NEWS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10630, 14 April 1900, Page 7

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Light rain set in at Wellington last night. the weather was showery at Auckland, Nelson, and Wanganui yesterday. A party of sportsmen from the Harewocd road, five" guns, went for a day and a half shooting on tho Rakaia riverbed and bao-gwd 235 rabbits. The name of Eva Buller White Ladysmith has beeii given by a resident of Dunedin to lus daughter, who was born on the day Ladysmith was relieved. In the ballot for the Whangora C Block, 3317 acres of first-class pastoral country, 15 miles north of Gisbc-rne, there Were 250 applications for the seven section**. The friehUs of Trooped- J." C-vtherall/ of Hastings, one of the captured,,J{.ew v Zealanders, had arranged for a Watch'to be stent to ham, and just now isa trifling unoertaihty'as to his exact address. Porter R. McLea, of the Christchurch Railway Department, who has been transferred to the goods department as a storeman, was presented oy his fellow employees with a pair of gold spectacles. Foreman Peryer mado the presentation. At the Cathedral yesterday evening a pastoral latter from Bishop Julius was read to tho congregation. The letter was in jus* tification of the work of St. Mary'a Home, and in answer to hostile criticisms which had been passed concerning the Home. Mr N. Oates, of the Zealandia Cycle Works, who is leaving in a few days for a trip to England and France, was entertained at a social gathering at Carl's Empire Betel on Wednesday evening. Mr F. Cooper, on behalf of those, present, wished Mr Oates bon voyage, and presented him with a Kaiapoi travelling rug. According, to our Wellington correspondent, the Pylades was to have left for Tauranga in a few days, but at the request of the Pre-mier the Governor asked if the captain would attend the regatta at Picton. Captain Tupper readily acquiesced, and the Pylades will leave for Pictcta this morning. According to the "Southern Standard" there is some difficulty in getting good section* in Gore near tbe Main street suitable for residence sites. An eighth of ao, acre section in Ardwick street -With a sevenroomed house, purchased about six months ago for £450, was sold on Saturday last for £700. Several other email sections have changed hands recently. The "outha Free Press" reports that an interesting relic, in tho shaps of the bell of the ship Ada, was brought to light by Mr Jack at Port Molyneux rec__ntly. The bell weighs 351b, and with the exception of the loss of the tongue and a piece broken off the too, is intaot. Tlie Ada was wrecked on January 12th, 1861, when making the mouth of Molyneux Bay, «o that it is tnifty* nine y*"ars a£o since the bell saw active service. Mr "Jack had the. bell conveyed to Balclutha, and hopes to have it repaired in time touring, out a joyful peal on the relief Of M't-leMiagi A orivate cable' message from Adelaidp states' that at a soecial meeting of the City Cot-neil there on T-furalay, an agreement waa-sef-h-d by with- Mr W. Gentry Bingham," *6r a concesMon to-Instal a system of etetstrie tntaiTways for the city upon similar termsuto those, entered into by Mr -Bi**_han> jwith_...tne; Auckland Cprporayon. 1 agreed to unanimbusl-/, T Sndth : e undertake to obtain tht*l_-0O"*-a&**y/wwers from Parha--vssatf':' •'•- .' ■".-■" -A.':■'■ -'+'- ''' V'■ Miw Chaplin, having resigned her position in the St. Albany .school/ to t-aJcejth* position of-mistress at.£&<. Lyttelton .school, the St. Albans Committee accepted her re--signation with regret, >nd the Secretary was instructed to writ*. Mi-Js Cliaphn that the Committee regret losing the services of such an efficient teacher, who for several years past has not had a single failure amongst her wip'sls at the>annual examinations, and wish, her every success in her new sphere of labour. &_r T. Black, 8.-Sc., formerly a student at Canterbury College, has passed his second and third examinations in practical anatomy and diißecting at the College of and Surgeons of San Francisco. Mr Blade has in four months--the maximum tuneaccomplished all the work in this department nut the final part. DurLn-* Mile Test Race between Sutherland and Reynolds the two men wore anawling round the each harbouring his strength for the final epnnt home, when the band woke up ■» V» position, and promot-ly started the. Dead March." Tlie crowd realised th* ,;jqke,, and a roar of laughter went wind the..round. A weaeed was left at ihhy office on Thursday, which was caugnt at the private residence, Edgeware road, of Mr W. Moor. It was brought alive into the sitting-room on \Vednesdav by the cat, and finally despatched by Mrs Moor. It* presence and capture serve to show that the stoats and weasels are spreading themselves over the country with nnweloome rapidity. It behoves the residents in the locality to keep a sharp look out for these destructive vermin. Mr T. A. Hempton, of the Second Contingent, who died at Carnarvon, was educated at tie New Plymouth High School, and afterwards engaged in farfiuJig pursuits, having prior to his departure for the war a fine farm at Stony River, some eighteen miles from New Plymouth. He was a son of Captain Hemptom, formerly Town Clerk of New Plymouth, and was known throughout the colony as one of the finest footballers who ever donned a jersey. He was tihirty-three years of age. Yesterday afternoon the Lyttelton Naval Artillery and the N Battery had heavy gun practice at drifting targets. The former corps, nnder Lieutenant Hewlett, manned the gun* of Fort Jwvois, and the utter, under Capta-* Mdntyre, two 7'in guns at Battery Point- The range for the 7m guns was about 2000 yards, and for the guns at the Fort about 4000 yards. The practice wart _*w_rally good, but was somewhat slow The firing was very accuraW. that of the upper 7in gun at Battery Point exceedingly so. Mr W. Jessop, who is a trooper in the South African Light; Horse, has sett as a gift to his mother, who lives in Wellington, the box of chocolate served out to him in common with the -rest'of. his comrades with the Queen's comphxnents. befcre the army set out for the relief oi Ladysmith. Instead of using up ha* box of chocolate the young Welkngtonian sent it on to his mother, registering and insuring the small parcel so as to ensure it* sate dchverr. The wrapping waa covered! with no -.east than 71 half-penny stamps. The chocolate tics were fetching as high* a price as £1 each in London as "returned empties," and found; keen- d%nwndl sano-tg memento-eol-leetc-**

Tho Lyttelton Naval Cadets had a march ] to Governor's Bay yesterday. The time ia which cl—Une may he made for tho bonus on miiiw-t! oil produced from shale obtained in Now Zealand has been extended to December 3ls;, ISOO. The San iVtwis-o mail reached Lvtteiton on Thursday i'_fternoon, and the Dunedin portiar*- was" taken on by a special train from C__iis_c__urch at half past four o'clock. A man was arrested by Chief Detective ChrystaLl on Thursday afternoon charged with fake pretences. At the Assessment Court, Lyttelton, on Wednesday, the objection to the valuation was made by the Unic-n Bank of Austra-la-aa, not the Bank of New Zealand. A Wellington telegram states that tho Tut___-e__ai finished repairing the old cable on Thursday. Tha bottom was found smooth, and at is" believed, therefore, that the rotting was due to g-_-_va___c action. The Hon. Major Harris and Mr D. Lundon have been **-e-appo_*_Aed members of the Auckland Land Board. Mr John He-slop has been re-appointed to the Taranaki Board, Mr Geor_-e Matheison to the Hawke's Bay Board, and"Mr C. H. Mills to the Marlborough Board. Stainftr's "Crucifixion" was repeated at the Cathedral yesterday evening. Long before eight o'clock the Cathedral was filled in every part and many were tinable to obtain admission. The offertory was in aid of St. Mary's Howe. The test race to decide who is to represent New Zealand at the Paris Exhibition, which was decided at Lancaster Park yesterday, in probably the most important cycling event that has< ever taken place in New Zealand, and certainly the prize of a trip to Paris, expenses paid, is aoout the biggest that has been raced for here". Sutherland's win was a most popular one. Mr John Deans, an ex-president of the A. and P..Association, who shortly leaves for the Old Country, has presented th__ Association with an enlargsd photogra-fih of liim- ! stelf. The picture is framed iti oak grown j on Mr Deans's estate, at Riccarton. Mr J. Griss'g also presented the Association with an enlarged photograph of himself, and the committee placed on record a vote of thanks to each gentleman. It will be of interest to the many friends of Mrs Worthy, of Christchurch, to know that General Packer, who has just gone out to the Cape in commatnd of the 7th Army Division, is her brother. Mrs Worthy is now living at Strood, in Kent, with her son, the Rev. H. M. L. Worthy, who holds a curacy in that town. The ninety-two Esquimo dogs liberated on Native Island are valued at '£60 each. Prior to leaving the Southern Cross the dogs were examined by IMr.Gilruth. They will (the "Southland Times" states) be picked up by the vessels of an English and German expedition-, which purposes exploring in the Antai-ctio legions at some future time. A native woman who objected to her lord and master entering a hotel at New Plymouth, posted herself at the" doorway, and, as often as he tried to make his way inside he was promptly seized and flung across the footway—-his wife meanwhile keeping up a running fire of observations pitched in a very high key. She succeeded in keeping him outside. The St. John's, Weflington, and St. Paul's, Ghristchurch, bible classes went into camp at the Richmond Domain, yesterday for the Easter holidays. The risifirs ar-' rived by the Wcsrtrs-na, and numbered about 35, the total strength in camp being nearly 100. Ia the Bfternoon the* annual Bible Conference was held, and. in the evening a reunion and concert, at which there was a large gathering of guests. Last week Mr W. W. ColHns„ M.H.R., telegraphed to the Minister for Defence requesting him to acoept the services of the Civil Servioe Corps. On Thursday he received a telegram from Colonel Pole-Penton, asking him to forward a formal application with a list of the names of members of the proposed cot-ps, "for fa-voura-ble consideration." The- list of names has been iorwarded. The special train from Cnristchurch to Dunedin" on Thursday night took away nearly AQO passengers, and the one the opposite way landed a similar number here, Yesterday morning 200 visited Otarama, and 260 Little River. The expresses were tVell filled, especially the .first to Oamaru, and the chief train *was delayed a quarter of an hour for passengers from the Westralia. They filled twelve coaches from Lyttelton, their" b'xydes a truck, and their baggage two vana A good many of the ex-cursfionist-s went aiway with the exprests. ■ There was also good traffic to Lyttelton, and several thousands of people by train, or via Sumner by tram, witnessed the shell practice of the Garrison Artillery Corps. Toi Toi Butter. The favourite Toi Toi is now to be had fresh every day at Kincaias G.I.C. Advt. If your bicycle needs repairs take it to the experts' of the cycle trade. Boyd and Son, 191 Gloucester street, Christchurch, Price and quality satisfactory. Advt-. The new rim brakes, fitted to any make of bicycle for a few shillings. Any hill can be ridden with ease and safety." Oates, Lowry and Co., Manchester street.—Advt. An employee at Hillside Workshops, named A. R. Pollock, met with an accident last week. When lifting a heavy weight hi* foot slipped, and he sprained his anklo severely. Koolibah cured him very quickly aad relieved the pain instantly.-^(Advt.) Finest Roller Flour £7 per ton, less 2£ for Prompt Cash, at Kincaid's G.I.C. Advt. Ceylindo Tea at Kincaid's G.I.C. — Ceylindo is rich, malty, and fragrant. Prices Is 6d, Is lOd, 2s 2d, 2s 6d per lb, at Kincaid's G.I.C. 5992 Lamps for all—Ladies and Gent/.eanen, girls and boys. We have just opened large shipments for the coming winter season, ana are cow showing the finest assortment in town. Several new patterns in aoetyline lamps. A visit of Hjepection will be of in-' teres., and will well repay you. The AngloNew Zealand Cycle Company: ageri-s, D.1.C., and 226 High street. 47 Kaitangata is the favourite coal in Otago, and you can get it at Richardson aud Stokes's Yard, 5 Cashel street, near East Belt. The firm also keep in stock Coalbrookdale, Newcastle, East Greta and Malvern coals, coks. slack coal, and firewood in long and short i lengths. Telephone No. 472. Advt. I Attention is (Erected to an advertisement by Mr E. G. Lane, chemist, of Oamaru. The preparation he advertises is the latest of its kind, and for lung trouble is found to be extremolv beneficial. Some time ago Mr Lane submitted to one of the leading Dunedin doctors for examination a bottle of his creesoted emulsion of cod liver oil. The doctor examined it carefully, and found it was better emulsified, and contained more cod liver oil, than any emulsion he had yet examined, and this, with the addition of the creaaote, made it a great improvement on ordinary emulsions. The popularity of the' emulsion is shown by the fact that Mr Lane is selling a large quantity of it, and is receiving order* from all parts of the colony, and not only orders, but tetters expressing the beneSciai resulta from its use. 4568 Tea seta complete for six persons 7s 9d, Boxed Dinner Sets (20 pieces) from 12s sd, 32 pieces from 17s lid, 54 pieces from 26s Bd, Bedroom Scte from lis 9d, Earthenware Cups and Saucers Is lid half dozen, G. and W. China 2s lid half dozen. Fletcher Bros., Crockery Merchants, High street. Advt. THE SAN FRANCISCO SERVICE. j An Auckland telegram states that news i has been received in that city that the Government of the United States have accepted the tender of Mr J. D. Spreckels for the ! mail service between San Francisco, Auckland, and Sydney. A steamer to be de- i spxtchtd every ti~_~*ee weeks, and a speed of sixteen knots is to be maintained. The contract is for ten years*. WHAT IT l-ffiAN-T'TO PIT UP A TROOPSHIP. In the fitting up of the troopshipe to convey the various Contingents from New Zealand to South Africa (says a Press Association telegram), the Union Company expended on the work on behalf of the Governmer/j between £13,000 and £14,000. It is estimated that during the four months occupied ia tha work, Id&O men were «m-

doyed. Five sawmills in the Wellington district were kept continuously employed for several months, outting timber for fittings, besides which all the suitable timber obtainable :_J ths Lyttelton district was utilised. The total amount of timber used was 578,000 feet. There were 1300 sheepskins used in making pads for the horses. THE PROHIBITIONISTS AND "THE PRESS." The annual Convention of the Prohibitionists was opened yesterday morning in. Christchurch. The Convention was advertised as being "open to all friends of the cause." One of their leading delegates and speakers, the Rev. B. H. Ginger, of West Oxford, in the opening proceedings, declaimed at some length as to the*.fact that, unlike the licensed victuallers, their meetings and conventions were held with open doors; there was nothing done secretly* there was no necessity for secreev. This statement was loudly applaud', d by those present. Our representative attended the convention in the usual way for the purpose of furnishing a report of the proceedings/ He continued taking nates for some time, when he was interrupted by the secretary of the Prohibition League, Mr Thompson, who said that a report of the proceedings would bo supplied to the papers by their own. lady reporter. He also stated that tbe meeting was a private one, and was not open to tho public, and requested our representative to leave. The reporter declined to do so. Mr Thompson then called the attention of the chairman to the fact that a "Press" reporter was present, taking notes, and urged that he should be excluded. The chairman. Mr R. Evans. KaiapcM, said he was in the hands of the meeting, and he would accept a resolution. A resolution was then moved to the effect that all reporters be excluded. A lively discussion followed, som. speaking one way and some the other. Eventually the motion wa« curried by an overwhelming majority of those Who. but a short time before, had loudly applauded the statement that the prohibition meetings were always held with open doors. NEW CYCLIST. Mr Geo. Sutherland, who on a series of test races, has been chosen to represent the New Zealand' League of Wheelmen at the Paris World's Championships, is a New by birth, having been born in Palmerston beuth, and/ he is about twentyseven years of age. A few years &go when on a racing tour on the West Coast Barker found a redoubtable opponent ia Sutherland, and the latter, at the suggestion of Barker, tried his prowess on faster tracks. In 1897 ho appeared at Lancaster Park and won the Wheel Race from the 120 yards mark, hia original' handicap having "been reduced to that owing to his success in the half-mile. He rod© well through the season, and finished up at Dunedin with two New Zealand championships and the Royal Enfield Company's prize for tha ten miles. Similar success attended him the following season, and last year he faced the starter with the cracks of Australia. He put up an Australasian competition record for the half-mile from scratch, and won the three miles motor-paced tournament in sm_ 39sec. He completed hia successes by securing the One Mile Handicap from scratch in what was supposed' to be the world's record of 2min 0 2-sth sec, beating Walne, tho Au_tj_liao> champion, hy 15 yards from the same mark. He was running favourite for the Austral Cup, but an injury to his knee prevented him from competing. Sutherland! is very popular with both cyoli-ts and public. At present he is in the best of trim, and weighs about lOst. STARVING CORAL ISLANDERS. Captain Knacke, of tho American barque Empire, which arrived the other day at Adelaide from San Francisco, narrates a romantic Story. His vessel, on 7th Fe_ruary, called at Pa__ston Island, a small cocoa nut clad coral patch i_ the Pacific, on the voyage out. When the vessel hove to- off the island a half-caste, who gave the name of Williams, went alongside the ship, and stated that _c inhabitants were in sore distress, indeed, in almost a starving condition! having had -no communication with the outside world for nine months. He stated that his father, who was owner of Palmerston Isiand, had died! six months previously from lack of proper food, and that tho rest of the little community, about fifty all told, had been struggling on in the best way they could. . WilHams said there wa_ about sixty tons of copra awaiting shipmsnt, and this appeared! to be the staple, commodity of "the-place.- He aaked that the South Pacific Island Company, of Sydney, and '-.irHarris, of llurotonga, Cook's Group, might be communicated with on the arrival of the Empire at Port Adelaide. This Captain Knacke promised to do, and, having supplied the islanders with provisions, he proceeded on his voyage. IMPERIAL PEiNNY POSTAGE. Much interest attaches/writes. Mr H.-W. Lucy in the ,l Sydney -Morning Herald!" to the financial working of the newly established penny postage with British colonies, excepting Australasia. With so heavy a drop in the charge it is taken for granted that, at least to begin with, there must be a con-ider-Me fall in postal revenue. Mr Hanbury, the financial secretary to the Treasury, who has charge of post office business" in the House .of Commons, tells mc that when tho Budget statement is made it will be shown that thb prognostication is happily falsified. The increase in correspondence consequent on the reduced rates is of itself almost sufficient to make up the reduction in charge. But beyond that, the falling in of contracts with some of the great steamship companies made an opening for economies which the post office were quick to seize. Freight on letters to tho colonies is now charged by bulk as if it were ordinary merchandise. This makes so marked a difference in the cost that, taken in conjunction with increase of correspondence, the new penny postage is expected at the cloSe of the financial year to show a slightly increased net revenue. THE BRITISH ~~NAVY UNDERGUNNED. There is in some quarters, says a London correspondent, an uneasy feeling that the Navy, if put to sudden and severe test, might prove to be not more immaculate than our army organisation and direction. Mr W. Allan, the member for Gateshead, has startling convictions on that head. He assures mc that as compared with the armament of foreign battleships tho British -fleet is as completely undergunned as the British batteries Were outranged by the Boers. Everything, ho says, has been sacrificed to speed. With this object in view the lines of all the latest additions to the Navy are so finely cut that the measure of stability of the structure of the hull will not permit the fixing and handling of guns of a calibre equal to those carried on foreign ships. Those with longer range will, according to this authority, disable, possibly sink, the British ships before they can draw up close enough to get their guns in range. Mr Allan -peaks as one having authority, not as a civilian, seeing that he has all his life been engaged upon the practical work of a marine engine builder, and has made the structure of ships a special study. THE MAN WITH THE BUCKET. As an electric tram was proceeding from Circular Quay to Pyrmoni or.c morning lately, it stopped at tho corner of Essex street and George street north, and picked up a passenger with a bucket. There was at the first glance, says tho Sydney "Daily Telegraph," nothing particularly noticeable about the man, excepting, perhaps, that his clothes were Iveavilv bespattered -with mud, aud that ho looked generally weatherbeaten and weary. Having filled his pipe, he asked a neighbour for a match. The match was forthcoming, and convergation ensued. "Time I had a clean," the newcomer ofoserved, as if apologising for his appearance "But"—indicating the direction of tho infected area close by with'a careless jerk of his thumb —"I've been going at it over there for days. Just got away." The other passengers exchanged ghnces stealthily, and. then, in spite of the driving rain, they left their seats, one or two at a time, and continued the journey on the footboards outside. Nothing wm *ai& but there w_ no nwd ior

words. Meanwhile the man with the backet retained solo and comfortable possession of the interior of the car. He was quite alone. Even the conductor had urgent claims upon his attention elsewhere. THE BUBONIC FLEA. In an article in *a leading English medical journal, just out from England, is given an account of experiments made in Paris just recently with rat fleas and human fleas by leading medical men, plague specialists, and distinguished scientists. They proved that the human fleas and the rat "flea were c-f dinVrent specks; that a rat ilea will not lute & human bdng, ar.d that human fleas will not live on rat*. The doctors and their colleagues experimented with the floa-s upon themselves, and after much patience and many trials, they satisfied themseives that rat fl«vs wouid not bite them. They tried bubonic fleas from bubonic rats, and healthy fleas from hoalbhy rats, but could not get a bite out of any of them. The human fleas would not stay on the rats, but they bit all tiie experimenters every time thay wero tried. The fearful may, therefore, rest assured, thinks an Australian contemporary, that the bubonic flea has no liking for human blood. A BALACLAVA HERO, Captain Hemswortb, tho Balaclava hero whose death was reported from Sydney a few days ago, sprang (says the "Hawke's Bay Herald")_ from a good old fighting stock, his father being a Colonel in tho British army, and liis grandfather was a LieutenantGeneral. Ho was a Tipparury man. and when the Crimea war brphe out went to the front with'the 13th Hussars, und later with the 9th- Lancers, and fought all through Seo&stbpol, Inkerman, Balaclava, and AlmaHe acted as Aide-de-Camp to Lord' Cardigan. This intrepid young Irishman was one of the Six Hundred at Balaclava, und G-eneral Pelissier (the French General) who saw that magnificent blunder, sent Captain Hemsworth the "Golden Eagle Medal," with the portrait of Napoleon 111. in tho centre. Later Hentsworth wont out to India, and aided in the suppression of the Mutiny. In Delhi he was nearly killed, and a medal with bis name on the "edge tells tht> story of his service to his Queen. Here is Ids record for tbe- Crimoa and Indian Mutiny: —Alma, safe, horse hit; Balaclava, five wounds, horse shot; Inkerman, safe; Sebastopol, safe; Cawnpore, sabro slash; __lhi, wounded, horse killed; Lucknow, one wound, horse hit. Son_e_years afterwards he came to New Zealand and joined! the Rangers, and was thrice wounded in the war between 1867 and 1871. On several occasions he was mentioned in despatches for conspicuous bravery, and looked with pride upon a medal bearing the legend "Virtutis Honori." And now at tho age of seventy-two comes his end—"Unwept, unhonoured, and unsung." The writer, in commenting upon Britain's neglect of her heroes, says that but for tho kindly interest taken in him by a Sydney clergyman, he. might have gono to a pauper's grave. He died i_ a nack room c_ Circular quay.