LOCAL & GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2480, 23 March 1893, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Cheap Gas. The Wellington Gas Company have decided to reduce the price of gas to Gs fid per 1000 feet from the Ist July. Serious Accident.— Robert Stewart, a farmer at Waitaki North, was thrown from his buggy on Monday, and dragged some distance. On Tuesday he was still unconscious. SUPREME OoUrT. At the Supreme Court, Dunedin, Oh Tuesday, Bowerman Bros, sued a Waiwera settler for the value of a Picturesque Atlas. A plea of misrepresentation was set up, an t Judge Ward accepted this view, holding that there had been griev-ays misrepresentation, and gave judgment for the defendant. Mysterious Fire.— Two of the upstair bedrooms of the Clarendon Hotel, Palmerston North, which changed hands this week were discovered on fire at the same tinn on Tuesday afternoon. The first was in the front part of the hotel, and evi ientl.y started underneath the bei, while the second was between the matress and bedclojmes. Littic damage was done, as both outbreaks were noticed before the fire ha got a linn hold. The affair is very my.-terious, as it was plainly a case of incen larism, but there is no clue to the perpetrator. Loss Prom Caterpillars.— Mr J. Dron. of B dcaijm, who had a crop of 20 acres o r oats, which were e fimated to .yield 00 bushels per acre, received a visitation from caterpillars, which took away at least -•> bushels of the graia. The sparrows on the neighboring crops were hard at work takiny the°groin, but none of the birds seemed to come to the attack on the caterpillars. The starlings kept up a continuous onslaught upon the grubs, but were not in sufficient numbers to save more than five bushels of !| Jjtr crop per acre.—Press. ( NCi,fO;h(. f??f4r N Market.—At the llanglora the . f ;. inne f were showing a g«roJjig(A to quit their grain, and in eonseque.uve a < good many lines changed hands. _ As| proving the disappointing nature ot the i yields this season, one of the principal | groin bu-yeg? states that never before in his eiipcrieuco -have h??p3 on offer been so smalL Ti,ie price? op Tuesday were : —Wheat; pearl, 2s 5d per bushel; hunters, 2s 4dh tiOTfy Ijj f to Is Bd—all at country stations,—Lyttelton Times. Fiji— The Rev. J. D. Jury, who was for a number of years a missionary in Fiji, will illustrate the islands and natives by magic lantern this evening. Mr Jory is thoroughly familiar with the early history, j manners, and customs, of the Fijians, and, with Ids admf'iflbje collection of lantern pictures, personal experiences, and rendering of Fijian songs (in native tongue), will \ afford one of the most Interesting and j entertaining opportunities the people of Tcmuka have ever had. The price of admission is the small sum of Gd, so that everybody should be able to enjoy the entertainment, •

Heavy Potatoes. —Mr D. Charteris has left on view' at Mr Gaze’s office, Temuka, some remarkably _ fine specimens of potatoes of the variety known as Breeze’s Early Prolifics. They are said to be a fair sample of the bulk of a crop that is likely to yield over 15 tons per acre. They were grown on swamp laud. The “ Sheep Bot-fly.”— The New South Wales Government have sent a letter enquiring whether sheep bot fir is prevalent, and likely to do any serious damage. They have been told that some.isolated cases have been reported. There is evidently a confusion with the horse bot. Football.— The opening game of the season at Temuka takes place to-day in the Victoria Park. The ground has been prepared, and, given a good day, there should be a number of spectators to encourage the club. Mr S. G. Dann, one of the club’s vice-presidents, will kick off at 3 o’clock sharp. A Massing Man. The missing man Thomson was traced to Ngaire station. McDonald at the Sash and Door Company’s mills, remembers having seen a person at the station answering Thomson’s description who asked McDonald to direct him to Coutts’s house. He went the right direction, but never reached Coutts’s, to whom Thomson bad a letter of introduction. Vote of Condolence. After the transaction of special business at the sitting of the Temuka Road Board on Tuesday, the clerk was instructed to convey to Mrs Jos. Woodhead an expression of the board’s sympathy with her upon the occasion of the decease of her husband, whose services as a member of the board were warmly acknowledged.

Accident. —A rather serious accident befell Mr Julius Siegert at Fairlie Creek on Tuesday evening. He was going out with his trap, and the blinkers came off his horse just after he got into the vehicle. The animal plunged, and eventually Mr Siegert was thrown to the ground, and ha I three ribs broken, besides sustaining ot aer injuries. He was unconscious for some time, and yesterday was reported in a very low condition.

Fatal Accident. —A seaman on the Miowera, now at Auckland, named Alex. McNab, a single man, aged 3(5, while oiling the gin yesterday morning, fell down the bottom hold, a distance of 50 feet. He was fearfully mangled. When taken on the wharf McNab was still alive, though insensible, hut he expired before medical aid arrived. His skull was fractured, his brains protruded, his left leg and thigh, and two ribs were broken, and his left hand was lacerated. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

Effects of a Railway Accident.— Lovers of music will be sorry to learu o f the serious accident which has befallen M. O vide Musin and his wife A. L. Tanner, the high soprano. It appears that on Monday, !)th January, the concert party was in a wreck on the North Western Railway, near Story city, lowa (U.S.A.), with the result, according to a local paper, that Musin was dreadfully shaken, and from “a robust and healthy man, with coal-black hair, became bent and broken his hair and beard almost snow-white.” Poor Musin is now at De> Moines, suing the railway company for 30,0;K)Jol damages, 25,000 dols for himself and oOOOdol for his wife.

Charitable Aid. —The Wellington District Hospital Board granted the account asked for by the Hospital, £6BIO. At the meeting of the United Board, however, there was a discussion over the sum of £5765 required by the Wellington Benevolent Societies. Mr Petherick asserted that undeserving people got relief and spent the money in public houses. Challenged to give names he said he would do so, but not at that meeting. The chairman explained that numbers come to Wellington in the belief that the place was highly prosperous and not getting the work they expected, they left their families on the hands of the Board. ■ Eventually an amendment’ was carrried by 5 to 1 reducing the amount to £SOOO, £6703 was also voted for other institutions and adjacent,districts. Fire Brigades’ Association. The fourteenth annual meeting of the United Fire Brigades’ Association opened at Wanganui yesterday morning, in the Borough Council Chambers, Superintendent Hughes (Auckland), presiding. There were over 50 delegates from all parts of the colony present. The annual report of the Executive was read, and the balance-sheets showed the receipts to be £BO6 11s 2d, including a balance last audit of £261558d. The expenditure was £577 14s sd, leaving a bank balance of £284 6s 9d. The balance of assets over liabilities was £262 0s 9d, the latter including £153 l(>s cash balance held for the Accident Assurance Society, and the amount of registration fees and contridutions received. A committee, consisting of ex-president Smith, captains Burger, Michel, and Hall, engineer Winter, treasurer Robinson, and secretary Robinson, was appointed to take into consideration the whole question of the maintenance of brigades. A long discussion ensued about the proposed rule that, should any member of a brigade while representing the Association act so as to bring ridicule or disgrace on it, the executive power to suspend the brigade to which such member belongs. Eventually an amendment was carried giving the executive to compel a brigade to fine or suspend j and in the event of a brigade declining to do this they shall be suspended from all privileges of the Association. It was decided that the Association should be represented by a delegate at the English Fire Congress ; also at the firemen’s meeting at Chicago; A benevolent fund is to be inaugurated. A committee was appointed to report on the conduct of the Gisborne members at the Christchurch banquet. Manawatu Railway Company.— The Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Times telegraphs “ Regarding the fall in the price of the Manawatu Company's debentures, announced by cable the other day, the explanation is that it is partly due to the taxation, in this way: The legislation of last year gave ail companies the right to de luct fro a their interest payments the tax chargeable on the debentures. At the last payment of interest this was not done in the case of the Manawatu Company. The next payment being due in time, some holders were anxious to sell so as to avoid the deduction ; but as this would nob amount to more than Ss 4.1, very much less than the fall cabled, it is supposed that there has been some ‘bearing’ for a purpose, the evident desire of some of the hoi lers to sell facilitating the operation I may add that when the debentures were issued some years agp they were issued subject to deduction of the Property Tax The Company felt nni;h aggrieved when the Property Tax was amended by taking away from all companies the power of making the deduction, and petitioner! the Legislature to restore the position. As the Legislature did nothing, the debenturehol.’ers have till now escaped the taxation to which they knew they were subjict when they invested. Thus it is evident that the legislation of last year is not a breach of any agreement so far as the debenture bol 'ers of the company are concerned, ‘but .Merely a return to the original arrangement' 'fhere are many here, of coarse, who think that yh is compamy is too heavily handicapped, for whilst j it has to compete with the Government railways, whose rates are the limit of its rating power, ip has to pay local and general (taxation, and the debenturehol<)§ri have to "pay "a tax, yhcreas the Government yailwfejrs are’ fpep qf all taxation, just as tihclF {j9?tdhpldeps. the hqhlers of the New Zealand stock, awe. 7-J?e peeling is strong that this ought to be remedied. The Manawatu Company ha*, nevertheless, after payinor over £40,000 on taxation, reached th.e dividend-paying stage, having divided 5 per cent- The hardship of the position is great enough, hpvyeyer. It is a matter of great public' interest, fyr t be public using the Manawatu Railway has to pay all there charges. A remission of all taxation except on the Company’s land, which is a fair subject taxation, would no doubt be followed bjr s> lowering of the rates."

The Times Representative. Miss Shaw, representative of the London Times, before leaving Wellington for Canada via Auckland, had a long interview with the Minister of Labour.

Supposed Suicide.— The body of a young man named Hewitt, a gumdigger, was found in a creek near Dargaville, Auckland, on Sunday. Deceased was 22 years of age. The case is believed to be one of suicide. Found Dead. —An old man named James Horn, 73 years of age, who had lived by himself in a cottage at St. Albans, Christchurch, was found dead in his. house on Monday morning. He has sons in Picton and Blenheim.

A Pickpocket Caught.— A man giving the name of Arthur Melville, recently from Sydney, was caught in the act of picking a woman’s pocket at the Auckland Athletic Sports on Saturday. He was sentenced to six months’ with hard labour. Meeting at South Rangitata. A meeting of ratepayers in the OrariRangitata water supply district takes place in the South Rangitata Schoolroom next Wednesday evening, to consider the question of maintenance of water races. Profitable. — The receipts at the Wellington Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s November show were £ll4l, and the expenditure £733. From the ram and ewe fair the Association derived a profit of £32.

Important Sale. —Attention is directed to the sale of bush land, sawmilling plant, posts, rails, sawn timber, etc., by Messrs 11. B. Webster & Co., on account Messrs Fergusson & Meredith to-day. The sale takes place at the sawmills, which are situated between Woodbury and Mr Tripp’s. Gold. —A large reef is reported as struck in the Progress Mine, Reefton. A cross cut was put into the back of the winze from No. 304 level, and a body of stone struck within two feet of the driving. The stone has been broken into 17 feet with no sign of the hanging wall yet. Gold shows throughout.

Rangitata South School Picnic. — The annual picnic in connection with the Rangitata South School (lower), is to be held in the school ground to-day, or, if the weather is not favorable, on the following day, Friday. The committee intend to make the gathering as pleasant and enjoyable as on former occasions, and hope that many Temuka friends will take opportunity of tac half holiday and put in an appearance. The prizes will be distributed to the children in the afternoon at 3 o’clock by the chairman. The usual social will be held in the evening, when good music and a lengthy programme are promised.

This Cheviot Estate.— The Cheviot estate is now being subdivided into nine blocks, and tenders are being invited for leasing the paturage rights over them for eleven months, ani for the homestead and agricultural blocks on the Waiau and Hurunui, where the land is under cultivation, for six months. Professor Hutton has pronounced some ore brought from Cueviot to be good pyrites, of which there is an immense quantity on a portion of the estate, which the professor says will be very valuable for the manufacture of sulphuric acid if obtainable in such large quantities as he is informed exist there. Inquest. —At the inquest on the body of the man found drowned in the Opihi river, tethered to the Raincliff bridge, evidence showed the man was not known in the district, beyond that he had stayed two days at the Railway Hotel about a week before, and had been seen near the bridge a day or two before. Nothing peculiar was observed in his conduct or manner. A letter was found in his p icket addressed to George Spence, by his lather, and dated from Holmes Chapel, Westmoreland. This was the only evidence as to identity. A deep scar of an old wound on the left side of the head, between the ear and eye, was supposed to have been the cause of mental derangement, and the jury, therefore, found that deceased committed suicide while temporarily insane. Native Obstruction. —AtAwanm, near Gisbourne, the case against the natives charged with obstructing surveyors was heard on Monday. The accused were all convicted, and three males and two females, were each fined 20s and costs £2. Koromeha Mopuka for inciting to obstruct was fined £2 and £1 os 6d costs in each case ; one mouth was allowed for payment, in default of which 30 days’ imprisonment will be the penalty. Paro Te Kaku, the chief of the party, for pulling down a trig station, was fined £lO and £3 3s (!i costs : in default three months’ hard labour in Napier gaol. One month was allowed in which to pay the fine. Farther trouble has arisen at East Cape, the natives having pulled down more trig stations. Sergeant Major Moore, who was on his way back to Gisborne, has returned to Awanui, and two mounted constables left Gisborne yesterday morning for the scene of the trouble. Prohibition. A meeting of the Wellington Prohibition League was held on Tuesday night to take into consideration the question whether or not they should affiliate with the New Zealand Alliance. The Rev. W. Isitt was present, and in the course of an address said that if all the cities of the colony were as determined as Duuedin and Ohrstchuroh were they would have direct veto this year. He strongly urged the local branch to federate or affiliate with the New Zealand Alliance. After other speeches had beeen delivered, the following resolutions were carried:— (1) That the federation of the various prohibition leagues of the colony is absolutely necessary for a realisation of their aims, and should be immediately effected ; (2) That in the opinion of this league it is highly desirable to such federation that the league should affiliate with the New Zealand Alliance. Geraldine R.M. Court.— At the Geraldine 11. M. Court ou Tuesday, in the civil case W. G. Sherratt v. A. Exley, claim l(ss for horse hire, judgment was given for plaintiff by default for amount chimed with costs. Lizzie Trengrove, 13 years of age, pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a piece of ribbon value 3s (51, the property of Nathaniel Dunlop. Evidence leading to the conviction was given by Miss E. Morrison, and Mr Nathaniel Dunlop gave evidence that he had missed several things from his shop for which he had suspected the accused. Constable Willoughby stated that the child, with two others younger than herself, had no mother to look after them, and were left to do as they like 1. The Bench was presided over by C. A. Wray, Esq, R.M., and the Magistrate ordered that the accused be sent to the Industrial School till she is 15 years of age ; the accused’s father to pay eight shillings weekly fqr her support. The Court then rose.

session of t'mOrler of Oddfellows of New Zealand, American Constitution, opened at Wellington on Tuesday. Representatives from all parts of the colony were present. An addles of welconje was presented to the visiting- brethren. The report of the Grand Master was adopted. It showed that at the close of last term (1891) the membership was 1505. It now stood at 180i>. The total funds of the Order last term were £17,442, and were now £21,205. The reports of the grand secretary and treasurer were adopted, a special vote of commendation being ’awarded the former oliicer for his valuable work. The finance committee’s report was brought up, and'referred to the secretary in general sessipn. The amendments to the constitution were considered, and it was agreed to alter the basis of election of representatives to the general sesgipn,' making the election by a bare maiprity of the vyhple number. Provision was also raadp for appointing alternative representatives. It was decided to sever the connection with the Supreme Grand Lodge of Australasia, and apply to the Sovereign Grand Lodge of the United States for a supreme grand charter for the constitution. Qn Wednesday a deputation was appointed to’wait on the Government on general matters of interest to the Order. The question of centralisation of the sick fund was farther adjourned until the 1895

The Shooting Season.— The shooting season for native game in the Geraldine County Acclimatisation Society’s district commences on the 31st March (Good Friday). Accident.^ —A man named Lapthorne was rather badly hurt on Tuesday evening while working in the hold of the steamer Taviuni at Timaru. A slingfull of 501 b bags of flour slipped when about to be lowered, and some of the bags struck Lapthorne, knocking him over, and injuring one of his legs. He was taken home in an express. The Harper Bankruptcy. — The first meeting of creditors in the estate of T. W, Maude, late of the firm of Harper and Co., was held at Christchurch yesterday. In the course of his statement the debtor said that he held a share in the firm of Harper and Co., and owing to liabilities in connection with the firm he had been compelled to file, more especially concerning the account currrent with Scott, of Levuka, and Harper and Co. His own liabilities were under £l3O. He did not know the liabilities of the firm, but thought that they were very large. He had known for the last six years that the firm was in financial difficulties, but had been informed by Mr Leonard Harper that it only required patience and good management to pull things round. His shares in the Lyttelton Times were held subject to a mortgage for £1397. A long discussion ensued, and finally it was arranged that the meeting be adjourned till Wednesday, the 29th instant.

Temuka Road Board. A special meeting of the above board was held on Tuesday. Present—Messrs Talbot (chairman), W. Snell, and 0. Bissetfc. The business was of a general character. The Harbor Board demand of £270 2s 7d, contribution for half year, was passed for payment. The following tenders were received —Contract 57, Drain and Formation, Reserve 1400 : Mclnnes & Co., £lO5 ; M. Flaherty, £9B 16s; M. Lawlor, £B7; J. K, Franks, £BS; R. Roberts, £66 10s (accepted). Contract 58, Formation near Mr A. M. Clark’s, Orari: J. Fifield, £2B ; J. Davis, £27 Is 6d (accepted). Contract 59, Deepening 40 chains Canal Drain : F. Franks, £36 10s; M. Flaherty, £29 15s (accepted). Contract 60, Cleaning part of Canal Drain near Reserve 1211: C. Diggan, £4 13s 9d (accepted). Contract 61, Cleaning Canal Drain near Wareing’s: R. Roberts, £4 13s 9d; C. Diggan £3 Is (accepted). No tenders were received for Contract 62. The meeting then terminated. Farmers v. Millers.— The North Otago Times says:—There has been disputations, going on between the southern farmers and millers, and it has reached the point where the gage of battle is thrown down, or rather where one party pulls off his coat and invites the other to tread on the tail of the garment. The Taieri farmers think the Dunedin millers are not offering fair prices for grain, and threaten reprisals. Several of the wealthier of the Taieri settlers have threatened to starve the millers out, and the modus operands i s this ; They will advance at 6 per cent on the security of the grain to those farmers who have engagements to meet, the grain to be stored in the farmers’ barns, See. The wheat will then be held back till the price demanded—3s to 3s 3d —is obtained, and if either of these prices is not offered millers will have to import or close their mills. Of course this is completely ignoring the influence of the Home market on prices, but that is a question outside the range of the present dispute. No doubt if the southern farmers are bent on carrying out their determination they can do something for notwithstanding the floods to which the Taieri has lately been subjected there is still a good deal of wealth on the plain. Developments will be anxiously watched for. SYNOPSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS. J. F. Douglas Notice re threshing challenge. Rangitata South School—Annual social this evening. * Geraldine County Acclimatisation Society —Notice re shooting season. *• An Evening Among the Fijians ” At the Wesleyan Church to-night. Orari-Rangitata Water Race District— Meeting of ratepayers on Wednesday evening next. J. Brown Has received his stock of sporting requisites for the season, including powder, shot, caps, wads, cartridges, etc. D. Thomas —Particulars of sale of live and dead farm stock on account of Mr Samuel Wright, Wakanui, on Thursday, March 30th. J. W. Miles—Special lines of overcoats just to hand ; has received large consignments of tweeds and suitings, and in bespoke department is prepared to guarantee satisfaction. H. B, Webster & Co. —Further particulars re Mr Wharton’s sale; hold sale of valuable farm, and live and dead stock at Pleasant Valley on April 5 ; notice re accounts owing by and to the late John Wallace.