The Waipukurau Press. Tuesday, February 6, 1906. Local and General.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 12, 6 February 1906, Page 2

The Waipukurau Press. Tuesday, February 6, 1906. Local and General.

:O: The Garden Fete takes place at the vicarage grounds to-morrow, commencing at 2 p.m. and closing at 10. The ladies are sparing no trouble to make the fete attractive, and in merit it promises to eclipse former efforts. In a number of stalls various gooes, both useful and ornamental, will be on sale, and refreshments can be obtained on the ground. No doubt this effort to raise funds for a worthy object will receive the support it deserves. The Waipawa Band has promised to perforin at the fete.

We remind all interested that a meeting re forming a Bowling Club in Waipukurau takes place at the Town Hall on Thursday evening next, at 8 o’clock. Bowling is a very popular and fascinating game, in which young, middle-aged and elderly men can participate with equal'zest. The great North Island bowling tournament recently held at. Wellington clearly proved the high favor in which the game is held. There is no reason why a strong club could not be formed here, and it is to be hoped there will be a good attendance at the meeting. In last issue we announced that ail money voted by Parliament for expenditure in this electoral district bad been authorised to be spent. Last session £lOO was voted lor improvements to the Waipukurau post office. Alterations and enlargement are urgently required at this office, and it is to be hoped the vote will not be allowed to lapse. Necessary work would require an expenditure of fully £250, but half a loaf, etc.

An accidental exchange of umbrellas took place at the Presbyterian Church on Sunday evening. Will owner of one call at Press Office.

A cable announces the death of Lord Masham, at the age of 91. Deceased was the patentee of many inventions, among others the compressed air brake for railways, also the wool-combing machine.

A dance was held at the Town Hall last night.

A feature of the London wool sales has been the extraordinary demand on the part of German and Home buyers for merinos.

As showing the great expansion of the Public Trust Office business, it may be stated that in the past year close on one thousand new estates were placed under its management, while the record number of 459 wills of living persons in which the Public Trustee is named executor was deposited in 191'5. Eight hundred thousand domestic animals, valued at £ L.2u0,0U0, are annually devoured by the wolves m Russia.

A certain resident who is a very light sleeper suggests that the local night-cart should be fitted with Dunlop tyres. In Napier some years ago when rumbling was heard at dead of night, people at first thought the noise was caused by the ocean breakers. Can this be t lie same cart ?

Mr William A. litzherbert, eldest son of the late Sir W. Fitzherbert, died suddenly on Friday at ihe Lower Hutt. Deceased was a wellknown man, and had a sheep farm in the Hutt valley. He was in partnership for some years with Mr Frank Walerhouse in a large run in Hawke’s Bay. Deceased was 64 years old. Shooting for five hours at Schloss Moschen recently, the Kaiser’s bag amounted to 1136 pheasants and hares, representing one kill every 17 seconds.

There is a rumour current to the effect that the Bank of New South Wales is arranging to open a branch in Waipukurau. The London Standard reports that Messrs MacDonald, Crooks, Shackleton, Henderson, and Keir Hardie, Labour members of the House of Commons, sail for the colonies in August. They will be absent six months. Almost continuous rain fell in this district from Saturday morning until Monday morning. Throughout Sunday night there was a heavy downpour, which caused the rivers and streams to rise considerably. The change of weather caused a marked, difference in the temperature.

No flowering plant has yet been found within the Antarctic Circle, while in the Arctic regions there are 762 different species of flowers. The utmost difficulty is being experienced by the Labour Department in procuring men suitable for the Te Karaka [Gisborne] railway works. The department require 30 or 40 men for the purpose. Difficulty is also found in procuring men for public works in other parts of the district, and there is a continual unsatisfied demand for labour for private employment.-Excbange. There are four new buildings in course of erection in Waipukurau, including two shops, and two more are in contemplation. This is an improvement on i he old-time standstill condition of things, though the situation of this town demands a greater activity in the building line. But that is not likely to be until the Government carving knife is further used on some of the large holdings hereabouts. The N.Z. Commercial Travellers’ Association has a membership of 531, and a surplus of £9091. Vigorous sneezing is a proof of a robust constitution. People in feeble, health seldom sneeze.

In a recent issue this paper announced that Waipukurau school would resume on Monday (yesterday;. But we were wrong —to-day the school resumed. Our guide for the statement was the fact that other schools in the district recommenced work yesterday. We fell in—and almost fell out with some parents.

It is rather queer how fads come and go. Latterly there has been a fad for “ pasteurising.” Years ago the pet fad was the feeding of babies on milk supplied from ‘‘ one cow.” Twopence a quart extra used to be charged by some dairymen —this was way back in a past century for “one-cow-milk,” and many a fond mother ascribed the evident heaitlvof her baby to that popular prescription. The arguments in favour of one-cow-milk, as of all other popular fads, irom vegetarianism to fiscalism, were simply crushing— -unless you knew a dairyman. 1 knew a dairyman and one of his confidences was the revelation of the scorn with which the trade looked upon the ‘‘ one-cow ” fad and the ease with which they catered to it. They just filled up the “ one-cow ” botties from the ordinary milk supply and took the twopence per quart for their trouble —at least, my dairyman’s lot did. And when they were a bottle short they picked one up from the wayside and filled it there and then. “ And wot’s the odds ? *’ said my dairyman. “ There ain’t nothink in this ’ere one-cow nonsense.” And certainly the fad has died out and babies don’t seem any the worse for it. — Mercutio in Auckland Weekly Herald. A large number of stock was yarded at to-day’s sale ; attendance and prices good. Policeman (to tramp) : “I want your name and address.” Tramp (sarcasticallly) ; “ Ob, yer do, do yer! Well, me name is John Smith, an’ me address is No. 1, the open air. If yer call on/me don’t trouble to knock, but just walk in.”

A Wellington woman was fined £5 or 14 days’ imprisonment for farming a child in a house which had not been registered for that purpose. It is proposed that a billiard tournament, six men a-side, shall be played between Waipukurau and Waipawa on the afternoon of 28th inst.., at Waipawa. A return match will be played here about a fortnight later. The discovery was made during a post mortem examination at a Paris hospital that a cab-driver who had met with a fatal accident was a woman.

Mr W. DeLacey, who is secretary to the Wanstead bachelors’ ball committee, writes to this office : — “ I received the invitation cards to-day, am much pleased with them, and have to thank you for prompt al tern ion to my order.” Jn Mr Davies’ garden, at Waikouaiti, an agave [American aloe], over 20 years of age, is at present flowering for the first time. An instance of what pluck and perseverance will do may be seen in the reclamation at Napier of what was formerly a huge sheet of water at the back of the town. The local syndicate, which took the matter in hand, dredged out several deep channels for the water to run through, which, being confined to these, did not carry away the silt deposited in the intervals between the chanhels. The effect of every flood is now to deposit large quantities of rich river silt over a huge area of what is now splendid pasture land, grazing large numbers of sheep and cattle. So successful have been the syndicate’s operations, that a portion of the land, which they hold on a long lease, from the Napier Harbour Board, is shortly to be cut up and offered for building leases. A meeting of Court Ruahine, A. 0.F.. was held on Thursday evening. Une new member was initiated, and. one proposed. Discussion was held on the business of the district meeting lobe held at Hastings at the end of the month, and the delegates received instructions. A Parisian shoplifter carried a bogus baby with her during her predatory exrursions. The infant had a wax face and a hollow leather body. It was the thief’s custom to dexterously transfer purloined articles, such as gloves, laces, etc., to the spacious baby, which usually gained much in weight during these visits.

Mr L. Sharpin, of the local post office, is to be transferred to the new telegraph operating gallery at Oamaru, for the purpose of perfecting in technical knowledge. During the past month the Waitaki [Canterbury] county council has received 79,000 birds’ eggs, for which it has paid the sum of £63 14s 9d.

Notwithstanding the statements made to the effect that the kea will not harm sheep, some Mackenzie Country runholders who were spoken to on the subject (says the Timaru correspondent of the Press) state that hundreds of sheep are lost annually though the depredations of the kea. The New Zealand footballers played a scratch game at New York last Thursday, winning by 46 points to 13. The New York team included six of the New Zealanders.

A cry of “ Fire” during a children’s service in a Vienna church resulted in six being killed and thirty trampled badly at the bottom of steps outside the building.

A Christchurch tea merchant states that there is more tea drunk in that city than in any other centre in the colony. He says that New Zealanders are willing to pay more for their tea than is paid by the people of any other country, as they demand, all round, a very high quality. We (Bulletin) think it our duty to put the public on their guard against a couple of canvassers for advts. for a mythical publication. They have pretty-well done Hawkes Bay, sticking up board wherever they go, and doing a moonlight flit as opportunity arises. It seems that it is no crime for two loafers to obtain many weeks board without any intention of paying. The marvellous part it is that tradesmen allow themselves to be fooled by such mountebanks, when they can be supplied locally and know what they are getting. Mr B. M. Houston, M.H.R. for the Bay of Islands, is still in bad health. It is reported that if his illness continues, he may resign his seat in Parliament.

Women in China have the privilege of fighting in tne wars. In the rebellion of 1850 women did as much fighting as men. At Nankin, in 1853,’500,000 women from various parts of the country were formed into brigades of 13,000 each, under female officers. Of these soldiers 10,000 were picked women, drilled and garrisoned in the city.

“ I see there are a couple of oil magnates in the audience,” said the minister to the doorkeeper at the lecture ; “ give them back their money. I won’t have any tainted money !” “ You needn’t worry,” replied the doorkeeper; “ they both came in on free passes 1”

Particulars appear in another column of an auction sale of land to be conducted at Porangahau by Mackay & Co. on Saturday next. Property in the assigned estate of - Alfred Lambert, and four acres and buildings on account of a client, will be offered.

We are informed that Mr RSidwell, aged 18, son of Mr R. Sidwell, road overseer at Porangahau, was thrown from his horse on Saturday and died at noon yesterday. Deceased was a promising young chap, and regret will be felt by a large number of friends and velar tives.

A deputation from the Young New Zealanders’ Land Settlement Association interviewed the Minister for Lands with regard to the subdivision and settlement of about 200,000 acres in the Lower Clarence Valley, of which 30,000 are freehold Mr Walter Gibson, president of the association, informed the Minister that the area once carried 110,000 sheep, and now has only fifty-two thousand. Rabbits had overrun it, and, if it was not settled at once, the district would be devastated The Minister said the proposals involved a large expenditure, but he would send experts 10 report. At the Ashburton Magistrate’s Court last week a case against the Timaru Brewery, charged with sending a package of beer into a nolicense district without a statement attached describing the nature and contents, was dismissed. Messrs W.J. Wallace, F. Roberts and D. McGregor, the Wellington representatives in the New Zealand football team, now in America, will be accorded a reception at the Wellington Town Hall on the evening of March Sth. His Worship the Mayor is to preside. Waipukurau school resumed this morning. 136 children attended out of a roll number of 16 i.

The police received information from North Makara on Saturday afternoon that the body of a man had been found on the beach (at the water’s edge) at Oterangi, near where the Cook Strait cable comes ashore. The body, in an advanced state of decomposition, is fully dressed, and appears to be that of a middle-aged man. If the body is recognisable, and can be removed, it will be conveyed to Wellington. Otherwise, it will be buried on the spot, by order of Mr Ashcroft, Wellington District Coroner,

We hear that Mr J. Rigger' has bought out the Porangahau coaching service from Mr Skipper. Mr George Hutchison, formerly M.H.R. for Patea, who recently returned to New Zealand from South Africa, has taken up his residence in Auckland, where he intends to practise his profession.

Says the Gore Standard; —We understand on the best authority that a North Island M.H.R. intends to move, when the House meets, in favour of an alteration in the licensing law, providing for the extension of the periods between the polls from three to nine years.

Wales beat Scotland in the international Rugby football match by 9 points to 3. Waipukurau Road Board met this morning to transact ordinary business.

At a meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Education Board last night, the following were among the scholarships awarded on the results of the recent examination : — National, Thos Grant, Onga Onga; Queen’s, Susannah Hopkirk, Waipukurau ; Board’s Junior, Ernest Anstis, Waipawa, Orton Mangin, Onga Onga, Eric Sargisson Porangahau, Dorothy Wiseman Waipawa, Grace Sidwell Porangahau, Dorothy Bull Waipawa, each £3O; Board’s Senior, Mary Jessie Gow, £3O.

Macdermott’s Biograph Company appears here shortly. Lady Strathcona has given ten thousand guineas to the London unemployed fund. Finer weather.