NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2286, 15 July 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY .

At the adjourned meeting of the South Canterbury Board of Education yesterday, the capital plan was for the first time adopted of distributing concise summaries of the business before the Board amongst the members and also the representatives of the press. The system is pursued in Australia, when in many places, Borough Councils and other important meetings ,arc always treated thus. The example set by the Board of Education is worthy of general imitation in Timaru, as it facilitates the work in hand of both the members of public bodies and of the reporters. A capital story is being told in Brisbane (says the Bulletin.) A “gay Lothario,” who occupies an exalted a position in the Civil Service, was amusing himself the other evening whispering soft nothings over a back garden fence to a buxom Hebe—or Abigail, it matters not which. The mistress coming on to the side verandah saw and understood the position. Gliding down the garden she reached the wooers' side unperccived, and then gently murmured, “ Mary, I tohl you before that I preferred you receiving your followers in the kitchen.” Mr ’s rcjJy is not recorded, nor do we know whether he waited to hear the conclusion of the sentence.

The circumstances under which a man named Henry 'Williams has been committed for trial at Dunedin, arc as follows— Williams was in the employment temporarily of the Now Zealand Drug Store, and on the strength of this he received 15 from Charles Cooper, a well-known money lender. A man named Alfred Palmer became security and it is alleged endorsed an 1.0. U. for the motley which AVilliams had signed. As Williams failed to pay the amount, Palmer settled with Cooper, and sued Williams at the Hesident Magistrates’ Court. The accused when confronted with the 1.0. U. denied that he signed it, and declared the . signature to be a forgery. Hence the proceedings for pci jury. At the police investigation both Cooper and rainier deposed on oath that they saw AVilliams sign the 1.0. U. and the accused was thereupon committed for trial.

Edward Martin a sickly looking young man who described himself as a teacher out of work, applied for shelter late on Monday night at the police station Port Chalmers, stating that ho was without money or friends, and had walked down from the country, where he had been employed on the railway works, but was compelled to leave owing to ill-health. Next morning he was charged with vagrancy and Magistrate Isaac Newton AA'att, sentenced him to twenty-four hours' imprisonment, without hard labor, so that he might he examined by a a medical man as to his removal to the hospital.

At the Temuka 11. M, Court yesterday, a temporary transfer of the license of the Star of the South Hotel, Bangitata, from It Holloway to J. Clayton, was granted. A number of civil eases were also disposed of. His Worship the Mayor has received the following letter for the information of the unemployed : —“ Albury, July 11, 1880. Sir, —As only about half the Timaru men took advantage of the passes issued to them, and a number of men from the surrounding neighborhood having applied for work, I have put on all that have come. I have now working about 120 men and shall not bo able to put any more oh for the present.—E. A. Locke.” The net valuation for the Levels Hoad district this year is £82,50-1 3s as compared with £77,351 last year, showing an increase of £5,150. The reductions allowed on the valuation as proposed by Mr F. W. Stubbs was £3,371 11s and the difference between the present valuation and that originally made by Mr Macdonald, contract valuator is £15,522 ss. Presuming a shilling rate is struck the revenue of the Board will be improved to the tune of £7OO by the new valuation. It is evident from this that the money paid for the services of a competent valuator is well expended.

Another monolith having been completed at the Breakwater, the diver descended again this morning for the purpose of seeing that all was right for the placing of tiro next row of blocks. The next monolith will be commenced immediately. The construction of the temporary timber wharf has just begun.

At Temuka, yesterday, a man named Frederick Nelson was committed for trial for stealing a silver watch and gold chain, the property of William Lewis, a laborer. The evidence of the prosecutor was that he had been working with Nelson for three months, and that on March 1 they had been drinking some beer in company with a man named ftcott. Lewis fell asleep, and on waking up found that Nelson and his watch had both disappeared. The watch was next seen during a scuflie at the Christchurch races, on May 2-1, when Nelson handed it to Detective Benjamin, stating that he had picked it up. Nelson’s name was taken by the police, and on July 11 lie was arrested on a charge of stealing the article by Sergeant Carlyon, at Temuka. Prisoner emphatically denied having stolen the watch, but Mr Guinness, 11. M., considered there was a case for a jury.

The Tenmkaites have resolved to hold a race meeting at Tcmuka during the first week in October, and a committee has been formed for the purpose of carrying out the arrangements in connection with the same.

The Garandini Ballad Operatic Company will give a farewell concert in the Queen’s Hall this evening. An excellent programme has been prepared, which ought to ensure a well filled house.

The port of Timaru has not been so busy for some time as it is at present. This morning there were eleven vessels of various descriptions anchored in the roadstead; the landing services arc consequently unusually busy. Yesterday afternoon an accident occurred at the N.M. and A. Co.’s landing service. A heavily laden boat was being hauled up the beach, when the wirerope employed snapped like a piece of cotton, and the boat rolled off the skids and fell on its side. The rope was quickly repaired, however, and the work proceeded. Margaret Clarke, alias Margaret Stanton, an old woman of seedy appearance, wellknown to the Christchurch police, was brought up at the I’olice Court here, this morning, charged with being drank and disorderly, and also with vagrancy. The accused was lined 10s for the first offence with the alternative of 2-1 hours’ imprisonment ; and for vagrancy she was committed to gaol for 11 days, with hard labor. The “ Age ” says :—“ The excitement in connection with the sale of the illustrated newspapers containing engravings of the Kelly business still continues unabated. The ‘lllustrated Australian Hews,’ which is evidently the favorite, notwithstanding its being double the ordinary price, has had more than three times its usual sale, and it is with difficulty that the demand has been mot. As indicating the height to which the Kelly fever rose, we may state that no less than eighteen tons of paper was pj inlcd on in this office during the week.”