Local and General.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume IV, Issue 314, 11 September 1875, Page 2

Local and General.

—♦ It would appear that, though tho number of residents in Bowen Town is small, yet their feeling of responsibility as citizens is not behind thatof tho residents in more populated districts We have received notea of a meeting held on Wednesday evening at the Katikati Hotel, on which occasion Mr Charles Ilarloy presided, for the discussion of the question of ibo Abolition of Provinces. Mr Foley opened thd ball, and gave it as his opinion that in lb® consideration of such an important question every man should have a voice, and that tbo people should see what they were to get before allowing the Ministry to decide on the Bill. Ho did not think any of the residents in bower. Town hud seen the proposed now Act, but he understood tho mcfltn

nig of its proposals to be that money was to be taken from the people first and then partially given back. Mr Foley epoke at some length on tho subject; be finally proposed, and it was carried, that the meeting expresses its opinion that the Bill should bo postponed until the next session of Parliament By the request of Mr Harley, the subject of a mail service to the Katikali was allowed to be brought forward, and, in reply to the expression by Mr Harley of a hope that Mr Edgcumbe, as proprietor of tho Bay oif Plenty Times, would do all in his power to obtain such a mail service, Mr Edgcumbe (who was by chance present at the meeting) informed the meeting that Rome time since ho was one of a deputation Uiat waited upon Sir Donald McLean with a view to obtain a subsidy for this service, bat that tho Native Minister had replied ho could not hold out any hopes of euch assistance being granted as the number of residents at Katikati was too smal

at'present to warrant liim in .doing so, Edge umbo assured tbo meeting, however, that he would do all in his power to obtain tl® mail service ashed for.- Mr Anderson made a

very sensible remark that tne fact of •Stewart’s settlers corning to ICatikali should be a good reason for granting the service. Todd epoko strongly in favour of a mail service, which he considered one oft first steps in the march of civilisation. Foley also vented his opinion on the subjechut his remarks at this period were of rati too caustic a nature to admit of reporting-

Mr Edgcumbe left far Auckland m Ivutiiati and the Thames on Wednesday morning last. As a member of the Reception tommitteo to welcome Mr Vesey Stewart s t-ptem settlors Mr Edgcumbe’a immediate departure for Auckland was necessitated by the amiouncemnfc of tho arrival of the Carisbioofc Castle.

The only transaction in the EM. Court since last Tuesday was the forfeiture of his bail by one inebriate. Mr II C. Jordan announces that ho wid hold a sale of furniture and effects, book*, <£(*., at his Auction Mart, the Strand, on Monday, the 13th inst., at 3 p.io. Wo drawattention to Mr Bodcll’s advertisement of sale of twenty thousand feet of timber to take place on the premises of Mr VC J'Wood, at eleven o’clock to-day. This will be a good opportuoiiy for persons about to build now residences. We have seen a very useful home-made turning machine at Mr E. F. Toiler's shop, which has been invented by one of the carpenters in his employ, Mr Edward Baines. The machine is more particularly adapted for turning rails for fences, and by its use some twenty-five rails can be finished in little over an hour, Mr Koller informs u» that a rail fence can thus be made almost as cheap us the ordi* nary three-inch batten fence.

We find that an omission occurred in our report of the rescue from drowning of the person who fell off tho wharf on the night of lust Tuesday. Thomas Add is, a constable in the Armed Constabulary Force, was ready the first to go to iho rescue, as immediately tho man fell in Addis wont in after him, and, holding by a rope hanging from the vessel, grasped tho drowning man and held him clear of the water until tho further assistnnce of Messrs Mackenzie ami Davidson wag given. From what wo can learn the promptitude displayed by Constable Addis was to a great extent instrumental in preventing more serious results.

In an article on Urn honorariums to tho M. U.K.’s, tho Tbnnrn llen/ll tells iho follow* ing story : —Some years ago there was a well authenticated story current in Wellington that three members, all hailing from the same province, agreed to live together for tho session on economical principles; and actually saved £3BO out of their aggregate honorarium. They hired a three-roomed cottage, and took the household duties, cooking and all, turn and turn about; by which moans they contrived to keep their expenses down to 10s a week, each for tho whole term of throe months and a half. Whenever an invitat ion lo a dinner was received by any one of them, ho immediately carried it in triumph to tho “ housekeeper” for tho day, who made a proportionate allowance in his arrangements for “ one mouth less. ”

Slumps, and bow to got rid of them, have long puzzled the pioneer fanners, and early Bottlers in clearing tlmir allotments. Some scientific Frenchman have recently succeeded in thoroughly getting rid of tliom by means of dynamite, an explosive compound ro» gambling gunpowder in its action. A hole from nine to fifteen inches in depth was drib led iu the ground close to the stump, and a charge of dynamite placed in it, 1 his was discharged by a safety fuse, and stump and roots were torn to fragments so that they could easily bo removed. It is said that Brigham Young lias acquired the title of General from having been called “ Briggy, dear,” so often by his numerous wives.

If you “out” an acquaintance, arc you liable for assault P

A wag pronounces morphine a the greatest of modern composers.” An illiterate correspondent, who is given to sporting, wants to know when the “ AngloSaxon race,” so much talked about, is to come off,