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Opunake Times, Volume III, Issue 134, 15 October 1895, Page 2

Mr W. Pettigrew notifies pure separator butter for sale at lOd per lb.

Mr W. D. Scott notifies several extra lines to be disposed of at his sale of sundries tomorrow.

The Butshire has arrived in London from New Zealand, and landed 1188 sheep, which are reported to be in good condition.

It is estimated the site and foundation of the proposed Wellington Cathedral will cost £5,000, and the building £20,000.

We have to thank the Chief Postmaster at New Plymouth for a copy of the Postal Guide for the current year. There were several shocks of earthquake felt here on Saturday last. One at 9 a.m. and another at noon were pretty sharp. To-day is the anniversary of the opening of the Bank of New Zealand, which took place in 1861.

Early on Thursday morning a fire broke out in the refreshment rooms at Te Aute. The whole of the station buildings and telegraph offices were destroyed.

Thomas Gomm, of the Star Hotel, Woodville, was fined £5 and costs for supplying liquor to other than travellers on Sunday, September 15, and another £5 and costs for keeping the bar open on the same day. In the House the other day Mr E. McKenzie remarked that in a few years time schoolboys on being asked " Who made the world ?" will answer " Seddon "; and he might have added the question, "Who selected the population ?" "Beeves." The programme for the Opunake Eacing Club's meeting on New Year's Day will consist of : Flying Handicap, 30 sovs ; Opunake Eacing Club Handicap, 70 sovs ; Hurdles, 30 sovs ; Farmers' Plate, 20 sovs ; Post Stakes, 20 sovs ; New Year Stakes, 40 sovs; Welter, 30 sovs, making a total of 210 sovs, or £5 more than last year-

Messrs Newman Bros have forwarded us a sample packet of Maskeliya tea, which is of excellent strength and delicate flavor. Last season they had a sample lot, and as it met with favor amongst tea drinkers they made arrangements with their Ceylon agents for a supply this season, which is imported ready packed. All those who like a good cup of tea should give this brand a trial. The demand for Ceylon tea is shown by the increase in output, which in 1873 was 301bs, and in 1891, 80,000,0001b5.

A recently published book on railway systerns contains this new version of the old story of an aged lady's first journey by rail. As the train was pitched down an embankment, and she crawled from beneath the wreckage, she asked a passenger, "Is this Stamford?" "No, madam," replied the man, who was pinned down by a piece of timber, " this is not Stamford, this is catastrophe." "Oh ! : ' cried the lady, " then I hadn't oughter get off here." Mr W. Grey, Secretary of the Post Offices, has received the following cablegram from Sir C. Todd, Post-master-Geueral of South Australia : " Sholl, Post-master-General Western Australia, telegraphs me as follows : Terrible fire at Coolgardie, and Bayly Street destroyed. Post and Telegraph Office fearfully knocked about, but saved by the superhuman and noble efforts of the staff assisted by the public. A newspaper office adjoining is gone. We are working in the open field close by. Afraid quadruples damaged. Officers knocked up, and business will be delayed. The fire originated by the upsetting of a lamp in Hin's buildings. Colonel Hume reports to the Minister for Defence with respect to the liquor question, that as long as the liqour laws remain as at present no organisation could successfully grapple with them. He considers the social pest and the larrikin pest have been lessened since the introduction of the criminal code, but the police require extended powers to deal effectively with larrikins who block the streets or footpaths and refuse to move on when ordered. One of the main objects aimed at in the administration of the department has been to bring the police, accoring to Colonel Hume, in closer touch with the people, and thereby establish a system of confidence and reliance on each other.

At a meeting of delegates of the New Zealand Kugby Union it was decided that any Union in arrears on July Ist should not be allowed to vote, or have voice at the meetings. The rules were amended to allow alteration of rules to be considered at any general meeting. It was resolved to recommend the English Union to amend its rules by making the penalty of a deliberate throw forward a free kick; also that an unintentional kuock on should not bo illegal; further that they should amend the laws to do away with the present tedious touch-line play. Suggestions for legalising punted goals and the use of the round ball were negatived. It was decided the next visit of a New Zealand team to Australia be in 1597, and that Queensland be invited to visit the colony next year. A letter was read from the English Union re a case of law, stating the onus laid with a team to see their opponents were not playing with more than 15 men ; that iu the case of a ball striking spectators, unless special arrangements had been made, should not be considered dead. The English Union admit that a referee hid the right to place a bail in scram, but he should exercise such right under exeaptnal circumstances.

Mr W. D. Scott notifies large entries for his next Opunake stock sale.

The many friends of Mr and Mrs J. Higgins will learn with deep regret of the death of their infant daugher, who died on Monday after a short illness. The funeral will take place to-morrow afternoon.

The following tenders (labor only) were received for the erection of an eight-roomed house for Mr H. J. Newman: T. Munday (accepted), £B4 10s; J. J. Boss, £97 5s ; Sims, £9B ss.

The bazaar in aid of the Anglican ;Church funds will be held on Monday, November 11th and following days in the Town Hall. A very fine collection of goods of all descriptions are being subscribed, and a grand display will be made. There will be four stalls, as well as the refreshment stall which will be in capable hands. Amusements of various kinds will be provided during the continuance of the bazaar.

Messrs Christie and Co have made alterations and additions to their furniture warehouse which make it quite ornamental to the town. They have put in a new front, bringing the building flush with the street. In their show-room they have a very fine display of crockery and glassware, which they intend dealing largely in, having made arrangements for special importations. Their stock of linoleums, oilcloths, mats and ready-made furniture invite inspection.

The Course Committee appointed by the Opunake Eacing Club has decided on ploughing the Western side of the course instead of attempting to patch it up in order to level it. The back stretch and the straight will not be interfered with for this meeting, as it is very good going and well turfed. This will give a run of nearly half a mile on the solid. After the meeting it will be all ploughed, levelled, and laid down with couch, so that the following season it should make a splendid track for the whole distance. The course measures out about 76 chains, and good starting points fall in for the short races.

The Minister for Lands' foolish threats about presenting to the House a return showing the names of those who have had overdrafts in the Bank of New Zealand, is condemned as strongly by his own side of the House as by the Oppositon and Wellington people state openly that Mr McKenzie has dealt a most serious blow to the institution itself by his extraordinary utterances. The Post, referring to the matter, says that Ministers in this colony have hit on the same style of political warfare as prevails in America, which if not sternly checked at once may lead to equally disastrous consequences. At Balclutha, William Moir, who formerly kept the Farmers Arms Hotel, was fined £SO and costs for selling whisky without a license. A local Christy Minstrel Company gave an entertainment in Moil's Hall and at the request of the local bank manager a bottle of whiskey was provided for the company. The secretary offered to pay if he got a receipt, but Moir declined the money. No evidence was forthcoming that the whisky had been paid for, and for the defence it was contended there had been no sale and that had Moir desired to charge for whisky he could have added it to the price of the hall, instead of which, being a local company he had let the hall cheaper than usual. Mr John Duthie has a question for the Minister of lands, as to sale of 63 sections containing 12,127 acres of land, in the settlements of Sommerville, Hunterville, Nos. 1,2 and 3, and " Palmerston North Knights of Labor," will he inform the House the reason for the abandonment and forfeiture ? whether he is aware that there are said to be sixty re maining as selectors who have no intention of becoming bona fide settlers ? whether he now recognises that these special settlements largely consist of speculators, willing to risk the small initiatory expense on the chance of drawing a first-class section and then selling out, but who, if unsuccessful, abandon the land after blocking settlement for some years, as in the cases in point ? and whether it is not now apparent to him that it is useless and wasteful to incur so great an expense in surveying such country into blocks of about 200 acres, and will be so amend the Land Act as to prevent future dummying.