The Feilding Post-Office, to which is attached the Telegraph and Telephone Bureau, the Government Life Insurance Department, the Advances to Settlers office, the Public Trust office, the Savings Bank, and the office of the Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, was opened about 1875. The office was originally in the Colonists' Land and Loan Co.'s buildings, and was removed from there to the railway station, then to a building in the town, and in 1880 it was finally located in the present substantial wooden building on the railway platform. The building contains three rooms—the public room, mail room, and postmaster's office. The office is the circulation and supervising office for twenty-five country offices, and eight coaches leave daily with mails. Mails arrive from Wellington at 7.15 a.m. and 12.15 p.m., closing at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., and for Wanganui at 7 a.m., 12.15 p.m. and 6 p.m. The post-office staff consists of Messrs. J. H. Stevens (postmaster), W. McKee (assistant), Martin Diamond (counter clerk), John L. Walton (letter carrier), Walter Worsfold and Arthur Ross (messengers).

Mr. James Hopkins Stevens, Postmaster, Feilding, was born in Rangitikei in 1856, his father being an “1840 settler.” The subject of this notice is entirely self-taught. After working on his father's farm for some time, be joined the postal service as messenger at Bulls. From there he was transferred to White's Bay cable station, and went back to Bulls as postmaster. He remained there four years, going thence to Feilding, where he has been stationed since 1880. Mr. Stevens is married and has four children, and is a brother of Mr. J. Stevens, M.H.R. He takes a lively interest in local social matters, and is chairman of the Feilding Free Public Library Committee, vice-president of the Feilding Debating Society, and treasurer of the local Masonic Lodge. Mr. Stevens engages somewhat extensively in farming pursuits. He has a farm of 2000 acres at Pohangina, managed by Mr. F. Richards, a brother-in-law, with whom he is in partnership. On the farm he has a substantial homestead, and 2500 sheep and about 100 head of cattle.

Feilding Police Station and Stipendiary Magistrate's Court. The police station, in Eyre Street, consists of the usual wooden lock-up of two cells and a four-roomed dwelling for the police officer in charge. The courthouse is a wooden building of three rooms, in Kimbolton Road. The Stipendiary Magistrate from Palmerston North sits for the trial of civil and other business every second Friday in each month. Local justices sit for the trial of criminal cases as required. The clerk of the court is Constable J. J. Tuohy, and he has the assistance at the police station of Mounted-Constable F. J. Healy.

Constable James Joseph Tuohy, Officer in charge of the Feilding Police Station, was born in [unclear: O'Gonoloe,] County Clare, Ireland, in 1839, where his father was a farmer. The subject of this sketch had not the privilege of attending school, and is entirely self-taught. When eight years of ago he left home to take a situation in Galway, which he left to come to Australia in 1859. After working at the diggings at Castlemaine for some time, he came to Dunedin, with the rush that had set in to the Otago goldfields. Going to Invercargill to take up a contract there he was induced to remain and join the New Zealand police force in 1862. He rapidly rose through the ranks till he became a first-class sergeant, and was transferred to the detective department in 1878: in 1881 he was sent to Christchurch to assist in quelling disorder in the times of the riots. From Christchurch he was sent to Wellington and eventually to Auckland, where he was stationed for seven years. During the time he was in the detective department, the subject of this notice was sent on the most difficult business to different parts of the colonies, and enjoyed the complete confidence of the department. In 1889 he was placed in charge of Feilding. He is married, and has six children. At one time he was a prominent Oddfellow, and assisted in opening a lodge in Invercargill.

Mr. Robert West Holmes, A.M.I.C.E., (England), Resident Government Engineer, Feilding, was born in London in 1856, and received his education at a private school there. In 1871 he came to Wellington with his father, and worked for a few months in the Government Printing Office as a clerk. The following year he joined the Public Works Department as a cadet, serving on the West Coast of the South Island. He was promoted to the position of assistant engineer in 1876, and came to the Manawatu district to take charge of the construction of railway works going on there. When that was finished he surveyed the line between Bunnythorpe and Manawatu Gorge. He appointed resident engineer in charge of the Taranaki district in 1879. a position he held till the Taranaki and Wanganui districts were amalgamated in 1883. He then took charge of part of the Napier district for a few months, and left there to take charge of the exploration surveys in connection with the Taranaki Great Trunk Railway route. He was next engaged in locating the northern end of the central route, locating the Woodville to Eketahuna railway route, back to the central line, then making detailed surveys of the Taranaki Trunk Railway route, and then went on exploration service in the Lake districts of Otago. After that he was appointed resident page 1226 engineer at Wellington. In 1893 he went to the Hunterville district, and after further exploration on the central route, commenced the detailed surveys of that line, a work of which, at the time of writing (1896), he still has charge. Mr. Holmes' private residence is in Camden Street, Feilding. He is married, and has three children. He is a Freemason, and was formerly a volunteer in the Greymouth Rangers, the Taranaki Mounted Rifles, and No. 1 Company of Taranaki Rifles. In 1886 he was elected an Associate Member of the Institute of Engineers, England.

The Feilding Railway Station in twelve miles from Palmerston North on the Wanganui Railway line. The building is wooden, of the usual design, and divided into a public waiting-room, ladies' waiting-room, stationmaster's office, and luggage room. There is a large goods shed, and there are also water-tanks at the station. Six trains pass Feilding daily. The local post and telegraph office is on the railway platform. The station staff consists of Messrs. E. G. Wilson (stationmaster), M. McNicol (clerk), and F. Towler and A. E. Beechey (porters).

Feilding Railway Station.

Mr. E. G. Wilson, Stationmaster, Feilding, was born in 1861 in Rangiora, Canterbury, where his father was a storekeeper. He was educated at the local public school, and entered the railway service as cadet at Rangiora. After being four years there he was transferred to Selwyn, where he remained one year, and was then sent to Rangitata for a year. He was first appointed stationmaster at Ealing, and subsequently was stationed at Washdyke thirteen months, Burnham two years, Albury five months, Fairlie six months, Leeston five years, Greymouth fifteen months, Brunner two-and-a-half years, and he has been three years at Feilding. Mr. Wilson takes an interest in volunteering, and is a member of the Manchester Rifles. He is married, and has four children.

The Feilding Public School is situated in Manchester Street, very close to the centre of the borough. The school was established about the year 1875, when the oldest portion page 1227 was erected. The increase in the number of scholars has been such that the school buildings have been enlarged on two or three occasions. The present convenient premises include five rooms, the first being used for the three infant classes, the second for Standards I., boys and girls; the third for Stan lard II., the fourth for Standard III., and the fifth for Standards IV. to VI. There are 460 scholars on the roll, the average attendance being 340. There is a steady increase in the number attending the school, and further additions are about to be made. The headmaster is assisted by three certificated teachers, four pupil teachers, and two cadets. There is a considerable piece of land available by way of a playground, but it has not been particularly well kept, and may be described as rather rough. It is a pity that more attention is not given to this matter. Mr. J. D. C. Hill is the headmaster. He resides in a convenient villa residence at the corner of Camden and Manchester Streets.

Mr. Hill, Headmaster of Feilding School, was born at Ludlow, Shropshire, and came to New Zealand per ship “Zealandia,” arriving in Wellington 1878. He was educated at Bitterley Grammar School and became a teacher at the Public School, Leominster, but he was subsequently at the training college for teachers at Bangor, North Wales, where he acquired an English certificate equivalent to the D certificate in New Zealand. Soon after coming to the Colony, Mr. Hill joined the Board of Education and received his C certificate in consequence of his having passed the first B.A. examination in connection with the New Zealand University. The first school held by Mr. Hill in the Colony was at Wainui-o-mata. Subsequently he was at Taonui, Normanby, Crofton, Okoia, and Waverley. In the latter town he remained as headmaster for five-and-a-half years. Mr. Hill has had charge of Feilding School since 1880. He is interested in chess, and has done good service in the interests of recreation. Mr. Hill finds in cricket that relaxation which is so necessary to one who has the strain of school duties upon him. He has a farm at East Road, near Stratford, of 1000 acres, of which about a third is cleared, and which affords pasturage for 700 sheep.