LOCAL & GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2339, 5 April 1892, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Dance at Geraldine.—A dance will be held hi the Geraldine Oddfellows' Hall on Thursday evening- next. Railway Revenue.—lt is expected the railway revenue is £7236 above the estimate. The expenditure just reaches the estimate. Government Insurance.— Carmichael and Sons' contract at £13,149 has been accepted for additions to the Government. Insurr.ivje Buildings at Wellington. Unregistered Dogs.—At the R.M. Court, Timaru, on Friday last, more than twenty persons were each fined 10s and costs for having unregistered dogs in their possession. Board Meetings.—The monthly meeting of the Temuka Road Board takes place to-day ; that of the Geraldine Town Board to-night, and that of the Temuka Town Board to-morrow night. Auction Sale.—Attention is directed to the fact that the sale of Mr Morton's furniture, advertised by Messrs Mundell

and Co. to take place to-day, has been postponed to next Friday, at 2 p.m. Leprosy Among the Maoris. —Dr Marten, who has returned from a visit to the Hot Lakes district, carefully examined the Maori lepers at Tokano, and found at least one case of true leprosy developed. The Surplus.—According to the Wellington correspondent of the Press, Mr Ballauce estimates that he will have a surplus of over £200,000 this year. This shows what a bad shot Mr Rolleston made when he said the Government was " galloping towards a deficit." This is the grandest result ever produced in New Zealand. The Electoral Bill.—The new Electoral Bill which will be introduced as soon as Parliament meets will provide that an elector can only have his name on one roll, and thus the freehold tenure wiH be completely abolished. It will also provide that commercial travellers, shearers, and sailors shall be able to vote in whatever town they happen to be in at the time of the election. Arson.—An elderly man named James Craig has been arrested on a charge of arson at Silverstream, in the Hutt district, Wellington. Accused was ejected from a cottage which he occupied while employed as a laborer on a dairy farm, and shortly afterwards the buildings were burnt to the ground. Craig was admitted to bail, pending the inquest. St. Patrick's Day Sports.—We again remind our readers of these sports, which will be held at Geraldine on Thursday next. The weather at present seems favourable, and it is hoped that it will continue over Thursday so that the Association will not be again disappointed. The programme for the concert to be held in the evening has been slightly changed, and shows, if anying, an improvement on the last. Geraldine Racecourse.—The Trustees of the Geraldine racecourse reserve at Orari, have decided to take vigorous action against persons training horses on the course without permission. Considerable damage has been done of late to the gates and fences, and it is high time that an example was made of someone. Liability oe Local Bodies. —An important judgment affecting local bodies has been given by the Chief Justice at Wellington. A Mrs Spackman obtained £2OO damages from the Wairarapa North County Council for the loss of her husband, who was killed by failing down an embankment on a road. The council appealed, and Chief Justice Prendergast sustained the

appeal, with, costs, on the ground that no duty is east on local bodies to fence dangerous places on roads. R.M. Court, Temuka.—At the above court, yesterday, before M. Quinn, Esq., J.P., a first offender was fined a 5s for having been drunk on the previous Saturday at the Temuka Railway Station. It appeared that the accused was on board the train on his way to Ashburton, when he was noticed by Mr Geo. Davey and Constable Egan falling off, and both rushed immediately to his assistance. Only that he was caught in time he would in all probability have been killed. Speech by Mr Seddon. —The Hon. Mr Seddon addressed a crowded meeting at Palmerston North on Thursday night, and received a unanimous vote of thanks with a vote of confidence in the present Government. He dealt principally with immigration and the withdrawal of capital, pointing to the increase increase in the immigration returns of late, and to the opinion of high financial authorities in contravention of the assertion that capital is being withdrawn. As to the land and income tax proposals lie cited figures to show that the tax bore much less heavily on the farmer than the property tax did. J Revenue Returns.—The Customs revenue for March, was £145,041, against .U122,71;J for March last year. The beer duty was £5608. The Customs revenue for the year was £1,025,174, while the estimate was £1,535,000, giving a surplus of £!)0,174. There is a deficit in the beer duty of £2232, the total revenue being £57,707, against the estimate of £OO,OOO. No returns are available yet from other branches, but it is thought the stamps and territorial revenues may be slightly below the mark. It was hoped the railways would show a surplus of some £IO,OOO, but the continuance of wet weather

last month has interfered with the flow of revenue. Temperance Lectures.—A lecture will be given at the Oddfellow's Hall, Geraldine, on Friday evening, on the temperance question, by the Rev. Dr . Lucas, M.A., Dr Lucas is a Canadian, and has a splendid appearance as a lecturer, and is a very fluent speaker. The papers speak in high and glowing terms of his ability as a lecturer and of his knowledge with regard to the temperance question. A Canadian paper says of him: —" We gladly welcome home to Canada one of her illustrious sons, our old friend, the Rev. D. V. Lucas, M.A., who has been doing noble service for the past year and a-half in Australia and England, for the cause of Temperance, He now enters again the ranks in Canada, to stand by his guns till Prohibition is inscribed on all our banners from the Atlantic to the Pacific." The rev. gentle-, man will lecture at Temuka, on Thursday t

evening. Disastrous Fire at Greymouth.—A disastrous fire broke out at Greymouth on Saturday morning at about 3.30 on Mawhera Quay, destroying premises and stock tojthe value of £25,000. The fire broke out in the shop of Mr Elson, chemist, and spread rapidly to the premises of Messrs R. 0. Forsyth, ironmonger. Williamson grocer, the Bank of New South Wales, Heley and Taylor drapers, Forsyth and Masters, ironmongers, and the National Bank, all of which were totally destroyed. The Bank of New Zealand was on fire several times, and several other places also ignited and are much damaged. There was a general and hasty clearing out of stock in nearly all the premises on the block and much damage was occasioned thereby. At one time it seemed as if the greater part of the town would be destroyed, the Fire Brigade appliances bdng quite unable to cope with the flames, although they did their best and worked splendidly. The sailors in port under the charge of the mate of the s.s. Oxeti rendered excellent service, and materially assisted in confining the flames. The Insurances amount to about £l^,ooo,

Temuka Stock Sale.—The fortnightly sale of stock takes place at Temuka to-day. Attention is directed to the entries stdvertised in another column. Sculling.—McGrath easily defeated Palamountain in a two-mile sculling race at Dunedin. The former had only twice rowed in outriggers. Correction.—ln a case in the Temuka R.M. Court last week, T. Daley was put as defendant. This was wrong. The defendants name was P. Daley. Departures.—During the month ended March 31st the excess of departures over arrivals was 135. It is believed that tourists returning home after holidays account for the number. Laboub.—Mr Hall has offered to submit the Wellington tramway dispute to arbitration, and suggests Messrs McLean and Duthie, M.H.R.'s, leaving them to appoint an umpire if necessary. "Export of Butter. During the four weeks in March, ninety-six tons of butter were shipped from the New Plymouth breakwater, besides about a similar quantity going by rail to Wellington, Bad Language.—At the R.M. Court, Timaru, yesterday, Patrick McDonnell was sentenced to seven days' imprisonment for using obscene language on Saturday night when people were leaving the Theatre. He was under the influence of drink at the time. Good Signs.—We are informed by a Chriatchurch gentleman that there is great activity in that city, and that there is room for any number of carpenters there. This is a good sign, and shows that things have taken a turn for the best. Piscatorial.—On last Saturday Mr James Duncan caught a splendid lot of trout in the Temuka river, some of which weighed !)lb. On the previous day also he was equally fortunate, and landed a good number amongst which was a trout which turned the scales at 131 b. H.M.S. TAUEANGA. Tne ActingGovernor, accompanied by the Premier and Messrs Reeves and Buckley, paid a visit to the gunboat Tauranga on Friday morning, when the ship was cleared for action, the operation taking about twenty minutes. She fired a salute as the chief justice left. Vegetation.—The season has been very favourable to vegetation, and splendid yields of all kinds of vegetables have been obtained. Mr H. Nicholson, of Waiifehi, brought to town on last Saturday samples of cauliflowers, which he distributed amona - his friends, n.nrl to-a Wvo tmliomk*;™

in saying they were the finest we have ever seen. The Elginshire.—Messrs Scott Bros, are busily engaged in their contract for floating the Elginshire. They propose to float her by pumping air into the freezing chambers, and with this end in view, have a large staff of men busily engaged strengthening the decks, etc. Air pumps and other materials were sent on board yesterday. A Gigantic Sunflower.—We have been shown an enormous sunflower grown by Mr J. W. Pye, at his residence, Geraldine. The stalk measures over eight feet from the ground to the flower, and the latter tapes 27 inches in diameter with the petals, and without the petals, measuring •imply across the seed, we have 23 inches. Mr Pye has grown quite a host of large sunflowers, but this one eclipses them all. Missing.—No trace has yet been found of Mr E. P. Brown, of the National Bank, Riverton, who has been missing since Wednesday morning, when he was seen going towards the bathing place with a towel in his hand. Mr Brown, who is the son of a clergyman at Waikaia, had been suffering from nervous debility and occasional dementia for about ten days before his disappearance. '' A Rescue.—A prisoner named Wilson, while being taken from Lyttelton to Ripa Island, on Saturday, was seized with 1 sea sickness, and while he was leaning over the side of the launch, he fell over-board. He was promptly rescued by a fellow prisoner named McGuire, who jumped in after him. This is the second prisoner McGuire has rescued from a watery grave, and as he got a substantial remission of his sentence on the first occasion, the coincidence is somewhat suspicious. Export ov Fruit.—Mr Hanlon, fruit expert, forwarded a report to the Minister

| of Lands, making various suggestions as to the improvements in cool chambers in steainer.s and the method of handling fruit when shipping. He says at present it is greatly knocked about and wants supervision, also bettsr slings; he suggest* tbo uniform size of American shaped cl.*;.-*, which would save 40s per 100 cases in freight and 9s 3d in cost; he also recommends a small subsidy, say 'C IO par 500 cases per orchard. ' ■-W' Made a Bankrupt.—At Tiuiaru yesfcerday Samuel Green, of Beep Creek, was adjudged a banhrupt on the petition of several creditors. A short time ago the bankrupt instructed Mr Jonas to sell his farm, but afterwards repudiated the ii-* structions. The farm was sold, an I t:ie case taken to the Supreme Court, wtieutae case went against Green, :md he wan ordered to sign the transfer. Tnis lie refused to do, hence the action of his creditors, who were afraid that the whole of the surplus in the estate, ai'tir tue mortgages were paid, would be squandered. "' The Cost of a Tug.—At the last meet- • ing of the Otago Harbor Board Messrs Tunibull, Martin, and Co. wrote asking for a reduction in the charges made for servi xa rendered to the s.s. Elginshire by the board's tug, Koputai. The board decided to adhere to the amount charged, namely, dj per hour for hours, the price agreed upon

. when the tug was engaged. It was statad by the harbor master that the cost to the board of the service rendered, without any allowance for insurance risk or for capital, was £174. One of the itaius charged for, aud objected to as excessive, was a damaged, tow-line, and the board agree.! to forego the amount charged for it if Messrs Turubull k Co. supplied auother in'its place. Spumous Bank Noras.—Spurious £l. notes are now in circulation in Wellington, I The Post gives a description of one passed V- 1 on a firm of auctioneers there. It says the' difference between the real and spurious notes is very great. While the genuine Bank of New Zealand note is engraved and has the central space filled with an intricate yellow and blue pattern, and the words "one pound 1 ' stamped throughout the design, the spurious note is very badly lithographed, with a perfectly plain tinted ground as a, oentrc, no sign of the " one pound" in the pattern, and the various small views characteristic of the last Bank of New Zealand issue poorly imitated. Iho

beauteous young female with the bead necklace who appears on one side of the real note, figures on the counterfeit as a sort of cross between Cleopatra and Bamum's mermaid, while the sheep represented would certainly not come up to freezing requirements, and the stalwart aborigines are evidently under a cloud.The back of the imitation note shows an V even more striking difference, and in lieu of the scene of rural bliss peopled with kiwi and flax, and canoes, and lean-to cottages, to which we are treated by the Bank j of New Nealand, we are expected to put, ) up with four sets of concentric circles, looking like Pears's sight tests, and a bi"- 1 crossed with tUe word " pound,"

Brass Bands Contest.—The dates for the next band contest at Wellington are fixed at the 20th, 21st, and 22nd October. A Good Suggestion.—Lloyd's agent at Dunedin wrote to the Chamber of Commerce respecting courts of marine enquiry as at present constituted, pointing out that it was impossible for a landsman to put questions of a practical character to seafaring men in connection with navigation, and that enquiries were consequently sometimes valueless. The Chamber passed a resolution to ask the Government to appoint a permanent board or boards of experts for marine enquiries. No Case. The charges against Alexander Waller, preferred by the Wakamarina Gorge Mining Company, for malicious injury to the company's engine, were gone into before the Resident Magistrate at Blenheim on Thursday and Friday. Mr Sinclair prosecuted for the company, and Mr McCallum defended. After hearing evidence on both sides the Resident Magistrate held that there was noimina facte case, and refused to commit. It is understood that Waller will institute an action, claiming heavy damages for false imprisonment and malicious prosecution. Timaku Hospital,—The following is the return of patients in the Timaru Hospital for the month of March, 1892: — Patients under treatment at date of last return : Males 7, females 'J, total 1(>; admitted during month: males 12, females 14, total 26; totals treated; males 1!», females 23, total 42. Discharged during month :—Cured : males 5, females 8, total 13; unrelieved: males 1 (committed to lunatic asylum) ; totals discharged : males 6, females 8, total 14. Remaining under treatment.-males 13, females 15, total 28. Out-patients treated during the month : males t>, females 8, total 14. Medical.—Advertising is rapidly hecoming one of the fine arts, and at the i present time some of the most capable minds are competing with each other in that line. The race is always with the swift, and he who understands this art best will undoubtedly succeed, provided the commodity he offers to the public is equal | to representation. Amongst the foremost Australian advertisers —in fact, the foremost—at the present time is Mr F. Moore Clement, of Clement's Tonic, Melbourne. He has for some years past taken to advertising extensively, and apparently with good results. Some of the devices he adopts are really interesting. The cheques with which he pays his accounts are works of art, and, of course, are designed to advertise his medicine. In addition to this he encloses a slip of paper in each letter sent out of his office, which at first glance shows the bust of a young lady, but which on a little manipulation changes into ' a photograph of himself. Besides this he circulates a broadsheet showing the likenesses of several of those who have been cured by his medicine, as well as a foe simile of their signatures to their letters bearing testimony to his remedies. This puts the question of the genuineness of the testimonials beyond a question of dispute, and undoubtedly proves that Clement's tonic possesses great curative properties. Mr Clement has, we are informed, had very uphill work. He began in New South Waleß as a chemist and druggist, and when he discovered the efficacy in certain diseases of the preparation known as Clement's Tonic he tried to push it, but found himself opposed on all sides by the other chemists, who could not see their way to countenance a remedy prepared by one of their own class. Undaunted by discouragement from quarters where he might have expected assistance, Mr Clement persevered, till the demand for his medicine grew to such an extent that the chemists found it necessary to keep it to meet the wants of their customers, and now it has apparently the most extensive sale of any of the proprietory medicines in Australia. Mr Clements has since removed to Melbourne, and, judging by the amount he expends yearly on advertising, and the promptitude with which he settles accounts, he must be going good business. He is the Professor Holloway of Australia. The " Star " Bicycle, with tangent spokes to both wheels, ajolus ball bearings to both wheels and pedals, beautifully enamelled and nickel-plated. Price £1!) on terms, £l7 Us 6d cash. —Adams, Curties and Co., 70, Manchester street, Christchurch. Cycles from £5. —ll

SYNOPSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS. Mrs Robert Rae—Grass land to let. Geraldine Racing Club—Trespass notice. Lady Blunden, Temuka —"Wants general servant. _ y - Geraldine Road Board—Tenders invited 'for works. Dr Hayes, Temuka —Invites tenders for cuttiug chaff. Dr Lucas—Will deliver temperance lecture at Geraldine on Friday next. Dr. Lucas—Will give temperance lecture »fc Temuka on Thursday evening. JSf.Z. & M.A. Company,—Advertise en tries for Temuka stock sale to-day. J. Tangney, Bootmaker, —Is now holding a clearing sale for 21 days; reductions in prices for repairs. Mundell & Co.—Sell household furniture and effects at Teinuka on Friday, on account Mr John Morton. Executors of the late Angus Macdonald —lnvite tenders for breaking up 600 acres tussock land and 400 acres stubble.