NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1651, 5 June 1879, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Water Supply. —A meeting of the water supply committee of the City Council was hold this morning, when the question of forwarding the scheme for a supply of water to the city was discussed. It was resolved that the city surveyor be authorised to lay down the first cylinder (just completed at Anderson’s foundry) as a trial measure. Everything is pretty well in readiness, and operations will be commenced at once.

The Illusionists.— Mr C. better known as “ Natator,” the advance agent of Messrs Thorne, Darvon, and Burton, the Royal Illusionists, is at present in Christchurch awaiting the arrival of the company, who will leave on Saturday, per the s.s. Wanaka, for Napier, Gisborne, and other East Coast towns where they intend performing.

A Chained Lion in a Board Room. — The Board of Education held a long sitting in Wellington the other day. The proceedings throughout wore most desultory and irregular, but their tedium was relieved by several episodes. Of these the chief was a little passage between Mr Hutchison and Mr Bunny. On the latter making an appeal for a little order and regularity in the business, and stating his objection to come there to listen to a vast amount of twaddle, his Worship the Mayor said Mr Bunny was the most disorderly member of the Board, ho having a habit of walking about their small room like a chained lion, and as to talking twaddle, the hon. member for Wairarapa was the worst offender on the Board, Sanitary Committee. This committee met at the City Council Chambers to day, when a report from the inspector, Mr Hobbs, was considered. The business was of a purely routine character. Acclimatisation Fish Ponds. —At different times a number of eels have been found in the fish ponds within the Aocimatieation Societ} ’< grounds. To-day the curator cleared out one of the ponds, and found four good sized eels in it. The eels are very destructive to the young fish, but it is next to impossible to keep clear of them, as they are known to travel overland from one place to another, a curious fact not generally known, but nevertheless a fact, as has been frequently proved. Domain Improvements.— There is a very marked improvement in the Domain walks this winter, as contrasted with their condition about the same time last year, when the paths, or most of them, were, to say the least, rather sloppy, and in many instances almost impassable. Steps were taken to mend this state of things by effecting a re-formation of shingle, which has had tha desired effect of hardening the walks, so that they are now really in an excellent state of repair everywhere.

Habbs ik the Domain. —Hares are plentiful in the Domain just now, notwithstanding that some little difficulty was found in beating them out one day last coursing. Their tracks are to be seen all over the gardens, and additional evidence of their presence is found in the destruction to young native plants. Sib G. Bowbn. —The pension which Sir George Bowen will be entitled to in 1881 will be the largest allowed under he regulations. He has already ad miniate red the government of colonies in which the Governor’s salary is not less than £SOOO per annum for eighteen years, and only awaits the completion of his 60th year to be able to claim a retiring allowance of £IOOO per annum. Sport in Wellington.— Dr. Mutro, of Wellington, writes a letter to the “New Zealand Times,” urging that “ a pack of hounds” should bo got up there. Mb Schbimski on his Hind Legs.— Oamaru is naturally indignant. The Timaru Borough Council have received a favourable reply to their cable message to Sir Julius Yogel, asking him to aid in floating the borough waterworks debentures in London ; whilst the Government declined to allow Oamaru to have Sir Julius’s services in floating their waterworks loan. Fbbb Tbade v. Pbotkction. —Those who have the temerity to describe free trade as a “ colossal blunder” will, perhaps, appreciate the fact that Russian railway companies are paying to Russian steel-makers over £36 per ton for Bessemer tires, which can bo bought in England for £9. Thb Puesuit of Knowledge Ukdee Difficulties, —The Wellington “ Evening Post” says:—"Truly the roof of the Athenaeum covers a multitude—if not of sins—of incongruities. Last night, for example, a devotional mooting was going on in one room, a ball in another, a meeting respecting a choral hall, drill shed, and gymnasium in another, while in an adjoining apartment some experiments with the phonograph were being conducted. The solemnity of the prayer meeting was sadly disturbed by the gusts of profane melody which ever and anon swept into the room from the festive throng downstairs, while the gravity of the speakers at the public meeting was greatly upset by derisive cock-a-doodle-doos and infectious fits of laughter from the phonogtaph. How the occupants of the reading-room managed to pursue their studies in the midst of these distracting influences is better imagined than described.” An Auckland Mysteby.— The following mysterious letter is clipped from the columns of the Auckland “ Evening Star” "To the Editor.- Sir, —Your report of the milk score cese yesterday will, I trust, have the good effect of showing married men that if they misconduct themselves, and live apart from the partners of their early love, even though the wife should be sheltered by a protection order, they must not wheedle round under the guise of lodgers, and hope, by such means, to bilke poor milkmen. —Yours, &c., Sistee Susan.”

The Gebat Sod-Tfenes.— Tho sod-turn-ing of the Thames-Waikato railway by Sir George Grey recently is not likely to lead to anything more than a tout for Ministers! support. The demands for compensation by the owners and occupiers of the lands through which the proposed railway is to pass are stated to be so exorbitant as to stop any prosecution of tho work for the present. Poos Land in Ameeioa.— Two rival land agents were staying at tho same hotel, in a village where they were disposing “locations ” for their respective companies. One of them, from Colorado, had publicly run down the quality of the land vended by the other, who was from Kansas. He related how ho and a friend were out prospecting once in a “putty tough” bit of country in Kansas, and how they came across a man who comported himself like an escaped lunatic. This man is described to bo as “ lean as a spring bear,” and as preoccupied as a “ team of oxen turned loose on buffalo grass.” Not noticing the travellers ho went about shooting with a double-barrelled gun, always aiming at some crevice in the rock?, which lay in great confusion around. Firmly convinced that he was a lunatic, our travellers determined to treat him as such. “Good day, stranger,” they said. The man look up, bub said nothing. “Plenty o’ shooting round here I s’pose?” Still no answer. “Why, what d’ye find to kill there?” was asked as tho man let off another shot. “Kill!” said the man. “I’m plantin’wheat. Don’t you see that all tho silo in this section is between the cracks of the rocks, and I hov t© shoot in the seeds,” A Body Washed up on the Beach.— Yesterday afternoon information was received at the Police Depot that the body of a man, wrapped in canvas, had been tound on the beach ut Sumner. Apparently it was a body that had been buried at sea. Two constables wore sent to have the body conveyed to the nearest hotel, and make inquiries. An inquest will be held. Woee FOE THE UNEMPLOYED. —His Worship the Mayor of Christchurch has issued a circular letter to the several Road Boards and Boroughs in the neighborhood of Christchurch pointing out that the City Council had given employment to about fifty-two men, and asking the bodies addressed to do their best to put in hand work which would afford employment to those in need of it. The letter appears else where,

Land Sale. —Messrs J. T. Ford and Oo.’s sale of farm properties took place this afternoon. The land offered was part of the wellknown Middleton estate, consisting of eighty acres of land, with house erected thereon. The only bid was £5750, at which the property was withdrawn. The Ash field estate, or sheep station, situated on the Waimakariri river and West Coast road, was withdrawn at £3000; and Mr Q-. F, Lovegrovo’s farm of COO acres, being the last lot offered, was also withdrawn, at £2O per acre.