The Nelson Evening Mail.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 209, 3 September 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail.

Inspection Parade. — The usual monthly inspection parade for tbe To wo Compao.ee, will take place at the ADriil Shed, at seven o'clock this Tuning. * J :

Church Psalmody.— A lecture on this subject was delivered last night in the Wesleyan Church, Hardy-street, by the Rev. W.B. Marten, of Motueka. Owing to other public meetings taking place in the City at the same time, the audience was not so large as doubtless it otherwise would have been. TheA lecturer was quite at home in his subject, acd succeeded in making it roost entertaining and edifying. The choir, by the flinging of anthems, and other music in illustration of the lecture, rendered very efficient aid.

Reduction in the Price of Gab. — Consumers of gas will be glad to learn that tho Ex- cu live have to-day decided to reduce the price to 13s 6d per thousand feet, or to 12s 64 per thousand feet if paid witbin seven days from the first of each month. Tbe new rates to take effect from the Ist of September.

Nzlson Horticultural Society. — A meeting of those interested in the formation of a Horticultural Society was held at lhe Masonic Hotel yesterday evening, about twenty being present, Mr H. Adams in the cbair. The following office-bearers were appointed for the ensuing year :— President, Mr F. Haddlpston ; Secretary, Mr H. Adams; Treasurer, Mr Fell. Committee : Messrs Watkins, Gully, Broad, and Pickering. The balance sheet was produced, showing an amount lo the credit of the Society of £66. It was decided to hold a spring and an autumn show, the former in the last week of November, aod the latter in the first week of March. The subscriptions are fixed at 10s for family tickets to admit to both shows, non-snbscribera to be charged an entrance fee of Is each.

A police raid has been made among the drapers in Greymouth, under the "Employment of Females Act." Messrs Thomas and M'Beatb, were on Tuesday last fined 5s and costs, for keeping a young women in their employ at work, trimming a bat, after 2 p.m. on Saturday. Messrs Manson & Co., for a similar offence in employing two young ladies on .he day named were fined in a similar am *uut; and Messrs Smith and Barclay, judging by the previous cases that technical defence availed nought, admitted a similar offence, and were fined Is. only, with costs of Court. Informers do not seem to be appreciated in Melbourne. The Herald mentions the cose of Mr. John Connor, a Good Templar, of Ho.hsm, who obtained a glass of ale from a publican on Sunday, and then informed against him. The publican was fined, hut Mr. Connor was mulcted in the penalty of £3 Bs. for having aided and abetted in tbe offence, Messrs, Cagli and Lyster's Italian Opera Company will visit New Z.aland before the end of the current year, arriving at Danedin, and performing at the principal towns up the coast. Two boot and shoe manufacturing machines, the order for the construction of which is in execution by Messrs Kincaid, M'Queen, and Co, in Dunedin, are (says tbe Times) capable of cutting 600 pairs a week of all kinds, being a quantity sufficient to keep going from fifty to sixty hands. The Otago Times says that, "The losses sustained by the various insurance companies through the late fire at Messrs Guthrie aud Larnacb'e store have, we believe, been all met. At first, we hear, (here was some slight delay, there having, it is said, been an understanding on Monday among the agents interested that payments should not be made until the following day. The agent of one company, however, resolved that he would pay at once, and proceeded on Monday afternoon to the office of Messrs Guthrie and Larnach, cheque in hand. To his surprise, when be got there he found two other agents who were parties to the 'understanding* both bent on a similar errand." A brisk trade in dried potatoes has lately sprung up in America. They are Bliced up and dried in much the same manner as dried apples. One firm in Rochester has an order on hand now for 50,000 lbs. of shese dried potatoes, as well as for 1500 bushels of onions, which are dried in much the same manner. They are intended for tbe navy. A bushel of potatoes dries away to about 10 lbs., aod a bushel of onions to about 6 lbs. When ready they are put into large tin cans, holding about 40 lbs. each, and sealed up tbe same as oysters.

Another cargo of railway sleepers, of questionable quality — tbe product bf the pine forests of Vancouver Island — has arrived in Dunedin in the barque Colusa. The Daily Times has it on good authority that such timber iB never used by our American cousins for railway Bleep.rs, tbe wood being too light and unenduring, and ia moreover particularly susceptible to tbe evil influence ol water. It very soon rots away in damp ground. From a late copy of the Times (London) we notice tbat the New Zealand Shipping Company (Limited), of Lonaon and Christchurch, New Zealand, have, in consequence of the company being a colonial one, and wishful to have their ships called after the native names of the rivers of New Z.aland, given notice that it is their inleniion to apply to the Board of Trade, under section 6 of the Merchant Mapping Act, 1871, to change the names of their ships The ship Dorrette, 870 tons, is to be registered under the name of Waim ta. The Hindustan, 833 tona is to be changed to Wait_ra ; the Scimitar, 1,225 tons, to the Bangiiikei; and the Dungillao, 898 tons, to the Matenra.