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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 234, 3 October 1871, Page 2

Mysterious Shadows.— This performance created some fun last eveuing, and is to be repeated to-night. There is promised " fun for everybody." Life Insurance. — Mr. Short, the travelling lecturer for the Australian Mutual Life Insurance Company, for which Mr. A. W. Scaife has recently been appointed agent in Nelson, is now ou a visit to this town, and advertises that he is at all times willing to afford every information with regard to the superior advantages of the Company he represents over those offered by other -institutions. Mr, Short is said to ba aa excellent lecturer, and we shall be glad to hear him give an address prior to his departure from Nelsou. Stoke Farmers' Club. — The annual meeting was held yesterday evefiing, Mr. Rout in the chair. The balance sheet was produced and showed an amount of £14 to credit. Messrs. Rout, A. Harley, C. Saxton, J. Cbing, G. F. Martin, W. Doidge, and W. Nicholson were appointed Committee men. Mr. Rout was re-elected Chairman, and Mr. R. Ching, Treasurer, and Mr. G. F. Martin appointed Secretary w« Mr. Smith, resigned. Itwas resolved that a portion of the balance in hand should be set aside for the purchase of works on agriculture, to be used as books of reference. New Church at Richmond. — The foundation stone of this church is to be laid by the Bishop of Nelson, to-morrow afternoon, at 4 o'clock. The site for tbe church is a most suitable one, being on the top of the low ridge which runs down from the hills at Richmond, and the building, which has been designed by Mr. Beatson, will be an ornament to the district. The parishioners have spared no pains to raise the necessary funds, and the subscriptions already amount to £425. A public meeting will be held in the Agricultural Hall at half-past, seven when theßishop and some of the clergy, who are just now assembled in Nelson on Synod business from all parts of the diocese, will deliver addresses. Mr. Robert Houdin, the well-known conjuror, died at Blois in June last, in the 63rd year of his age. Suicide at Blenheim. — A shoemaker, named Jackson, committed suicide at Blenheim, yesterday, by cutting his throat. Mr. Joseph Kilgour, ,of Greymouth, has been severely injured by the branch of a burning tree falling on him. During the June quarter of this year, 3172 tons of flax have been exported from the various provinces^of New Zealand. A Typhoon occurred at Tahiti in August last, doing a large amount of damage to ships in the vicinity. Mr. McCarthy, acting manager of the Bank of New South Wales at Brisbane, has been found drowned. The s.s. Hero, on her last trip from Auckland to Sydney took 16,000 ounces of gold with her. Advices from Fiji report that a canoe, containing 27 Kadavu runaways, capsized off Cata Island, when 23 were drowned. A Gang op Boys stoned to death an inoffensive Chinaman in San Francisco, June lst. Dozens of people witnessed the assault, but did not interfere until the murder was complete. The American war steamer St. Mary left Tahiti on August 11, on a cruise to the westward, one of her ports of call being Sydney. A Russiah and French man-of-war had also left for a cruise . The Post says:— "That^clever man * Bird,' the . champion juuner.y haa silently flown from Wellington, leaving many

enquiring friends behind him. We believe he 'skedaddled' to Melbourne, where, perhaps, he will exhibit his talents in running and ' walking round ' the people." Mr. Shefpaed, the proprietor and driver of the coach between Wanganui and New Plymouth, met with, a serious accident on Wednesday last, through the breaking of a portion of tbe leaders' harness, when, in attempting to control them, he was pulled off the bos: and the wheels passed over hira. He lingered in great agony until yesterday morning when he died. The brig Peter, from Hankow, recently arrived in Melbourne with a cargo of tea. Hankow is 700 to 800 miles up the Yang-tse-kiang River, and in the very centre of the black tea country. It is said these teas were very, difficult to obtain, *as the Russian and English buyers were very eager for the possession of all fine teas of this year's growth in the Ningchow, Cheonsowkye, Oopack, Oonam, and the other tea districts of this locality. American Wool BurEßs. — I am told, writes "JEgles" in the Australasian — but I confess that I can scarcely credit the statement — that so resolved are the Americans to open up a wool trade with Australia,, that they have made arrangements to carry a bale from San Francisco to New York— 3,2oo miles— for 4s. 6d. Fully two million dollars will be devoted by American buyers to the purchase of Australian wool in grease this season. The American tariff favors the introduction of greasy rather than washed wool, and it is considered probable that tho former, as a raw material, will soon be admitted duty free. The opening up of this new market will be of incalculable advantage to tbe pastoral interests of Australia. There is not only the direct gain of new customers for a portion of the clip, but the indirect advantage of an enhanced value for the remainder. Popular Concerts. — An excellent movement has been inaugurated in Melbourne in the shape of popular concerts, the object of whicli is to put an extinguisher on tbe low music halls that are doing so much harm in that city. Of the first of these new concerts, the Australasian thus speaks : — Upwards of 3000 persons assembled on Saturday evening last to enjoy an agreeable and rational performance free from the adjuncts of tobacco smoke, intoxicating liquors, and painted barmaids. Of course the Melbourne boy was there, and the young savage was as demonstrative as. ever ; but his presence is sought to be acquired and retained, in the hope that he may be tamed and reclaimed. He received his first lesson ; for he was resisted, vanquished, and ultimately silenced, in hisobstreporous resistance to the rule which prescribed that there should be no encores. He kicked, and howled, and screamed, and stamped, and whistled after the manner of his kind, but he was compelled to succumb, thanks to the firmness of Mr. Lyster, and to the moral support which he received from the rational portion of the audience. A Useful Idea. — The Post says: — We understand that the Clerk of the Wellington City Council has received a letter from the Clerk of the Borough Council of Auckland, asking him to exchange newspapers containing reports of the meetings of the Council. The intention is that the different Borough Councils throughout the Colony should gradually be drawn into correspondence, by which a course adopted in particular instances in one Council might be to a certain extent useful as a precedent to another. [To this the editor of the Marlborough Express appends the following foot note : — "It would also require a subscription from every Town Clerk for some 20 or 30 copies of the newspapers. Good, very.] Encore ! Encore ! — The Age says : — " The encore nuisance at concerts bids fair now to be abolished. They engage to sing so many songs for a certain sum, and it is too much to expect that they shall be made to do double work for their money. If a tailor makes a suit of clothes, his customer would not expect him to make a second one free of cost because the first was made so well. The same rule applies to singers, who have no right to be taxed because a number of boys with shrill whistles, and hobbledehoys with stentorian lungs, choose to re-demand every song on the programme. The contest on Saturday was a determined one, but the firmness of Mr. Lyster ultimately conquered. There .is in Melbourne an elderly and wealthy Jewish land speculator whose language is more remarkable for force than elegance. He is very apt to call a spade by its recognised appellation, and he does not belong to that mild school which discourages the employment of denunciatory expletives. This gentleman sold some land lately through a well-known firm, and as is customary with him (for private reasons), he called upon the auctioneer to

read over his account sales. Amongst the charges was the item oT "Perusal fees, £1 Is." " Bruisal fees — what's them ? I won't pay no bruisal fees," interrupted the land dealer. The auctioneer explained and remonstrated without further effect than eliciting the solemn asseveration of his customer that he would not pay the charge, clinching the matier by" declaring that no seller of land ever paid " bruisa' fees on this side of the atmosphere." That, of course was final. — Australasian. Australian Mutual Provident Society. — It will no doubt interest many of our readers to learn the opinion of the English Press on the present position of the Australian Mutual Provident Society. The (Insurance) Review, of July, has the following observations on this valuable institution : — "We J have received a copy of the annual report of this society (founded 1849) from Sydney, and have had much pleasure in perusing it. We prinr the report in an abbreviated form in anothet part of our columns. The accounts which accompany it, and a copy of the last quinquennial report published in 18G9, show the position of the Australian Mutual Provident to be eminently satisfactory, and deserving of all support. The new business during the past year has been very considerable, and the new premiums are no less lhnu £32,236. The annual income of the society is, from premiums, £160,884 ; from interest, £40,132- the gross income is £201,016. The total number of policies in force is 10,269, assuring £5,754,984. The balance carried to the Assurance Fund was £92,550, making the total assets £679,784. The rate of expenditure, including commissions and all other charges, does not exceed 11 per cent, of the income. The present position of the Australian Mutual Provident, with its clearness of accounts, vigor of management, and economy in expenditure, seems to us to be most creditable to all who have been concerned in bringing it to its present prosperous state. The last quinquennial report is deserving of a more than cursory examination, and we propose shortly to discuss it at more length than our present limits will allow." The Commercial World, also an insurance periodical, says : — "Through the courtesy of Mr. A. J. Balston, secretary of the above excellently - conducted and prosperous life assurance institution, we have received the quinquennial bonus report, and the twenty-first annual report for the year ending 28th February, 1870, presented to the general meeting of members, which was held at Sydney on the 26th April. The clear and succinct manner in which the business and accounts are detailed furnishes a capital model for all other life offices to follow." — Sydney Morning Herald. Thetje is uncommon " freedom of trade" in England. Here is a sample of the kind of thing we mean, as narrated by the London correspondent of the Melbourne Age : — " I regret to say that tbe composition sold here as Australian butter is highly damaging to Australian provisions. This filth has lately been analysed by a well-known scientific man, who gave me the following as the result : — ' The so-called Australian butter is far more horribly nasty stuff than I anticipated. I refused to give an analysis or report to the merchant who brought it to me, as I don't like to have my name bandied about in butter shops — but I examined it out of curiosity. It consists of bone grease (old bones probably from horse-knacker's yards, kitchen bones, &c), and American lard, and probably contains not 10 per cent, of real butter. It is full of gelatine, in consequence, no doubt, of the very long boiling of tho bones and kitchen stuff from which the grease was obtained.' " This will probably account for the low prices stated in our telegraphic advices to have been obtained for "Australian butter." For remainder of news see fourth page.

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