LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hastings Standard, Issue 5, 1 May 1896, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Horowhenua Commission lias been extended until May 31st. Captain Russell will address a political meeting at Nelson on Thursday nest. A sunfish 'weighing about three tons was captured at Napier -Harbor yesterday. A prohibition order was granted this morning by S. M. Turnbnll against a young man addicted to drink. Ex-Constable Lyster, the " father" of the Force, who recently retired on compensation at Petone, is reported as being dangerously ill.

The train from New Plymouth to Hawera 011 Tuesday night ran into a bullock, with the result that the engine was derailed and the mail train delayed for four hours. The account does not state how many hours the bullock was delayed.

It is reported that the appointment of Attorney-General will be made at a full meeting of the Cabinet next month. The statement is revived that tiie portfolio will be given to Mr A. E. Guinness, the member for Grey. A settler at Hay, New South Wales, has reported that he and his sons destroyed 30,000 rabbits in four days, and that on 011 eoccasion he poisoned 16,000 in one night. Mr Joseph Ivess has disposed of his latest newspaper venture, the Levin and Manukau Express to Messrs Reidy and Mc-Killop. Mr Ivess has commenced business as land, loan, finance and general commission agent. We have it on good authority that Mr Ivess will contest a southern electorate at the next general election.

The Hastings Rifles paraded last evening in strong force, and were put through a number of evolutions by Drill-Inspector Hopkins. Pretending to remove a spider from a lady's dress, a young woman at Hobart stole tlie lady's purse. Mr J. Saunders this morning received the distressing news of the sudden death of his youngest daughter (Margaret) while on a visit to Sumner. Mr and Mrs Saunders will have the sympathy of a large circle of friends in their sad and unexpected bereavement.—Post.

The revenue account of the Mutual Life Association of Australasia for the year ended 81st December, 1895, shows that the amount of funds at the 31st December, 1894, was .£1,048,985 5s 4d, and the revenue for the year £195,364 6s 9d, total £1,244,349 12s. After paying all expenses nr.A calls on the 31st December, 1895, the amount of funds to credit was £1,087,767 lis 4d.

The Hawke's Bay Eugby Union decided at a meeting held last evening to start the cup contests on Saturday 16th May, when the following teams will try conclusion: Pirates Ist v. Te Ante; Pirates 2nd v. dive, on llecroation Ground; Taradale v. Star Juniors, at Taradale ; dive v. Caledonian 3rd, at Favndon. The match Town v. Country to-morrow will start at 2.45 p.m. sharp. The monthly returns of the Napier Hospital up to yesterday show : —ln the institution at last date 18 males and 25 females, admitted during the month 23 males and 14 females, total 41 males and 39 females ; discharged 16 males and 15 females, dead one male and one female, total 17 males and 16 females ; remaining at date 24 males and 23 females.

An entertainment consisting of conjuring nnd a limelight exhibition, interspersed with vocal and instrumental music, was given in the "Working Men's Club, Napier, lsist evening. The affair was enjoyable although the lecturer Aid not strike our correspondent as a success.

Three stowaways, all young lad:-:, were discovered on the Tasmania on her way from "Wellington to Napier yesterday. They will probably interview the Magistrates Court before going abroad.

Nelson city and Waimca county contributed .£I,OOO to file Brainier Relief Fund. The amount in the hands of the Christchuich treasurer for the same object is £l-208.

Shorland, the cyclist, put up records for five miles (llinin 55sec), ten miles ('24iuin lsec), and twenty-five miles (llu40sec) at Lancaster Park, Christchurch, on "Wednesdav.

Says Wednesday's Evening Post: —An " undesirable" in the siiape of an Indian private servant, named Babe Kaliu—a splendid and picturesque specimen of humanity—came before the S.M. this morning on a charge of the theft of two .£5 notes and throe sovereigns from Alfred Johnson. The accused admitted the offence, the attendant circumstances of which were : —Kn.hu was in the employ of an Indian officer touring this colony, who pat up in this city at the Occidental Hotel. Mr Johnson was an English tourist who was staying at the hotel at the same time, and mistook liahu for a servant at the hotel. The accused was a very agreeable and coir toons menial, and easily got access to Mr Johnson's bedroom. His Worship remanded the accused—who was arrested in IXmc-din on his way to Melbourne—for eight days,"on the understanding that if he left tlie colony in the meantime nothing further would bo heard of the case. Ivaliu will probably take the hint. Mr Edward Tregear has done much to preserve in their purity the languages of the natives inhabiting the islands of the South Seas : and his latest effort, a Paumotuan Dictionary, will be duly appreciated by students of these interesting subjects. The Paumotu Islands are 78 in number, and lie to the eastward of the Society Group, a number of them being uninhabited. The natives are apparently a branch of the Polynesian family. They are darker than the Samoans or Tongans, are of fierce and fearless aspect, and arc courageous and kind-hearted. On the other hand, they ore very turbulent and rowdy, impatient of restraint, and demand high wages for their services. They are renowned sailors and pearl-fishers. Although their islands were once densely populated, only some 8,500 of these fine natives now remain on the islands. Mr Tregear, in preparing this dictionary, lias added much to its interest and value by showing comparative Polynesian words. The work, though not of imposing size or appearance, is nevertheless one of magnitude, and will prove a valuable addition to the list of publications on Oceania languages. —Post. Baron Alphonso de Rothschild, head of the Paris house, on an occasion expressed himself in part as follows : — : - There is much loose talk nowadays'about the danger of so much capital in the hands of a few men., Tin's is all rubbish. Some men are richer: others are poorer. To-morrow this is all changed by vicissitudes which nobody can control. It is money which one lends in confidence for so-called good tilings which does not always turn out to be good. All that applies to the great as well as the small ventures. Frighten and threaten capital and it vanishes. Capital is like water. Grasp it violently and it slips through your fingers ; treat it gently, dig a canal ill which to lead it. and it runs wherever you will. Capital is a country's fortune. It represents the energy, intelligence, thrift and labour of the people. Capital is labour. Apart from unhappy exceptions, which seem to be unavoidable, each shares in the people's capital according to his intelligence, energy, and work accomplished." At an inquest in London, on William Palmer, member of the firm of Palmer and Sons, matchmaker, Startford, who was found by the jury to have shot himself wbile temporary insane, it was stated that the deceased suffered from the fact' that his heart was displased, being on the right side instead of on the left!

Strange how humanity is influenced and swayed by fashions. Tlie popular method of committing suicide now is to drink carbolic acid. Statistics show that in London city the suicides from this cause jumped from 69 in 1890 to "201 in 1895. Barley as a horse feed ranks next to maize, though from prejudice it is not so extensinely used for working horses as it ought to be. It contains SO per cent of real food—9*s per cent, of nitrogenous matter, 66.6 per cent of carbonaceous principle, and 2 per cent, of fat. Consequently it is well adapted for fattening animals. During the Crimean war the cavalry horses had to subsist on barley sheaves for a considerable time, and they kept in good condition.

The difference between tartan " and " plaid " is that one is the pattern and design, and the other the article of costume. The New Woman, the new fashion, the latest erase, have some particular virtue to commend them ; so it is with the new cough mixture. "Woods' Great Peppermint Cure—instantaneous relief for man, woman, or child is the feature of this unfailing remedy. All Grocers, and Chemists keep it, the price it> reasonable, 1/6 and 2/6. —Adyt.