LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hastings Standard, Issue 39, 11 June 1896, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The New Zealand and lliver I'late Land Mortgage Company have declared an interim dividend of 5 per cent, per ammm. Ik-fore leaving Gisl orna for New Plymouth, Mr I). Dougherty, manager of the Union S.S. Company, was presented with a purse of sovereigns. At Perth recently a hatch of 48 immigrant servant girls who arrived by the steamer Port Phillip were all engaged in one day. Archbishop Hedwood again preached an eloquent sermon last evening in the Catholic Church. The mission will continue until Sunday next. An old man named M'Neil was found dead at the back of the Masonic Hotel, Danevirke, yesterday morning'. He had fallen down a (light of six steps and broken his neck.

It has been discovered that the fearful disease, leprosy, which has been so common amongst the Fiji natives, is mainly caused by the natives lying about so much on the bare earth. High medical opinion advises natives of tropical climates to build tlieir floors and sleeping places as much above the ground as possible. Not only leprosy, but many other complaints, are caused by too close contact with the ground.

li We (Tapanui Courier) contend that those who openly champion the Chinese as desirable colonists —tlie only 'qualities ' they possess, so far as we can see, are the production of early vegetables by unnatural processes, and being able to live on the ' smell of an oily rag ' —are misplacing their philanthropy, and by looking round them they could discover that a more Christian act would be done in protecting the fallen ones of the cities from the Mongolians, which can only be done by their eradication."

There was a sad sequel to a Dingee (Victoria) wedding last week, when Thomas Connoughton, a farmer, whose daughter had been married a few hours previously, was run over and shockingly mutilated by the night goods train. After seeing the young couple off to Ballarat the deceased remained about the .station inquiring about the luggage, which was in the goods shed. He indulged in liquor at the same time, and it is surmised that he got through a gate, and in walking up toppled over on to tlio line and was killed.

In the Divorce Court, Sydney, recently Dr (>. H. McSwinney caused a little sensation by refusing to kiss the Bible when called upon to give evidence. He explained that his objection was on sanitary grounds, that he was a member of the Church of England, and had no conscientious scruples against taking an oath. He said that nearly all the medical men in England objected to kiss the book when being sworn. Judge Simpson thought that whilst the' doctor did not object 011 conscientious grounds to make an oath he could not bo allowed to make an affirmation. The difficulty was at last got over by the officials sending out to a stationer's shop near by and purchasing a new Bible for the use of the doctor. No less than five football players have been admitted to the Dunedin Hospital—four of them with broken collar-bones, the fifth case with a dislocated shoulder, An old resident of Nelson. Mrs Charles Pettit. has just died under painful circumstance-;, breaking both arms, and subsequently succumbed to the injuries reCtlftL

A Victorian man, summoned as a juryman the other day, asked exemption on the ground that he was not intelligentenough. Under the category of cruelty to animals surely would come the leaving of horses without cover or protection during frosty nights. Every morning poor horses are seen in paddocks about Hastings with their coats frozen.

There is a disruption in St. Andrew's Church in Auckland, and the call of the Rev. J. Milne has been declared invalid. Several of the members of the congregation threaten to leave the church and take a hall with a view of getting Mr Milne to minister to thein. Mr George Grey, who is now in West Australia, draws no less than £20,000 a year from the companies that employ him as consulting engineer. Mr Grey's services (says a Sydney paper) are sold in open market, and presumably do not fetch more than they are worth. It's a fact, says a well-known Christchurch divine the other day, to a friend, that Cough Mixture, called Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, is the very best thing for throat Irritation and Cough I have ever taken ; I notice all the Grocers and Chemists keep it—a never failing remedy. Wholesale Agents, N.Z. Drug Co.—Advt. Stop that Cough by taking Neil's Balm of Gilead, a positive cure for coughs, colds, chronic bronchitis, influenza, &e. In large bottles at 2s Gd, at Neil's Botanic Dispensary, Emerson street, Napier, and all leading storekeepers. —Advt. Neil's Celebrated Liver Tonic, a pure botanic remedy for all affections of the liver, biliousness, jaundice, yellowness of the skin, indigestion, In bottles, 2s and 2s 6d, at Neil's Botanic Dispensary, Emerson street, Napier, and all leading storekeepers.—Advt. Neil's Compound Sarsapap.illa. A household medicine for purifying the blood and toning up the system. In large bottles at 2s (id at Neil's Dispensary, Emerson street, Napier, and all leading storekeepers.—Advt. Neil's Corn Cuke removes either hard or soft Corns. A few applications only necessary. Is per bottle a.t Neil s Dispensary, Emerson street, Napier, and ad leading storekeepers.—AdvtJ