Local and General.

Waipukurau Press, Volume I, 20 July 1906, Page 2

Local and General.

A number of prominent men are of opinion that the Waipawa county is altogether too large and uuwieldly for adequate administration from one centre, and an attempt will probably be made to form an additional county, with head-quarters either at Waipukurau, Takapau, or Norsewood. The tendency at . the present time is decidedly in favour of smaller counties and the merging of' road boards into them. ? x

Mr P. Barrie’s winter clearing sale of drapery, clothing, boots and shoes commences to-morrow, and will last for three weeks only, during which time bargains for cash will be the rule. Mackay & Co. have 15 young pigs for sale^ —one or more may be bought. With respect to the North Island Alain Trunk railway, the Premier says the number of workmen now engaged in the work, exclusive of the general staff, is 2300. Preparations are now well forward for launching out more extensively when more settled weather approaches. Mr Hall-Jones sees no reason to depart from the opinion expressed some time ago, that trains will be running through to Auckland before Christmas, 1908-

Mr Harman, of Waipawa, was the successful tenderer for the two wiles of fencing on the Waipukurau racecourse, his price being 7s fid per chain. Professor Bates, the Texas cowboy, who is now giving exhibitions in this district, was a member of Col. Spring’s contingent of rough riders in the South African war, and was under fire, for which he received a clasp. Air Bates is accompanied in his travels by his wife and two children and a governess. He is an unassuming man, and quickly makes friends. While it lasts, his work is hard and, needless to say, extremely dangerous. Air Bates is a thorough believer in advertising, and the business man who neglects to do so he considers very foolish. Sir Joseph Ward is to be accorded a public reception on his arrival at Auckland by the ’Frisco mail steamer.

In a lecture at Alelbourne recently on the subject of marriage and family life Archbishop Carr said the proceedings of the Divorce Courts aroused the just indignation of the judges who presided over them, and the records of those Courts proved the utter demoralisation of society. The Poverty Bay district suffered very severely from the recent heavy rains ; much damage being done to property and hundreds of head of stock being drowned. During the gale the schooner Aotea capsized in Waipiro Bay, and the captain and his wife and son and six seamen were drowned. Rev F. W. Martin has returned from Auckland, much’ improved in health. The most comical episode in connection with the Westland election is reported to have occurred at Staffurdtown. It is related that a supporter of Air Seddon and one of Air Michel’s friends came to blows as a result of a debate on election matters, and ultimately one was arrested and lodged in the lock-up. His opponent, with great magnanimity, bailed him out, but shortly after both got to blows again, and the story goes that both were arrested.

New Plymouth has often been styled “ The Garden of New Zealand,” but apparently one of its medicos would not be prepared to back up the assertion. A new arrival from England consulted the said doctor about a weak chest, and he received this advice: “Young man, you have come to the worst d— place in New Zealand. Get anywhere between Takapau and Napier as quickly as you like.” And he got to Waipuk. Alessrs R. Staines & Son have a new announcement on the front page. For some unaccountable reason women have always been denied the privilege to vote at church meetings, but the Wellington Diocesan Synod is now acting sensibly in this respect, for it has carried a motion granting women the right to vote at elections of vestrymen. The voting was : Clergy—ayes 24, noes, 21; laity—ayes 20, noes 7.

We notice that some of the local shops are again becoming veritable advertising bereaux, the windows being placarded with Lost and Found notices, etc. Wo know it is hard for business people to refuse the wishes of customers, but they might remind theui that a down-to-date newspaper is printed in the town, which inserts ads. for from 6d upward, and which paper goes into 97 per cent of the houses in the Town District. Reliable fruit at H. Poynter’s.— Advt. Sir Robert Ball is the greatest English authority on astronomy, and his 44 Story of the Heavens” is a well-known work. Sir Robert's father was a naturalist, and his mother the daughter of a scientist. The Auckland City Football Club’s "team played their fourth match at Sydney on Wednesday, when the South Sydney team were defeated' by eight points to six. The Aucklanders left for Auckland on Wednesday evening. — The Queensland footballers beat a team representing Sydney by 3 points to nil. For exposing lice-infected sheep for sale at Waipukurau yards, T. Balfour has been fined £1 and costs. The petition in favour of the abolition of the H.B. Rabbit Board is, it is said, being numerously signed.

A well-known resident of thia c district has recently received an elaborate certificate from headquarters in Melbourne declaring the holder to be a fully-qualified * hypnotist. If there be any scoffers in this place they had better be - ware —they might be brought unddr the influence and made to appear silly. One cannot read much about hypnotism without coming to the conclusion that there must be “ something in it,” and it is only the frivilous who jeer. It is said that hypnotists have “ no time” for spiritualists and mesmerists. It seems a pity that an amicable coalition could not be arranged, so as to secure a nelightful blend of the three in one.

The casual visitor might sometimes think rh.;t this is Dogtown. Yesterday morning a dog-fight took place in trout of the office, and a person driving slowly along ran over no less than three dogs. The third dog had its leg broken.' ►statistics, however, do not show that there is a superfluity of dogs in the borough. Yesterday must have been one of rhe dog days.— Woodville Examiner. h From the list of the Prinz Sigismund, which recently Kit Melbourne for Hongkong : — Air How Chow, Airs How Chow,. Aliss Chrissie Chow, Miss Gunnie Chow, Miss Alice Chow, Miss Annie Chow, Aliss Jinnie Chow, Alaster England Chow, Master Chow. “ Alaster England Chow ” is something above the average. Why wasn’t one ot the girls “ AlissBritannia Chow ? ”

lhe limaru Post, as giving an idea of the advance that has taken place in values of fat sheep, says it. may be stated that forward stores are selling up to 20s, two-tooth ewes up to 255, and four-tooth ewes up to 28s. Schoolboys who are members of corps going into camp at the Exhioition will have a week’s trainmg. The only cost to the parent of each boy will be a payment of 10s, required to defray expenses of transit. During the trip, the cadets will be, under the care x and control of officers who are masters? at the schools. Lambing has commenced on Air J. J. Bailey’s farm, The death is announced of Air Alfred Beit, the well-known South African mineowner and millionaire. According to the census returns,, among boroughs having a greater number of females than males arethe following .• — Auckland, New I Plymouth, Wanganui, Napier, Nelson, Christchurch, Timaru, Oarnaru, Dunedin, Invercargill. The total population of the North Island is 476,891, and the South Island 411,253. I Experience seems to show that the best horses, of whatever color, are found among the dark shapl.es J Light chestnuts, etc., are hUfr- asi good and enduring as those qfl darker hue. J Rainfall for July 17th .40, July! 18th, .16, July 19th, ,07in. | Alessrs Alackay and Co. held! their fortnightly sale on Saturday! last, and report as follows : —Kid J ney fluke seed potatoes, lb I Up-to-date, 2d lb ; onions, 2d lb 1 table potatoes, l|d lb ; oaten shea! chaff, £4 15s ton ; Algerian seecl oats, 3/4, 3/5, 3/6 bushel Coni signment of fruit and ornamental trees sold by auction and privtaeljl realised satisfactory prices. Th® firm is having a large additon mad® to the mart, in order to providl more accommodation for produce! etc. fl Lady Curzon is dead,. | So soon as the sign writer painteE up the new Chinaman’s name—Jo® Sun On — to-day the weathel cleared 1 S The schooner Sir Henry wrecked near the East Cape. Thl crew of five was drowned. E Dr Godfray’s cottage opposite the Presbyterian Church has beeß sold to Ivli’ P. Cotter through AIE Tipping’s agency. g