NEWS OF THE DAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 207, 5 September 1904, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

On Friday night a fire at Messrs date's and Uo.'s seed wiuvhuuso Queeii-street, Auckland, did a cunaiderable amount of damage to the stock ami building.

It is reported in the Home papers that as soon as ilie Italian railwaymen's unions have completed their urrafigements tt general railway strike will -be declared throughout Italy.

Dr. Valintine has written to the Mayor approving of the provisions made by Mr Mestayer, consulting engineer, l' 0 r preventing the entry of storm water into the municipal septic tank.

The takings at St. Mary's Bulb show amounted to £3l. Aliss 11. Buchanan was the successful wimier of tile model yaclht, having guessed the name Isabella, which proved to lie the correct one.

"Opposition won't be here on the Government benches for twenty years, and if they get here, I, for c:ne, will collar the missus and the kids and clear for Australia !"—Terrifying threat ,by Mr E. M. Smith.

It is stated that , a test case is to bo brought by the Labour Department against butchers who have the contract for slaughtering at the Timaru municipal abattoirs, to determine whether or not abattoirs come within the meaning of the Factories Act. This will be tho first case of itskind in the colony.

At Belleville, in France, is a large hilly field, where biograph pictures of tho Russian-Japanese war are prepared. About sixty men are employed, and, in either Russian or Japaneso costumes, as the occasion demands, they charge, and retreat, and appeal- to die, while a long film records it all as stirring events in the Far East. Huge painted canvasses representing Port Arthur, the \alu River, and other scenes of battle, are employed to give the pictures realism.

The Masterton Borough Council is having some difficulty with the septic tank in which the sewerage of the borough is treated. The health authorities investigated, and have come to tlie conclusion that owing to the enormous quantity of water gaining access to the tank, it had no opportunities of performing' its work. The Masterton Times' comment is that a limited supply of water for tho residents would 'be a greater nuisance than a congested tank. It is surmised that there has been a lack of foresight in the 'original project, hut until a report 'by Mr Leslie Reynolds has been received nothing can be done.

This is a good story of Mr Cmtoll that, the N.Z. limes says, is sending echoes of laughter through tho lobbies', and nobody sees more iiuinour in it than tho Minister himself. On a recent visit to Gisbonie he was approached by an old, old man from away back who liad known mm when ho was quite a boy. "To ihink, Jimmy," the old visitor said, 'that you should occupy such a high position now—a Minister of the Crown ! His voice trembled. Jimmy," he went on, "it's a proud day lor me—mo who knew y o u when you were so little!" There was a long pause—then, "Jimmy," wavered tho old man, "don't overdo it ; don't follow Atkinson and Ballance ; don't kill yourself in tho service of the State !"-

On the 21st of October, Trafalgar Day, « wreath of New Zealand flowers will bo placed 0 n the Nelson Monument in Trafalgar Square, London, as a contribution fr 0 m the Wellington branch of the Navy League to tho memory, of the great naval hero. Tho wreath has been made in Wellington and frozen into the centre of a solid block of ice, at tho Moat Export Company's works, and it will be carried to London in its frozen state in the chamber of the ocean steamer Huapehu, the officers of which have undertaken to keep it intact until the day whe'n it will 'bo required. Instead of being "t'hawod out," tlie wreath will probably bo exhibited in its frozen form on some part of the monument. It contains several specimens of native ferns intertwined amongst tho flowers.

Tho little Cheviot paper tells, not very a rather shocking story concerning the deputation which was recently sent from the settlement to Wellington. One of tho members was apparently not used to steamer travelling, and wandered astray 0 n board. ''i Feeling tired," says tho News, "ho turned in. Scarcely had he got comfortably esconsod when a fat old lady bounced into the compartment, and, not knowing ing the berth was already occupied, scram Wed in on top of the astonished deputationist. What followed is best left to. tlie imagination, but there was a speedy exit of a lady in white from the precincts of that cabin, while tho gwntleman lost no time in regaining his own .quarters." Clearly there are somo glcmtlanien at Cheniof who should not be trusted on boarel a steamer without a nurse — or a Policeman.

Timaru, like some other towns, seems to ba divided—and that pretty eqiually—over tlie question of the site on which to erect a troopers' memorial. Tho ■foundation and steps for this have been already built on a site near the Drill-shed, at a cost of £7O. One petition, with 410 names, has 'been) presented to the Memorial Committee, asking that n meeting of subscribers be convenod to consider a proposal to erect a statue in the middle of the town, at the junction of tw 0 of tho principal streets. A counter-petition, with 418 signatures, urges that the site should not be changed. By 14 votes to 5 tho committee decided to adhere to the presenjt site. A marble figure of a tro o per has been in Timaru for somo time, ibut delay has occurred in the; shipment of a granite base. This is now on the way from Aberdeen, and is duo about the end or September.

Sir Henry Stanley's will is a surprise to most of those who knew him personally, and who had sup-, posed, in view of his modest way of living, that ho was a man of comparatively small fortune, as fortunes are reckoned in these days. Tho impression was to some extent confirmed by the fact that in place of a country estate—which his fondness ■ for rural quiet would certd'niy hnve enabled liiin to appreciare—he was quite content with a small farm, which ho managed personally and i„ a decidedly practical spirit. It turns out that he was worth no less than £145,805 ati the time of his death. The income from his books is supposed to have been largely supplemented by successful transactions in the "city." He has directed that the property should bo dividod between liis widow and his adopted son, Don'il Stanley. Tho bulk of it will ultimately go to tho latter.

A reporter on the Otago Daily Times wlio has lately made inquiries into the working of prohibition in the Chalmers electorate, is convinced that. a considerable consumption of liquor is 'going on , and . thaC the amount of liquor consumed privately in homes or in sonic rendezvous tn tlio twelve months has considcral>I.V increased. The town cleric stated that tho reductions in the annual rateable value of the five hotels from (he carrying of prohibiten Co the present day .total £564, and the amount of rates derived from that sum is consequently lost to the borough, together with the license fees. The Mayor regretted that he noticed an increase in drunkenness and rowdyism about the railway, and after the arrival of the lat« trains from Punedin. A number of youths found their way to T>unedin almost every night, and generally there was now considerably larger traffic of population to and from I Vhmedin than there was before prohibition was carried. Asked* as to whether this heavier passenger traffic to Dunedin meant loss in general trade witMn the borough, the Mayor' said it meant a very considerable difference-. The reporter found that the consensus of opinion was that thei\» was a direct loss to tho commercial interests.

The first shipment of tWa season's xlaii'i' produce to the Home market will probably ibo mailu fr 0 m Wellington afiout the middle of this month. II is reported that the Congo States are constructing formidable forts along the entire \\vv;i,.;ni coast to Lake Tanganyika, fearing U'.vman encroachment.

His Worship the Mayor has receiv<*l a letter from I)r. Valintine sugjgosting .Uia't the Tarunaki Hospitul Board would favourably consider a proposal fr o in the liorough Council to jointly erect a public morgue in the hospital grounds. Mr .1. F. Pearson, in his article in tho Illustrated Dairy, says of grading : "It is safe to say that this system biAngs to the New Zealand farmer £3#,001) to £40,000 per annum above what lie would otherwise receive for hi 9 'butter and cheese."

The secretory of the United Friendly Societies annual picnic committee has received word from Mr W. Stringleman, district traffic manager, granting trains to run t 0 SenIry I-lill on November 9th for their annual picnic, the committee having altered their date from New Year's Day f () j- this year only, on account of the exhibition to be held in New Plymouth at Christmas and New Year's time.

When the Denbigh Hotel was . fast becoming enveloped in flames the other morning (writes the Feilding correspondent of tho Manawatu Times), an old toper rushed gallantly into the burning building, to return in an instant with a bottle of heated "stagigad juice." With a smile or his ancient dial ho plaood the botllo in soma cold water, wken to his disgust his haird-won prize went off with a pop.

A Crown tenant from the Iluntervl 11 o bush district, in applying for a transfer of has section to; someone else, put the position thus : "I am tired of Land Board administration, because the land nationalisation agitation has depredated the value of my improvements 50 per cent., and ! want tD gx)t out before a dishonest Legislature confiscates the rest under a so-called Fair Rent Hill." The Land Ilourd approved the transfer.

In connection with the steam service to west coast ports of the United Kingielom, the Department of Industries arjd Commerce has received ca'ble advice from the Agent-General, dated London, the Ist inst., reporting tho arrival of tho steamer Suffolk nt Bristol on the 11th ult., Liverpool 15th, and Glasgow on tlie 25th. Cartpjo arrived in good condition to favourable markets, and that ail shipments were readily taken up.

Mr A. B. O'Brien, a member of the tiritish foo'tball team, who has remained in New Zealand in order to visit his relatives, spooking at a gathering in Christchurch last week, said lie thought that Rugioy was taken rather too seriously in Now "Zealand. It seemed to be an all-ab-oorbing topic of convei-sation, to the detriment of higher things. Still, football, in its modern scientific form, was ono of the links that ioi.nd tho Empire together, for it

enabled men from Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to meet on common ground and understand each other. On Sunday the services in connection with tiio Diamond Jubilee and opening of the new church were continued in tho Primitive Methodist Church, Queen-street. The Rev. C. E. Ward, of Christchurch, preached, and there were crowded congregations at all the services. A strong choir, with Miss A. Word at the piano, and Mr Golding tho organ, led the singingi. The choir rendered the anthem, "They that Dwell in the Land" in the morning, and " They that Stiuid in the Houso" in the evening in splendid style. Miss Nixon also sang a solo very beautifully at the evening service. The collections of thp day were in aid of the buildng fund.

In an article in "Life" on the 'Possibilities of tho Post Office," Sir J. G. Ward indicates that he looks forward to tho possibility of letters iieina sent for a halfpenny and telegrams at threepence, and speculates upon a development of scienco Ahich will secure that a sender of a .elegraui will be able to write his jiessage and be assured that it will be delivered in fac-simile at its destination, and' this without the intervention o' h%bly trained operators. He also hopes that before long inventors will 'bo able to produce some•.hing which will enable the Government to roduco very materially the present lioavy cost of telephone exchanges ajid telephono wires. An interesting sidelight was thrown upon tlie colonial mendicant at the meeting of tlie Auckland Charitable Aid lioaid when the chairman referod to tho "passer on." According to tho chairman the "passer on" is a person who travels from ona e*d of the colony on charitable aid. in order to circumvent him the board eloeieled to fall into line with other nodrds in the colony by issuing u •i t of persons in receipt of charitable aid, so than when tho professional mendicant has "worked", say, Christchurch l , something will be . nown about him when lie reaches another stage. It was also pointed out that in the winter "passers on" .i-oijuently migrate from tho South to the more temperate climate of Auckland.

Tho Otago Daily Times Bays What ono of the members of the committoa of th« Otago Rugby Unon styled as the latest development lof the "confidence tuck" was tlie subject of discussion at the meeting of the committee on the 29th August. It appears that on tho previous Saturday there was a football match between a ft'' lll of local brewers and carters. Some individual, at present unknown, and likely to remain unknown as long as ho can contrive to do so, saw in this a chance to fill his pockets with a few extra pence, or, rather, shillings, and accordingly located himself at the entrance to the gate, posing as an authority <yf the Ruglby Union, and from each innocent onl o oker who passed in extracted the sum of sixpence.

A Kuti (Gisiborno) resident was startled at 2 o'dlock tho other morning to find a white figure standing at his bedside. He spoke to tho object four times without receiving an answer, and then, getting out of lied, lie found the gihost-like figure materialise into a young man, and a very muddled und harmless man it was. Tho visitor was clad only in his white sh'irt, and was carrying his trousers in his haiul. His hat, coat and vest had been lost like himself, and when questioned did not seem to know where lie was or where the rest of his clothes were, but said he was looking for his room. He could not give his name or where ho hailed from,, and so the occupier of tho houso took hlim out om tho verandah, assisted him into his trousers, and set him oil to look for his Quarters. The ghostly visitor turned up at tho police station next meaning in a clearer state of mind, and at his instance inquiries were made for liis coat, vest, etc., of whoso whereabouts bo had no idea.

| The Red Jacket shaft of tho Calu- , met and Ilecla copper uiinc, North- ; cm Michigan, U.S.A., is the deepest- shaft in the world. It has taken nine years of day and night work to sink, and cost ,£500,000, says Industries and Iron. This shaft is vertical, hut all of the other shafts: of the Culuniet and Ilecla follow the dip in the lode. Work on it wasj started in 1889, immediately after the last of the three givat underground fires in the older workings of the mine, which did damage of more than £200,000. Work has been continued upon it sfince that time, and the shaft stands without a parallel in mining. It is *lU2oft. in depth, or 360 ft less than a mile. It contains six compartments, each equal in size to an ordinary mining shaft, four of which are used for hoisting rock and lowering timber. One shaft is used for the ladderways, and the sixth compartment carried the wires and pipes for telephones, light;, power, water, tirnl compressed sir,

No decrenso hero.—A ewe on a property at Woodville gave birth to a quartet of lambs.

Cabled that four "bull" operators in Chicago wheat cleared a million sterling In a fortnight.

Thm train arrangements for the football match at Ellham next Thursday are advertised elsewhere The Auckland Gas Company is making a trial of street lamps fixed to telegraph p o les. If it is found lhat the vibration is not too destructive to the mantles, the practice will ibo extendod.

Captain J. Thomson, of the steamer Louise Roth, says that at Timaru he found the besit hawsers and most up-to-date means of mooring a vqssel to the wharves that he had seen anywhere in the world. His vessel took 14,680 sacks of hran, ■barley, and potatoes from the port on Tuesday for South African ports.

The Railway Department has decided to raise the level of the Waitotara railway bridge by live lVel, so as to place the decking beyond the reach of floods, which a few months ago threatened tlif structure. Traffic w iH no t i| w interfered with as the bridge will lie raised at the rate of six inches every Sun day, hydraulic lifts being utilised for the purpose.

A magisterial inquiry into the grounding of the Aotea at Patea on August Bth was .held em Friday bcf o re Mr Turribull, S.M., and Captain Wood, marine assessor. The evidence showed that Acting-Pilot, Bonner signalled the Aotea to come in. The vencßct was that the accident was unavoidable, and that no ■blame was attachable to the captain of the Aotea.

Mr F. Watson's racing stud wa'. submitted to auction by Mr Newton King on Saturday, and most of the lots were purchased by Mill. Morrow, of Uahotu, at tlie following figures Okoari, £370; ,lir,gall, £9O; St. Laura, £4O ; Daystar gelding, £ls. Mr Morrow also purchased a six-year-old pony on account of Mr Healo for £25. Mr W. •I. Honeyfield bought the mare (Albert Victor—Fair Nell) £lO 10s.

A young man named Brady, a fresh-looking Maonilander, aged 25 years, wiho has worked in tho bush most of and during spare hours underwent a course of development on t,he lines laid down by Sa.ndow, exhibited himself at a boxing tournament u® Sydney recently, and caused very considerable astonishment by the great amount of muscle ho put up, and tihe wonderful command ho had over it all. Sydney Tines says that, next to Snndow himself, Brady is the best that has been, sren in Sydney.

At a mooting 0 f tihe Auckland City Council, a letter was received from Mr 11. F. Gladding, asking f o r compensation for 'tihe loss of Iris son, who, he alleged, had died from injuries received at tho lato fire at Morrn and Co.'s whilst in the employment of the Council as a fireman. Ilie letter was referred to the Finance and Legal Committeo, who are to consider a report on the matter from the doctor in charge of the surgical ward at the hospital. The Mayor, in moving the resolution, said ho thought that it was bad that tlie deceased young mail should have 'been kept in the surgical ward at tho hospital before it was discovered that his back was broken. Tho worst feature of the case, in his mind, was that a certificate should have been (Jiven to the insurance company concerned to tho effect that the young man would Be out of the hospital In a certain time. Dr. Sharman expressed the hopo that the committee would give this matter serious consideration. It was a gravo tjjueslion, end should be ully looked into.

In tho courso of an interesting speech at the annual meeting of Methodists at Wellington on Thursday, the Post reports, tho Rev. J. Cocker stated that during its ninety-seven years' exisrttneo tho Primitive Methodist connexion had become the owners of property to the value of £4,200,000. During last year an average sum of £IOOO per day was raised throughout the world for the purpose of reducing existing debts and erecting new churches, and 65 new buildings were erected during the year, at an average cost of £2500. At the present time the Connexion's Christian Endejivourers in Fngland were raising £IOOO towards the cost of erecting a missionary training college in We*t Africa. Tlie church roll container! 201,000 mem'hers ; there were 1115 ministers, 104 local preachers, over half a million scholars and teachers in tho Sunday-school, and over 100,"00 Christian Endeavourers. The '•onnexional publishing house at Home is'.-iicd 3,000,000 niaga'/ines, "f I *., find n!yout £20,000 was spun! ■:>n missionary work. The value of the church's property in New Zealand was £53.000, anel tho debts on the Zonlnnd churches amounted to 3s 4d in the £.

The Wellington Post reports that a ehango appears to liavo been made in tho metheid of fixing the Dan-sh butter quotation. Instead of

tho farmer representatives on the Copenhagen Committee, who have now withdrawn., there are to bo a of representatives for farming, dairy farming, and ibutter shipping, both in Copenhagen, and the vinces, and comprising also buyers

lor Emglisih firms ; and it is pro'posid 1o forward through a special! working committee 'a weekly quotation to the Quotation Committee of the Copenhagen Chamber of Commerce. At tho same time the Dairy Statistics Committeo has agreed to confine' the communication which it sends to tho press to one qu o tution giving the average for the whole country in kroners, with one decimal per IOOUy This chanjgo came into operation on Ist July, and is to hold for ono year. Further advices from Denmark state that a number of tho loading dairy farmers and agricultural societies have drawn up a proposal to the effect that the

"Lur ' brand shall ibe made compulRory for all Danish export ibutter, that all butter imported into 1,0n.don shall carry the name of the country from whence it hails, and that all foreign butter offered for sale in Denmark shall bp so marked that it cat) neither directly nor indirectly bp mistaken for Danish butter. The proposal is under .the consideration of the British Minister oi Agriculture.

An objection raised in England some time ago to the adoption of electrocution in place of hanging as a means of inflicting capital punishment was that tliere could be no absolute certainty as to the strength ol the e-lectric ceirreut required to cause an instant and comparatively painless death. The idea was laughed at by some experts who favoured tho more modern method of ridding socioty of dangerous criminals ; but it appears to receive some support from reports of a terrible scene witnessed at Columbus, in the State of Ohio. A man named' Schiller, who had ibeen sentenced to death for the murder of his wife, was placed in the chair at the local penitenitiary, and 1750 volts were passed through his body, it is stated tliot the only outward effect of this was a slight contraction of the muscles. The current was then reduced to 250 volts, anel applied for 52 seconds, and four

physicians pronounced Mchjller (lend. J hey hud barely dune so when ) u , began to g ro«m, they found upop a second examination that his heart was l>eaUn«- feebly ||,. U ,. K replacxl i,, the chair, strapped down, ami a K ain subjected to the J lei uic current. On hein s removed mmutw later and examined fmt iei ho W a» seen to be still alive Ho « described as " l.vi„|r on th ', fh« || r"' nB ~ n tel ' l ' il,l<> fieht for the luilf-seore persons who witnesscd it Death did not take place until the man was for the third time put into the chair, and a voltage of 1800 turned on for several minutes. Ihe body was stiockiivWv distorted, and the flesh where the current whs applied,

Tlu> A.B.C. Boot Company have a new advertisement upon thv fourth page to-day, in wliioh they out! attention to some of the cheap lints. With a viow to fostering inventive enterprise in wgard to implements for agricultural purp o sea, Messrs Baldwin and Bayward, patent ag<nts, have arranged with the Munawatu Agricultural u n<l Pastoral Association to give a special annual prizeof £5 f»s for tho 'best invention relating' to agricultural implements during the year. Waitresses i n the opinion of the Wellington Inspector ol Factories, ought to lx! Itrought uihli'l' the operation of the .Shops and Shop-Assis-tants Acts. These girls have to work long hours, lie says in his annual report, aral have no Act to protect them.. "1 have come across many instance* where these girls liavo to keep on duty from 12 to 10 hours, and if tihey are not satisfied with this their only remedy is to go to another employer, who will treat them very little better. The sleepin# accommodation which is providad for these workers is also a matter which should receive careful consideration.-

A fortune est»i mated to have amounted to at least £2,000,000 and once the property of Major Jas. Sinclair, hus heeoi lost for nearly a century —so Edinburgh gossip declares. A •solicitor hns been investigating! matters. The will, which has been proved in Calcutta, leavea the whole of the testator's fortune to his only daughtor, Elizaibelih. In tho will itself the fortune ia estimated at 60,"00 rupees, which, if gold rupees, would amount ut that time to about £90,000. If the money has l.een lying at interest all these years it is quito easy to see that" mil lions" is no exaggeration of what it will have now accumulated to. Two executors were appointed by Major Sinclair in his will, one of whom died almost immediately afterwards. The otmer. Stajor John Crow, who was a military comrade of llajor -Sinclair, took out probate of the will, and it is stated, entered into possession of the estate. From that time Major Crow and the fortune <lis>appoare*l completely, Much interest is taken in possible seSO(|UL>ls.'

NEW ADVI?RTISEMENTS. An nMtuary notice is insert**!. A.B.C. limit Co.—Business) announ cement on fourth page. Sunvtura Tea Co.—lnsert list o' prices. N.Z. Railways—Excursion to Elthuni on September Bth.