NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 578, 26 April 1876, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Volunteers. —The Artillery will be inspected by the officer commanding the district on Friday evening next. Agricultural Statistics —The agricultural statistics of Hawke’s Bay have been published. The totals are—Wheat, 1617 bushels ; oats, 36,616 bushels ; barley, 2808 bushels ; potatoes, 2217 tons. Foundation Stone. —The laying of the foundation stone of the Ashburton Presbyterian Church will take place at noon on Friday, when the public and friends are invited to be present. Customs Kevbnue. —The Customs revenue collected in New Zealand for the quarter ending March 31st, amounted to £317,743, as compared with £320,523 for the corresponding quarter of 1875. Railway Strike. —We have been requested by one of the committee of the employees on strike, to correct a paragraph which appeared in yesterday’s issue. He states that there has been no payment for overtime, and that any overtime that may have been worked on one day has not been allowed on the following day as stated.

- New Zealand University Reserves. —A. notification appears in the New Zealand Gazette defining, in accordance with The New Zealand University Reserves Act, 1875, two blocks of land, one in the province of Auckland, and one, amounting to 1500 acres (more or less), situated in the Ashburton district in this province. Gold Export.—The quantify of gold entered for export from New Zealand for the quarter ending March 31st was 83,2760 z, valued at £330.523, The export of Auckland was 13,8090 z, valued at £53,048; of Nelson, 17,1520 z, valued at £08,040; of Westland, 13,7»40z, valued at £55,176; of Otago, 38,5210 z, valued at £153,650. The total quantity exported from April Ist, 1857, r n March B 1 at, 1876, was 8.038,57 loz, valued at £31,315,309.

A Novelty. —A novelty hag been introduced by Mr Farr, architect, in the shape of an iron bore running through window bars. Heretofore the old-fashioned wooden window bars have been so large—in order to support the weight above—as to very materially interfere with the appearance of a shop front, especially when the goods displayed have been of a choice and elegant character, as is so often the case in. drapers', milliners’, watch’ makers’, and other shops of a similar character. The windows of Dunstable House, in Cashel street, which have recently been fitted up with bars on Mr Farr’s principle, offer quite a contrast to those of moat of the establishments in town. If the bars are wholly composed of iron, we learn that their • action of expanding is apt to break the | glass, but by being enclosed in a wooden | coating this is avoided.

Panorama of the Holy Land. —This Panorama will be exhibited at the Waltham Wesleyan Church this evening, in aid of the Sabbath school funds. Colonel St. John. —Speaking of thi® officer’s death, the Post of the 21st says ; “ One of those who took a prominent part in the events of the New Zealand war ha s recently gone to his long rest, LieutenantColonel Si John died yesterday at his late residence, Karori road He had for a considerable time been in delicate health, and lately he sank rapidly, until death closed his sufferings. Lieutenant-Colonel St John formerly served with some distinction in the Imperial Army, and took part in the Crimean campaign. Some years ago he came to New Zealand, and during the East Coast campaign in which he held a command, he proved himself to be a most valuable and gallant officer. He was brave as a lion, yet prudent withal in his operations, and by the possession of those qualities, secured much liking from the men under his command. After the close of the war, he obtained employment in the Native Department, Floating Dams —The Evening Post says :—“ An official notification appears in another column to the effect that Mr William Douslin, architect, of Blenheim, has applied for a patent for a new method of constructing floating dams or spurs for turning rivers, for the protection of river banks or altering the course of the stream. The novelty especially claimed in this invention is that by the peculiar method of mooring spars, pontoons, or cylinders, they are so arranged and constructed as to form a floating dam or spur,.or a series of dams, having the various effects desired of (1; curbing current of rivers, (2) diverting the same from fhe original course to another, (3) closing up any breach from a river, or (4) protecting the banks. It is claimed that by this invention, according to the angle adopted in mooring the same, the effect will be the formation of a bar or bank at the back of the dam, causing a permanent obstruction to the passage of water along the channel from which it is desired to exclude the flow. It is also claimed that a combination of these dams will project the main body of water down the middle of a river, thus saving the banks from wear and tear. The dams have to be fixed at an angle, to be regulated by the force and direction of the current, varying in depth according to circumstances, and the drain to be constructed of spars, cylinders, or pontoons of wood or iron. If this invention prove as efficacious as its author believes, it will have ample scope for its application in our Wellington rivers, such as the Hutt and the Waiohine.”

The Poughkeepsie Press tells of a woman ‘so cross-eyed that when she weeps, tears from her left eye drop on her right cheek.’ * Jack, how do you like the rector’s daughter ?’ * Don’t know ; I’ve always seen her drunk.’ ‘ What ! the rector’s daughter drunk?’ ‘No; I.’ ‘ How much to take me to the Cathedral ?’ asked a tourist just arrived in Dublin of a hackman. ‘Well,’ said Pat, ‘ the meanest man I ever took gave me three shillings. ’