NEWS OF THE DAY

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1224, 5 February 1878, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY

+ . Cable Communication.—Cable communication with Europe lias been restored. St. Augustine Lodge.—A lodge of instruction will be held to-morrow evening at halfpast seven. Acclimatisation Society.—The annual general meeting of the Acclimatisation Society will be Eejd. *t mdclifte'e Hotel tbjp eveoip^.

Peninsula Backs.—The programme of the annual meeting of the Peninsula Jockey Club, to be held near Wascoe's Beach Arms Hotel on Thursday, the 28th instant, appears elsewhere.

Harbor Board. —A meeting of tho I Lyttelton Harbor Board will be held at the Government Buildings, Christchurch, at 2 p.m. on Friday next. Cricket Association. —A general meeting of the Canterbury Cricket Association will be held at Badcliffe's hotel on Friday evening at eight o'clock. A full attendance of members is requested. Seiavyn County Council.—The adjourned meeting of this Council will be held on Friday next at 10.30 a.m. As there is some doubt as to the legality of the decision at last meeting, it is probable that the question of bringing the Act into full force in the county of Selwyn will bo again discussed. Public Works. —We hare received from Mr W. J. Bull, C.E., a pamphlet on the public works of New Zealand, containing the author's criticisms and suggestions on the construction and management of the railways, and the system on which works of this description should be undertaken and administered. An appendix to the pamphlet contains papers by Mr H. Czerwonka on the accident to the G-rey Gorge suspension bridge, the mode of ascertaining tension in suspension bridge cables, and other engineering questions. Businbss BY Telborafh.—Messrg Eoyse, Stead, and Co. are the first in Christchurch to take advantage of the telegraph wire for business communications. By arrangement with the Telegraph Department, and by other expenditure, they are establishing a line of telegraph wire between their new grain depot in Heathcote Valley and their office in town. The wire to be used by them is suspended along the railway line into town, and poles are now being erected for the extension of the wire from the,"new Telegraph Office, past the Bank of New Zealand and City Hotel, into their offices m High street. Good Templab Hall Company.—The annual meeting of the shareholders of the Good Templar Hall Company, Limited, was held last evening at Gee's schoolroom. Mr W. Kerr was chairman. Mr W. Smith, secretory to the company, read the report and balance-sheet, which gave groat satisfaction. A dividend of 12 £ per cent, was declared. The election of directors resulted in Messrs Mundy, W. T. C. Mills, A. E. Taylor, and Buxton being elected. Mr F. E. Buckland was elected auditor for the ensuing twelve months.

Soldenb Comic Opeba.—"La Belle Helene " was repeated last evening, and went very smoothly ; the music both rocal and instrumental being given with great spirit by the members of the company, who well deserved the applause bestowed upon them. This evening will be produced " La Fille de Madame Angot," for which the whole strength of the campany is cast. In the third act Miss Slater will dance a pas seul. There can be little doubt that there will be a crowded house on this occasion, when the Soldene Company produce, for the first time in Christchurch, this highly popular opera. City Impbovembnts.—Amongst the many improvements which are being effected in various parts of the city, may be noted the additions to the warehouse of the New Zealand Clothing Company, recently completed. This company, which is entirely a colonial concern, manufacturing as it does goods almost exclusively from the products of the colony, employs nearly 700 hands. It has branches in Dunedin, Oamaru, Timaru, Christchurch, and Wellington, the manufactory, which is almost entirely worked by water power, being in Dunedin. The branch in Christchurch has grown into its present large dimensions under the supervision of Mr Kelly, and the increased demand for colonial products has necessitated large improvements in the building being made. A new department has been added on 30 feet square, which comprises an office, filling room, &c, besides the space devoted to the goods. The main shop is 80 feet by 30 feet, the lower end of which is devoted to the Wertheim sewing machines, for which the Company are agents. Raising Steam.-The subject of the management of steam fire-engines is being simultaneously discussed in Christchurch and Wellington. Mr R. A. Page, of Timakori road, Wellington, writes: —With regard to the time of raising steam in these engines, I have seen 601 b. pressure raised from cold water in twelve minntes, in both Messrs Merry weather's and Messrs Sliand, Mason, and Co.'s engines, when the lighting wood has been prepared and laid expressly, which is an easy matter, and could as well be done here. The practice with them in London is to have always a gas jet burning in the fire-box, which maintains the water at boiling point. At a call for fire, the gas is taken out, fire-box filled with lighting-up material, engine run out and lit up, and after a run of five minutes to a fire, the engine is ready for work. The same thing could be easily practised here, and I think after our late experiences, the sooner wc have one here the safer it will be for this wooden city of ours.

Shahks at Governor's Bay.—A Christchurch gentleman, attracted to Governor's Bay by the beauties of this pleasant and quiet little retreat, was rather surprised, if not alarmed, on preparing to take his morning swim on Sunday last, to observe a young shark partially stranded on a small reef about twenty yards from the shore. The shark was lashing the water into foam, in his efforts to escape to his native element. The bath, somehow, was quite forgotten by the swimmer in his endeavours to destroy the fish, which he accomplished after some trouble by the application of not a few hard knocks with sharp pieces of rock on the head of the unwelcome visitor. With the assistance of a friend he conveyed the fish, which measured between four and five feet long, to the Ocean View Hotel, where his sharkship was interviewed throughout the day. Impaled. The Auckland "Herald" reports a sad accident, which occurred at Tuakau on the previous afternoon to a young woman, the wife of a settler named Clark. Mrs Clark, accompanied by the Misses Coonay, the daughters of a neighbor, had gone to a peach grove about a mile from the settlement for the purpose of gathering some of the fruit. Mrs Clark climbed up one of the trees, and was engaged in reaching down the peaches, when the girls cried out to her that the branch upon which she was standing was going to break. The poor woman became alarmed, and attempting to jump down, fell upon the stump of another tree, the point of which entered her bowels. The girls at once hurried off for assistance, and, meeting with Mr Burns, the village schoolmaster, returned with him. This gentleman, with the aid of four others, conveyed Mrs Clark to her residence, and did what they could to alleviate her pain. There is no medical man resident near the place, and so the sufferer was brought in to Auckland. She is only about twenty years of age. Babsham Relief Fund. —A final meeting of the committee appointed to collect donations in aid of the widow and family of the late Inspector Barsham was held at the Magistrate's Courthouse, Kaiapoi, on Monday. The Mayor, Mr J. W. Ellen, was voted to the chair. Mr J. Lowthian Wilson, lion, secretary, reported that he had received a total sum of £193 3s lid. A cheque for £5 5s was handed in by the chairman, making the amount to £l9B Ss lid. Letters were read from Mr E. G. Kerr, consenting to act as trustee with either Mr P. Pender or Mr Wilson, and IMrs Barsham, stating that she, having invested the £250 received from the Government, could not place £2OO to the sum subscribed for the purchase of land and house as proposed by the committee on December 10th. On the motion of Mr Wilson, seconded by Mr J. C. Porter, it was resolved —"That, as recommended by Mr Kerr, Mr Pender be appointed his cotrustee, and that £2OO be placed in their hands to be invested for the benefit of Mrs Barsham and family or paid to her, as the trustees may decide." It was resolved, on the motion of Mr Porter, seconded by Mr Conway—" That a cordial vote of thanks be passed to Mr Wilson for his services as secretary, and he be requested to accept £5 5s as an honorarium." That gentleman gracefully acknowledged the compliment, but respectfully declined to accept any rewird for his services. Vote 6 of thanks to the Mayor as treasurer, and to Mr 0. Whitefoord, R.M., chairman of the committee, terminated, the proceedings.

> - ■WBMTH! . mill JUWW*"* The Seat tor Wellington.—The Wellington " Argus " states that Sir George Grey, who was asked a few days ago whether he would offer himself as a candidate for Mr Travers' seat in the Assembly, has now positively declined to stand, and it is not probable that anybody will be brought forward in the Government interest against Mr Pearce. Britain and Egtpt.—The " Melbourne Argus " learns from a reliable source that the Khedive of Egypt has accepted tenders for the erection of barracks at Port Said which will cost £183,000, and that they are intended for the reception of 33,000 troops which are to be brought from Bombay. This would seem to indicate the existence of peculiarly close relations between the British Government and the Egyptian potentate, as well as a determination on the part of the former to take every precaution for keeping open and protecting the highway to India. It may also import that other eventualities are contemplated in the event of Euseia disregarding her pledge to respect British interests when dictating the terms of peace to Turkey. Conference Baptism.—At the Wesleyan Conference in Wellington a resolution was passed that the following recommendations be sent to the General Conference :—" That parents be required to see the minister or other person appointed by the Church preparatory to baptism ; that at the ordinance, in addition to other questions, the parents be publicly asked—Do you wish to bring up your children in connection with the Wesleyan Church ? that a leader be appointed to keep the baptismal record; that all baptised children be regarded as provisional Church members, to be received into full membership in the usual way when they shall have reached appropriate age, and shall have satisfied the leaders' meeting of their fitness ; that the form of baptism service be revised; that a formal service for the recognition of those transferred from provisional to full and accredited members be held from time to time." Mr Bunny's Beporthd Appointmbnt.— A few days ago the Wellington " Argus" stated that it was rumored that Mr Bunny was to succeed Dr. Giles as Under-Secretary for Lands. The same paper now says : —lt appears that some hitch has occurred, and that Mr Bunny will not now obtain the office. We understand that the Government intend to amalgamate the Survey and Lands Departments, and that no successor to Dr. Giles will be appointed, the probability being that either Mr Thomson, the Surveyor-Gene-ral, or Mr McKerrow, his deputy, will take charge of the combined departments. Before the amalgamation above referred to was settled upon, the position vacated by Dr. Giles was offered to Mr Bunny, but was refused by him, the salary attached (£6OO per annum) not being deemed a sufficient recognition of his political merits. Under the new arrangement the colony will save £6OO a year, but of course Mr Bunny still remains to be provided for, and really in order to prevent our being eternally bored by rumors as to what is to be done for him, the sooner he is provided for the better. Tristan d'Acunha. —The following extract from the diary of Captain Owens, of the Lady Penrhyn, will doubtless prove interesting. She arrived in Sydney from Liverpool on the 6th ultimo:—Sunday, 18th November, 1877, —This morning, at daylight, we were close to Tristan d'Acunha Island, where a boat came off to us, the weather being fine, and the wind from the westward. We procured from the islanders some potatoes, milk, eggs, a couple of sheep, geese, and fowls. The sheep were small, weighing only 331 b. when killed and dressed. The geese and fowls were in pretty tolerable condition. The islanders were very friendly and accommodating, but had an eye to the main chance in the way of trading, and said they were much in want of small stores, such as tea, coffee, sugar, &-c, especially flour, of which they said there was not a pound on the island. The whole population consists of fifteen families, numbering altogether ninety-seven individuals. There is, it seems, no settled government amongst them, but a kind of deference seems to be paid to the oldest inhabitant, Mr Peter Green, a man of about seventy years old, who was in the boat to-day. It seems they always come out to any ship that passes here, within a reasonable distance (say four or five miles), if the weather is fine, and are always glad to exchange their sheep, fowls, potatoes, &c, for slop clothes and any small stores that can be spared on board, of which they seem always in want.