LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 56, 4 February 1884, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

♦ We observe from th* Auckland papers that it has been decided to at once lay down a small telegraph cable between lha mainlaud and the Tiritiri Island, on which the s.s, Triumph was stranded, i'he wire will run from the Tiritiri light* house to the telegraph station at the Waiwera Hot Springs on the mainland just opposite, aud will be connected with telephone". By this means ready com* munication can be bad with Auckland m case of any slapping disaster iv the gulf. It has further been considered necessary for defence purposes chat d should be directly connected with Tiritiri by electric wire, and thia i? bow about to be done. One advantage to the public generally will he that the approach of the 6au Francisco mail steamer c\n be reported some hours earlier than at present. The colony of Queensland has suffered terribly from drought this s Jason. At fsisford, tbe townspeople are dependent on one spring at a Chinaman's waterhole for water, for which they pay him 7s per load, and it is thick and muddy at that. Bread is a shilling a pound, and all other provisions proportionately dear, Under tbe title of "A New Zealand Captain Webb," the Pall Mall Gazette has an article on tbe feat of Captain Haultain at yfhanfjarei. The article 3ays: —" Details of a remarkable swim* miag feat have just come to band from Auckland, New Zealand. The facts us stated m the local Ipapers which are before us are verified, if any such verification were needed, by private letters to the relatives and friends m this country of the hero of the exploit—namely, a Captain Haultain, son of Colonel Haul" tain, who was formerly a British offi.-er, but n »w for a great many years a wellknown resident m the colony." > The Pall Mall Gazette then proceeds to detail the j circumstances of the affair, respecting which it says :—" It would be hard to imagine a greater test of human endurance." At the banquet m Dunedin, to celebrate tbo anniversary of the birth of Burns, it was suggested by the chairman that four sites m tbe Octagon should be reserved for the erection of statues of Robert Burns, and one each for an illustrious Englishman, Irishman, and Scotchman. We are glad that ot least one of the sons of Scotland m Dunedin ihinks tnere are men deserving of honor who were other than Scotchmen, yet he must s how his national proclivities by reserving two sites for the latter. But what has Taffy done that he should be omitted ? Why not stick up a WeUhman so as to bave the thing complete, instead of erecting two Scottish idols, A Wellington paper, states that the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Corns pany re-advertiee for tenders for No. 13 contract far a portion of their railway, as the accepted tenderer has failed u> comoly with the conditions of the contract. They received five tenders for the work, all of which were within reasonable prices. It is asserted m some quarters that important changes m the Department of Justice, and m the present condition of the Colonial police, are to be shortly initiated by the Government. The details of the changes (saya the Hawke's Bay Herald) are said to comprise reduc* tions m pay iv both departments, the appointment of two police inspectors for each Island m lieu of the regulations ex* isting at present, and the performance of the duties of clerk of the .Resident Magistrate's Courts throughout the colony by the various registrar?. Large reductions m (he staff are also Raid to be imminent, but with what truth remains to be seen. Some time ago the ' Temora S*ar' re* ported tbe shearing of 210 sheep m a day as an extraordinary accomplishment, but that record has been excelled m New Zealand lately by a Mr David Bower, jun., who shore 214 sheep iv nine hours at Pillana' station, Clutha. The Wellington 'Post' says—"lced drinking water is now provided gratis on the N.S, Wales railways. Here is a hint for our railway authorities." Adds a southern exchange : —What on earth do we want with iced water here 1 Surely boiling coffee or rum hot would be more m keeping with the delightful " summer" weather of this season.