NEWS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8588, 15 September 1893, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The Final for the Queen's. — The story of the final shooting for the Queen's Prize at Bisley, last July, is admirably told in Bullseye's notes in this week's Weekly Fress. The contest "was a sensational one, and included, among other incidents, the complete breakdown of the favourite, who had previously secured the silver and bronze medals, and now started with a lead. Well-executed diagrams are added, showiug the winner's final.targets. ' Bullseye also gives details of the events open to New Zeaknders at the New South Wales Association Meeting next month; in these events fcbe total prize money is no less tha.i £1500, so that ample encouragement is offered to New Zealanders to compete. We must really congratulate Bulbeye 0:1 the splendid page which he prepares every week fo r volunteers, and which is almost equally interesting to the non-combatant reader. A. and P. Association. —The Committee of the Canterbury A. and P. Association met yesterday, and dealt with an amount of routine business, which is reported elsewhere. Bulb and Camellia Show.—Elsewhere will be found a report of the annual bulb and camellia show held yesterday. « Phizes for Shearing.—llr William Boag has offered the sum of £10 10s to the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association to be divided as follows—A first piize of £3 3s and a second prizs of £2 2s for shearing by machinery, and prizes of £3 3s and £2 2s for hand shearing. The liberal offer was accepted with thanks. Rifle Shootino. —The Honorary Reserve Corps range at Cashmere was opened for practice yesterday, when a number of well known shooting men attended. The ranges were 200, 500, aud 600 yards. Mr J. R. \Va"kelin ma.de au excelleut commencement with his new Webley-Ma«-tini, putting on the fine score of 94 out of a possible 105. The chief scores made were— J. R. Wakelin 32, 30, 32—94'; A. Manning 30, 25, 29—84 ; N. G. Robilliard 23, 32, 22 -82 ; G. A. Lewin 28, 25, 23—76; — Robinson 30, 27, 19—76 ; F. 8. Parker 27. 30, 18—75. Popular Concert.— The large number of people who.attended the popular concert in the Tuam street Hall was evidence of the appreciation of Mr H. Weir's services as musical director, as the occasion was a benefit to him. The building was filled, and a capital programme was submitted. The soloists were Miss M. Bsll, Miss Martin, Mrs Edgar, and Messrs H. Weir, A. Millar, F. R. Woodhouse, Ralston and Edgar. Messrs Appleby, Weir, Bametb and Millar sung several quartettes ; Mr E. J. Painter's orchestra played the opening selections, and the Estudiantina Band were encored for their performances. Mr Maitland Gardner gave a couple of excellent recitations. Miss Vartha and Miss Bell acted as accompanists and played a pianoforte duet. 'The latter also took part in concerted music with Miss M. Bell and Mr Weir. All the items on the varied programme were well received, and the beneficiare was in a good voice. WOEKING ilES's CO-OPERATIVE B GILDING Society.—The first annual general meeting of the Christchurch Working Men's Cooperative Building Society was held at the Oddfellows' Hall last evening. There were about 100 members, and Mr T. Bullock presided. The report showed a satisfactory year's work had resulted. The total cash receipts had been £1759 19a lid, and expenses £111 63. Five appropriations were held during the year, three by ballot aud two by Bale, the latter realising £50 and £55 respectively. The balance to carry forward was £98 17s 6d, or 3s 3|d per share. Twenty-eight shares had been forfeited and re-allotted. The report and balance sheet were unanimonsly adopted. Messrs H. Chaplin, J. Hielqp, N. Jo wet, and D. Campbell were elected Directors. Mr A. Marshall was re-elected Shareholders' Auditor. A vote of thanks was passed to Mr J. Higgins, the retiring Director.

] Poultry Society. —The annual meeting of I this body was held last night, at which Mr G. E. Rhodes was re-elected President. Supreme Court.—The case of Clark v j the Press Company occupied hie Honour and a special jury all day yesterday. Ultimately a verdict was returned for plaintiff I for £25. To-day his Honour will sit in I Chambers at 11 a.m. i Postponement.—The Union Steamship Company advise that the sailing of the s.s. Wau\*rapa, for Sydney, via East Coast ports, has been postponed uutil the 2.40 p.ra. train to-day. Blasd Holt Company.—The Bland Holt Company, which ia now playing iti Dunedin with much success, open at the Theatre Royal on Saturday, the 23rd, in " The Sailors Knot," a drama that hue created quite a furore wherever it has been performed. The Band Contest.—We have received a copy of the contest selection, " Roberto II Di&volo," which lias been prepared for the United Brass Band Association contest by Mr T. E. Bulch. The selection is exceedingly stiff, and will test the powera of the bauds to the utmost, written, as it is, with a view to bring out the particular and peculiar features of the component parts of the bands competing. Confirmation. — On Sunday morning Bishop Julius held a confirmation service at S f . Peter"s, Akaroa, when twenty-six candidates were confirmed. There was a large congregation, and the Bishop gave a suitable address. In the afternoon liis lordship addressed the children of the Sunday school, and gave out the cards and prayei'books for attendance to the successful children. After the service the Bishop left for Little River, where he preached in the evening. Normal School.—The Education Board decided that students should be a year at the Normal School before they become qualified for a position in an ordinary school. Among applications for certain positions recently were students who had not fulfilled this requirement, but who imagined they be appointed, and substitutes found to nil the period during which they had to remain at the Normal School. This was, no doubt, exhibiting one eye for the future, but the Board wouldn't " wink at the other," and the names were erased. PioNEEit Bicycle Clcb. —A Committee meeting of the Pioneer Bicycle Club was held on Wednesday ereuiug in the Club room. It was decided to hold a one day's race-meeting on December 26th, and Messrs F. R. Dunsford, M. Brown and C. G. Moss were elected a Sub-Committee to draw up a programme to lay before the general meeting oa the 28th inst. Messrs Dunsford and Myhre were appointed a deputation to wait on the Secretary of the Lancaster Park Company to see what arrangements could be made with regard to the Park for the racemeeting. Accounts amounting to £25 16a 8d were passed for payment and the meeting adjourned. Post Office.—We are requested by the Chief Postmaster to ask residents iv the town and suburbs, whoso houses are at seme distance from the road, to have boxes erected at the gate to receive their correspondence, and it would materially assist in the deliveries if letter-boxes were fixed on the front doors of private and bueiness houses. A large amount of time is lost through the carriers having to go so far off the road, and if this request ia generally complied with the delivery would bs facilitated and residents receive their letters earlier than at present. Political Association. — A new political association, to be called the Progressive Liberal Association, was formed iv St. John's Schoolroom, when the following officers were appointed :—President, Mr W. Eusom; Vice-Presidents, Messrs W. I. Ballinger and J. M. Douglass ; Treasurer, Mr H. Cole; Committee, Messrs A. Biltcliff, E. J. Ford, F. El vines, S. Biltcliff, R. B. Ellison, W. Healey, L. Browett, I. H. Pentecost, VV*. Millar, G. Simpson, J. Robertson, T. J. Gledhill, B. Bull, T. Clarkson, J. Higgins and J. W. Ffrost. It was decided to admit women to membership. After enrolling members and discussing rules, the meeting was adjourned ill Wednesday next. Popular Science Lectures.—Professor Bickerton continued his course on physics last night to an excellence audience, taking the phenomena of light as a subject. The main properties of light, its propagation, reflection, refraction, &c, the formation of images in lenses and mirrors, the construction of the camera and the magic lantern, and the breaking up of white light into the spectrum colours and their recombination into white light were succinctly given. Most of the phenomena were illustrated experimentally. Pepper's ghost was given as an example of- modern optical illusions, and as well as a considerable number of experiments iv colour and the formation of images. . ?.liss Venie Flower. — Miss Venie Flower, of the Royal College of Music, London, made her debut before a New Zealand audience at the Aahburlon Oddfellows' Hall on Wednesday evening. The audience was a large and critical one. The new contralto was accorded a good reception, and immediately established herself a warm favourite. She possesses a full, rich voice ot great purity and culture, and her singing was such us to win hearty applause, each of her three numbers being redemanded. Mr A. Millar (Christchurch), Mies Ettie Wood (Timaru), and Mr Puschell (Christchurch) each contributed vocal items, while instru-' mental music given by Messrs R. Wood, C. Wood, Ellis Wood, Miss Simmonds, and Mr H. A. G«ies, with Mrs C. Wood and Mr L. i o>vea at the piano, helped to fill an excellent programme. Theatre Royal.—The new piece pro- j duced last nit;ht by the Gourlay-Walton Company, " Kindred Souls," is one of the usual type of farcical comedies, inasmuch a-s it possesses bnt a slight plot, affording plenty of opportunities for the display of versatility on tho part of the various characters. Of this Mr John Gourlay and Mr Walton took every advantage and as Frank Featherly and Major Flutterwig they were excellent. The various sosgs, of which both these gentlemen have a number, were well sung, especially "All that Glitters," end " You Can't Do It," by Mr Gourlay, and " I'm so Happy" and " Poor Married Men," by Mr Walton. Miss Harte was good as Lucy, and she sang her song " Tip Your Hat to Lucy," well. Miss Alice Holbrook, whom Chriatchurch playgoers will remember as playing with Walter Bentley, was tiie Mrs Featherly, and she played the part wii.ii a good deal of success and effect. The other parts were well filled, and the I piece went throughout with a great deal of j go. It will be played again this evening. City Mission Home. —Mr Herrick reports :—Through the severe winter, want of employment in town and country, and the measles epidemic we have experienced a very hard time of it. The Home has been overcrowded with men, and the amount of outside distress far beyond previous years. The measles are blamed for much of this distress, for through them, many respectable mothers have applied for help that would otherwise not have done bo. We have done what we could for all who sought our aid, and are now at a very low ebb; our position at the present being very straightened we need immediate help. The following help has been distributed during the past four months to outside cases:—Bread and meat to 765 persons ; flour and oatmeal to 275 ; tea, sugar, rice, Aα, to 162; dripping, butter, frait, &c, to 65; mixed vegetables to 163; potatoes to 219; - orders for groceries, meat, &a, to the value of £9 14s 2d ; cash given towards rent, &a, £6 6s Id; for nursing, £57s 6d ; clothing and boots (new and worn), to 673 persons; medicine to 44 cases, coal 8 tons, bedding and blankets given to urgent cases, and 73 pairs of blankets lent oat. Work has been obtained j for several men, women, girls and boys. Medical advice, nurses, and other necessaries to sever \l sick mothers. The number of men who have passed through the Home during the four months has been 415 ; meals given away 7605; beds and shakedowns made up 3019 times. We solicit for further help, and donations over due will be very acceptable.

Akaroa Bosocch Coxrsau —The wdi. nary meeting was held oa Wednesday ereniag. Preeent—The Major, Cct Armrtronij, Chappell, Checkley, Munxo, Perm, Coßeu, Taylor. Letters were received reporting cases of mealed. From Fonnefl ami Johnson, asking for farther extension on the Red House road contract for fourteen days. Referred Vo the Sogineer. From W. Jesson, respecting mow. ing Becreation Ground, was referred to tb« Reserves Committee. From the Returning Officer, announcing the re-election of Messrs Cimppell, Taylor and Watkina as Coca, cillors. Ie was resolved to order the Post Office Directory for the ensuing year. The fiuancial report showed the receipts to have been £2 7s 2<i. Accounts passed for pay. ment, £13 17s. and oielit Bank of N«w Zealand £25 Os 6,1. The tender of J. |£. Thomas for wharf lighting, at £51 10s for the year, whs accepted. The tender of E. F. Lelievre for cartage, at 9s per day, w»j also accepted. A vote of thanks w M accorded to the retiring Councillors, tad. the Council then adjourned.