LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 762, 24 December 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

With to-day's issue of the Stak w r e present oui - readers with a Special Uhrifitmas Supplement. The stories, articles, poems, verse, jokes, and conundrums are seasonable, and lhave been carefully elected for the Supplelneiut. Readers with a literary taste will enjoy tihe acrostic on the first page, the youngsters will- deflight in the fairy tales, children of an older growth will be riddling the silence with the budget of conundrums, and everybody will appreciate the Supplement «s a wliole. The Star will not be published either to-monwy or Saturday. The Feilding Brass Band will play in the rotunda this evening. According to* a letter received by the Palmerston Uorough Council, the total cost of the Gorge Bridge will be about £20,140. A pigeon used by a Manchester firm of mill owners to carry messages From one mill to another has saved the firm £229 in telegrams during the past ten years.

The Promier (Sir Joseph Ward) passed through Feilding yesterday by tho through Main Trunk express from "Auckland to Wellington. The first threshing of oats this season in the Ashburton county was commenced on Mr John Cochranco's farm at Elgin, near Ashburton, last Monday. The crop of Algerian oats was sown early. . Tho Kaponga, .school possesses a, football ground, grass tennis court, and threo croquet lawns. They were made practically by tho labour of the headmaster (Mr P. Matheson) and the pupill. Mr Matheson was formerly headmaster of the Mangaonoho school. M. Marechal, the cook of the Paris Jockey Club, the greatest living successor of Vatel, has been carried off from Paris by the King of Spain, and Paris is inconsolable. It is said that tho King of Spain is paying M. Marechal a salary of £1000 a year. American spiritualists arc displaying keen interest in the offer made by the Metropolitan Psychical Society of New York to any one producing conclusive proof that messages have been or can be received from the dead. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company has decided to "electrify" its lines between Philadelphia and New York, and expects it will be able to reduce the running time for the distance of 100 miles 'from two hours to one. Crediton will shortly celebrate the 1000 anniversary of the consecration of the first Bishop of Crediton. The See was transferred to Exeter in 1050, but the title of Bishop of Crediton was revived when the present Bishop Trefusis was appointed Suffragan of Exeter. When Don Carlos fell at Feilding liis rider, C. Mitchell, appeared to escape with a shaking . His injuries now prove to be more serious than were anticipated, and his spine is badly bruised. It will be some time before. Mitchell will be able to ride again. The Akaroa correspondent of the Lytteltoin Times states that tho splendid rains during the past week have effected a marked improvement in the cocksfoot crop all over the Peninsula, and dairy farmers are assured of a good supply of miflk for some time to come. Seasonable greetings, which we heartily reciprocate, are to band from the Feilding Fire Brigade, the b'eikling corps of the Salvation A' my, the Department of Labour (Pahtierston branch), the proprietors of the Daunevirke Daily Press, and the Hastings Standard. Australians in large numbers are flocking into New Zealand for the Christmas holidays, and accordingly, the accommodation of the steamers is being severely taxed. The Malieno, which arrived yesterday from Sydney, brought 476 persons, or whom a fair proportion are natives of the Commonwealth. Of the two other intercolonial boats, which have arrived in New Zealand waters this week, the Manuka brought 520 travellers to Auckland from Sydney and the Marama left Melbourne for southern ports and Wellington with a total of over 400 travellers. At Gore on Saturday informations of sly-grog keeping and selling, arising out of the- recent raid, were heard.. James Hamilton pleaded guilty, and was fined £30 and costs on one charge, and a conviction was recorded on a second charge. Two other informations were withdrawn. Thomas La hie Anderson, who had been previously convicted on a. similar charge, and had served a short sentence, was sentenced to three months. Anna Hoffman, who had not carried on the business in a wholesale manner, was fined £10. Mary Ann Byron was fined £20, and William Byron £30. There is still a great dearth of do mestio labour of a suitable class in Auckland, and the local registry ofliccs, as well as the Government ieinale labour bureau,, a<ro constantly receiving applications for girls who are ab'lo to efficiently discharge 'household duties. Over two hundred applications a month have been received by the Labour .bureau, and the other offices are also experiencing a steady demand. Capable servants live no difficulty in earning £1 a week and their board, and many of tho employers who are unable to get suited are offering as much as 22s 6d and 25s a week. Of Miss Ina G. Richmond, a .young Irish girl who was recently appointed manager of the great Magherafelt gasworks in Dublin, a writer remarks: She is the first woman to occupy such a position, and all Ireland is proud of her. Miss Richmond first entered the Royal Post Office service and became an expert in telegraph and postal work. Later she studied gas manufacture and distribution. The Woman's Jounral says: "In Ireland this capable girl can vote for all officers except members of Parliament, but if she were to show her enterprise by emigrating to the United States, slie would immediately lose her vote and find herself classed politically with idiots, lunatics, and felons." The Greytown correspondent of tho Dominion says that Mr T. Kenipton, of Grove, Moroa, is very proud of the position of his wool on the Engllish market, and, ■althugh he has been offered a capital price by American buyers for it "in the shed/ he decided to send it Horn© to " keep his marble good '•' on the English market, although it was brought there and sent over to America his wool just suiting that market. He tells a tale of his early experiences with wool. He wont to the banker on business, and was asked how much he would draw on the wool. " Oh, nothing," was liis reply. The banker urged him to draw an advance, and this time stated what percentage would be charged. Mr Jvempton asked the rate of interest given on deposits, and as this proved the greater quantity, he repUied, " Very well; I will draw so much and place it at interest with you for fix months!" News has been received in Dunedin from Sydney that Dr Hutchens will visit New Zealand to further investigate the wet wool question. A few months ago in the Commonwealth a conference of shearers' representatives and pastoralists met and discussed the question. A committee was set up, and three thoroughly qualified experts went into the question. AiV the wet sheep testers were tried and found wanting. Finally, tihe experts toured the country to get a practical illustration of the wet sheep difficulty. The Federal Parliament granted £500 towards a fund, and the medical experts are now making exhaustive inquiries into the question, and the result will certainly be looked forward to with interest, both by theose directly affected (the shearers) and th© scientific worSd, and it is to be hoped tihat every facility will be given Dr Hutchings by those concerned in the wool industry to enable him to place the wet sheep question beyond doubt. The prohibited degree of affinity as regards marriage came up twice recently in Sydney. In the first case a man desired "to marry his deceased wife's sister's daughter. The Anglican Archbishop refused permission on ihe ground that the Deceased Wife's Sister Act doesn't include the deceased wife's sister's daughter, and an uncle and niece (by marriage) are on the Church's list of prohibited marriages. The Registrar-Gelieral refused a , civil marriage on the ground that the D.W.S. Act doesn't alter the law as far as a man and his widow's niece are concerned. In South Australia this obvious point was thought of, and that is the only State that did think of it. Further, a marriage in South Australia, if legal there, is legal iD New South Wales. So the man- who can't marry his wife's sister's daughter in New South Wales can marry her in South Australia, and then he can return to his old home in Sydney as a lawful husband. The second case was a suit for nullity of marriage against a woman who had wedded her deceased husband's brother. The D.H.B. was the petitioner, and he moved for a rule absolute. In annulling the marriage, the divorce judge made some severe remarks about the D.H.T3., but, owing to the state or the law. the remarks were all that he could throw at the mean brother.

The Borough offices close to-day for the holidays, and will re-open on January 4. Tho Committee of the Feilding Athlotio Club arc asked to meet on the Park at 10 a.m. to-morrow to mark off tho course and get tho ground ready for the sports. The hot fly is in evidence in Taranaki, and is causing much uneasiness amongst horses. So far the flies do not appear to bo so numerous as during last year. Two first offending drunkards were 'before the Court" this morning, bavin"- been arrested llato last night. 'Wily pleaded guilty, and were convicted and discharged. Mr VV .J . li. Trowin, J.l'., was on tho Bench. Colour Sergeant Watson, of tlitc Foilding High School Cadets, waS ( a ! most successful competitor at tho Cadets' Kino Meeting at Palnierston yesterday. He won a trophy valued ■ at 2ls, tho champion belt, a gold nie- ' dal, and 4.4s in prize money. ; During the .present month there 1 wore issued from the Borough Engineer's office pemits for buildings totalling £505. One was for a resii donee in Quceii-strcct, one for additions to a house in Kimbolton road, and one for a store shed for the ■ Oroua County Council. Competitive designs are invited by tho Dunodin Board of Governors tor a Girls' High School, to bo erected in Dowlling-streot, at a present cost of 1 1:9000. For the host design sent in a premium of £100 is offered, the second and third premiums being £7o and £50 respectively. ' Workmen engaged by tho Borough ! Council have been employed during : the week in cleaning up the streets ; for the Christmas season, and the ! Beautifying Society's plots have also been put in very holiday order. Consequently. Feilding has quite a spruce ! appearance, just now, and is dressed ; and trimmed uv> in keeping with the I festive season. The milk suppliers in tho Inglewood district continuo to re< eivo considera- | blv larger cheques than they did last : year. For last month tho Moa Company paid out £4206, as against £3719 last year. The other companies paid lor lour weeks as against five on the corresponding date last year. Yet the total of their payments was only slightly loss— £436o instead of £4657. On Tuesday All Saints' Church, Palnierston was the scene of a very pretty wedding, when Miss Nellie Stallard, eldest daughter of Mr W. ' S. Stallard, of Tiritea, and Mr G tr. I Wilson, second son of Mr E. It. \\ . Wilson, of Taranaki, were united m the holy bond ol : marriage by the i Rev. C. C. Harper. The bride was attended by two bridesmaids, and given away by her father. At tho inquest at Foxton on Tuesday on tho body of Violet Kathenne MeEwcn. aged one year nine months, a. verdict was returned that deceased died from shock resulting from burns caused by her nightdress being accidentally 'set on lire. Ihe candlestick with a. box oi : matches had been k-ft on tho washstand, and the mother said tho child must have been playing with them. ■ The new railway regulations to the effect that grain to bo carried in the ! trucks must be placed in a bag of not 1 more than 200lbs net, will come into operation on February 1, and consequently all grain threshed during the coining season will require to be weighed so as not to infringe the neAV rule! The regulation will apply to ' wheat, oats, barley, and bags containing more than tho stipulated weight will bo charged four times the ordinary rates. ! This afternoon and evening a number of young women, under tho . charge of Miss Plock, will be station- ' ed at various corners of tKe streets with boxes for taking up collections for the Palnierston North Hospital. Foilding and district are of course meluded in the Hospital Board's district, so that the benefits of the institution extend to the people residi ing in this district. It is hoped, therefore, that liberal patronage mil be shown. In reply to an inquiry concerning tho Native Land Commission, the Prime Minister stated that only a few weeks' extension of time would probably be required to enable the commission to complete its investigations. I Further delay would, he said, be reI quired to give effect to the recommen- | dations of the commission, but the necessary preliminary steps for the opening of lands recommended for disj posal for settlement would be pushed on as quickly as possible during the recess. ! Tho Justice Department in all likelihood will have at least five vacancies in tho magistracy to fill early in the new year. Of these five, two have already been provided for in the rcent appointments to the bench. So far as can bo gathered, the vacancies that are to be created by retirement do not affect the cities, but important districts are nevertheless affected. Quite apart from retirements, there is : a probability of a city magistracy becoming vacant through the present learned occupant being promoted to a higher sphere. A meeting of tho committee of the Horticultural Society was held yesterday aw-ernoon, Mrs Barton (President) in the chair. The statement of accounts in connection with tho spring show gave a credit balance of over . £8. It was decided to hand the gold medal for vegetables to Mrs Ch'UTcner, after being suitably insoribed. A number of accounts in collection with the show were passed for payment. It was decided to ihoild tho autumn show tho nvst week in March, and to convene the next committee meeting for the last week in January next. At the Wangaoiui Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, an application was made by the Labour Department to compel H. D. Addenbroke, sheep farmer, of Mangamahu, to provide sufficient accommodation for his sheep shearers. It was stated that four of the shearers employed by the defondant in the action were Maoris, who wore accommodated in tents, and that tho defendant proposed next yeatto build a new house for himself and to give Ms present house to the shearers. The present accommodation 1 : oj the white shearers was more than was required by v the flaw. The Magistrate decided that there was no occasion to make an order." A meeting of the Oddfellows' Lodge was held in. their hall last evening. N.G. Bro. Simpson presided. The election of officers took place, when the following were elected. N.G., Bro. Fiddler, E.S., Bro. Thomson, L.M., Bro. Garlick. Delegates to the District meeting are Bros. Allen, Woodhonse, Garlick. Delegates to^ the Friendly Societies' Council are Bros. Allen, Fiddler, Garlick. Hall committee, Bros. Bell, Simpson, Garlick, Churcher, Thomson, Clarke and Allen. Bros. Jones and Holder were appointed to assist the Friendly Societies' Council in connection with } lluir picnic an January 22. Messrs J.H. Bethune and Co. announce in our auction columns that on Tuesday, January 26 next,' at their rooms 2 Wellington, they are holding an important property auction. They are submitting the first subdivision of Plimmerton Extension. This is an entirely new subdivision, within half a mile of the Plimmerton railway station, approached by a well-formed road. Sections in this favourite seaside health resort must, with the improved railway service soon to be inaugurated, greatly increase in value. Lithographic plans and further particulars may be had on application to the auctioneers. Several contemptible thefts have been reported during the last few days, reports the Taranaki Herald. A day or so ago a resident in one of the most thickly populated suburbshad forwarded to him by some friends a fine goose for Christmas. On the same night as it was received it was penned up safely and its wings were closely cut. When the family rose next morning their feathered friend had flown. Another thief has been turning attention to "snow-drop-ping" and practically in the centre of the town numerous articles of clothing which had been left hanging on the clothes line for the night have been removed. In this instance it is surmised that the thief is a woman, as the pegs have been carefully removed and left m small clusters, washerwoman fashion.

Messrs A. M. Ongley . and A. J. Treyena left Feilding to-day for the Wairarapa, where they will take part in the representative cricket matches between the Manawatu and Wairarapa teams. i During the last week in October, 16,012 children in London County Council schools \yere reported as being in a necessitous condition, and 14,36 of them were fed. The numbers in the previous week were 13,---722 and 11,707. Official returns lately published ill Japan contain remarkable statements on the subject of divorce in that country. During 1906 the number of divorces registered in Japan was 65,500. This is a daily average of nearly 200, and 18* per cent, of the marriages. Mr C. P. Trevelyan, the new Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education, stated m the British Parliament last month that the number of scholars on the registers of the public elementary schools of England and Wales on July 1, 1907, was 6,003,772. No more Angora goats are likely to be procured from South Africa for a time (says the Sydney Daily Telegraph). All the colonies there have passed legislation prohibiting the export of goats. The industry is considered so valuable that they want it all to themselves, and the annual crop of mohair is said to be worth more than £900.000. Mr John Buckmaster, late organising master of the South Kensington science and art classes (London;, stated in his will, which was proved last month : "1 wish my funeral to be of the simplest and plainest description, and I do not want my relatives or my friends to be miserable at my departure, as I have finished the work I had to do." Canon King told a story at the breaking-up ceremony at the Macandrew road school, Dunedin, which is perhaps worthy of repetition. A lady who had spent her life in travelling in every part of the globe was asked her opinion of New Zealand ladies, and "I think they arc the dearest and most lovable ,of the female sex. As for the men — well, they know how to play football!" Dairying in the Rangiwahia district does not seem to find the samo favour as formerly. It is stated that many of the small farmers are selling their land to well-to-do neighbours, who are going in for sheep farming. The local butter factory is suffering in consequence. " Some years ago the season's output amounted to 100 tons, whilst this year it it estimated that it will only reach 50 tons. The yearly meeting of Court Loyal Feilding, was held last night. There was a fair attendance. The election of officers for the ensuing term took place, and after a keen contest the following were elected and installed: Bio J. E. Worsfold C.R., Bro. C. Standen S.C.R., Bro. W. H. Towler S.W., Bro V. Williamson J.W., Bro. W. G. Whitley 5.8., Bro. G. Bowler J.B. One member was initiated. Bro. J. E. Worsfold presided. Representatives of the General Labourers' Union a Master ton, Napier, Hastings, Palmerston North, and Wellington will meet in conference in Wellington, on Tuesday, December 29. It is intended to draft a scheme lor more completely organising the industrial district. Another object of the conference is to prepare a case for the Arbitration Court. Facts as to the cost of living, the average earniugs- of labourers, etc., willl be collected. The conference will also consider the advisableness of federating the unions throughout the dominion, and establishing ene large union on the lines of ithe Australian Workers' Unj ion, which 'has a membership of 39,000, and extends over Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. We are disposed to say that even if the possibilities of the telephone service wore understood by the general public, the service at the present ' scale of charges is wholly beyond the means of the average householder. The residential suburbs should prove an excellent field for the department to operate, but how many suburban dwellers can afford to pay £5 10s a year for the privilege of using the telephone, coupled with the fact of the high annual charge of £6 10s for the first and £5 10s for two subsequent years ? It is not difficult to understand why the telephone service is not popular outside of the city proper. The ideal of the Commonwealth Government is v shilling a week telephone service, and that should be the ideal service for New Zealand. — Dunedin Star. There is a good deal of controversy among f aTiners >as to what are the best crosses to adopt for the fat-lamb trade (says the Poverty Bay Herai-J, and we are indebted to his Worship the Mayor for information bearing on the subject. A liaie of 1232- lambs from j Makarori were Shipped through, the Gisborne Sheepfarmers- Frozen Meat Company this week. A cut of them | was run off, comprising 541, of which 171 were Southdown cross and 370 are English Leicester cross, the remainder being mixed Hambs of the two classes. j The Southdown cross averaged 34.621 b per carcass, with an average of 2.151 b j of fat, and the English Leioesters aye- ! raged 31.901 b, with 1.941 bof fat, the weight showing a considerable advan- . tage in favour of the Southdowns. The .691 mixed lot averaged 31.61 b,, and 1.901 bof fat, whilst the average for the whole line was 32.211 b, with 1.951 b of fat. The lambs wore straight off the hills, having had no artificial feeding.