LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 8095, 26 September 1904, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

No fewer than 177 new members were elected to the Egmont A. and P. Association on Saturday.

It is estimated that a sum of close on £25,000 is shortly to be expended in the erection of business premises in Gisborne. There are at the present time five persons' suffering f,rom leprosy in New Zealand, anil, 1 W*ith the exception of one Chhlamap, all are Maoris.

Notwithstanding the heavy rain Uiat fell on Saturday' night, ihere was a gobd «t^an'dan,9e ,ift' /armers at the meeting of t&« '•bxai^c^ <$' U»e N,*w Zealand PWmpjr?' tJ_J»i»»?-

A well-known Australian eyejujg authority states that the Atnst bf others, of New Zealand, are considered to be equal jf not superior to any road racers in the world.

The Western Star says that a wellknown horse-breeder at Drummond has been making nearly £1000 a year for the past two seasons rearing and selling Clydesdales.

At the committee meeting of the Egmont A v *fcftJ P, Society the president said it w'a8 n JtWty /&ftt /hey had a live member on *fee ,<jtyUHWte£. ' ■ .The thanks of those interested ju Xh.e ' As?,ocSoiion were due to Mr Setlats, wbt) bid pbisla&d }Q1 pew members.

A Press telegram from Dunedin on Saturday stated that the licensed victuallers emphatically condemned the proposed compensation fund by contribution from remaining licensees. A wire to Mr Millar says: "The opinion here is that the buj ja absolutely worthless ; we regard the whole ttMttg £ft a burlesque." Writing on .tbe lieanwn% Bill the New Zealand' Times says" there 1 ougjj.t to be a law which should prohibit' any -man preaching demal to .his neighbours who' could I 'not prove tit the satisfaction" of the nearest ! licensing Bench ',tnot he had, at least jOjqc* in his life,' indulged' in liquor to the e^nrxa'Aasob/rety 1 - ' " ' '&c §dWf* foe " M °" Men Fun < i " which was raided tp HtfWfi Bay during the Beer war amounts *o £410. 0/ that amount £210 if to ba spent i« /erMCtfog, a i monument 'to the fallen soldiers Trora Hawke's Bay, and the remaining £200 is to assist in extending the Napier Drillshed and establishing a Volunteer gymnasium. The African Review says that in the TrWfW and the Orange River Colony, .[f th* **«fatt /ajte of inter-maitbge between Britons aMnttfep 4* Jppt up, within 20 years the two races trmbt §o jgrqlded together as to be indistinguishable. ' Qlhit only bitterness now existirig is between two sections of the Dutch, the Bitterenders and the Uplanders. jfcatMJu* hacking cough by taking Tut-

Miss V. Robinson has been advised ... at 1 one of her pupils, Miss Jessie Muir, has | obtained a pass in the intermediate Trin- • ity College examination. I

Several American war cprrespondents in Tokio, who have nothing much else to do, are said to be learning Japanese. It is thought that they intend to try to go to the front in disguise. A much more likely reason (thinks the Bystander) is that they waut to be able to thank the Japanese military censor in his own tongue for all the kind care he has taken of them. Their own language could not convey all they would like to say to him.

South Canterbury farmers (writes a correspondent of the Christchurch Press) are anxiously looking for a spell of line, warm weather, to promote the growth of grain crops and pastures, and to assist the young lambs. Wet weather has prevailed for some considerable time now, intermittently. It was raining again* on Wednesday, and the ground everywhere is in a very damp condition. Lambing is now in full swing, and though the percentage so far is good, fears are entertained that it will be materially lessened if there is not soon a change for the better in the weather.

The entries for the great spring horse fair, to be held by Messrs Nolan, Tonks and Co., closed on Saturday with no fewer than 500 entries. This is said to be tho largest number that has ever been offered at one sale on this coast. The entries range from heavy draughts to Shetland ponies. Most of the horses, especially the heavy ones, are coming direct from the breeders., so that buyers requiring good horses will do well to attend. The fair lakes place on October 7 and 8.

An aspirant for a seat on an Ashburlon local body recently gavn n remarkably candid reason for his candidature. Pie said that ho had made repeated applications to the body in question for sonic minor improvements near his residence, and getting no satisfaction, he desired to become a member of the board, so that he might have some olianco of getting the work done. Once his end was attained, he would quietly resign, "as a number of other persons have done under similar conditions."

A meeting was held in Wellington on Friday evening to form an association in opposition to the proposal to introduce the Bible into the public school curriculum. The Rev. W. A. Evans seconded the motion

calling th<l association into being-, and it was supported by Rev. J. Crewcs. The resolution adopted, on the motion of Mr A. R. Atkinson, was, "That this meeting hereby forms it-self into a State Schools Defence League, to maintain the present system of free, compulsory, and secular education in the primary schools ns provided by the Education Act of 1877." In his report on liquor in the Cook Islands the Resident Commissioner, Colonel Gudgeon, says : — "In practice there was no limit to the sales other than a man's ability to pay. A Government return shows that during the lust six months of 1897—6543 bottles of spirits, 898 bottles of win«\ and 974 bottles «»f berr were sold to an ndult male population of less than sevon hundred, and from what is known of the methods of those days it will be safe to assume that at least half as much more was disposed of without the form of permit. The vigorous protests of the Rev. Mr Hutchens, Mr Wilkie, and Dr G. Craig put an end to this illegal traffic, and during the first six months of 1898 the sale of spirits decreased appreciably from 6543 to 2967 bottles." The decadence of the Taranaki Maori

is the subject of a little sermon by Dr Pomare, Native Health Officer, in his departmental report. "The To Atiawas were once," he says, "amongst the most brave, the most industrious, and enterprising of the race; history tells us this. But look at them to-day. Of all the tribes now living, they are the most backward and demoralised. I have had more difficulty with them than with any other people. I have done very little in this district. There are two main causes which keep them back — first, Te Whitiism; second, prejudice against the pakeha. The first cause will only end when Te Whiti dies, and it will be useless to do anything radical till then, as by persecution many will fly to his banner. As soon as Te Whiti dies we must turn on the full machinery of the law, The second cause will never end till the land laws are adjusted on the West Coast. . . . The doing away with Maori landlord rights and making them irresponsible has encouraged extravagance idleness, and debauchery, till Taranaki has become a byword amongst the tribes. . . They are bitter against everything European because their lands were confiscated, and the remainder they' cannot occupy without paying" rent for it. They drink and take liquor to their homes and tangis just to be against the law. The drink question is the worst in the country. The King Country is nothing to it. Hardly a tangi passes but that large quantities are consumed by mpn, women, and children. The sights ono sees are most painful, debasing, and past all description. Thoy say matters are improving. I suppose they are, but at Parihaka these things still go on unchecked."

FISHING TACKLE.

F. J. Wrigley announces the arrival of a very extensive assortment of Bartle;t and Sons' fishing tackle. An especially fine assortment of wooden rods, incluim^ sulit cane, green-heart, lanoewood and hickory, at all prices from £4 to 7s (id. Bristol steel rods a speciality, 10, 11, and 12 feet long. These rods are justly relebrated throughout this district. A very larce assortment of flies, including seveial new varieties. New minnows, new casts new traces, everything new. Inspection invited. Bartlett's best casts, at Is, 13 3d, Is 6d each, or 6s, 6s, and 7s 6d the hiMfdozen. Flies, minnows, casts, etc., sent post free. Postal orders receive prompt attention, and must be accompanied with cash. Rods prepared by competent workmen. Fishing licenses issued. F. J. WpiGLEY, Hawera.