GENERAL NEWS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 179, 30 November 1881, Page 2 (Supplement)

GENERAL NEWS.

At tbe annual meeting of the Mosgiel Woollen' Faotory, a dividend of 10 per cent, has been declared.

It has been decided to hold the annual tournament of the Wanganui Fire Brigade on the 3rd of December.

Tbe statement is made that the death of Lord Airlie, in the Western States, was preceded by the ghostly beating of a drum at the mansion in Scotland, the usual sign, according to report, of the speedy death of a member of the family. Lady Airlie heard the sound, and was much prostrated in consequence.

One of the last shipments of frozen meat from Victoria to the old country turned out remarkably well. Nevertheless, : it was reported to be selling at the somewhat low price of 4\d. per lb. The Austimkeiftn correspondent considers mutton much more saleable than beef; but for the London market merino mutton is less suitable than half-bred.

Mr. Rawson has (says the Patea Mail) almost completed the detailed survey of the railway route for the Waverley Section. The actual distance from Warerley station to Patea station is about 8£ miles, and if the line had been taken at the back of the Whenuakura block, the distance to Patea ,would have been nearly 4£ miles more. Thus the distance and expense of a journey between these stations would have been more than' doubled, and the expense on goods would have been doubled perpetually. It is also well known that the increased cost of construction would be over £15,000 by the inland route, besides the large permanent expense of wt>r)£ng A hraach Ytne. IS the Inland route would have opened up new country, the case would have been altered. Tenders for the Waverley section may be invited early in January. The official instruction is to push on. The laying of rails and ballasting on tbe Manutahi section is to be let in one contract, we . believe. The early opening of, this section is important for cheapening tbe transit of goods up country. There is a new locomotive lying at the Patea station, and we suppose it will soon be wanted for the ballasting up to Manutabi.

Mr. Sutton, of Napier, in a recent electioneering speech, made the following statement on the Property Tax:— Of the 489,000 people. in the colony only 22,087 paid the tax, so that 460,000 did not pay the tax. Of those who paid, 5417 paid less than £1; 9048 between .£1 and £5; 3267 between .£5 and <£10 ; 2146 between .£lO aud .£2O; and 2211 over «£2O: The Bank of New Zealand paid the highest sum, .£7OOO, and one or two wealthy firms from ,£4OOO to £5000.

Mr. Stout has given it as his opinion that if' the persons' entitled to be registered as electors under sections 7 and 8 of the Registratipn-Act of 1879 send in their claims,, the Registrar must, after fifteen days,, register them, if he thinks the, statement of. their quali-. fications is true notwithstanding that the write ha-yo^been issued.