South Canterbury Times, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1881. NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2668, 8 October 1881, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1881. NEWS OF THE DAY.

A branch of the Colonial Bank of New ifcaland was opened to-day, in offices next the Land Office, under the management of Mr J. % Warren.

The “ GanfUfOg and Lotteries Bill ” comes into force on NcKTs9lber 1. Drawers of consultations are .therefore in a hurry to get them filled and drawn before the fatal day arrives which shall see th&ir occupation gone- Mr Cameron, Dunedin, announces that his consultation on the Melbourne Cup must be drawn in the last week of this month. Two tons of oatmeal and £IOO in cash have been sent Home from Dunedin for the relief of the distressed Shetlanders. The Alpine Company, Lyell, have had another good crashing, 270 ounces from 186 tons of stone. Wm. Poppens, Theatre Hotel, Wellington, has been fined £5 for Sunday trading. He had been caught at it twice previously, A man named Murchie was drowned at Wellington yesterday through the capsizing of a boat. There is a Ladies Land League in Wellingit appears, and the members have been collecting money in aid of the league in the old country. They have raised £l3O, which is to be sent to Mias Parnell by next mail.

Kumma and jGo., Wellington, have "...gone wrong. ” Liabalities,'£9Soo. .

There was rid business at the Magistrate’s Court this, morning.

There is no fresh hews from Parihaka or the neighborhood, The Hinemoa has taken 100 new members of the Armed Constabulary from Wellington to Opunake. The Canterbury trout district, which only comesas far south as the Bangitata; is reported to be giving Very" good fishing this season.

Henry Edward Stohr, formerly manager of the New Zealand Timber Company’s mill at Wangapoa, brought up at the Wellington Supreme Court on charges of forgery, embezzlement, and larceny, was acquitted, the indictment being faulty. This of course is as it should he 1 Better let ten rascals escape than a little lawyer’s blunder pass muster.

The rain which fell in considerable quantities during last night and the previous day, has wonderfully brightened up the face of the country, and the faces of country residents. The ground was getting very dry and the growth of grasses and the young crops brought almost to a standstill. They will start again with a spring now. An occasional shower fell to-day and from the heavy appearance of the sky at noon an additional rainfall of considerable amount seemed probable. The Hon. Mr Richardson has interested himself a good deal in the complaints of the men who struck at the Addington workshops and proposed with other gentlemen to accompany a deputation of them to wait on the Premier. Mr Hall, has requested them not to do so, as it would introduce a political element into the. discussion which would not make the real matters at issue any clearer.

An education conference in Adelaide has adopted a resolution recommending that private schools should be subject to Government examinations, and should be required to furnish quarterly returns of attendance. A modification of the existing system of payments by results was recommended, and greater encouragement for reading, writing, and arithmetic suggested to be given by awarding double marks. A proposal that the education in State schools should be free and compulsory was negatived after a warm discussion. A motion in favor of Bible-reading 'in State schools, after an animated discussion, was negatived by a large majority. At the usual weekly meeting of the Lifeboat Lodge, 1.0.G.T. held on Thursday evening three new members were proposed. A circular from the Grand Lodge regarding the attitude of Good Templars in connection with the coming election was read and approved, and a Committee appointed to confer with other temperance societies so that conjoint action could be taken. Bro. Proctor was chosen Representative to the Grand Lodge and Bro. Bruce District Deputy. The Lodge was then opened for harmony, and after a pleasant evening was closed in due fond at 9.35.

A meeting of working men was held last night in the Oddfellows’ Hall, under the auspices of the Working Men’s League and Political Union, to consider what steps, if any, should be taken respecting the choice ,of a candidate for the next election. The i speakers • touched upon a number of matters having only a remote bearing upon 'the question under discussion, and regarding this they were under a disadvantage fiom not knowing whether Mr Richard Turnbull, the present member for the district, intends to come forward again. The general feeling appeared unmistakeably to be that if Mr Turnbull does come forward, he should be looked upon as a good representative of the working classes aud should therefore be supported by them. Nothing was said of any other person who might be considered suitable candidate, provided Mr Turnbull should not offer himself for re-election, the only answer to questions on the subject being that if a man were wanted he could be found, and the thing to be done at present was to get as many working men on the roll as possible so that they could be sure of putting in any candidate whom they might decide to support. It was finally decided that Mr Turnbull should be waited on, and asked whether he intends to stand for re-election or no. If he do not the League will probably take steps to secure a representative according to their own views ; if Mr Turnbull stands they will support him. A report of the meeting appears in another column. . The single State of Minnesota produced in 1880 nearly thirty-nine and a half million bushels of wheat, more than two millions more than the total produce of wheat of the whole of the Australasian colonies, from an acreage some four hundred thousand less. The average yield of wheat in Minnesota was over thirteen bushels, over all these colonies under nine and a half. The yield of oats in Minnesota was higher even than in New Zealand, New Zealand's-average last year being 32-05, and Minnesota’s 33.45.