VICE-REGAL.

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 1883, 25 September 1912, Page 2

VICE-REGAL.

The Governor, Lord Islington, will arrive in Feilding by train on Friday, and will motor to> "Highden," Awahuri, where ho will sta.y for a few days. Lady Islington is already in residence there.

The death is announced of Mr Hector Mackinnon, a Highlander, of Caversham, Duneflin, aged 105 years.

It seems probaible that the session of Parliament will end before tin; end of 'next month, says the .N Z. Times.

The following steamers will be within wireless range of Wellington to-night: Makuri, Wimmera, !ii- Tmaroa, Talune and Marama.

Tho Colyton Cricket Club'c dance to-morrow night in the Colyton Hall promises to be a most enjoyable one. The proceeds are to help on .1 c club's funds, and a good attendance is expected.

Respecting tho Merchants' Assistants' dispute a week of 48 hours, has been agreed upon, but no agreement has been come, to regarding hours of overtime to be worked without payment.

Recognising the advisableness of developing the social side of membership, the council of the. Sydney Chamber of Commerce, has deckled to inaugurate a. monthly luncheon for members. T3ie Jirst of such will bo held on Thursday, October 3.

fPho Commonwealth Government is ■now paying annually £2,235,168 in ' old age and invalid pensions, the ; total being _ equal to 9s per head c-f tiro population. TJie average old <ige i pension is 18s 1171 per fortnight, and '■ the average invalid pension 19s 5d ncr ; fortnight. ' It is estimated that the output of motorcars in the United States of America this year will number 210 - 000, with an aggregate value of i 6'">,'_ I 6/5,000, or an average of £313 per car. This compares with 140,000 last year, of an aggregate value of £35,- ---' 150,000. In 1908 the outmi t was only 0ij,400 cars.

Between April 30, 1903, and April of tho present year, there has been a,n increase of 4,795,600 in the number of stud 1 and flock sheep in New Zealand. At the same time the total to-«la.y is less than in 1910 and in 1911. The 1910 figures stand as the highest on record, the tally then being 24,269,----620, as against 23,750,153 as per the latest Government returns.

A .half-yearly examination of candidates for surveyors' licenses is being held in Wellington in the presence ol the New Zealand Surveyor's Board The number of New Zealand ; candidates in the examination is 36. '.I J]i ß constitutes a record and seems to indicate (thafc the dearth of surveyors recently commented upon in Par.'iament may shortly disappear.

A Litligow (N.S.W.) townsman ieeently lost a garden fork and advertised that he would like to address a few "cursory" remarks to thief. It would seem (says the Sydney D'lily telegraph) as if the old adage °J Conscience makes cowards of us '?i r\°, nl(i , ' 1 ! this case, for on the following. morning he found four torks lying in his garden. His fork was not among the number.

American women are quickly abandoning cigarettes, and are now taking to pipe-smoking. In smart society it is now common (says a cable message to the Australian papers) to see each lady produce a tiny pipe mounted with gold or mother-of-pearl after dinner and smoke with the men. The wife of a millionaire has created quite a sensation by training her pug dog to smoke an elegant meerschaum pipe, the ibowl of which is set -with diamonds.

Owing to the recent warm rains an early spring is assured (reports the Department of Agriculture's officer on tho Feilding district), and a good percentage of lambs is being anticipated. Creameries are opened, and, dairying is in full swing again. Those who made ensilage and are now feeding it to their newly calved cows are well satisfied with the results, and in some cases are already preparing their land for next season's sowing, and intend growing more extensively, as it is freely expressed ensilage has become the main feature in keeping up the milk-supply at all seasons of tho year.

There was a good attendance of vocalists at the Choral Society practice last night, notwithstanding the altered night, and some useful work was done. Xh the absence of Mr H. Templo White, jvho was away from Feilding on account of the death of his mother, Mr N. Gifford acted as conductor for tho chorus-singing. Tho society passed a motion of condolence with the bereaved conductor and family, on the motion of Mr A. Richmond. At a meeting of tho committee the night of December 11 (Wednesday) was provisionally fixed for the renditiou of "The Messiah," the work now in hand. Next practice was announced for Monday, as usual, at the Parish Hall.

The Supreme Court at Gisborne has been occupied with a case of considerable interest. The Tyser Line and John Mann Hart, master of the s.s. Star of Canada, are the plaintiffs, and the Gisborne Sheep Farmers' Frozen Meat Company the defendants. The claim is for £5824 and interest, the amount of alleged over-charge for lighterage in connection with the salvaging of frozen meat from the stranded steamer Star of Canada. The total amount paid for lighterage was £8363, and plaintiffs claim that the amount, according to the Gisborne rates, should have been £2539. The defence sets up that the charges were fair, considering the nature of the work, the men receiving up to 4s per hour, and that the charges were practically agreed to.

For some years past in several of the leading; ports in the world it has been possible to obtain telephone communication with the shore through the ordinary city exchanges from passenger liners lying in the docks, and long ago it was suggested that such a convenience would lie greatly appreciated in Wellington. Arrangements have now been made by the Union Steam Ship Company to equip tho slot telephones so that either at Lyttelton or Wellington communication may be obtained with the shore without leaving the ship, and the Telegraph Department is about to instal two or three extensions to the berths those vessels usually occupy, and later on to other berths usually occupied by intercolonial and Home steamers. The innovation should be greatly appreciated by passengers.

'A pretty story about Queen Alexandra, told by a lady honoured by intimacy with her Majesty, is published by the London correspondent of the Scotsman. When on Alexandra Da- ,, the Queen was starting on a drive round the scene of tho operations of tlie flower sellers she felt a little nervous of venturing out among the crowd for the first time unaconipanied by her late husband. She had just remarked to her companion in the carriage that what she sharply missed was the working man's greeting, "Good old Teddy," familiar when King Edward went among his people, when a roughly-dressed man standing close to the carriage remarkd in a tone of personal regret, "Poor okl Toddy." (The Queen was deeply affected land profoundly pleased at an incident which testified that King Edward stilt lives in the memory tand hearts of the humbler doss of his people.

A complete exemption of wines manufactured in New Zealand- from the provisions of tho existing licensing laws is proposed by the New Zealand Viticulturists' Association in a petition presented to the House, of Representatives by Mr Campbell, member for Hawke's Bay. The petition states that a prospective great industry has been ruined by the withdrawal of Stato encouragement and by the harsh and depressing action of tho licensing laws, and Parliament is asked to grant relief, encouragement, and protection by passing the necessary legislation. The association proposes that the use of its trademark by other than members of the association should not be permitted, that the addition of deleterious ingredients to iwjne offered for sale should be an indictable offence, and that the wine industry of the Dominion should be protected from competition by imported wines. The petition is signed by 22 officers and members of the association.

A novel test of strength was seen at the Stadium. Sydney, a few days ago. At one endof a stout rope we're 12 men, comprising a tug-of-war team: at the other end was attached a horse. The men were on the stage, their feet firmly fixed in wooden racks, and below them, on a patch of peat, stood their opponent—a draught horse, known as Bay Prince, the property of Mr T. Dahm. When the word "go" was given the men commenced to pull and the horse began to tug. Five hundred people commenced tQ applaud the horse, but in vain. It was not in the picture. The dozen picked pullers dragged it towards the stage, and in spite of the efforts of a young man at its head Bay Prince could not keep his ground. Two men were taken off the rope by the chivalrous Mick Fitzpatrick, captain of the team, but still the horse was overpowered. He received great encouragement from the audience, made one great effort more, and then, after keeping the rope taut for a few seconds, threw up the sponge.

Last year the Little Akaloa Cooperative Dairy Factory Co. shipped its output of cheese on open consignment. The average? price for all the returns to hand was 72s U-\d per cwt., tho highest price for any consignment of white and coloured cheese being 75s per cwt. Tho total receipts amounted to £3260 18s 4d. The total weight of milk supplied to tho factory was 1.185,1341b, which yielded 40,3541b of butter-lot, the average percentage being 3.405. The weight of milk required "to make lib of cheeso was 10.0011b. An advance of 9d per lb for butler-fat was paid to suppliers, and since April further payments amounting to 7d per lb per made, bringing the total to Is 4d. The purchase money for butterfat amounted to £2.092 16s Bd. The average weight of cheese made from lib of butter-fat was 2.9361b, and the cost o fmanufacture per lb was .593 d. Account sales just received show balances sufficient to pay another jd per lb for butter-fat, bringing tho actual total for the season to Is 4-Jd —a Dominion record.

General Godley has earned the thanks of the Whangarei Chamber of Commerce for the way in which ho lias put before farmers the position of training so far as the Territorials are I concerned. "I am afraid," he wrote, " that your suggestion that camps should not get value for the money winter months is not practicable, for the reason that we have to consider both the training and the health of the men. Aβ regards the former, the days are so short and the weather so bad, once the winter comes ,that we should not get value i'o rthe money expended; and as regards the latter, it is quite out of the question that we can take young men and boys, Avhich is really all they are, and put them under canvas in the depth of winter." The General" added that he hoped to arramge for no camp to be iheld till at any .rate late in March. "In order ito help the farmers," he says, most of the drills- tlumighout the year, which I hear on all sides arc a, source of considerable hardship,' and substitute in their pfjace . a longer will .therefore, ibe required for fifteen days, probably about the end of April, as last year."

There is promise of a good, fruit season in the Levin district The trees are thickly laden -with buds, the late winds not having troubled them very much.

Mr N. H. Nash, editor of the Standard, was a passenger for Sydney by the Manuka, which has ujst arrived, after a stormy passage. Hβ is away on a health-recruiting trip after a recent operation.

The Rev. Nikora Tautau, whilst on his way yesterday to Tologa Bay, after holding a service at Tokomarn, fell from his horse. He was picked \ip unconscious, and died subsequently last night.

The report of Messrs 'Arthur Guinness, Son, and Co. (Dublin) shows tifoa-t a set back in earnings was experienced during the past twelve months. Brewing profit declined by £88,200 to £2,538,100. while, on tho expenditure side, excise and license duties increased 'by £22,900 to the huge total of £1,252,300. The net profit for tho year shows a decrease .of £106,700 at £1,208,400.

Sub-Inspector M'areack received word from Foxton yesterday that some fishermen had found the body of a man on the river beach near Hartley's bend. The .body had apparently ibeen, in the water for some, considerable time. Captain llodgers. of the s.s. Gertie, recognised the body as that of David Lynn, who was cook on the Gertie, and who disappeared from tho vessel some weeks ago, while she was lying at the Foxton witoarf.