NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7382, 7 February 1902, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

An exceptionally fine meteor was seen towards the eastward last night.

The Premier [says their will not be two sessions this year.

Owing to alterations to Methodist Church the services on Sunday will be held in the Oddfellows' Hall

We have to acknowledge receipt of copy of Mr J. A. McEenna's address to electors of Patea subdivision, harbor district.

Mr K. Gorringe, of Kaupokonui, wa3 the winner of the extra Id per pound offered by Hawera Bacon Company, Ltd., for tbe best five pigs delivered during January.

Early in the football field will the Palmerston North club be, lor it commences practice on Saturday Bth.

The case Walker v. Death (alleged libel) has been struck out of the District Court cause list, a settlement having been arrived at. National Dairy - Association lost £60 over its show in Palmerston last winter, and is " off " shows this coming winter unless somebody or place will do guaranteeing.

At the Police Court, on Friday, before Mr M. J. O'Donnell, J.P., a maori named Kongo Hurumanu was convicted for drunkeness, and ordered to pay costs of court.

The Chamber of Commerce Conference has re-solyed that the Underwriters' Association be asked to adopt an uniform fire insurance policy for the oolony, and tbat failing compliance the Government be asked to introduce a bill dealing with the matter.

At the conclusion of the case Thomas y. Judd, the District Court will adjourn until Thursday next, when Judge Kettle will sit. Acting-Judge Konuy has to leave to fulfil other engagements.

According to Mr Tom Mann, the average wage of the dock labourer in London is 23s a week, and tnat of the wharf labourer here about 40s. Mr Mann calculates that 6d in London will go as far as 8d here.

From the numerous enquiries being made Messrs McGarry anticipate great demand on Saturday for Messrs Henderson and JLowee 32 choice sections, all within the borough of Eltham, which are to be offered by auction on Saturday next at the Mart, Eltham. This is an excellent opportunity of securing a really good building site at an exceptionally low figure for cash or on first-class terms.

la this issue we notify sale of the sub burban property, at Opunake, belonging to the estate of the late William Costello. As a very low reserve has been placed on the property Dy the Public Trustee, who wishes to wind up this estate without delay, the land is well worth the inspection of any one in semen of a home adjacent to Opunake town, and is also a good investment for speculators.

Mr Hugo has extended his stay for some days longer, and will be in attendance at the ante-room of the Oddf ellowa 1 Hall. He will lecture in Normanby and other country places, due notice of which will be given in the Hawera Stab.

Refering to land settlement iv tbe Wairarapa the" Premier said on Thursday that the Government had attempted time after time it had not been able to secure one estate. The officer in charge of the Land Purchase Department had been changed and now two or three estates were being reported upon. There would be no more humbug. An offer would be made to owners, but if it was not accepted the compulsory clauses of the Act would be invoked.

At the Native Land Court on Thursday, an application was made to the Judge (H. Dunbar Johnson) for an order under section 17, West Coast Settlements Reserves Ace, 1892, authorising thai; payments of rent due to a beneficiary of the West Coast Settlements Reserves should be paid over, so as to be of benefit to the individual in question. The native (Rongouururnanu), who is a very old man, and is also in receipt of an old age pension iwhioh latter is paid over to the Charitable Aid Board, who have undertaken to supply the native with necessary comforts), agreed to the Judge of the Native Land Court making the order aa aforementioned for his rents, also to be paid over to that body.

During a thunderstorm at Musswellbrook (Victoria), on Jan. 21, JamesCarberry the son of a dairy farmer, was killed. He was driving home cows, when he was struck by lighniag. His hair was singed and death was apparently instantaneous. The saddle on the horse he was riding was torn in pieces, and the animal was killed. Two members of a hare-hunting party were also struck by lightning. One of them, a boy named Parkinson, had a powderflask in his pocket, and the powder ignited, setting his clothing on fire. He was burned about tbe body and face. Both were stunned for a time, but suffered no injurious effects.

When the Ninth Contingent has been sent, tbe total number of men despatched from New Zealand will have been 5075 ; horses 5240. Canada has a population of 6,378,800, and in the same proportion, her quota* would have been 38,268 men; Australia, with a population of 3,775,000, would have despatched 24,549 men ; and Great Britain, with its population of 41,451,621, would furnish 271,817 men. Tbe Premier, in giving these figures at Auckland said he did not draw comparisons for any other reason excepting to show that in the matter of sending men to South Africa, New Zealand stood in the first position in the British Empire according to the population.

The special reporter of the Australasian thus describes the dust storm which suspended the Adelaide test match : A southwest breeze kept freshening up until after lunch time, and brought more dust with it than was pleasant, but no rain. Just at 3 o'clock there was a shout of " Look out 1" from the players in the field to the people in the grandstand. Prom the wicket they could see a great red cloud, which looked as solid almost as a wall, bearing down straight upon tha ground, and within a few minutes it struck the stand with terrific force, as sudden and alarming almost as the bursting of a shell. The big flagstaff over the centre of the grandstand broke off short, and crashed down in front of the Governor's box, where Lord and Lady Tennyson were sitting. In an instant the ground was enveloped in dense red dust, and the players were for a moment hidden. The first impulse of the Australians was to throw themselves on their faces on the grass, as the Bedouins of the desert do when a Birocco bursts over them. It was a queer sight, about six of them in aline, lying each with his head to the other's heels. Qaaife and Lilley, who were batting, were utterly confused, and hardly knew what to do, but after waiting a while, all hands made a rush for the pavilion, and there was no more cricket that day.

The majority of Royal personages do not compose the speeches they deliver in public (says the London correspondent of the Age). They leave the burdensome task of composition and the verification of facts to nimble secretaries, as certain supposedly busy aristoorats in the House of Commons do with their speeohes, and tbe " star " advocate is' compelled to do, at least as regards the materials of argument. Lord Russell of Eillowen, according to his biographer, was " devilled " for by as many as six of his legal satellites at one time. The Prince of Wales, it appears, wholly denies himself the conveniences of the usual royal road to oratory. It was mentioned in the course of the discussion of his recent stirring speech at his reception by the London Corporation that all his public utterances, down to the smallest particular, are prepared by himself. This was the caße not only with bis Guildhall deliverance, but also with everything of a formal character that he said or wrote daring his late tour. A Royal personage who is not afraid to put some colour into his language is so much of a novelty that his future public appearances will be watched with the greatest interest. The Prince is a olose student of Imperial affairs, and is credited with a tolerably full knowledge of everything that goes on in Downing street. Like his father, he is also a steady reader of the daily newspaper.