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Evening Star, Issue 3435, 24 February 1874, Page 2

The Good Templar movement has extended to Fiji, a lodge having been opened at Levuka. Fevers and other kinds of sickness have been very prevalent at Wellington of late. Want of proper drainage is believed to be the cause of them. A swerd fish, 13 feet long, was captured in Lyttelton harbor the other day, having run aground while chasing a shark. His “ sword” tvas live feet in length. It is rumored in Christchurch that the Auckland cricketers pnrposesending down a representative team to play a match with Canterbury about the time of the interprovincial regatta. Several of the census enumerators are now busy distributing the census schedules in various districts of the City and suburbs. On the 2nd March the collection of them will be begun. “ Ireland as it Was” was repeated at the Queen’s Theatre last evening to a pretty numerous attendance. Miss Watson takes a benefit this evening, when a lengthened programme, including the comedietta of “Why don’t she marry ?” with the beneficiare as Lisette, will be put forward. An English paper received by last mail says:—At a meeting at Leamington of the Executive Committee of the National Agricultural Laborers’ Union, Mr Arch stated that in a few weeks Mr Leggett, secretary of the Oxford district, vfould accompany a party of 500 emigrants from England to New Zealand. Judge Bathgate took hi« seat on the Bench and exercised jurisdiction ns Resident Magistrate at the Police Court this morning. His Honor astonished many who were brought before him by the “ leniency ” of his decisions, which, in most cases, took the form of “ ten shillings and costs.” Mr Andrew Duncan, the Emigration Agent for Canterbury, wrote out by the last mail advising the shipment, per City of Glasgow, of 230 adults, of whom only 22 are single women. He says—“lean assure you that the single women are the worst to get to leave this country. There is, however, just at present great distress in America among the working classes, and I can therefore get the pick of many who otherwise would no doubt have gone there. The short sea passage to America is the great inducement for them to go there.” We were glad to see a much-improved attendance at the Claus-Rekel concert last night. The circle was really well patronised, and we hope we are correct in accepting the fact as an indication that our “ upper ten” intend giving their support where it is certainly deserved. Miss Claus’s performances created the customary enthusiasm, and only repetitions would satisfy. The “Lombardi” selection was a magnificent piece of instrumentation. Messrs Anderson and Rekel’s duet, “The Hungarian March,” was encored. A Clyde telegram, dated the 30th, appearing in the ‘ Tuapeka Times,’ says;—“ The following applications for land in blocks 111. and IV. (2,582 acres thrown open for sale on deferred payments), Teviot District, were received at the Land Office there William Ashmore, 200 a 2r 12p ; Alexander M‘Donald, Thomas MTutosh, and Adam M‘Kenzie each applied for 199 a 3r 8p ; George Courtier, 109 a 3r 16p ; Andrew Young, 49a 3r lOp ; Francis Woodhouse, 96a Or 4p; John Ellis, 100 a 2r 8p; James Woodhouse, 201 a Or 12p. Almost all the sections are applied for by two parties, so that they will require to be balloted for. There are a good many married men who would, like Mr Forsyth, be agreeable to mortgage their wives, if they could only find capitalists prepared to advance money on the security. In a recent issue of the ‘ Argus,’ writing or a lire at Geelong, it is stated: —“The building was insured in the National Insurance Company for L 350 by Mrs Mitchell, who had since married a Mr Forsyth, and was, with the hotel referred to, mortgaged for L 650.” The ‘ Leader,’ upon this, raised a curious question: Suppose—men are such brutes, you know—the husband declined to redeem tho wife, could the mortgagee have foreclosed, and then in what position would the unfortunate woman have Been? A miner named John Vivian was killed by a fall of earth in his claim, at Waipori, on the evening of Wednesday last. Deceased and Wm. Caudwoll, his mate in the claim, w«r# at work when the fatal accident occurred. They were working a face of some 16 feet, and Cftudwell, who saw it going away, called out to Vivian, who was in a dangerous position; but before he could get out of the way, he was thrown on his back and smothered with earth. Caudwell at once removed the earth from the poor fellow’s head and chest, but found him quite dead. After having him removed, a swelling was found at the back of his neck, and it was supposed his neck had been broken, causing instantaneous death. The W. Henderson gave a lecture on “ The Life and Writings of Sir Walter Scott,” in the hall of the First Church, last evening. There was a tolerably numerous audience, and Mr _ Moore, president of the Young Men’s Christian Association, occupied the chair. The whole career of the eminent author was sketched by the lecturer, from scenes in his childhood to that at his deathbed. A number of anecdotes, taken from Lockhart’s biography of Scott and other sources, were narrated during the reading, and the lecturer concluded with expressing the opinion that a study of the incidents in the. life of Sir Walter Scott and also of his works must tend to a good and not a bad Result. Work on the Canterbury railways is being pushed forward with vigor. We learn from the ‘Lyttelton Times’ that on the line between the Rakaia and the Ashburton all the rails have been laid, and about five miles of the ballasting completed, leaving thirteen more to be done. Mr Wright, the contractor, is now waiting for an engine with which to convey ballast materials along the line, and as this will shortly be supplied, the line may be expected to be ready for opening to the Ashburton in about three months. The Southbridge line is ready as far as the Selwyn for ballasting, and tenders for this work will be invited early in next month. There is a large number of men at work on the North line, between the Ashley and Amborley, and the earthworks are progressing rapidly. Over two miles of the distance are now completed, and it may be mentioned that the last pile for the Ashley bridge will be driven next week. The death of Mr Millet, late Government Engineer of_ the Thames, and for many years connected with the Survey Department of this Province, is thus referred to by an Auckland paper;—“ Of late his out-door duties have been somewhat severe; constant walking along the course of the water-race, and laying off what ho considered inm-c advantageous lines than those laid down, on the plan, and more than once it was suggested by his friends that he ought to ride. For years past shs deceased has complained of palpitation of the heart, and to a friend, not long ago, he remarked tnat lie would die very suddenly; and the event of this morning only proves these words too true. The de- j ceased was an early riser, and on the morning •

of the 12th inst he was seen strolling along the beach, and returned to his house about 7 a.m., when the ‘ Advertiser ’ was brought. He took a chair and s.it on the verandah, and a few minutes afterwards his wife went out, and observed the inclination of his head. She at once noticed the pallor of his countenance, and found life gradually ebbing away, and before assistance could be got he had expired.”

The ‘Argus,’ in its last summary for Europe, writes thus of the dearth of domestic servants in that Colony : —“ The principal feature in the labor market at present is the unprecedented dearth of female house servants. The rate of wages quoted is nominally the same as it has been for some months past ; but house servants are not to be obtained in sufficient number to satisfy the demand at any price that would lie offered. Any servant girl, on entering one of the registry offices, has at once the pick of a hundred situations, the employers being only too glad to obtain a servant of any description to be particular as to qualifications. The number of persons willing to undertake the duties of house servants is daily increasing, and as the native-born girls invariably prefer half the wages at any occupation whereby they would retain their liberty, the prospect for housekeepers in the future is anything but a hopeful one. The clothing factories are all in full work, and are likely to be so for several months to come. At this business, young women can earn just enough to live on and dress, having their evenings at their own disposal% The fascination of this life is so great that it is no uncommon thing for house servants to leave comfortable situations where they were earning high wages, to work at a sewing machine, at a rate of remuneration that would barely support them. The prospects of the printing trade in London appear to be in a very unsatisfactory and unsettled condition. In its review for the year 1873 the ‘Printing Times’ of December Ist says:—“ Trade is decidedly in an unsatisfactory condition; prices are low, notwithstanding recent advances in the cost of labor and materials, and the outlook is most discouraging. Dismal anticipations of this year’s end may, however, no more be realised than the roseate E respects of last year. It is most sincerely to e hoped that things will be better than they promise, in the interest of both employers and employed, The compositors, pressmen, and machine-minders of the metropolis are undeniably in an awkward position at the present time. They are realising some of the effects of their certainly premature demands for higher wages and shorter hours. Many of them are unemployed, many more are only partially employed, while the comparative few who have steady and assured situations find that they have to do 50 per cent more work for their 8 or 10 per cent advance in wages. The comfortable old fashions are now dismissed from the printing office : the employers find that the margin of profit is too small to permit of the many indulgences which formerly prevailed. Advertisements were lately inserted in the ‘Times’ for four compositors to go to a large printing office in South Africa. There were about four hundred applications, nearly all from London. Yet the salary offered was merely 40s a week and net amount of passage money; the engagement being for two years.” Thomas Hughes, barrister-at-law and author of “Tom Brown’s School Days,” returned from the United States in October last, and has since been lecturing on his American experienses. We append his remarks on railway travelling in America. Mr Hughes says: “In England you are expected to take your ticket just before the train starts, and which you can only get on the same day you travel When the train comes you must get into it at once and when you are told, and if you oppose the officers you are walked off to the Police Court. Then, again, each side of the line is zealously guarded; but it is all different in the United States. There every man is supposed to look after himself, and the railways for the most part even run through the main streets without tho least protection by the sides. Children play about upon the line until they bear the sound of the bell which tells them the train is coming, and after getting off to allow it to pass resume their play. At the crossings the only attempt at protection is a notice “ Look out for the engine when the bell rings.” Then you may get your ticket, put it in your pocket, and use it when you feel inclined, and that is a very great convenience. I confess to being of a rather impatient turn of mind, and I regard it as a great advantage to bo able to get into a train at my own risk and whenever I please. When you stop for dinner, too, and the bell tingles, anybody may pay attention to it or let the train go as they feel inclined, or jump into it after the train has started. In fact, ‘ individualism’ is strikingly illustrated in the railways, where people have to take care of themselves, get up and down, and do just aslthey please.” We must call the attention of those who possess the necessary qualification, but who have not yet made application to have their names placed upon the 1101 l of Electors for the coming year, that the time for doing so expires at the end of March. Mr C. R. Chapman, who has lately been looking oyer the list, informs us that he knows of a large number of persons who possess the qualification, but who are not upon the roll. It is well known that the roll has always been imperfect, and that a number, either through laziness or carelessness, have neglected to make the necessary application. The trouble entailed in doing so does not amount to much, being in fact merely the filling up of a blank form. The necessary forms are obtainable at the Superintendent’s office, and at the different office* throughout the Province. Mr Chapman desires us to intimate that he will be glad to supply forms to any person requiring them.