TOPICAL TITBITS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1201, 8 March 1895, Page 21

TOPICAL TITBITS.

The tender of Mr Turnbull, Wellington, has been accepted for lighting the new "Wanganui Hospital by electricity. A young man of Mauriceville, H. R. Neilson, reports having been robbed of neatly <£loo at Masterton. TTp to the end of February 292 criminal cases and 751 civil cases were dealt with at the Wellington Magistrate’ s Court. Bishop Wilson says Lyttelton harbour is the most English-looking he has seen in New Zealand. Since the Arawa want into the San Francisco trade her hull has been painted green, with a gold stripe, and her funnels bright red. Everybody talking cricket on Monday The telephone people had a bad time of it. Several Wellington runners have been nominated for the Hibernian Sports at Blenheim on the 18th instf. Marrem grass, a valuable sand-binding plant, is to be tried in the public reserves in Christchurch. Enquiry is reported to be particularly brisk lately for sections in the promising township of Apiti. A polo match was played at Palmerston on Saturday between the Manawatu and Oroua Clubs, resulting in the defeat of the latter. Word has been received from the Auckland Amateur Athletic Association that the member of the team who had misbehaved himself at Napier will be stiingently dealt with.—Napier Telegraph. The Palmerston Standard is informed that Parliament is to be appealed to regarding the Sharman case, dealt with by the Wellington Land Board. Four prospectors who went to the Ruahine ranges from Apiti are so well satisfied with what they saw that they are going back again. _ France has accepted Germany’s invitation to send a squadron to Kiel to the opening of the North Sea Canal. The London Daily Telegraph's special correspondent in Armenia continues to confirm the details of the massacres. «The Victorian Government is considering the appointment of a produce expert in. London to supervise shipments and develop trade.

Some children had tlieir eyes injured by smoke and grit from the engine while riding in an open. truck with the Napier school excursionists on Saturday. A man named Purton, in the employ of the Palmerston Borough Council, while working on the protection works at the Manawatu river, got a severe gash on his leg through the slipping of an adze. Mr Adams, storekeeper at Manakau, was rendered unconscious by a fall from a horse, but is recovering. Mrs Hudson, one of the excursionists from Ashburton to Christchurch on Friday, had her pocket rifled of £,3 and the railway tickets of herself and her children. Mr J. E. March, Superintendent of Settlements, has just returned to Wellington from a tour of inspection through the North Island settlements. He found the majority of the settlers to be doing well, although employment was somewhat; slack. The three essentials to the success of these settlements are the right soil, the right locality, and the right class of people. The first two of these essentials have not been studied in starting some of the northern, settlements, and they are consequently not so successful as otherwise they would be. One pleasing feature in connection with these settlements in the North Island is the beneficent result of the wisdom and forethought whiph prompted the late Mr Ballance to supply the settlers with fruit trees. All the industrious settlers have now nice orchards and gardens, and Mr March was greatly struck by the excellence of the grapes, peaches, plums and apples which he found growing in many of the settlements. A sample of apples which he has brought back with him fully justifies all the complimentary things he has to say on that subject. The Hon Mr Carroll, Mr Sheridan, of the Native Land Purchase Department, and. Judge Butler, of the Native Land Court, proceed to Taumaranui next week to locate certain reserves and the interests of various non-sellers in the Waimanno block, and also to enquire into a case of alleged impersonation in connection with one of the shares in the block purchased by Judge Butler in 1888 when he was acting as land purchase officer. Thev will likewise try to arrange for the purchase of a township site at Pipiriki. The Hon Mr Carroll went up by Wednesday’s train to Wanganui, and Mr Sheridan will probably leave on Saturday, picking tip Judge Butler at Palmerston, where he is now holding a sitting of the Native Land Court. The party expect to be away about ten days, and on Judge Butler s return he will reTfJw s . lttin £ of the Native Land Court m the vvairarapa.