LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLI, Issue 178, 30 July 1907, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

A Press Association telegram from Christchurch this morning stated that much-needed rain was tailing.

The sale of Mr D. Robertson s household furniture arid effects at Koromiko will take place on Friday next.

According -to a Press Association telegram from Wellington, Members were besieged.wilh deputations yesterday, mostly on tariff matters.

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states tfiat the Minister for Lands has issued instructions to the Lands and Survey DePartmen^to discontinue the use of the term Middle Island " as applied to the South Island.

The Al Quadrille Assembly social is to be held in Grove Road Hall tonight, when lovers of dancing will have the privilege of thoroughly enjoying themselves. The floor has been well prepared, and there will be good music and an efficient M.C. The Hog Swamp bridge, which spans a gully on the route of the SeddonBlind River railway, has been completed, so far as Messrs Barton Bros. contract is concerned. There is a considerable amount of earth work to be done in connection with the approaches.

At the monthly meeting of the Blenheim Fire Brigade last evening the resignation of . Assistant-Engineer Townsend was.. received with regret. Votes of thanks were passed to Mr L. A. While lor a donation of £1 Is to the funds of the Brigade, and to Mr T. Smale for the loan of chairs and tables.

A Press Association telegram from Gisborne says: —The sheep in the Poverty Bay district, as shown by the sheep returns, number 1,712,961, an increase of 133,864 on last year. The export of mutton last year totalled 364,694 carcases", and, food being good, many sheep.w^e're driven_ overland to Auckland and-other districts.

The Government,has accepted £1000 as difference in the value of a site in Masterton; belonging to the Government, proposed to be conveyed in exchange for a site belonging to the new Gourthouse trustees. The Government first asked £1300. The concession is considered to be very advantageous to the town. ■

" The cost of living has advanced 30 per cent, during the past decade," said a delegate,at the Waterside Workers' .Conference in Wellington on Tuesday; " but wages have only gone up 6 per cent. The food trust has its grip on our stomachs, __ the landlord on our houses." % " The rent of certain houses in Auckland stood at 7s a week five-or six year-s ago; to-day it is 15s, and some of the houses are not fit for occupation," was another complaint.

The pipe organ for St. Andrew's Church has arrived, in Blenheim, and will be erected: without delay. ; The programmes for the series of recitals tobe given by Mr Maughan Barnett next week are now in the hands of the secretary of the Church Committee, and each ■includes, several of the celebrated organist's best.pieces. Amongst the more popular numbers may be mentioned Paderewski's Minuet, Guilmant's Wedding. March, Lieder Ohne Worte ....Mendelssohn), Spinney's "Angelsjof,Jesus',?' Lemare's Andantino, "Fanfare," and a march.

The Feilding Star says that a writ has been, issued by Mr E. A. Barton, late manager of the Bank of Australasia at Feilding, on -behalf of himself and all the other shareholders in the Hawke's Bay Timber Company, Ltd., against the Bank of Australasia, claiming moneys- alleged to be due in connection with the relations and transactions of the Bank with Richter Mannestad and Co. and the Timber Company rand also on account of the directors of the Timber Company, joined as co-defendants. The case will probably be heard at the September sittings of the Supreme Court at Palmerston North.

There is a great future before the flax industry," declared a well-known flaxmiller to a representatives of the Jfost at Levin. "There are, however, two problems to be solved before the necessary progress can be made. We want, first of all, some cheap method of propagating the plant over large areas. At present the cost per acre is almost prohibitive. Then there is the question of utilising the' by-products. It takes ten tons of raw flax to make one ton of fibre. The rest is refuse. There is a fortune- to the man who can invent some;means of getting the full value out 'of the .flax product."