NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume x, Issue 1960, 20 June 1888, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

Under date June 7th, the resignation of G. V. Bate, as Coroner and Justice ot the Peace is gazetted as accepted.

The Premier stated the other night that he had ascertained that blankets manufactured within the colony now supersede all imported ones, except the very cheapest luniis. "Nevertheless, the duty on blankets has been raised to 20 per cent. This cannot be for revenue purposes, for 15 per cent, shuts out imported blankets. It cannot be for protection purposes, because the Premier admits that with the 15 per cent, duty almost all imported blankets are excluded. If the increased duty is not needed either for revenue or for protection,' why is it to b 9 put on ?

We are informed that our correspondent was in error when he stated that the police opposed Mr. O'Neill's application for an accommodation .'license at Oeo for £5. The granting of such license reßts with the licensing hehch. It is suggested that the word " not " may have been dropped out "by a slip of tbe pen.

A London jury in a late case. added a rider to their verdict to the effect: — " That provision should be made by law for an official inquiry into the origin and circumstances of all fires. That such inquiry would tend to diminish tbe frequency of fires by making felony more easy of detection, and by bringing public censure, if not puishment, on persons responsible for fires arising from carelessness or want of precaution. That tbe information and statistics which would result from searching fire inquiries would expose faulty and inferior work, and thus lead to improvements iv building construction."

It is seldom that anything approaching a real tragedy occurs on the stage, but at the theatre at Burton-on-Trent, an incident occurred which very nearly converted a pretended murder into an actual drama.' Tbe piece plavmg was " Maria Martin," 1 in which Mr. Harry Lorraine, son of tbetragedian of that name, was, under the assumed name of Ernest Bright, playing William Corder. The struggle between William Ooriler and Maria Martin in tbe barn had jii6t commenced, and Lorraine raised the pistol aud pulled the trigger. The cap snapped, but the pistol hung fire, aud Lorraine lowered it to his left hand. Just as he did so, the charge exploded, and shattered his hand, blowiDg his first finger across the stage. The play was at once stopped, and a doctor seutfor, the greatest excitement prevailing.

An astronomical friend informs us that we <vere wrong in stating that 61 cygni was the nearest fixed star outside our own phinelavy system. He informs ns tbat Alpha Ceutaurii is twenty millions of millions of miles away, 61 cygni being 50 millions of millions of miles distant. The difference between the two distances may be thus stated : light which travels at the rate of 184,000 miles a second, would require 3^- years to reach us from Alpha Centaurii, but from Gl cygni it would take nine years to travel the distance ; the average editozual mind recoils from calculations which require either unlimited leisure or absolute astronomical accuracy. But if any error should be found in our friend's figures, we shall be prepared to make necessary corrections. There are two Stars which revolve round this particular district, the twinkling light of which may perhaps penetrate a few millions of miles into the obscure realms of tuturity ; but we have not yet heard even from the man in the moon, our nearest satellite, what effect the light from these comparatively recent additions to the starry world have had on lunar residents.

Waimate Road Board invite tenders. Tenders p.re invited for "additions to the Hawera school.

An emergency meeting of the Masonic Lodge will bo held on Friday evening. Messrs. Nolan, Tonks, and Co, sell stock at Hawera to-morrow.