NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2464, 10 February 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Tramps and others who have cultivated a malicious grudge against reaping and binding machines may be interested to learn that a man named R. Wyatt has been committed for trial for breaking and removing parts of a reaping machine belonging to a farmer at Lincoln, Canterbury. The half yearly and a special general meeting of the Chamber of Commerce will be held on Monday. Amongst other business will be the election of a representative of the Chamber at the Harbor Board. Mr W. Evans’ term of office has expired; but he is eligible for re-election. The following notice of motion to alter rule 18, made at a previous meeting will also be taken into consideration ; —“lf no quorum be present fifteen minutes past the hour of meeting, the member or members, if there is only one present, or the secretary, if no meeting is present, may adjourn the meeting to another day, not more than seven days thereafter, and notice of such adjournment of meeting shall be given to each member of the committee.”

At the District Court, Christchurch, Thomas H. Hodge a railway tally clerk proceeded against the Union S.S. Company for £2OO damages for injuries caused by a steam winch on board the Arawata. On Oct 19, Hodge was in a railway tr uck on the Lyttelton wharf receiving goods from the Arawata when a sling with bags and cases struck him and knocked him out of the truck. He was unconcious for five hours, bedridden for four weeks, and when he sent in a claim for £1 Ids to the Company for loss of health and pay, it was returned to him. The defendants pleaded that the accident was caused by defendant’s negligence. His Honor Judge Ward gave judgment for the plaintiff for £25 and costs.

A cablegram to a Melbourne paper states that it lias been ascertained, with reference to the frozen meat taken to England by the Protos, and which has been selling readily, that the process of freezing destroys the cohesion of the tissue of the meat, and that when the meat is thawed it shows a tendancy to decompose rapidly. The butter is selling readily at £5 per cwt. In accordance with orders given some time since by the Orient Steamship Company, a freezingmachine is now being specially constructed for the s.s. Orient, which will be completed in time for its departure next March.

How is this for high-falutin’, for gush, for the climax of utter absurdity in the in the way of tine writing I It is from the pen of the Australasian’s musical and dramatic critic, and —will it be believed 1 —it is over nobody else than a “ burntcorkist, the man who plays the “bones.” The critic says : —“ Mr Sweatman’s humor improves on every occasion on which there is opportunity to test it. And it is humor quite of its own kind. It is a rippling sort of humor, sparkling with sunshine, and like a winding brook in a green meadow plashing over pebbles, and circling in eddies against grassy points It is full of unexpected little turns, but they are always clear and living, throwing back from their surface the colour of the skies above them. So that Mr Sweatman’s never tires you, but comes as a refreshing influence like soft winds, cool but balmy.”

Mr George Taylor, of Winchester, has been appointed Inspector of works at the Opihi Bridge contract. ■ For refusing duty the seamen of the steamer’ Huia, who struck work at Wel‘lfngtoir’ on been awaidcd three hours imprisonment.

“ Where the carcase is,” etc. The Native Minister* Colonial Treasurer, and SurveyorGeneral are concentrating in Happy Land —Taranaki,

It is beginning to he felt that the coal competition in the colony is too active to be profitable. The Waikato coal mine in the North Island is about to collapse, and there are others that will probably follow suit.

A prominent citizen of Wellington, whose brother is an inmate of the local Lunatic Asylum, has laid some serious charges, involving cruelty and neglect against the management, and has asked the Government to institute a searching inquiry. No reply has yet been received.

A curious action between a bicyclerider, and a buggyist has been before Judge Ward at the Christchurch District Court. Dudley, a town clerk, sued Briggs, a Christchurch gentleman, for £IOO damages for injuries caused by the latter running Dudley down, and breaking a twentyguinea bicycle. The evidence, like the bicylc, was very disjointed, and the plaintiff was non-suited,

The Union S S. Company have cemented matters with their men at Dunedin by virtually conceding all that the Seamen’s Union demanded. Port Chalmers is to bo the final port of discharge for all seamen engaged in the company’s service. Twentyfour hours’ notice to be given on either side. The men will no longer bo liable to discharge against their own desire at New Zealand outports or in Australia. The eight hours’ system to ho applied to the ports of Sydney, Melbourne, and Port Chalmers, where the families of most of the men reside. The men are willing to work after hours when labor is scarce, on being paid overtime. At other safe ports, the hours to he as before. No stipulation to be insisted on by the men regarding open roadsteads. Men discharged at Port Chalmers, and residing in other ports,to be allowed to work their passage back.

Messrs J, T. Ford and Co. will hold their fourth wool sale of the season on Tuesday, Feb. 22. Messrs R. Wilkin and Co. hold their wool sale on the same date. These wool sales in Christchurch, have so far been most ruccessful, the prices realised bein'' exceedingly satisfactory to sellers, and the competition invariably keen. A large attendance of buyers is confidently anticipated, on the date mentioned, and from the nature of late advices from London, it is more than probable that the high prices hitherto ruling will be fully maintained. In our advertising columns will be found a variety of announcements concerning the agency and mercantile business carried on by Messrs R. Wilkin and Co., under the local management of Mr Charles Bourn. The particulars given sufficiently indicate the extensive and complete nature of the business which this popular Hading firm have established in Tiraaru. The wants of the agricultural population have been specially studied, and the manager intends by giving the fullest possible value in return for money or produce, and supplying only seeds, implements, and general merchandise of the best quality, to cultivate a wide and increasing connection all over South Canterbury. The reputation which the firm has won in Canterbury already is the best guarantee that can be offered new constituents of thoroughly straightforward and considerate treatment.