NEWS OF THE DAY

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2516, 2 May 1882, Page 3

NEWS OF THE DAY

Musical Society, —The weekly rehearsal -ol the Christchurch Musics'. Society wi'l take place this evening, at the Oddfellows’ Ha", when ” Acis and Galatea” and “The Hymn of

Praise” will bo rehearsed. International Exhibition Band Contest.—The band contest in connection B.th the Exhibition will commence this evening at 7.30 p.m. In order to allow of the contest being heard to advantage by the public, the time of closing the Exhibition to-night will be extended to eleven o’clock.

City Council.—This bedy held an ordinary meeting last evening. A report of the buainess done will be found in another column. Vital Statistics. The Registrar’s return* for the Ashburton district for the month of April are as follows Births, 28; marriages, 6 ; deaths, 5.

His Worship the Mayor. —The citizens will be glad to learn that Mr Buddenklau has recovered from bis recent illness, and that he presided at the meeting of the City Ooucoil last evening. Ashburton Hospital. —The following are the returns for the above Hospital for the month of April;—Patients under treatment on Ist April, 8 ; admitted during the month, 4; discharged, 3. The number of patients in the Hospital on April 30tb was 9. There was no death in the institution du-ing the month.

Weather Exchange —Yesterday, New Zealand—Wide, bat shallow depression has passed over the Soath Island. The centre marked by the electric disturbance is now well to the eastward, causing a strong S.E. winds in the south, and N.W. in the north, Australian weather is fine and steady, with light B.W. winds. Barometer Bussell, 29.61; Wellington, 29.33; Bluff, 29.39; Sydney, 30.0; Portland (29th), 29,6.

Opawa Ohuboh. —As will be seen on reference to our advertising columns, a special service to inaugurate the opening of the new organ which has been recently erected in this chnroh, will be held to-morrow evening, at half-past seven o’clock. The Cathedral organist and several members of the Cathedral choir will assist on this occasion. The sermon will be preached by the Rev. A. O. Wright, of Prebbleton. The offertory will be in aid of the organ fund.

The Wbathbe —The long spell of fine weather experienced in the Ashburton district was broken on Saturday, a heavy downpour having set in late at night, and continued till a late hour on Sunday afternoon. The welcome rain will greatly facilitate ploughing operations, and as this branch of the work has been considerably retarded owing to the recent dry weather, farmers are now busily engaged preparing their land for wheatsowing.

Dbuids. —The Mistletoe Lodge held their fortnightly meeting on Thursday last, and had the presence of several brethren from sister lodges. Ero. Nathan informed the lodge as delegate of the success attending the medical dispensary, and the benefits to be derived from the same; also that the officers and members of the Lyttelton Hearts of Oak intended paying an official visit next lodge night. Preparations are made on an elaborate scale to receive them. Bro. S. D. Nathan resigned as senior trustee, and Bro, Heslop was elected in his stead, Numbeeino thb Houses in the City.— The City Council at its meeting last evening discussed an application from Mr Thomas Tait, to be allowed to undertake the numbering of the houses in the city. Some Councillors thought the work was not yet necessary, and that when it was it should be undertaken by the Council, and others, including his Worship the Mayor, were in favor of the proposal. The matter was referred to the by-law committee for their report.

Boabd op Oonsbevatoes. —On Friday last the members of the Mandeville and Rangiora Drainage Board met at the Skew bridge, •nd inspected the works at the month of the main drain from the Skew bridge to the Waimakariri, and expressed their satisfaction in which Mr W. Lynskey was carrying out his contract. The Board then made their way up the main drain, and the surveyor was instructed to call for tenders for removing shingle spits, and raising the banks, also for several small works, such as removing willows, &o. The Board afterwards held their usual monthly meeting at Rangiora, when the usual routine business was transacted. Accounts were passed, and the Board adjourned at 5 p.m.

St. Ambbosb, Shefpibxd. The Easter meeting of the parishioners of St. Ambrose, Sheffield, was held in the vestry on Saturday, the 29th April, at 7 p.m. The Bev. Mr Collins in the chair. The accounts and balancesheet to Ist April, 1882, showing a credit balance of £ll 10s 4d, were read and passed. Bev, Mr Collins nominated Mr Wm. Bossiter to be the Bishop’s churchwarden for the ensning year, as Mr Taylor wished to retire. Mr D. B. Craig was appointed parishioners’ churchwarden, and the following gentlemen were elected on the vestry:—Messrs Wm. Minohing, E. Bull, Davis, Savill, and Dudding. Votes of thanks to the lay readers and to the outgoing officers, also to the Sunday school teachers, who had successfully reconstructed the school, were passed. The statement of stipend and special offertory accounts for the whole parish was read, and it was decided to fill in the guarantee form of clergyman’s stipend with the sum of £3O for the ensuing year. An estimate of cost for painting the ohuroh was read, but being above the present means, consideration was deferred till next vestry meeting. It was resolved—“ That during the coming season a small sum of money be allotted tor the purpose of planting the church grounds.” After a vote of thanks to the chairman, the meeting adjourned,

In America the production of wheat has increased from 78,611,125 bushels in 1840, 100,378,574 in 1850, and 173,134.222 in 1860 to 480,849,723 in 1880. A comparison of the wheat crops by geographical division shows that the Now England States, which in 1871 produced a crop of 943,000 bushels, had in 1880 increased their yield to 1,167,092, or a gain in two years of only 224.000, while during the same period the yield had increased in the Middle States from 31,716,000 to 39,073,341; in the Southern States from 31,371,000 to 49,256,900; while the Western States have kept up their steady march of progress without faltering during any of the years ehown in the tables. In 1871 the wheat crop of that section was 145 386,000 bushels, while in 1880 it was 314.667,390, or an increase of 169.000. The increase in the Pacific States has been from 19,300,000 bushels to 58.680.000, while the territories harvested a crop of 18,005,000 in 18S0, against leas than 2.000. in 1871. Out of a total crop of 480,849,723 bushels in 1880, the Western States produced 314,667,390, leaving only a little over 166,000,000 for the rest of the country. It is noted that the New England States produce but a very small part of the wheat which is annually required to meet their wants, and that Great Britain itselfia not more dependent upon foreign countries for its wheat than these States are dependent upon the West. Oultchah. —The ‘ Town Crier’ in the San Francisco “News Letter” writes :— ‘May the ghost of Moiampos, the torch bearer, for ever pursue the lunatic who first promulgated the heresy that young girls should graduate and worry their banged brains with the things that should belong to man alone. If they live to learn, they as certainly lire to forget. Though the voice may not possess a tittle of the harmony of an asthmatic jackdaw, they are forced to pipe ‘ When the Flowing Tide Comes In’ and other melodics of the day. With no more idea of form and color than an owl has of the kaleidescopo, they are compelled to paint and draw. With no taste for literature, they are driven through the musty masters, from Spencer to [Tennyson. ‘ Bead me,’ said a sweet girl graduate to her ' mash ’ the other day, within hearing of the T. C., •read me “The Locust Eaters, *’from that dear fellow, Tennyson.’ ‘ Tell me,’ said the same fair being an hour afterwards. ‘ that sad, ead story about Cleopatriok and the wasp that bit her.’ We do not know where the good Mr Mills expects to go when ho dies, hut if the T. C. had been within a mile of his seminary that evening, and there was a dynamite shop on the same block, we shudder to think how that institution of learning would have been pulverised.