Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 119, 18 November 1896, Page 2

Local and General News.

There will be Mass next Sunday at Rongotea, at 8 a.m. The best Bs are— beef, bread, beer, and babies. They control the world. An English mail arrived in Feilding this morning. The Wanganui Athletic Club's bazaar netted some £350 for the institution's interest. The committee of the Feilding Athletic Ciub will meet on Friday evening at 8 p.m. Entries for Messrs Gorton and Son's Waituna sale on the 25th inst are advertised to-day. Madagascar is one of the richest gold countries in the world, both as regards alluvial and quartz. Mr G. Revington Jones, of Taonui, has for s.ale half a dozen first-class milch cows. There will be choir practice at St Andrew's, Colyton, on Thursday (tomorrow), at 7.80. In a paragraph which appeared in last night's Star with reference to the Starr Bowket Building Society, it was stated that the allotment fell to Mrs J. Wood, this should have read Mrs R. Wood. The proprietor of the Corner Furniture Warehouse, Mr A. Eade, has made extensive preparations for the Christmas trade, for which he has secured an extensive stock of linoleums, matting, and all other articles necessary for the trade of an up-to-date furnishing establishment. The statement is made that several of tbe ' knowing ones ' at the Taratahi races took advantage of there being no telegraph communication between the course and tbe Empire City, and sent the results of five races by the aid of carrier pigeons, thus enabling their friends there to do big business with the ' bookies.' The first week in December will be a busy time in Feilding. Tuesday and Wednesday (2nd and 3rd) Feilding Jockey Club's Spring Meeting, Thursday (4th), general election. On the last named day no liquor may be sold by the hotels, between the hours of twelve o'clock midday, and seven o'clock in the evening. A temperance address was delivered in the Volunteer Hall last evening by Mr Walker, G.L.V.D., 1.0.G.T.. of New South Wales. There was not a very large attendance. The Rev J. Cocker presided and introduced the speaker. Mr Walker, who is an able speaker, bandied his subject in a clear and forcible manner, describing the various effects of alcohol on the system. At Mr Scobie Mackenzie's meeting at Dunedin an elector handed up a question, and placed on the stage a stuffed dog, round the neck of which was a card with the words ll A sample M.H.R." Mr Mackenzie said tbe question was, "Is it not a fact that you have promised to become one of those of which I now hand you a sample ? " That was to say, had he promised to become a dumb dog ? (Laughter.) Whatever fault he had - and he had a great many— he did not think anyone would accuse him, after that night of deing dumb. (Laughter.) In the Helping Hand, a religious journal published in Auckland, of a recent date, an eminent minister makes the following remarks occasioned by a visit to the King Country : " Mr Seddon told a deputation in my presence that hia heart bled for the degradation of the Maoris by drink. If be did not mean it tbe words showed that he realised the greatness of the evil, yet Wahanui and other chiefs declared last month to the Rev. Mr Gittos and myself that, when Mr Seddon visited Otorouanga with Mr Carroll, he supplied tbe natives with whisky, and from that date they believed they had a right to get drunk. Three Cabinet Ministers, an Auckland M.H.R., a clergyman, a schoolmaster, and a lay reader have been amongst the number of those who have lent their countenance to the Otorohanga sly grog seller. With such examples set by representatives of I divine and human law how can its ob--1 scrvauce be looked tor?"

The Feilding S.M. Court will sit tit W : a .m. on Friday next. j Mrs Yateß, of Onehunga Mayoral fame j is again a candidate for the Mayoralty, j The election takes place this day week. Mr Carr will hold an important unreserved sale of freehold land and bakery business at Sandon on Saturday next in his auction rooms, Feilding. | The match between second teams of j the Marton Rifle Club and theManches ter Rifles was being Sred as we went to [ press this afternoon. The prisoner Bosher, who has been convicted of bigamy and sent to gaol, I will be charged with murdering Mr and Mrs Jones, late of Petone. The upriver natives are beginning to bring down their season's wool. Already some 50 bales have arrived by steamer and canoe. — Chronicle. Claims by old soldiers and volunteers for New Zealand land grants must be sent to the Government Buildings, Wellington, on or before the 30th of the present month Additions are made to-day to Messrs Gorton and Son's Feilding sale. Among other lots a line of Jersey cows in milk, from the well - known herd of Mr A. Dermer, will be offered. The committee of the Feilding Jockey Club met last evening and transacted a considerable amount of routine business in connection with the Spring meeting. The Polo Club were granted permission to use tbe racecourse on Wednesday, December 16th, for the polo sports. The Feilding bowlers are wise in their generation. In order to protect the players from tbe north west wind which too often blows over the green, a suitable breakwiod is to be erected which will be a great improvement and at the same time afford protection to the ornamental trees and shrubs which were planted in the spring. With respect to the pressure now being brought to bear by the Liberals on their employees and tradespeople to vote against their convictions and in favor of the Go^ vernment, we need only remind the electors that they can vote without fear ac» cording to their consciences, as the secrecy of the ballot, is inviolable and entirely trustworthy. — Exchange. In to-day's issue we publish a corrected programme of the Apiti Athletic Sports to be held on January Ist next. The Apiti Handicap has been made a contest of three distances with a first prize of i:(5, second £2, and third prize £1 A hop, step and jump has been added to thi^ programme, which will be found to have been framed on a most lib/.-ral scale. Improvements have been effected to the ground since last year and the convenience of pedestrians and the public is receiving the attention ot the committte. Letters show that Mr T. Dwan, of Wellington, is now travelling through the States and Canada. He has visited several of tbe Prohibition States and found things in a terrible state of chaos, property decreasing in value, drunkenness prevalent everywhere and everything generally unsatisfactory. The police in Prohibition States seldom arrest drunkards, as ifc would never do to make the statistics read badly. Liquor is sold everywhere ou the sly, and one bas no difficulty in getting a drink. The towns are full of big che mists' shops, which take the places of hotels, and where liquor is dispensed as " medicine." The proprietors of these shops are making big fortunes, as there is uo expense in running them, uo servnnts to keep, no boarding establishment to be kept up, &c, and, although they are called Prohibition States, they are that only in name. Another habit that he found very prevalent, taking the place of liquor to a certain extent, was the use of morphine, which he considers worse than the drink.— Times.