NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2775, 14 February 1882, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Over 100 applications have already been received for the post of engineer at the pumping station of the Christchurch Drainage Board. The Timaru Permanent Mutual Benefit Building Society notify that re-payments and subscriptions are due on the 15th inst. Shareholders are requested to send their pass books in at once to be made up, as the annual balance will take place on 28th.inst. ■ ■; ,>

A tender has been accepted for the erection of new Post-offices for Wellington, the amount being £22,444. Five out of six Wellington tenders were very close, and four Southern tenders were within a few pounds !of each other, but, about £4OOO higher than the Wellington ones. Mr John Durvvard, a waggoner in the Mount Ida district, recently lost four horses out of his team of seven through the team bolting. The “Chronicle” states that having lost some rugs out of the wagon “he tightened the brake, tied the reins to it, and went back on foot, When he had gone some ’ distance something startled the horses, and they dashed off with .the waggon. The shaft horses were thrown and dragged, and the body horses were also fearfully knocked about. The waggon did not capsize. The shafters were killed outright, and the body horses have since died. Out of a team of seven horses four were killed.” ' !

During last year over 800 bales of fungus were (says the “ Herald ”) shipped from New Plymouth by the Union, Company’s boats. As each bale costs the exporter about: £lO, this represents something like £BOOO earned by the women and children in the country districts, as on them has developed the labor of collecting it.

At a meeting of the Committee of the ex-employees of the Union Sash and Door Company disbursements were made from the relief fund of £IOO for those requiring aid. A large sum is expected to be contributed this week, as a number of artisans and laborers have agreed to contribute until the locked-out men come to an arrangement with the Company, or all of them have found employment. The weekly session of the English Lodge Victory No. 42, 1.0.GKT,, was held last evening at the Foresters’ Hall, The chair was occupied by Bro. A. Mills, W.C.T. Two candidates Were proposed for membership and one initiated. Bro W. C. Silverton was appointed representative of this lodge to act on the Joint Committee of Licensed Victuallers and Temperance bodies in this district for the selection of a suitable Licensing Bench under the new Act.. The-Lodge closed at the usual ' hour. At the Borough Council meeting- last night, while the question of supplying water to the stores was being discussed, a Councilor suggested that the storekeepers could afford to pay well for the water, as no doubt they wanted it. to water their,grog with before they sold it, as well as for washing their fingers. The • Mayor repudiated the suggestion. He, had never heard of grog being reduced in the Stores, and wus of opinion it had never been done in Timaru. From the inarticulate comments of one or two Councillors it was clear they believed His Worship to be speaking pinaforically.... At a meeting of the Christchurch City Council yesterday afternoon, the Mayor’s proposal for a round of festivities during Exhibition time was discussed. 'The matter was warmly taken up, and a large Committee appointed to draw up a programme and interview the Athletic Clubs, etc., and a Committee was chosen to canvass the town for subscriptions. It was suggested that a sum of £IOOO should be raised as a basis to work upon,, but some of the gatherings will, of course, be self-sup-porting. The half-yearly meeting of the A Timaru Chamber of Commerce will be held on Thursday afternoon at 3 o’clock. ; : ■ New South Wales can now.daim to have made the highest score in an innings on record, the eleven now playing against eleven of Victoria having totted up the wonderful total of 775 in their first innings. The Victorians are making a good score, having obtained 207 for six wickets, but good as this is it is a long way behind the figure of their opponents, and if they save a oneinnings defeat they will do marvellously well.