LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Feilding Star, 30 May 1907, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Star will not be published oh Monday next, June 3rd (Prince of Wales' birthday). The death is announced of Mr Geo. Nye, o! Norbiton Koad, FoxtOn, a very old settler of the district. An alarm of fire was given at about 0.20 last night. The Brigade v. as soon at the scene of the fire, which was found to be a chimney in a two-story house, in Manchester street, occupied by the Salvation Army Captain. A Press Association telegram from Gisborne states that, Cuthbert Morse, a local hairdresser" was fined £10 .md costs for betting with an infant Post Oiliru official, who had been suspended For betting. The Government, in the course of a communication to the Mayor, has asked if it would be convenient for the Fire Board to meet on June 10th. Mr Trewin proposes to confer with the other members, and, if suitable to them, a reply in the affirmative will be sent. Members of the FeilUiug A. and P. Asociation are reminded that the annual meeting of the Association takes place in the Drill Hall on Friday, to-morrow evening. Those who have not yet sent in their ballotpapers are reminded that they must do so this afternoon at latest. Many settlers who are already paying high rates (says a correspondent of the Hawera Star) view with disgust the toll-gate system which the Uawera County propose to establish on the main roads. Were a less enlightened body than the Hawera Council to suggest such a thing at this stage of the colony's history they would be laughed out of existence. As will be seen m our advertising columns, a very popular concert is to be given in the Oddfellows' Hall nil Wednesday, June sth. The programme will be varied to suit all tastes; some of the performers are :>UI favourites, while others are quite new to Feilding audiences, the prices are within the reach of everyone, and the project is a popular one. After we went to press yesterday the meeting of creditors in the bankrupt estate of Alexander McMeekan, baker, of Feilding, was continued at bhe Courthouse. It was resolved bo allow Mr Tarrant to take over the business, he having lent bankrupt a mm of £100. The book debts were landed to Mr Carty, solicitor, for collection . The opinion was expressed that bankrupt nad given too much 'or the bakery business to Mr Hall. Phe meeting was opposed to any xiblic examination. ,The meeting :hen adjourned.

The death is announced of Mr George Nye, of Norbiton road, Foxton, a very old settler of the district. King Edward suffered from toothache while at Malta last month, and did not attend the races in consequence. The Provincial Conference of the Farmers' Union, at Levin, yesterday, •decided to hold the next Conference a$ Feilding. Mrs Holman, the mother of Mrs Evelyn Thaw, states that if • her daughter had told her what she told Thaw and the jury, it would not have been necessary for Thaw to kill Stanford White. She would have killed him herself. A swarm of bees which has taken possession of the church roof at Kirkbride, in Cumberland, objected to evening service. As soon as the lamps are lit the bees desoend into the building and terrorise the con- , gregation, especially the ladies with floral decorations in their hats. It was stated at the Tower Bridge Police Court recently that a Frenchman who was called in to identify a man accused of swindling him was told to walk along a row of men and touch the man he recognised. When he reached the man, however, he gave him two blows in the face. A remarkable coincidence in fingerprints has been discovered in South Africa. The prints in question are those of two Englishmen awaiting trial on criminal charges-^one at Capetown, the other at Bloemfontein. The finger-prints of both men were produced at the trial of one of them, and found to be identical in every respect. The manager of a West of England newspaper, having written to the railway authorities complaining of the late delivery of their morning newspaper parcels, has received the remarkable reply that the difficulty has arisen through the abnormally heavy broccoli traffic that has been passing from Cornwall. It has been suggested that readers who have been inconvenienced should appeal to Cornish growers to relax their efforts and only produce normal crops I , It is not generally known among farmers and those who have to do with the killing of stock for their own consumption that it is a statutory offence to remove the ears from the hides and skins of cattle and sheep. Tlfis fact was clearly demonstrated in the Wanganui Supreme Court during the hearing or the cattle-stealing case, several witnesses stating that it was only lately that they became aware that a substantial penalty was provided for those who thus offended. Conscience money, like the bad penny, is always turning up, and it is no uncommon thing for Government and local bodies to receive large and small sums in this way. But the Wellington Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on Tuesday had its first experience of the kind, receiving two donations totalling 7s 6d. described as " conscience money. ' The money was thankfully acknowledged. The amounts 5s 6d and 2s were in stamps, and enclosed in separate envelopes, which were posted on different dates, but the writing was considered to be the same on both letters. Mr J. G. Wilson, president of the Farmers' Union, at a smoke concert held in Levin, said he Had a confession to make, and he was glad to be able to do s?o in the presence of the Minister for Agriculture. A few years ago, when a poultry expert was appointed, he with others had said the step was folly. "I see now," he added, "that I was entirely? wrong." The poultry industry, under the direction of Mr D. D. Hyde, chief expert, had made rapid strides, and the farmers in the Levin district had an excellent market practically at their doors. As Wellington advanced, the Mauawatu district would grow in sympathy with that advance. Sergeant Bowden, speaking to a Star representative this morning, incidentally mentioned that he was going to have a day out amongst the "gentlemen" who inhabit the street corners of this town from daybreak till dark, and who are ever ready and anxious to drink the health or all and sundry who may come along. "The worst offenders in this direction are men," said the Sergeant, " win have prohibition orders against them, and I am going to make an object lesson of some of them," was the final expression of the Sergeant. Two cases oi being in possession of liquor against prohibited persons will fie hoard next Court clay. There arc times, according to Sir Julian Salomons, when a deliberate departure from the truth may be regarded as .justifiable. "I don't believe in lying," remarked Sir Julian, in the course of his argument before the High Court at Sydney last week, "but if a man came into Court with a loaded revolver, thinking that the Chief Justice had acted mistakenly in deciding against him, and I should distinctly tell him that the gentleman in the chair was Sir Frederick Darley, and that Sir Samuel Griffith was not here, that would, of course, be an absolute lie from top to bottom, but I would be actuated by respect for something higher." A romantic story of the southern seas is related by four survivors of the sailing ship Carnarvon Castle, who were landed by the P. and 0. liner Marmora at Tilbury Docks. The Carnarvon Castle was destroyed by fire in the South Pacific 900 mile's from the coast of Australia, and the crew of twenty-seven, who were divided between the two lifeboats, provisioned for eight days, were twentyfour days before sighting the coast near Fremantle. Three men died from exhaustion. When food and water ran out some of the men chewed their pipe stems in an agony of hunger, and for lack of tobacco cut up leather and smoked it. Mac Fee Lung, whom the musichalls know as "Prince Fee Lung, the Chinese magician," was summoned at Willesden for deserting his wife. After taking the oath in the Chinese fashion the magician explained that he did not take his wife dn tour because she had developed too much for the vanishing lady trick, and could no longer disappear down the tube under the stage. As for the trick where she had to turn into a duek — words failed the magician. He strenuously denied his wife's assertion that he earned from £12 to £16 a week. The public taste, he said pathetically, had altered of late, and magicians were no longer in favor. The public got tired of every(hing in time. The lady was granted a separation order, with an allowance of 30s a week. Our Sandon correspondent writes: — A meeting of the Sandon Rifle Club was held in the Council Chambers last evening. Present — Messrs H. Pearoe, W. Pearce, W. Lumsden, T. Williams, A. K. Drew, and W. Penny in the chair. The principal business was to arrange for a day's sport next Monday, the Prince of Wales' birthday. The chairman suggested that all members present should canvass for a few tropnies to be fired for. There are two trophies at present in the Club's hands, and Mr W. Clark, of Bulls, has promised another. It was resolved that the Club have a field day on 3rd June next, also that Mr F. Purnell be made a life member of the Club, and a pair of field-glasses be presented to him, Mr Penny being empowered to procure them. The meeting then adjourned. " Pakeha," writes to the Taranaki News as follows: — "Your leader of Monday morning, dealing with the native question, recalls to mind a happening of some years ago at the opening of a hall in one of the Taranaki kaiimas. There was quite a large influx of Europeans. The Maoris seemed to '•••r^ developed a ciaze for "change >: Visitors were approached by a Maori in this wise: "\ou get te two single shillin' and te ikipenny for te half-crown P" And the change would be given. Others v anted two sixpences for a shilling, two shillings, for a florin, two threepenny pieces for a sixpence, and so on. By-and-bye came dinner time. The pakehas tropned in, and enjoyed their feed. A collection was taken up. Gee whiz! Not a -soul of them had anything smaller than a twoshilling piece. That's how the "child: of Nature" got home on the civilised product."

! The Triumph Lodge of Druids held their, first meeting at Rongoteaa last evening. There was a capital attendance. Two members were initiated into the Order, and three proposed for membership. The new officers carried out their duties faithfully, and everything points to tho Lodge proving a success. It was decided to hold a concert and dance at an early date. The Shannon correspondent of the Levin paper thus exults over the heathen Chinese : —Our late celestial fruit and vegetable vendor has departed for Otaki. Shannon people do not take kindly to the presence of chows, which fact is greatly to their credit. They tacitly agreed to starve out the pigtail retailer of stale cabbages and lettucee, and so, after leading a forlorn hope for eight months he sadly shook Shannon's mud off his cheap bluchers and departed. There is a class of individual known to decent people by the name of "hoodlums" who haven't the understanding to appreciate a good play themselves, and don't like to know of others having enjoyment. Such an individual was present at the Drill Hall last night, and made himself distinctly obnoxious by pelting people with conversation lollies, and other hard substances. One young lady received a black eye as a result of one of those missiles, and complaint has been made to the police, who are going to give oue or two of these well-dressed hoodlums an object lesson. It may not be known that this practice constitutes an offence under "The Police Offences Act," therefore offenders will have to be careful. "