LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr and Mrs J. H. Perrett and Mr and Mrs W. J. Phillips, of Sandon, left on Thursday for a trip to Australia,, which will extend over a month.

The Feilding Baptist Church choir rendered a sacred programme- of music at the Palmerston North Hospital last night. It was much appreciated by the inmates.

Miss Frame, who has been appointed to the Rongotca school, was selected by the Nelson Board for the Kaitiina school, but it was stated that she had left for the North Island.

A Venetian glass manufacturer is said to be making and selling bonnets by the thousand. The glass cloth of which they are made has the same shimmer and brilliancy' of colour 'as silk, and is impervious to water.

The Committee of the- Manawatu Rugby Union (through the President, Mr. Fred. Pirani) will make a presentation to Sergt. Stagpoole; one of the Vice-Presidents, on his departure from Palmorston, 'at 8.30 this evening.

■Mr E. Newman, M.P., of Marton, returned to Auckland from Rotorua, via tlie Thames, last Wednesday night, and remained at the Grand Hotel till when he left for Taiiranga, whence he will proceed again to Rotoraa.

Probates wore granted at Palmerston by his Honour the Chief Justice in the estates of John Shields (Mr Cooper) and William Beck (Mr Haggitt), and administration of.the estate of Emily Ann McWilliam (Messrs Hankins and Fitzherbert).

A lucky name. The appointment of Mr H. H. Loughnan to the. position of Crown Prosecutor at Christchurch, reminds us that a .gentleman of the same name was annointed a Stipendiary Magistrate and another a Legislative Councillor.

A highly-esteemed Mat-aura Island young lady, Miss Hettie Graham, eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs John Graham, wliq has for some time been prominently identified with missonary movements, lias deckled to devote herself to active service in the foreign ti-eld. Towards that end (says the Wyndham Farmer) she has entered the T-raininsg College at Dunedin to ciualify herself in nursing duties.

Messrs Humphry and Trevena, of Waituna West, who have taken up sections in the Waimarino district, have been spending some time in their holidays during the year getting them fit for occupation, and in the near future these two Waituna settlers will be making their homes on the Main Trunk line.

Aii old resident of Waituna, named W. H. Wilson, died yesterday at his whare on the Waituna road. He has been about twenty-five years in the district, and was over 65 years of age. Very little is known of deceased, except that he was an old-age pensioner, and it is believed he was in the police force/at"'one time.

Three Stratford residents—Messrs McMillan, Frederick, and Christiansen —have patented an invention by which an ordinary suction pump, with a simple appaartus attached, will lift water a height of 41ft—13ft beyond the present capacity. A demonstration at Messrs Jenkins and Mack vestorday pleased those connected with the invention and onlookers.

The body of a man about sft Sin in height, and about 55 years of age, was found on the beach near Foxton yesterday. The man was slightly bald, with reddish whiskers turning grey, and was apparently a working man of seafaring appearance. He w-as fully dressed, but was wearing slipners. A handkerchief was discovered, in a pocket of his clothes with the name "P. Hartgill" on a corner. Dr. Adams states that the body had apparently been in the water about seven day 6. When discovered by Mr how it was still in the water.

The Hon. J. 'A. Millar had an amusing experience when leaving the Masterton railway station on Friday. A newly-married couple were leaving at the same time, pursued by a number of friends armed with a plentiful supply of lice. As the porter was opening the door of the Minister's private carriage, the couple hurried in, followed by showers of rice, which spread itself over the floor, and some of which fell on the head of the Minister. The Jtttter was evidently amused, while the couple, discovering their error, left as (hurriedly as they had entered.

Princess Louise, daughter of the late King of the Belgians, is so careless in money matter that" she literally does not "know what money means. Some time ago, during a stay in Paris, a dress which she had ordered was brought to her ihotel. The girl <who brought it was pretty and charmingly dressed, with that simplicity and igrace peculiar to the little work girl of the Rue de Paix. Princess Louise admired the cljild, and told her so, and admired, too, a little silver medal which the girl wore round her neck". " Perhaps Highness would accept it," said the work girl. "It. is a medal of the Virgin of Prague." "That is ■ too sweet of you," said Princess Louise, "and you must let me give you something in exchange to put ronnd your .neck." She gave the girl a necklace of pearls. The girl went off in .great glee; she thought they were- imitation, and even so, they "were fine oneß. But one day, being! short of money, she took the necklace; to a jeweller's to be valued. It was worth £lljo6o,

At' the Baptist Church to-morrow Pastor Swinerd will preach his farewell sermons.

The Auckland branch of the Teachers' Institute has passed a resolution approving of the sending of omy one name to School Committees when the candidate whose name is submitted has a much higher position on the graded list than the other applicants." A peculiar accident occurred at Albury . recently. A dray ran over a fork, when the prongs flew up from under the wheel and stuck into the legs of a man who was standin- close ■by. The man ii now under treatment at Timaru, having temporarily lost the use of iboth legs. llotortia generally (says Auckland Star) objects to the striking in the town of a Hospital and Charitable Aid rate, on the ground that when local control was ceded to Department, it was agreed that no othei rates, save fire prevention and library rates, should be made. Mr Thomas Hunt, of Wakefield. Nelson, shipped by the Pateena 1-'j stud Romney Marsh ewes and one stud ram bred at Highfield, and-purcha-sed by Mr F. Brade-y, who is a large nockowiier and ram-broeder in the "Wellington district. These sheep are intended as a nucleus for establishing a stud flock

Writima to a friend in Christchurch. D. MoPhail, tho ex-Canterbury representative, says: "Played in fifteen matches during my first three months in the Wiean team. The play is very rough, aiid the players seem to take nleasure in ■knocking Imen nut. I have never played on a dry ground so ia,r; there, is always snow about. T am about [ full up' of the pnme, and expect shortly to be back in New Zealand.'

In conversation with tho. Auckland Star's representative, the Hon. J. A. Millar said there was a system of Tannine: motor'trains in Queensland m which he was particularly interested. He had "already .siren instructions for four self-contained motor carriages to be built at the Petone workshops, and it had been necessary to send Home for engine* for them. The motor trains would nrobably be _ first tried on suburban lines, but it was his opinion that they would be found most useful in sparsely settled districts where it did not really pay to run .full train services. ■■

A~b a meeting of the executive of the New Zealand Shearers' and Other Pastoral Employees Federation of Workers, owing to the disappearance of Mr D. F. Darcy, it was found necessary to elect a secretary pro tern, and Mr M. Laracy was elected to the position. The books of the Federa-

tion had been duly audited anft found correct, and the manner in which they had been kept reflected great credit upon the late secretary. The executive, expressed its satisfaction with the manner in which Mr Darcy had nl-

ways attended to his duly. All present were, hopehil that Mr Dnrcy was still living, though his disappearance was hard to account for.

The following is an extract from a letter written by an occupier of a Crown leasehold at Flaxbourne to a friend in Christen irrch: "Wβ were all in for the Blue Mountain run, drawn by ballot last week, a run of 6000

acres. The lucky winner was Mies Violet Boyd. There is no question tliat it is a fortune for her. Anyone would £2000 to £3000 ■for it straight away. The run is at present leased by the Riehmonds, of "Richmond Brook. The annual rent is £200 a year. There were 160 applications. . . . There is a nice block of country coming out at Kelt era ngu soon. lam going to have all the applications I can in for it." . A walking match took place in gorth Canterbury on Tuesday, between 'Mr C. H. Ensor's Spider and Mr C. O. •Rluthe.rford'e Deceiver, for £50 aside. The match was from Mr Rutherford's homestead at The Peaks to his station, The Lakes, a distance of 25 miles, and back. Owing to there being only a pack track to The Lakes, and not room for two horses abreast, it was decided that one competitor should start an hour before the other. Mr W. W. Mcßae acted as referee for Mr Rutherford, and rode with Mr Ensor, and Mr W. B. Starky acted in like capacity for Mr Ensoiv and Mr Cuff was time-keeper. Mr Rutherford started first, and reached The Lakes, in 3 hours 57 minutes, Mr Ensor's time being 3 hours 16 minutes. An hour was allowed for luncheon. Mr Ensor made a further gain on the return journey, taking 3 hours 21 minutes, and making hie total 'time 6 hours 37 minutes. Mr Rutherford's time oiv the .return was 3 houre 38 minutes, total, 7 hours 35 minutes, or 5S minutes slowcrr than the winner. When it is consider) , d that the track was over rough hilly country, the time, which for the winner works out at just over 7£ miles an hour is remarkable. Both horses finished fresh.