LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 822, 8 March 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr John Blundell. of Wellington senior member of tho Evening Post proprietors, is on ;t visit to his son at Stanway. A large number of harvesters have finished work in the Ashburton County, and the majority have gone South, whore operations are still in full swing. A strong school branch of the Navy Leaguo has been formed at the Worser Bay School. This is tho twentieth school branch instituted by M"r Palmer, secretary of the Wellington branch of the league. For several, weeks past ideal harvest weather has prevailed in South Canterbury, and the grain is now nearly all in. A shower of rain is wanted now to help the root crops, which are making very littlo growth. An Ashburton farmer, in a position to speak with some authority on the matter, has estimated that fully 200,---OUO store sheep have been brought from the North to the South Island since the commencement of the present season, says the Mail. Surely the New Zealand Times is a bit previous in the following item : The Feilding High School, emulating the example of Wellingfon schools, has established a branch of the Navy League. The literature affected by other branches is to be forwarded to Feilding. The Eltham Dairy Company expects to make about 810 tons of butter this season. For the month of February this year the butter manufactured totalled 18,5411bs less than in the corresponding month of the 1907 season, although for the whole of the season there is an increase of 33,6731b5. Ow. ing to the dry weather the milk supply is now rapidly decreasing. Mr Wm. H. Powell, Licensed Lay Reader of St. John's Church, who met with a bicycle accident in Palmerston a week or so ago, and wHo had to b© detained in the Hospital, returned to Feilding on Saturday. He is not yet able to undertake his duties, though able to move about; and it will probably be another week before he will take up his work. Interviewed regarding the statement of high valuations at Invercargill, Sir Joseph "Ward said that he would communicate with the Department with a view to the valuer being heard in his defence. He had been considering an alteration in the system for some time, and proposed to go into the question further, in regard to valuations throughout the country, with a view to improvement.

Dr. Wallis, Bishop of Wellington, will conduct a confirmation service in St. John's* Church to-morrow at 7.30 p.m. The Awahuri Sunday School picnic willl be held to-morrow, instead of Wednesday, owing to the school holiday for the licensing election. The Premier has intimated that he will probably deliver a speech soon after theendof this month m which he will refer to tho finances of the year. The Hon. T. W. Hislop, who received a petition containing 4000 names requesting him to again contest the Wellington Mayoralty, has declined the invitation. The Gcelong fruit-growers have arranged to forward large supplies oi apples to the German markets this .season. Feilding fruitgrowers, take notice. A Blulf correspondent slates that a rara avis was caught l:he other day, or, rather, night, at Stewart Island, in the shape vi a whito weka or woocihen. Mr John Graham, M.P., father <>t Mr John Graham, ao' : citor, of Feilding, has been re-dlectc-d chairman jI the Nelson Harbour Board for ;!:•• eighth year in succession. At a special meeting of the Oroua Comity Council on Saturday, tho special orders striking rates for cover ing interest on loans recently rai&od for improvement works in tho Makiuo riding were coulirmetl. Tho Returning Officer for i!,r Mauawiitu electorate lias not seen lit to advertise tho licensing election in ■this district, and a number of electors who only take the Star have been left in complete ignorance of the fact that an election is to bo hold, as we do not see our way to copy the example of the Advocate and insert such notifications gratis. In the course of his lecture at Waniignui on ''Forecasting the Weather," Mr Clement Wragge on Saturday ■evening paid a tribute to Captain Edwin, who is just about to retire from the position of Government Meteorologist. Captain Edwin, said Mr Wrajfye, had dci>o a splendid work despite the paucity of information ho had had to re!y upon when -compiling his weather charts. As a rider to his verdiH at an iu(jiiest on a boy who was drovnod at Xapier on Saturday, tho Coroner dosi rod to direct public attention to the fact that a view of the body disclosed ' t ]):..•• fact that a man, his wife, and three children live in :i one-roomed out house not more than 10 feet- long by G feet wide, which was without j ventilation of any kind. The body of the hoy was laid on a table alongside sleeping children. 1 Something oi :». puzzle presented ; itself at the meeting oi the ()ro>ia County Council on Saturday. The ; Valuer-Goner:!! unite a^kin^ ihr .Council to appoint a member of the [ Assessment Court, under ;he Valua- ■ turn of Land Aa, 1008. sub-clause :i iof claui-e l;j. li was- found on Hook- ; iii.'j; up the Act thai it contained only ; leu clauses. One councillor re- ! marked that it reminded him of the ! l.iaii who won an argumen: by re- , ten-inn; his verbose nnponejii to tlis j Hurteeiith chapicr of' Daniel. I "'f'J'o defendant declared that be i would not pay a Chinaman,'' vviM.'vrkj ed counsel in a case at Gisbonif, re- : lurring to the. action of a young Ma- • <>n man. It was commonly known. I he added, that feeling existed against i Chinamen, but the thought of a Maj ori t who had been under civilisation j lor si comparatively lew years, niak- ! inn; a remark like that towards a j member of .--licit an old civilised race jas the Chimve, was ludicrous. The j time, counsel added, would come when action would have In be taken to }>iit it down. ! (,)iiesUinied as to tin:; proposal to es.- , iabhsli jut iiii];ui-'ia;iL wlialiiiii .station i at Campbell Island, the Hon. Caj>j tain Tucker. Him ha-, i'cr -'>!>m' vca;.-> ; beeii .successfully fiinninj'; the island. '; stated to a Poverty i>av !i.i-ra!d ieI porter that a party of de-. en Picton j i. leii were iilreiidy mi die island fur j I lie same purpose. These men would : piobably have eomplted shearing j operations by Ibis. date, and have I started t!;v er^Mon of iboiv wlialinstation at XoK-W.vst Bay. They have taken t'.v»> whalcboats and a powerful motor launch, ami intend to capture the ri^ht whale, which was known to pa.ss the island. Quenlioncd in the South in regard m iinanijal matters, the Prime Minister said he would make a staW'inent iiiim tho jHtblk- ])latt<irm aifor f!ie end of the linaniial year. •/In the meantime.'' said Sir Joseph Ward, "I am not saying anything to anybody on tile subject/ Me also refused to •Vivo anything tor publication in respect to the Lands and Agricultural Dopartments, and declined to state whether he would continue to hold thoso portfolio?; till the one! of this year's session. It was his intention, however, to speak on the land question from the public platform, but be would not do so till after he bad dealt with finance. There would be no licensing ilegisla: ion this year. It is stated that a new and iiticresting development, has arisen in connection with the famous 1 Westport murder cas.e, which is to be tried in Cliristcliurch at the criminal si) tings of the Supreme Court in May. It will bo remembered that at the conclusion of the hearing of a charge of perjury, Connolly, who was convicted of that offence, made a confession implicating himself in the murder of Burke. Hallinon and Andersen wore, subsequently released, and Connolly was committed for trial on the charge of murder. It is -said that Connolly now repudiates his confession (says the l'l-e&s) and that the j case Avill be fought out at the hearing j in Christchurch. j Harvesting operations are practical- ] ly concluded in the Ashburton county (says the Mail), and the results have been eminently satisfactory to ! farmers, good average yieldj having been obtained everywhere, and in quite a. number of instance* individual records havo boon established. Xot tho least among the causes for I congratulation is the excellence of I the grain, which, for all-round qual- j ity, has not been surpassed for years. ' Tho greater part of tho wheat is bright and plump, and all classes -,f gram havo filled weM. Prospects for tho winter are more hopeful for the farming community than they were at <the corresponding period of last year, and i{ timely autumnal rains rail there iie*d be no apprehension on the pa<rt of- land-owners. >A representative of the Bruce Herald made a tour among tlw farms j in tho Tokomairiro district last week and ; reports that nearly all viie oats j were cut in the- Clarksville district. A commencement was about to be made on the wheat. AH the fanners spoken to were highly satisfied with their turnips. Several farmers declared the cereal harvest to be the best for years. Ono mentioned several neighbours wlio expected from 70 to 80 bushels per acre of oats, and up to 60 bushels of wheat. "But prices" — and he satDly shook his head. "The Millers' Trust can do what it likes, and when it sees a good yield all over the country it keeps prices down. Oats are not worth much at Is 6d. No chaff wont do. There will be a poor demand there also. Besides, if you get £3 15s a ton i'or chaff, it costs £1 for cutting, carting, commission, and all that. I think farmers will be inclined to stack." On Saturday t-lie "baptism of tho infant son of Lord and Lady Plunket took place at All Saints' Church, Palmerston North. T<lie name chosen for the baby was Denis Kiwa, and | the ceremony was performed' by Dr. i Wallis, Bishop of Wefllington, assisted by the Rev. C. C. Harper, Vicar of Palmerston North. The church had been beautifully decorated for the interesting occasion, and there was a thronged congregation present. Their Excellencies irord and Lady P lunket were preceded by an escort of the Manawatu, Mounted Rifles on their way to the church, and were accompanied by the Government House party. Denis Kiwa is a symbolisation of; .the child's Irish ancestry and New Zealand birth. _Kiwa was the legendary Maori navigator who sailed across the Pacific Ocean, after whom it was called "Te Moana nui a Kiwa," the great ocean of Kiwa. 'After the ceremony at the church, a garden party was held at "Woodley," the residence of their Excellencies, when there was- a very large company present.

Tho Bishop of Wellington (Dr. Wai- « lis) is to hold a confirmation service at ' Kimbolton next Thursday evening. 'llie Oroua County Council on Saturday received plans and specincatioiis of the proposed bridge over [ the Oroua river at Menssie s H prd. Consideration or tho plans was dererr- j ed till nexi meeting. ■, Thcro passed away suddenly yester- ; day afternoon one of the early pio- £ neers in the person of Mr John IN Us- j sen, a resident ol Waldegrave-street, Palmer ston. He landed in the Man*- s watu district about tho year 18' i, , when Palmerston Flat was all manuka scrub and all the surroundings busli, j with neither roads nor railway, me deceased was among tho early Scanclinaviaiis who went through great hardships in carving out a home for them- , 'selves. After contracting for some j time he took up a farm at Colyton, ( where he lived till about five years a-'o when lie sold out and went into Palmer* ton to live. - Deceased was highly respected by all who knew him- 1 He is survived by his widow. , ; The proposal ol a Norwegian firm to • establish a whaling station at Camp- , bell Island, south of New Zealand, lias ; led an old whaler to .send the following j note to tho Bluff Press: ''Since I went ; mit on the Antarctic's expedition, ; when we got as far south as <4deg- in ; search of right wales, no fewer than . , a dozen whaling companies have talcen ; up whaliii"- in the southern seas, not- . •,blv ai 'Falkland Islands, South Shet- 1 ( land and South Georgia, and more recently at the Kcrguelens. Enterprising" Norwegians have, had an oye j . to the promising fields along the coast ■ : of South Africa, and one or two more, , , companies were being formed in Nor- ; way when T left to 11,0 in for whaling : almi'i tho African coasts." I , .Mjiuo. oxcitfMiie.nt- was caused at .V.mwillumbah on the 20th February , by five persons being nearly drowned. | Man- people were surf bathing, when | tho frantic signals of a man named . William Stee.n.son drew a crowd to ■ .he spiit where three young ladies, Mary Smith, and two sisters. Ethel and ' Jane King, were floating downwards, and another girl, Edith rioskin.LC. was in the Hast stages of exhaustion, and .sinking- They had been carried out by the underflow. Frodk. Marshall. Robert, Clark and two others swam to {heir assistance and succeeded in bringing: them to shallow water. The young women | wore carried ashore. Stcenson, who was last in getting in. was then -ecu to lie in difficulties, and was rescued by several swimmers. Miss lloskin.^ and the King sisters soon regained roiisciousncs, and Miss Smith was brought round after an hour:-; constant treatment. Steonson claimed attention for an hour and a half hel'oro. recovering. .Sincere regret: wan i'ult throughout the Hull on Saturday afternoon, says I flip Petoue Chronicle-, when it became j known that Mrs MeMauus, wife of Mr ('. Jic.Manus. had passed away. The deceased lady was only taken ill at 6 a.m. dial- day. and she died from hemorrhage, ten hours later. The late Mrs -Wc^buius was horn at Wc-stmeath, co. !.«•!* ri in . Ireland, 36 years ago. She e:nue t-o New Zealand with her brother, .Mr Patrick Nesdale, when 18 ! years ol ati<:, to ioin her undo (Rev. jV:.Hic ; r Mi-.M'is-.ius) at Ahaura, Grey- ; m<;i;!)>. Whil' ilnie. she married Mr | M.csliiiiiis, of Ixcelton. and for several y.'sir.s the couple kept the Criterion .Hotel at Quarftfopolis. Four years ! a.«<;o, they came to Lower Hutt. where j they entered into possession of the ! Railway Hotel, and during their residence in. this district they made hosts of friends. The der-ensod lady's brother i"S\v P. Xesdiilo) is a sheep farmer :><■ Kiuiholton. and there is a cousin of ihe deconsed an assistant priest at »w Plymouth. -It will be rememberi <-d that her uncle (Father McManus) dii'd at "Rnnuiora only a few weeks I iSpcaLiu^ about Denmark^ ali'airs ! in a yailn;i:ng oi' iarmers. in the youth ! S.Lukl h..,L v.n'k Mv Cuddie, Dairy I i_ oin;:iis>ioner. >,aid that of Denmark's : 5 -••30 daijy factories, nearly 1200 were e.»-i.;).'raiiv;\ and t.iie, principle was i r.Mended t- many other matter:- coui nectt'd with the industry. For in--1 riau.-e. ihc factories luul a co-opera- : live Hl:»l ist it-:- 1 liureaii. From data ; .-iijipii; v! to ii, tin- bureau extracted ! ml'oi iniuion eonueeiecl with the cost i ol manufacture, and this being suppliod !o the i'aetorics, onablod them to watch their exDeiiditun; and regulate it. A most valuable- institution uas the co-operative .system ol' cow-testing. Societies of say fifteen i'armen-: were formed, and employed ■ •' iiian v. !ii> iiv^icd all their cows Lw ice I a .ic.'k. S; ; ic<- it. - 5 incej)t : oii the sys- ! i.-in has e:,((Mid:'(| eiionuously. The i Micitiics numbered -173 when he was | in Denmark, and had 10.700 nieni- ! l>!'i-:. ami IKS.OOO cows wens tested. ; The rr.-uli. <jI : this testing was that | the mill; production per annum had ' increased by 700lb jkm 1 cow, and the | b utter fat 'by over -JOlb. The cows ! wero now ihe finest breed in the world i in the matter of milk and butter pro- ! d in- ' ion. and by that standard alone j ilie Dane judged his herd. It would i not do for New Zealand to follow i Denmark in all things, but the testing ' of tho cows should be taken np in the j dominion. He had brought it before i the department, and thought it i '-I'Mild he uoiie into in the near future.