LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hastings Standard, Issue 495, 7 December 1897, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Interesting cable news appears upon our fourth page to-day. By an accidentally lighted tire, Mr Wills, of the Waikopiro, a day or two ago lost 100 Ueeces of wool and got his right hand badly burned. The laying of the water gas mains was commenced in Dannevit'kc on Monday morning. Work in the Blackball coal mine on the West Coast is particularly brisk at the present time, the mine being worked ten hours per day. The output is nearly 2000 tons per week. There are over a thousand children attending the schools in Hastings at the present time. A " bullock race " is talked of as an event on a hack racing programme to be issued shortly in the Marlborough district. The wife of the Rev. F. W. Isitt is at present lecturing in the Wellington district in the interest of the temperance cause. A woman named Frances Middleton .has been sentenced to twelve months imprisonment at Napier on a charge of being a rogue and vagabond. The enquiry in Auckland into the alleged misconduct of Inspector Emmerson is closed. Mr Herbert Reeves, with a French improvement on the Kinematograph, will occupy 7 the local Theatre on the 21st inst. The Hawera Bowling Club has adopted the rule suggested by Napier that members of a club changing their place of residence shall on presenting their club tickets be allowed to play on any green in the colony without additional subscription for the balance of the season. Mr J. A. Smith, with his troupe of Magpie Lady Minstrels and Children's Tableaux Vivants, will appear at the Princess Theatre, Hastings, on Thursday next, in aid of the prize funds for the district schools. The Magpies won golden opinions from the public when they appeared some months ago, and Hastings people will be glad to renew their acquaintance with this talented combination. The stage business and jokes are all fresh, and when one remembers the ladies who take the prominent parts the success of the minstrels is removed beyond the region of doubt. Those who have been privileged to be present at rehearsals state that the living pictures by the school children are a marvel of grouping and graceful postures whilst the subjects are amusing and highly interesting. A strong local orchestra assists, and, apart entirely from the worthiness of the object of the concert, the programme presented by the management is an admirable one, and well worthy of patronage. The cricket match between the local Tradesmen's and the Scinde Clubs will be concluded on the Napier Recreation Ground to-morrow. The rehearsal for the Magpie entertainment will be held in the Princess Theatre to-night at the conclusion of the lecture.* A match has been arranged between the President's and Vice-President's teams on the Hastings Bowling Green to-mor-row. The following are the rinks: — President : (1) Maddison, Reynolds, Newman, Newbigin (skip). 2. O'Reilly, King, Thompson, Clarke (skip), o. Knight, Charlton, Faulknor, Holt (skip;. VicePresident : 1. Martin, Vickers, Land, Haszard (skip). 2. McLeod, Hodd. McIlrov, Ellis (skip). 3. Hughes, G. Roach, P&rvcdl, aud Tyewrau

The Manawatu A. and P. Associaiion made £520 over its late show. A big prohibition meeting is to be held in Hastings on Friday next. His Honor District Judge Ward is some what seriously indisposed. The first of the Napier wool-sales takes place this afternoon. The importers of Auckland have been considering the question of wharf accommodation. Mr Charles Brausche is the successful tenderer for the additions to the Catholic schools, Hastings. The Druids meet at 7.15 this evening at-t-he Oddfellows' Hull for the initiation of officers. All members are requested to assemble. The Arbitration Court sat at Dunedin yesterday to hoar the dispute between the Operative Bakers and Master Bakers Associations. Decision was reserved. The time-table for a special train excursion on the occasion of the opening of the railway to Woodville on Saturday next is published to-day. The Wanganui Herald, writing of the overworking of children by their parents, observes, '• the strong arm of the law must step in." The District School summer holidays extend from the 23rd inst. to February 7th, tlius giving the children a week's extra holidays at Christmas which will be deducted from the winter vacation. The Wairoa (H.B.)§County Council have accepted the tender of Mr Latham, of Stratford, for construction of the Opoiti Bridge. The price is £2705 lis 9d. Mr S. Pattison, Hon. Secretary of the recent Floral Fete, informs us that the management has cleared £135 over the exhibition. Several fine new hotels are to be erected in Wellington shortly to replace old buildings. The Empire and Duke of Edinburgh hotels are to be replaced by handsome structures. The entertainment in aid of the Havelock library and reading room will be held in Haveloek this evening. The programme is carefully arranged and a most enjoyable evening should ensue. A goodly number of Hastings residents intend being present. Mr Peakman, of Hastings, who takes a great interest in fruit growing, informs us that this year the codlin moth is much less manifest than in previous years. Whether from climatic reasons he cannot say, but it is a fact that he has only seen one moth in his trees this season. He has not used the spray, but has simply pruned his trees. The timber and peat in the New Zealand swamps has been the bane of settlers in this colony. On the Te Aute swamp there are three swamp grubbers, made by Messrs A. Jcn;s and Sons of this town, with twenty bullocks at work every day, and the machines ha ve given the greatest satisfaction except for the loss of time occasioned by manipulating the grubber in getting it past a more than usually stubborn stump. Messrs Jones and Sons have just completed a swamp grubber to the order of the Maraekakaho station which obviates this difficulty. In the improved implement the lever which releases the teeth of the machine when they come in contact with a stump is not fastened with a pm to a quadrant as in the ohl, style but is loose, being merely attached to two other levers bearing a weight of eighty pounds at their extremities. This exercises a power of about three tons at the point of the teeth, and when a stump is met with the team drag the grubber past the obstacle and the pressure at the end of the levers brings the teeth back to their original position. Captain Russell is called to order for charging the Premier with making a false accusation against him. The Hon. John McKenzie is allowed to villify the Judges on the Bench, to make attacks on their financial credit, and to accuse them of corruption in the discharge of their duties, and of consorting with perjurers. The Speaker listens calmly and complacently while a Minister of the Crown thus misuses the privileges of Parliament, and makes no attempt to stop him.—Christchurch Press. At the monthly meeting of the Fire Brigade, held to-night, a team of five will be picked to represent the Hastings Brigade at the Auckland competition, which comes off towards the end of February next. Nomination of officers for the ensuing year will also take place. William John Tyermau and Henry Bishop, trading as W. J. Tyerman and Co., of Hastings, chemists, were on Monday adjudicated bankrupt, as was also Lawrence Cottle, of Hastings, commission agent. Meetings of creditors in both estates will be held at the Hastings Courthouse on Wednesday, the 15th inst. The new railway time-table to come into operation from Monday next is published in to-day's issue. It is of special interest to Hastings tradespeople, seeing that some important alterations are made in the hours for the arrival and departure of trains. At the School Committee meeting in Hastings last night a member brought under the notice of the committee the horse-play which goes on during play time at the District School. Several gentlemen mentioned instances of small boys being hurt more or less severely by the bigger ones in rough play. Mr Maddison, in proposing that the headmaster's attention be called to the Act which provides that a master be in charge of the children during play hour, regretted that the powers of the School Committee were farcical, inasmuch as they had only power to suggest in cases of this kind and could not insist upon any reform without making a fuss and reporting to the Board.

The usual monthly meeting of the Hastings School Committee was held last night in Messrs Maddisou and Co.'s store. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed and the secretary said that owing to the headmaster being busy arranging for the school concert there was no report to lay before the meeting but the headmaster told him that a cheque amounting to £7 4s Od for stationery fees would be sent in to-morrow. Correspondence : From Howe Bros, asking for the return of samples submitted by them in connection with the tenders for stationery and drawing attention to their large stock of prize books. —Received. Hie sub-com-mittee appointed to report on the beadmaster s application for an extra supply of water for the school children said that Mr Smith required the work to be done at once and the sub-committees were only authorised to report on the matter. Mr Smith considered that as the warm weather would have passed before the children resumed work in February the work would not be necessary. A suggestion that some money be paid off the harmonium was allowed to stand over. Accounts amounting to £3 5s Id were passed for payment. The secretary, Mr Cook, reported a bank credit balance of £7 1 Messrs Hunt and Maddison were appointed a visiting committee for the month, and the meeting adjourned until Feb, 7, 1888,

According to tlie Wuitsira Times, arrangements are being made for a fortnightly service of direct boats to ileal with the frozen meat trade at Waitara. The hea' - ] of a wild boar, recently killed 01s the Cairn run, at the head of Wyndham Valley, weighed 321b, the tusks being 10 inches in length. Hawkers are beginning to worry householders in Hastings borough. It would be interesting to know if they are all licensed. Wahanui, the last of the old war chiefs, died 011 Sunday at his settlement near Te Kuiti. A big tangi is to be held. For months past Wahanui has been a wreck. T On Monday the Rev. W. Baumber, accompanied by other, members of the Weslevan body, presented the Governor with an address authorised by the Conference at Auckland. Mr Alexander Pateman last week got nine fish, weighing 25£lb, in the Wairnakariri. Mr W. J. Alpe spent live days at Winchester, and caught, on the fly, 75 fish, all in good condition. Mr James Gordon, of Gisbornc, who has a lease of Campbell Island, has returned after an eight months stay. The sheep placed there are thriving, and the increase is satisfactory. Some of the opposition members say that such a combination could now be formed as would turn the Ministry out, but the leaders do not think that the time has yet come. Very much depends upon the impression which will be made in the country by tiie discussion which has taken place on the Old Age Pensions Bill. A " huihui 'Wor native gathering, on a large scale will be heleat Huntly in February, when natives will attend in very large numbers from all parts of the North Island. Nahuta and Ins principal chiefs will be present, and the Premier and the Hon. Mr Carroll are to be invited to attend. The meeting will probably be tie largest of its kind that has been held tf late years. A man named Hugh Vernon, a lion tamer to a travelling circus, was attacked" at Fomingly, New South Wales, by the performing lion, Wallace, while in the animal's cage. Vernon beat him back at first, but the lion made a second spring upon him, knocking Vernon down and wounding him in the shoulder. The other performers then succeeded in beating the lion off until Vernon escaped from the cage. Eccles Cascaba Liver Regulator is a safe and effective remedy for Stomach and Liver Complaints,, such as Indigestion, Headache, Constipation, Furred Tongue &c. It never fails to relieve or cure. 2s 6d per bottle. From A. Eccles' chemists Napier and Hastings, and all leading country storekeepers.—Advt. Large stock of spring and summer suitings. Every variety of best material at moderate prices. Cut style and finish guaranteed by Dodds the Tailor, Heretaunga road.—Advt.