LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 233, 29 August 1884, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A number of the leading firms m Masterton have decided to close their business establishments at 7 o'clock notifying the same by advertisement. The spread of diphtheria m the Wairarnpa has spurred the health authorities of Masterton into activity. Three owners of promises m filthy condition were fined a few days ago and moro prosecutions aro on the board. The Star coramenus the measure being taken to secure the proper sanitary condition of dwellings, and makes some valuable suggestions on the subject. The Wairarapa Daily says : — Messrs Wyley, of Uarterton, aro starting work with a novelty m this part of the country m the way of sawmills. It is entirely a Yankee notion. The mill is portable, and m two days can be moved to any part where sawing is required to be done. We think that this is a step m the right direction, as it will enable owners of small holdings to work up their timber to a profit. I hope the time will come (says the Eev. J. M. Savage) when we shall have outgrown the barbarity of having a kitchen m every house. If you stop to think of it just a little, it indicates a lack of civilization, such as it would if a man had a boot shop,hatter and a tailor shop m his own house, and everything else primitive, barbarous man did. The time will come when we shall have cooperative housekeeping, when men of year-long training and understanding this physical life of ours, will furnish us with food. The Journal of Commerce a Liverpool paper, of 14th July, contains au excellent descriptive and statistical account of this colony. It says :— " A young colony hke New Zealand has to improve her harbours and made roads, and this cannot be effected without resorting to borrowing. New Zealand is certain to be densely populated as England, and expenditure now is like seed sown for a summer harvest. The British ' Young England' is making great progress, and gold, coal, and wool, and a rich soil, she is bound to become a maritime power." Publicans who have been wont to sell liquors on Qabbath, Day to lodgers and servants will have to keep a wary eye for the " main chance" if Mr Shrimski's Licensing Act Amendment Bill comes m force. This measure provides that any person may be imprisoned for a term of not less than one or more than three months, if it can be proved to the satisfaction of the magistrate that an illegal sale of liquor has been made by the servant or agent of such person. It is also provided that " the onus of proving that the person actually making such illegal sale was not the servant or agent of the person accused of suchs ale shall lie upon the person so accused." The is to be no option of a fine m case of committal. A large number of ladies met at Wesley Church m response to the invitation from the Blue Ribbon Union, and entered zealously into the projected preparations for the reception of Mr T. W. Glovtr. They determined to divide the city into districts, and make a house to house visitation, inviting the people to attend the services during Mr Glover's mission. They also appointed a committee from among themselves to do permanent work m connection with the temperance cause. An enthusiastic meeting of the executive and friends was held m the evening, at which arrangements were unftda to insure success to Mr Glover's mission. The proferrod services of two bands were gratefully accepted,and arrangements are being made to form a large united choir from the choirs of the several churches of the city, good music being an important feature m the meetings. Wo hear that the discovery of sly-grog selling telcgraped as having been discovered m three places m the Sevent}'Mile Bush, was cleverly made by throe detectives dressed as l( poor swaggers," and who forked out the usual " bob 1 ' for a biscuit, and received a present of a glass of beer. Whether this is really evading the Act must remain an open question until it is decided by the Bench for there is, nothing said about giving liquor away-— if the swaggers paid for the biscuits surely the liquor was a gift. At any rate sly grog selling is only what we predicted when the Licensing Conir mittees took away licenses m tho Bush.

Tlie publication of Labour, m Auckland, ling boon discontinued, itid a now journal having the same objects and under }t:m kjuuh proprietor, has been issued under the titlo of The Watchman. Mr Henry Nathan is being asked to stand for tho Wnnganni Mayoralty. The Awahuri residents are petitioning to have a daily mail service. It is intended to hold a ploughing match at Awahuri early next month. Those who have not yet paid much attention to the encouragement of local industries, and who perhaps are inclined to look on the newly formed association as being of no practical use, (says the Wanganui Herald) would be surprised at the number of industries which suggest themselves at the meetings of the society. To take last night as an example, the following subjects amongst others were discussed. Linseed growing, silk-worms, best wood for butter kegs, suitability of the district for growing peppermint, price of honey, wattle growing, sugar beet culture, and jam factory. Nearly the whole of theso industries were considered such as could be carried on m the district, and further onquiries were directed to be made by the secretary. Mr Laird stated that he would , see that a few mulberry trees oE the proper sort for silk culture were planted m the domain. Here is one of the latest amenities of rival butcher boys' m England : — First Boy : " Hallo, young colonial ! Why your master sells nothing but New Zealand mutton. Yah !" Second Boy : " That's right, old foot and mouth disease. He does, and gets full price for it too. Yah 1" We direct attention of our readers to an announcement on our third page, from 0. M. Ros3 & Co., of the Bon Marche, intimating a clearing sale of drapery and clothing, commencing to-morrow (Saturday) and continuing for fifteen days only. Purchasers of drapery will no doubt be alive to their own interests and avail themselves of the advantage offered. In a recent amateur steeplechase at Windsor (England), four horses started and all got safely round. The horse first past the post was objected to for going the wrong side of a post ; the objection being sustained, the rider of the second horse went to the seals but failed to draw the weight ;the third gentleman drew the weight all right but had failed to weigh out before starting, and as the fourth had adjourned to the paddock without passing the post at all, tho race was declared void. Moral — "It's never known till the numbers go ud." The most polished man m London just now is a merchant whose wife undertook to bathe him with balsam for rheumatism. After the job was well done, she looked at the label of the bottle and found that it was furniture polish she had been using. The time for sending m a petition against Mr J. G-. Wilson's return for the Foxton seat has expired, he is therefore safe till the next general election, which may not be for years or it may be very soon. The Home News says that America And Australia, it is said, will shortly be supplying the English market with most if not all of the necessaries of life. The latest proposal is to bring over fresh milk and new-laid eggs from America, and successful experiments have already been made i*a that direction. The ostrich is gradually supplanting the sheep at the Cape, the supply of wool from whence must consequently decrease. A Port Elizabeth letter says : — Farm after farm m this province i 8 being cleared of sheep to make room for ostriches, now all the rage. One result of this was felt m this town last week, when the butchers issued a notice that the price of mutton would bo raised to 6d and 7d per pound on account of sheep farming being pushed aside by ostriches. Ostrich farming is undoubtedly the most profitable of all farming, and recently several joint stock companies have been started. A strange incident m the history of the present House of Commons has never been brought to notice. There is no impropriety now, after four years have passed, m stating that Mr Middleton, one of tho members for Glasgow, became insane from the excitement of the election, and has- been m a lunatic asylum ever since. Tho journal stating this adds : — "No means have been discovered of procuring a vacancy m his seat, for the Speaker can only issue a warrant m cases where the medical advisers of the member declare him incurable, and medical men naturally shrink from making such a statement. They are trying to provide for such a contingency as this m the new Franchise Bill." A correspondent writing to the St. James Gazette about a recent fetal fire m London, says : — "1 recommend that on. retiring to rest you should place a pocket handkerchief under your pillow. Should you be aroused by an alarm of fire, steep the handkerchief m water and tie it round . your head, covering the mouth and nostrils. This will enable the wearer to withstand the suffocating influence of smoke and give him or her a valuable chance of escape. For years I was an amateur fireman, and so proved the efficacy of this plan. The Kaiapoi Woollen Company are executing an order for blankets for the Glasgow Caledonian Society. His greatest enemy : A good country priest said to a dying drunkard : "My friend, you must reconcile yourself with your enemies." "Then," groaned the dying man, "give me a glass of water !"