NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1370, 6 July 1878, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

East Christchurch Schools. The school* in the East Christ church educational district will bo ploeed from date till the 22nd instant. St. John’s Church, Lyttelton.—The Rev. J. Hill will deliver the sepond leptme “on the precious things of the Bible ” tomorrow evening. Pilotage Dues.—Ministers have informed the Wellington Chamber of Commerce that legislation on the subject of pilotage duos will he proposed next session. It had been previously announced that the port charges of New Zealand generally would be brought under the consideration of the Houge,

Reform Association. A meeting of the members of the New Zealand Political Reform Association is announced to take place in the Temperance Hull, Gloucester street, on Tuesday evening at. 7.30. Primative Methodist Churches. —Rev W. Tinsley will hold a service to-morrow at three o’clock in the house of Mr W. Jackson, Phillipstown, and in the evening in the Cambridge Terrace Church. Race Horses. —Trump Card and Le Loup, both of which are catered for the Melbourne Cup, were passengers for that port by the s.s. Albion yesterday. The crack steeplechaser Alousetrap also went in the same boat, bound for Hobart Town. Gaol Returns. —On J une 30th there were 95 prisoners in confinement at Lyttelton gaol, 45 at Addington, and 22 at Timaru, giving a total of 162 in confinement. This shows a reduction of 23 since the 31st May, when there were 105 prisoners at Lyttelton, 51 at Addington, and 29 at Timaru. Theatre Royal. —The sensational drama of “ Time and Tide ” was repeated last night to a fair house. The beautiful scenery of Air Williams was much applauded. The “ Game of Speculation,” a comedy in which Mr Hoskins enacts one of his special parts which has contributed to earn him his great professional reputation, is in rehearsal, and will bo shortly produced. Presentation. —It will bo remembered that some few days ago the employes of Messrs Vincent and Co. presented Mr 11. W. Brien, who has been so long known as traveller for that firm, with a handsome clock as a token of their esteem, on the occasion of his resigning his appointment. It appears, however, that Mr JBrien was as much liked by Messrs Vincent and Co. as by his fellow employes, for on Wednesday last his late employers forwarded him two handsome pieces of plate as a token of their estimation of the great services ho lias rendered them during the time ho has been connected with the firm. The Dunedin Election.— Of the result of this election the Dunedin “Star” says: — The result of the city election has been very much what we anticipated. Mr Oliver has been returned by a substantial majority, and so little general interest was taken in the matter that not more than half the electors took the trouble to record their votes. Mr Reeves, if that be any consolation to him, has only himself to thank for his defeat; his views upon the subject of education were not sufficiently definite to please either those who have confidence in the secular system now established, or the compact minority who demand State aid for denominational schools ; consequently he lost the support of the one without gaining that of the other. Scandinavian Society.—A meeting of the members of this society took place on Thursday night. The first distribution from the Scandinavian library was made of about 100 volumes of books, which have just arrived from home. Several new members were adm tted, and there is no doubt that all Scandinavians, who are animated by any patriotic feeling Ifor [their Fatherland and mother tongue, will now join it. In the course of a very pleasant evening several patriotic songs and readings were given by members, and a hearty vote of thanks was unanimously given to the president, Mr L. Bergh, and the committee, who, with small means, after nearly three years’ perseverance, have succeeded in establishing the society on a very satisfactory footing. The Dunedin-Moeraki Railway. —The opening of two sections of the DunedinMoeraki railway several months ago, and the subsequent stoppage of traffic owing to the adverse weather (says the “ Palmerston Times”) is daily increasing the dissatisfaction caused by the topsy-turvey condition of tilings. Tradesmen complain that goods ordered in the metropolis don’t arrive at their destination for perhaps a month, and in some cases, two months afterwards; and newspapers, despite the printed directions, reach the hands of subscribers when about three weeks old, or not at all. If necessary, we could mention numerous other disadvantages under which people in this by no means favored district in a railway sense labour.

Benefit Concert. —A concert was given at the Oddfellows’ Hall, Lyttelton, on Thursday evening in aid of Mr Charles Kay, who has been suffering from a long and severe illness. His Worship the Mayor took the chair and gave a short preliminary address. The Hall was crammed, showing the warm feeling of the townspeople generally towards Mr Kay. An excellent programme was presented,' including vocal and instrumental music, recitations and readings, and the applause was loud and frequent. Altogether the affair was a great success, and will result in the handing over of ahandsomesum of money to Mr Kay, The admirable arrangements were due to Messrs Yule, M'JBeth and Q-eo. Ayers, who were the promoters of the concert and who deserve the greatest praise for the trouble they took to make the entertainment so thoroughly enjoyable. The Foresters, of which society Mr Kay has been long a member, came forward and aided in the good cause. Votes of thanks to the ladies and gentlemen who had given their services, and to the chairman, Mr Allwright, terminated a very pleasant evening. The Rimutaka Tunnel.— The Government newspaper has the following, as to a rumor respecting the Rimutaka tunnel: — Pour inches, it is assorted, only can be found between the side of the truck or carriage and the tunnel wall; while the tunnel’s height precludes an ordinary truck-load of wood—such as could be carried from Christ* church to Lyttelton —being brought from Featherston to” Kaitoki; and those competent to judge further maintain that, to provide for the yearly increasing development of the Wairarapa trade, a new route will have to be discovered. Reasoning from past experience of our constructed railways, there is every reason to fear that the rumor will be found to be based upon facts, A few months, however, will determine the correctness of the surmise, which, if found to be true, will be the crowning result of our engineering charlatanism. One of the most instructive returns any member of the House of Representatives coidd ask for, would be the estimated and actual cost of our so-called constructed railways. Extradition of Prisoners.— The Melbourne “Argus ” of June 27th has the following:—ln reference to the case of John Fishenden, who has been remanded by the City Police Bench to New- Zealand, to answer a charge of fraudulent insolvency, an application was made yesterday afternoon to the Supreme Court by Mr Hamilton, on behalf of the prisoner, for a writ of habeas corpus, with a view to his being released from custody. By the Extradition Statute, no persons can bo remanded to another colony unless for offences that would be felonies in Yictoris. The warrant under which Fishenden was apprehended, set out that he had been insolvent under the New Zealand Act, and that he went away from New Zealand with certain property, consisting principally of money. It omitted to state that this property was liable to distribution among his creditors, and it was therefore contended that the warrant was bad. The Court granted the writ of habeas, requiring the governor of the Melbourne gaol to bring up the prisoner before the Court. Silk-Growing in Australia. —That silkgrowing will some day become one of the great industries of Australia seems (says the “ Sydney Morning Herald”), to he not only a reasonable probability, but as near to an absolute certainty as any human expectation can well be. Over large areas, the climate and the soil aic singularly suitable, and silk is one of those commodities with which the world is never likely to be oversupplied. The demand for it is only limited by the price, and if increased production can diminish the price, and still leave a profit to the producers, there will be no difficulty ab. ,f - the consumption, The difficulties incident to all new enterprises, and the slow process of experimentalising under new conditions, combined with the greater temptations to rural industry in other directions, have hitherto retarded the few efforts that have been made to develop an industry which will one day be seen to be natural to the country. It is satisfactory therefore to find that enthusiasm on the subject is not altogether non existent, and that efforts are still being made to draw towards this industry the attention that it

Accident, —A lad namedFovd was knocked down and run over yesterday by a man named Robert Allen, in t he employ of Mr C. F. Barker, the auctioneer. Allen was on horseback in the Papanui ’-oad, and after the accident was riding away unconcerned t;s to the consequences to the hoy. He happened, however, to drop a parcel, and was obliged to return to pick it up. This enabled the constable on duty in the locality to ascertain his name and address. A Nail Gun. —Respecting an implement on view at the Wellington Industrial Exhibition, the “New Zealand Times” soys: — One of the most simple, and at the same time most ingenious implements on view at the Exhibition is an invention of a young man in this city, a Air F. F,Abner. It is called a “nail gun,” and is used for nailing down flooring boards. Wo have seen the implement in use, and as far as we are able to judge, it is quicker in its work, and ensures greater cleanliness than hand-nailing could do. The apparatus is not unlike a gnn in shape, and is about the same length. It is kept in position with the foot and knee, and the nail to be driven is placed (point down) in an aperture at the top of the concern. It slides down to the bottom, and then the operator draws up a rod, and by one downward stroke of this the nail is cleanly driven into the boards beneath. A practised hand, by this simple contrivance, could do the work of half a dozen men. We believe that Mr Falkner is now improving upon his invention, and is making a “ nail gun ” which will be self-feeding. We have no doubt that when the implement comes to be generally known it will be brought into general use. East Christchurch Educational District. —The schools in the East Christchurch di- trict will be closed for the winter holidays for a fortnight. They will re-open on Monday, the 22nd inst.