NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XX, Issue 2327, 16 January 1893, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

Still they come ! The total number of passengers who arrived at the Bluff during the week from Melbourne was 730. Mr. J. Davidson desires us to acknowledge receipt of £2 from Mr. Dive and £1 from Mr. C. Tait for tbe Hawera Hospital Fucd. The Woodville Jockey Club has J9122 to credit after paying for over £100 worth of improvements they had effected for last meeting. It was stated at the County Council on Friday that settlers on the Skeet road were about to petition to have it declared a county road.

The Bishop of Nelson has become a member of tbe New Zealand Alliance, and supports its Temperance scheme as the most practical yet put forward by any body.

The time for sending in nominations for the Egmont R.C. Sires Hack Produce Stakes, 1896, is Saturday, 25th February, and not 25th January, as wrongly printed in the advertisement in tbe Star. A telegram has been received from the Town Clerk ot Wellington, disclaiming any desire to interfere with the work of the Atkinson Memorial Committee in this district, and expressing anxiety that the whole thing may be a success. Whakamara is to tbe fore with green peas. Mr. Buckrell, on Saturday, brought us some pods close on 6in long, filled with

splendid peas. The sample is certainly the best we have seen. The name is unknown to Mr. Buckrell, but it is a variety evidently worth cultivating.

Tbe terms on which Mr. Buige was appointed tolleotor of dog tax for county was 9d a bead all round, not Is for sporting dogs and 6d for others. The latter arrangement was proposed, but was not accepted. The tender for dog collars waa si|d, not 3^d as erroneously printed. In a statistical article in a southern paper (the Press) it is proved that the country settler pays £4 in taxes to the towndwellers £1. If tbe farmers and others do not make a note ot this for use at the next election, they will deserve all they may suffer. A table of " exemptions " would be useful 'to ..the' public — every exemption being a bribe. — Correspondent. On Friday eve£« £ Mr, W. L. Rees, M.H.R., addreßße t v * public meeting at Auckland in su'pppjt* r: bis Native land proposals, setting,fpoth tbe plan which he had suggested totji^'remier. Mr, J. C. Forth presided. *A committeo was appointed to aid Mr. • Bees in obtaining reform of the Native land laws.

Owing to Messrs F. E. Jackson & Co's ram fair being held on the Bth, 9bh, and possibly lOfch February, the Farmer's Union's will not be held till Tuesday, 2 1st. Large entry of stock for NoLin, Tonks, & Co's Eltham Sale to-morrow. Mr Knight, dentist, visits Hawera to-morrow. "Lost" advertisements appea^«lsewhere. Mr. ><PTvEigbanw proiwsfllr of music, desirepao aottfer^ujfjis Mafoty? next term for instnwiHon will be#ai oa Monday, Town Clerk gives notice re borough assessment. .. Serviceable cheap Watch, "The Egmont," at H. G. Pitcher's. 21s each.— Advt. New Year's Gifts and Christmas Presents at H. G. Pitcher's.— Advt. Extra strong Silver Case Eotherams at H. G. Pitcher's. Price. .£6 6s, .86 lOs.—Ad.. Advertising Blocks of all descriptions made by McKee and Gamble, N.Z. Press Agency, Wellington. Send for quotation. Newspaper advertisements should be illustrated to be effective.— Advt.

The Danedin Star states : Mr Driver, exmember for Roslyn, and until lately starter to the Dnnedin Jockey Club, is dangerously ill.

At the rifle meeting the other day, Trooper J. Waring, of the Eangitikei Cavalry, put up the record by making the possible, viz., ten bull's-eyes at 500 yards.

Charles Feltbam, of Newtown, Wellington, a delegate to the Primitive Methodist Conference being held at Ashburton, died suddenly on Thursday, through the breaking of a blood vessel. He had been staying in Temuka for his health.

Tbe Government having decided to make a thorough search for Quintin MacKinnon, the well-known Te Anan guide, have accepted the offer of Mr T. Mackenzie, M.H.E., to assist. Mr Mackenzie who led the Daily Times search expedition for Professor Mainwaring Brown, leaves in the morning with six members of tbe Permanent Foroe, and will visit the Pompoland hut, which was not touched by the first search party. A determined effort will be madd to solve tbe mystery of McKinnon's disappearance.

Charles W. Turner, merchant, of Christchuroh, who recently filed his schedule, estimated bis liabilities from JE20.000 to £22,000, of which nearly was owing in Australia, about £700 in England, and the balance in New Zealand. The causes of his bankruptcy were loss* on produce shipped out of the colony, Jnarter and shipping business during 4( last eighteen month?. The debtor was allowed furniture to the value of £500, and recommended for his immediate discbarge.

It is stated that the British War Office Intelligence Department is in possession of full information respecting a new French gun of terrific power, about which many rumours have been current pf late in artillery circles. With this gun,' charged with melinite, French gunners calculate that they will be in a position to bombard Dover and the adjacent coast from a safe distance of Calais or Cape Gris Nez. It is designed with this express purpose; and lying in the pigeon holes of tbe office our omniscient intelligence authorities actually possess accurately drawn plans both of construction of the weapon itself and of the light railway designed to shift it from point to point along the north-eastern coast of France. The long gun of Elizabefchian period bears the injunction •• Powder me well and keep me clean, I'll throw a ball on Calais Green."

With reference to .the collection of grel'es for an exhibit at the Imperial In* stitute Exhibition, we understand tbat Mr, Fantham has informed the secretary of the A. and -P. Association that be regrets he cannot undertake to make a collection. He suggests, however, that settlers should collect specimens and forward them to the A. and P. office, and that a committee be formed to make a selection from the samples sent in. This suggestion has been adopted, and no doubt the A. and P. Association will be happy to ieceive specimens. It is necessary that the collection should be made at once, for the season is advancing, and with wet weather the difficulty of getting good samples will increase. It will be advisable for the samples collected to be taken np by tbe roots, and to be bound to gapplejaoks or battens. We understand that the idea of exports ing frozen dressed poultry to the London market will receive a trial at once. It V?iH be remembered tbat a few were sent Home in August by the Indramayo for the purpose of finding out how they would carry. The conditions were not the most favorable, because the steamer was knocking about tbe coast several weeks before she finally left for England, but nevertheless the consignment reached the market in perfect condition, and, we understand,- realised a fair price, though they arrived at the wrong time of year for commercial success. The trial of the commercial aspect of the venture is now about to be made. About 1600 yonng fowls and ducklings will be frozen at Waitara, and will be sent Home, probably, by the Coptic consigned to Messrs Lovell and Christmas, for whom Mr. Jas. Kowio is well-known as agent. Mr. Xowin himself will be leaving in the same Vessel if the poultry go by the Coptic, and he is very confident- that tbe results will be satisfactory and probably lead to a considerable trade in the immediate future. The trivial name of Thistle prevents the milkthistle from being esteemed one of the greatest ornaments of the garden. The Fiddlewood (Cytharexylum melanocardium) is held in contempt merely because persons, for the most part, are ignorant that its appellation is a corruption of Fidello, and so called from its faithfulness and durability. Tbe Aitanthus is called the " Tree of Heaven " from its height ; but the Cedar of Libanus haß tbe epithet of " lofty," not because it is a tall tree, but because it grows in elevated regions. The plant Ambrosia baa nothing agreeable about it ; it has even the taste of wormwood. Tbe Leopardsbone, as well as the Enchanter's Nightshade,, have poisonous qualities attached to them which do not exist. In these instances we may read examples as to the little dependence tbere is to be placed in exithets. The Heartsease is never celebrated, and yet it is one of the most beautiful of British plantß. Thus also is it with common broom. No one regards it; its form and it color are alike unnoticed. Yet Linnaeus, when he first beheld it in heaths, was so enraptured that he fell on his knees to examine it. It ought, therefore, to be called Linoe. The appleblofisom is very beautiful when near, but at a distance it loses most ot its variety and richness. — Buckle.

A meeting of tbe General Committee of the Egmont A. and P. Association was held on Saturday ; present — Mesßrs. J. Mason (president), W. Wi)Bon, C. Symes, Lomax, Dive, Stone, Foreman, Hanter, Eiddiford, E. Hicks, Bleunerbassett, and Davidson. The letter from Sir Walter Bnller to Mr. Fantham. m regard-to a collection of grasses, and handed to the society by Mr. Fantham, was discussed. The suggestion was highly approved, and it was resolved that tb* secretary write to Sir Walter Buller anS to Mr. Murphy asking when exhibits will be required; and it was farther resolved <( that Mr. Faoth&m be asked to kindly prepare a collection of grasses similar to that for the colonial exhibition." During the discussion, it was suggested that a selection of the products of the district ought to be made from the Normanby Show, as it would no doubt be representative and just in time to be forwarded Home, and it ought to make a splendid addition to tbe New Zealand collection. Mr. M. Horneman waited on the committee and applied for a refand of entry in tbe spring oart class, as his horse was not judged. It was stated by one of the class stewards that,, the animal was judged, but to be quite sure it was resolved to make farther enquiry. The following important resolution with respect to the show ground was agreed to on tbe motion of Messrs. Symes and Riddiford : "That agreement re section 153, Hawera, with the late John Brown be transferred to Messrs. Davidson, Dive, Mason, Riddiford, Hunter, Wilson, Livingston, and A. W. Budge as trustees for the society ; tbat available funds be handed to tbe present owners, Messrs.' Dive, Hunter, Davidson, and Lysaeht, in reduction of amount of, say, £100 doe to them in respect of the said section, and that they be guaranteed the balance with interest at 7 por cent, until paid." The president was reqaested to arrange for the legal transfer. The committee adjourned.