LOCAL AND GENERAL

Feilding Star, Volume II, Issue 371, 16 September 1907, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Prayers were offered in the local churches yesterday for the passengers and crew' of tho Monowai. Mr T. Ingley topped the market for AVairarana wool at the July wool sales in London, getting Hid a pound for it. Foilding is to have its first Christian Endeavour Society organised tomorrow evening. The society is to be established at the Baptist Church by a party of twenty-five endeavourers who are coming from Palmerston. j ]t is stated that the proprietor of a hotel on the outskirts of the Ashburton electorate has paid £10,000 to a Christchurch wine and spirit merchant for Bpirits obtained during a period of less than two years. Ashby (Leicestershire) Board of Guardians has appointed a "woman named Kirkby as rate collector for the parish of Ovorseal. Mrs Prntt, a lady guardian, in supporting the motion, said she did so not as an act of charity, but because she thought (bat the work would be done efficiently.

Last session an Act was paased to enable the registration to be made of births not already registered within tho statutory time. Twelve months was the time allowed the procrastinating parents and this period ends on the 24th inst. Up to the present pearly 300 births have been registered under tho Act, and applications are still being received by the RegistrarGeneral. Writing to Mr Seifert, President of the New Zealand Flaxmillers' Association, Mr Fulton, formerly Chief Fibre Expert, says there are fully 2000 tons of leaf fit for milling in St. Helena, but it is very hard to give a true estimate of the quantity because it is in the form of shelter hedges, varying from between 20 to 30 miles in length. Mr Fulton does not anticipate that St. Helena will ever become, a serious competitor of New Zealand. A Dunedin correspondent tolegraphs: — In that branch of country commercialism referred to in the common phrase as "on the road," the motor-car promises to act an important part in the agricultural agency business in New Zealand. One mercantile, firm in Otago, which Hi^-l spend a king's ransom every year in commercial travellers' expenses, "will soon own four cars, of which three will bo allotted to the use of agents in the country. Whilst tho Home butter-buyers iw offering tho buttor companies oily lOJd per lb or thereabouts for the season's output, the local grocr . s are prepared to make contracts ima regular supply all the year roii.V. at a figure more like lid, provide! the butter is made into pound pats. Not many factories around here will cater for this trade, and the consequence, is that much of the fa ■•• tory buttor sold in New Plymouth hails from South Taranaki. — Tai. naki News. Said counsel in an Arbitration Court case at Duiiodin: "I suggest that thirty years is a proper marriageable age." "Yourself?" queried his friend. Counsel: "Yes; 1 was thirty myself." The Court opined that '"many of us did it b\foie then." Counsel (ruminativplv): "Yes, and look at the result s ot it." Thou, us tho startled silence that befell suggested that ho had 'put his loot in it," he added: "Of course, i mean nothing personal." Then the Court laughed, and the cas-o proceeded. On Wednesday last, says the C<n tertou News, an elderly man of importable, appearance was in Featherston with a, pitiful story. According to lii.s statement he had been working in an outdistrict on a farm, and was to receive 10s a week and liU food, Seventeen weeks were put hi at this situation, during which tini; ho did all kinds ol farm work aske'l of him. On Monday he was politely informed that he was not required any longer, and payment of wage-, duo to him was refused. He cam • into FoDtlierston with a shilling i<i his pocket, which, of course, did noi go lar, and next day he was penniless, with seventeen weeks wages <hi to him, which ho could not get. li;---was determined not to bo imposed on. and intended placing the matter iitho hands of a solicitor. After being publicly stripped of til: 1 insignia of his office, Policeman Stephen H. Walsh was recently convicted of cowardice and dismissed with contempt from the New York police force. The scene of the constable's degradation was intensely dramatic. After pronouncing the man guilty of running away from an armed murderer, Commissioner Binghani commanded an inspector to "tear Unbuttons off tho uniform of the coward and eject him from the police head-quarters." This was done in tho presence of a largo muster oi policemen and private citizens, who furiously hissed tho man as ho wa» led away. In a voice, tremulous with emotion, Commissioner Binghani tlitM addressed his men, bidding them take warning from the fate of the miserable man who had disgraced th« force. It is 30 years since any member of the New York police has been found guilty of cowardice. On Saturday afternoon the Mayor (Mr W. J. 13. Trewin) received a telegram rrom the Premier regarding the change of New Zealand's title, Referring to tho holiday on the 2(itl. inst tho L'remier adds: "In order thai it may be celebrated in a fitting manner, your hearty co-operation is requested to assist in making the day a memorablo one. With this end in viow, 1 trust you will see your way to proclaim the day a full holiday in your town. Tho Government i« reqiie.stiug .Education Boards throughout tl:<j country to arrange for school children to have a holiday during the afternoon. A parade of the local and district volunteers, where t,uch can be arranged, will take place, aud the i))iic<r Conimauding the District hah been instructed to confer with the Government, and to fall in with any arrangement lor tho day you may desire to make. Further partieuUut will be. telegraphed you in due course." Interesting particulars are given by the MasicrUm Times of Ivchurangi Kiii{j;;itu Waaka (generally called Hingatu), probably the oldest Maori in .New Zealand, who died last week. li/n^atit was reputed among ; the Maoris to be from 120 to 12f> , years old, and was probably at least i 110. She well remembered the second visit ft" Captain Cook to New Zealand, and was acquainted with ' facts relaung to the earliest colonization ol' New Zealand, which undnubtedly !i" t«> prove that the latter surmise regarding her age was correct. Slie was the last of the Ngaitiliiiatahias, oue of the. fiercest of the, old fighting tribes. At the recent festivities at Te Ore Ore a great-groat-grc:u-m':uid.Non of deceased. \ named lluiuiiiwalui, whs among the | three children christened. Kingatu enjoyed remarkable vitality, and her death occuml somewhat unexpectedly, after a short illness. j New Zvahui'i has its withusiastie | stamp collectors, and Feilding folks j follow the cult. Philatelists generally will, however, be surprised to learn how much money there is in stamps. Mr F. Breitfuss' world-famed collection of postage stamps Ims been purchased by Stanley Gibbons, Limited, of the Strand, for the huge sum ot i'.JO.OOO. The Grand Duke Alexis i Michaelovitch proposed to buy the collection and give it to the Russian nation, but died before the arrange-! nient could be carried out. A little later on some collectors in Russia approached Mr Breitfuss and offered him £33,000 for his collection. This, junvevw, «-as AecYwcc]. Since Hieii the collection lias been very largely added to, and for many years has boon considered to be the third finest and most complete general collection in the world. It is interesting to I note tho difference between the prices Mr Breitfuss paid and the present market price. A pair of Zurich stamps bought in 1881 for £4 arc j worth £125; a Saxony stamp bought in I*7o for £3 is worth £100: and a collection of Spanish stamps bought in 1R73 for £10 is worth £200. That all modern champion players of tennis are not fast and furious, hit-or-miss, hard-driving stylists is evident from the following interesting description by the London leader of a phase of the Davis Cup contest in which Barrett (England) and Wilding (New Zealand) were matched : —"So little is seen oi Itopor Barrett in tournament play that his ability is apt to be underestimated. Imagine, then, the surprise when ho cut up Wilding by 6—l in the first set. The sunburnt and brawny New Zealandor was surprised at the success of Barrett's docile methods. The old casual football half back never hit the ball hard enough to. hurt it. He juet 'pmgponged' it, poked it, shoved it. But it was 'brainy' gentleness, and V\ lldinig Sound himself out-manaMi vexed, and invariably a long way out of reach of the ball. This made Wilding think. He did not care to force matters lest the worst should happen. And when Barrett— arch-scientific— looked like securing the second set also our pulses quickened and the prematmely-grey-haired members of the Selection Committee wreathed the committee box in smiles. It was like old times, but, alas! the clouds gathered again aud Barrett lost the set. England is considered* to bo in danger of losing the Davis Cvi) on account of age, colonial youth beating veterans— Gore is 39, Roper Barrett 35— total, 74. Wilding is 23, and Brookes 29,— total, 52. The two colonials did win the coveted cup.

Amongst the candidates mentioned j for the Oroua electorate are Messrs I R. E. Hornblow, of Manga weka, and ! S. W. Fitzherbert, of Feilding. j Another epidemic of measles has i attacked the Maoris at Tokorangi, near Halcombe, and several deaths are reported amongst thh young people. Owing to the illness of Mr Woolhouse, the Feilding Orchestral Society's concert, which was to have taken place on Friday next, has been postponed till Friday, 18th October. Tickets already issued will hold good for the latter date. A most interesting match was played on the Kimbolton Golf Links on Saturday last. The challenging team was Kiwitea. The match resulted in a tie. Another competition is probable. Unfortunately the season is drawing near its end, as another six weeks should see the finish. It is rather a pity that something better than an advertisement hoarding cannot be placed in the railway enclosure adjacent to Kimbolton i road, opposite the garden plot. A small grass plot, with ornamental shrubs, etc., would b e a great improvement. As it is, the hoarding is a source of danger, obstructing a '' view of passing trains. j For some little time past an ener- j getic canvass has been made in this district to raise £5000 to start a "Liberal" paper here. The promoters believe £3000 is in sight, but aro rather fainthearted about thb balance. The Pahiatua' Era lost £4000 in eighteen months, so that thoro is yet hope for our Feilding friends to flatter this result by imitation. Tho Stratford Post learns that there is little likelihood of the Mount Egmont Railway being opened for any kind of traffic for at least twelve months. Several years ago the Ohura Road people wero advised by the late Premier to exercise a little, patience and they would be able- to obtain sup plies of road metal from Mount Egmont. Their patience will bo exhausted before tho motal is available. Writes a correspondent of tho Haw" era Star : A potato-growing oxpert at Pdtmi sent mo some seed willed Sir Charles Downing, and said ho had cultivated them for fifteen years with groat success, and that they were without doubt the earliest and best frost-resisting potato he had ever grown. To tost this I planted thorn with two other varieties, Early Rose and Up-to-Datos, on the same day, with the result that Sir Charles Downing is up through the ground about four inches, while there, is no appearance of the other*. Whilst collecting the tickets on the train from Ida Valley to Dunedin on Wednesday last (says the Otago Daily Times), the guard came upon one individual who had apparently got into that delectable frame of mind when nothing mattered very much, and who had to be roused to ;i state c,t semi-consciousness for his ticket. After much fumbling in various pockets he remarked casually that be had "lost some money somewhere.'' Glancing around the carriage, the obliging guard saw a dirty-looking leather matchbox lying under the scat at the farther end, and on opening it found that it contained three £10 notes and two £5 notes, which he handed over to his passenger, who acknowledged the receipt of his missing wallet with a grunt of satisfaction, and immediately relapsed into unconcerned somnolence. Last Friday afternoon (says the Clutha Leader), James Paterson, who was engaged fencing at Clydevale, bad an exciting experience with one of the hundred cows recently purchased for the estate. The animal was floundering in a creek, and objecting to Patterson's well-meant offers of assistance made at him, at the same time freeing itself from the bog. The nearest fence was miles away, so it was useless to run. Pater- ! son dodged the savage rushes of tho infuriated animal for some time. This, however, could not go on for ever ; besides, the other ninety-nine head were gathering round to see the finish, and things were getting serious. At last a way of escape dawned on the intended victim. He dived across the boggy creek and pained the other side in safety. The animal followed, but, as before, stuck fast. Lovers of high-class pictures will be glad to know that Cook'B Picture Co. intend opening for a short season in the Drill Hall to-night. During the hist twelve months, the company has toured the whole of the Coir.monwoalth and the halls and theatres of the largest cities visited have been taxed to hold the crowds who Hocked to witness this popular show. This combination have the reputation of producing first-class pictures in animated photography, and their illusionary. coloured, humorous, and comic and sensational films are amongst the very best that can be procured. The interest and excitement of the exhibition is increased by the splendid mechanical effects and orchestral accompaniments, together with the beautifully coloured American illustrated songs. Tho usual prices are being charged. Mr E. C. Gannaway, chief mail clerk, last Friday night told tho Jotter-carriors a little story of the younger postal days of Wellington. It was iv the early seventies, and the staff on duty one Sunday consisted of two men and a cadet (Mr Gannaway). While they were busy with tho mail a gentleman entered tho room. The officer in charge ordered him out, but he was either deaf or defiant, and came on. Then a heavy bundle of newspapers was thrown at him ; still he came on. This was too much for th© officer, who caught the intruder by the shoulder, ran him outside, and pointed to the notice on tho door, " Private — no admittance." "Can't you read?" he was asked. He replied that ho could read, and, moreover, he was the newly-appointed Postmaster-Gene-ral, and had come in for his Southern mail. "Then why didn't you say so, and we'd have treated you tlifferontly?" said tho officer in charge. —Post. The growth of the attendance of boys and girls at the Presbyterian Sundaj' school during recent times has been such that the managers have been forced to look ahead and make provision for the future. Special references to this subject were made at yesterday's service by the Rev. Mr Budd, whose topic in the evening was tho great- importance oi the Sunday School in church work. It appears that the school managers have devised an interesting scheme on the co-operative system, for raising tho £230 required for providing additional class-rooms and improving tho roof of tho building at present used for school purposes. - Twentyfour of the elder scholars are to become collectors, and it is expected that regular weekly contributions of the nimble penny will play no small part in providing the money. Mr Budd's apt illustration of this latter point was the growth of the new Technical School building, which, although it was only going up brick by brick, would soon become a fine building for its purpose. The whereabouts of the man Galvin (says the Wanganui Herald), -who has been missing from his home since Tuesday last, still remains a mystery, although some particulars of his movements on Tuesday night have been supplied to the police. We are informed that after leaving St. John' a Club on Tuesday night, he was seen in Glasgow street, about 11 o'clock, walking towards his home. At 12.30 o'clock next (Wednesday) morning, an elderly man, answering to Galvin's description, visited the gasworks. He stated that he had lost his way, and asked to be directed to Brider's Creek, or Peat's bridge, Aramoho, this bping the vicinity of his home. He was given a general direction by one of the men at the works, but from this out nothing more has been seen or heard of him. At piesent the large well of the old gasoj meter at the works is full of water, and it was thought that in leaving the yards Galvin might have lost his bearings, and in his endeavours to find the road out of the yards, climbed the fence which runs round the well and fallen into the water. Detective Siddells and Constable Isaell this morning spent a considerable | time in dragging the well, which contains a good depth of water, but no traoe of the musing man opuld b« found.

Mr Cyril Ward, son of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, has been appointed New Zealand representative of the Manchester Ship Canal Company, which is actively working up trade between the colonies and the great English manufacturing centre connected with the sea by the Manchester Ship Canal. Mr Frank File, son of Mr Charles File, of Kent, England, the celebrated breeder of Romney Marsh sheep, arrived in Feilding by the mail train to-day. Mr File came out on the Corinthic, in charge of three rains and fifteen ewes, purchased by Mr E. Short, of Waituna. The stable and workshop belonging to Mr A. J. Edwards, of Rongotea, were totally destroyed by fire on Saturday night. The workshop contained a large collection of tools, etc., and the loss will be a considerable one for the owner. It is not known whether or not the buildings were insured. His passion for country life has led M. Paderewskij the famous piai nist, to establish a farm on his esi tate in Poland, where between his tours he occupies his time in rearing live stock and growing agricultural produce. During a visit to England he bought through an agent, i some prize pigs from an Essex farini er, who was quite unaware of the j real profession of the purchaser. A day or two lator Paderewski visited | the farm, without disclosing his j identity. During an inspection, the j farmer led the pianist to a sty, ami ! showed him a fine lot of pigs, rej marking confidently, "Do you sco those? 1 have sold them to Mr Paderi eAvski, the great pig dealer from abroad." • Madame Molba's motor-ear, which she lias brought with her on her Australasian tour, has been specially designed for touring in comfort. The car possesses all the latest improvements. It is a6O horse-power Napier, with liberal seating accommodation, and it is capable of attaining a very high speed. The genoral scheme of colouring is dark green with blacklinos. In dusty or rainy weather it ran bo completely closed in, largo sidewindoivs being provided. Inside there is ii lounge, as well as provision lor extra seats, if desired. One advantage is that the occupants can communicate any instruction to the chauffeur without leaving the enclosed car. A speaking tube is fitted to permit of special instruction being given, but regular orders are communicated by an electric indicator. The passenger simply presses the button required, and the order is transmitted to an indicator in front of the chauffeur. The car is also httod with speed and distance recorders, electric lights, and a whistlo which would silence that of any ordinary railway locomotive. Illustration of the accretion in land values that has taken place in Wellington during the last decado lias been afforded by the experience of Mr W. F. Shortt. Some twelve years ago, when- business in the city was moribund by comparison with present day volume, the Wellington Meat Export Company had a lease of property between Old Customhouse streeet and Mercer street, and , when Mr tihortt approached the company to negotiate for a lease of the land he was favorably received, and the lease was give him at a pepper- , corn rental of ten shillings, and both parties to the lease were well Mr Shortt forthwith had a block of brick buildings erected on the land, • at a cost of six thousand pounds. Today, the lease is valued at £10,000 for the land alone, and Mr Shortt i has this week made double sure his ] position by acquiring the freehold i of the lands from the Heath Estate ■ syndicate, through the agency of Mr j Wight Smith.— Post. • A copy of the Paris Figaro re- ; ceived by a New Zealand resident i states that two young New Zealand I ladies, pupils of Madame Marchesi, | have been distinguishing themselves. The following is a translation of the paragraph referring to them: — LastSaturday a very select and interesting musical matinee was held at the house of the Marquis de Caeeamisi (Madame Marchesi). The Landgrave of Hesse, newly returned from India, had begged the mistress of the house to allow two of her pupils to learn a series of part songs in English, for two voices^ of his own composition. The Princess Marie of Zus-gameingen, an accomplished pianist, rousin of the Landgrave came to hoar them. Twelve numbers, very well sung by the sisters Sybil ami Dorothea Tancicdi. brought out in great relief the inspiration and musical skill of the Royal composer. The audience applauded with groat enthusiasm the anther and his charming interpreters. The Landgrave, as a mark of his profound satisfaction with the sisters Tancredi, presented a precious jewel to each of them. Tho sisters in question, wo are informed, are grand-daughters of the late Sir Thomas Tancrcd, Baronet, and were born and lived for some years in tho Wairarapa district.