News and Notes.

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 35, 31 March 1894, Page 9

News and Notes.

The bachelors of the Waikivvi hold tlieir annual ball in Mr Smaill’s barn on the evening' of Friday, I3th April. The arrangements are in the capable hands of Mr C. Moir, secretary. The shooting season opened on Monday. One party mustering three guns bagged 116 ducks on the Mataura,while nearer home Mr G . Shave, Bay Road, killed 81 ducks in a couple of hours. The Hon. J. McKenzie, Minister of Bands, doesn’t believe in Agricultural Colleges. His remarks on this subject, reported elsewhere, are worth reading. A Bathurst clergyman declares that until the Governors of colonies turn their backs on racecourses, and refuse to make race meetings a public function, no good can be done so far as the people are concerned. Twenty thousand Ulstermen, after listening to an address by that Rupert ©f debate, Colonel Saunderson, declared they would never submit to Home Rule. Old and esteemed acquaintances of 1 jcal play-goers, the Kennedy-Deering Company, open in the Theatre Royal shortly. C- F. Abraham, a youth, of 19, now holds the draughts championship of Queensland, he having defeated S. Passey, the former holder. It is believed by many that France is quite a match for Germany ; but Mr Archibald Forbes points out that wbeievs the population of France is only 8b millions with an absence otany increase, Germany has 49 millions of an extremely prolific population. While Germany, therefore, will continue to increase in population, and so to add to the ranks ot her army, France today, i.s at the very apex of her military strength.

An authority, speaking of Russia, claims that the reigning Czar has two ruling hut antagonistic passions—a horror of war, f.nd a hatred of Germany and the Germans, and the problem as regards him is which passion shall conquer the other.

In Melbourne in 1838 fowls were selling for 15s a pair ; oats wei’e 8s 6d per bushel ; horses cost from £4O to £7O; tea was 6s alb ; potatoes, £l2 a ton ; eggs, 3s 6d a dozen ; flour, £1 10s per 100 lbs ; and butter 2s 6d a lb.

Professor Alpers, late of the N ew Zealand University, says that Uew Zealand enjoys the distinction of being the political laboratory of the world. Every possible experiment in legislation and government —from “ labor lords ” to advertising on postage stamps —is being tested on its small but versatile population.

“ My boy,” said an inspector to a State school youngster, “ suppose your father gave you Is to buy 11b of sugar at 21d a pound, and 11b of tea at Is 6d a pound, and you lost 4d of the change, what would yon have when you got home ?” “ A good hidin,” said the boy. Life at Coolgardie is thus summed up by a correspondent of the Tuapeka Times:—A man has to live hard, lie hard, and work hard, and if he has a little money and an iron constitution and don't suffer palpitation of the heart, he certainly has a show here that does not present itself in any of the other colonies at present.

As a result of the Clutha licensing 1 election it is stated that a publican who recently bought an hotel for £9OO, and sjoent £3OO in improvements, has sold out for £450.

Damaging monuments in a cemetery is the latest form of activity among French anarchists. This is an improvement on the murderous bomb business.

Patrons of the City Band’s promenade concert in the Zealandia Hall on Tuesday night had a real good time, the band’s selections being supplemented by several capitallyrendered songs by Mrs Mohr and Mr Godso, and a well-played cornet solo by Mr J. W. Glennie.

Trouble ahead. The master ironworkers, shipbuilders, and engineers, are organising against the eight hours system on the ground that it practically offering a subsidy to foreign competition. This step will affect 750,000 workmen.

One of the members of the .Wellington licensing committee—a temperance one —is a lady—Miss Cowles.

America is the home of big things, but the following extrrcts from the Spectator, an American insurance journal, recently republished by the Mutual Life Association of Australasia, go to prove that “mere bigness” is not everything:—The public is gradually being educated ujj to the fact that mere bigness is not necessarily a superior quality of Life Assurance. The smaller companies, it is maintained, offer quite as good indemnity and are better able to look after the interests of their policyholders, because of the fact that there are fewer of them, and the volume of assets to be invested and watched over is smaller. Policyholders calling at the office of the company can more readily recieve the attention, of the executive officers, and go away satisfied that they have conferred with the head of the institution, whose statements represent authority, and not with a clerk or chief of department, who must of necessity in large corporations act for the officers. That the smaller officers ax - e more conservatively managed and do less hurrahing and shouting in the prosecution of their business, wins favourable consideration for them The “ giant ” companies have had things pretty much their own way in the field of Life Assurance for several years, and it i.s time the smaller ones had their innings.

The Rev. R. Taylor,who has left to take charge of the Wesleyan church in South Dunedin, was entertained at a social by the members of St. Paul’s Wesleyan Church on the evening of the 23rd inst. He was ; the recipient of no end of good wishes and of handsome presentations from the congregation, Christian Endeavour Society, and the Hew Zealand Alliance in recognition of his worth as a minister and as a worker in the temperance cause. He preached his farewell sermon on Sunday night, when the church was crowded. The occasion was also that of the annual harvest thanksgiving- services. The

interior of the building was beautifully decorated with flowers and the fruits of the earth. The musical items given by the choir under the direction of Mr Hayes, in addition to the ordinary hymns and anthems, included Simper’s “ And God said ‘ Let the earth bring forth fruit” StainerV‘Ye shall dwell in the land;” and Barnby’s “ O Lord, how manifold are thy works !” At the morning service the duet from Handel’s Judas Maccabeus , O lovely Peace,” was sung by Miss Nicholas and Miss B. Organ. The soloists at night were Miss Nicholas and Mr Grenfell, Mr Pearce being the organist.