NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1950, 25 May 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Australian Items.—The City of Sydney, which arrived at Auckland to-day, brings but little Australian news not received via the Bluff yesterday. A rumour rocently provailed that the Kellys wore at Ohiebrun, and the police mustered and went out. The camp however proved to be that of four honey Beekors. A commission to paint a portrait of Sir H. Robinson as the latest aidition to the G-overnment House Gallery has been entrusted by the Sydney committee to Mr G-. F. Folengsby, who left for New Zealand, whore he will be the guest at Government House till ho has been favored with a sufficient number of sittings by Sir Hercules. Pottmby Sale.—Mr Ick held a sale by auction, at his rooms this morning, of wellbred poultry, being a selection from the establishment of the well-known breeder, Mr Nancarrow. The biddiug was spirited, and the following prices were obtained :—Game fowls at from lis to 13s per pair; 1 pair silvor spangled, £1 13s j 1 pair do. hens, imported. £1 5s ; 1 pair do., l-yr.-old, £1 17s 6d ; 2 pairs gold pencilled Hamburgs, £1 10s per pair ; 1 cook and 2 hens do., £2 7s 6d ; do. cock, imported, £2 7s 6d; do. pullets, £1 3s ; 2 silvor pencilled Hamburg hens, £2 ; 3 Cochin China cocks, 16a; and 1 pair of white-orested Polands, with 3 pullets do., £ls.

Post-Sessional Addebssbs. —Mr S. PAndrews, member for Ohristoburch, will address his constituents at the Academy of Music to-morrow evening. Academy op Music.—The Stacey Panorama Company continue to give their performances at the above place of amusement. The programme is varied and the prices are million prices. The Raphael family perform some daring feats on the wire rope and high trapeze, and there is some good character singing and dancing.

Works Committee. —The works committee of the City Council met this morning, and disposed of a number of small matters that came before them for consideration, and also accepted a tender for the supply of 3C 3 yards of shingle, to be used in the construction of street crossings. Madame TJbso at Lyttelton.—To-mor-row evening the talented lady who has been delighting Christchurch audiences with her artistic playing, will give a musical treat of no mean order to the residents of Lyttelton, in the shape of a concert. A capital programme has been arranged, the various items of which will enable the powers of the artistes composing the company to be developed to the best advantage.

Theatre Royal.—" Pink Dominos " was the first piece at the Theatre Royal last evening, when there was a good house. Miss Florence Colv'lle and Mils Lizzie Morgan as Mrs Greythorne and Lady Maggie were very good indeed, and Miss Ashton made a fairly successful Mrs Tubbs. Mr Hoskins waß Charlie Grey thorne, and Mr Rede S ; ~ Percy, Mr Hydes playing Joskyn Tubbs. The piece hardly went with.that smoothness which is so essential to its success, but st : U as a whole it ■n is fairly played. Miss Sallie Lloyd and Mr Pa*-y GH". closed the performance with the ; r vaiiety entertainment.

Sir G. Bowbn at Mauritius.—With a view to promoting tree-plantrig : ithe Mauritius, Sir George Bowen has already raised in the domain of Reduit 15.0 CD trees, mainly from seeds of varieties of the Australian eucalyptus. Plantations of this tree have been effective in checking the spread of malaria in Italy, Greece, and Algiers. Sir George intends to also raise the cinchona, from which quinine is made ; as well as the kauri (Dammara) of New Zealand, for timber purposes. A Heavy Penalty.—A case ha 9 just been decided at Hamburg, in whioh one of the heaviest penalties on record was imposed on the accused. The latter, a miller named Wegner, was pruved to have systematically defrauded the Customs for years by smuggling into the district wheat and rye, and evading the comparatively light duty to which that class of produce is subject. It was found that within the last few years he had contrived to escape paying the regular import on at least 650,0 C D kilogrammes of grain, and on the faots having been demonstrated by the Government prosecutor, Herr Wegner was sentenced by the courl to pay a penalty of 379,960 marks, equal t 3 £18,998 in English money, or to go to prison for two years. Strikes in America. Some suffg-'stive figures regarding strikes in America are given ; i the report of the " Massachussetts Bureau of Statistics and Labour." This report is preprred annually by order of the Massachusetts Legislature, and embodies the rasults of the most systematic and painstaking research amid the varied interests of the Bay State. The report of this year gives some interesting information about strikes and strikers, which is summarised in the following figures, covering as far as possible the record of all strikes which have taken place in Massachusetts :—Causes of strikes — To secure better wages, 118 ; to secure shorter days, 24; to enforce Trade Union rules, 9 ; resistance to employers' rules, 5 ; against introduction of machinery, 3. Results of strikes—Unsuccessful, 109 ; successful, 18 ; compromised, 16 ; partly successful, 6 ; result unknown, 9; contest still pending, 1. The conclusion drawn in the report from these figures is " that stiikes as a rule are powerless to benefit the laboring classes ; " and certainly the statistics given appear tD beer out th ; i view, at least as regards Massachusetts. Tra English Press.—Prom the "Newspaper Press Directoi/ " for 18£0 we extinct the on the present position of the newspaper press :—" There are now published in the United K-'igdom 1835 newspapeu, distributed as follows : England (London 364, prov : nces 1C35), 1429 ; Ws'es, 65 ; Scotland, 172 ; Ireland, 149 ; Isles, 20. Of these there are 113 da ;1 y napers pubVihed in England, 4 in Wales, 20 lia Scotland, 17 : i Ireland, and 2 ; ~\ the British Isles. On reference t i the edition of this usefrl direotory for the year 1851 we find the fo"owlng interesting facts—viz., that in that year there were published in the Unite I Kingdom 563 jot" Jals. Of these 18 were issued aa ;, y—namely, 13 in England, 2in Scothnd, and 3 m Ire'and. But in 1820 there R T e now established and circulated 1535 papers, of which no less than 156 are issued daily, showing that the press of the countiy has more than trebled during the last thirty years. The increase in da : ly papers has been still more remarkahle, the daily issues standing 156 against 18 in 1851. The magazines now in course of publication, including the quarterly re\lews, number 1033, of which 289 are of a decidedly religious character, representing the Church of England, Wesleyans, Methodists, Baptists, Independents, Roman Catholics, and other Christian communities. The Decay of Bruges.—This interesting old Flemish city, which in the height of its prosperity had a population of some 200,000 souls, has, since the sanguina./ persecutions under Phi'ip 11., been gradually declining in wealth and numbers, so that at present it does not possess one-fourth the population it had three centuries ago. The population of the city, which in 1869 numbered 47,621, fell to 44,950 in 1877. The quays, which once were fi'led with merchandise, are now almost deserted. The sea is distant only 15 kilometres from the place, and it has frequently been proposed that the canals, which, through neglect, have silted up and become impassable for all but small vessels should be deepened so as to revive the commerce which has so long been on the decline. There appears, however, a want of that spirit of enterprise which once distinguished the citizens of Bruges, and none of the efforts hitherto made in this direction have come to any practical result. The lethargy of the inhabitants is attributed by the " Elandre Liberale " to the effect of the numberless convent! and the richly-endowed benevolent institutions which, by perpetually supplying the wants of large numbers of the inhabitants without any exertion on their part, have tended to deprive them of that energy and spirit of independence which are indispensable to success in commercial life. Education, too, is more neglected in Bruges than in any other great city of Belgium, and that notwithstanding the wealth possessed by the various religious foundations in the city. The decay of Brugee, in fact, is an example of the fatal evils of a misunderstood and ill-directed charity. Frozen Fish. —Fish-freezing is the newest form of the preservation of fresh food. It is already being practised in India. 3Tish are frozen up in solid blocks of ice, and can then be delivered in any part of India, while the surrounding ice can be used for the ordinary purpose of cooling drinks. The fish are suspended in wire nets in the freezing water, and are found in excellent condition after five or six days of such enclosure. The same treatment has been tried and found successful with flowers. In this way, says the " Otago Daily Times," fish are now being sent from Bombay to Lahore and other parts of India. The experiment is novel as to frozen fish, but it was tried some time ago at Glasgow with salmon eggs, when two million salmon eggs were frozen up with 3ft. of ice round them, and arrived ready for hatching in New Zealand after 110 days' voyage. Ab some hundreds of thousands of those eggs were actually hatched, the Glasgow experiment may be held to prove that the fish frozen in Bombay undergo no physioal change whatever. But it is seen that it may be possible to give another development to this process, and to equalise the supply and tho prico of fish by Btoring the surplus stock of one time when fishermen arc fortunate for the demands of those days in which the fresh supply is 83 insufficient as to compel a considerable rise in price.

Tna Latest jmoir Russia.—They say the Czar sleeps on a feather bed, and a while ago he jumped into it so hard that the ticking burst and the air was just filled with feathers, and when he opened his mouth and drew in his breath to yell, ho found out how eider-down tastes and the more he struggled the more feathers flew, and he had a terrible time and when aroused by his cries the servants came in with lights, and after groping about in the cloud found the old man and hauled him out, it took four hours to convince him that it wasn't the most horrible attempt yet made on his life, and twenty servants have been at work for the last two weeks trying to get the feathers pickedJup in that room,— " Boston Boat."

The Hon. J. T. Fishes. —In another column will be found an address from the Hon. J. T. Fisher to the electors of the Heathcote District. Accident. Yesterday morning, whilst Dr. Doyle's buggy was waiting outside Barrett's Hot->l, a spring csrt, the driver of which ?i unknow j, came up and ran into the Du ßgy> throwing the driver violently on to the footpath, and breaking the shaft. The driver waß on his feet directly, and managed to secure his horse before any further damage was done. Pionebb Bicycle Club.—The members of this club made a run to Amberley on the Queen's Biuhday. Four of the members rode the whole distance out from Chi!stchurch. At Ka : ipoi they were joined by one or two who had gone out by train and by three or four local bicyclist's. Eleven st-irted away from Kaiapoi at 10 a.m., and, favoured with excellent roads, a good run was made to the terminus. Dinner was taken at McLean's Crown Hotel, and, after a short stay, the party returned to town. Philosophical Institute. —The annuel conversazione of the Philosophical Institute wi", take place at the Provincial Council Chamber on Thursday evening. For the occasion a very large number of articles of interest have been secured, and the committee, to whom the task of arrangement has been committed, will find some little difficulty in disposing of the quantity of exhibits which have been placed at their disposal, The room is one admirably fitted for the occasion, and no doubt there will be a very large number of visitors.

An Incident op the Voyage ov the Snip Gasoline.—The Wellington "PoBt" gives the following particulars of a rather startling incident which occurred on the voyage of the ship Caroline, from London to that port:—On the sth March, while the vecsel was making between three and four knots per hour, an apprentice lad named Williams, who was engaged on some work on the port side of the poop, slipped overboard. A lite-buoy was at once thrown to him, and the lifeboat lowered and manned. The lad swam to the buoy, which he succeeded in placing over his shoulders. He had no sooner done this when he was beset by albatrosses, which shrieked and clattered around his head in an appalling manner. The plucky lad felt that his end was near, but he made a struggle for life. He drew his sheath knife, and by slashing at the monster birds kept them at bay till the lifeboat reached him, and he was taken on board, none the worse for his singular mishap. Williams was in the water nearly half an Lour.

Zealandia. —Most people (remarks the "Sydney Telegraph") will remember the " Zealandia" exhibition which, Borne nine months sgo, was held in the School of Arts, and obtained great praise for the merits of the numerous and magnificent paintings of which it was composed, illustrating as they did the scenery, history and progress of the eolony of New Zealand. The " Zealsndia " exhibition was recently purchased by the well-known theatrical agent, Mr George Lingard, who intends putting it to its originally-contem-plated puipose without delay. That purpose is to take it to the Old Country with the intention of drawing attention to the resources of the sister eolony. With this object Mr Lingard, with the " Zealandia," will leave for New Zealand, en route for Great Britain, at an early date. An Impobtant Sale.—The sale of an immense pastoral property is recorded in the "Central Australian," Bourke. It is situated in Northern Eiverina. That paper says : —" Sir Samuel Wilson is no longer owner of the Toorale and Dunlop stations. Messrs McCaughey Brothers and D. Wilson have purchased Toorale, with 120.C00 sheep, and the North Darling Back Block, the former comprising 1,4.23,000 acres and the latter 500,000 acres, for a lump sum of £143,000. Messrs McCaughey Brothers and Wilson are also the purchasers of Dunlop, BOO.OC 3 acres with the sheep thereon for £145,0C 3. A sale aggregating nearly 3,0C0,C00 acres, over a quarter of a million of sheep, and purchase money totting up to nearly £300,000, is not to be chronicled every day." A Tall Stobt.—The Woolgar correspondent of the " Townsville Herald " writes :—" Here is something remarkable.

When passing through Ohedley park station, one of the Messrs Annings related the following—Between Cambridge Creek and the table land an aboriginal has been repeatedly seen among the ridges abounding in this country who measures in stature about Bft. Pin. He is a well made and a powerful looking giant, stout in proportion. His foot-track measures about 16in. or 17in. from toe to heel, and his single stride is over sft. This monster blackfellow is always well armed, and cai/ies an enormous shield and spears, nullah nullahs, &3. He is invariably accompanied by three white gins, who carry most of his tremendous weapons and procure his food. This story was partly confirmed by a digger, who, being in search of his missing horse, happened by accident to stumble across this giant's great tracks. These ara the facts as I got them. Whether they require to be t-.ken cum, gra.no salis I leave others to judge." A Novel Expobt.—An English paper of March 20th says :—" The directors of the Brighton Aquarium have received advice from Messrs Elder, the eminent shipping firm, that a pair of young sea-elephants, Macrorliinus proioscideus, are on the ; r:way from Port Chalmers by the Timaru to the Brighton Aquarium. This remarkable member of the Pkooidice has never yet been seen in Eurone, cor are there any skeletons or stuffed esamp-ei of it in this country. It grows to an enormous size in three years, attaining a length of from eighteen to twenty-fiva feet, and its bulk and fatness ere prodigious. The males have an elongated pi iboscis which extends to a foot in length, and is flexible like to the trunk of an elephant, whence the name is derived. Suitable quarters for the reception of the strangers are being prepared at the Aquarium."

Horticultural Society. The annual general meeting of this society will be held in the rooms of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association on Thursday next, at eight o'clock. A report for the past year will be submitted, and the officers for the ensuing one elected. Board op Conservators. A special meeting of the Board of Conservators of the South Waimakariri district will be held at their offices, Hereford street, to-morrow, at noon. City Council. —The ordinary meeting of the City Council takes place this evening at the usual hour.

Sydenham Borough Council.—This body will meet tonight, the usual meeting which should have taken place last evening, being postponed in consequence of the holiday.