NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1374, 11 July 1878, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Drapers’ Association. —A special meeting of the Drapers’ and Clothe rs’ Association will be held to-night at the Commercial Hotel, at eight o’clock. Nominated Immigration.— We arc requested to state that the next monthly nomination list will close at the Immigration Office on Monday, the 15th inst. The Oxford Mubdkb. —The inquest on the body of the unfortunate woman, Tekla Hoff, who was killed by her husband at Oxford on Monday last, was held yesterday, and resulted in a verdict of “ Wilful murder” being returned against the prisoner. The Museum. —It was announced at the meeting of the Board of Governors of the Canterbury College yesterday that it was probable the Museum, which has been closed for some time, would be reopened to the public in about nix weeks from date. Licensed Victuallers.— The Canterbury licensed victuallers intend to invite the members for the district to meet them at a dinner, which is to be given at Wearing’s Terminus Hotel, on Thursday, the 18th inst. Boys’ High School. —The tenders for the erection of the Boys’ High School were before the Board of Governors of the College yesterday, but they were all much in excess of the amount at the disposal of the Board for the building. It was therefore decided to decline to accept any of them., Bush Mission. —The annual meeting of the Canterbury Bush Mission was held last evening, but owing to the paucity of attendance the election of officers could not be proceeded with. The annual report was adopted, and the committee, failing the subscribers meeting, agreed to carry on the work. A debit balance appears against the Mission, which it is hoped will be met by subscription. Reapers and Binders. —The many friends of Mr Beardsley, who visited Canterbury last season as the representative of Messrs McCormick, will be glad to learn that that firm intend sending him to Canterbury again next season, when ho will bring with him the latest improvements in these labour-saving machines. As a patent has been taken out for removing the wire, which has hitherto been considered the one drawback to the use of these machines, no doubt they will come very largely into work here.

The West Coast Road. --Judging from the reports to hand respecting the West Coast road, there has been a very heavy fall of snow on the ranges. The lineman at the Bealey started out to repair a wirejwhich had been broken, but was obliged to return, the snow being seven or eight feet deep a few miles from that place. On Arthur’s Pass the snow is from fifteen to twenty feet deep, and the roadmen have been vainly endeavoring to cut a tract through it. So soon as they cut a line the snow fell in upon them, so that they had to desist. It is many years since so heavy a fall of snow has occurred as that now reported. Normal School. —The students of the Normal School gave a very successful entertainment last evening in the Drill Hall. The programme comprised dramatic and musical selections, and all the items passed off satisfactorily. The entrance to the school was very prettily decorated with evergreens, the word “ Welcome ” being placed on the arch and the passage lit with Chinese lanterns, and generally the students appeared to have taken every pains to render the entertainment a thorough success. The performance being of a semi-private nature, inasmuch as those present wore there by invitation, any lengthened notice would be out of place, the more so as the public performance takes place this evening. Those engaged in the entertainment succeeded admirably in their efforts to amuse their audience. The performance this evening will be open to the public, and, judging from the manner in which the programme was gone through last evening, should be a very successful one.

Working Men’s Club. — A meeting of the committee appointed at the late conference of those interested in the establishment of a Temperance Hotel, was held last evening in the Council Chambers. Mr S. P. Andrews was in the chair. Representatives of various societies attended. Apologies for nonattendance were received from the Dean and his Worship the Mayor, The Rev. H. 0. M. Watson read the resolution passed at the late meeting, and explained the business of the evening. As this was merely a preliminary meeting, held for the purpose of giving information to the various representatives, the business was of a conversational character. After considerable discussion, it was resolved that the following questions should be submitted to the several friendly and other societies of the town : —l. Is the establishment of a high-class Temperance Hotel in Christchurch desirable ? 2. How many shares (£1 shares) are your society likely to take ? 3. Would a Working Man’s Club in connection with the Hotel be supported P In order to enable replies to the questions to he obtained, the meeting was adjourned till Thursday, the 25th instant, at half-past seven o’clock. Theatre Royal. —Miss Ruby D’Arcymay be fairly congratulated upon having made a very successful debut last evening as Kate, in the’pretty little comedietta of “ Perfection.” It is true that there was observable in her acting a nervousness, but that is inseparable from a first appearance, but she played the part in a quiet ladylike manner, which augurs well for her success when she becomes more accustomed to stage business. She sang the songs introduced into the piece excellently, the fine voice which she possesses being heard to great advantage. The songs were “ Kathleen Mavourneen,” which was sung by Miss Ruby D’Arcy at the recent concert very well; “ See how it sparkles,” from “ GHrofle-Girolla”; a waltz song, “ Beauty sleep”; and “ The last Rose of Summer.” All were excellently rendered, the latter especially, and the audience testified their approval t by not only according her a double recall, but also encoring her songs. Miss D’Arcy possesses an escvllent stage presence, and also personal attractions of no mean order. These, coupled with the undoubtedly splendid voice which she possesses, will no doubt render her a great favorite with Christchurch playgoers. Messrs Hoskins, Hydes, and W. Hill ably supported the debutante in their respective parts. Miss D’Arcy may certainly be complimented on the very genuine success attending her first appearance before a Christchurch theatrical audience. The comic drama of “ The Crown Prince’ 1 concluded the performance.

Napier Distbict Judgeship —The Nelson “ Colonist ” states that Mr Conolly, of Picton, has refused the District Judgeship of Hawke’s Bay, which was offered to him by the Government.

Auckland Customs Revenue.— The customs revenue collected at the port of Auckland during the year just ended was £210,041. During the previous year the sum was £197,641. There was therefore an increase of £12,400. Rekpton. —A telegram from Reefton received in town yesterday announces that the “ Keep it Dark ” Quartz Crushing Company have struck the reef on the low level. An immediate rise of ten shillings per share has taken place. Mining Accident at Ross. —By the caving in of a tunnel on a mining claim at Boss on the West Coast, four men were buried on July 2nd. Over forty miners at once set to work to get them out, and after eight hours’ desperate work three of the buried men were rescued unhurt. The fourth, named Williams, who was in a different position, was crushed to death by the falling earth. Ashbubton’s Pbogeess.— The progress of Ashburton is a matter of notoriety. Among the new buildings in that town not the least noticeable will be a row of ten two-storied houses about to be built for Mr Saunders. The ground floor of the houses will be used for shops and the upstairs for dwellings. The plan is an elaborate one by Mr Jacobsen, showing plate glass fronts for the shops from ceiling to floor, ornamental parapet with fancy brackets, pilasters of pannelled work, circular headed windows, &c. The Deductions fbom Subsidies. —Have the Ministry been making a purse out of the deductions from subsidies, made ostensibly for charitable aid ? If not, how is their insuperable objection to furnish definite statements of the expenditure to be accounted for ? The following from a Hawke’s Bay paper instances a case in point:—The maintenance cost of the Napier Hospital is £6OO a year, while the receipts from the establishment amount to somewhere about £2OO per annum, thus reducing the annual expenses of the institution to about £4OO. All the receipts are paid to, and all the expenses are borne by, the Government. It will therefore, be seen that the Government pays about £4OO a year for the maintenance of our hospital. To re-coup che country for this expenditure, the Government deducts from the annual subsidy to the borough no less than £667, besides making pro rata deductions from the Wairoa and Hawke’s Bay subsidies. This provincial district is not singular in its unsatisfactory relations with the Government with respect to the charitable aid question. Drainage Board. —The ordinary meeting of the Drainage Board will be held to-morrow at 10.30 a. m. Harbor Board. —A meeting of the Lyttelton Harbor Board will be held at the Government Buildings to-morrow, at 2 p.m. Cricket Association.— The first annual general meeting of the Canterbury Cricket Association will be held at Radcliffe’a Hotel, on Saturday next, at 8 p.m. Inspection Parade.— The inspection by the officer commanding the district of the Headquarter’s Corps, will take place to-morrow evening. Entertainment.— The next entertainment in connection with St. Mary’s, Morivalo, will take place at the school-room to-morrow evening. Mb Tennyson received the very large sum of 300 guineas for his ballad on “ The Revenge ” in the “ Nineteenth Century.” This scale of remuneration is quite in keeping with that which Mr Tennyson is now accustomed to receive from his publishers.