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Evening Star, Issue 3449, 12 March 1874, Page 2

At a meeting of the Board of Health to-day, iw was resolved that if no fresh case of sickness is reported the immigrants by the Scimitar should be released on Saturday. An accident happened to a man belonging to the p.s. Samson, named William Young, whilst the steamer was lying in the roadstead at Uamaru on her last trip. He was engaged with others in taking wool on board, when one of the bales fell on his leg and broke it. He was immediately taken ashore apd conveyed to the.uamaru hospital. The third quarterly meeting of the Loyal Pioneer Lodge No. 1, P.A.F.b.O.A , of New Zealand, was held on the 9th inst, at the Lodge room, Milton Hall, when the balance sheet was submitted. A good number of members were in attendance. About L2O was taken as contributions; two new members were proposed, and a committee appointed to arrange for the anniversary, to take place shortly. The performance gfc the Queen’s Theatre last evening was for the benefit of Miss Rosa Towers. There was a numerous attendance. The comedy of A Regular Fix” was the opening piece, Mr lowers, wh# appeared as Hugh de Brass, succeeding m keeping the audience thoroughly amused “Grif" followed, and was well received. Miss Stephenson makes her appearance to-night in a new drama entitled “ The Dead Witness.

To gi\ c an idea of the amount of business done by building societies, and benefits derived c m, So! n e of tlleae institutions, the first series of Illsi Permanent Society of Otago, of which Rlr J. b. Webb is secretary, which terminated last mouth alter a ten years’ duration, received and paid L 60,083 17s (id in the ordinary way of the Society, and yielded L2l 6s 8d per cent o U 2£ro on the investments, beyond A'J(7 8s Sd for management, and L 547 18s bad debts. What business is better ? The last has bean heard of the Governor’s horse-lure at Riverton. It will be recollected that the Mayor of that borough was requested to pay for tue hire of the horses which carried Ins Excellency away from the town, and, like a sensible man refused. On Monday last ho received the following telegram from the Superintendent ' I regret to see it stated that the Jiiv.erton people have been requested to pay for horses for the Governor. Surely there is some mistake. I hey y/ere ordered by me, and will oi course be paid for on application at the Provincial Ircaaury, ’ ™V C °L* Ii 3 US( ; accommodation is as ft.veiely felt m Christchurch as here. “An Immigrant by the Isle of the South ” writes to the papers I can assure you, Mr Editor, that I, as well as several of my fellow-pas-sengers, who are thus far obliged to occupy a portuni pf the barracks, have tramped the streets of Christchurch and vicinity for the last tew weeks since qur arrival, looking for cotr.ifi'Ao rlml- • i vu

t.igea that perchance might bo unoccupied until we are weary and footsore, weary and somewhat desponding of ever being successful. Vve have certainly very poor nows as yet to send to our friends at Home.” The following reference to railway works in Canierbury is made by the * Lyttelton Times’ • —iho sleepers and rails are now laid the whole of the distance from South Ilakaia to the Ashburton township, and the ballasting of the lino is being proceeded with. One of the narrow gauge engines recently imported has been put together, and made its trial trip to Ashburton on Thursday last. The contract has been let for the erection of station buildings at Ashburton, but the work has not yet been commenced, and the line is not expected to be ready for genaral traffic before June next. When this portion of the lino is opened, the iron hoyse will traverse ( moi'o than half the distance between Cbristvhurch and ThnaVw.

, The Episcopalian clergy in Sydney have arrived at a conclusion which cannot be otherwise than satisfactory to their congregations. There may be bazaars, but these are to lose one of their greatest feminine attractions. There are to be no more raffles and no more lotteries. It has been decided in solemn conclave that raffling a pincushion worth half-a-crown, while asking for twenty members at a shilling a member, is not altogether orthodox, and not in accordance with commercial morality. So in Sydney a resolution has been passed stigmatising these practices in very harsh and unpleasant language. And what is more, all the clergymen have promised compliance with the unexpected ad-, monition.

The Glasgow Abstainers’ Union have opened a public-house, in which no intoxicating liquors are to be supplied, at 6, Abercromby street, Glasgow. The house is a corner one, and was recently occupied as a spirit shop. It consists of three rooms, one of which is used for reading, another for smoking, and bagatelle, draught, and domino playing, and the other is

occupied by a man and wife, who have charge ofthc establishment. The place is to be supplied with the Gliisgow newspapers daily, and a number of periodicals ; and it will be“ open free of charge to anyone between eight o’clock m the morning and ten at night. Tea, coffee, and abstainer s liquors are to be sold, but it is not necessary for anyone to purchase anything m order to secure admission.

The ‘Western Star’ says that the agricultural statistics compiled in Otago cannot be relied upon as even nearly accurate. This is due to the fact that they are taken too early in the year. ISio doubt the earlier they are placed before the public the better-but then accuracy should not be sacrificed for the sake of a few weeks time. The seasons arc so uncertain in the Province that prior to the commencement of harvest it is utterly impossible to predicate

with any degree of exactness what the yield of grain will be. Now, so far as regards the present year, the yield in the Western districtami, wc believe, in many other localities- will be from 10 to 20 per cent. less than is shown in the statistics. If the taking of these statistics were deferred for a month they might be relied upon implicitly, but at present they can only be considered as merely approximate.

A meeting of the residents of Maori Hill was held last evening in the Baptist Schoolroom ; Mr 1 horn in the chair. Mr Talbot reported the result of a deputation which waiWl on his Honor the Superintendent, in reference to a division of the district. A reply had been received from his Honor, stating that the matter had received every consideration, and would bo legislated upon in the ending session of the Provincial Council, A petition, numerously aud influentially signed, was read to the meeting, and would be presented to lus Honor in a few days. Several gentlemen present pointed out the inaccuracy of a statement appearing in the Star of the 9th as to the appeal meeting at the Halfway Bush, on Saturday last. The article made it appear that the resident of Maori Hill were well satisfied with their position, whereas the opposite ivas the case, as shown by the almost universal appeals presented. A committee was formed to look after the interests of the district, and to communicate with their representative as to ait ion hein<' taken at the next meeting of the Provincial Council.

A proposition has been made in Melbourne, which might with advantage be applied to other large pities. It is to establish a ward for paying patients jn connection with one of the hospitals. Ihe intention is to reduce the number of non-paying patients who burden the hos pitals, Q,ud tQ proyide fox* a largg class of persons with small incomes such accommodation, attendance, quietude, and sanitary appliances in time of sickness as are unattainable in their own homes. The ‘ Argus,’ writing on the subject, says : “ I hat the proposal is perfectly practicable has been already proved in Europe By the institution of a sped .1 ward, the inmates of which would feel that they were in no sense the recipients of charity, and that their medical attendant occupied the same relation towards them that lie would do if he were visiting them at their own homes, we should be seeming, by co-operation, certain advantages which could not be otherwise acquired by persons occupying small Louses, and unable to command the services of more than one domestic when they are overtaken by illness or accident.

; - au article on the Volunteer movement the Hawke’s Bay Herald ’ says" In plain matter of fact, Volunteer companies are rapidly becoming rifle clubs—in other words, societies for -.the encouragement aud development of good marksmen, in the place of becoming each year more and more proficient in drill and military discipline, and a great portion of the object which was originally intended when the Volunteer movement came into operation is practically ignored, lu this respect the system demands immediate reform. If the Volunteer corps throughout the Colony are to become riflp associations for the sole purpose of maintaining a body q( good marksmen, the system should alt once be placed on that footing ; but if the original spirit of the institution is to be adhered to—arid it is still to be considered that the capitation allowance D only paid to those Volunteers who regulaily obtain certificates of general efficiency—it is time the members should understand that a thorough knowledge of their drill is also indispensable. We see many difficulties in the way of drawing up regulations which would make proficiency in drill an indispensable qualification to be possessed by tire competitors for all prize firings, but it is clearly the duty of the District Co?nmauding Officers throughout the Colony to discover some method of obtaining increased attendance at the necessary apd of compelling attention to this portion of the service in accordance with the Volunteer regulations.” °