LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXII, Issue 7023, 13 November 1906, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

$&~. On the fourth page of this issue will be found reports of meetings of the Ashburton Gas, Coal and Coke Company, Borough School Committee, and Sports Association. Weather Forecast. ~ Captain Edwin wires as follows :—Strong winds to a gale from between west and south and southeast ; glass rise j rain probable, and weather cold. River Report. — The Rakaia is dirty, - the Ashburton (upper), the Rangitata, and the Opihi is fishable. Marie Naeei/le—On Tuesday next Marie Narelle, the world-famed artist, will appear at the Oddfellows' Hall. The box i plan is now open at the Dresden Piano Co, and the booking to-date is very satisfactory. Speaking of her reception on her return to Australia, the " Bulletin " says— A magnificent reoeption awaited Marie Narelle at the Town Hall when the returned Australian singer commenced her " star tour "of Australasia, under the management of Mr Frederic Shipman. The largest Concert hall m the Commonwealth was completely filled by Jthpse who seized the first opportunity to do honour to a representative Australian who had succeeded " on the other side," and the wife of the •Ttovernor-General, by her presence, with a big Government House Party, lifted fche splendid welcome above the level of a provincial demonstration of pleasure, pride, md patriotism. Miss Narelle waa loaded with beautiful flowers after her first song, Hnd the congratulations culminated m cheering. In all probability the honest roar from the back of the hall was the " sweetest music " to the ears of the darkeyed lady, who was bask m her own country, and among her own people, with trophies won m " far foreign fields." A telegram from Christohurch states that several robberies and burglaries have been reported since the Exhibition opened. On Saturday night the house of Mr S Sannders, editor of the " Lyttelton Times," was broken into, and some keys and jewellery and a small sum of money were stolen. On Saturday next the National Mortgage and Agency Company will submit by public auction several handy agricultural and grazing farms m the Springburn, Mayfjeld, and Ealing districts. They will also offer at the name time, Mr J. W. Timmins private residence at Allentoa. At Oatnaru yesterday, L^tiy Pluuket opened the Old Men's Home, a building that cost over .£3OOO to erect, and m the evening she also opened a fancy fair m aid of the Town Hall fund. The Westport Coal Company's output last week was 8111 tons© cwt. The Cheviot branch railway extension to , Tormore will be open for passengers and goods traffic (-o-morrow. Mr Alexander Whi claw, of Newton, has been gazetted Norwegian Consul at Wellington. The police or*Vi«nna have been supplied wich small portable telephone appliances which they can affix to specially constructed boxes along their beats for the purpose of communicating direct with the central police station at any hour of the day or night. The Land Purchase Board has intimated to Mrs Matthews, of Hampden, the intention of the Government to take over the Te Ohu property, near Noreewood South, for closer settlement purposes, says the Napier f Telegraph." The " New Zealand Times '' states that £250,000 of the loan of £1,000,000 authorised by Parliament during thn late session has been taken up by the Citizens' Life Assurance Compiny, Ltd. Dnring the last 15 months this company haa invested over iM,000,000 m New Zealand Government and municipal securities, showing the conrfidence the directors hare m the stability of the colony.