LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 138, 18 May 1883, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The defalcations of the late Tapanui etationmaßter, Jo eph Houth, are set down at £256. He htid admitted the defiency to the Government auditor, and promised to pay up the amount. We are requested to draw special attention to a^notice from Father , Moreau ap» pearing elsewhere. •■ i . We again remind our readers that the outward Enclish mail via 'Frisco closes this evening at 7. 45 o'clock. Her.c is a model for petitioners to Borough Councils. T he original readsmore like an extract from some old Elizabethan: record than the first tnetnoriarpresentad to the Portland Borough Council only some twenty years ago. We print it verbatim et literatim, as follows : — " Charemen and gentleman Wetheun« idernamed ratepayers Inhabitants of Etenty street Portland do Humbly bee Implore &' beswecteh you te commsserate our present deplorable depreciated state: By giving us abroad across the swamp. May God requite ye ye Humbly pray with all-ihe -energy "V greatful hart can possesßua." Thirteen names attached.. , Efforts are being made m Blenheim to hold an Industrial and Fine Art Exhibition. ..;..,:..■...,.- . ■ Tbe Waitara Press asserts that; cement made from stone found near Mokau is equal te the well-known Portland cement. • ■ : . • . . ...... We rpgret to learn that Mr Croskery, tbe well-known auctioneer, has been laid up with a severe attack of rheumatics. He is now, however, slowly progressing towards recovery, MrJ.C. Fowler and family left Palraerston for good to-day by the Mattel ton coacb, en route for Napier, which destination' they will reach to-morrow evening. ' We learn that Mr Fowler is more than satisfied .with his pospects m Napier, with which place he is favourably impressed. We cordially wish him all prosperity m his new location. The very courteous agent for that excellent work " The Royal Path of Life" is now m Manawatu distributing copies to subscribers. The workis.fu^ly equal to the expectations which were form-* ed of it, and is one that should adorn every family .library. We have glanced through it with great pleasure, and anticipate both enjoyment and benefit from its further perußal. A Bill imposing a£s fine for selling: cigarettes to youth? under 16 years of age has passed the New Jersey Senate.

' Vi hat is knnwn as the Over« Bridge, a viaduct that carries the railway across a road close to New Plymouth, is populnrly believed to be unsafe, and it is asserted that many persona leave the train at Elliot-streeet station m the suburbs, rather than venture m the train down to the terminus. Th« Hawera Star, after personal examination of the structure, affirms that it is m a position to state that a considerable portion of the wood- work is simply rotten . This is a nice state of things, truly. We are glad to hear that Mr Child, of Halcombe Hotel, has greatly benefited by admission to the Wellington Asylum, and it ia expected he will soon be sufficiently recovered to allow of his return home. We are obliged to hold over our leading article, owing to pressure of other mat* ter. Mr Parsons, railway contractor,, is advertisir for two or three good bridge* : hands. : , . Captain Edwin telegraphs yesterefay •— Bad wea her approaching between north and west and southnwest. Glass further fall, and indications of hard gale after 12 hours. : The Home-country notions of this colony are very singular at times, and with regard to geography are frequently amusing, fjut the pages ot the world are ' not content with misnaming our towns, ,and locating Dunedin m Queensland or Wellington m New Gninea — they have extended their blunders to more important, matters. In a monthly London Magazine now before us (says the Wanganui Ohron» icle) there is a sketch map of the. world, the various religions being indicated by shades of colour. The North Island of) New Zeainud is coloured white for; Christianity ; the neighbourhood of Nelson black for Heathenism ; the centre of the South Island (including Dunedio) grey for Mahommedanism ; and the. extreme south black again as a heathen locality. If other portions of the known world are mapped off with as much nicety and accuracy, the information conveyed to the reading public at Home must be very valuable. The Hawera Mercantile Union has commenced work m earnest. At a meet* ing on Thursday night, resolutions were passed asking that provision should be made for handling heavy goods at the rail* way station, and also drawing the attention of the general manager to the unsatisfactory manner m which tha rail* way from tne northward is worked with regard to tbereceivintr and: delivery of goods. Copies of both resolutions will be forwarded to Major Atkinson. The following anecdote appeared m * XuifeVr- Ai : the essizea recently 1 a witness .was being examined as to her recollections of the size of acertain bag, and seemed at a loss for a 'simile. .'.' Perhaps," said the judge to the bar, (l one of you gentlemen will please hold up a brief bag. It may assist her memory.". There was an awk ■ ward pause. Briefs Were scarce, and counsel were unwilling to show the nakedness of the land. 1 Meanwhile, a ready-witted junior slipping half a dozen big lawbooks into his bag, held it up m triumph. Of course he was complimented by the judge on the vast amount of *york which was apparently overpowering him. the next solar eclipse visible m New Zealand will take place on September 9th, 1885. The total phase will cross Cook Straits. .,, :./.... A man m England who had been an intemperate man all his life, and it is said never drew a sober breath, died the other day shortly after having sobered up with ,the intention not to drink any more;' But ( now the temperance papers > ( are. at sea whetner to call; this a warning to men nob to drink* or, whether the warning is not to sober up and swear off. It is a trying case. . , A Wanganui paper h«ara on undouled authority that there is being- formed m Wellington a Woollen Factor? upon the limited liability prinoinle. the company having a capital of £100,000, one-fourth of which is to be called up. Already a great portion of this has been subscribed for. Mr Jacob Joseph investing £5000, and Messrs Johnston and Co. and other merchants considerable sums also. The prospectus will shortly be issued, but up to the present time the scheme has .not been ; made public m Wellington. The promoters hope to extend their operations to Wanganui, and a local agent is to be appoint^, the position having ■ already been offered to a well-known gentleman m this t^wn. An Auckland gentleman who. recently returned from a trip to the fold country, states that the bar takings during the voyage of the Orient liner Cephalonia from TCnglaijd to Melbourne amounted to £2000, joat £50 per flay. If. ia a practice on some of the. lines to charge twopence per glass more forJJiiqnbr during the trip from Austrialia to England than the price charged irom England to Australia, l\;_ -l..\ ','* TheTtepublique Francaisehas published an acrimonious article upon the proposed Annexation of New Guinea by England. It aliases that the real object of the Eng* lish Government is seeking to annex the island is to convert it into a penal settler ment. and not to utilise it for the legiti* mate purposes of a colony. ; ' • Messrs Wilkie and Co. have met with another .misfpr!npe ; on their railway conIrsct, (says the Patea Mail.) "The bank across the swamp at the rear of the Boiling-down works has again subsided to an extent of eight or nine feet, and a tremendous lot of filling up ■ wiH , be required to bring it up^ level. Even then there is no saying if it will not sink again so that the unfortunate contractors may yet experience further difficulties and loss. Alongside the bank the ground has been forced up to a height of about' ten feet. Judging from the present aspect of affairs we doubt if this portion of the line can be completed .under three months. :■ r . .(, - ' ■ It is estimated that there are 200,000 vagabonds and beggars m the German Empire, including thieves, pickpockets, and other swindlers, and the authorities estimate the annual loss to honest people by their operations at the enormous sum of 25;000,060dol. i.