NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IX, Issue 1517, 5 January 1887, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

It is reported that young Brightwell, who was drowned at Wanganui, had been to Foxton, and was stopping at Wanganui. He was missed by his friends there, but they supposing he had gone home, did not make auy enquiry. At the PJawera sports on New Year's Day Mr. McQueen of Stratford was the only bagpipe player. He took the prize offered by the committee, and played the dance music. In connection with bagpipes a Wellington paper not s that the set of bagpipes used at the Caledonian sports in Wellington on Saturday by Mr. J. M. Patterson, were played at the Battle of Waterloo by that gentleman's grandfather. The present owner is in the service of Messrs. Beetham, of Braneepeth, Wairarapa. The pipes are in an excellent state of preservation. The James Watt Dock, Greenock, which has been under construction for the past eight years, was recently opened by Provost Shankland. About a thousand ladies and gentlemen were present at the opening ceremon3', who were conveyed to the dock in two Clyde river steamers. The uew dock works are the most extensive of their kind in Scotland. The consist of a western tidal harbour, a northern tidal harbour, wet dock, and a great harbour — the latter being an enclosed piece of water 4000 feet in length and 700 feet in width. The cost of the work up to the present time including the purchase of the land, had been about £800,000. At Morton, the other day, Sir William Fox was presented with an illuminated address expressing " admiration of your zealous labors as a statesman and a colonist." The address dealt at considerable length with the career of Sir William, eulogising his conduct in various capacities, and concluded with a request that he would accept an accompanying draft to " procure something that will remind you of your old home and your old friends and neighbors in Rangitikei." Sir William Fox replied at length, and, in speaking of the old colonists, said " difficulties had not troubled them much, actuated, as they were, by a sentiment which he was afraid had not extended to later colonists, the sentiment that they were going out to annex another colony to the British Empire ; to institute the customs and Christianity of their native land in a new country. They were going to be actors in history, not merely lookers on in the world. They were going to do something, and that something they could now pride themselves on had proved a great and successful work. He took pride to himself — if a humble individual like himself might have any pride — for I the part, however small it might have been, he took in the colonization of such a fertile, prosperous, and civilized country as New Zealand now was. It was a work of which they, old colonists, might well be proud." Sir Wm., however, declined to take the draft, saying he did not wish th Q re should be anything pecuniary between he and his old friends, uot even in connection with that for which they were met there that day. That (touching the address was sufficient for his requirements ; he was not likely to torget the inhabitants of Rangitikei. He trusted they would not be offended. He hoped they would not take it that he did not wish to be under any obligations to them, for such was not the case ; he returned it in the most kindly spirit. He would leave it to the committee to deal with as they chose.

RWe remind the public of the Stratford Sports to be held to-morrow. The - programme will be found in another column, and as tbe committee are working with enthusiasm, there should a pleasant day to-morrow. Sports commence at 12 o'clock, sharp. We have to acknowledge witb thanks receipt of a cony of the Taranaki Almanac for 1887. This annual publication has been so long in existence and is so well known that it is not necessary to enter into a description of it. It is a handy little book, compiled with considerable care, and should be useful to settlers. The Waipapa run, Clarence River, 70,000 acres, has been sold to T. aud A. Bell, of Wairau Valley. The price is .£6500. The run was taken over by the Government 18 months ago for the eradication of scab, and the sheep killed off. The property is now clean. There is reviving activity in statiou property in Marlborongh. Sporting terms are a little difficult to understand by those who ■ take only a passing interest in such matters ; but the term "maiden race" has been so long used to designate a contest for beginners that pretty well all mi^ht have been expected to understand it. However, a young lady was, in all good faith, entered by her father for the Maiden race at Hawera on Saturday. Explanations subsequently ensued, and the entrance monej 7 was returned. Tlie Auckland Star says if the object of the Government is to make the Property Tax as oppressive and irritating as possible, they are going the right way about it, by the manner in which the tax is now being enforced. Our contemporary proceeds to complain that notices were sent out so late that it was impossible for the taxpaj r er to pay before the date, when the 10 per cent, was added, that the fine is nevertheless rigidly imposed ; and that more is demanded in some cases than is really due. We (Evening Bell) have been credibly informed by a gentleman who has travelled over the North of this colony, that he has, in the inland districts, eaten Circular Head potatoes, borne all the way by steamer from Tasmania, sent up to Whangarei by steamer and then cirte.l inland by bullock dray ; that colonial babies the offspring of farmers (save the mark !) are being brought up on Swiss milk ; that tinned salmon are consumed on the banks of estuaries and rivers in the North that are literally alive with fish. The Chnstchurch Press mentions that, after many disappointments, Mr. J. T. Matson has been successful in hatching out a brood of young ostriches, seven in number. The young birds are strong and healthy, and likely to do well. Mr. Matson is to be congratulated on this well earned result of his pluck and enterprise, he having persevered in spite of many disappointments. One season , it may be noted, he lost the whole of his eggs through some defect in the incubator. However, the result now achieved shows what can be done by actiog up to the old motto of '• Try again." During the past few months a number of enterprising French manufacturers have formed a syndicate for the purpose of increasing the export of French manufac tnres, and securing an increased market fur tbe product of French industries, with various countries of the world. This syndicate proposes to send inspectors to all countries where they can practically be introduced, and then to install a representa live where they may be a derrnud for manufactured goods. This representative is provided with catalogues, which he is expected to place where they will be of use, and at the same time he is to gather such information as may be required. Various similar syndicates have alreadj 7 been formed in Germany. Who are the Dunedin Justices of the Peace who have disgraced their position by a public house brawl on a Sunday morning? The Minister of Justice will do well to ascertain their nacne3 with a view to the latter being omitted in the new Commission of the Peace which is about to be issued. He has already purified tbe roll by removing the name of an Auckland Justice who was found to be an unfit person to occupy the Bench, and it is generally understood that several names which are on the present roll will be omitted from the new one. Certainly Justices of the Peace who come to blosvs in a public house on a Sunday morning are not fit persons to retain the position of Magistrates ; and no matter what other positions they occupy, we hope Mr. Tole will not hesitate to omit their names from the new roll. — Wellington Post. The New Plymouth Sports were extraordinarily successful, the News relates, the total takings realising the good round sum of £106. The Taranaki Grand Handicap was won by E. Humphries. In the first event of the big handicap, Hempton was nearly left at the post, and ran unplaced, Humphries winning in the good time of lOsecs. In the second event, Hempton beat Humphries on the post, and then ran second in the quarter-mile, making a tie with Humphries for the medal. In the run off, over the 220 yds course, Humphries beat his opponent, who had evidently not recovered from the effects of his hard work in the quarter. The Hurdles brought out a field of eleven, and the result was a grand finisli between Watson and Honeyfield, whom the judges could hardly separate. The mile event was appropriated by Pearson, who ran in first-rate form. Art instruction is now carried on in Wellington upon an excellent system under the auspices of the Board of Education. In April last Mr. A. D. Riley, late of the Kensington School of Art, arrived here to conduct the Wellington School of Design, in which tuition is given to all public and assistant teachers employed under the board, as well as to private students. The course ot study now carried on embraces all grades, from mere elementary lessons to instruction of advanced students in drawing and painting from casts, models, and nature. The averase attendance of students for the half-year just completed has been 237 x>r>v week, and at the examination a large percentage have passed the different classes. The chemical classes are also conducted in connection with the institution, and 63 trade students have availed themselves of these facilities. During tbe term just concluded the board has authorised an expenditure of £50 in the purchase of mechanical and architectural models, etc., aud has empowered a committee to raise the requisite funds for the erection of new offices as permanent quarters for the School of Design, which, it is hoped, will eventually be affiliated to the South Kensington Head School. The Phoenix Fire Insurance Company publishes a business notice in another column. It is said that dull times are not known by the agents for the great publishing house of George Stinson & Co., of Portland, Maine. They need many more agents in all parts of the country. Those who need profitable work should apply at once. Woman do as well as men. Experience is not necessary, for Messrs. Stinson & Co. undertake to show all who are willing to work, not hard but earnestly, the path to large success. Stinson & Co. guarantee grand success to all who engage and follow simple and plain directions that they give. We have not space to explain all here, but full particulars will be sent free to those who address the firm. "Rough on Corns." — Ask for Wells' "Rough on Corns." Quick relief, complete, permanent cure. Corns, warts bun ions. At chemists and druggists. 3