Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1880.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 240, 1 December 1880, Page 2

Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1880.

, The traffic returns ©f the New Zealand railways forthe four weeks ending October 16 have been published, and it is gratifying to find that on every section but two there is an increase of receipts as compnred with the corresponding period of last year. These two are Wanganui, which shows a falling off £16, and Grey mouth, which, for some reason unstated, has .fallen from £952 to £770. The Nelson section again shows a small increase, the receipts bang £523 against £505. On the great southern line they have increased by a trifle over £3000, but the number of passengers for the month was ]6,0.00 less than in the same period of 1879. The total receipts for the current financial year, seven months of which have elapsed, are £432,562, the total expenditure for the same period being £292,939, leaving a balance of £139,623, or at the rate of £239,353 a year towards the payment of interest. The average receipts per mile of the Nelson section for a twelve-monthly period to date have been £394 19s, the average expenditure being £318 Is 9d. The following are the vital statistics for the city of Nelsoiifor the month of November:—Births 22 ; deaths 11 ; marriages 6. The Customs duties collected at the Port of Nelson forthe month of November, 1880, ampunted to £3699 14s Bd, made up asfol-

lows:—Spirits, £827 .4s lid; cigars, £44 3s 6d; tobacco, £415 16s, wine, £77 2s lOd; ale and beer, £158 Os 6d; tea, £320 3s lOd; coffee, £6 16s; supar, £472 5a Id; goods by weight, £404 16s Id; ad valorem, £457 7s 2d; other duties, £79 7s 4d; other receipts, £437 12s sd. We are requested by the Postmaster to state that the next outward Suez mail will close on Thursday, the 9th December. It appears that there is to be a contested election for the representation of the Suburbs, Mr Alfred Harley having come forward as a candidate in opposition to Mr Collins. Mr Harley's address will be found in our adverUsing columns. Refeiuung to Mr Collins candidature for tbe Suburbs, the iV.Z. Times says :-" This will not be Mr Collins debut as a public man ; he represented Nelson in the Assembly several yearß ago. He then proved himself a very useful member, and made a good, if not a brilliant, figure." Tub delays in getting together a Bench of Justices on the weekly Court days are becoming so frequent as to be a source of considerable annoyance to those whoso busi ness necessitates their attendance at the Court. This morning again the customary half hour was lose in hunting up a couple of Magistrates, and loud were the complaints of those who suffered inconvenience thereby. The dispensing of justice by unpaid magistrates is all very well in theory, but in practice it is not found to work with such smoothness as to render it desirable that the experiment should be continued any loDger than is absolutely necessary. One of the candidates for the mayoralty of Christchurch was a Mr Ayers, a Professor of the Soap and Razor Order. The election gave rise to many caricatures, one of which, says tbe Press, represents. the candidate referred to performing, in the exercise of his usual duties, tbe famous Kazor Trick. The Professor, depicted as grasping an unsuspecting client by the nose and flourishing an enotmous rnzorin dangerous proximity to his throat, exclaims, "May I reckonon your support?" "Oh, certainly," replies the lathery victim. In the back ground another burgess is, like one of Thackeray'B heroes of the battle of Limerick, evidently seeking in terror for the back door with a view of veiling his feelings. The perspective of the atelier is well rendered, while the expression of determination on the tace of the professor is perfect. Tub Union S. S. Company have made arrangements with the Government for the conveyance of stock and cargo on the railway between Picton and Blenheim, and the traffic is likely to be considerably increased thereby. The Marlborough Express of a recent date says :— " Five trucks crowded with sheep, being the first large consignment ment of this sort ever sent along the local railway, were forwarded by tbe afternoon train yesterday from Blenheim to Picton for shipment to Nelson. About 150 bales of wool and flax were couveyed through at the same time. These unusual cargoes on our railway are due to the new through rates instituted within the past few days by the Union Steam Shipping Company, for whom Messrs Sharp and Pickering are the Blenheim agents." In connection with, the Opunake murder an Auckland telegram aayß:--The murder of Miss Dobie has caused great sensation in 1 Auckland, where she was well known, having resided in Parnell, where bet married brother is at present living. The following particu--lars concerning her have transpired : — Her father was Major Herbert Mayon Dobie, of the 30th Native Infantry, Madras Army. He died in India in active service. There were six children— three sons and three daughters. She was the third and youngest. The eldest daughter is in England married; the youngest brother is Herbert Dobie, an officer in the Auckland Railway Department ; the eldest brother is an officer in the Horse Artillery ; the second eldest an army surgeon. Nearly all the sketches of New Zealand Bcenery in the London Graphic were the product of her pencil. In that journal was published recently "A ride by two Auckland ladies through the Northern district of the colony," illustrated by sketches, and Miss Dobie was one of these ladies. Miss Dobie's mother is the sister of Mr Frederick Locker, editor and proprietor of the Graphic Last year, through a love of art, Miss Dobie and her sister, Mrs Goring, took a trip to Fiji, accompanied by Herbert Dobie. When in Fiji they were the guests of Sir Arthur Gordon. His Excellency, when he heard the tidings of Miss Dobie's murder to-day, was greatly shocked and grieved, as he greatly admired the talent of the young lady. A few months ago some amateur theatricals took place in the Choral Hall for a benevolent object, in which Miss Dobie sustained the role of Lydia Languish in Sheridan's comedy of " The Rivals," and her graceful impersonation of that difficult, part was much commended at the time. ■ The tidings ot the terrible tragedy have caused quite a gloom throughout the city, and much ; sympathy is felt for the bereaved relatives. Special attention is called to the pricelist of the Rodanow Manufacturing Co., of Boston, U.S.A., published in these columns. All those wishing to secure an excellent and correct timekeeper are recommended to address themselves to this old and reliable firm. No further evidence of the invariable good quality of their manufactures will be required beyond, the following facts: The firm was established in 1849, and since then has sained prize medals at the Exhibitions of London, Paris, Vienna, etc., for excellence of manufacture. They are appointed, by, warrant, watchmakers to the Queen of England, Prince of Wales, the Emperor of Russia and the Bey of Tunis.