NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2357, 6 October 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

A Seamen’s Union is to be started in Auckland. It is rumoured that 12 inspectors and subinspectors of the Armed Constabulary are to be dispensed with shortly, and other material reductions made. The settling up in connection with the late race meeting at Temuka was held at the Crown Hotel, on Monday evening. The following stakes were paid over:—G. H. Thompson, £9O; Mr W. Dc licnzy, £2O; Mr G. Stewart, £lO ; Mr J. H. Luun, £lO. Considerable dissatisfaction was expressed at the manner in which the hurdle and cup races had been run, and the meeting considered that it would prevent open races being held in Temuka for some years to come.

Mr David Proudfoot, contractor under the Otago Harbor Board being unable to pay for manual labor (poor man), lias secured a new steam excavator. It is to be hoped it will prove a better speculation than his electric light apparatus. If it performs work at a cheaper rate than could be done by impecunious sub-contractors Mi Proudfoot will be a gainer, A large ship dodged the Otago Heads last evening. A tug started for her but she disdainfully turned her head towards Lyttelton. The Harbor Board must feel disgusted.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Timaru High School was held yesterday evening, the Rev. W. Gillies in the chair. It was resolved to grant the pupils attending the school a holiday on the second day of the Agricultural Show, and also on November 9 for the purpose of holding a school sports’ meeting. Accounts amount ing to £K;h 18s were passed for payment. Twenty applications were received for the post of second master. Aftciqthe whole of the applications bad been carefully considered it was resolved to adjourn the meeting to October 13 in order to give the chairman time to make enquiries about one or two of the candidates for the appointment. It is proposed to hold an intercolonial regatta at Auckland on January 29, 1881. Another agitation is to be got up about the unemployed at Auckland. Garrard has been joined in bis efforts by a Victorian and a Wellington man. They propose to form a labor union. Fyfc, a Wellington chemist, has been fined 5s for selling laudanum without entering it in his poison book. The Christchurch Customs returns for the last quarter amounted to £lß7ll 12s Bd. The Canterbury Acclimatisation Society have determined to prohibit Sunday fishing. A man named Martin Power has been arrested at Palmerston for manufacturing whiskey without permission. Power is known to be an energetic and industrious colonist but his friends represent that he is unacquainted with the fiscal laws of the country. It is stated that a wholesale dismissal of inspectors of iJolicc will take place on October 31. The officers who retire include Inspector Mallard, of Dunedin, one of the most efficient officers in the whole of New Zealand ; Inspector Pender, of Timaru ; sub-inspector O’Donnell, of Christchurch ; Inspector Feast, of Grcymouth ; Inspector Buckley, of Kaiapoi; and Inspector Reillj', of Hokitika.

Mr Proctor delivered his first New Zealand lecture in the Theatre Royal, Invercargill, on “ Tire life and death of a world.” The house was well filled, although the weather was storm}*. The lecturer delighted his audience by his eloquent description of the wonders of the heavens, and his masterly exposition of the scheme of the universe. The illuminated views were shown on a screen about four feet square. Tire audience were enthusiastic in their applause, and it is evident Mr Proctor has made a deep impression. To-night ho lectures on “ The Moon,” and on Tuesday next he opens in Dunedin. The Kumara miners arc agitating for the prosecution of their sludge channel,through which a considerable portion of the revenue of the colony has already been drained. Mr Oliver, M.H.R., telegraphs that some money will be poured on tire sludge very shortly, and the miners are cheerful.

A criminal of the deepest dye has just been executed at the city of Gratz, near Vienna. This was an Austrian subject named Zoller, who was proved to have murdered, one after the other, his three successive wives and two step children. His object in each case was to obtain the premium for which he had insured their lives. It was not till he had succeeded with his third wife that the diabolical plot was detected and defeated by the vigilance of the insurance offices.

In compliance with instructions received from the Postmaster-General, Mr Moss Jonas will submit the old post and telegraph offices, together with an eighth of an acre of laud on which they stand, to public auction on Nov. 1.

The Camera Obscura will be erected on Le(..Ten’s Terrace, close to the Lighthouse, to-morrow. This should make a capital site for the exhibition, and it will doubtless be well patronised.