NEWS OF THE DAY

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 898, 11 May 1877, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY

Complimentary.—The Wairarapa Standard says the majority of the members cf the New Zealand Press and Parliament are nobodies and noodles. Shipping. The Taranaki sailel at one o'clock to-day from Wellington, and the Hawea about the same time from Port Chalmers, for Lyttelfcon.

LyTTKLTON BOROUGH Council. The special meeting of this Council to pass the Borough accounts was held on Tuesday last, when the accounts were passed as correct.

German Church. —The annual meeting in connection with the above Avas held yesterday, the proceedings being conducted in the German language. The chair was occupied by the Rev. MrLohr, pastor of the congregation. The balance-sheet submitted to the meeting showed that the income had exceeded the expenditure by a small amount. The report and balancesheet were adopted, and the proceedings terminated with the usual votes of thanks.

New Streets. —The following notice of motion by Or. Ick, respecting new streets to be formed within the city, will come on for discussion at the next meeting of the City Council: —" For the information of the public that clauses 199 and 200 of the Municipal Corporations Act, respecting the making of new streets, be published in the newspapers, and that before taking over any new streets the same shall be channelled, and the footpaths asphalted to at least 4ft. 6in." The Gaiety.—Mr Hall's benefit, as might have been expected, drew a crowded house last evening. The pantomime was repeated and went excellently from first to last. The various songs in the burlesque were loudly applauded, Miss Wiseman and Miss Vivian receiving encores. The other characters, including Mr Hall and Mr Kceley, were exceedingly funny. The harlequinade which followed also went well, several new tricks were introduced, and Mr Hall's solo on the harmonicon received loud applause. To-night the pantomime will be played for the last time. To-inorrow there will be an afternoon performance of "Cinderella," and in the evening a change of programme. On Monday " The Field of the Cloth of Gold" will be produced.

Thk GrOYKKNOU. His Excellency the Marquis of Normanby has now, like his predecessors, Sir James Forgusson and SirGreorge Bowen, circumnavigated the South Island, and his seen the wonders of the West Coast Sounds, which the latter so elaborately described. • Some ill-luck seems to attend Governors when they visit the unfrequented yet comparatively accurately surveyed waters of the Sounds. The Dido, in which Sir G-eorge Bowen was a passenger, discovered a rock which was unmarked in the charts, and now the Hinemoa has hit upon a rock in Dusky Sound, though it has, perhaps, been more frequently navigated than any other, since the days of Captain Cook. Fortunately the only damage sustained was the loss of one of the blades of her propeller. Steam Road Roller.—A preliminary trial of the steam road roller lately imported on behalf of the City Council, took place yesterday afternoon on stone laid down on Oxford Terrace, between Cashel and Worcester streets. The object was to ascertain that all the parts were perfect and in working order. The trial appeared to be so far satisfactory, when the fact of the gear being new and necessarily stiff is taken into consideration. It was the opinion of many present qualified to judge, that the roller will work fairly and easily after a few days' exercise. A fuller and complete test will be made in a few days. Remarks were made that the stone should have been first " blinded" with sand, but this the City Surveyor had purposely omitted doing, as he considered if rolled once before this was done the stone would "bed" into its proper position, and then take less material to blind it. If precautions were not taken when the roller is working in the streets, any number of accidents with frightened horses would be sure to follow, and yesterday, when the machine was approaching Cashel street a horse drawing a loaded dray became frightened when turning into Mr C. W. Turner's yard, and coming into contact with the kerbing fell down, cutting himself severely on the oil' hind leg. It is intended however to roll the streets in small sections, with barricades at either end to'prevent traffic. The roller was imported by Mr John Anderson, of the Canterbury Foundry. It is of 8-horse power, by Messrs Avely and Potter, and weighs fifteen tons. It is worthy of remark that, under Mr kirk's supervision, the various pieces ot machinery were put together at the Canterbury Foundry in a very short time after their arrival, and, as the result proved yesterday, in a highly satisfactory manner.

Spinning and Weaving Company.—The adjourned meeting of the Canterbury Spinning and Weaving Company was held at Mr Charles Clark's rooms at 3 p.m. yesterday. Mr Jameson occupied the chair. The chairman said there was nothing like the requisite number of shares to commence business, under these circumstances the meeting would have to be dissolved, and as the Act only gave them power to adjourn until the next day they would have to begin over again. The best plan would be to give a fortnight's notice of the meeting, so as to give shareholders an opportunity to send in their proxies or attend personally. After some discussion, the next meeting was fixed to be held on Tuesday week, at 2.30 p.m.; the directors to send out a circular and proxy form to each shareholder.

Working Men's Clubs. —Although only about two years old, the Dunedin Working Men's Club is described by the Gvardion as being one of the most flourishing and vigorous local institutions of which the city can boast. Established in a little rickety wooden building in Princes street, it lias gradually outgrown the accommodation provided. During the past few weeks the Club lias taken up its quarters in the Friendly Societies' rooms at the Queen's Theatre. This is only a temporary abiding-place, for a fine new building is in process of erection on an eligible site at the Octagon. The preparation of the design and specification, and the supervision of the work, has been entrusted to a building committee, composed of good practical builders, who are also members of the Club. The new building will be at once commodious and convenient. It will be divided into a whole series of spacious apartments — billiard-rooms, refreshment-rooms, and a fine large reading-room. The cost will be about £2500.