NEWS OF THE DAY

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2391, 1 December 1881, Page 3

NEWS OF THE DAY

Elhctoral. The temperance political committee, composed o£ delegates from the various '.temperance societies in and around Christchurch, met at the Metropolitan Temperance Hotel on Wednesday evening. There was a large and influential attendance of representatives, and the chair was occupied by Mr 0. M. Gray. Seplies from fourteen out of the sixteen candidates written to were received and read; and, after mature consideration, it was resolved to notify by advertisement and report that the temperance electors be recommended to support the following gentlemen during the approaching general elections, vis.—Mr 8. P- Andrews, for Christchurch North; Mr John Anderson, Christchurch South j Mr J. L. Wilson, St, Albans; Mr Wm. Plosher, Stanmore ; and Mr Wm. White, junr., Sydenham. The recommendation of a candidate for Heathoote was deferred, pending the receipt of farther information regarding any new candidates who may be nominated for that constituency.

Intbbcoiowiai. Weatheb Exchange.— Sydney, Wednesday—S.W. winds, with rain, now prevail on the South coast of Australia and Tasmania, and light 8 B. winds over New South Wales. Barometer—Portland, 30.0; Hobart, 29,6 j Sydney, 29.8,

Btdenham Election. —Mr J. B. Andrew addressed a large gathering of electors in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Waltham, on Wednesday evening; Mr Ladds in the chair. At the close of the address a number of questions were put and answered. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to the candidate for his address, and a vote of thanks to the chairman brought the meeting to a close. Klecxohvl.—Mr Andrews’ committee will meet every evening until the polling day, at the Temperance Hall, Gloucester street. The Qenebal Election. —The nomination of candidates for the following electoral districts took place to-day: —St. Albans, Lincoln, Cheviot, Akaroa, and Gladstone. Nominations of candidates for the following districts will take place to-morrow :—Christchurch North, Christchurch South, Sydenham, Stamnore, Avon, Heathoote, Lyttelton, Ashley, Bolwyn, Kaiapoi, Geraldine, and Wakanui. Accident.—A man named Andrew Lawson, who was working at the Waikuku Wool Works, got bis left hand badly crushed in the machinery yescerday afternoon. He was brought to Christchurch by the evening train from the North and conveyed to the Hospital, where his wounds were duly attended to.

Babb Opbbation.—For about a month past a little girl named Mary McGregor, 3J years of age, from the Mackenzie country, has been on inmate of the Hospital, her ailment being a diseased leg. All hopes of saving the limb having been abandoned, it was determined to amputate it at the thigh. This was skilfully performed yesterday afternoon, Dr. Brins being the operator. The little sufferer was doing as well as could be expected late last night. Tbmpbbanoh Meeting at Waddington.— A meeting was held in the schoolroom, Waddington, on Tuesday evening, for the purpose of forming a Band of Hope society or temperance band. There was a good attendance. Addresses were given by the Ravds. P. W. Jones and B. Thomas, and Mr Heighway, and several songs and recitations were also creditably rendered. It was eventually decided to inaugurate a Band of Hope society in the district. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated a very enjoyable evening. Hospital Subqeon.—At the meeting of the Hospital Board yesterday four applications were received for the appointment of house surgeon. Dr. R. Robinson was unanimously selected to fill the position. The Hospital. During the fortnight ending the 26th November twenty-three patients were admitted into the Hospital and twenty-seven discharged, _ the number remaining in the institution on the date mentioned being sixty-seven. One death occurred during the fortnight. Divobob and Drink. —According to the “ Pall Mall Gazette,” an ingenious Swiss dean discovered a short time ago that there was a close connection between divorce and drink shops. Ho proved by an elaborate array of statistics that on an average you could ascertain the number of divorces per 1000 marriages by doubling the number of drink shops per 1000 males over fifteen years of age. In Appenzell, for instance, there are 37 public houses and 78 divorces ; in Zurich, 25 and 57; and in Berne, 16 and 36. A Russian statistician has proved that there is a not less noteworthy connection between the number of vodky shops in a village and the number of live stock possessed by the villagers. In the Government of Orel the village of Jarnovo has three public-bouses, whereas the village of Petroffskoe has none. In the former, although the farms are double the size of the latter, 38 per cent, of the peasants have neither horse nor cow, while in the latter the number destitute of live stock is only 7 percent. These and similar facts are being mad e good use of by M. Katkoff and others to whoso labors in the cause of a temperance reformation is largely due the appointment of a representative committee to report on the means which should bo employed to diminish drunkenness.

Satbd by an AIiBATBOBS. — An extraordinary ooourrenoo happened on board the barque Gladstone during her voyage from London to Sydney. Captain Jackson reports that on October 22nd a man fell overboard. The life-boat was lowered, and four men and the mate went in search of the castaway, and eventually rescued him. He was clinging to an albatross, which he had seized as it flew past him. Thk Opium Tbadb. —The “ Spectator ” suggests that the consequences of the successful assertion in the treaty with Bussia of Chinese power and authority are likely to affect no country more nearly than England. The special prohibition of opium as an import introduced into the two last treaties which China has concluded shows that the object before her statesmen is to isolate this country on that question. As India is at present governed, the revenue from opium is absolutely indispensable to our rule. The method in which it could be replaced is not discernible, if even any alternative source of revenue exists. Yet it is quite certain that the Chinese Government has resolved to take up this question, end probably at no remote period. The border states of India, from Cashmere to Burma, supply the Chinese with an easily available means of causing us anxiety, if not serious trouble. These considerations must not be lightly dismissed, as either idle fears or vain speculations. They represent a source of peril that time may bring to maturity. The Chinese are resolved to carry their points at every_ risk, and the opium trade is already doomed in the eyes of the Pekin Cabinet.

Notbl Fishing Yesssl. —There was recently, or there is still, ‘‘lron ” states, a vessel in Queenstown harbour which is remarkable as being probably destined to work a revolution in the supply of fish to large towns. The Raphael, owned by Messrs Cabissol et Oie, of Marseilles—formerly the Oollingwood, of Newcastle—is a schoonerrigged steamer of 581 tons net register, and able to carry about 1000 tons deadweight, including fuel. She carries two steam launches for fishing, and had on board when arriving at Queenstown 600 tons of salmon and trout, which she commenced catching at Labrador and Sandwich Bay on 10th June last, and she was eight days coming to port. Her holds are hermetically sealed and refrigerated, and the fish lie in wooden trays. The refrigerating apparatus need not be described, as it is similar to those familiar to our readers. But the experiments with the vessel demonstrate that fish may be kept on board for months, and then be perfectly fit for food. Moreover, this vessel could come to port for orders, and wait as easily as if she carried grain. She oould go to London, Liverpool, Eouen (for Paris), or even Bombay, and sell her cargo in large or small quantities without any fear of glutting the market. She oould bring fish of one country to ports where the like has never been seen before ; and, indeed, wo need not expatiate upon what such a vessel could do in the way of bringing a fresh supply. She oould deliver a cargo m London and go to the North Sea fishing grounds (it the prospects were good) and run cargo thenoe to Billingsgate safely in the hottest weather.”