LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 763, 28 December 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There are at the present time several cases of scarlet fever in tflb.e Kiwitea district. Mr Justice Williams will be actingChief Justice during Sir Robert Stout's year's furlough, beginning in February next. Miss Ada Crossley, the well-known contralto singer, is a passenger for Wellington by the Warrimoo, which left Sydney at midnight on Friday last. Grass is abundant in- the Cheltenham and Kiwitea districts, and settlers state that they do not remember having had such a. luxuriant growth before in the district. The sale of building timber atfvertised by Messrs A. H. Atkinson and Co. for Tuesday, December 29, has been postponed to Wednesday, January 6. Ivan Pierce, sixteen years of age, a son of Mr G. N. Pierce^ jnanager of the New Zealand Insurance Cbmpaiv- was injured on Saturday when diving from the ' Waiwera wharf , Auckland. He was carried ashore by some bathers, but died before a doctor arrived from town by special steamer. ..-.•>■

I A Chinese baby girl was born in Feilding on Boxing Day. Madame Patti will probably visit Australia shortly, says a London correspondent. A violent thunderstorm passed over the Kiwitea district on Saturday afternoon, and heavy rain fell again on Sunday. The Prince of Wales has decided that all the slums situated on property belonging lo the Duchy of Cornwall in South London shall be swept away and replaced by new buildings for the working cllasses. It is reported that a wealthy Wellington family whose name has not yet been made public, has offered to furnish the necessary money some £25,000) for a cancer ward at the Wellington Hospital. The National Insurance Co^ through its local agent (Mr H. M. Hare) sends a copy of its calendar for 1909. Seasonable greetings, which wo reciprocate, are to hand from the Marllborough Express (Blenheim.) Christmas services were held in the Church of England and the Presbyterian Church on Christmas Day. Yesterday the discourses at all the services had reference to the season, and music suitable to the occasion was rendered. Of over 20,000 acres of Native laiid offered for lease by the Tairawhiti Land Board in \Vaiapu and Wairoa Counties (Poverty Bay) only 250 acres have been -taken up. An additional 6084 acres were withdrawn', for settlement by tho Natives. ■ During a heavy thunderstorm at Auckland on Friday, lightning struck the wireless installation on H.M.S. Powerful, and made a brilliant display throughout the ship, but caused no damage. Feilding had its thunderstorm, with heavy showers of halistonesfat 9. o'clock last night. Mr Kenneth Bartholomew received an urgent telegram from the Maaiawatu representative cricketes travelling in the Wairarapa this morning asking him to proceed at once to Carterton. He left by the 10.30 train as desired, and willl be away till Thursday. Samuel Cochrane, a widower, aged 40, and a recent arrival from Scotland, was killed opposite the Post Office in Wanganui on Christmas Eve. He was intoxicated, and, while in the middle of the road, fell under the wheel of a 'bus,, which broke his neck. Several crops of barley in the Ashburton County are fast reaching the ripening stagej and will be ready for reaping shortly. The grain is filling well. It is stated that many of the crops are showing signs of smut, but only of the ordinary soft kind that is easily washed or shaken off. It has been decided in Auckland to found a Norfolk Island Trading Company. The distance from Norfolk Island to "New Zealand is only 620 miles, and the island is one of the nearest places which grow tropical fruits. There is abundance of good, sound fruit on the island going to waste. Mr Tame Parata, who has been elected by a narrow majority of seven as representative of the Southern Maori electorate, has had a unique experience as a Native member, in that he has held his seat continuously for 23 years, although opposed at different times by some of the most influential men of his own race in the- South Island. The Cromwell Argus says that, owing to to the very dry season, the oat crops throughout the Upper Cliitha (Otago), willl be alnfost a total faiJuro, as in many cases the crop will hardly be worth cutting. Mr John Kane, of Grandview, was busy cutting his oats on Monday week, the crop being very poor. There will be some very fine crops of wheat on several of the farms at Hawea Flat, Forks, and Mount Barker. Qn Saturday the leak in the pipe leading from the intake to the reservoir was llocated, and the necessary repairs effected. It was found that the cause~ol: the' leak was a fractured collar, and a great qiiantity of water was continually escaping. As to how the collar oame to be broken, it is impossible to say. It was either defective in the first place, and was put in unnoticed, or else it was broken when the trench was being filed in. On Boxing Day the Wanganui llifie Association's eighth North Island Championship meeting took place on the Putiki range. The winnings of Feilding and district shooters were: Manawatu match, Itifieinan Banks (Kimbolton 11.C.) 63j £1. Taranaki match, llineman J. Nix (Kimbolton K.C.) 62, £1; Captain Barltrop (Manchester Rifles), 62, 10s. At the annual meeting of the Association held in the evening, Captain Barltrop was elected a VicePresident. At the Kimbolton Magistrate's Court on Friday last Messrs (Jibson, Kule, Fowell and Guy of Apiti. were charged with putting certain explosives in Coal Creek for the purpose of destroying fish. Evidence for the prosecution was given by A. Barrow, J. Mclntyre, A. Mclntyre and F. Elliot. Mr Sandilands appeared in support of the charge and Mr Ongley defended. The defendants pleaded not guilty.- The Magistrate, Mr Thomson, convicted and fined all defendants £10 and costs. Messrs Stephens Bros, have made considerable alterations to the Awahuri store since taking over possession from Ma- Tarrant. The whole building has been renovated and enlarged, and a commodious establishment is the result. The post office has been accommodated in a new buillding alongside, and those who have occasion, to use it will appreciate the alteration. Altogether the firm have admirably upheld the reputation, for push and enterprise with wheh they were credited. On Christinas Eve a collection was taken up in Feilding » in aid of the Palmerston North Hospital funds. Miss Plock had charge of the work. Boxes were placed at Misses Black-, more and Mackay's Union Tea Rooms and at Mrs Gould's Tea Rooms, and, in addition to these, street collections were taken up by Misses Jackson, Spain, Rae, WaJpole, and Fabling. Mr A. C. Clausen (Palmerston) was in Feilding to assist the collectors. The boxes are to be opened this evening by a local committee, ' who will forward the funds to the Hospital authoriies. About noon in the Post Office Square, Inveroargill, last Thursday,Lock Lungj proprietor of a Chinese cooksihop, was arrested on a charge cf having in his possession opium in a form suitable for smoking. It appears that accused received through , the post from Dunedin two quarterpound tins of opium, Valued at six guineas. He was immediately taken before two justices, and a fine of £50 was inflicted, in default six months' imprisonment. It-is understood that steps are being taken by the countrymen of accused to have the fine paid. Our Bunnythorpe correspondent reports the death of Mr Henry Derby, who died at his residence on Sunday, after a Jong and painful illness. The deceased gentleman was widely known and respected throughout the district, of which he had been a resident for very many years. The late Mr Derby took great interest in Anglican Church matters, and was one of the first to take steps to get the present church erected: - During the last few years he had been engaged in the production of honey, having one of the best apiaries in the district. The funeral takes place tomorrow at Bunnythorpe. The decision of the Military Court, ' honourably acquitting " the accused officers at Oamaru, has not cleared the vitiated volunteer atmosphere to the extent that was anticipated. Those supporting the proseoution claim that they wore not given am opportunity by the Court to prove their case, and important evidence was therefore not brought o>ult. The haste with which the judgment was communicated is quoted as being in striking contrast with the treatment meted out to Captain Morris, who has three times been reported to'headquafters during the year, and who claims that though ho lias repeatedly asked through the officer commanding tlhe battalion, he has not yet been informed what the decisions were in £he oases he was oalled upon to answer; i

Richards' Entertainers gave an excellent programme in the Drill Hall on Christmas night. The vocal items were well rendered, and the pictures first class. There was a fairly good audience. The Victoria, from Sydney witih English and Australian mails on board, did not arrive at Auckland until 6 p.m. yesterday. The mails will consequontily not reach ©Filding until tomorrow afternoon. The juvenile members of the Tainui's passenger list, to tlho number of 84, inavG cause to remember their j Christmas on the high seas. A Christmas tree was grown on the deck for the benefit of the youngsters, and each of the Children was presentd with a toy or bok by " Fathr Christmas" as well as being provided with fruit and sweets. The announcement in another column in connection with the giving away of Coronation farthings will, no doubt, interest all readers of the Star. We have had the pleasure of closely viewing the coins, and can say that they certainly appear as new as the day they were coined. An interesting point in connection with them is the fact that oil one side a fruit is plainly shown. The finding of the fruit, although quite easily seen, will possibly prove somewhat of a puzzle to many. On his return to his native place, Tai Tapu (Canterbury), "Dick" Arnst, the worlds champion, sculler, was entertained at a social gathering by the residents. Mr R. Heaton llhodes, M.P., ou behalf of the- residents of Tai Tapu, presented the champion with- a gold watch, and on behaJf of those ol : Ladbrooks ho asked him to accept a gold chain and a gold sovereign case. It is understood the movement afoot in Christchurch to give Arnst a monetary testimonial is being taken up with considerable enthusiasm, many having spontaneously signified their intention to subscribe. A meeting of the Chi'istchurch committee who are interesting tJhemselves in Arnst will probably be held soon -to discuss the desirability of the proposed race with Barry, the English sculler. The alleged libel for which Mr T. W. Stringer, K.C., has isued a writ claiming £2000 from Mr John Norton, proprietor of Wellington Truth, is contained in an article published in that journal on March 16 last, dealing with the" charges made against F. H. Bruges, a solicitor formerly practising in Christchurch. The article stated that the "fishiest" part of the whole business was that Mr Stringer, who is a Crown Prosecutor there, is also trustee in the estate of Bruges. It is held that Truth meant to imply that the plain, tiff had been a party to the payment of £400 for suppressing the prosecution of Bruges and of defeating the ends of justice, and that ho had been guilty of dishonourable and unprofessional conduct in connee. tion with the charges against Bruges. The claim is that the statements in Truth are false and malicious, and the sum of £2000 is claimed as damages.