NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 180, 6 January 1875, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The San Francisco Mail.—The Macgregor, with the San Francisco mail, arrived at Auckland yesterday. Canterbury Deutscher Verein,—The half yearly meeting of this society will be held this evening at half-past seven. Borough Licenses.—The City Council intimate that all licenses must be renewed for the present year at once. i-

Cricket. —The match Tall v Short will be continued on Saturday next, when we hope to see a good muster at the hour for commencing play, viz, 2 p m sharp.

Agricultural and Pastoral Association.—A committee meetingof the above as-ociation will be held on Tuesday, 12th instant, at Tattersall’s, at 2.15 p.m. The Bazaar.— The bazaai was closed last night. Sergeant-Major O’Grady made a short speech thanking the ladies for their help, and announcing that oi the whole the bazaar might be considered a great success. Sporting. —We remind owners of horses that the entries for the Auckland Produce Stakes and St'Leger close this day at 8 p.m. Telegrams of nominations sent this day will be in time.

Circus. —There was a very large attendance at the circus last evening, when a capital programme was submitted. , The various items on the programme were gone though very satisfactorily, eliciting loud applause. To-night a good programme will be submitted.

Lytelton Borough School.— We beg to call attention to the fact that subscribers to the Lyttelton Borough school pic - nic can obtain tickets on Friday and Saturday next, between eight and nine, at the new school house. No one will be admitted to participate in the pic-nic without a ticket and it is necessary the committee should know beforehand how many they have to provide for. Grain’s Bay. -The annual picnic in connection with the day school of the above locality took place on Wednesday last, when the children, accompanied by their parents and friends, repaired to the usual resort on such occasions—viz, the sea beach, within the large cave, in the vicinity of which the children and their friends partook of an excellent repast provided for the occasion. There was a large gathering of people during the day, and every effort was made to create amusement for all, so that a happy day was spent, and the utmost good feeling prfevailed. In the evening there was a very large gathering of parents and children in the schoolroom, on the occasion of the distribution of school prizes for the past year, when a very handsome and well ornamented Christmas tree was provided, and from which each child was entitled to draw a prize by a ticket from a lottery box. The articles were chiefly such as were both useful as well as attractive, and consisted principally of collars, waistbands, See, for the girls, and nags, knives, whips, and smaller toys for the boys, and in every case the utmost satisfaction was given. The school prizes were distributed by the teacher, Mr Bishop, who took occasion to address the parents on the desirability of a more regular attendance being maintained. An excellent and successful display of fireworks brought the events of the pleasant and most agreeable da) to a close,

1.0.G.T., Olive Branch Temple A general session of this lodge for the e ectiou of officers and conferring degrees will be held to-morrow evening, at hdf past seven, at the rear of the new Oddfellows Hall, Lichfield street.

OrAKGEISM —The usual monthly meeting of No 3 L.O.Tj. was held last evening, when there was a large attendance. Five candidates were admitted to the first degree, and a large amount of business disposed of. After business refreshments were served by the stewards, and the usual loyal and fraternal toasts, interspersed wi*h some capital songs by the brethren present, were given and duly responded to. . Kaiapoi Presbyterian Church.- The laying of a memorial stone and opening of this church is appointed to take place on Thursday (to-morrow); the former, ceremony to be performed by Mr J. Anderson, Christchurch; the. opening services to be carried out by lievs W. FI. Horner, A. F. Douglas, W. S. McGowan, W. McGregor, and C. Fraser, after which a soiree will be held, and addresses afterwards delivered. Industrial Insurance. The Government insurance agent was introduced to the Foresters by the Chief Rauger last evening, who.hoped they would give Bro her Donaldson a fair hearing. After glancing at the main features of the scheme, the agent said that, owing to its being election night, he would chiefly advert to the objections urged against the scheme—these were the duties of their agent, his remuneration by Government, and the compulsory weekly payments, He was authorised by the Government to state that the agent would not be compelled to collect the premiums outside the Court, but could do so in the hall, hence his labours would be comparatively light, and the 10 per cent allowed for his services would, when collected, be in the hands of the insurers, to be divided, optionally, as a bonus, among themselves, leaving them to give what honorarium they chose to their agent; and regarding the weekly compulsory payments, the insurers could pay their premiums as many weeks in advance as they thought proper, although that would not at all alter the pneitinn of. --witll tllO

Government. As to the statements advanced by some against the Government scheme with regard to high rates of premiums, he would merely state that they were 20 per cent lower than any other similar insurance, of which the London Prudential stood chief ; also that, for sums over £SO, insurers had immediate claim for full benefit, which was the case nowhere else ; and that they must bear this in mind, that Government did not wish to make a penny out of the scheme over and above the actual cost of .its being a self-supporting insurance, and that all surplus funds would be divided every fifth year amongst the insurers proportionately and the first division or bonus would be made in 1880. An unanimous and hearty vote of thanks was given by the members, through the Chief Ranger, to Brother Donaldson, who was requested to attend next lodge night !When, the subject, would be specially brought forward and steps would be then taken towards nominating ah agent. Brother Donaldson responded, and promised to attend at next meeting.

The Academy hears that a collected edition of the poetical works of the late Mr Sydney Dobell is in preparation. .•? The Camperdown, whaler, reached Shetland on October 26th, .bringing thirty-two whales and 176 tons of oil. Such a successful fishing has not been achieved for many years. The value of the entire catch will be worth nearly £IOO,OOO. No casualty occurred. On the Rhine and in" other parts of Germany, this year’s vintage,' iti isVstated, promises, both in quantity and quality,-to equal the famous 1811. The wine casks in the Rhenish cellars being altogether insufficient for such a harvest, fresh casks; are manufactured and bought up everywhere with the utmost despatch, Tfl ' > ~t ■

A'short time since a little commercial traveller chanced to get into the same railway carriage in which the Dukes of Argyle and Northumberland were travelling. The three chatted familiarly until the train stopped at Alnwick Junction, where the Duke of Northumberland got out, and was met by a train, of flunkeys and servants. “ That must be a great swell,” said the “commercial ” to his remaining companion, “ Yes,” responded the Duite of Argyle, “ he is the Duke of Northumberland. ,y “Bless my soul!” exclaimed the “commercial.” “ And to think that he should have been so condescending to two little snobs like us !’ An Englishman holding forth in the evening in a Scotch hotel to some friends and strangers in the house on the subject of cremation of bodies, in place of the present mode of burial, wound, up by declaring that he had about made up his mind to leave directions with his friends and executors that, when he died, his body be cremated. A caniiy old Scotchman, who did not relish the innovation, “ set the table in a roar, ” by remarking “Ye seem in a great hurry, ma freen. A’ that may possibly be ordained to be dune, without ony bother to yoor friends and executors, at the Lord’s guid time and pleasure. ”