NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2163, 23 February 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The members of the Harbor Board meet to-morrow to elect their Chairman.

-' Nominations for the Open Hurdle Race and Point Cup) at the Pleasant Point Races, close the day after to-morrow. The handicaps will be published on March 1.

A man named George Munroe, employed by Mr Sugrue, road contractor, on a road near Raincliff met with an accident on Friday last, which has since terminated fatally. The deceased was engaged in rock-blasting charge suddenly exploded in his hand blowing off his right arm and portion of his face including his right eye, besides inflicting internal injuries. He was taken to Geraldine and attended by Dr Fish, and on Saturday was removed to the Timaru Hospital where he died at noon yesterday. Deceased was 43 years of age and a native of Glasgow, An Assessment Court for the Borough of Timaru will be held on Friday, March 5.

The Irish Famine Relief Fund Committee were engaged in collecting subscriptions from the passers-by in the streets on Saturday night, and £5 11s was collected. A Home paper says that on New Year’s Day, several important Acts of Parliament came into force, among them being one to “ regulate the employment of children in places of public amusement in certain cases.” Under the age of 14 a person is to be liable to a penalty of £lO, for causing a child to take part in any public performance, whereby in a Court of Summary Jurisdiction (Police Court), “ the life or limbs of such child shall be endangered.” The Act is to extend to the parents and employers of the child. The employer of a child is to be liable by indictment to £2O damages for one accident. The Act extends to the United Kingdom. Another Act is to “ facilitate the control and cure of drunkards.” It is proposed to establish “retreats” where such persons may be located, and they arc to licensed. An “habitual drunkard ” is defined to be a person dangerous to himself, or incapable of managing himself or his affairs. An habitual drunkard is to apply in writing for admission into a “ retreat,” and to state the time he wishes to remain, and two justices must attest the signature, and inquire into the matter. For flogging a horse with a plough chain till its bade was swollen, and blood ran from its nostrils, J ohn Bolger, a farm servant, at South Rakaia, was ordered on Friday last by Resident Magistrate Guinness, to pay a fine of 40s. A long term of imprisonment would have been a better punishment for the inhuman monster.

Trouble is brewing between the Captain and owners of the schooner Griffin, and the French cx-Convicts, who were lately landed at Auckland. The cause of the disagreement is the refusal of the former to deliver up the luggage of their passengers, unless some disputed claim is paid, and an assault case is pending.

The efforts of Mr J. W. Treadwell of | Christchurch to benefit the human race are not appreciated. As secretary for the unemployed, he wrote to the Auckland Waste Land Board, stating that his friends were prepared to settle up north, provided they had their passages defrayed, got the land for nothing, and were provided with remunerative work to give them a start. The terms were not accepted. Says the “ Saturday Advertiser”; —We live and learn. A northern paper informs us that Hall Court, winner of the Hack Hurdle Eace at Tauranga, is “ by Clymatus out of Eiddlesworth.” Such a wonderfullybegotten animal should be exhibited. He would earn more money in a show-tent than on a racecourse.” In explanation, we may state that IticUUeswortb is the sire of some of the best jumpers in the colony, and if he gave birth to the Tauranga horse, it must have been by “a freak of nature.”

How a country hawker settled his “ little bill” with a reluctant debtor is thus related by the “Southland Times”: —A hawker well-known to Invercargill and surrounding districts has had some little difficulty lately in collecting sundry small sums of money owing him. He, however, made an example of a “ young man without incumbrance ” a few days ago. The hawker is in the habit travelling round the country every seven or eight weeks, and often “ trusts ” persons, especially station hands. On one occasion lie booked a suit of clothes to a young fellow who promised to pay in a month. At the expiration of that time the hawker asked for his money. The man, who was wearing the clothes, when asked for payment, replied that he had no money, and intended “ filing.” This was too much for the hawker, and as the saying is, he “ went for him.” He hitched up his horse, took off his coat and hat, stepped up to the debtor, and ordered him to take off his clothes. This request of course was not complied with. The hawker then gripped his man, and tore the clothes completely off him and left him ruminating amongst the tussocks with a full receipt. There arc several more to be treated in the same way.

A singular case of sagacity on the part of a dog is reported from Auckland by the “ New Zealand Herald.” A child was drowned in a dam at a tannery in the Whan. It was remembered afterwards by the tannery workmen, in the light of the sad event, that at a cpiartcr past 5 o’clock (the time of the accident) the tannery watch-dog, posted about 10ft up the clilf on the south side of the creek, jumped upon his kennel, and straining on the collar, commenced to bark furiously. As it was not his custom to do so whenever anyone not connected with the works passed by, the circumstance did not attract any special notice, but there is little reason now to doubt that the dog (a Newfoundland) saw the child fall in, and was endeavouring to get oh the chain to rescue her. One of the successful candidates for the London School Hoard (says the correspondent of a contemporary) ought certainly to pass a year in a Hoard school before he takes his seat at the Board. A letter said to have been written by him has been recently published, and he has not disavowed the authorship. The words “dcserv,’ “cxpclld,” “defray’d,” newspeper,” “thet” “ offleier,” “ intollerance,” “ dowbt,” and “ conclusein,” which he uses, will give some notion of his original method of spelling. He is opposed to much expenditure on education.

If ‘Wellington is not speedily embellished to a sickly extent with roads and railways, it will evidently be no fault on the part of deputations. The unemployed immigrant deputation who were promised certain roads at the end of last week is to be followed by a railway deputation who will urge the necessity of pushing on the Wellington and Foxton railway from the Wellington end. If this deputationing goes on the Government will have to seriously consider the question of removing their headquarters.

Referring to religious divisions, Mr R. Stout, of Dunedin, in a lecture last week, said: —Almost all theological systems are based on what is termed a divine revelation. Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Mahommedanisie, Mormonism, alike claim to be a system divinely revealed to man. Not only docs each system claim to be the system that has 'been revealed, but we find that each sect believes that its little system is the only true one. There may be a difference of belief amongst the various systems I have named as to the mode in which the divine communication has been made, but that there has been a revelation all agree in asserting. The foreman of Fraser and Tinne’s establishment, at Auckland, was drowned on Saturday while bathing at Mechanics’ Bay. A youth named George Longhurst has been arrested at Wellington for a criminal offence on his cousin, a child of eight years. An earthquake shock was felt at Apia, one of the Samoan Group, on Dec. 23.

Sour milk will soon be unknown. Herr Maurice Philip, of Zurich, Switzerland, has found out how to preserve milk for an indefinite period. He placed a sample of the preserved milk at the disposal of the Agricultural Association of Zurich four months ago, and they have been testing away at that milk ever since, without finding any perceptible change in its good qualities. A commission analysed the milk, but could find nothing in it that should not be in pure milk. Herr Philip proposes to supply London and Paris with milk from Switzerland. Instead of getting milk in a pitcher, the citizens will get a week’s supply in an enamel-lined keg or barrel. The dairymen of New Zealand will be able to go into competition. At all events, they will be on even terms with the growers of wool,beef, mutton, and grain. The larrikins have been trying the tobacco nuisance on a congregation in Auckland. The “Herald,” of Tuesday last, says: Some people were inclined to believe that the incumbent of St. Paul’s was simply “ vapouring ” on Sunday evening when he complained about the fumes of tobacco smoke. It appears, however, that the accusation is but too true, and that the practice complained of arises from a number of hoodlums haunting tlie purlieus of the church during divine service, and doing a weed while awaiting the exit of, Mary Ann from the sanctuary. 1

The recent decision of Mr Hellish, E.M., of Christchurch, that Sunday trading is not contrary to law induced nearly all the greengrocers, confectitioncrs, fruiterers, and hair-dressers of the Cathedral City, to keep their shops open yesterday. Some of them did a roaring trade. Two men lately swam the Mississippi river above New Orleans on a wager. A reporter of the race says“ None of them seemed to be putting forth much effort till it was discovered that an alligator had struck out from the shore as a competitor and then—well ( every man did his best to keep the alligator from carrying off the stakes. The spectators enjoyed the scene immensely, loudly cheering the alligator as he visibly gained on the men.” A correspondent sends the following to a Northern contemporary:—“ A confidential letter from Te "Whiti, in reply to a deputation sent from Ohinemuri, will throw some light upon the political situation on the Wannabe Wains. The letter signed by Te Whetu Marama, stated that on no consideration would the Natives fight. After many positive assertions that his theory of Clod’s actions was correct, he pointed out the extraordinary volcanic action now going on, and said that a power far above mortals would by destroying the world, put an end to the whole affair. The letter ended by asking the Natives not to treat the matter lightly, as he was thoroughly convinced that be was correct.

A fatal accident occurred at Woodcnd, near Christchurch, on Friday evening, the victim being a lad, aged eleven, named Judson. Deceased was driving home some cows when he struck a horse grazing by the roadside with a beanstalk he held in his hand. The horse, without any notice, kicked the boy in the chest, and he had to carried home. The !ad died about two hours after the accident, though every at* tionhad been paid him by Dr Ovendcn.