Local and General.

Clutha Leader, Volume IX, Issue 494, 30 March 1883, Page 6

Local and General.

A man named G. L. Weane accidentally nhot himself at Nelson on Sunday morning. The Oamaru Band was victorious in its contest on Saturday with the Invercargill Band, The Oamaru Mail is threatened with a libel ftGtion at the instance of Mr Miiner Stephen. Thomas Thomson, aged 70, painter, Christchurch, poisoned himself with •trychnine on Sunday. Mr James Macandrew, M,H.R., has resigned his position as a member of the Port Chalmers Dock Trust. It is proposed to take a plebiscite of the' ratepayers to settle the matter of the chairmanship of the Vincent County. It iB stated that no less than 229 Justices of the Peace have been added to the Victorian roll during the past six months. It is reported that the Queensland Government have instructed the police magistrate at Thursday Island to take possession of New Guinea. On Friday, Mr Swanaon, M.H.R., accidentally fell off a wall at his residence, fourteen feet high, suffering a compound fracture of the leg and dislocation of the ankle. In Nelson this year the total area devoted to hop-growing was 587 acres. One grower, Mr Hariey, of Stoke, had a crop of 12,812 fe^sikels; the- pickihg- of which cost him LlB6 16s 10d. At the election: for West Bourke, Victoria, on Monday, the Hon. A. Deakin, Minister for Public Works, was re-elec-ted, defeating Sir Bryan O'Loghlen by a large majority. The following was the state of tha poll : — Deakin, 1882 ; O'Loghlen, 1186. Thomas Vincent, of West Melton, was driving a- horse from Kaiapoi, when the horse shied and carried the cart over an eight-foot embankment into the Eyre river bed. Vincent was badly crushed, and lay till next (Friday morning), when he was • found -and conveyed home. He died, an hour after. In Auckland, as in Dunedin, the crime of wife desertion is very prevalent (says the New Zealand Herald). The experience of the Auckland Relieving Officer corroborates that given by Mr Green, M.H.R-, of Dnnedin, namely, that in no instance has the deserting husband been a total abstainer, and his local observations extend over 13 years. Waikato settlers are beginning to feel the present depression, which we (New Zealand Herald) hope is only temporary. The . tightness of money has prevented both borrowing and gelling, and some of the settlers are forced to realise at a sacrifice. We do not wonder at farming in the Waikato being unremunerative, seeing that labourers there demand 9s per day. A recent London paper says that tf in the East End of London there appears to be a growing dislike against the Irish population. Thousands of Irish men and women are unable to obtain work on any terms, and It is said that within the last fortnight two or three large manufacturing firms have discharged some hundreds of their Irish workpeople, in order to replace them by Englishmen. '' Describing the weather experienced at Invercargill on Friday night the evening paper says.: — " Tempestuous is the fitting word for the weather which prevailed. Though ■it came in gusts the wind did blow occasionally, and to some purpose too. At times houses rooked so that half- I roused slumberers might readily have fancied themselves at sea, and in at least two cases there was some room for alarm. So far as known no serious damage has been done." In Melbourne the other day, Messrs Joske and- Co., a laage and old-estab-lished j and an influeutial firm, was pharged with the trick of taking an empty barrel, branded with Martell's name and trade mark, filling it with a cheaper and inferior spirit, and disposing of the same f'with intent -to defraud." The defendants admitted the offence, and were fined in a nominal-- amount, the Bench (it is said) being paoked with friends of the delinquents. Game does not appear to be very plentiful in this district this season (says the Oamaru Times) if we are to judge from the "bags" that have as yet been brought into town. The bags have invariably contained little more than the remnants -of Junches, &c. In one or two instances however, this has been improved upon, hares coming in for a good deal of attention. Ducks of all descriptions are scarce, and places where sportsmen in former; years usually made good bags have this season yielded nQ return. The grain geasori has now set in-in dead earnest at Ashburton(says the Lyttelton Times). On Saturday afternoon drays heavily laden with' corn were standing at the 'West street stores thirty deep, and long lines : of grai^ carts were, to be seen coming into town during -the day, notwithstanding the strong wind that was flowing. Similar scenes can be witnessed at all the grain-loading stations along the l^ne, '' and the demand for trucks is far greater than the supply, but the railway officials are grappling bravely with' the difficulty. The trains coming- down the Methven line are just now specially heavy, as many as forty and fifty trucks preceeding the passenger carriages: Special trains are run frequently, but all the trucks available are wanted. That the Princess of Wales should head %h.e movement against the so-called spor^ of pigeon shooting can "be surprising to none oif-. those who know her, says a Home papeiry One of the Princess's most marko^ characteristics .ia" her great love for animals. When at Sandringham, she every, Sunday goes round and pays a visit to all the stock on the estate^- and- to nearly all of. them tal^es some dainty. There is; not a, horse in the stables but knows her and isxpects her visit. She is greatly devoted to dogs, too, and several very .pretty little specimens are allowed the run of her apartments. But she has an especial lilsjns "f°* birds, and, among birds, for pigeons. Two tame pigeons fly freely about her own room, and it; maybe supposed" that^ -from* communion ' with theae,- the Princess's- kindly nature has peen-inoved bo as to-indnce her to take the -very- charitable and vory proper- step of heading, -in her ow : n peiaon, a move--meni against the ridiculous and lubberly practice which has na reaj olaim to the name of sport. ■.-..■■

It is propase'd to start "a shipping company in Auckland, to establish a direct line of first-class 'sailing ' vessels between that port and London. The Napier Telegraph heara that a newRefrigerating Company- is being formed in England, wittt a capital of L 200,000, for operations in the Hawkes Bay district. Newcastle, N.S. W. , has received an un-welcome but numerous body of visitors, in the shape of a host of Norway rats, which escaped from a vessel' in the harbour. Many of these vermin have besn caught in the city. They average more than a foot in length, and are large in proportion. The Otago Angling Association held its last competition for the season on Good Friolay. There were only six entries, and the returns so far received' are : — Mr Webster, Shag River, 14lb 2oz; Mr M'Kenzie, jun., Shag River, 71b B<>z. From what we have heard of the doings of the other competitors it is not likely that Mr Webster's take will be beaten. The weather was by no means favourable;The Rev. Dr Peddie, Edinburgh, has surrendered ' his means to the Friendly Society of Dissenting Ministers, defrauded of its funds by Donald S. Peddie, who absconded. To the appeal made to the public on behalf of the society, Mr Dick Peddie,' M. P., representing the members" of the family,' has' responded with a donation of L2OOO. In his letter he says that 'through the acts of Donald S. Peddie : the members of the family have been; involved in liabilities of not less than L 2 1000; When the Hon. Major Atkinson delivers his lectures' in Dunedin, it is probable (says the Daily Times) the public will i have the benefit of hearing a rival scheme ' propounded for the prevention of pauperism. Mr M. W. tereen, M.H.R., attended Major Atkinson's meetings in Christchurch, but is not convinced that the Colonial Treasurer has yet discovered the true talisman' for protecting from pauperism the New Zealand of the future. He therefore proposes to give a lecture dur--ing Major Atkinson's visit, in which he' will sketch out an elaborate scheme for the benefit of New Zealanders, two main features being improved methods of settling the Crown lands and of regulating the liquor traffic. The Maori monarch" Tawhiao has not improved hia reputation during his trip through the North Island. He is not only a deplorable drunkard, but in the strong language of a contemporary he is a scandalous profligate. He has even declared his belief in the Mormon doctrine, and at a korero thus expressed himself :— "It is my word to all the Maoris that they should believe in Mormonism. They must believe in it or I will leave them — I will even leave this country acid go and camp at the Salt Lake in Utah, the place of the mormons." A chief named Manihera rebuked his sovereign, reminding him that the Scripture told of an ass having reproved a prophet, and went on to remark that it was the duty of a Maori chief to follow the example of the ass when he heard his king professing the shameful tenets of Mormonism, and saw him staggering about in a beastly drunken condition in the presence of the Pakehas; He indignantly asked what would Queen Victoria's subjects think of her if she.behaved as the Maori king was behaving. Some of the Northern papers think that New Zealand would : be well rid of the drunken king, and that in the interests nf all concerned it is to be hoped Tawhiao will make an early migration to Salt Lake City. Singapore lays claim to the honour of producing the latest marvel in electric lighting. The Straits Times of December 6 says : — " We learn that Messrs Dennys and Cuff have applied for a local patent for a new system of producing and regulating electric currents. Without coming into competition with any of the arc or incandescent lamps now in the market, j this new system promises to create a considerable senpation, as it will only cost about one-fifth of the price of dynamos, while the deposite from the batteries is of more than double the value- of the elements used:' In fact, ' were hot Mr Cuff (who is a pupil of Sir W. Thompson, the great electrican) well known for ability in his own profession, and Dr Dennys' considered a proficient in mechanical matters, we should regard the assertions current regarding their new system as very like romance. It is claimed that not only will the cost price of the apparatus be recouped during the first year's working, but that a handsome profit will also accrue ; in other words, the owner gets his light for nothing and makes money on the transaction ! Steps are, of course, being taken to protect the invention in other countries. It will be curious if Singapore gives birth to the most economical method of producing electricity yet devised. " It will be very curious" indeed. In few cities in the world do- people lose their teeth at so early as age as in Sydney, notwithstanding, that in comparison with other great cities the inhabitants are domesticated and not addicted to excess in eating, though it must be admitted that intemperance in ons forni • prevails to a very lamentable extent. It is not uncommon for people who arrived in this colony • with teeth perfectly sound, or having "only a few slightly decayed, to discover themselves in the course of four or five years with barely a sound tooth in either jaw. This cannot be accounted for in connection with the prevailing diet or habits of the people. In the judgment of the medical residents of the city who have devoted any consideration to it, the cause is to be referred to the very small proportion of mineral constituents contained in the Botany water. Practically, the Sydney pepple drink rain water, the watershed consisting for the most part of sandhills. The Nepean water will be very similar in it.B constituents, as has been shown by analysis. As soft water it has its advantages as every laundress knows. If it were made to pass through a filtering bed of limestonebefore delivery during the last two or three days of the week when it is more required for portable than for laundry purposes, it could be charged with those inorganic materials so essential to the grow'tjh and maintenance of the bony frame woi'k. of ' the" body-, and not less so of the teeth," which follow the'same laws of change and growth. The sarcte. tendency of the teeth; to early decay has: long been noticed in New: Zealand and if it is less here than, in New South Wales, our fellow colonists must be badly off indeed.— Australasian Medical Gazette.