LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 613, 2 July 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

' A slight earthquake shock was teJt in Feilding at 8.50 o'clock last night. Mrs N. B. Wilson, one of Feilding'.* L oddest residents, leaves to-day lor a L visit to the Home Country. Mr T. T. Hugo, Inspector of Fire Brigades for New Zealand, left Feilding this morning on an ofnciial visit to Masterton. There 'have been exactly 1000 births in Wellington since the beginning of the year — 50 more than the total tor tlie corresponding period last year. What the country needs is not a unanimous Parliament, but an Opposition sufficiently strong to ensure the fuli discussion (of every important proposal, says tho Lyttelton Times. Mr Smith conductor of the Mornington Band (Dunedin) . has been offered the conductorship of the Wanganui Garrison Band, Mr Criohton heing laid aside through illness. At Ail Saints' Church, i'ainierston, on Tuesday last, the Rev. C. C. Harper ofliciating, Mr G. W. Bentley, of Feilding, was married to Miss Nellie Wylds, daughter of Mr and Mrs Wylds, of Longburn. A deputation of settlers from the Waimarino district waited on tlie Hon. Mr McGowan yesterday regarding tlie urgent need of improving and completing the alleged roads in the Wanganui back-blocks. The Minister undertook to give tlie request every consideration, but would make no promise. The Rev. F. H. Spencer, in his capacity as agent for the British and Foreign Bible bociety in New Zealand will pay his annual visit to Feilding on Friday, and will deliver, in tlie Presbyterian Church at 7.30 p.m., one of his highly interesting; ..iantern lectures on the work of this great undenominational missionary organisation. "We rarely have a case," said the president of the Arbitration Court, "but we have a good deal of evidence that the occupation ,is unhealthy. Ido not take niu<jh notice of that evidence as a rule." Mr S. Brown added that somebody in the North Island had said that flax-mill-ing was unhealthy and a doctor had said that all outdoor work was unhealthy. From yesterday Mr S. S. Fagan Mas takpn over the Feild'iiigliWaitiuia coach and carrying business from Mr W. J. Trevena, and will run tho service along the old lines and without change of tariff. Mr Fagan is familiar with the district, and well known, and under his direction the business should flourish arid travellers and the general public should be well 'served. ■; '. ■-**.-. ■ ' ' -.*■•'.

There are at present five cases of scarlet fever at Sandon, and several oases at Longburn Junction. Dannevirke is also reported to be suffering from a visitation of the same disease. The Balclutha police the other day raided the premises of a boardinghousekeeper, and made the record haul of fifty-eight bottles of whiskey. The liquor was found in a chaff-house. Two seizures were also made at Invercargill. The Registrar (Mr T. Watson) has received the main electoral roll for the Oroua electorate from the Government Pa-inter. It contains 5056 names. Copies of the roll have been sent to 35 country post offices. In another column the Railway Department publishes details of the special arrangements that are being made for carrying spectators to the football match on the Bth inst., be. tween the Britons and the ManawatuHorowbenua combination, at Palmerston. There has been quite am exodus of sportsmen from Feilding lately in the direction of Ohakune, in search of good shooting. Native pigeons are plentiful in that district, and already some large bags have been securod. Another party of threo guns is to leave here to-day for a spot. 25 miles above Ohakune, where the members expect to get good shooting. j We understand that circulars have been forwarded to all the electors in the Oroua district by a committee on behalf of the Opposition Party's candidates, asking for their opinions as to the selection of an Opposition representative for the Oroua seat. These circulars are to be returned by the 15th inst., to enable a decision'' to be arrived at, and those interested are anxious that the opinions asked for should be returned as soon as possible. Chatting to a Standard reporter yesterday, a Palmerston merchant stated that at the present time tke country is experiencing one of the worst periods of depression for many years, and in the face of that, he stated, politicians are going about the country bragging of its prosperous condition. The tightness of money, he continued, was forcing farmers to market their produce irrespective of value, which was producing a very undesirable state of affairs. Tho children and grand-children ot Mr and Mrs T. B y Harding, of Greenmeadows, Hawke's Bay, assembled from all parts of the dominion yesterday, to pay their respects Lo tho old couple on the occasion of thier diamond wedding (60 years). Mr and Mrs Harding arrived in New Zealand in 1848, and in Hawke's Bay in 1859, where they have since resided. The old people are still bale and hearty, notwithstanding that they are both 85 years of age. Colds are prevalent about Gisborne (says the Poverty Bay Herald), and this year the symptoms are said to be somewhat different and the attack more acute than usual, but not altogether in the form of influenza. The symptoms are a bad head, swollen glands, sore throat, ohest sore to the touch, and the cough short, but leaving a soreness. If not oarefully looked after the cold has a tendency to bring on pleurisy or congestion of the lungs. The thank-offering of the Church of the Province of New Zealand, presented last Wednesday at St. Paul's, London, amounted to nearly £1000. Canon Haselden, the honorary organising secretary for Auckland, states that the amount contributed by each diocese was as follows: — Auckland, £200; Waiapu, £170; Wellington £83; Nelson, £116; Christchurch, £280; Dunedin, £120. The money is to be expended in forwarding women's work in the mission field. Three musterers on the Doublo Hill Station, Canterbury, recently met with a striking illustration of the well-known stupidity of sheep in following a leader. They had with much labour collected a mob of about 50 and had brought them to the last stiff pass at the close of the day; when a blind one suddenly turned and plunged over a precipice. Nothing could bo done to prevent the rest from following, and in a very short time only eight of the flock remained, the other* having been dashed to pieces at the foot of the cliff. The iatest Rockfeller story relates to the visit which tho multi-milUou-aire paid to Paris recently. He ordered two wigs from a coiffeur in the gay city, and the bill amounted to £24. When preparing the account the tradesman asked for an autograph. "Certainly," replied Mr Rockfeller, who wrote and signed a cheque for £24, which he handed to the coiffeur. "Thank you," said the man, "but if I cash this to get my money I shall not have the autograph." "Well, don't you get your money?" replied the multi-million-aire cheerfully, as he took his departure. It would be idle to suppose that Parliament would set the national annuities scheme in force without satisfying itself that the benefits offered wero of such a character as would prove attractive to the public, and that .the project rested on a sound financial basis. As there seems little likelihood that a hurried session will admiit of this measure receiving the necessary consideration, it is reasonable to'supposo that it will not be among the Bills which the Gvernment will endeavour to carry tbis year.— Otago Daily Times. Tli|e Feilding Operatic and Dramatic Society is again to the fore with another brilliant production. Tins time it is Pinero's famous farce "The Magistrate." The Society has been particularly fortunate iv its cast of characters and the members liave put plenty of "go" into tho rehearsals. "The Magistrate" teems with amusing situations and the piece loses not'lung in the hands of the local Society. The Drill Hali has been booked for the 16th and 17th inst., and it is expected that a crowded house will greet tho efforts of this energetic society. Some misunderstanding stall appears to exiist regarding the bringing into force of the regulation prohibiting carriers from touting for custom on the Feilding railway station. • The carriers are still allowed to go to the luggage vans at eaoh end of the station, but they cannot, as previously, stay on the platform and mix with the crowd. They were privileged to do so before, but, as is frequently the case, an abuse of the privilege led to its withdrawal. Mr Longton, who has brought the regulations strictly into force, has^had thirteen yeara experience in the-mil-way service, and has spent twelve months as a relieving officer. On the 23rd of May, Mr F. Groombridge, the Fergusson Street confectioner, began a Limerick contest amongst patrons of his shop. Tho competition closed yesterday, and a large pilo of entries was placed before the editor of the Stak for his judgment upon tlie lines submitted for the completion of the limerick. Mr Groinbridge announces the result in another column. The first prize (a handsome box of chocolates) goes to Miss Winnie Hosking, and the second prize (a fancy box of chocolates) to Master W. Wallace Bramwell. Entries were received from all parts- of the Feilding district. The subject of dairy inspection and the work off dairy inspectors is being brought under the notices of the Minister for Agriculture (Hon. It. M'Nab) by Mr Wilford. He wants to know if the Minister will amend the dairy regulations so as to provide, that the judgment of the local inspector shall not be final in cases of alleged breach of those regulations-, but that the magistrate apart from the evidence of the inspector, might determine the question having .regard to the whole of the evidence before him. A stipendiary m«gistrate T 7receotly'<aaid, in a hearing 'of an for the breach, of a dairy regulation, that, it did not ' ma+ter if rtTjjiortyv -wilniesees were called to contradict the evidence of the inspector j- he must follow the evidence of the inspector alone, for ! the regulations provided that "all things had to .be done to the satis- , faction of "the inspector,'' whereas if ithe regulat«&>ns had Icon^ained. the words, "to the satisfaction of the court,"- Ibe would then have been able to decide the case on the whole "of the ef idenoa Tietore Mm, . / . \t :

Owing to the Church of England bazaar falling on Friday night Mr R. Hornblow lias postponed bis political meeting until Friday, the l&th inst. A cablegram to Sydney from London states that "Bill" Squires, the Australian pugilist, has signed an agreement to fight "Tommy" .burns, the champion of the world, in Sydney. Squires, who sails in the mailboat Oruba, has also agreed to fight Lang, the Victorian, if required. The Australian says that his fight in Paris with Burns, in which he lasted eight rounds, convinces him that if he is in slightly better condition he will have a great ohance of winning tlie workFs championship. Arrangements have now been completed for Burns and Squires to fight in Sydney, lt is understood that Squiros is to receive £850, plus travelling expenses, and Burns £2000 to come to Sydney, and £1000 for a match with Squires, and. another £1000 for a match with Lang, £4000 in all pJns £500 travelling expenses. The contracts bind Burns to tight under one management only. In tho course of a sermon at St. Mary's Church. Timaru, on Sunday, Bishop Julius nad something to say of dress and morals. There were people, ho said, who would rather break every one of the Ten Commandments than be seen in an unfashionable dress, such slaves had they become to fashion. The Bishop went on to speak of fashion in matters of the Church. "You can't have fashion in morals," it might bo said; yet, as a matter of fact, fashion ruled morals as much as it did anything else, and it was remarkable how a particular virtue might become the fashion of the moment. Many people could remember the time whea a man might be drunk at the dinner table or swear in the presence of ladies, and people of to-day would do the same things to-morrow if thoy were permitted by fashion to do so. Some, day, perhaps, no gentleman would be permitted .to gamble, and it was to be hoped that the trend of fashion would be in this direction. The fashion nowadays was, lie said, to stop away from church, and people did so. If they had the means, they spent their Sundays motoring, and the excuse: "Oh, other people don't go to church, so why should IP And if every one attended there would not be room for me."