NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IX, Issue 1667, 5 July 1887, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

i Our Kaupokonni correspondent writes : — A movement is being made at Normanby to form a debating society, and v few persons have the matter in hand. It is expected that a lnr«e number of active members will join. Persons in Normanby and surrounding district will, I am certain, warmly support a club of the above nature. It is not the idea of the promoters to make tbe debates wholly political, and matters of local interest, etc., will be introduced. A meeiing of persons feeling disposed to joiu will shortly be called. j In connection with the absence of White- . side from the Auckland team in the recent B match with Tar an aki, a correspondent, writing to an Auckland paper, says: — 11 When the Wellington team were here ■ la«t 6ift'?on they held out certain pecuniary inducements to Whheside to return with - them to Wellington, which he thought of accepting." The writer then goes ou to [ state what is already known — that one of i the Auckland Selection Committee offered \ Whiteside a certain puui for every inter- > provincial match he pluyeu, which it is | said he lias not been paid, wherefore he considers himself shabbily traated.

Colonel Trimble addresses the electors at Stratford and Midhirst on dates given iv advertisement in another column. | Captain Edwin wires to-day : — There is every indication of a heavy gale as wired yesterday, and heavy rain. Glass will further fall. A Mataura farmer, according to the Ensign, has had his faith in the contract system strengthened by a recent experiment of employiug men on wages. He set some bands digging potatoes. In half a day two men dug four bags, and five men the next day succeeded in achieving fourteen bag?. He then let the work to one m:in at 6d a b <g, and he dug away at the rate of twelve and thirteen bags a day. ' The Registrar's statistics for the quarter ending Jtine 30 are as follows : — Births in borough : 11 males, 1 female ; outside borough, 6 males, 8 females ; total for district, 26. Deaths in borough : Nil ; outride borough, 2 females ; cause of death — premature birth (age 12 days) ; progressive muscular atrophy (old age), aged 71 years. Marriages in borough, 4 ; outside borough, 2 ; average ages of contracting parties — males, 82£ years; females, 22 years; celebrants — Church of England, 4; Presbyterian, 1; Registrar, 1. Mrs. John. Short left the district on Monday for Auckland, where 6he intends residing for the future. Settlers in the vicinity will greatly regret that old ties have now been finally severed, for both Mrs Short and her late husband were highly respected, and will be long remembered for their kindness to neighbors in sickness and in health, in prosperity and in adversity. We understand that the farm is likely to be divided into two holdings, for which purchasers or occupiers have been obtained, though arrangements have not been definitely completed, " Shot and shell " is an item now to be frequently seen on the manifests of vessels clearing from London for Australasian ports. The Centurion, now at Auckland discharging, had iron shot to the value ot £1120 on board. The Letterewe, now on her way to Wellington, has shot and shell valued at £900, and the Deva, for Dunedin, has ordnance valued at £8950. For Melbourne, the ship Port Adelaide has ordnance to the value of £830. The ship Derwent, for Sydney, has shells valued at £000, and the Florence, for Tasmania, shells valued at £430. Auother very significant line now appears on the ship's pnpers, namely, old iron. The Letterewe has 87 tons for New Zealand, and the Derwent, for Syduey, 20 tons. The information of the successful smelting of the ironsand at New Plymouth has been received with delight in this district, and we are glad to see by this morning's News that the metal runs freely whenever the furnace is tapped. On Monday eveniug another tapping was made from the furnace, and with good result. The metal flowed freeiy, and formed itself into the moulds that had been set for tho pigs. The quantity of iron made from this tap* ping is about two tons, most of which is formed iuto well-shaped pigs. It is the intention of Mr. Hipkins to have the tapping more frequent, and another was to be made at about 1.30 this morning. The News states also " that the appeal made by tbe committee for assistance is being responded to. Several subscriptions have been received from the out districts. It is believed that the contributions will continue to flow in, for by that means alone will the association be enabled to continue the trial until a large quantity of iron has been produced." The local contingent of the Salvationists are fighting briskly, and with considerable success, it we may judge by tho largo audiences secured. The Army is undoubtedly a great force in the world. Speaking at the annual May meeting at Exeter Hall, General Booth said the wings of the Salvation Army were longer and stronger than ever, so that during the year they had been taking louger flights and acquiring greater results limn they had been previously able to do in the history of th.c society. During the year they lind paseed through the training homes 484 lasses and 445 lads. Thus 939 young people had graduated during the past year in the " Salvation university," and there were 478 in traimns; to- .lay. Since January there had been 1009 applications for admission to the ministry of the army, and of these 120. had been accepted and were ready to be taken in. Not only had these- officers been trained but used, 85 new corps aud 55. new outposts having been established, while in addition thero were the travelling forts. He hoped to see tho day wheu the army would number 340,000 fighting officers. It was reported that the army had extended its operations to Germany, Holland, Denmark, Lapland, the Transvaal, and St. Helena ; while among those in attendance wore Major Weevesooiye, a native of India, who spoke of the work done in Ceylon and India, and Staff-Captain Hellberg, of Scandinavia. They had now begun the work in the West-end of London, and were going in for saving dukes and earls and members of Parliament. Tho army newspaper, the War Cry, was now published in eight different languages, and bad a vast circulation, equal to 436,000 weekly. In a notice of the Melbourne Cup weights, St. Leger (Wellington Press) writes :—lt: — It is certainly flattering to New Zealanders to see Trenton and Nelson occupying the premier position in the handicap for the " biggest race south of the line," aljLhough their backers, no doubt, would prefer jto see them a little less prominent in ttyis respect. Bqth, I believe, are masters of the weight allotted them — Ost 91b, and fit and well on a dry course thuy should be in it with the best of them. Trident (9st 81b) has not been thrown in, but with his performances still fresh in the minds of tho public, a lighter impost could hardly have bern expected. The bunching of Disowned and Sheet Anchor and Arsenal, at Bst 8!l>, is, Itake it, more complimentary to the firstnamed animal's powers thau' satisfactory to his owner. It is rather rougb to tjisk tbe Maori to give weight to such cracks as Lord Wilton, Fryinppan, Silvermine, The Jewel, Ringmaster, Grace Darlin«, Abner, Bon Bolt, and others of liko standing. Spado Guinea (Bst 61b) is also asked to give weight to the animals just mentioned. The lmndicnpper has certmnly a bettor opinion of her powers than I have. The next New Zealander to call for attention is my old favorite, Pashn. I think I may fairly claim to be the first turf writer to proclaim my belief in tho ability of this son ot The Mute to win over a two mile course in good company— an opinion which was afterwards endorsed by others, and subsequently verified by performance. In the Melbourne Cup Pasha has 7st 12lb, being bracketed at that impost with Ben Bolt, David, Metal, Industry, and Dunlop. At this weighjt he has a big say, and if intended for the event will no doubt command a lot of attention in the betting. Of the other New Zealanders Thunderbplc has 7st 81b, Niagara and Sextant 7st {Jib, Escutcheon Gst 91b, Trauter aud Bangle Gst 51b, and Mana Gst. Spine of our division ought to be handy at the finish.