NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2767, 4 February 1882, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The result, financially, of the annual parish gathering of St Saviour’s, TemukSj was a net balance of £S3 13s 11. The vestry passed a vote of thanks to .the ladies and gentlemen whose efforts contributed to so useful a result.

. At the inquest on the body of Olsen, the lamp trimmer of the Taiaroa, drowned in Auckland harbor, a verdict of “ Found drowned ” was returned.

Mr Runciman, a miller at Green Island, is sending 5009 bags of flour and wheat to Glasgow by a specially chartered vessel,and follows himself to try and establish a trade for grain produce. Me senger, an Australian oarsman, ha s written to Floyd of Auckland, notifying that he is coming to New Zealand, and asking him to arrange a match with Hearn of Wellington. Messenger has some idea of settling and following his calling of boat building in this colony. At the Wellington Race meeting , yesterday. after our last telegram lef t the course, the Poet won the R.C. Handicap, Sir George second and King Quail third. The Con solation was won by Luna with Mavis second and Presentation third. The at tendance was small, estimated at 800. £6BB was passed through the totalisators. Speaking of the draining operations at the Piako swamp, the “ Waikato Times ” says : —“ No one knew, no one possibly could know, whether the land when drained would be worth anything at all ; and up to the present there are 20,000.0 r 30,000 acres of the estate that would not ‘ feed a sparrow to the acre,’ and this after an expenditure up to date of over £140,000, against which the company can only place a sum of £IB,OOO for land sold.” The Dunedin “ Star” perpetrates the following bull“ There are 361 registered medical practitioners in the Colony, but of these fifty-one have left New Zealand.”

A resident of Nelson lost his wife two days before Christmas, and in the second week of the New Year he was married to his servant. He" believed that it is not good for man to live alone. A Committee of the Hawke’s Bay Education Board and the trustees of the High School are conferrihg with the object of introducing a Bill in Parliament to amalgamate the present High School endowments (whl h were purchased from funds publicly subscribed in town) with the secondary education reserves, so that a Girl’s High School may be built, and the Boys’ School improved. Large mobs of sheep and cattle continue to leave Hawke’s Bay for the Wellington and Auckland markets. Stock is now getting scarce there and is rising in price. The plentifulness of feed all over the province is assisting the upward movement. The exports from Hawke’s Bay last year, excluding quantities of wool sent coastwise, were over £600,000, or about £3l per head of the population, being the' largest proportion in the colony. The President of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association sent Home a cheese, weighing. 791bs, in August, as an experiment, to see what careful packing and choice would do. The cheese arrived in splendid condition, and was pronounced by the different people who sampled it as equal to the best Cheddar. It was wrapped in common calico, and placed in a deal box, with two inches of sawdust round it. No price was quoted as the sample was so small; but the result proves that cheese can be safely sent Home, and it is regarded with great satisfaction. Nominations for the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Great Autumn Handicap sweepstake of lOsovs with 300 sovs added and MrCampbell’s 100 guinea cup additional, also for Easter Handicap and Flying Stakes, close this evening at the C. J, C. rooms.

The directors of the National Insurance Company have decided to strengthen their institution by issuing another hundred thousand shares, and will offer the same to the present shareholders at 25s each, under easy calls. This will double the present capital. The premium on the same (10s per share) will be carried to the reserve fund. A meeting of shareholders will be called at once to consider the preposal.

At a meeting of the Auckland Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, a resolution was passed expressing sympathy with and promising support to the Union Sash and Door employe *s in their lock-out. The representatives of the Bricklayers’ Society and the representatives of the Auckland Timber Sawmill Company’s men endorsed the resolution, and stated the men with whom they were associated, as well as those of the building trades, would assist them. The speakers expressed a belief that the new proposals were intended to break down the eight hours’ system, established nearly 20 years ago in the building and sister trades. The Wellington correspondent of the “ Press ” sbd" that a special meeting of the Exeouti,, ■ icil was held yesterday, His Excellency the Governor presiding. Major Atkinson, and Messrs Bryce, Dick, and Johnston were present. It wa decided to further prorogue Parliament to April -1, and the notice of prorogation was signed accordingly. Parliament is not, however, to meet then for the despatch of business, cut another prorogation will take place to the middle of May, when the session will definitely commence, unless any unforeseen impediment should intervouu.

For the S.C.J.C. Sires’ Produce Stakes, 188 p, the thoroughbred sires Kauri and Guy Fawkes have been nominated, and their produce will be eligible for that race. The Government has purchased the hulk Clara Hargreaves for the recaption and fumigation of the mails at Auckland, She will be placed at Orakei Bay as an intermediate quarantine station.

A baker’s cart belonging to Mr Ritchie came to grief at the corner of Commercial street, Sandie Town this morning. By some means it was capsized, and a shaft breaking the horse got up and held by tha traces, began to kick vigorously. The driver was only a lad,'and had no control over the animal, did not even know what to do. Fortunately Mr Edmiston happened to drive up, and he pacified the horse and set him free. Besides the broken shaft the back of.jthe cart was broken, but no great damage was done.

A mineralogical section is to be arranged at the Christchurch Exhibition, under the charge of a Committee, consisting of— Professors Von Haast and Bickcrton, and Mr F. Jenkins. The exhibits they particularly desire to obtain are as follows : —Ores—Gold, silver, copper, tin, lead, platinum, quicksilver, nickel, galena, iron, antimony, manganese, pyrites, chromite, haamatit, plumbago, bismuth, iron Band, scheelite, arsenic,&c. Sundries—Graphite, coal, coke, shale lignite, petroleum, parraffine, kerosene, sulphur (pure), greenstone, marble, granite, slate, building stone, limestone, fire, terracotta and other claySj cement,’ chalk, glassmakers’ sand, and kindred substances. The Committee will be glad to receive assistance from gentlemen in this district, in making a good representative collection. Applications for space should be made early, addressed to Mr W. R, Mitchell, agent for Messrs Joubert and Twopeny, Cathedral Square Christchurch. All other communications in reference to these exhibits should be addressed to Mr F. Jenkins, Lower High street, Christchurch,

A capsize occurred in the harbor yesterday evening, but nothing worse than a good ducking happened to the two unfortunates concerned. Mr A. Turnbull and Master Watkins got into the little canoe at the foot of the watermen’s steps to go to another boat at moorings and on the way the canoe capsized. At first Watkins held on “ like grim death ” to Turnbull, but the latter succeeded in getting him to trust to the canoe. He gave him a good hold of this and then swam for the nearest boat to bring it to the rescue, but several boats were already on the way to them, and one from the Landing Service picked them both up.

Tee diorama of the Zulu war attracted a numerous audience last night, the stalls and pit being well filled, the dress circle being only moderately patronised. The exhibition at many points elicited loud applause as also.did stirring passages in Mr Thompson’s descriptive lecture. Everyone seemed well pleased with their evening’s entertainment. A good deal ot interest was, as usual, excited by the distribution of presents. The principal one, a lady’s gold watch, was bestowed upon Mrs Hallam. A hundred presents are promised this evening. The diorama will be shown at Temuka on Monday and Tuesday evenings.

A meeting of the Geraldine Brass Band Committee was held on Wednesday evening. Present Messrs Weston (Chairman), Taylor, Gore, Mundell, Warner, and R. Berry (Secretary), The Chairman handed in a report of the price list of instruments examined by him in Timaru, also a price list from Messrs Begg and Co. Dunedin. Resolved— ** That the matter of choosing instruments be left in abeyance for the present ; in the meantime the Secretary to make out subscripton lists, to be distributed around the district and to each member of the Committee, for the purpose of raising sufficient funds for purchase of instruments ; the instruments when purchased to be vested in the hands of trustees, to be composed of the following gentlemen: Messrs B. Taylor, John Mundell, William Shiers; Treasurer, Mr R. Taylor,” Resolved—- “ That the next meeting take place at the Geraldine Hotel on Wednesday evening the Bth inst.

The Americans are not satisfied with the electric light, which is now distributed through a portion of New York streets like gas ; but (says the “ Scientific American”) the next steps of social and domestic organisation promise to be the distribution of motive power with our illnmiaant, and the displacement of our heaters and cooking-stoves by steam conveyed through the streets in pipes, -making it possible to banish fire absolutely from our dwellings, offices and factories, either for warming or lighting, for cooking or for mechanical operations, heat, light, and motive power being generated in and supplied from huge central stations.

Oamaru is apparently not a nice place to live in just now, owing to the larrikin practices of a number of young fellows. The “ Times” says : —“ Certainly some strenuous remedial measures will soon have to be instituted, or to pass along the streets of this pretty town after dark will shortly become as safe and pleasant as 'a ramble through an Indian jungle after the wild beasts have left their lairs.”

The present consumption of water in Oamaru is stated by the Waterworks Engineer to be 300,000 gallons per day for domestic and 1,200,000 gallons for motive purposes. The'surfaceareaof the reservoir is 7J acres, and it holds 30,000,000 gallons, or about 14 days supply. He proposes to raise the reservoir 15 feet, increasing its surface to 10 acres, and its capacity to 70,000,000 gallons, or 2p days supply on an increased consumption, Applications are in for the supply of 90 horse power and applications for 15 horse-power are expected immediately. About three weeks ago an attempt to set lire to the dwelling, house of Mr J. Stringer, confectioner, Christchurch was made. The house, which is situated in the Stanmore road, has recently hud additions and alterations made to it, and which were in progress at the time referred to. An alarm bein g given by a passer-by the fire was quenched. At about eight o’clock on Wed nesday evening last one of Mr Stringer’s children found that the intend jury had been again at work, and that somet sacking which was over the woodwork ; to protect it from the plasterers was on f ire, A few buckets of water were prod need and the fire put out. It is to be hope d that the dastardly person, or persons, bent on destroying the property may be spec dily arrested.—“ Press.”