NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2662, 1 October 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Mr Littlejohn, the manufacturer of the clock for the Post Office, arrived by express from Wellington to-day, to superintend its erection. The machinery is expected to arrive by the evening train from Christchurch to-day. The usual monthly meeting of the Board of Education for this month will be held on Wednesday next at the usual hour, 11,15. Important special and general business will be brought forward.

The Timaru Harbor Board meet on Thursday next lor the transaction of general business.

Messrs Peacock and Oeaney had a splendid show of beef in their Church street shop last night, the meat being of so good quality that the proprietors gave it a special illumination. It was obtained, we believe, from the Levels Company’s herd.

The anniversary services of the Wesleyan Sunday School, Timaru will be held tomorrow, conducted by the Rev E. Best, of Dunedin, a special service as usual being given to the children in the afternoon. The indispensable anniversary tea will be held on Tuesday. Mr Harry Bird has a striking advertisement of his business in the window of his shop, near Coy and Drummond's corner, .This is a lacc-up boot of enormous proportions, in appearance properly finished in every respect. Anyone whom it would fit, would be entitled to the respect of the community, as a "lift” from it would mean —•* the middle of next year. ” And yet it and its wearer would not look larger or more terrible to men, than an ordinary human boot does to the little dog that often suffers from an application of it. Mr Thomas Howley has been appointed regstrar of electors for the new district of Timaru, Mr George Dyson (of Temuka) for Geraldine, and Mr George Tennant (Waimate) for Gladstone and Wairaate. It does not seem at all a satisfactory arrangement to make one man registrar for so extensive a district as is comprised in the two electorates of Gladstone and Waimate.

Mr H. Stentiford, the advance agent, is now in Timaru making arrangements for the concerts to be given by Herr Scherck’s Company on Monday and Tuesday evenings. Wo believe the Company is of such a character as to deserve all the support the people of Timaru can give it. Herr Benno Seherek has travelled though many lands in company with the famous Camillo Uftio, as conductor of her concerts, accompanist, and piano soloist, and everywhere the Company appeared came in for a share of the highest eulogiums bestowed by the public and the Press upon the Company’s performances." As an accompanyist he was continually spoken of as unrivalled. He has now resided some time in Dunedin, and in his capacity of conductor to the Choral Society, and as director of Kelsey's Novelty Concerts, he has established himself a prime favorite in the musical world of that city. He will be assisted by Madame Seherek, an accomplished pianist, Mr C. Wand, violoncellist, and Mr and Mrs Baber, vocalists. Mr Seherek of course brings his own piano, aKapgrand, obtained th.ough Begg and Go., Dunedin,

Over 200(3 tons of coal were shipped from Greymouth last week. A Bible-in-Schools Association is being formed in Invercargill. Mr Proudfoob talks of disposing of his tramway properties in Dunedin to a Company,

Mr Digby and a few friends in a couple of hours on each of 16 nights, caught 1300 small birds in nets, on his farm near Ashburton.

The United Alphine Company, Lyell, for the week crushed 217 tons of stone, the return being 417 ounces of amalgam from the plates only. A good quality of building stone can be delivered in Ashburton from Mount Somers for, it is said, Is 9d per loot. It is said to be equal to the Oamaru stone.

The Customs revenue at Christchurch for the past month was £20,928 5s lid; at Dunedin, £124,181; at Wellington, £20,890 ;at Greymouth, £3227, and gold duty £562.

The registrations of births, marriages and deaths during September at Christchurch were 180, 30, and 80 respectively ; for the three quarters of the year already passed, 1549, 298, and 535. Of the £181,665 collected for the Irish Famine Belief Fund, the Australian colonies contributed £95,916, or more than half. New Zealand sent £10,427 2s 6d. The receipts from the New Zealand railways for the four weeks ended August 20. amounted to £59,613 and the expenditure £34,242, or about 57£ per cent of the receipts. The followingamendmenthas been made in the By-laws of the New Zealand railways " Any pasenger joining a train at a booking station without having previously provided himself with a ticket will be charged one shilling in addition to the ordinary fare.”

An influential native chief named Marine Te Whiwhi, died at Otaki last night, aged 76. He was chief of the Ngatitoa tribe, and was in receipt annually of a pension of £IOO from Government,

The Wellington correspondent of the ‘ Press *' believes that the total receipts from railways for the last half year will be about £440,000, and the expenditure under £250,000, leaving a nett profit o£ nearly £200,000.

A Sawmilling Company has been formed at Helensville, Kaiparn, with a capital of £20,000. They have no bush, but propose to buy logs from bush owners. What a pity we have not some of their bush down here I £20,000 would probably buy all the timber now left in South Canterbuy, and leave a good deal over to pay commission.

By the will of an uncle (Sir Arthur William Fleming), who died at Montreal, Canada, 1878, Michael J. Flemming, who has been well known as a bootmaker in Dunedin for many years, is said to have become entitled to a fortune of £30,000, and also to a large amount of property in South Africa.

Diamond drills;are becoming " the rtige ” in mining centres. A company is being formed at Reefton, 25,000 shares of five shillings each, to purchase and work diamond drills for prospecting purposes. A drill, with all fittings and machinery, to bore 600 feet, costs £IOOO to £I2OO. A large number of the police in South Australia are being vaccinated, The vacci* nation is not compulsory, but the police are informed that if smalhpox breaks out no distinction will be made in the men ordered to the spot to do whatever may be needful.

The editor of the " New Zealand Times ” has evidently a bad opinion of mankind in general, for he says “ The assassination of President Garfield seems to show that a general disposition to atrocious violence is permeating the globe.” The Thames ” Evening Star” puts the matter in a new aspect. It was objected to Mr Scddon’s proposal to make three convictions of drunkenness a sufficient ground for divorce, that it would be an easy matter for one unwilling partner to make, the the other fulfil the conditions if given to drink. The •* Star” says there are no doubt men who would not mind the disgrace of being convicted of drunkenness a few times if it would get them rid of a scolding wife.

At a meeting of the Committee of the South Canterbury Acclimatisation yesterday it was resolved to procure 3000 young trout from Christchurch; 1000 to he liberated in Lake Tekapc or Lake Alexandrine, Mackenzie Country, 1000 in Gray’s Creek, Burke’s Pass, and 1000 in the Upper Pareora, The recruits obtained at Christchurch for the Armed Constabulary, 161 in number, were sent to the North in the Hinemoa, yesterday. Colonel Packe inspected them before they left, and expressed his astonishment at so fine a body of men having been obtained in Canterbury. What sort of opinion had the Colonel of the men of Canterbury ? Arc the males of this provincial district so very much inferior to those of other parts of the colony, or does his astonishment imply that as a rule, only the physically inferior seek for active service ?—Or was he only trying the effect of a little flattery on the men ?

The Engineer to the Lyttelton Harbor Board estimates that it will take 15 months yet to complete the dredging of the inner harbor. Mr E. G. Wright has given notice of motion that, in view of the large propertibn of revenue derived from the Counties of Ashley and Ashburton, and the Borough of Sydenham, the Board was of opinion that those districts were entitled to representation on the Harbor Board, and that the Government should be reguested to make the necessary alterations in the Harbours Act to effect this object.

Great progress is being made in developing the traffic on the Mississippi Kiver. This route threatens to revolutionise the transportation business east of the Eocky Mountains.