Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, DEC. 18, 1898.

Manawatu Herald, 13 December 1898, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, DEC. 18, 1898.

--sr Mr MacDermott returned from his holiday last night. We are glad to learn that he had a thoroughly good time having travelled to Auckland by the West Coast and returned overland via Napieri The Friendly Societies are inviting tenders from caterers in this town by letter. Master William O'Brien has secured an appointment in the railway service and has joined the Wellington office. The nominations for the vacancy in the Borough must be lodged with the Returning Officer before noon tomorrow. We hear that there is likely to be a contest. The new steam lannch for Messrs Kemp and Jupp is expected up by the next trip of the Queeu of the South. Mr Ahem has finished the erection of the new Jockey's Room on the race* course. The Stipendiary Magistrate holds a court on Thursdyay. At the Justices' Court, yesterday, before E. S. Thynne and Alf. Fraser, Esqs., J's.P., Frederick Danderson was charged with the theft of one shirt of the value of eight shillings, the property of Samuel Rountree. The accused admitted having the property in his possession but denied the stealing. Fined ios and costs ss, in default 3 days' hard labour. We are glad to announce that the Palmerston Friendly Societies have decided to hold their fourth annual picnic and sports at Foxton, on the ?nd January. In to-day's issue will be found the abridged programme. The nominations close on 28th December. The Gordon Memorial College Fund now amounts to £91,000. Her Majesty the Queen has subscribed £250. Lord Kitchener, on the eve of his departure :br Egypt, wrote to the press expressing his thanks to the British public for its generous response to his appeal. He says he underestimated the generous impulse of the public. Reports from the country in South Australia confirm the statement that the harvest generally will be more satisfactory, both as to yield and quality, than was at first anticipated. It is understood that the Bank of New Zealand has effected a sale of the Northern Roller Mills at Auckland. An officer of the Railway Department has been sent to Australia to axpedite the shipment of the iron bark timber for the bridges over the Rangitikei River and at the Waitangi deviation, Hawkes Bay. The camel is the only animal that cannot swim. It is an extraordinary fact that the moment it loses its footing in a stream it turns over, and v Tiakes no effort to save itself from drowningt In accordance with the advice given by the Emperor of Germany, Tuikey has decided to increase her cavalry forces by 25,000 men. News by the Hauroto states that no appointment has yet been made to the Kingship of Samoa. The Chief Justice will proceed there to decide the points in dispute as to the election in accordance with the powers vested in him by the Berlin Act. Mataafa's supporters :laim to have elected him, but the Tamasese's section have lodged a caveat* " One-half of the world don't know how the other half lives," exclaimed a gossiping woman. "Oh, very well," said her neighbour, " don't worry about it ; 'tisn't your fault if they don't know. 11

At the special general meeting of the Bank of New Zealand held yesterday, the nominations of Messrs Watson and Kennedy, the only candidates for the directorate, were confirmed. Mr Robert Gardner, who has been making a valuation of the lessee's interest in Kapiti, returned to Wellington yesterday. President McKinley has announced that the United States Government intends to maintain the neutralisation of the Nicaragua Canal, in accordance with the provisions of the ClaytonBulwer treaty. To carry out this intention he asks for the co-operation ot Great Britain. The Canal Bill now before Congress provides for the appropriation of nve million dollars (£1,000,000) towards the construction of the canal. The British Government has decided to increase the efficiency of the Navy by the appointment gradually of 12 admirals, 48 captains, 73 commanders, and 288 lieutenants. In fifteen years Russia has sent 624,000 persons to Siberia, fully 100,---000 relatives of prisoners haying accompanied the exiles on their own free will. The Dowager- Empress of China has directed the Chinese Minister to secure at all hazards the capture of Kang-Yu-Wei, the Chinese reform leader who fled to British soil on the defeat of the Emperor's reform movement a short time ago, and who has since taken refuge- in Japan. A sensation was caused at the Commercial Bank at Bendigo late at night. A clerk who was sleeping on the premises began firing a revolver and shrieking. He discharged the revolver at a civilian who approached the window. Eventually the police forced the door, and found the clerk to be apparently demented. Litigation between rival lime-burners at Mauriceville was begun in the Supreme Court, before the Chief Justice on Friday. The plaintiff, D. M. Brooks, claims £100 as damages and an injunction against the defendant, T. F. Brenchley, of the Kopuaranga and Mauriceville streams. Brooks asserts that the defendant has blocked the streams with stones, etc., causing, in one case, injury to his property by flooding, and threatened injury by the other stream. Brenchley replies that any material that got into the stream was beyond his control, or, if it should be proved that he deposited it there, no obstruction or barm had been caused. He furthermore claims a prescriptive right to obstruct, and charges the defendant with being himself responsible for the obstruction. Mr Jellicoe is appearing for the plaintiff, and Sir Robert Stout for the defendant.—Post. There has been a revival lately of rick burning, night outrages and boycotting in County Mayo, Ireland. The graziers are especially annoyed, and urge the application of the Crimes Act. The oldest house in New Zealand is claimed by Waimate, Bay of Islands. It is eighty years old, and is said to be as sound as the day it was built. Waimate also claims to have the oldest flour mill, but this is now becoming a ruin. Another oldest object of its kind at Waimate is the first oak planted in the colony, now a magnificent tree. Not far from it is a totara ree planted in the early days by Bishop Selwyn in front of his house, and this is only 20ft high. At this rate the grand totaras of the forest must have taken thousands of years to reach their great stature.