NEWS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11151, 18 December 1901, Page 7

NEWS OF THE DAY.

; ; '' .^* e . enaual conference ol the National 3 -te a^ n ,pf Hester Plumbew of New &<■ fS^L , * ** Dunedin on the &v f** ««** *Tfae most important items on the- order paper are compulsory technical | ; eauoafaon of apprentices, and compulsory &* ■-. ■;.* Act of Parliament. fc J£J£°T^ °J*£***>»** Bwad <:*, jwrterday, Mr W. E. Samuels moved that ■ } r>\ tfte engineer be instructed to estimate the > «om of dredging ihe Bsbrar Avon, from the £ STStTJ 0 W««ht v Corner, to a depth ? S"S* *** *• given some idea V <tf the ooet. The motion was agreed .|j.-' TO, ■ . . ? c S«»wMge "iceipt of the & JSSf * Register," pub&hed. thia %<' SS , «anin- ? itidesM a gthegwa AMdn- * oH5$ eabnon "trofling ,, in British A '^ v ? U,Fa ' *j«ta from Alaska an old Col- " ; >,23u- y f° dn a wawription of % winter expMition through the froeen region .north- #■ of . C »P»?«>»- There » the usual <• > *£2!?L?f •ehod work and play, and a few, eoatwbtttioM in lighter vein? -- fiS &*7 '• Ran e«i ot the Victoria ..; fffeodar * finely-executed litliograph of her ! late Majesty Queen Victoria, a copy of i•> Wnch we Wto acknowledge. We "have [f--., ■■**«> received from Messrs George King and [~ ux, the local agents for the Roy&f Ex- ,- - --:1; *»«»&» Assurance Company of London, .', several attractive calendars issued by the , <**n»pany they represent. ♦w OT * J^ 1,1 !? 1 " 1 eonwpoodsßt' telegraphs ~ that from all aocounte the weather of the pwt several weeks lias delayed shearing to r • Z,JO& **t«»t, and consequently stopped •• Si . c ? min & m quickly as eoaid be wished, for the wool to hand at * Uwnaru is about 1500 bales short of what 11** "* this t ! me last year - In addition, •oarers are eaid to be not so plentiful as ■- , J° f onnw ycoira, but this may be accounted * * ♦?" Bh€arerß n °t *»ing able to leave sheds w take up other engagements till cut out. r A history is attached to a wm at Dreyerton, near Musterton (says tne Manawatu "Standard"). It was for«»my owned* by the late Mr Millar, who, wiulst in possession, loet his first wife. , «c sold it to oMr Lunan, vrho also lost «» wife wlfilst in occupation. Buying WJ* property back, Mr Millar himself met ■weth v fatal accident, and now his son «m been wounded in an accident. ; The funeral of the late Mre Deal, wife , »'Mr C. Deal, HaLswell, took place on buwky. The respect in which the d«CttUHsci lady was held was evidenced by the Jarge number present. Among the many vreaths sent -were those from Mr Dawson. *lr ,[. Murray, Mr 1 W. Birdling, sen., and ■ family, Mr and .Mrs F. Toomer, Dr. Dβ «*n«, Mr and Mm J. G. Rule, Mr and Airs Witbrock, Halswcll School CotfrmSt«e. Mr Uianey, Mr Anaden, Mrs Ck>x, Staples, Mr ai:d Mm H. W. Deal, .'■ M V\ n , d ' ilre W. W. Deal, Mr P. lUinert, wml Mr Broadway and family. The fcev. W. 8. Bean oonducted the servioe.

An Auckland telegram states that the Government schooner; Countess Ranfxrrlf, wall leave Rerotonga for Auckland, via Niue, about the 20th met., with a cargo of copra, «tc. Mr C. F. Maxwell, the newly-appointed Government agent at Niue, will proceed by sc&ooner to take tip his new position, ami Mr Percy Smith, who has been acting at Niue, will return to Auckland.

With regard to the proposal to divert £475, balance of the WetKngton More Men Fond, raised at the time of the mobilisation of the Fourth and Fifth Contingents, to the Queen's Statue Fund, it was decided, at a meeting held in tfaat city last night, to postpone the question of allocating tire surplus, it being dfesired that the intention of the trust should be discharged as closely as possible.

A painter named George Alfred Tatanj from Ghristchfuroh, committed suicide in Auckland yesterday (telegraphs oar correepondent) in a somewhat dramatic manner, by taking poison in tie public street. Sltortly after thrfe o'clock in the afternoon he was noticed .by two carters kneeling on the footpath, and on their questioning him he told them he 'had taken poison. A doctor was ait onoe sent for, but before his arrival Tatan was dead, and his body liy on the footpath!, surrounded by a crowd, until it was removed , by the police to t ! he morgue. The .unfortunate man, it appears, Jiad evradlowed a quantity of oxalic acid. He was about forty-five years of age.

A meeting of the General Committee of St. Patrick's Day Celebration, with' the members of tihe Sub-Committee, was held 'last night, at ihto (Presbytery. His Lordship Bishop Grimes presided, and explained thaib the object to which the funds were to <be devoted was for the establishment of a 'home for the sick, maimed, and incurable «of ail creeds- and nationalities. He had met Sir Joseph Ward on his way soutlt, ■and lie bad asked him to become a patron of the movement, and lie had said he would be gjad to do so. A letter had also bean received from his Excellency the Governor, stating, in reply to a request, that he would be glad to give ibis patronage on the occasion. The Mayor .had also informed 'Mm that !Ee would be very pleased to be (nominated as a patron. The various sub-committees then met and elected their chairmen, arranging to meet after the holMavs.

•c A case arising out of the visit of the Duke and Duchess a! Cornwall to Wellington was heard before Justice Edwards and a jury of four at Wellington yesterday, when Blackburn and Smith, of Christchurch, gued the Mayor of Wellington and Cr. Luke, representing the CStizenr Reception Committee, for £300, cost of fireworks provided by the plaintiffs for a pyrotechnic display given in honour of the Royal visitors. ITor the plaintiffs it was held that the display had been in accordance with the epecin'catJone; that it had not been successful was owing to the hulk from which it was given being moored too far out in. the harbour. The plaintiffs were not concerned about the Bite afforded, as they were not consulted-about the position in which the bulk should ibe placed. The defence to the action was that the display had been a poor one, and that the plain* tiffs had not brought such, expert knowledge, judgment, and experience to bear upon their work as expected. The jury gave a verdict for plaintiffs for £200 with costs.

Since the Maori football team returned 'from Home in 1889 ten members of it have died.

The first Newcastle coal ever landed at the Napier breakwater was discharged there last week.

In the Supreme Court yesterday John Frederick Harris, committed for sentence from the lower Court on a charge of theft, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment.

Miss McLean, principal of the Wellington Girls' .High School, advocate? that in the case of young and growing girle time should be taken from pianoforte practice and devoted to jtnerry, open-air exercises..

An orchardist told a member of our staff yesterday that the recent rain hod given him quite a ton of raspberries, which he never expected this tune last week. Gooseberries and currants have greatly benefited, and tomato plants have shot out into large-bushes. •■'■■- \ *

The "Hot Lakes Chronicle" understands that an aviary of New - Zealand birds is to be established in Botorua by the Government shortly. Some oi the rare birds, that is, the kiwi and the kakapo, or night parrot, .have already- been secured. It is ( intended to enclose a small lakelet within the grounds, where specimens. of the aquatic birds may be kept. , -*. It ie said that during the recent visit of the Governor's party to Taitri Mouth a little girl boldly attacked his; Excellency, and, presenting a collecting card, requested that He give something towards the picnic fund of the Kuri Bush School. Lord Ranfurly, says the "Otago. Daily Times," apparently appreciated the enterprising efforts of the juvenile collector by placing a sovereign in net hand. ; At the Leithfield swimming sports on Monday, G. Bellinger, was first, £„ Wagner second, for the 50 yardfe club race. In the 25 yards J. S. Wauchop. was. first, G. BaUmger second- G. Jarvie won the school boys , race, with F. Graham second. The interclub race was won by H. Williams, H- Wauchop second, and the relay race by the Leithfield team, beating East Christcburoh and Lancaster Park teams.

As the date of the next municipal band conoert faHs on Boxing Bay, when there will be considerable difficulty in. getting the bandsmen together owing to the holiday, a suggestion r has been made- -that the band shall play in the Rotunda on Tuesday next, Christmas Eve. There will be a very large number of people in the streets, and the band music would be listened to by » far greater number than on Boxing Night.

On Saturday the passengers by coach from Hanmer Springs' tad an experience 'With the rivers. After being piloted into the Hanmer, the coach was stuck, and the passengers had to bo taken out The coach then got through to St. Helen's, and the passengers were brought on by a buggy. A creek on the road to Gulverden was very much swollen, but as this has not happened before for a year, and may not happen again this season, nothing is thought of it. The driver of the coach, a steady young man, on Saturday night looked very much done J op with swimming a saddle horse through the creeks to get the mail in. The papers and parcels were got in on Sun? day morning. The Christmas greetings of the."Weekly Press" to its readers are conveyed in this week's issue (Decemiber 18th), which will reach every part of the colony ia time to be read at the festive season. A splendid collection of Christmas stories, all specially Written for the "Weekly Press," n published in the number, and with it is given a coloured supplement, entitled. "An Episode at the front: Extracts from tibe let* ter of a New Zealand Trooper." This is humorously treated by the "Weekly Press" artist, ana has been most successfully lithographed after the popular style of the London. "Graphic" Christmas pictures. A capital portrait of Colonel Joweey occurs among the sketches. The number altogether, with its sixteen pages of handsome illustrations, included in which are many of the Discovery, ie a most suitable one for sending to friends at a distance. It is published in a handsome white cover, bearing lithographed design.

A sensational shooting incident took place at Grahamstown, Thames, lafct week, when a man named dement J. Moore deliberately fixed a revolver three tunes in rapid snccesion at Mr Samuel Howard, the licensee of the Boyal Hotel, and then placed the revolver at his own forehead, and blew his brains oat. Mr Howard is seriously wounded, but is expected to recover. Moore was sixty-three years of age, and , it is thought he at one tame belonged to the Armed Constabulary. The cause of the shooting is supposed to be in connection with a grievance that Moore had about the Imperial mine at Karangahake, which mining property Mr Howard was formerly manager of for a period of four or five years, and Moore himself was formerly a shared holder. , Through non-payment of calls Moore some time ago seems to have been compelled to forfeit his shares, and tibia apparently preyed upon hk mind, with the result that lie eventually attributed his illfortune to Mr Howard, although be appears not to have said anything to the latter about it, but told others so.

The trains for th© South yesterday morning carried a large number of rteurning holiday-makers.

At a Bankruptcy sitting of the Supreme Court in Chambers yesterday, Mr Justice Denniston granted the discharge of Charles Cook, school teacher.

In Chambers, at eleven o'clock today, Mr Justice Denziiston will bear two motions to authorise transfer of shares, on behalf of the Timaru Milling Company. Mr Kippenberger will appear, instructed by Messrs Smitheon and Raymond.

A gentleman interested in the mutton and lamb trade, estimates that the recent rains in the colony have given half a million sterling to the export of frozen meat, which would have been- seriously short if the drought had continued.

The Westinghouse brake is being fitted to all new cars turned out from Addington Workshops, and the old cars are also being fitted with the the brakes as rapidly as possible. The Goristchurch-Dunedin express will be the first complete train on this section to have the brake on engine and all carriages.

As a reeult of the visit of ihe New Zealand trade commissioner to South Africa, several orders for butter, cheese and eggs have been sent to this colony from the Cape. The .South African Fisheries and Gold Storage Company, Capetown, is now asking for quotations for large quantities of dried fat barracouta.

Speaking of the Christehurch-Blenheim road, the Premier, speaking at Blenheim, said it was intended to ask tha Minister in charge of the Tourist Department to go over the route, and put it on the list of tourist routes. The result should be an improvement of the value of property. Land in Maxlboroagh that was better than land in other parts of the colony "was £2 or £3 an acie to the bad simply because the district was not known a3 it should be. He would be very much surprised if in a short time outeide peop'e ■were not looking around for land in Marlborough. The country over which he had just travelled was the only part of the colony he had not viaited while he was Prime Minister. As to the Stunner road, it was equal to anything he had seen in the colony. He was very pleased to have the opportunity of saying so publicly.

Regulations under the Opium Prohibition Act were published in last week's "Gazette"; —"Importer" is to include a firm or company; the following articles shall be deemed to be forma of opium which, though not suitable for smoking, may yet be made suitable for smoking, and which must not be imported except with a permit, viz., crude opium in powder, extract of opium, solid. Application for a permit to import opium in these forms must be made in writing to the Commissioner of Trade and Customs, and forwarded to the Secretary of Customs, Wellington. Before making any other entries in his book, the importer must enter particulars of tfie stock of opium which he has in hand on the date of the permit, and on 31st March and 30th September each year must balance his book and take stock. In the event of the stock not agreeing with the balance, an explanation of the cause of the discrepancy must be inserted in the book, and signed by the importer. If the importer, by himself or-his agent, commits any breach of the regulations, the permit may be cancelled by the Commissioner without in any way releasing the importer or his agent from any other penalty or liability incurred.

The attention of our readers is drawn to the advertisement of Messrs B. Petersen and Co., Jewellers, announcing a special discount off all cash, purchases made during this month. Thfey also.wish to state, Hβ they are not only direct importers, but the actual raanrafacturera, of a great many of itiheir goods, the prices will be found very low, every article -being marked in plain figures. 611

We draw attention to & circular issued with "The Press" to-day by Messrs Nelson, Moate and Co., the well-known New Zealand firm of tea importers. The firm, established first in Christehareh, but with its headquarters now at Wellington, has grown very rapidly. Mr Nelson himself is an expert of very long experience. 4264

Liberal Offer.—Fletcher Bros, allow 10 per cent. (2s) off every £ of electro-plated goode, suitable for Christmm, New Year, and wedding "presents. See windows. All prices, marked in plain figurea, Fletcher Bros., High street.—(Advt.) ,

Mr B. Francis, tie Musical Exchange, 169 and 161 Manchester street, notifies that he intends holding special l said Pianos and Organs to reduce stock, as.large consignment* are coming forward. Prices ranging from four to seventy-five guineas, and can be either paid for in cash or. easy terms, can be arranged. Inspection invited at our Christchuroh Premises, or Addington, Leeston, and Kaiapoi Agencies. 6303

The wise young man will kill two birds with one stone by making the engagement ring the Christmas present, add- the wise Stung woman will commend his economy, o'such pretty selection of engagement rings elsewhere in city as Clarke and Co., 145 Colombo street, are now showing; rings at all prices—but every one a beauty. - - (Advt.) For bicycle repairs we specially recommend cyclists to Boyd and Son, who are combining first-class work with moderate charges. 191 Gloucester street, Christchurch. Telephone 47. 29

Mr Grieshaber, jeweller, who has removed to new premises, 155 Colombo street, opposite City Hotel, is having a clearing sate of his whole stock at greatly reduced prices.—(Advt.)

Benjamin Gum enjoys a vary large sale in New Zealand, and that its fame is spreading is proved by the fact that the proprietors, of the popular cough remedy h>ve this .season secured ! orders from Westralia, Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Fiji—Advance New Zealand.—(Advt.)

Mutual affection require* to be preserved by mutual endeavours to please and to meet the wishes of each other. It would be hard to imagine a more pleasing proof of affection than presenting a lady with one of Butcher's engagement rings. The possession of one oi these jewels of rare beauty and elegance will be found a most permanent source of happiness. Butcher, Jeweller and ring maker, 210 High street, Christchuroh. —Advt. \ The number that have re* cently occurred through hike accidents, kicks from horses, and sprained ankles have served to emphasise ' this fact—that wherever pain or inflammation is present Loasby'e Koolibah stands . unequalled. Hundreds of testimonials prove this.—Advt. . Christmas Gifts.—Purchasers should inspect our pictures, oil and water colour boxes, etc. Secure a camera, and enjoy your holidays. The P.O.P. Camera and Fine Art Stores (facing Clock Tower).— (Advt.) Bell Cycles—The most reliable and honest machine built in New Zealand. Manufacturers, Bell Bros., 170 High street, just past Clock Tower. Special attention torepairs. 6223 JEWS ASIJOLDIERS. A London paper says it is computed that as many as 1500 Jews have fought on toe British side during 4&e Boer war, and titers are on record ten several iwrtamys of three Jewish brothers.being on servioe with British; regiments in South Africa. Cigarette smoking is recognised in Chicago as sufikuent reason for asking for a divorce decree. Mrs James Whitmore, who is suing for a divorce, says in her complaint: "Your oratiix represents that he (hex husband) has indulged nightly ia the habit of smoking cigarettes. At the hours of twelve and two o'clock he arises and smokes until the sleeping room is densely filled with smoke, notwithstanding her protests and entreaties, and she now believes that from inhaling the fumes of his cigarettes her health has been greatly and permanently injured."

AN INTERESTED} ELECTION. The -election for a member of *&c Manx House of Keys -resulted in the triumphant return of Mr HaH. Game, who polled 458 votes against Ms opponent's 191. Tfre contest excited oonaiderabk interest, and local feeling ran strong. Tfce Ramsey folk -were very proud of the fact that, probably for the first iime in insular electioneer*

ing, representatives of London papers were amongst them to chronicle the day's doings, and even some journals had made arrangements for prompt information as to the a>esult. Mr Hall Came tc-ck his seat in the ancient Parliament—-whioh is of much greater antiquity thai* *l>e British House—a few days after his election. HUMAN CUCKOO'S ANTICS. In the famous Crager will case in New York, in which the sanity of the deceased millionaire is in question, some strange questions have been asked of the brain experts. Here is one batch of them: "If a man of thirty-four years or so shows a fondness for toys or absinthe" ; "if he shows a disposition to laugh immoderately whenever anvbodiy Soaks at him"; "if he has a habit of polisihiitg 'his ibigh hat with shoe blacking applied with a brush' , ; "if he has a knack of flapping his arms as if tihey were wings whenever a cuckoo clock struck, what woald you pronounce his condition, to be' , " Dr. Dana, an alienist, unhesitatingly replied to these queries: "He was suffering from paralytic dementia, a form of paresis. DEATH OF A~CENTENARIAN. Mrs Elizabeth Hanbury died 1 recently at the great age of 108 years and 144 daye. She was (says the "Daily News") the widow of Mr Cornelius Hanbury, formerly of the firm of Messrs Allen and Hanbury, who died in 1869, aged seventy-three, and she was born in the parish of All Hallows, London Wall, on June 9th, 1793. Mrs Hanbury took -an active part in the famous Mrs Fry's prison work for many years, habitnafily visiting the contact ships for women bsJore their departure from the Thames, and immeme was tie good effected by the philanthropic ladies who allied'themselves with Mrs Fry in ameliorating the condition of prisoners! She also tiirew herself eneogetically into the anti-slavery movement, and to the end of her , days was indignant at the course taken by Eiigland in Forcing the opium, trade upon China. She was* deeply attacked to the Society of Friends, and was one of its recognised ministers. Throughout life she had a great love of poetry, andi frequently expressed her thoughts in verse. : She was remarkably free from illness., and could see to read and write at tJne age of 100. She was a total, abstainer by preference from early womanhood before pledges on the subject were thought of. Sirs Hanbury's health and appetite remained good , , she slept well, and till about the middle of her 106 th year she rose and dressed and spent the latter part of each day in her sitting room, commonly plaiting silk. After this time she foun'l that cferessing was too great an effort, and she remained for the most,part in bed.