LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 801, 11 February 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Our weekly London Letter, further reference to the Kilties appearing in Feilding on Monday next, and the results of the racing at Hawera yesterday, is the reading matter on page 1 to-day. The present 7.10 a.m. train from Fahuerston to Mataroa will on and after 15th he extended to Ohakune, reaching that point at 3.42 p.m. The Telegraph Department notifies as follows: Berne advises "correspondence for Province Messina Reggio, Calahria, is accepted, conditions normal." Tommy Burns' uramatic company, which includes 1 George Darrell, tint* Australian actor, opens in Melbourne on April 10 and after a season in that city will commence a tour of New Zealand. Last year there passed through the Addington yards 782,755 sheep, 27,---778 cattle and 18,755 pigs. Thc^ sheep exceeded the previous year's total by 109,534, and constituted a record in the history of the company controlling the yards. Mr C. C. Reade, an old Feilding boy, who for three and a half years was connected with London journalism, and who had been for a short time on the literary staff of the New Zealand Times, has accepted' the subeditorship of the Auckland Graphic. Writes a Wellington recipient of a copy of last Saturday's Stab Supplement: "I congratulate you on the manner in which the Stab did the Feilding Show. And it was an excclllent idea to reprint it in the manner in which. it was done in the Supplement. It makes an interesting record' to keep by them for the people who live in the iTeildiug district." The Government has decided to make provision for both islands being thoroughly prospected for gold by parlies of mining experts. The results of the investigations of the Govornment geologist, Dr. J. M. Belli, will first be carefully, considered by the expert miners, and they will then curry out systematic prospecting" • ■siurs or all mining districts. Welington College has been invaded by boys eager to win their way to liigh honours in the scholastic world. J. lie attendance has suddenly increased by 120. Last year the average was 297 ; to-day it is 420. The prinfMpal rwason for this remarkable expansion is the advent of free-pflace pupils, and as a result additional masters are required. A very promising report upon HouMiern harvesting prospects is given by the Hon. David Buddo, who has just returned from Canterbury. The harvest, he says, is turning out to be the best he has experienced for 35 years., while tine prices obtained at recent wool sales have had the effect of relieving the monetary pressure, . which should completely disappear in a few months.

The Kairanga County Council resolved that casual labour he paid at the rate of Is per hour from March 1. The late Mr James Smith, of Ron-; ' gotea, has left by will the sum of £100 to the Rongotea Wesleyan Church and £100 to the Palmerston North Hospital. Forthcoming circuit sittings in connection with the Supreme Court will be presided over as under: Wanganui, Palmerston North and New Plymouth, by Mr Justice Chapman ; Napier, by Mr Justice Edwards; Blenhiem and Nelson, by Mr Justice Denniston. According to the Dominion, it was rumoured in Wellington on Tues clay that Mr T. E. Donne, general manager of the Tourist Department, is to succeed Mr Kennaway as chier secretary, and commercial adviser to the High Commissioner (the Hon. v . Ha 11- Jones) in London. ; \t the general committee meeting of the Manawatu A. and P. Associa- ; tion on Tuesday, sis nominations were received for the office or vicepresidents. On the montion of Mr J M Johnston, Messrs Barkness : and D. Buick, M.P., were elected , without a ballot. On a ballot being taken between the other four, Means C A. J. Levett (Kiwitea) and Adworth (Hunterville) were elected. The Wanganui Harbour Board received advice, through the Bank ot New Zealand that the total tenders for the Board's loan of £100,000, offered in London, amounted to £-113 000. Information as to tne prices tendered had not yet come to hand but as the minimum was nxed at 101 the large amount tendered must be regarded as highly satisfactory. V cry from the Chronicle re-echo-in^ the call of the Star to the peo- »\" of Feilding. Can we not establish a Frimley of our- own on tho banks of the Wanganui river? lhe land is there endowed with all the nuutural requisites for .successful fruit culture There is^ indeed no lade of suitable spots for the making of good orchards. All that w wnt cd is the necessary enterprise and energy to initiate the industry on sound and systematic lines. The American Government made » profit of £2,100,000 during the last fiscal year by the coinage of silve , vlVJkel. and copper money. lhw represents the difference between the price paid by the Government for the money in bullion form and its coined value. The amount or silver in an American dollar (four shillings) is worth, as metal, about half a crown, so that on every dollar coined the Government makes a profit of eighteen pence. A ratepayer of the tounty waited on the Manawatu County Council yeserday to ask why he had been charged 10 per cent, additional rates lor non-payment in time last year. He stated he had bought the land which carried the rates, and before he discovered that he had to pay the rates the 10 per cent, was^ue. The Chairman pointed out that the Council had not been informed that the new o\\;ner had purchased the land, and under the law they had no power to remit tlie- rates. Monday will usher in a new timetable for the morning and afternoon trains from Wellington for Palmerston North. The departure of the 10.10 a.m. train is to be shifted forward to 9.35, and the afternoon train is to steam out at four o'clock instead of 4.15. The present 5.20 p.m. train for Johnsonville is to leave Thorndon at 5.25. These alterations and others, which will Le advertised, are a sequel to the definite installation of the through service from the Wellington end on Monday. The times of some trains have to be changed to enable them to make the crossings conveniently. Worn with age and deprived of his position by retrenchment, a carpenter applied for relief to the Wellington Benevolent Trustees on Tuesday. He stated that he had formerly been employed in De Beers mine, Kimberley, but the industrial "adjustment" which followed the Boer war had left the continent of Africa —vast as it is— too small to hold him New Zealand, he said, had not taken him very kindly by the hand either, and he asked the trustees to advance him his passage money to Sydney. The board agreed to advance 'half fare if the Carpenters' Union would find the other half. What to grow and how to grow it is generally the subject of conversation whilst the members ot the Mana•wtfttt Couinty Council enjoy their lunch. Yesterday the growing or crested' dogstail grass was discussed. One Councillor who lives over Uarnarvon way said he sowed a pound avoirupois'of seed in a twenty-acre paddock and in three years the grass was growing over the whole paddock. Another Councillor pointed out, sis accounting for this prolific growth, that the sheep did not eat the seed, but they thrived on the grass itselh It was described as a succulent grass, possessing good nutriment. "You can't beat dogstail for sheep,'] said one sturdy farmer, who assists in the government of the county, and this statement was endorsed by his fellow Councillors. At the biennial conference in Palmerston the following officers for the Grand Lodge of Druids were elected: Grand President, Bro. W. Hunter (Auckland) ; Grand Vice-president, bro. A. Wade (Gisborne; Grand Treasurer, Bro. R. Fletcher (Wellington); Grand Secretary, Bro. J. M. Grant (Wellington); Grand Guardian, Bro. R. Thompson (Auckland^. The election for this office caused keen com- ; petition, Bro. Thompson being elected after a second ballot with Bro. Mewburn, also of Auckland. It was decided to hold the next meeting of the Grand Lodge at Auckland. The most important amendment carried at the meeting this morning was one which will made it compulsory for all members to pay their dues in advance. Some discussion took place at the meeting of the Manawatu County Council yesterday on the subject of the overdraft and its relation to the collection of rates. The Chairman (Cr. J. G. Wilson) pointed out to the Council that a sum considerably over £50 had been paid last year in interest on the overdraft, and it was partly because people did not pay their rates promptly. By allowing the ratepayers so much time in which to pay their rates, \hey were saving those people the interest on the money at their own expense. He suggested the striking of the rate earlier, and a shorten period in which to pay them. Other members of tue Council agreed that such a course was advisable, but nothing definite was done in the matter. A telegram from New York says that Mr Sidney Bowman, representing the Cloiuent BayarrT Automobile Company, has openeu in Broadway the first shop for the sale 'of airships. Prices vary according to the capacity of the airship desired, the minimum being £20,000 for one that will carry t^flght persons, indluding the pilot and engineer, and with a guaranteed speed l of thirty miles an hous. The company are prepared to deliver airships three months after the order has been placed. In design, they closely, resemble the French dirigible Patrie. Mr Bowman anticipates a number of orders, especially from aero clubs in various parts of the worfld. The cost of maintaining one of theso dirigibles is estimated at £2000 lyA peculiar 'instance of conflicting instincts is reported to the Wanganui Herald by a local resident. Tha family cat had a litter of kittens'a <lay or two ago, the likeliest looking one being kept, and the rest meeting cne usual fate of superfluous kititendom. The mother oat, apparently much disturbed at the loss of her progeny, thereupon- went a-hunting. and came back with a young rat Avbjch she placed in the basket beside her kitten. The rodent at pnoe made itself at home, becoming so t#m© that it • allowed those in the Iftnise xo fondle it, and on every alarm scampering back to the basket and snuggling in beside the cat and kitten. Whether the material instinct in the cat overcame its natural instinct' of prey and what caused the rat to lost* its fear of its natural] enemy, arp questions which; are now being pussied over by the household in qu«*s on

In another column the Railway Delia it ment publishes particulars of the arrangements made for the races at Woodville on the 17th and 18th inst. Owing to unfnrseen circumstances the shooting match between Cheltenham Rifle Club .and Apiti has been postponed until a future date. I Geo. S. Farrar, who did not appear, was charged at the Court this moming, with supplying a prohibited person with liquor. A fine of 20s, with 7s costs, was imposed. ' The Post Office is now notified that the outgoing Vancouver mail will be despatched by the Main Trunk instead of via New Plymouth. Thus it will close at Feilding on Tuesday next, a day later than formerly announced. Inspector Culver, of the Labour Department, proceeded against Hammoii'l Bros., Kongo tea, for a breach of the butchers' award, in. failing to pay arbitration rate of wages to an employee. D. J. McDonnell, the employee, was also charged with a broach. Small fines were inflicted in each case. The annual social of members of the Feilding Brass Band was held last night, with a good attendance. In the speeches made, there was frequent reference to the fact that the Band received no subsidy from the Borough Council, which members ! considered they were entitled to expect.' ' The funeral of Mr Neils Hansen took place yesterday, when ,a process ion of 25 traps, and several on horseback followed the remains to the Halcombe Cemetery. The Rev. J. Clover conducted the burial service, assisted by Pastor Gaustad, who gave an address in the deceased's native tongue (Danish) to those around the grave. ! Before Mr A. D. Thomson, S.M., ' at the Court this morning, D. O'Caliaghan (Mr Ongley) was charged with failing to keep a proper book in accordance with the Factories Act. A fine of 10s was inflicted. George W. Kingsbeer Avas charged with failing to keep two books required under the Factories Act. Ho did not appear. A fine of 20s in each case was imposed. i We remind those who are interested — and who are not — in the Feilding Technical School, of the annual meet- ' ing to be held there this evening, when members of the committee for the ensuing year will be elected, and the annual report and balance-sheet will be read. Mr G. D. Braik, Superintendent of Technical Education, will bo present. : For failing to keep his land at Marton Junction clear of noxious weeds, John Sutherland was charged at the S.M. Court this morning by the Inspector of Noxious Weeds (Mr Fitei herbert). E. W. Wilton, T. K. McDonald, and Isaac Clarke were similarly charged. J. C. Miller, the Inspector, stated that several notices had been sent to each of the defendants, whose lands were infected with blackberry, and no steps had been taken to clear them. A fine of 20s, , with 7s Court costs, and £1 lls soli- ! citor's fee, was inflicted in each case. j At the S3l. Court this morning, ; before Mr A. D. Thomson, S.M., Peter Soiensen (Mr Trewin) was j proceeded against on the ground that he. being the father of Minnie Sorensen's unborn child, was about : to leave Halcombe without making I any provision for the child when it 1 should bo born. Mr Graham ap- . ■ pea red for the complainant. A ' groat deal of evidence, not fit for i publication, was taken, and the case I was proceeding when we went to ' press. He had us puzzled in searching for an advertisement. Was he sure it '. was in the Star lie saw the thing no ! wanted. Y.es, lie was quite sure — il for the Stak is the only paper that comes into my 'house. It's a jolly ] good paper, now, too! What I like about the Star nowadays is that itkeeps Feilding up to the mark, ft treats everybody aluie — rich or poor, if its due to them, the Star gives it j out when deserved. And I'm glad it tolls the Council some home truths fo the Council. Some of us think the Council wants shaking up. The Star's all right now." What might have been a serious accident occurred at Mr Hansen's fune-if-al yesterday, nearly opposite the Halcombe Cemetery gate. One of the gigs with three occupants wa6 drawn on the side of the road, with the view of tying the horse up to the fence, when it suddenly tilted over and threw the three occupants out and threw the horse down. Help was imniediately forthcoming and no one was seriously hurt, although one lady was considerably shaken. The roadside is verj r low and uneven, and yet it is the only provision afforded for vehicles and homes for funeral parties. Surely the Board in charge of the cemetery coufcl do something here in supplying better accommodation for horsemen. Delivery of goods by tram formed the subject of a long discussion at the meeting of the Manawatu County Council yesterday. Cr. McKenzie expressed feelings of shame because a tram shed at Rongotea had not been swept out properly, and some treacle had leaked from a broken barrel to the floor. The chairman explained how the treacle had been placed in the shed, pointing out that it was no fault of the Council or its employees. Cr. McKenzie said he had also heard complaints of goods being over-carried, and he mentioned a specific case. The Tramway Manager replied that in the case referred to the man's goods had been booked to Rongotea but had been brought on to Sandon and held there until the man paid his tramway account, and the man had been notified to that effect. Cr. Dalton humourously remarked that he heard a great many complaints of one thing and another, but he was satisfied there was nothing in I most of them.