NEWS AND NOTES.

Complaints are again made of stray horses on. Btreets. They are unwelcome acquaintances on dark nights. The Taranaki Jockey Club balancesheet showed that after providing for arrears of interest on debentures there was a credit balance of i>l6o. This, which was considered very satisfactory, was then adopted. J. Forßter-Wanstali, known as " Dr." Wanstall, died suddenly on Sunday morning, from heart disease, it is supposed. Deceased, who was a remittance man, did not (says the Taranaki News) hold a diploma as doctor, but had studied medicine at Home. Prioeof flour has been further reduced by the New Zealand Millers' Association, who met in Timaru on Wednesday to consider the matter, by 10a per ton. Tbis it to .£lO 10s per ton f.o.b. in tbe southern ports, and Is 6d ex store in Wellington. Now, bakers. The Star Cricket Club has had a beautiful pitch laid down. It is a subject of admiration by those who have seen it, and the Club has reason to be proud of it. It has been sown with five different sorts of the finest grasses, and reflects great credit on the contractor (Mr. Harrison). A large number of people attended the funeral of the late Mr. D. H. Macarthur at Feilding on Thursday. Many members and ex-members of Parliament were present ; also a number of prominent officers from different parts of tiae colony, representing the- English and Net? Zealand constitutions of Freemasons. A business man informs us that few townspeople who are not by business brought into connection with the outlying districts can realise the great increase of bush settlement which has taken place in the district during the past four or five years. A business man's connection places him in a position to notice tbe results of 6teady and bonajiie settlement. The nominations for tb.6 Egmou t Eaoing Club's Sires Hack Produce Stakes have filled beyond expectations, over 130 entries having been received by the secretary. The progeny of Gipsy KiDg tops the lot, as he responsible for 30 entries, Sou'wester coming next with 15, Foul Shot 12. Flintlock 10, Puriri 10, Cap-a-pie 9, Natator, Somnus, and Tim Whiffler are credited with fiva each, The Australian four ; the remaining sires are all under tbe latter number. Tbe mil list will be published in to-morrow's issue of the Star. Tbe Hinemoa left Sydney on Saturday with the Vice-Regal Party on board, and is expected to reach "Wellington Heads about noon on Friday next. It has been arranged that a steamer containing the Ministers and the Mayor shall meet the Hinemoa at tbe Heads, when His Excellency will be formally welcomed and accompanied to tb9 wbarf. It is intended to proclaim a pubic holiday on the occasion. Tbe defence force and Volunteeers, under command of Lieut.-Colonel Fox, will take part in the demonstration. The demonstration of welcome, it is hoped, will be carried out on a scale that will completely eclip9e any previous public display of the kind in Wellington. The common classification of tnan'd stages in civilisation are the hunter and fisher, the pastoral, and tbe agricultural periods. A different viaw 13 taken by Dr. Habn, a German ethnologist, who points out that all the various forms of progress, from the lowest to the highest, may still be seep on the earth, and in many cases . alongside each other. These forixiß he regards as six in number, tbe simplest being hunting and fishing. A vast area in Northeastern Europe, America, and Asia, is assigned to it, inoluding the Arctio regions and tracts in other parts of the world. Next comts what be calls " Hackbau," or hand tillage, aa atill practises! in Central America and tropical Africa. After this is agriculture in shape of plantation ; next, the kind of tillage practised in Europe and Western Asia by meanß of the plough. I The fifth lorm is cattle-farming aqd tbe keeping qf sheep and gqats, though this, necessitating a more wandering life, is, be tbinka, rather inferior to tbe herding of the larger stock ; and, last of ail, Dr. Hahn re»ardß tbe elaborate mode of cultivation practised in China by means of manure applied in a scientific manner —high farming, in short—^ fcha. behest cultural stage to whioh, "man has attained. This is the " allotment" tillage which is now beginning in earnest in England. Nolan, Conks & Co. sell stock at Opunake to-morrow. Jt^st arrived at the Conimerojal Hotel, Hawera, special Qqasignment of Schweppes, Soda Water and Ginger Ale, Apollinaris Natural Mineral Waters, also Liqueurs, viz: — Benedictine, Absinthe, Green Chartreuse, White and Brown Curacao, Maraschino, &c., &c— Advt.

It is estimated that 170,000 cases of fruit were sent during the past year from Australia to London. Rev. Mr. Kay, owing to a severe cold, had to refrain from taking duty at St. Mary's last evening. A start has been made to fence in a portion of the sohool reserve, nerc to the Hawera school, which will give Beveral acres additional play ground. There was a very fair attendance at the Hawera School on reopening this morning, and no donbt the average will soon go up to the old figures. It ig generally believed in the colony that the Dukedom conlerred on H.R.H. Prince George is that of York, not Cork, as cabled. It is reported that a local company is about to be formed to work the New Plymonth petroleum deposits under the direction of Mr. Booth. A Napier paper reports that a narrow escape from death occurred last week at a railway crossing, A man who bad been anticipating her Majesty's birthday onose for hiß b?d the railway line, and there lay till partially sobered. Hearing the first train, he managed to roll over, but was so near the wheel that the tail of his coat was cut off. It will b6 seen by advertisement in another column that the rink will be open on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and that Saturday afternoon is reserved for ladies. This popular passtime is well patronised, and the management have decided to have a handicap quarter-mile race on Tuesday evening, and girls' race on Saturday afternoon, both for good prizes. The Wellington Post says that a very strong wish has been expressed in the Rangitikei district that tbe Hon. Mr. Bryce should stand for the vacant seat, and strong pressure has been used to induce him to do so. His return would be absolutely oertain, but he refuses to reenter Parliament while the motion of censure upon him remains on the Journals of the House. Failing Mr. Bryce, Mr. Bruce has been urged to stand, but he, too, is unwilling to do so, because he has made all arrangements to pay an early and prolonged visit to friends in America, though a requisition is in course of signatures urging him to stand, and it is hoped be will do so. Mr. John Stevens, who formerly represented Rangitikei, is understood to be a certain Ministerial candidate. If Mr. Bruce stands, the general impression in tbe country is that be will wm easily. A cable has been received from Mr. F. Arkwright deolining to contest Rangitikei. Scarcely a week passes (writes the New York correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald) without an announcement of yet another innovation in the building of ships. The success of the " whaleback " has turned the genius of all the inventors in the direction of naval architecture, and there is no telling what strange monsters may yet be let loose upon the great ocean. Tbe very latest is a " combination navigator," adapted for use both on a shallow river and on tbe open sea. She has one bow and two stems, each provided with a rudder and a screw, and Bhe will carry an adjustable centreboard. She is built of steel, is 300 ft. long, and has 35ft. beam. Her second stern enables her to crawl about in any water that is not less than oft. deep, and she will carry a cargo .in weight equalling about 60,000 bushels of wheat. Her first trip will be to the Amazon, and having unloaded her freight she will make her way up the river about 500 miles to the coffee plantations, and will sail from thence direct with a full cargo home. Of course most of these innovations will turn out to be failures, but it is not too much to say that within the past twelvemonth more daring ideas in the naval line have been incarnated in this country in steel and wood than during several centuries previously all over the globe. Mr. W, Cowern has a desirable grazing run for lease. Mr. Newton King sells stock at Stratford to-morrow. Messrs. A. Collier and Co. announce that their pianoforte tuners are now visiting Hawera. Orders may be left at the Stak Office.