and somewhat eccentric habits committed suicide by hanging himself in his house at Doumely. A search among his papers failed to disclose any will until, under the bed, on a piece of sheet-iron, was found chalked the following words : “ This is my last will and testament. I bequeath all my property to the borough of Ardenne, on condition that the mayor and boro’ council give £l2 to the men of the local fire brigade for a beanfeast to be held as soon as possible.” This extraordinary will was disputed by the relatives, but the court Ims decided that it is valid. Mr Harris intends shortly to reopen his photographic studio for a few weeks. Date and particulars will appear in next issue.

The memorial to South African troopers will be enveiled at Napier on 10th February. A young man, who had both his legs amputated above the knees about six years ago as the result of a fall from a railway carriage, was charged at the Wellington Police Court with insobriety, was convicted, and discharged on condition that he returned to his home at Greytown. The police saw him safely off. Nothing could better illustrate the terrible state to which Russian public feelings has been brought by recent events than an unrehearsed scene which took place the other day in the Artistic Theatre of Moscow, during the Acting of Gorki’s “ Children of the Sun.” The last act represents a popular onslaught on inoffensive but unpopular citizens, and the audience, with nerves overwrought by the recent massacres, so far mistook make-believe for reality that they broke into a rush for the doors. By great exertions, the manager succeeded in calming the panic, but he wrote to Gorki pointing out that the last scene of the play had become too realistic for Russian audiences at present, and obtained his sanction for omitting the popular emeute. Large attendance at band contest at Flawera. An old gentleman has promised to subscribe to this pape” four months hence. That saves the position. Mr Seddon contemplates- visiting Western Australia about three months hence. Very destructive bush have occurred in New South Wales and Victoria, and the heat is intense. Six children perished in a bush fire at Mount Fatigue, Gippsland. Others are missing. Mr V. T. Hitchings, father of Mrs R. Smart, of the Bank of N.Z., is visiting Waipukurau. Mr M. Murphy, F.L.S., Christchurch, has carried out further experiments for the destruction of the potato aphis, which is working havoc now among tubers in many districts of the colony. Mr Murphy recommends McDougall’s insecticide, because it is so easily mixed, and is more suitable for fine sprays, the other mixtures tending to lock the holes. For the potato disease, however, it is useless to mix in a less proportion than one pint and a half insecticide to twelve gallons of water.