South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1893. NEWS OF THE DAY,

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7064, 9 February 1893, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1893. NEWS OF THE DAY,

Mr Justice Deuniston last evening made some remarks about the practice of suitors making large claims for damages in order to entitle them to a jury of twelve, when one of four would answer the purpose. His Honour said that the practice ought to be checked, and in the case in hand allowed costs for a jury of four only. The Timaru Navels’ cutter was afloat again last evening when a crew in charge of Chief Petty Officer Bradley took out a number of lady friends for a row round tbe harbour. The water was fairly calm, and tbe row was much enjoyed. Thoughtful provision bad been made by the "commissariat,” so that the large party had a very pleasant time. The quarterly meeting for tbe installation of officers of the Good Hope Lodge, at Pleasant Point, was held on Tuesday evening last, Bro. Gunnell, D.D.G.O.T, and Sister Gunnell installed the officers. Sister Adams was duly elected Grand Lodge represent a five. Votes of thanks to the installing officers, past officers, and visitors, brought a busy meeting to a close.

Mr H. S. Tiffen (says tha Hawke's Hay Herald) has got his evaporator at work in au experimental way, and has dried a quantity of prunes, mulberries and tomatoes successfully. The prunes from the evaporator show in strong and favourable contrast to some which were dried by the sun. Mr Tiffen has obtained from California a • great variety of dried frnits from the most successful users of evaporators, and these will be regarded as a standard to be emulated. The samples range from muscatel and sultana raisins to cherries, peaches, apricots, nectarines, &c.

It is alleged that the coat of fire prevention and charitable aid will absorb the whole of the rates of Greymouth this year, leaving license fees to provide for street maintenance, salaries, etc- The cost of fire prevention is sot down at £727. The total loss by fire in Westland for the past year amounted to £27.892, of which £20,915 was insured and £14,639 salvaged. The following is from the Waikato Times : —lt is not often that harvesting work is carried out in Waikato on a Sunday, but last Sunday the reaping machine was going ahead in a field of oats at the Beeresoonrt estate* near Hamilton. The caterpillars had got into the crop, and throughout Sunday were crossing the road from.the ti-tree opposite in countless numbers, so that it was absolutely imperative to get the oats out as soon as possible to save a total loss. On Monday morning tbe grubs were hard at work round the edges, but had not got far into the crop.

The total imports of general merchandise at the port of Timaru for the year 1892 were 9807 tons ; of timber, 1,648,521 superficial feet; of coal, 20.433 tons ; showing increases in all but merchandise over the returns of the previous year. The export returns show 638 tons of aifrcbandiso sent away, 27.957 bales wool, 247 bales *kine, 2606 hides, 174’85l sacks wheat, 82,035 oats, 1635 barley, 119,094 Hour, 2057 oatmeal, 53,191 bran and sharps, 1422 malt, 68,386 potatoes, 449 tons tallow, 147 oases of preserved meat, 423 sacks grass seed, 1181 chaff, 17 beans and peas, 80 tons stone, 85,635 carcases frozen mutton, 214 tons pelts, 130 tons hay and straw.

At the Resident Magistrates Court held at Geraldine on Tuesday last the following oases were adjudicated on before Messrs R. H. Pearpoint and H. W. Moore, J.Ps :—O. B. Sberratt v. Griffin, claim 12s 6d, damage to trap hired from plaintiff. Judgment by default for amount claimed and costs. John Weldelkin, licensee of the Star of the South Hotel, Bangitata, was charged under section 146 of the I iconsing Act with selling liquor to a person whilst intoxicated, on 17th December last. Mr Smith appeared for defendant. After hearing tbe evidence of Mr W. B Barker and others the Bench decided to dismiss tbe case.

According to the Register , published by Messrs Haroourt and 00., of Wellington, fifty-one Companies with a nominal capital of £738,165 wore registered during the year 1892, made up as followsNino gold mining companies with capital to the extent of 6143 500, six dairy factories accounted for £20,950, three newspapers and a publishing company registered with £19,312, and thirtytwo mioollar.eous companies are credited with £554,400, made up of nine distributing or trading companies with £117,800, six manufacturing companies with £26,750, three farmers’ co-operative societies with £275,000 two lighting companies with £32,400, two* shipping companies with £l2 450, one coal company with £30,000, one tramway company with £15,000, two public hall companies with £2500, and six other companies with £42,500.

The return of vessels loaded at Timaru and despatched for the United Kingdom during the year ended 31st December, 1892, shows that eight of the large steamers called here (including the handsome liner Eitcutaka), and 15 sailing vessels, the largest among the sailers being the Parsee, 1281 tons register. The Helen Danny brought in the largest quantity of cargo, 469 tons of general merchandise ; and nine of tho sailers were in ballast. The whole fleet of vessels took away 24,723 bales of wool and skins, 458 tons of tallow and preserved meats, 338,561 sacks grain, 85,635 carcases mutton, 198 tons pelts and 64 tons sundries Two of the vessels sailed in January ons in February, four in March, ops In April, two is May, three in JuDf* (VO is July, one each in August, Sep, tembor, and October, and five in December The total registered tonnage of sailers and teamers was 33,260 tons. Plans of the Harbour Board’s new tugdredge are now to band at the Board’s office, where the secretary will bo very pleased to let all interested in the new vessel see them One plan shows tho vessel rigged ready for the voyage out j and others show the arrangement of tho propelling and dredging machinery. The boiler and engines are situated aft; the hopper amidships, and the crew’s quarters are forward. The two cranes are situated on either side of the hopper, and work on centres which have a clean sweep well overboard and over the hopper Tho engines are disconnecting, and the sand pump has special gearing to work it. The intake of the sand pdmp, is from the side of the vessel, and tho end of tho pipe has special lowering and raising chains. The outlet is over the hoppsr, the pipe being fitted with escapes at intervals. The whole construction shows that the vessel will be very powerful, and admirably suited to the work it has to do at Timaru. In correspondence with Mr E. Withy, ex which has found publication in Auckland, the Secretary of the Wellington Trade Council says : —“You are quite right in stating that my Council is the first Union body that has publicly expressed the opinion that land should be the chief source of taxation, but tho announcement does not imply that its members have not held that opinion for very many years. The fact is, Unionism has undergone a material change since the latest maritime strike. It now occupies a much higher position. A new era, in fact, has been inauguratsd ; experience teaches that strikes are a great mistake, so that instead of, as in the past, resorting to strikes, Unionism will in future endeavour ta obtain from Parliament all the assistance it requires to enable it to maintain its aims and objects. The change, therefore means that Unions have be. come semi-political bodies. Although the change has been brought ab>ut. byjcalamitous strikes, it is clear that politics form an important factor in Unionism, as the worker must first be organised in order to obtain that which is just from Parliament With* out concerted action (which is the great power of Unionism) it is next to impossible to obtain reform.” PUBLIC OPINION. The opinion of the leading skin authorities of the world, viz., the late Professor Sir Erasmus Wilson, F.SS.j Dr Redwood, Ph: D, F. 0.8. F.I O , Mr John h. Milton, Senior Surgeon St. John’s Hospital for the Skin, London, etc., unanimously agree that Peaks' Soap is the best soap for the skin and i complexion.—[Adyt.]