TOWN & COUNTRY.

♦ A meeting of the Waimate Domain Board was held on Monday night last. Very little business was transacted beyond the passing of accounts and the : acceptance of an order presented by a tradesman.

_ By. the express yesterday a number of Roman Catholic clergy from Christ- s jhurch wentddwn to Dunedin to attend i ihe funeral of the late Bishop Moran. Bishop Grimes and six or seven others , were m the party. Father Hurlin went from Timaru on Monday, and yesterday Mr J. P. Corcoran went to represent the . Hibernian Society, and Mr E. Lane to ! represent the Aloysian Society. Mr J. S. Thompson, who has for a , number of years been teller at the Union Bank of Australia, Waimate, has received notice of promotion to the Napier branch. Mr Butt succeeds MiThompson. Mr Thompson will be very much missed from Waimate by a wide circle of friends, especially those of an athletic turn, with whom he has been most closely associated by his captaincy of the local football club. An error occurred m our report of the remarks made by the member for Timaru, Mr Hall-Jones, at the meeting of Crown and other tenants on Saturday. His opinion was " That the Harbour and Education Reserves Bill will not become law during the present Parliament, but that a Fair Rent Bill, which dealt with leases from the Crown as well as from local bodies probably would (if introduced by Government) become law." The usual fortnightly meeting of the Juvenile Ancient Order of Foresters, Court Southern Cross No. 3123 was held on Monday. Court was opened m due form, Bro. Osborne CR. presiding. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed on the motion of Bros. Buchanan and Andrews. The officers names were called over. The woodwards reported no sick on the funds. After some routine business was done the Court was closed at half-past 8 o'clock by the CR. Receipts for the evening— 6s 9d. A special meeting of the creditors of James Philp, ironmonger, was held yesterday, when 14 of the principal creditors were present or represented. Tlie Deputy Assignee had called the meeting under the advice of Judge Ward, who set aside the sale of the stock-in-trade to Mr Caldwell, and yet advised the creditors to ratify it. A fresh offer, however, had been made by Mr Caldwell, and effect was given to this by the following motion, moved by Messrs A. Henderson and W. Priest and carried unanimously — "That Mr Caldwell's offer for the stock as on 10th April last, viz., to pay into the estate £300 within one month from date, to pay all outgoings connected with the business sinoe 10th April last, and to settle with the Bank of New South Wales so that it does not rank as a creditor, be accepted." Mr Caldwell had arranged with the Bank to pay £240 m cash on receiving back the £400 m bills previously given. The usual monthly branch committee meeting of the New Zealand AVorkers' Union was held at the head office, Waimate, on Saturday evening, the president being m the chair. Correspondence was read from Oamarama, Kurow and Oamaru, and the unemployed members question was discussed, after which the proceedings terminated. The usual weekly executive meeting then took place, when correspondence was dealt with from Messrs J. AY. Kelly and AY. AY. Collins, M.H.Rs., on matters affecting the Union ; from Christchurch, Timaru, Winton and Oamaru branches reporting progress. From the Hokitika League for the Promotion and Development of Goldmining, and from the Government Registrar respecting certain provisions of the Trades Union Act. The president gave a report of his visit to Oamaru which was adopted. After instructing the secretary how to act m respect to unemployed membera, and passing some small accounts for payment, the meeting ended. Many years ago, when several young men were fellow-students as pupil teachers m South Canterbury, they formed a resolve that when any one of them became a benedict the others were to make that fortunate one a suitable presentation. Quite recently one of their number, Mr Harry Smith, Kumara, AVestland, entered the happy state, and a presentation and an address have been forwarded him by his old chums. The presentation took the form of a choice silver eggstand and a small but neat breakfast cruet. Appended to the presents was a suitable address signed by J. P. Kalaugher, Rangitira Valley ; J. Gillespie, Seadown ; A. Bell, Canterbury College ; CJ. Goldstone and M. McLeod Waimate ; W. J. Lewis, Wellington ; D. Grant, Ashburton ; W. J. Glanville, Belfield ; and J. McLeod, Annat. The considerable number of persons who have to use the footpath along North Street, as far and further west, have been annoyed by a puddle remaining long after every rain, right m the line of the footway at the Butler Street crossing. The hollow appears, to the irritated citizen, to have been there for years. After every rain it becomes a lagoon, which the wary avoid by making a detour and the unwary splash through. Half a load of shingle would convert the hollow into a mound, or, more economically, a simple bit of engineering, the removal of a few cubic inches of hard soil, would effectually drain the hole into the deep channel a few feet away. The same persons before alluded to, would also be thankful to have the Butler Street channels. ;boxed at the North Street path. They are awkward and unsightly, and the contrast between the boxed channels at Latter Street and these open ones is too abrupt. Says " Nemo " m the Dunedin Star :— " You ask me what it was that I most admired about Bishop Moran, and I tell you at once that it was liis fighting qualities. If ever there was a bishop militant m this world he was the man. I dare say he was wrong sometimes, and narrow m his views, but there's no denying that he was a good fighting man, and that he hit hard. And pray what would the world be without its fighting men ? Someone has most truly remarked that it is not wisdom which has tackled abuses and overthrown error and rooted out ignorance— it is enthusiasm. And the enthusiast is almost always a fighting man. It doesn't m the least matter that he's wrong : the right will probably come after he has battered his life away m fighting. If a cold-blooded, calculating, passionless man makes a serious mistake he is done for. When the : fighting man makes mistakes we pardon them at onee I—love1 — love him all the more for '. them indeed."

Mr Bauckham, of Ashhurst, will give i gospel address this evening, at 7.30 m ihe Mechanics' Hall. A parade of the C Battery, N.Z.A., was held yesterday evening, Captain Jack son m command. After inspection of arms the Battery was practised m the manual exercise and foot drill under Sergeat Green. The guns were then manned, and the rest of the evening devoted to gun-drill. After the parade was dismissed the N.C.O's were assembled m the orderly room, when the commanding officer fully reviewed last Friday's work. An extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders of the Pioneer Terminating Building Society was held last evening, Mr J. .1. Grandi occupying the chair. The twelfth appropriation was sold, and realised £69. At the meeting of the board of directors, held after the general meeting, the annual meeting was fixed for June 25th, of which due notice will be given. The Southland Times reports that a meeting of creditors held m Invercargill recently presented some novel and refreshing features. It appeared that the bankrupt had really filed m the interests of his creditors, and as soon as he had been examined an ofter was made for the estate of a sum sufficient to pay all expenses and 20s m the pound. Needless to remark a motion that the offer be "gratefully accepted" was carried with emphatic unanimity. The usual fortnightly meeting of the Timaru lodge, United Ancient Order of Druids, was held last night m the Foresters' Hall, George street, the ArchDruid, Bro. A. Budd, presiding. A capital attendance of members was present, including a visitor from the All Nations .Lodge, Port Chalmers. Three candidates were elected and initiated into the Order. It, was decided to celebrate the thirteenth anniversary of the lodge this year by a social, and past and present officers were appointed a committee for the carrying out of the same. The lodge was closed at 9.30 by the Arch-Druid, the receipts for the evening amounting to £7 12s Bd. The funeral of the late Mr J. Bird took place yesterday, at which there was a large attendance of friends of the deceased. Prior to the interment a service was held at the AVesleyan Church, the Rev. C. E. Beecroft officiating, the service being of a very solemn character. Mr P. Foster, as a veiy old friend of the deceased, gave hia testimony of the 1 godly life Mr Bird had lived ; he spoke with much feeling and deplored the loss of his dear friend. Miss A. R. Clarke presided at the organ, and played the " Dead March m Saul " as the body was being conveyed to the hearse. The procession was then formed and proceeded to the cemetery, but when opposite the house of the deceased a verse of " Safe m the arms of Jesus" was sung. The service at the grave was conducted by Mr Beecroft. The hymn, "Rock of Ages " was sung with much solemnity, a hymn held m much esteem by the deceased. There were a large number of beautiful wreaths sent by old friends as a last mark of their esteem, those contributing being Mesdames Price, G. Brown, J. Jackson, P. Foster, R. Clark, T. Jowsey, A. Rule, J. Radcliffe, AY. Silverton, E. Holdgate, Miss Beecroft, the AVesleyan Band of Hope, Church Trustees, Mutual Improvement Society, and a number of others, without names attached. The pall-bearers were Messrs Holdgate, Targuse, Rothwell, Blackwood, Halstead, and Gilchrist. The first of the, series of popular concerts m aid of the funds of the Mechanics' Institute, was held m the Assembly Rooms last evening, and was well attended. The committee had entrusted Mr Sidney AVolf to pilot the initiatory entertainment, and right well he did his work. The programme of 18 itemswasa splendid' one. and if such " good value," is adhered to, the success of the series is assured. The concert was opened with a choice pianoforte* duet by Miss E. McGuinness and Mr Wolf, and m the first part seven solos were given. The soloists were Misses McCullough, M. Gabites and L. Hassel, the last named lady receiving a richly deserved recall for her artistic rendering of Adams' beautiful gem " Holy City." Tlie gentlemen who sang were Mr E. Jones, Mr T. Jones, Mr C. A. Jefferson, and Mr Needham, the last named being cordially recalled for the " Yoeman'S AVedding," an excellent, number for a winter concert, with jolly accompaniment. Mr Gus. Jones brought the first part to a close with a tasteful comic song, and gave an old favouiite as an encore song. The second part was opened by Mr Necklin playing one of his choice euphonium solos, after which the ladies and gentlemen named above reappeared. Mr Gus. Jones had evidently put the audience m good humour with his melodies, for this part was much more cordially received than was the first part, and encores were numerous. The concert was brought to a close with a comic trifle that took immensely. We noticed the president and committee at their usual posts of duty, and that Mrs Grahame (the lady member) was attending to the performers' commissariat. Some alarm has been caused m Auckland by a report submitted to the Newton Borough Council by Inspector Hickson, who stated that the constable at Surrey Hills, m making inquiries amongst Chinamen, had come across one (whose name he could not find out) washing his vegetables m a creek which separates the districts of Eden terrace and Archill, and which contained the sewerage of both these districts, and also the drainage from the Symonds street cemetery. From the appearance of the place, the constable stated he should say that the hole had been generally used for the same purpose. Mr J. Currie, sanitary inspector, said he had visited the place indicated, and had found a number of bunches of carrots, parsnips, turnips, and spring onions lying soaking m what was practically a sewer, through which passed the drainage of Karangahape Ward, Eden terrace and Archill. Some Chinamen m the neighbourhood were supplied with the city water. In this particular instance it had been cut off, and the only water available was the foul sewage mentioned, the smell from which was simply abominable. This appeared to be a very serious menace to public health, as the poisonous germs m the water must be carried into the houses

vhere the vegetables were used. Several nembers spoke strongly on the subject, mt as it appeared that the creek mentioned was not within the jurisdiction of the Newton Council the report was sent to the Archhill Board. SYNOPSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS. Canterbuiy Farmers' Association — Large sale of horses on Saturday, horses at Geraldine on 6th June. Glasson and Co.— Furnitureand effects to-morrow ; trees on Saturday. Sydney Davies— Calls m all accounts. Levels County Council— Call tenders for shingle. Mechanics' Hall— Gospel address by Mr Bauckham this evening. J. M. Batham— Land Transfer Act notice. Mackenzie County Council— Call tenders for road and other works. J. S. Turnbull— lnvites tenders for building oven, etc. D. J. Caldwell— Renewal of clearance sale. AY. M. Howe and R. Webster— Return thanks re late Mr Bird. J. R. Millar— Notice of new jewellery and repairs. J. G. Cowan— Has' Kaiapoi Crimean shirts on sale. T. Wagstaff— Details of new boxed note and envelopes. In bankruptcy— Be W. Balfour, farmer. Wanted— One notice.