General News

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 6, 6 May 1893, Page 9

General News

' The Colonial Treasurer left Wellington for Invercargill on Thursday.

A mail for the United Kingdom will close at Invercargill at 3.45 p.m. on Tuesday.

The saw mills belonging to the Pine Co. at Lady Barkly were burned down on Sunday last.

Late cable messages state that the banks are showing a better feeling towards colonial Government stocks. ,

The rolling-stock of the Southland section of railways has been strengthened by the addition of 100 goods trucks. Our contributor- “ Aurora ” gives to-day the first of a series of sketches descriptive of her experiences en route to the Old Country. ■ A better feeling prevails in financial circles in Australia. The City of Melbourne Bank and Bank of Victoria have re-opened. A successful candidate at the Queensland election is to retire in favour of Sir Charles Lilley, the leader of the Labour party, who was defeated at North Brisbane. The net profit on the working of the New Zealand railways for the last financial year amounts to £449,421, the largest return yet received. Captain Whyborn, at one time master of the Old Men’s Home here, died in England on 16th February, after underging a surgical Operation. The Hon. Mr Bolleston will not address the Southland electors during his present visit, the sad death of the Premier rendering it impossible that he should do so. The engagement of the Duke of York and Princess May is officially announced, thus disposing of the rumour that he was secretly married at Malta.

A movement in favour of the extension of the Forest Hill railway has been started at Gore. The text of a petition dealing with the subject is given in this issue. The Shaw, Savill, and Albion Co. is building a steamer capable of carrying 80,000 carcasses of mutton, which will replace the S.s. Maori in the trade with the colonies.

Lucky man! The Woodville (Hawke’s Bay) Examiner states that a settler there who had obtained a section of 640 acres has just sold it and netted £I,OOO by the transaction. The local Amateur Operatic Society appear in “ H.M.S. Pinafore,” on the 16th, 17 th and IBth May. The rehearsals are going off well, and the Amateurs wall doubtless add to their laurels.

Twenty-three thousand people are starving at Shodrinski in Asiatic Russia; They are living chiefly on roots and grasses. Labourers’ wages in the district are only five farthings a day. Owing to the expiry of his lease, Mr Y. Ahnao has vacated his shop in Esk street, and has taken possession of premises an Bee street, opposite the saleyards. He has reopened with a very taking display of everything required in the way of head-gear. The Miners’ Eight Hours Bill has been read a second time in the House of Commons. A division was called for, the voting being 279 for and 201 against. Mr Gladstone voted with the ‘-ayes.” The arrivals in the colony during the month of April were 2394, and the departures 1873 —balance in favour of the colony—s2l. In April last year there was a balance of 660 agaiust the colony. Several cases of typhoid fever have occurod in Invercargill lately due probably to the prolonged absence of rain or wind, and the warm, muggy, and foggy weather experienced. The dry spell was broken on Thursday night.

Robert Walder, a second-hand dealer in Wellington, charged Detective Ede (formerly of Invercargill) with drunkenness and insulting language in saying that he was nothing but a receiver of stolen goods. After a portion of the evidence was taken, the case was adjourned for a week.

The’ annual show of the Christchurch Poultry Society will he held on lltli and 12th August. Entries close on 2Vth July, but post entries will be received two days later. Mr A. N. Lindsay will receive local entries and supply all information. A schedule of prizes may be seen at this office.

Fourteen applications were received for the position of second mistress of the Girls’ High School, vacant through the resignation of Miss Waterhouse, but as none of the applicants were thought to possess the necessary qualifications it was decided to re-advertise, and increare'the salary to £l5O. We have to acknowledge receipt from the Lands Department of copies of maps of the small grazing runs in the Takitimo district, and of the areas in Block 6, Lillburn district. The lands, which aggregate nearly 20,000 acres, will he open on and after 25th May,

Dealing with a letter from the Bev. L. M. Isitt, the Wellington Trades and Labour Council passed a resolution to the effect that facilities should be given for cheap, if not free, judicial separation jvhen, among other cases, a woman without means is now compelled to live with a habitual drunkard for life.

Members of the local Friendly Societies are looking forward to the gala night, which falls on the 14th of June, and to promote the success of which the management committee are sparing no pains. The proceedings will comprise a procession through the town, and a soiree and dance in Zealandia Hall. A big attendance and plenty of amusement are assured.

“ The City of Blazes,” the name once given .to Invercargill, has long since ceased to apply, but Wellington appears to have strongclaims to the title. During the last twelve months there have been 38 fires there. The damage to buildings is estimated at £3885, and to goods £6504. The insurance premiums for the same period amounted to about £35,000.

A “Mother” speaks in strong terms in the Christchurch Press of the ill effects ti».at home lessons after school have upon her children. One of them has suffered so much from headaches that she has had to be taken from school, another collapsed altogether and had to be sent away for change of air, and two others are suffering from affections of the eyes. Truly a nice catalogue !

The land taken from the Seaward Bush railway for roads is gazetted. Certain areas in the Hokonni and Wairaki districts are set apart as small grazing runs. Stewart Island is constituted a licensing district. Sections 9,10,11, and 30, Niagara township (Waikawa) are temporarily reserved from sale. John Angus Mitchell is appointed a member of the East Invercargill Licensing Committee.

Handy-sized farms are rather in demand at present. The National Mortgage and Agency Co. report a good inquiry for farms of about 300 acres. They have sold Mr B. Belothi's farm, Wairio, 200 acres, to Mr Jos. Beck,senr.; Messrs McLees’ Bros farm Wairio, 250 acres, to Mr B. Belothis ; also 800 acres Gladfield Estate, to Mr Wm. Calder ; all at very good prices. The sale of five other farms is pending. The annual supply of eggs to the hospitals and asylums of Paris is estimated at three millions. All these eggs are inspected by one man. The eggs come from the country in boxes of a thousand. The examiner sits in a dark closet with a lighted candle, before which he passes the eggs, four at a time, checking the number at the same time. From eight to ten thousand eggs are examined daily. An anti-Home Itulo procession marched from the Stock Exchange to Guildhall on May 2nd. It was 2000 strong. It met with an enthuiastic reception, crowds of people thronging the streets along the line of march and raising cheer upon cheer. Among those who spoke at the meeting were Sir John Lubbock and Mr Chamberlain. A resolution was carried that the granting of Home Kulc to Ireland would be injurious to the best interests of the Kingdom. Copies of the bill wore burned at the meeting.

Sir G. Grey says that Mr Seddon had the largest claim to be allowed to form a Cabinet, and that the Liberal Party must give him a fair trial. He had every confidence that he would carry out liberal views. He did not think it would be worthy of Mr Seddon to put himself in the position of having taken the Premiership tentatively and as a kind of experiment. He had taken office as Premier to hold it as long as he has the confidence of the H«iise and the country.

The present series of wool sales has closed, prices being firm up to the last. The total quantity catalogued was 346,000 bales, of which 329,000 were sold and 31,000 held over. Compared with the previous series merinos (superior greasy) were a penny lower; merinos of average quality a farthing to a halfpenny higher; good crossbreds a halfpenny higher; while inferior crossbreds brought the same prices; merino, scoured, halfpenny to a penny higher.

An Oamaru man writes to the North Otago Times complaining of the local price of bread, which is 6d per 41b loaf. He sent to Dunedin for bread and got a parcel which, with carriage, cost only 4d per 41b loaf. He blames the millers for keeping up an excessive price locally for flour. Oamaru flour, he says, is sold in Dunedin at 4s Gd per 501 b, in Oamaru it is 5s Gd. |The writer has a large family, using fifteen loaves per week, and the difference between Dnnedin and Oamaru prices means 2s Gd a week to him.

The rotunda was occupied by the City Band last Saturday evening, when, despite some difficulties with the lights (since remedied), a capital programme rewarded promenaders. As a token of respect to the memory of the late Premier the “Dead March in Saul” was played. On Wednesday night the Garrison Band gave a concert in the same place, and charmed all—a big all —within hearing. Although the rotunda is hidden on all sides except one by large buildings, the sound of the bands playing in it is to be heard at a much greater distance than it could be from the balcony of the Theatre. A gentleman living about two miles off in Seaward Bush quite enjoyed the concert given by the Garrison Band last Wednesday. Of course the atmosphere was exceptionally clear.

• Tlie match between the “ Old Buffers ” and the members of the Invercargill Football Club, played on the Western Reserve on Wednesday, drew a large attendance, and the collection made on behalf of that deserving institution, the Sixpenny Clothing Club, realised a good sum. The. game was not the one-sided thing that many looked for, but despite all their efforts the O. B.’s were ultimately vanquished by ten points to nil.—On Wednesday next three matches will be played —viz., Pirates v. Star (Ist) ; Pii’ates v. Star (2nd) ; and Invercargill v. Mataura. The charge preferred against two men named Hatton and Holmes of stealing drapery from D. M. Pord to the value of £27 was concluded in the local police court on Wednesday. .At the close of the evidence Mr Rawson dismissed the case as against Holmes, saying he could not see why he had been charged, and committed Hatton for trial; hail being allowed, himself in £IOO and two sureties of £SO each, Hatton and Holmes were then charged with stealing certain goods, the property of Thos. Murphy, valued at £3. After a lengthened hearing the case ■was dismissed, the court holding that it was impossible for the prosecutor to satisfactorily identify the goods. Our Otautau correspondent writes At Mr Donald Mclntosh’s farm, Fairfax, the Macktosh Bros., while there threshing, had the misfortune to lose three of their horses on Friday night week. The horses got into some stacks of wheat, and three of them have since died from the effects of over-eating, and the fourth has not yet recovered. At the present'state of the market they could not be replaced at less than £3o.—Mr E. F. Butler, of Chantly Downs, sent by special train of 17 trucks 900 two-tooth freezing wethers fed off 70 acres of turnips, and Mr Butler says he will be able to finish off about 400 more. So much for the Aparima Estate. —Another farm on the estate (Mr Walker’s) has threshed this year 47 bushels of wheat to the acre.

At a public meeting held in the Municipal Hall on Monday under the presidency of the Mayor (Mr D. McParlane) it was decided to urge the Government to make a tramway from the landing-place at Wilson’s River to the goldfields, and to place the carrying out oi the work under the supei vision of the Chief Surveyor of Southland. Motions were also passed in favour of sittings of the Warden’s Court being held in Invercargill to transact the business of the Wilson’s River goldfield, of Mr W. P. Yoyle, the postmaster at Puysegur Point, being empowered to act as deputy clerk of the Warden’s Court to sign application notices, and of the necessity that exists for a more frequent mail service between Preservation Inlet and the Bluff. A resident of Clifton named Charles Murdoch, a stoker, was before the Police Court on Monday last on a charge of having assaulted one Annie Holland, his sister-in-law. Prom the evidence, it appeared that the defendant, while under the influence of drink, had attacked the complainant and his daughter. After beating the latter he struck Miss Holland about the head, knocked her down and kicked her. This happened in the presence of several men and boys, only one of whom attempted to interfere. Defendant deposed that he was mad drunk at the time. His Worship (Mr Eawson) said the assault was aggravated and unjustifiable, and imposed a sentence of six months’ imprisonment with hard labour. Later in the day, however, on defendant’s family representing that they were willing to find sureties for his good behaviour, the Magistrate altered his decision and fined the defendant £lO, with costs; in default three months’ imprisonment, and to find one surety of £ls for three months.