NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2153, 13 February 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Yesterday’s “ Dunedin Herald” says—the following explanation has been wired to us by the Manager of the Press Association : —“ The rider of the inquest on the Waimatc lire, held on the (sth, was incorrectly telegraphed, as censuring the whole management of the Colonial Insurance Company. The insurance in question was £l5O only, and the local agent protested that the evidence showed that the stock had been considerably reduced since the insurance was effected.” The Manager of the ITess Association has evidently been misled, as the rider was obtained direct from the Coroner, as telegraphed, and there could be no mistake about it.

The following has been addressed through the Columns of the “ Dunedin Morning Herald,” to two Members of the City Council : —“ If 8s per day is too much for a working man, and £1 a-year enough for the Mayor, surely your Town Clerk and City Surveyor are to be pitied with an allowance of only £2 -Is (Jd each per day. What do you think, gentlemen! Yours, A Ratepayer, and Constant Employer of Labour.” A substantial brick structure is now in course of erection for Mr Bowker, on the section immediately adjoining the Union Bank. The building has been designed by Mr Duval, and especially adapted to meet the requirements of an auctioneers business ; it has a frontage of (30ft to the youth road, and includes four shops, each 20ft. long 13ft. wide, and 15ft. high. A neat vestibule 12ft. wide and 20ft. in length will communicate with the spacious auction room at the rear of the shops. A shed (55ft. long and 25 feet wide is also to be erected in which sales of horses, Ac., will take place. The exterior of the new buildings will be very pleasing and quite in keeping with the interior.

The Timaru portion of the San Francisco mail will not arrive here until to-morrow.

His Excellency the Governor, Lady llobinson and suite,yesterday passed through Timaruby the express train. The Hon the Minister for Public works was also a passenger by the train ; also, Mr Conyers, Commissioner of .Railways, and several other oflicials, on their way to Dunedin, the new railway head-quarters. There was a very fair attendance at the weekly meeting of the Timaru Literary and Debating Society last evening, many strangers being present in addition to the members. The debate “Is the use of tobacco desirable?” was listened to with much interest by all present, and on the show of hands being taken at its conclusion, the anti-tobaccoites were found to have carried the day—but only by a majority of one. As the subject was perhaps not quite so full}' discussed on either side as it might have been, it would be desirable that another evening should be devoted to the question, which is certainly of sufficient interest to admit of a second debate.

A Maori, who was arrested at Hclensville, for robbery on Wednesday, watched his opportunity, and knocked over the constable and bolted. He was chased and captured by railway officials. The City Council of Auckland having been assessed in heavy damages for street improvements by a ratepayer lately, are now besieged by claimants, who demand a grand total of £2,501 15s Gd. The Wellington Early Closing Association have come to satisfactory arrangements with the drapers in reference to closing their shops at six o’clock of an evening, Saturdays excepted.

We learn, with regret, that the Lady Superior, who recently arrived for the purpose of taking charge of the new Convent School, died, after a short illness, at 12 o’clock to-day.

Captain Colbeck of Auckland is trying the experiment of forming a special settlement for colonists exclusively. 5000 acres have been applied for.

At the Waimate Police Court yesterday, Win Wilson was bound over to keep the peace, himself in £25 and one surety for a similar amount for threatening to take the life of his wife. It appears that Mrs Wilson had some time ago obtained a protection order against her husband , and after a prolonged absence he returned to her house, and finding her living with another man, he vowed to he avenged. Poor Wilson ! Tw\ young children fell into the Avon yesterday, and were cleverly rescued by one of the crew of H.M.B. Cormorant. The man who was found in the bay opposite Dunedin the other day, is beleived to have been a recent arrival from Tasmania, named Walter Bice. There were several slight puncturned wounds on the left side of his neck, and a handkerchief was tied round the neck, as though, after attempting to cut his throat, he had repented of the deed for a time, and then determined to drown him. self. He must have died by drowning, as the cuts on the neck are slight.

It is reported at Wanganui, that Mr Barkley, a Government surveyor engaged on the Pukctotara block, has been turned off by a party of armed natives. The land in question is up the Wanganui river. The natives, it is said took possession of the survey camp and insisted on the surveyors leaving. Another report reached town by the mail carrier between Fordell and Murimotu, that shots have been exchanged between hostile natives at the Murimoto, and that pahs have been formed. It is not known if anyone is injured.

Walter Wright, a railway traveller was lined 20s the other day by the Dunedin bench for threatening to chastise a juvenile ticket collector. Wright pleaded provocation stating that he had been addressed by the ollicial in this impolite way—“ Now then, old ’mi, look sharp,” He admitted he said that age was creeping on him, and his hairs were becoming silvered o’er by Old Father Time, but still he objected to such familiarity on t’he part of a boy such as the ticket-collector was, comparatively speaking.

George Dyers, an overseer in the Public Works Department at Nelson, has been defeated in an attempt to get rid of certain arrears due for the maintenance of his wife and daughter by becoming bankrupt. The total liabilities were put down at £oH, and it transpired that his chief creditors were Mrs Dyers and her daughter at Wellington, who had obtained orders for maintenance. II is application for a discharge at the Nelson District Court yesterday was refused, and costs were allowed to the opposing creditors. The Royal Commission was formally opened at Hawera yesterday, but no regular sitting will take place for about a week. From Nelson we learn that on Wednesdaynight a girl 1(3 years of age, named Scafer, who came out as an immigrant on board the Edwin Fox, attempted to commit suicide by jumping off the Government wharf. Her screams attracted the attention of Mr Percy, who succeeded in rescuing her. She was charged at the Police Court, and remanded for a week.

Messrs Clift' and Co will sell to-morrow attheir rooms, dray, pigs, poultry, potatoes, Ac.

Messrs W. Collins and Co will sell tomorrow, at their rooms, at 2 p.m., watches, gold rings, jewellery.

Messrs Maclean and .Stewart will sell at their yards, to-morrow, at 11 a.m., horses, reapers and binders, Ac. Mr John Meikle, of the Grosvenor hotel, notifies in another column that he has entered into the bottling department, and is now prepared to supply customers wilh a single bottle at the wholesale price. Messrs Jonas, Hart and Wilclie will sell at their rooms to-nrorrow, at 11 a.m., horses, marcs, drays, harness, Ac, at 1 o’clock, 10 German canaries; at 2 p.m., at the premises of the “Evening Telegraph”, printing machine, type, paper and ink.