The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1893. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 2900, 16 February 1893, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1893. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The offertories at St. Stephen's C mrchon Sunday next, at both services, will be given to the sufferers by Queensland floods. The occasion will be the harvest thanksgiving services. A general meeting of members of the Ariel Bicycling Club is summoned fortriday evening at the Arcade Chambers for the consideration of important business. We remind intending exhibitors that entries for the Ashburton Horticultural Society's show, on Saturday, close this evening. The secretary, Mr Lechner, will be in attendance at the Arcade Chambers" from six to eight o'clock. We have pleasure in informing our readers that the usual concert in aid oHhe Convent schools will be held as usual on St. Patrick s . 'Day. From what we can learn the event j will be more than usually attractive. *ull particulars will appear by advertisement in a few days. Twenty-three out of the whole of the master builders in Ohristchurch, who number twenty-eight, have complied with the journeymen's request for an increase of wages of one shilling per day. The other eve are believed to be favourable to making tb« standard ra^e 9s per day. The meeting of the Board of Education was found to be informal yesterday, owing to the notices having been issued for today, and subsequent notices were only sent to members on Monday. Hence the meeting will be held to-day in the ordinary course, despite it being the championship regatta holiday, buc under the circumstances, it is highly improbable that there will be a quorum. -We understand that Mr Wright, being aware yesterday's meeting would be informal, arranged to postpone his motion re Hampstead school to the next regular meeting of the Board. The Earl and Countess of Hopetoun and party on Wednesday visited the Christchurch Museum, lunched with Mr John Deans at Kiocarton, and subsequently drove to the Canterbury racecourse and the Belfast freezing works, and Mr William Boag's farm where the stud of Clydesdale hones were inspected. To-day the party visit Lyttelton and Lincoln Agricultural College; on Friday proceed to Horsley Downs, where they will be the guest* of Mr J. D. Lano, and from there they will ride through to Blenheim via Waiau and Kaikoura. At the Hastings fire two of the firemen's helmets were fairly burned off, and six feet of the ladder on which they were standing was al»o burnt nearly through, while several others who" where on the ladder were very much burnt. While the Bank of New South Wales was burning furiously the side wall was cut out and the safe contaimug over £6000, tolled into the street through the aperture. At the Bank of New Zealand there was great anxiety on the part of the bank officials for the safe, which contained much valuable property. The brigade pla\ed at it and kept it cool, but as it could not b« opened, Collins, the bricklayer, played on with water meanwhile, with great difficulty opened the safe from the back, and all its coutents were saved. Five chains square of solid flame were seen burning at one time, and as giving some idea of the heat, a large telegraph pole a foot thick and which was nearly two chains away from the fire, was charred some incheß through. The appeal of Hyde and another against their conviction by the Christchurch Keaident Magistrate, for totalisator betting on the Christchurch racecourse, last November, was heard at the Supreme Court at Christchurch on Wednesday. The ground of the appeal was that the conviction was erroneous in point of law. Mr Joynt, with him Mr Solomon, of Dunedin, for the appel auts. Mr George Harper for reftpondeut. After long argument His Honor Mr Justice Denn.tt n took time to consider the points raised. Iv the course of the argument Mr Solomon made a somewhat startling statement. It was to the effect that all the Jockey Clubs in the colony were liable to prosecution under Clause 11 of the Gaining and Lotteries Act for allowing their premises to be used for other betting than th 3 toUlisator. Mr George Harper, who was on the other side, corroborated his learned friend's statement in this respect. Circulars and advertisements offering to execute portrait enlargements gratis are being distributed in this Colony. You send a photo (out of the colony) and are promised an enlarged copy of it on condition that you have it handsomely framed—by whom is not stated—for exhibition. The •• New ZeaUnd Herald " warns against this tempting offer. The second move is a letter from the liberal parties intimating that the portrait is ready and that as they have every facility for framing it in accordance with its merits they will, on receipt of a specified sum, frame the picture and send it on, Ihis sum is Baid to be full—very full-value for both portrait and Jrame: indeed considerably more than the work would cost locally and perhaps not so well done, while, being » " gift, the recipient may have to remember, with chagrin, the proverb of the "gift horse." If another copy is required a price is stated for it and for less than that amount any New Zealand photographer will produce perhaps a better work without any stipulation as to framing'