CHRISTCHURCH. May 6.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8176, 7 May 1895, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH. May 6.

To-night the City Council, on the recommendation of the Fire Brigade Cora* mit>ee, appointed Councillor E. Smith, hitherto lieutenant in he brigade, to be superintendent in place of Mr Torton, resigned. V was decided to make arrangements for a paid brigade of 30 raerabets. If it la found practicable single men residing at bo h stations are to bo lodged and fed in lieu of receiving c*sh. Firemen not living at the station are to be p<M Ll6 per annum, and the foremen of companies L2O per annum. Fifteen men were select* d to-diy by the Lrtbor Bureau tn go to road work at Galatea. About 50 attended at the hour at which the selection waa made Miu Johanua Eraser, one of the victims of the accident which took place on the flwischback tailw.y some months ago, li>a commenced an action for LlOOO darmgo*. At the adjourned meeting of the creditor* of A. P. Cuming, manger of the "Woman and Man" entertainment to day the Official Assignee a'atod (tint he bad taken legal advice as to the liability of the authorities of St. Mary's Catholic Church for the debts contracted by bankrupt in connfe'ion with the exhibition. He had received the opinion that the question did not concern the Official Assignee as the administrator of the bankrupt's estate. If any of the creditors or others wished to test the question as to whether St. Miry'a C itholtc Ohuich was the teal principal of the bankrupt it was for them to bring an action. In reply to a creditor, the OffioM Assignee said it waa not at all likely in view of the opinion that he had received that he would examine Father Lemanant des Chesnais. After some desultory conversation the Official Assignee said the solicitor'! opinion waa against the creditor* having as a body, and through him, any claim against the authorities of the church. As to what could be saved from the wreck of the proErty, h« would do the very beat he could, le whole affair waa most unfortunate. Things had been done in a somewhat uubuaineaalike manner, and thert bad been a good deal of misapprehension and misunderstanding, but no one had suggested that Cuming, or indeed anyone eUe, bad acted dishonestly ; but people did not know where the responsibility rested. No doubt the creditors had given credit under misapprehension, but as to who wai to blame for that was another matter.