NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume VII, Issue 1305, 12 May 1886, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

Parliament will be opened to-morrow, 13th instant. The Industrial Exhibition i» Wellington resulted in a loss of £'8500, and the Post anticipates trouble over the matter when Parliament meets. Mr G. Belcher, the well known bookmaker, died of cancer in the stomach, caused by blows received in a boxing contest with Mace some years ago in Cliristchurch. The Customs authorities claim £GOO duty on tbe Victorian wines imported for the Exhibition, in consequence of their strength being one-fourth over the stipulated strength. A girl in Masterton, eleven years of age, ate heartily of tbe rind of a water melon, and, in spite of medical attendance, died thirty hours afterwards of inflammation of the bowels. There have been heavy floods and ireshes in the South Western States. The estimated damage is 20,000,000 dollars. Northern Georgia and Alabama have been the heaviest sufferers. The Auckland made cartridges have much improved in quality, and very satisfactory results have been obtained since the first trial in Waganui. English powder is, however, used to fill them Avith. A Canterbury school committee recently complained to their board that the roof of the master's house was like a sieve, and at night time when it was raining the master had to spread the family umbrella over his virtuous couch before retiring to rest. They got the roof repaired. — Those interested in the gravelling of Lake road will have to exercise their minds in patience for yet another winter. The Road Board discussed the matter on Saturday, but considered that the season was now too far advanced to undertake the work, and it will therefore remain over till next spring. Mr. McGregor, engineer to the Auckland Harbor Board, has prepared a report on harbor works with plans. The plan provides for a complete scheme of works for further development. The whole is estimated to cost £1,167,747, and provides berthage for six and a half miles wharf frontage. Mr. J. Gibson, having seen in the columns of the Stab the report of the Sanitary Committee, presented to the Borough Council at last meeting, has forwarded to this office an illustrated prospectus of several descriptions of cistern filters. We have placed the document in the hands of the Town Clerk. A curious discovery (says an exchange) was made recently when a lightning rod which had been in place fifteen years embedded in soft clay was removed.. There was found attached to it a solid lump of iron ore weighing 961b, supposed to have been produced by the conversion , of the clay by the action of electricity ' It would be interesting to learn where this took place. We have received a rather long letter from Mr. Allsworth on the harbor question. It is in a great measure a reiteration of the statements and figures given by Mr. Milne in a recent letter; and as the board has now decided to abandon all attempt at including the Hawera and Waimate ridings in the new Loan" Bill, we trust that the non-publication will be excused. Judges Hawkins and Matk«w have upheld the appeal of the Salvationists against the conviction and fine imposed upon them at Croydon for playing band music in the streets on Sunday. The judges held that the municipal by-law on the subject was " most unreasonable and cruelly oppressive, and therefore could not be enforced ; and that it is ultra vires, unreasonable, and repugnant to the general laws of the land for civic authorities to attempt to limit by municipal legislation the natural privileges of the Queen's lawabiding subjects. Few persons, perhaps, have any idea of the labor involved in attending to locomotives. As soon as the day's work is over the engine is taken into the shed and the cleaner's work begins. The fire having all been drawn, the furnace-bars have to be scraped to remove the slag from the coal which has adhered to them. The engine has then to be thoroughly cleaned of all the dust and dirt accumulated during the day, the whole operation taking from four to five hours according to circumstances. The fire has then to be lit to get up steam for the next run, and it is generally another four hours before that

is accomplished ; so that the one man told off to each engine is kept pretty well occupied all night. The meeting of the Borough Council which was to have been held last evening, to consider the balance sheet, fell through for want of a quorum. Mr. H. F. Christie has taken up the loan of £4:000 at 7 per cent, issued by New Plymouth borough. He gives a bonus of £20. Information was sent to the police by the Committee of the Midhirst Cemetery on Saturday that a box supposed to contain the body of an infant had been buiied without authority, and it was not known whose child it was or who had made the interment. Constable Ryan was accordingly sent out to make inquiries, and returned to-day. He reports that the box contained the body of a female child, and that it had been disposed of in the manner mentioned by a Swiss, who is a married man. The child was still-born, so that there was no cause for the police to interfere. From a private letter received in Ha- ! wera from Mr. Osterlinjr, we learn that he feels severely the difference in climate between New Zealand and Sweden. At the time his letter was written (March 9) there was from 2ft to sft of snow on the ground, with no promise of a thaw. Mr. Osterlmg names many of his old friends to whom he wishes to be remembered, and we are sure that everyone would be glad to see him back here again. As his moTements seem to be unsettled, there is quite a possibility of such an event. The Governor of West Australia has received the following telegram from tha Government Resident at Derby :—": — " I have very great pleasure in informing your Excellency that most favorable reports have reached Derby from the goldfields. Five parties are down, all bringing alluvial gold — some more, some less. There are noA over 400oz in the town. Professional diggers speak highly of the field, and predict one of the biggest rushes that has been seen for years ; they also predict reefing ns a future certainty. The field is extensive." " Puff' in the Wellington Press says : — Serious business at Taranaki ! Butter shut out from coasters for transhipment to Sydney I They want the Hauroto to be sent specially to carry the butter ! If she goes, what article of common table use will she resemble ? I'm sure I don't know 1 A butter-boat of course ! Haha ! Not worth making such a fuss about, is it ? Very important, from the Taranaki farmers' point of view ! There's going to be a mighty big trade in farm produce between Taranaki and Sydney ! Taranaki used to be called the garden of New Zealand, but it's going to be the garden of New South Wales ! Notice is given of intended transfer of Railway Hotel to Mr. Mullins. Mr. Mullins notifies that he can offer first-class accommodation to travellers and others. A sale of really good furniture is advertised to take place on Friday near the railway station. Tenders aro invited for the supply of oats. Impounding notice is published by C. Goosey. The Hawerci County Council gives notice that all owners of unregistered dogs will be proceeded against after the 31st. inst. Nolan, Tonks and Co. publish first entries of Opunake stock sale to be held on Tuesday next. We notice by advertisement in another column of our paper that C. C. Fleming has started manufacturing Boots and Shoes on the premises. This firm is now long standing, and we advise the public to give them a trial of their locally manufactured goods, as, by encouraging local industry, Hawera must advance. Read. — Advt. Messrs. Kirk, Duff, & Co., have a new advertisment in thi3 issue to which we cannot do better than "refer ouv readers. In addition to the usual business of grocers, and wine and spirit merchants, the firm advertises crockeryware, and ironmongery, and is, amongst other commissions agent lor the Singer sewing machines and for Union Insurance Company. Produce is bought, and goods delivered all round the country side.