Local and General.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 29, 16 March 1906, Page 2

Local and General.

:o: Mr 0. W. Mitchell invites tenders for the purchase of mare, spring tip cart, and harness. Excursion tickets by train for Waipawa sports will be issued. In another column appears a notice in reference to the Empire Bazaar to be held at Waipawa and opening to-morrow night. The bazaar promises unusually attractive features, and is sure to be largely patronised. People from this town and district may rely upon spending an enjoyable, time. A large quantity of beautiful goods will be on sale. Proceedings will start with a torchlight procession at half-past seven, headed by two bands.*' The Waipukurau school cadets to the number of twenty paraded on Wednesday afternoon under .Sergeants Bailey and Blackmore, and some useful drill was done. Mr Jones had charge of the squad. No holiday will be observed in Waipukurau for St. Patrick’s Day, only the Bank closing to-morrow. There is keen competition at London wool sales, and prices show a substantial advance. Americans are buymg.freely.

Mr David Nathan, who recently returned from England, says that generally speaking New Zealand is known in the old country as Seddon’s Land,” and the place where the “All Blacks” came from.

During the past few days the atmosphere has been rather smoky, due to settlers in the out-blocks burning their bush.

The lecture entitled “ Rambles in the Holy Land,” given by the Rev .1. Pattison on Wednesday evening was well attended, aud proved to be of a very interesting nature. Some years ago Mr Pattison visited the land of Biblical history, and his lecture dealt chiefly with Jerusalem and its surroundings. It was mentioned that modern Jerusalem contained a pop - ulation of about sixty thousand, forty-one thousand of whom are Jews. The town is uninviting in appearance and condition ; there is hardly a vestage left of the ancient city, as a matter of fact the accumulation of earth aud rubbish of nineteen centuries has buried the golden city several feet, and the exact position of historical spots is now only a matter of conjecture. Scenes and places, dress and customs were clearly described, and a number of amusing anecdotes were introduced. Time did not permit of a> full review of what was seen in the holy land, and another lecture may be given on a future date. An important Jewish congress recently held at Basle, Switzerland, rejected an oiler made by the Balfour Government of an immense area of territory on the east coast of Africa, on the ground that the “ Zionist, congress firmly maintains the principle for the foundation of the colony m the Jewish fatherland, Palestine, ‘or in that vicinity.” One speaker said that the world must realise that the Zionists are bent on the restoration of Palestine to Israel. At a meeting of the Waipawa Hospital Board, correspondence was read from the Inspector-Gene-ral’s office, Dr de Lisle, and the Waipukurau Town Board regarding the disposal of nightsoil at the hospital. It was decided that the question of getting a destructor be considered at a future meeting. The question of allowing one or two Maori girls to be admitted to the hospital on condition that the State pays the cost of their maintenance was referred to Dr Godfray for report. A nugget weighing 335 ounces lias been found at Tarnagulla, 136 miles north-west of Melbourne. Tenders are to be called for the erection of lavatories, bathrooms, etc , at the local hospital. A man named Richard Edwards, who was recently arrested iu New York for begging, was found to have £355 concealed in the lining of his eoat. At a meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union at Wellington Mr Dixon, manager of the team which visited Great Britain, presented a report on the tour. The statement of finances gave an approximate estimate of receipts over expenditure of J>9500. Rev J. Pattison preahes at the Methodist Church, Waipawa, on Sunday,the occasion being a harvest festival. Ohinemuri, a " boozey ” electorate, has returned four prohibitionists to the licensing bench. It is a well-known fact that deformed Chinese are rarely seen, because such as are born are put to death in infancy. A New York cable says that Dr Gregory has introduced into the lowa Legislature a bill legalising the painless killing of the hopelessly incurable, at the instance of the patients ; also hideously deformed and idiotic children, at the instance of their next-of-kin.

The Spanish Chamber allows Princess Ema (who is to wed King Alfonso) £lB,OOO annually, or in the event of widowhood £lO,OOO annually unless she remarries. For Auld Lang Syne, Mr Lang, the defeated candidate for Waikato, was on Wednesday presented with a framed address and a purse of 250 sovereigns. A large number of friends and supporters were present. Cheap railway tickets for Waipawa races are announced. Speaking at Levin on the acquisition by the Government of the Manawatu railway, Mr Seddon said: —As the term of twenty-one years had so nearly expired, the Government felt it was advisable to allow things to remain as they were for the present. The North Island Main Trunk should be open for traffic in about three years. The Government was making strenuous endeavours to effect this, and he believed that in about three years the line would be completed. At all events this Parliament would have to deal with the question of taking over the Manawatu line* It would, he thought, have to be decided one way or other within the next three years. Miss Nicholson met with a bicycle accident at Waipawa on Wednesday afternoon. She escaped with a few slight cuts on the face and a severe shaking,

Bob Fitzsimmons, the pugilist, used to hammer iron at Timaru for W living before he found punching men more profitable. The following is from an American paper:— Fitzsimmons, the pugilist, travelled to Sioux Falls and had three inter-. views with his wife, which have resulted in their reconciliation. The first meeting was in the presence of his wife’s lawyer, and was unsuccessful. The pugilist afterwards outwitted the lawyer and saw her alone. lie told his wife, who is an actress, that as he had the sympathy of President Roosevelt and the general public, she would be hissed off the stage if she deserted him, and she then yielded. In joy at the reconciliation, Fitzsimmons went to a blacksmith’s forge to make sovenir horseshoes. Under his mighty blows the floor collapsed. No one was seriously in j ured. The Canadian Government is taking an interest in the New Zealand Exhibition as affording an opportunity for developing trade between the two colonies. The exhibit of the N.Z. Department of Agriculture will cover 12,000 square feet. It is proposed to erect a model dairy and apiary, to experiment with milking machines, and to have sample plots of grain and grass. We thought the public toll-gate was an iniquitous institution of the past. But it can’t be. A special meeting of the Waipawa County Council was held this week to confirm by-laws providing for the erection of toll-gates at no less than sixteen centres under the council’s jurisdiction. Through a pane of glass slipping while being placed in position at Mr O’Donoghue’s shop. Mr Slatford received a severe cut on the arm. The Premier has written to the hospital authorities asking the cooperation of the board in maturing a scheme for the bettering of suffering humanity by agreeing io take a number of probationers at the county hospital,'for the purpose of their being trained, the Government io pay £25 per annum for the keep of each. The letter will be referred to Dr Godfray for his report. Dr James Scherer, who spent 5 years in Japan, called upon President Roosevelt, says the Herald’s Washington correspondent, and expressed the view that the Japanese navy, man for man, was the best in the world. President Roosevelt disagreed, answering, according to Ur Scherer: “ We could whip Japan, if the two navies were matched ship for ship, man foe man.” It is certain that if Mr Roosevelt, made such a remark, he meant it to be kept private. A number of Maoris arrived in Invercargill this week from the north to make preparations for their annual visit to the mutton bird islands. The most extensive cemetery in the world is al Home, in which over six million human beings have.been interred. Foi’ 40 years’ service the Kaiserin has presented gold brooches to 160maternity nurses in Prussia, and gold crosses to 266 servants. Post office pines abutting ths street have been cut down. Siberia could contain all Europe, except Russia, and there still would be room left for another country twice the size of Germany. The annual meeting-of Library members will be held next week. Women in Austria cannot under any circumstances be imprisoned or undergo sentence of death. After sentence has been pronounced upon a woman, she is sent to a convent and kept there for a number of years. Reginald Walker, aged 18, was accidentally drowned in the Nelson borough reservoir on Wednesday. He fell in while trying to recover his hat, which had blown oft. President Roosevelt has been initiated into the Independent order of Red Men. While the New Zealand summer has been marked by a lot of wet aud inclement weather, the corresponding winter in Canada has been exceptionally mild. Writing from Toronto, a lady correspondent says: —“ Toronto does not seem to intend to have winter at all this year. We have just had two days of snow all the season ; the rest has been an alternation of mud and dust, which is worse. Yesderday (January 22nd) was so warm that people were sitting at their doors or verandahs or walking in the streets without coats. This is not quite the accepted idea of ‘ Our Lady of the Snows ’ in January, is it? I do not like winter very much, but I certainly prefer the Canadian (true) kind to the English, which is what we are being afflicted with at present.” G. P. Gunzel, fashionable tailor, Waipukurau and Hampden, has just received a large and choice assortment of material for winter suits; inspection invited. A com petent tailor from London has been engaged to cope with work.—Advt. “ Why the All-Blacks Triumphed,” and story of their tour. Price * Is, postage 3d extra. D. Annand, Bookseller.—%Advt.