LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIII, Issue 9301, 5 January 1881, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Boeottgh Council. — Our report of the ordinary meeting of the Borough Council is held over till next issue. Labour Mabket. — The Waitato MaU says that labour is still very scarce in that district, owing to Te Aroho rush. Messes Baens alj^Higghe's Sale. — The usual monthly sale of stock at the Campbelltown yards will he held by the above, firm to-day, at 1 p.m. Fatal Fiee. — A man named John Pearce lost his life througli a fire which occurred at Dennett's Albion Hotel, Napier, on the 27th ultimo, The Late Coach Accident. — T. Maher, the driver of the Foxton coach, who was recently thrown from the box and seriously injured, is rapidly recovering. The Duke of MAircraESTEB-.--ffiwfr--^xTngrOTiqgir-cT-rajji^uiAJL in; jlibw Zealand about the end of this month, and after visiting Canterbury will come on to the North Island. "The Smilee," — Mx Thomas Luther^ Shepherd, ex-M.H.E., who fell a victim to the retrenchment policy, has been reinstated in the clerkship to the E.M. Court at Hawkesbury and Palmerston. Ligueian Bees. — The Canterbury Acclimatisation Society have granted a gratuity of £25 to Captain Cargill, of the. Australia, for bringing out the Ligurian bees so successfully. Theft in the Navy. — John West, lately a marine on board of the Danae has been committed for trial on a charge of having stolen two registered letters belonging to a mess-mates. Man Missing. — A seaman named "Walter Eicketts, belonging to the schooner Fleetwing, now lying in Wellington harbour, is reported missing, and it is believed he has been drowned. Educational. — The Teachers' examination for the Wanganui District will commence in the Girls' High School on the 24th instant. The candidates are : — 13 for Class E ; 4 for Class D ; and 6 for completion of certificate. Colonial Defence. — Col. Sciatchley's engagement by the colonies will shortly expire by the effluxion of time, but there is little doubt that the Colonel will be asked to extend the duration of his visit. Intelligent Veedict. — A jury in the Tuapeka district has returned a verdict of " Death by a visitation from God from natural causes," in the case of a man who died from convulsions, resulting from a severe drunk. Gift Disteibution.— The following are the numbers of the winners of the principal prizes in Mr J. H. Jensen's Art Union prize distribution on New Year's Eve : — 87, musical box ; 49, gold watch ; 48, gold chain ; 85, gold locket ; 6, gold pin ; 55, hair guard. The Maori Pbisoness. — The men just released are more numerous than was at first stated. There were said to be between thirty and forty, but there are actually fifty-two. None of them belong to Parihaka, but twenty-nwe axo from Now Plymouth, anfl. aorth--ward, and the remainder from the East Coast. Eailway Station. — The buildings which at present constitute the Railway Station are to be removed to the new site on the reclaimed land shortly. Mr Tawse yesterday commenced the erection of the new portion of the station, which, when the old buildings are removed and placed alongside of it, will increase the length of the station by 30 feet. Eangitikei Jockey Club Handicap*—The following are the winning numbers, and names of the horses, in Gibbon's sweep. The money Avill be paid on the settling night of the races : —No. 22, Otawa; 92, Eedeemer; 138, Rocket; 427, Soukar; 254, Opawa; 431, Hailstorm; 58, Moanatairi; 347, My Dream; 386, Camelia; 82, Marie Stuart. The Rangitikei Seat.— Sir William Fox has written to the Advocate, denying the truth of the report that in case of Mr John Stevens coming forward as a candidate for the Rangitikei seat at j th,e jnext' election, he— Sir William— i should not oppose him. Sir William Fox thinks that in all probability there will not be a general election for at least fifteen months. The Ruapehu.— The dredge got up steam yesterday morning and proceeded to the town end. of the fiats, where she was anchored in expectation of having a trial of the dredging geari The trial, however, did not come off, owing to the punt not being quite ready, but the engineer, Mr McGregor, kept the hopper going nearly all day, everything working well. The Ruapehu steams at a good pace, as may be seen from the fact that she got down to the Languatd Bluff ia twenty-one minutes from the time she left the cattle wharf. The Goveenob's Movements.— The New Zealand Times says that his Excellency the Governor is to leave Wellington on his tour of the North Island on Friday next. Hence he goes to Auckland via the Manukau, will remain two or three days at Auckland, and then proceed through the Waikato on his way to Napier. From, Napier he goes through i;he Manawatu Gorge to Palmerston, and thence down to Wanganui and New Plymouth, stopping at all intermediate places of any note. From New Plymouth he will probably come up to Wellington overland. He will afterwards make the tour of the : Middle Island. Accidents. — Quite a series of accidents says an exchange took place at Christmas time. We only tell them in brief. Two men named Farnie and Wilkinson were drowned at Wanganui, and another at Gisborne on the same day— both accidents resulting from boats capsizing. A man got killed at Helensyille in Auckland, through timber falling on him ; and a girl fejl dpwn stairs and received concussion of the brain and died> These also were on Christmas Day. On Monday morning Dennett's well-known-Star Hotel in Napier took fire and one of the inmates died from suffocation. On * Christmas Eve at Templeton in Canterbury, a man named Gibson shot another called Xerosine deliberately in the breast. In Auckland on Monday at the Racing Clubs Summer meeting in the race for the Auckland Handicap, libeller and "King Quail came to grief , libeller fell with his rider Nolan, and. King Quail wjth his rider Carrington fell oil top of them. Nolan was killed on the spot. At the Heathcote races in Canterbury on Monday, Mr Fleming, the well-known auctioneer, was knocked down by a horse rendered I senseless and badly injured.

Patetere. — An Auckland corre- | spondent telegraphs to us that the Native Minister has decided on the portion of the Patetere Blodk to be handed to Government against the lien. He says that the .Maoris and the Land Company have agreed to the arrangement, which wSI be formally put through at the sitting of the Native Lands Court at Cambridge on the 25th instant. We do not vouch for the accuracy of this information. Communism.:— -The Oneida community has taken decided steps toward disintegration as a community. Its basis of communism in property exists no longer ; it has been dissolved, and superseded by organisation into a joint stock company, with 600,000 dollars capital. Members who broughtas much as 1000 dollars to the old association got 500 dollars' worth ,of stock, and pro ra/ta, and tHere is a, certain, allotment to the children. Of course, wages will have to be paid — the best to the most capable, and the weakest will go to the wall. The community, in fact, becomes a company of capitalists controlling vast industrial operations, instead of a social enterprise in which the strong were the helpers and protectors to the weak. Fire at the Rakaia.— A disastrous fire raged on the Rakaia River reserves all the afternoon of the 28th ultimo, and owing to the strong wind blowing it was found impossible to get it under when first discovered. Mr William Carroll, the foreman of the Rakaia River works, on discovering it, immediately mjjmu — c»Mr— faxmlu Otr^udwiuui — CO SDOpit. One large plantation belonging to the Board of Conservators has been almost ruined, and several miles of fences completely consumed. Mr White's plantation also had a very close shave, nothing but the untiring exertions of the men saving it. Mr W. Moorhead, a foreman on the works, had his house at one time almost surrounded by the fire, but luckily the wind lulled for a time, and it was got under. It was not till twelve o'clock at night that the hands considered it sufficiently safe to leave it, but it was, however, quite out yesterday morning.