LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hastings Standard, Issue 11, 8 May 1896, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The programme for the Masterton-Opaki Racing Club's meeting reached us just as we were going to press and will appear in to-morrow's issue. The meeting takes place on the 29tli inst. Ilorseowners please note ! The arbitration case between Messrs Quinlivan and Douglas has not yet been concluded. The suggestion by Cr. Tyernian in the Council last evening, that enquiries be made as to the probable cost of laying down wooden blocks at the street crossing, was a very sensible one, and was deserving of more consideration than it received at the hands of councillors. After Ave went to press yesterday three witnesses were examined in the highway robbery case. The accused were commited to take their trial at next criminal session to be held at Napier 011 June 16th. Our respected townsman, Mr H. O. Caulton, of the Pacific Hotel, has returned to Hastings after a few weeks' holiday in the Northern and Lake Districts. All are pleased to see Mr Caulton looking better and more robust than ever. The Native Appellate Court sat yesterday evening, and heard arguments on certain points of law in connection with the appeal on the Omahaki block. Judgment was reserved until Monday. This morning argument was heard on an application to refer a point of law to the Supreme Court in connection with the succession to Awa-awa, deceased. Mr .Baldwin, of Wellington, appeared for appellant, and Messrs Sainsbury and A. L. D. Frnser for respondents.

There are a number of individuals in Hastings who are conveniently blind, especially those who frequent the local Athenirum and can never, no matter how hard they try, see the little placard on the entrance door bearing the amount of subscription per quarter for the use of the papers and library. The persons who insist on visiting the library on the ' nod' are the very ones who monopolise and disarrange the papers, much to the annoyance and inconvenience of those who contribute to the support of the institution. " Noddists " please take the hint! The Board of Directors of the New Zealand Times Company at their meeting yesterday elected their general manager, Mr Sarsfield Cassidy, to represent the Times and Mail on the Directory of the Press Association, in the place of Mr A. "Wavburton, late Managing Director of the Times Company. Mr Cassidy, besides being a thorough newspaper man, has much special knowledge of how a Press Association should be managed, he having been for seven years connected with the Associated Press of New York, the greatest news-gathering agency in the world. The Press Association needs men of large experience and broad views with a high sense of justice and fair-play like Mr Cassidy in its counsels. The Victorian Government next session will take power to deal absolutely with produce intended for export. In a recent case, fruit, which the Government would not stamp, was sent Home. During a recent tour the Premier of New South Wales had three banquets in nine hours, and ten in three days and a half. Mr Seddon may now take a back seat. It is stated thrt the oat crop between the Pangitikei and the Otaki rivers will not realise one half the amount estimated by the farmers whilst the crop was growing. The Foxton Herald is informed that during the last three or four months good fat bullocks have averaged £7 13s a head at the Johnsonville yards, yet the owner was only offered £6 10s on the station. In 1793 Governor Phillip granted 100 acres of land at Woolloomooloo Bay to one John Palmer. In 1822 the land was purchased on trust for Mrs Ann Riley for £2290, In 1843 its value was assessed at £97,274. It is estimated that it value has since reached £1,000,000. The Kaiser has introduced a new Prussian Order, the "Wilhelm Order, to be conferred on both men and women for services rendered towards the advancement of culture and the general welfare of the people. The first women recipients include the Kaiserin and the Dowager Empress Frederick. The Jersey States Assembly, by 28 votes to 12, rejected the Bill for permitting members to use the English language in the Assembly when unable fluently to speak French, which Constitutionalists persist in regarding as the official language of the island, though English is now spoken in every district. The Shah of Persia, who has just been murdered, was said to possess the largest treasure of any sovereign in jewels and gold ornaments, it being valued at £12,000,000. The chief object of value in the collection is the old crown of Persian rulers, in the form of a pot of flowers, which is surmounted by an uncut ruby, the size of a hen's egg. The diamonds in another symbol of his rank are said to weigh almost 201b. There is also a jewelled abre valued at £320,000. These are now Muzeffar's.

The raisin crop at Mildura is estimated to return £15,000. It is reported that Mr E. O'Conor will contest the Inangahua seat against Mr P. J. O'Regan. The mandoline is just now one of the favorite instruments of London concerts and drawing-room entertainments. A Lytteltan resident, Mr 0. Bradley, obtained some potatoes from an American barque lying at the port. A crop from the seed has given the extraordinary yield of 35 tons to the acre, some of the tubers weighing over two pounds. Sheep-stealing is stated to be extensively carried on in the Eketahuna district. At one recent meeting one settler stated he had lost sixty sheep this year and mentioned the case of a neighbor who had lost over 100 fat wethers. A prisoner who had only five weeks to serve of a sentence of three years was working on the Rocks road, near Nelson, a few days ago when some rocks fell on him, the result being a compound fracture of the leg. At the Auckland Police Court last week, Joseph Wilson admitted having committed a breach of the Dairies Inspection regulations by allowing a cart to be used for the conveyance of milk whilst such cart contained casks used for carrying pigs' food. A fine of 5s with 25s costs was imposed. The present population of the United States may be put at sixty-five millions, and may be roughlv classed as follows : Born in the United" Kingdom, 4.500,000 ; born of British parentage, 12,500,000; native Americans, mostly British descent, 25,500,000; negroes, 8,000,000; various nationalities, 15-,000,000. A telegram to the Hawera Star states that the Eltham railway station was broken into yesterday morning and looted. The thieves entered by forcing the door. The safe was then blown open by some explosive and ,£IOO in cash stolen. At 7 a.m. the empty cash-box was found blown open, and this was the first known of the robbery, though it is reported that about 2 a.m. a noise was heard, which is now supposed to have been the explosion. It cannot yet be ascertained what the total subscriptions to the Brunnor Fund will amount to, but it is officially estimated on the basis of newspaper reports that between £16,000 and £17,000 has been collected. The Central Committee at Brunnerton has received up to date £902 10s Id, of which some £250 lias already been advanced to meet the immediate wants of the widows and orphans who suffered by the disaster. According to the Coolgardie Review, " men who are now rioting in luxury in London on money made out of Coolgardie frauds ought to be rotting in gaol with white-livered rascals like Jabcz Balfour. Men who are piling up wealth in holy Adelaide ought to be piling up stones in Yatala Stockade; and some whom we know in Perth, fattening on oysters and champagne, ought, if they had their deserts, to be picking oakum in Freemantle." The New Woman, the new fashion, the latest erase, have some particular virtues 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 is reasonable, 1/6 and 2/6. —Advt.