NEWS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11478, 10 January 1903, Page 7

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The auction advertisements of the North Canterbury Co-operative Stores Co., National Mortgage and Agency, Canterbury Farmers' Co-operative Association, N.Z. Fanners' Co-operative Association, Christchurch WooJbrokers' Association, Parkersen and Co., F. S. Malcolm and Co.. W. Stonyer, George King and Co., Taylor, Cole and Co., N.Z. Loan and Mercantile, Ingram and Co., and Macdonald, Wilson and Co. will be found on 11 cf this issue. Telephonic communication was opened on Wednesday between Ashburton. and West-erfi-ld. The body of the late Sir F. Sargood waa sent to Sydney from Wellington by the s.s. Warrimoo yesterday. It is reported that in certain parts of the Ashburton County land values have i nearly doubled during the last few years. The second wool sale of the season will be held in Timaru on Tuesday next, when 9000 bales will be offered. Tbe Mayor (Mr Henry F. Wigram) and Messrs W.'Reeoe and A. W. Heaven, were yesterday nominated fo rseats on the Tramway Board for tho Christchurch, Sydenham, and St. Albans sub-district. Some very fine trout are now being caught in the Rangitata river, a party of anglers securing fish there this week, which weighed from 121b to 141b each. The Opihi and Pareora rivers arc both too dirty for good fishing at present. Yesterday afternoon a man was arrested in 'Christchurch on a charge of administering a noxious thing (to wit, alcohol) to a child aged five years. The- charge is the firifc of the kind brought in Christchurch, although a cose of. a similar nature was heard in Wanganui some time ago. A special meeting of the St. Albans Borough Council will be held on Tuesday evening, to consider the report of the committee, set up for the purpose, with regard to the Greater Christchurch. proposals. The committee met last night and drew up the report. " The members of the Ashburton County Council will visit the Ruapuna headwork's on Wednesday, the 21st inst. It was intended to visit the locality earlier, but owing to the indifferent health of the Chairman (Mr C. J. Harper), and other reasons, the visit has been postponed to the date mentioned. Mr Wheeler, photographer, Iras presented the Tourist Office with a photograph of a trout caught in the Rakaia last December by Captain Studdy, weighing 151b, and of a length of 28 inches and' girth 17 inches. The photograph will probably be framed and hung up in the office, to show tourists the sort of eponfc tihey may expect in New Zealand waiters. The first open-air concert, waa .given on Thursday evening by the Ashburton County Brass Band, and was an unqualified success. The Band was under the conductorship of Bandmaster Humphreys, and the attendance of the public numbered between four and five hundred. The performance was given on the reserve next the Borough Council Chambers. Mr Horrell, whose bird trap has met with so much success with poultry raisers and persons growing grain, has sent a model to the "Weekly Press" office, where it may be inspected. person who made one of the traps on Tuesday, and put it in a garden at Kaiapoi, caught thirty-five sparrows in one day. The effects of the trap in winter time will give results that have not yet been estimated. When tlie Christmas number of the " Weekly Press " was published, Mr T. N. Horsley, of Christchurch, forwarded a couple of copies to friends in America. By yesterday's mail he received the following replies.' —A proroinont official in Philadelphia says, " I have just received from your hands a copy of the Christmas number of the ' Weekly Press,' of Christchurch, New Zealand, which you were kind enough to send me. I appreciate it for its beauty. It iB _ fin© specimen of the printer's art, and, coming as it does, from the ends of the earth, shows me that civilisation, progress, and intelligence are abroad among you, and that you are abreast of the times." The editor of the well-known technical journal, "Brick," published at Chicago, writes: —" Friend Horsley,—l was deeply surprised and gratified to receive the Christmas edition of the 'Weekly Press' last week. This edition is, from a typographical and printer's point of view, a most artistic production, but when I take into consideration the fact that it has come from such a distance, that it bears to me your goodwill, and that its subject matter and its illustrations are co novel, additional zest is lent to its reading matter and perusal, and the charm of the issue is increased a hundredfold. I have to thank you for the keen pleasure derived from this number." The conduct of woi-kingmen's clubs was referred to by severs;, speakers ajt the Sydenham Worlungmen'a Club's dinner la&t night. Hon. C. Loui<_on remarked that there were some people who had a decided objection to clubs—there were peopH who had a decided objection to almost everything. (Laughter.) They would have to remember that these people had a watchful eye on the conduct of these institutions, and though he did not think the members of the Sydenham Club required any advice as to being more careful as to the management of the cab. it was just as well to remember that these people were always ready to criticise everything done, and probab.y put an improper construction on the actions of the members of clubs. Those __who criticised clubs were individuals who md never been inside a club, knew nothing of their working, or the purposes for which they were established, or all the benefits they conferred on their members. Mr W. W. Co tins, speaking later, said that the critics of clubs did not know, and did not want to know, anything about those institutions, and were governed only by their prejudices. (Hear, hoar-) If they were members, they would probably lose their prejudices. He* advised the Sydenham Club to pursue the path they had in the past, and to let outside criticism havo the effect on».y of making them stronger in their determination to make the club stronger, and place its management beyond reproach.

Some remarks which should commend themselves to the sympathy of the promoters of the Veterans' Home were made by Mr W. R. Haaeklen, S.M., in a case which was before him in the Police Court at Auckland the other day. An old soldier, bending under the weight of advanced years, and with whom, apparently. Dame Fortune has not dealt kindly of late, was charged with being an idle and discrderSy person, in that be had not sufficient lawful means of support. The man. being a newarrival, there was a difficulty in obtaining assistance from the Charitable Aid" Board, but the case was met by an offer from the Salvation Army authorities to take him into 'heir home, although such cases are not usually received by them. His Worship said it had always been his aim to see that, if possible, such unfortunates were provided with a home which w-orfd save them from tbe misery of dying in the gutter or neiiahing in gaol. Thisi man had served his country well, and his was one of those cases which ehould arouse the sympathies of the benevolently inclined.

i At a meeting convened by the Executive , of the late Torrey-Alexander Mission, and held in the Durham street-schoolroom last night, it. was decided •'to confirm the in- ' vitatlon given by ithe Executive to the ' Rev. J. Lyall, the well-known evangelist, i to commence a month's mission in Christ- ; church on ihe first day of February next. * Mr Joshua Tucker, of Ashburton, has t received a letter from his son, Captain , Fred Tucker, who is at Durban, Natal, in which he states that he considers the ne*r ! colonies in South Africa will be re-stocked ■ within two years. He also says that the i high price of the New Zealand and Aus- . tralian stock practically precludes it from being purchased, and that in consequence supplies will be drawn principally from South America. Ihe quality of the South American stock is not at all" equal to that '• of the Australasian colonies, but price being one of the first considerations is tne chief reason for the supplies being obtained from that quarter. To-day's editions of "Truth" will consist, as usual, of eight page?, and will present a large variety of attractive features. Current happenings, and the latest gossip from Wellington and Dunedin, will be furnished in bright and interesting letters from correspondents in thou cities, and the local and general news will be as complete and reliable us usual. There •will, in addition, appear a budget of important news, hitherto unrecorded in the colonial Press, from Europe and America, and a special feature is a number of carefully selected sketches and stories from the most recent magazines. The eight o'clock ed-.tion will contain latest news from all parts of New Zealand, and a complete record of the afternoon's sport in all parts of the colony. Speaking at the Sydenham Working •Men's Club's dinner last, night, Mr George Laurenson, M.H.R., said that recently he had been arranging for quite a number of his constituents to go to the North Island. The larger population in that island, he pointed out, was due to a large number of people who had been drawn from the South Island. They could not have any public money spent in this province on roads, bridges or railways, but there was one direction in which they could have public money spent, and as one of their representatives, be intended doing ...s best to endeavour to get such money, and that was in purchasing land for closer settlement. (Applause.) On the sound appreciation of that question was based the prosperity of the colony. He stated that a conference of Canterbury members would be held shortly, to decide on united action on this and other matters. The failure of prohibition to prohibit traffic in intoxicants in the largo inland distritft known as the King Country is so pronounced that the mote rational of the prohibition advocates are fain to confess it. The "New Zealand Times" has been shown a private letter received in Wellington the otther day from a. gentleman, well-known as a prominent prohibitionist, who has been resident in the King Country for a short time. He writes: "From what I can see, some system of Government control would be beet adapted to the King Country. There is no way of keeping t/hinga in hand otherwise. Something should be done, and 1 believe that a Government canteen system might be infinitely beJtter than the present state of affairs. I do not possible to enforce prohibition in the King 'Country; and any action upon the part of the police simply causes illicit vendors to become more wary." The delay that has taken place in transmitting the Siena's' ma.il from Auckland to the southern portion of the colony is (remarks the "New Zealand Times") another painful and striking instance of tlie inconvenience of having Auckland aa the port of call for the San Francisco mail boats. It is astonishing that a vigorous protest is not again entered against the disgraceful delay which is always taking place after tlie mail arrives ait the northern port. In this instance, tbe Sierra reached the pilot station at Auckland at 6.20 p.m. on Tuesday. The Wellington portion of She mail, which is suppesed to be sorted ready for transhipment when the steamer arrives, did not leave Onehunga until 4.30 ip.m. on Wednesday. That means that the bags were lying about somewhere in Auckland for 4iwenty-two hours and ten minutes, and the unfortunate population of Otagb cannot receive its letters for more than eighty-six (hours after their arrival in Auckland On Thursday evening the Spreydon Harriers held a successful run. Tlie first instalment of the electrical machinery for the purpose of utilising the potver in the Destructor has arrived. As the result of a sensational runaway in'Dunedin on Thursday, two horses, valued at about £30 each, were killed. It is announced that the Defence Minister has approved of the increase of the camp allowance to volunteers from la 6d to 2_ per day, the order dating from December 12th last. * Owing to an error, the name of Miss Dora I. Gaygili (Sydenham) was included amongst tliose who passed their pupil - taacher's fourth year examinations. Miss Caygil. did not sit, having been excused. Twelve more men have been sent by the local office of the Labour Department to the Waipara-Cheviot railway works, making a total of twenty-five men put on the works since the new year. Five more are to be sent. j The secretary has received tbe following additional subscriptions towards the funds of the Veterans" Home:—Mrs C. Clark (on behalf of Ladies' Fair), £1 18s; collected by Mr S. Staples (Lower Riccarton), £3 12s 6d; sales of Rolls of Honour, 15s. Sharks are reported t>o be very numerous in Poverty Bay at present, and many captures have been made by fisherman. The trawler Ariadne secured four one day last week, two of which, though young, were of considerable size. Mr Goodman, the electrical engineer in connection with the Dunedin tram service, .passed through Christchurch yesterday, on route for the South. He had a short interview with the Mayor during the day' with reference to the utilisation of the power from the destructor. A coincidence in the selection of the Rev. Thomas to succeed tlie Rev. Crewes as chairman of the Conciliation Board (telegraphs a Wellington correspondent of "The Press') is that the chairmen of both North Island Boards are Congregational ministers. The Rev. -~om_s is at present in charge of the church' at Newtown. He was nominated by the employers' representation. M. Chamnie, Minister of Publio Instruction in Franca, has (according to a Parisian correspondent) issued a circular with the object of preventing the spread of consumption in schools. Among other injunctions teachers are directed to strictly prohibit pupils from carrying penholders and pencils in their mouths and cleaning their slates with their tongues. It is ordered that slates, pens, and pencils should not be used in common, but that each pupil shall use hie own and none other. In reference to the death of Robert Middleton, who was .removed to the hospital from Raugiora, it is stated that the deceased, who was assistant | baker to Mr Pyk>, of Rangiora, it appears was carrying a bucket of water, when his bare arm was scratched on entering a. doorway, simply grazing the skin. He obtained some embroca.tit>n, and also orinsulfeed a clsemist and the local doctors. He. unfortunately, leaves a wife in a very deMcate state of health, and three little children quite unprovided for. < Visitors from Taranaki state that a land boom has set in in earnest in thai district. A large number of sections in the suburbs of New Plymouth are being cut up into building allotments, and these, as well as the land in the country, are commanding high prices. A resident of New Plymouth informs an exchange that one settler recently sold his farm for £28 an acre, and 'off removing to the Waikato district, where he has purchased land for £13 an acre, which he considers quite equal to Mb late holding. The prosperous condition of the dairy industry is the principal cause of this inflation in values.

Prospects, for the\gxport of fruit pulp from New Zealand remain good, and tnere is every probability that all that the colony can produce for-come time to come will command a good price. Writing to tlie Department of Agriculture acknowledging the effects in fostering the industry, Messrs Weddel and Co. say:—"We do not wish to be too sanguine, but it really looks to us that we are pretty sure to net over £30 for raspberry pulp between January and March tws'year, and I trust your colony will be in a position to take full advantage of this advance. Black currant will command almost the same figure." The Wellington Trades Council devoted some attention to the question of the recent rise in the price of bread. A recommendation was made by the Executive j Committee that the Council take tsome ! action towards the suppression of the flour | trust, and that the Town and Country Supply Federation recently formed there be approached by a deputation, and urged to start | a co-operative bakery. The opinion was generally expressed that a co-operative bakery "was the only way to combat the niillint* trv-st and the master bakers. -Mr Andrew Collins, himself a b;iker, and a member of the Conciliation Board, declared that Wellhv,ti:n bakers were not warranted in raising prices, as there was sufficient profit on the present price of flour. The recommendation of the Executive was adopted. Vagrant, cows cost Robert Wotherspoon and John Barrett Ss and costs each at the Couit yesterday, and wandtrinii; hursts brought a similar penalty upon Thomas Lee and John Davies. Charges against Joseph Martin, of leaving :i vehicle unattended, end John Lane (Mr LWidy), of letting a hackney cab stand elsewhere than on a. ■ public stand, were dismissed. For keeping unregistered do_-« William Barber, E. Goodwin, and A. Wakefield were fined. 10s and costs, and a charge against H. HI Brlnkman CMr Cassidyr was dismissed. A charge against Joan Foster of breaking a lamp belonging to tlie Sydenham Borough Council, was dismissed.. Three first offenders were dealt with for inebriety. Reuben White was fined 5s and costs, and Sarah Condon was similarly mulcted, with the alternative of spending a fortnight at the Salvation Army Home. Meters F. D. S. Neave, E. O'Connor, and N. K. Bowdeu, J.P.s, were the presiding Justices. It is not often that a Justice of the Peace refuses an adjournment of a Court case when both parties press for it, but this happened at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. A woman, who stated that her husband was wasting his substance through drink, and had paid her nothing since Christmas Eve, asked for a prohibition order against him, and produced a medical certificate stating that he was suffering from-alcoholism. Mr Francis, who appeared for the man, asked for an adjournment, on the ground that he was ill. aud the applicant, finding that her husband could not appear, also pressed for an adjournment. The Chairman of the Benoh stated that be would issue on order against the man, to hold good ior twelve months. "But won't you hear any defence?" asked Mr Franc-is. ""I have half a dozen witnesses.' to call, but they are not here now, and all I can do is to ask for an adjournmen.'.." The Chairman of the Bench replied: "Then you can't get it." Mr Francis pointed out that tine applicant had also asked for an adjournment, and suggested that it was useless forcing an order upon her. The Chairman of the Bench remarked that it was Mr Francis's fault if his witnesses were nos present. He could call any of them who were. Two witnesses were then called for the defence, and stated that in their opinion the man did not drink to excess. The Bench issued a prohibition order, to have effect for one year.

Fortunes a» daily made by clever invwntions. See handbook, how to obtain "Patents" for inventions, free by poet from Baldwin and Raywaxd. 172 Gloucester street, Christchuich. A. H. Hart, representative.—{Advt.) 1 Bicycles for 1903. Just arrived, shipment ex 5.3. Turakina, of new Hudson's \ latest models. Ladies and gents. Adam* Sun Cycle Depot, 136 Lower High street. 43