NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2658, 27 September 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

A handy portable three-horse power engine, by Robey and Co, Lincoln, will be received in Timaru by rail in a few days from Dunedin, for use in discharging vessels in this port. It has been imported by the N.M and A. Co , to the order of Mr F. Scoringe.

A meeting of the Sports Committee of the Tiraaru Athletic Club was held last evening, and a programme for the Prince of Wales'Birthday meeting was adopted. The programme includes wrestling (Cornish style). tilting the ring, and several other items not on the previous programmes of the Club, and the total money value of the prizes to be olfered is about £3O more than bcfo'c.

A Wesleyan bazaar in Chiistchurch in three days realised £1)17.

A petition is to be presented to the Christchurch Tramway Company to-day, asking them to run cars on Sundays.

The premier and the Colonial Secretary leave for the South to-day for a holiday. No doubt they need one very much after such a session as they have had.

The charge against McGahcy of murdering Bell on the West Coast some time ago, as was supposed through jealousy, was commenced at the Supreme Court, Hokitika, yesterday. This wqs the only criminal case to be tried.

The persecuted Jews of Southern Russia aic receiving practical sympathy in various parts of tjiis colony. The Dunedin people arc subscribing mopey for their relief, and an en'ertainmenr. \yas <ri on by the Amateur Dram itle ! ‘lub at Auckland for the same purpose.

His Worship the Mayor and most of the Borough Councillors, accompanied by a few other gentlemen, went out this morning to inspect the water-race, and especially the iron flumes, which have been constructed to carry the water over some of the deep gullies on the line of the race.

A lunatic escaped from the Auckland Asylum on Thursday by making a hole in tho roof of his cell with a pocketknife, but was soon recaptured. The “Hawkes Bay Herald” published a letter from an old colonist, Mr John Chambers, who is now in England, on the' frozen meat trade. Mr Chambers has inspected various refrigerators and obtained all information from the managers of Refrigerating Companies. His letter bears out all the information on the subject previously published in colonial papers, his estimate of capital required for local colonial Companies being £IO,OOO at the outside, which would enable a Company to purchase stock, as well as freeze for stockowners who shipped oh their own account, Tallerman’s Company is prepared to supply the transit if five to six hundred tons a month are guaranteed, the meat to be frozen and delivered free on board in the colony. The freight to London, including guarantee and all charges, would be about £lB per ton dead weight of meat. Mr Chambers aids thai he finds no prejudice existing against the meat, but on the contrarjq both consumers and salesmen expre-s themselves anxious for constant large supplies.

Mr William Walker was made fast in the Mastcrton lock-up till he could be sent to Wellington for twenty-eight days, for a petty larceny. Mrs William Walker called (o see him one evening and noted where tho keys of the cells were" kept, In the stillness of the night she returned. Break, ing the window of the office she got into that, and breaking another window got into the pass ;ge leading to the cells: The door was unlocked, and the two whom man had been enjoined not to put asunder, but which injunction had been disregarded, were one again. The door was locked again and the keys scrupulously returned to their place. A feature of the case is that Mrs Walker cannot now tell the bereaved policeman in charge where her husband is.