NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 189, 16 January 1875, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Justice of the Peace.— Mr George Cliff, Mayor of Timaru, is gazetted a J.P. Imprisonment for Debt Abolition Act. —Certain general rules and orders for regulating the practice of the Supreme and District Courts for carrying this Act into practice are published in the New Zealand Gazette of January 7. Inspection of Machinery Act. —The regulations made under the provisions of the above Act are published in the New Zealand Gazette, George Croll is gazetted Inspector of Machinery for the Canterbury and Westland districts. Sheriffs’ Districts.— The boundaries of the various sheriffs’ districts in the colony are published in the Gazette, This province is divided into two districts, Canterbury and Timaru districts. The Circus, —The performance last evening was well attended, and the whole performance went off satisfactorily. To-night is advertised as the last, when a debutante in the shape of a new lady rider will make her appearance. Revision of the Statute Law.—A copy of an Act for further promoting the revision of the Statute-law by repealing certain enactments which have ceased to be in force, or have become unnecessary,” is published by the request of the Secretary of State for the colonies, in the Gazette. Good Templar Hall Company. —An error inadvertently crept into our notice of the acceptance of the tender, in yesterday’s issue, for the lodge room, and a notification that a call of 10s per share had been made. It should have been that a call cn shares up to 10s per share was due, the directors requesting that this balance might be paid as soon as possible. C.J.C.—A meeting of the committee of the C.J.O. was held at Warner’s Commercial Hotel yesterday, Mr H. P. Lance in the chair. It was resolved that the disqualification of Captain Hutchison’s mare Mabel, and her rider in the St. Andrew’s Handicap, Andrew Mitchellson, should be endorsed by the Canterbury Jockey Club. After some routine business had been disposed of, the meeting adjourned. Ravages of Caterpillars. —We regret to hear that the caterpillars are committing great havoc amongst the crops throughout the province, especially in barley, Mr Amyes, of Broadlands, had a paddock of forty acres of barley completely destroyed by these pests. We have received a sheaf of the corn which shows the ears eaten clean away; The paddock alluded to some fortnight back promised to turn out from fifty to sixty bushels to the acre, and now there will not be oneeighth of the crop left. Mr Gardener, of Southbridge, had also a paddock of 100 acres of barley attacked by caterpillar to such an extent that paddocks which were estimated to yield fifty to sixty bushels to the acre will not now turn out more than twenty or twenty-five. We regret to learn that throughout the country the crops, particularly the barley and oats, have suffered most seriously from the ravages of the caterpillar,

The Ministry.—A proclamation appear? in the Gazette re-appointing the various members of the Ministry members of the Executive Council. Prize Firing.— The firing by the members of the City Guards Company for the silver inkstand presented by Sub-Lieutenant Malcolm, took place yesterday at the Hillsborough range. The conditions were the highest scorer in two competitions to be the winner, and in order to give the younger members of the company a chance, the competitors were divided into three classes—lst class, 400 and 500 yards ; 2nd, 300 and 400 yards ; five shots at each range ; 3rd c’ass. 200 yards, with ten shots. Any position ; entrance one shilling, to form a second prize. The following scores were made : Ist class, Lieutenant Wolfe, 31 ; Harvey, 22. 2nd class, Sergeant Truckle, 16 ; Corporal Perkins, 22 ; Corporal Preston, 8 ; Kowan, 20; Eobertson, 26 3rd class, Parker, 33; Lummis, 33 ; Turnbull, 30 ; Lusk, 25 ; Parker, 35 ; James Lusk, 28; J. J. Parker, 24 ; O’Callaghan, 9 ; Clark, 14 ; Cahell, 22 ; Hill, 34 ; Siramonds, 28. The Labour Market. —Mr J. Parker, Market place, reports as follows of the labor market for the week ending January 15th:— In furnishing this, my usual weekly report, up to the present date, January 15th, 1876, I can only state what I have often said previously—i.e., there is a great demand for female servants, even in excess of former weeks; married couples, there is a moderate demand for this week; boys are at present not in request at all; grooms and gardeners can find ready employment; good cooks are much required, more especially for country hotels. The harvest is now fairly set in, but I believe there is a great deal of it let by contract. The following are the rates of wages for the week; —Female servants—cooks in hotels in the country, £4O to £SO per annum; in town, £3O to £35. General servants, £3O. Housemaids, in private families, £25; in hotels, £3O. Laundresses, £3O to £35. Kitchenmaids, £26 per annum. Nursegirls, £2O. Male servants—harvesting, £2 to £2 10s per week and found. Grooms and gardeners, 25s per week. Men cooks, 30s to 40s per week. Drivers of teams, 30s per week. Married couples, £65 to £76 per annum, Contract binding, per acre, 12s to 14s. Lyttelton Regatta. —At the last meetof the committee they decided to give some token of their appreciation of Captain Whitby, of the Emerald, for the great interest that he has taken in the Lyttelton Regattas for some years past, he having prepared and entered his vessel at every regatta at which he has been present for the last five or six years, and has always shown a thorough sportsmanlike spirit. On the evening of the 13th, the hon secretary, Mr Packard, presented, on behalf of the regatta committee, a handsome timepiece and barometer combined. The gift is in the shape of an anchor, the barometer being placed at the lower part of the anchor, midway between the flukes, and the timepiece above it on the stock. It is formed of English oak, and the design is chaste. The following is the inscription, written on a silver shield just below the ring of the anchor —“ Presented to Captain W. Whitby, schooner Emerald, by the Lyttelton Regatta Committee, Lyttelton Annual Regatta, January Ist, 1875.” The testimonial was handed to Mrs Whitby, Captain Whitby being absent, with an appropriate letter. Southbeidge.— The adjourned meeting of the South bridge Town Hall and Library Company was held in the Town Hall on Thursday evening last. There was a moderate attendance of shareholders. Mr E. J. Lee, president, in the chair. The minutes of the last annual meeting having been read and adopted, the chairman called upon the hon treasurer, Mr L. L. Harris, to read the half-yearly balance-sheet, which showed that the funds of the company were in a very prosperous condition, and notwithstanding some heavy calls for fencing and other improvements, a balance was at their credit in the bank, which the chairman stated might be appropriated as a dividend of 10 per cent, to the shareholders, although at the same time he did not recommend such a course. It was proposed by Mr Smith, and seconded by Mr Willis, that the balance should be held over until the next annual meeting, when steps might be taken to form a sinking fund of all unappropriated moneys to defray the mortgage of £2OO at present existing. The chairman then informed the meeting that, as might be seen, the public library was in a fair way at last to be completed, and he recommended the desirability of calling a meeting of the inhabitants of the district to appoint a committee of management, and to do other necessary business connected with the opening of the building. He further stated that a small balance was left for the purchase of books, and it was to be hoped that the books already ordered from England would arrive shortly. A vote of thanks to chairman terminated the proceedings, St Paul’s, PapANUI — A general meeting of parishioners was held in the school room on Wednesday the 13th, the Rev F. G. Brittan, M.A., in the chair. The accounts of the late bazaar were laid before the meeting by the chairman, showing a balance to credit of £ls after the debt on the parsonage building fund had been defrayed. On the motion of Mr G. Harper, the balance was paid over to the churchwardens to be used for general church purposes, and a cordial vote of thanks passed to the ladies of Papanui and the managing committee for their successful exertions on behalf of the above. The meeting then took into consideration a letter from the diocesan secretary, requesting suggestions as to alterations in the boundaries of the parish. After some discussion, the matter being of much importance, it was decided to adjourn the consideration of the question until that day fortnight to admit of the attendance of members from the outlying districts. Mr May, churchwarden, having left the parish, the meeting then proceeded to fill up the vacancy caused by the resignation of his office ; Captain E. Spencer Bell was declared unanimously elected. The incumbent brought under the notice of those present the desirability of taking immediate steps for the erection of a new church, the present building being old and in a bad state of repair, and the accommodation insufficient for the growing wants of the district. He stated that several members of the congregation had spoken to him on the matter, and had promised subscriptions varying from £5 to £2O. The meeting unanimously agreed asjto the necessity for the work proposed, and the incumbent was requested to make application to the standing committee for a grant-in-aid, It was resolved that another general meeting should be held on Wednesday, 27th inst, to take definite steps thereon. The meeting then adjourned.