The Opunake Times. TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 1896.

Opunake Times, Volume IV, Issue 182, 31 March 1896, Page 2

The Opunake Times. TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 1896.

A middle aged housekeeper is advertised for. Mr W. D. Scott notifies a large entry for his next Opunake sale. A meeting of the Opunake Football (31ub is called for Saturday evening. A replace advertisement from the Melbourne Cash House will appear next issue. A Tuturau settler has driven all the rabbits off his section by playing the bagpipes. Mr Lawson and Mrs Kirkwood notify that trespassers on their properties in pursuit of game will be prosecuted. We give a reminder of the Wesleyan social which is to be held at Oaonui this evening, and also the one to be held at Pi» bama on Thursday evening. The Fancy Fair is to be wound up this evening. All the remaining raffles will be thrown off before 9 o'clock, at which hour Mr W. D. Scott will take charge and submit every article to the hammer without reserve. The Catholic Fancy Fair was continued on Friday, Saturday and Monday. On Saturday evening the voting took place for the best dressed girl and boy taking part in the May Pole dance. The prize for the girls was won by Miss Janet Knowles, and the prize for tha boys was won by Master Charles Feaver. The gross takings we understand amount to close on £l5O. As indicating the severity of trade competition at Home, it is on record that a Liver* pool firm of grocers undertake to provide medical attendance to customers who guarrantee to buy a quarter of a pound of tea weekly from them. The authorities of the profession are up in arms against those of their brethren who connect themselves with this latest advertising dodge.

We, N.Z. Times, regret to learn of the death of Mrs Ewen, wife of Mr H. A. Ewen of the Bank of New Zealandr Wellington, and third daughter of the late Mr John McKelvie, of Bangitikei. Mrs Ewen died at Mentone, in the south of France, after a long and painful illness, and the sad news was received on Wednesday by cable message.

At a meeting in connection with the Stu. dents of Truth, Christchurch, over 100 were present. Beeolutions were passed branding Woithiugton as an accomplished liar, swindler, and deceiver, and entirely unworthy of the trust and confidence of any respectable person: also that six years' experience showed that he was unfitted socially, morally and mentally to be a leader of auy body of people, whether banded together for religious purposes or not. The Minister of Justice was interviewed in Wellington on Thursday by a deputation from the Wellington Prohibition League in reference to the Aehurst Hotel case. The deputation commented in strong terms upon the apparent apathy of the local constable with reference to the disgraceful proceedings which led to the shutting of the hotel, and an assertion was made that there was generally laxity on the part of the police in seeing that the provisions of the Licensing Act was being observed. Lieut. Colonel Hume, who was present, stated that the police endeavored to obtain convictions in cases where the licensing law was believed to have been broken. The Minister, in reply, declined to admit that his predecessors had been averse to the administration of the Licensing Act He promised that while he was in office he would endeavor to make the police a thoroughly efficient body of men, and, he stated that instructions had been given for the removal of the constable who had figured so prominently in the Ashurst case.

There was a scene of tumultuous laughter in the Wesleyan Conference at Melbourne recently, when the president gravely rose and remarked, " Brethren, before proceeding further, I am requested to say that a brother lost his watch and chain in this building last night. If any of the brothers have it " Nothing more could be heard, until presently one of the clerical gentlemen present rose and with great solemnity, nda evidently much disturbed, seriously protested against the insinuation ! The climax was reached when probably the only other person in the room who had not seen the joke—it was a member of the laity this time—rose in his place and related that he had himself lost an overcoat at the conference. In the very words of the president he was proceeding to say— ;1 If any one has it " when his voice was drowned by the laughter he had quite innocently provoked. After looking about the assembly in blank surprise he finally resumed his seat, apparently wondering whether the entire conference, from the president downwards, had been seized by a sudden fit of laughing insanity.