General News

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 17, 22 July 1893, Page 9

General News

The balance-sheet of the Campbelltown borough is published on page three. A mail for the United Kingdom closes at Invercargill at 3.45 p.m. on Tuesday. Thirty small warehouses have been burned down in London. The damage is estimated at half a million sterling. Mr W. A. Prentice, of Christchurch, has been appointed manager of the newly-formed Southland Co-operative Society, The Garrison Band gave a capital promenade concert at the Zealandia hall on Thursday evening. A further instalment of travel notes by “Aurora,” “Norwood’s” cricketing budget, and several letters are held over till next week. Mr Bees has obtained the approval of a meeting of Auckland electors regarding his action in reference to Mr Oadman. The Hon W. Montgomery has been appointed a member of the Ministry without portfolio. The report of the committee on the Home Kule Bill will be taken on 7th August, and a fortnight will be allowed to debate it before the third reading. The tender of Messrs Littlejohn and Son, Wellington, has been accepted for supplying a.clock for the Invercargill post office tosver, the amount being £685. .The Auckland Education Board has declined a request preferred by Bishop Luck that its inspectors should be authorised to inspect Catholic schools. | 'An Auckland creditor of the N.Z.L. and M.A. Co. has given notice to move, under the Companies Act, that the concern be wound up under section 270. Auckland burglars arc no respcctors of persons. Their latest victim is Judge Conolly, from whose house money and jewellery have been stolen. Invercargill is represented at the Taieri poultry show held to-day. "A feature ol the event is a pigeon Hying match, the birds competing being liberated a Mataura. Sir G. Grey is confined to bed, and it is hardly likely that the veteran statesman will be able to take his place in Parliament this session The Queensland Government is retrenching, and the dismissal of 600 civil servants is probable. Forty compositors have already been dispensed with at the Government printing office. The Government have appointed Mr A. Shaw for another term on the Bluff Harbour Board, and Mr T. Gilroy succeeds Mr W. Craig, who, after a long period of good service, has decided to retire. Staff-Commander Smith states that Admiral Tryon’s last words just before H.M.S. Victoria capsized were addressed to a "midshipman on the bridge, to whom he said—- “ Don’t stop, youngster. Go to the boat.” An advertisement regarding the Ocean Bench Freezing Works is published in this issue. It deals with certain statements which it is alleged have been circulated relative to the works. ■ . The first lambs of the season— so far as wc have heard— are to be seen on Mr A. McKenzie’s farni, Otcramika. Twenty-five of the little “now chums” were in evidence there some days ago. The Colonial Treasurer does not think it advisable to reduce the rates of interest charged by the Government insurance department on advances made policyholders on the security of their policies. The Petitions Committee of the House of Representatives have recommended that Elizabeth Clark, of Invercargill, be allowed equal to six months’ pay of her late husband, who was killed by a fall through a railway bridge at Hamilton.' There is money in rabbits. It is reported that a young trapper in the Eastern district has averaged during the last two months £1 a day, and another to the north cf Invercargill 30s per day. It is worthy of note in connection with the New Australia movement that twenty years ago an attempt was made to establish a colony of Lincolnshire farmers in Paraguay, with the result that the enterprise proved a disastrous failure. ' It is difficult to understand the carelessness with which people handle poisonous mixtures. A lady in Carterton (Wellington district) has just died from heart disease, accelerated by a dose of belladona, given through a mistake in labelling bottles. . .. As one of the results of the season’s operations at the Woodlands rabbit preservingworks 60 bales of skins were lately awaiting despatch to “ foreign parts.” It is ; a pity that they cannot be utilised locally in the manufacture of Colonial head gear. The Gore branch of the Mutual Life As sociation of Australasia, hitherto worked from Dunedin, will in future be managed from Invercargill, where Mr P. Gill is the district manager. The section of country now underbid jurisdiction is a wide one., Before the Government would allow the Koval Tar (the vessel bought by the founders of the New Australia settlement) to leave Sydney' repairs had to effected and fittings put in which were estimated to cost .£1,200. The ship took 180 souls on her first trip to Paraguay,

The drawing in connection with the City Band’s art union takes place in the Theatre Royal on Thursday, 27th inst. Holders ol tickets are reminded that returns must be given in to-night. The Band give a promen* ade concert in front of their Dee street shop this evening. We are indebted to the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company for a card, containing a summary (compiled by Mr P. Cunningham, of Christchurch) of the frozen meat exported from the colony for the six months ended 3 th June. The totals arc —Mutton, 768,788 carcases; lamb, 450,898 carcases ; beef, 897,926 lb. The Bluff comes fourth on the list of exporting harbours, with 86,059 carcases of mutton and 61,140 lambs. In 1882 the colony’s total export of frozen meat was 1,707,328 lb, while for the first six months of 1893 it amounts to 64,943,066 lb. The Southland Champion Ploughing Match takes place on Mr Herman’s farm, near Wallacetown Crossing, on Wednesday Entries close this evening, and a meeting of the committee to allot special prizes and other business will be held this afternoon. Already a number of cracks are entered, including the two, Ladbrooks, the two Kings, and last year’s champion, W. Allison. Mr J. McConachie, of the Taieri, will act as judge. We notice that Mr W. C. Ladbrook won the championshij} at the Taieri Derby match the other day, and. in addition, to the honour, carried off in goods and money £l3 6s. The debate on the Financial Statement still drags its slow length along in the House of Eepresentatives. One result of this is that the members of the Legislative Council have been compelled to join the ranks of the unemployed, and have adjourned till the 26th inst. Their screw will, of course, go on all the same. Concurrently with this delightful state of .things, so far as the honourables are concerned, is heard the cry of the unemployed in Christchurch and other centres.. Happy thought! Would it not be a good thing to our legislators, upper and lower, to have a self-denial session ? Self-denial weeks have been made familiar to us by the Salvation Army, but a self-denial session, in which members would refrain from drawing their salaries, would refrain from wasting time in mere talk, and would get through the real business of the country as quickly as possible, and then homeward hie, would be, under existing conditions, a positive godsend. It would mean thousands of pounds for cooperative works. It would mean that the Seaward Bush line could be carried over the Mataura, and the Hokonui line to McDonald’s corner. We commend the idea to the member for Invercargill, himself a worker, and one who, after his first session, expressed himself as amazed at the extravagant way in which the business of the country is run in Wellington.