NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 3085, 29 March 1892, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

" Zareba'e " name was by error omitted from the nominations from the Hurdles at Patea.

The Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Times says he would not be snrprised if the penny inland postage, promised by the Government, is not brought into operation at all. This is somewhat significant.

The average cost per head of the military forces of New South Wales is oVer £29, being the highest of any of the oolonies; South Australia comes next with £17 11s ; Queensland, £16 145 ; Victoria, £16 14s; and Hew Zealand, £10 163.

In reference to the attendance at the Girls' and Boys' Schools in Wanganui, it has been decided that the matter be sent to the Board for their consideration, as tbe Committee bad done all in their power to bring about a desirable change with no beneficial results.

Tbe quarterly meeting of the Union iiodge of Oddfellows was held on Monday evening, about thirty members being present. A large quantity of general business was gone through, tbe principal item being the election of lodge surgeon ; and after disoussion Dr. Westenra was appointed. During the evening nearly d£so was taken as members' contributions.

We are informed that Messrs: Kerrisk and Murphy have settled the action for damages brought by Mr. Barley man against the Stratford County Council and themselves for removing boulders from the bed of tbe Fatea river running through Mr. Barleyman's property at Stratford by paying nominal damages, based upon the value of the stone taken and the costs of tbe action. The County Council filed a defence denying that tbe county was responsible for the action of the contractors in removing tbe stone. We are assured that the right claimed by Mr. Barleyman in tbe Patea river-bed is conceded by the Council, the establishment of this right being the object of instituting the proceedings.

The Amy Vaugban Company were again greeted with a very fair audience at tbe Town Hall last evening, when the troupe repeated Saturday night's performance to tbe delight of everyone present. The antics of the inimitible " Doggrass " were very amusing, and from his first appearanoe on the stage till the finish of the burlesque the audience were kept in a continual laughter ; while " Dams Hatley" never failed to oreate attention. The dancing and singing of Miss Amy Vaughan, Miss May Travers, and Miss Daisy Thornton were both pretty and perfect ; and the remainder of the company acted their parts well. The concluding piece — the pantomime — was the cause of much amusement, the transformation scene having a charming effect upon the performers. On the whole the troupe may be said to be a talented one, and the visit apparently gave complete satisfaction.

Tbe low value of fat stock in Borne partß of TStayi Sovvtfx \$ *\xovm va ttae> following extract from tbe Wellington pS.B.^.") Grazette. M tbs Orange Savoyards lately " broken-mouthed ewes were sold nt 8d per head, and eventually biddings were confined to 26s per 100. Fat Bheep brought up to 3s 6d each. This is a deplorable state of things, neither good for producer nor consumer. Surplus stock and fear of drought are the cause of the low prices ruling. We are informed that there is now coming down Curra Creek a mob of cows from Queensland, wbioh can be bought at 10s per head. Boiling-down is being commenced on one or more of the Macquarie stations. Messrs. A. Lyne and Co. offered at auction at Nyngan, on Wednesday, 3,500 ewes from two- tooth up, mostly four-year-old. They succeeded in placing 500 at 2s, and passed in the balance, which they^subsequently sold privately at a reduction. A Wellington owner was offered this week £2 a head for a mob of fat bullooks."

Most of our readers (says the Napier Telegraph) have heard of porpoise-hide boots, and know that they are not made from the skin of the porpoise. We understand that II 11I 1 porpoise- Luda" is merely a trade term, although Beisjon's Enoyclopoedia tells us thatthe skin of the porpoise, when carefully tanned and dressed, is used for wearing apparel and for coverings of carriages. Be that as it may, about two or three years ago some porpoise skins were sent from here to England to be tanned and dressed with a view of ascertaining whether a profitable industry could be created. In due time the tanned skins came back, and were exhibited in the rooms of the Hawke's Bay Philosophical Society. The smell from them was strong enough to knock a healthy person down at ten yards, and the appearance of the shins was that of between burnt leather and blotting paper; A report from the tanners was to tho effect that in consequence of the amount of oil in the skins it was impossible to tan them, and from that cause porpoise hide, as an article of trade, was valueless. Altogether opposed to this report is a telegram we published from Wellington, which stated that some hides of porpoises, after being steeped in brine for four mouths, had been tanned, the result being the production of exoellent leather, as light and as pliable as kid. This, we take it, is very good news, as it promises to open up an industry which, in some measure, will take the place of whaling, which is fast dying out for want of whales, while porpoises are as thick as blackberries.

The following paragraph from the Manawatu Times refers to an event of which we were not at the time advised locally : — A very interesting ceremony I took place at " Rpßtalrig," Eltham, on iWfedaeaday, 16th Match, whan Mina ' Asthury, eldest surviving daughter of Mta, ABtbnry, was united in matrimony to Mr. JohiffloUmß, youngest son of tho lale E. Colliqip, Esq., of Pafraerston North. Unfortunately, the weather prevented the marriage taking place in fhe clmroh, which, by the kindneso of the K(vpon«ft friends, wae gaily decorated with flowere, etc, for the occasion. At 12,80 the Boy. W. H. Kay officiated. The bndo looked supremely radiant in a oroatn oashrtfretto trimmed with lace and ribbon j a trnid borne by tne chi*f bridesmaid, and n bonoet trimmed with lao 9 orange blossom, with a veil to match, completed ft eosfctimo bo interesting to the feminine raioil, Ort her wrist gleamed n gofil horse-shoo bangle, the gift of th© bridegroom, The bridesmaids, Mm And? AflUmr.y, eister of the bride, and SUgs Sill, tilede of the bridegroom, looked fflseiofttiti^ < (he former in tsream mnfll/n wHli hatitittnpg sash, the latter in silver greVHHfl's vpjlittg with white silk. Both bMfssmttid* woftf gold padlock and oh&ia btwtshtib eel with rubies and diamond*, tho fli/fc of ih§ btlh&> groom. The bridegroom, gtttittorted oa his right by his beat roan, Mr. H, AftfcbHry, gave the necessary •' I will " id a tooa clear and distinct an a eflver olflrion, Thfl knot being tied, the friends and relations sat down to a eomptuons brenkfast. Thin being duly considered and toasts drunk and responded to, the bride, in a travelling dress of grey cashmere, with hat and cloak to match, acoompanied by the bridegroom, wended her way amid showers of hoe to the coach and four provided to taki them to Haweri,

No less than thirty-five tourists, including several from Hawera, succeeded in reaching the top of Mount Egmont on Sunday last. A more perfect day could not have -been wished tor,- and a splendid view was obtained.

Mr. J. W. Burlace. the popular manager of the New Zealand Clothing Factory Company's Hawera business, is under instructions to leave for Feilding, where a new branch is to be opened by him. Mr. Burlaoe's many friends will regret that he is leaving.

An East Coast telegram states that fifteen natives on the East Coast suffering from fever put themselves in the bands of the " tohunga," who told them, after taking his physic, to go and " sit in the oreek" until the '• tohunga " released them. Thirteen out of the fifteen died.

One consequence of the prevalence of influenza. Bishop Moran has addressed the following circular letter to tbe priests of the diocese of Dunedin :—" Rev. Dear Sir, — In virtue of special faculties from the Holy See, I hereby dispense from the fast and abstinence of Lent during the remaining weeks of Lsnt.

A party of explorers have recently discovered immense forests of iudiarubber tree in the valley of tbe Orinoco (U.S.) They have also discovered other trees very much like, if not Identical, with the guttapercha tree of tbe Malay Archipelago. The latter being almost extinct, the news is all the more important.

At Quebec tbe winter markets are very very curious. Everything is frozen. Large pigs, killed perhaps months before, may be seen standing in the butohei's shop. Frozen masses of beef, mutton, deer, fowl, cod, and haddock, and eels long and stiff like walking sticks, abound on tbe stalls. Milk, also, is kept frozen, and is sold by tbe pound in masses wbioh look like lumps of marble.

Under 120 of the wills reported in England during last year the bequeßta Cor religious, educational, and charitable parposes amounted to about £1,200,000. In each of the preceding yearß the amount t.jus bequeathed was about £1,000,000. A sum of more than £800,000 was left for charitable purposes last year under the wills of twenty ladies, the aggregate amount of whose personal estate was £992,857.

Tbe New Zealand Trade Review and Wellington Prices Current says : — A new and powerful competitor for deposits would appear to be in the market in tbe person ot the Public Trustee, who b&s recently issued a circular in whioh he intimates that on funds up to £3000 placed in his hands for investment by anyone, inter alia, " arranging a trust," he will pay interest at 5 per cent, free of charge or deduction, and under guarantee of the colony as regards both principal and interest. We do not know whether advantage is being taken of this offer to any important extent, but it appears to us to be gravely questionable how far it is legitimate for the State thus to enter into competition with financial companies while at the same time heavily bandi. capping these institutions by onerous taxation.

At a meeting of the Pire Brigade pionio committee last evening, the secretary (Mr. Bobbins) reported that he bad made arrangements for a. special train on Easter Moud&y to coiwev the v?icnvo v>wct^ to Eltham, and was negotiating through the \oca\ B\ia\\oTtttaaal6t \.o ge\> tin© \XB\\a\ &\\>etnoon train from Hawera delayed an hour an a half so as to enable visitors north of Eltham to return in good time. There is to be a concert in Hawera in the evening, Mr. Swinburne being solely entrusted with the latter, and there is no doubt that he will get up a pleasant evening's entertainment, which will conclude with a dance. The picnio is to be held in Mr. D. Brown's paddock, and will include running, jumping, swings, and numerous other amusements. Given a fine- day tbe brigade will, no doubt, reap a good harvest to enable them to pay the remaining debt on the new engine.

The new Governor is reported not to be rich as Earls go. In politics Lord Glasgow is a moderate Conservative. He has no strong views on any of the questions of colonial interest, and is particularly desirous of having none attributed to him. Upon the subject of labor, etc., he emphatically declined to be drawn. "I desire," he said, " to approach my new duties with a free hand and an open mind." The eldest son, Lord Kilburne, is in tne navy, and at piesent on the China station, but the rest of the family will aooompany him to the colony. Lord Edward is seventeen, Lady Augusta sixteen, Lady Alioe fifteen, Lady Dorothy fourteen, Lord James thirteen, Lord John nine, and Lord Alan seven. The difference between Lord Glasgow and his predecessor is that whereas Lord Onslow merely accepted the post with the idea of qualifying as an authority on colonial affairs in the Imperial Parliament, pnd tired of you directly bis object was accomplished, Lord Glasgow goes out to stay, and may even settle members of his family in the colony. It is certainly a compliment (says a correspondent) that instead of leaving his boys behind at Eton or Harrow, the new Governor should determine to rely on your educational institutions. Lord Glasgow is not a fluent speaker, but he possesses (like most old sailors) an extensive fund of anecdotes.

The annual meeting of the Wellington branch of tbe New Zealand Institute of Journalists was held on Saturday afternoon. There was (the New Zealand Times reports) a large attendance, amongst those present being Mr. Seffern (lrom New Plymouth). Mr. E. T. Gillon (the chairman of the branch) presided. The report Btated that the growth of the branch had been very rapid. Starting with a few of the Wellington oity pressmen, it has spread its membership over the whole of the district, and has now a roll of nearly sixty members, the largest of any branch attached to tbe institute. On the motion of the chairman, seconded hy Mr. Seffern, tbe report and accompanying balance sheet were adopted. The I meeting then proceeded with tap ( election of offioers, the chairman (Mr. Gillou), secretary (Mr. Earle), and tbe treasurer (Mr. W. H. Atack) being reelected without opposition. Ten members had been nominated as candidates for the committee, and a ballot having been taken, the following were returned : — Messrs W. P. Roydhouße, O. Rous Marten, B. A. Lough nan, J. Evison, H. B. Bridge, A. King, and <T. M. Geddis. A further ballot was taken for the election of five delegates to the Council of the Institute, and resulted ia favor of the following: — Mesarß. W. P. Roydbouee. W. H. Atack, J, Evleon, W. H. J. Seffern, and R. A. Longboat!. The chairman is also a delegate ex offloia. It was unanimously resolved, That the Institute of New Zealand Jotirtmliets be recommended to exert its influence with the proprietors of the leading papers, with the view of establishing a (ftistotii under which each member of tbe literary staff of a paper would receive not lees than a fortnight's leave in eaoh year.

Farmers' Union sell stook- at Manaia tomorrow.

Wa oftll attention to fresh additions to Mr. C. E. Major's advertisement.

Housoa and land at Norinanby is offered for eale.

Wo with to dranr the attention of [our readers to the advertisement •re winter boots just opened up by Mr Metzenthiu. Purchasers would do well to give him an early call.— Advt.