NEWS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11152, 19 December 1901, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The tender of C. H. Franfcham (£4779) has been accepted for the erection of the Pacific cable station buildings at Doubtless Bay.

At the Addington Saleyarda yesterday five (halfbred wethers from the "Oakleigh Estate were bought at 18s, on behalf of Messrs D. and A. Macfarlane, Lyndon, for presentation to the Discovery.

The monthly meeting of the Committee of the Prison Gate Mission was held yesterday in the office of Messrs Kaye and Carter. The Rev. C. Coates was in the chair. Encouraging reports were given by the prison •visitors, and various matters of special interest to the Mission were dealt with.

The Rev. D. C. Bates and a friend made the ascent of Mount Anglem (Hananui), Stewart Island, last week, occupying two days in the task. The mountain is not very high, but the top k difficult of access, owing to the timber and scrub. Thte visitors found the crater on top filled by a lake 800 by 300 yards, of which a photo was secured.

A hailstorm of unusual violence fell in the Norwood district on Moadav. Our correspondent states that the hailstones were two and a half inches in circumference, and were shaped like a balloon, the edges being deeply serrated. A greenhouse at Mr McCrostie's suffered severely, about 200 ft of glass being broken. Fortunately the storm only lasted a fewminutes, or the damage would hare been very severe. The leaves of the rape and turnip crops were cut about.

A meeting of the Committee of the Christchfcrch Sheep Dog Trial Club -was held at t-be Aldington Saleyards yesterday, 'Mr E. C. Clarkson presiding." The hon. 'treasurer's statement showed a small debit balance on the year's working, the fall in tha value of sheep .in the autumn having resulted in a loss of £30 on the sheep nised in the trials, otherwise there would have been a substantial credit bailee. It was decidfd to at once discharge the liability, and start the incoming year free of debt.

Seventy-nine applications were received by the Bt. AHxtns Borough Council for the position of ■drivers of the borough , fire engine. A special committee d«a!t -with these applications last%ight, and selected seven of the applicants from the seventynine—Messrs O'Connor, Biazey, Thomson, Henry, Phiilpott, Kennedy, and Harrison. These applicants will come before the committee on Monday night prior to the final selection being made.

—' "" ■" " ' " - *~^ M *^» Owing to t'bfe rather threatening ■ ther, there was not a large attendanco at Lancaster Park last, nigfct, when Messr? Stokee and Bickerton gave a display o f fireworks. The Woolston Baud pla-ved a programme of dance music, and several coupke indulged in "dancing on the ftreen." Tie ground, however, was too damp to attract many dancers.

To-night the next of the series of muni, cipai band concerts ■will be given in the Rotunda by the St&ranore Band, under Bandmaster Searell. The programme wiU be as unider : —Overture, "Austral"' ; trom.

bone sok>, '"II Bravo" ; selection, "Lucrexia Borgia" ; lancers, "Darkies' Frolic"; quickstep. 'The Elephant"; ejection, "Beet-hov-en"; wal£z, "Les Fleurs de Australie"; contest selection, "Satanella" ; "God Save the King."

A Press Association telegram from Weilington states that k was thought up to tie last few days that the output of dairy produce in Xew Zealand; this season -vrwikj be seriously reduced in consequence of tie dry weather. The rain which has now fallen in different parts of the eokmy, however, has changed the aspect of thiags. The Dairy Commissioner is of opinion th*t the output will equal, if, indeed, it does not excel, that of last season.

At tie distribution of prizes in con. n-ection with tte Boys' High School last evening, the headmaster. Mr C. E. Bevaa> Brown, sta-t-ed that it had been decided to ■have a whole lioliday in future on Saturdays, instead of the present system. School will begin at a quarter past nine on Wednesdays, instead of at 'lialf-past, and, after a shorter lunch hv>ur, will conclude*at three o'clock. The new arrangement is expected to benefit country boys and the schools' sports.

A line of 260 six-tooth, crossbred wethers from the Mount Herbert Estate, Hairke'g Bay, were sold at the Addington Saleyards yesterday, being taken by butchers a& 159 to 16s 9d. They were by English; Leicester Tama out of Lincoln or Lincoln cross ewes, and were large-framed and well finished. -they had had a good passage down, none being lost on the way, and were <a good bit above the average of the sheep that usually come down from the North Island. Mr Ambrose Potte, manager of the Mount Herbert Estate, who is well known in Canterbury, was present to gee the sheep sold. Mr R. Mounsey has been appointed mas< ter of the Launston School. Huif-season fishing licenses will be issued to-morrow. During November the North Canterbury Education Board's truant officer took 43 cases of truancy before the Court in LytteU ton, Christchurch and Ashburton. The Supreme Court vacation will com. mence on DecenibsT 20th, and it is probable all business will be cleared up before that date. The Riuaxton Boad Board have replied to the question as to the establishment o! a tramway on the Riccarton road that thej have no general objection to the work being carried out. "Stop smoking, ,, said the Premier (who was about to speak) to a highly-placed military officer at a dinner in Wellington on . Monday night. And the officer obeyed with the most commendable meekness. Rapid progress is being made with the work at the Bruce Woollen Mills. All the roofing iron has now been laid, and in a short time the whole of the exterior ■work will be completed. A larger number of parties than usual are organising for trips during the holidays to the West Coast. Quite a dozen different expeditions in various directions have been planned. From the Education Department the local Education Board has received thr sum of £2000, the first instalment of the building grant for the current financial year. t The Collector of Customs has received intimation that the s.s. Hinemoa wiH leave Lyttelton for Southern lighthouses and West Coast sounds and bays to-day. Inteudimg shippers should have their goods alongside as early as possible. The question of the privilege of the Press cropped up in the district Court at MastertontJie other day. " Mr Hornsby was asked to give tihe naaie of the writer of a letter to bis paper. This he declined to do, stating that it was against the rules of journalism. His Honour asked if there was any specific privilege. Mr Pownall said he understood that the Supreme Court had held that a journalist could not be compelled to give the name of the write* of a letter, although he knew of no privilege. He would not press the matter. Advantage was taken of the occasion oi the Girls' High School presentation of prizes at Canterbury College on Tuesday to present the gold and sijver "medals awarded by the Associated , Board B.A.M. and R.C.M., of London, for the two highest Honours candidates in the local centre examinations in Canterbury. The presentation was made by Mr T. S. Weston, chairman of the 'Board of ColleM Governors, the recipients being:—Gold medal, Miss Lillian Alice Pattrick {teacher Mr Max Hirschberg); silver medal, Mise Iris Cecilia Edgar (teacher, Mrs J. E. Crook). The New Zealand Swimming Association's communication to the Education Board, asking that two swimming instructors be appointed, by the Board—one for the town and the other for . the country —was considered by the Bulidings Committee, which recommended that only one instructor be appointed as soon as possible, and that applications for the position be advertised for. The .Board at its meeting yesterday agreed to this, and tha matter left in the Chairman's hands. .Mr G. Hogben, Secretary of Education, at a conference with the Normal School Committee, referred to the fact that under the Act the Board •would be enabled to form swimming classes, in respect of which capitation would be paid. The Board decided to send circulars to the School Committeea which have ba-tbs, inform them of the conditions on which the- Government capitation can be obtained. The Appointments Committee of tha Education Board recently received letters from tihe Ashburton, Papanui, and Richmond Committees, with regard to the positions of their respective school staffs, tinder the colonial scale of salaries. The letters were left to the Special Committee, consisting of Messrs Buddo, Hardy. Weston, Adams, and Peryman, which was set up at yesterday's meeting- of the Board to consider the allocation of salaries, and the positions of members of the teaching staffs under the new scale, which comes into operation on the Ist January. The Normal School Committee- reported to the Board yesterday that it had discussed with. -Mr Hogbfn, Secjretary of Education, some of the questions arising out of the colonial scale, such as the staffing of side schools, the allocating of the positions of mistress and first assistant mistress at the city schools, fifth year pupil teachers, and the absence of any provision for the teaching of tewing & schools at present in sole charge of * master. With regard to the last-men-tioned question, Mr Hogben advised tha Board to state the case to the Department for the Minister's consideration. The Selwyn County Council yesteniaf discussed a peculiar letter received from the Treasury with reference to the application for loans in connection with the Ellesmere drainage works, stating that there was no special provision in the Act under which the Colonial Treasurer could grant the l«an as asked for under the Loans to Local Bodies Act, but as it was a public work the Council might raise a special loan for the work outside the Government. The chairman read a letter from Mr Joynt, the kpal adviser f>i the CVuncii, stating in effect thai the Treasury had no right to refuse the loan, as it had been applied for rightly and legally under the Art by the Council. Mr Joynt went on to say on this point: —"Trie net result of action taken by the Council and the Treasury respectively is that, while the former has carefully complied with all the requirements of the law to entitle it to have this loan granted, the latter has without any valid "br lawful excuse, and in direct. violation of its legal duty, refused to grant it." It was resolved to forward a copy of Mr Joynt s opinion to the Treasury, and ask whether the Colonial Treasurer, in view of it. would reconsider the refusal to grant the loan.

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Butter and ehee** for "hipment home fry the Tokomaru are being taken in to the cool stores, Lyttelton, and will be received until the 28th iiist. Almost the whole of the saloon berths en the New Zealand Shitting Company's new steamer Ruapehu, which leaves Wellington early in March, for the Old Country, have been booked—further evidence Ihat large number* of New Zealanders wiM journey to London for the Coronation festivities. By a remarkable coincidence this ■week's "Weekly Press," which was published on Tuesday, Hie day originally taxed for the Ariadne trial, contains a photograph of the famous naval harbour of Villefranehe, in which the yacht Ariadne may be plainly eeen lying at anchor with a, number of French" men-o'-wiu - . The Ariadne was then the largest wooden Hailing yacht in the world, and was in the harfiour of Villef fraoche at the same time as the largest American (team yacht, which, belonged to ©oe of th* Vanderbilt*. When ti» photograph was taken Mr Corwith, the American millionaire, was on board the Ariadne. The Postal authorities desire us to remind the public that the regulation regarding the posting of Christmas and Itfew Year cuds at the halfpenny rate requires that the covers he lefi open, no that the cards may be reiulily withdrawn for inspection. The simplest and most effective method in to turn the flap of the envelope Jn instead of gumming it down. This obfifttes the necessity of cutting open the cover. Envelopes closed against inspection, no matter wlwt they contain, must be paid for at letter rates. otherwise they will be surcharged double the deficiency on deliver}-. Messrs Strange and Company announce tfcH their premises will be opea ail day to-day (Thursday). 701 The attention of our raxiera is drawn to the advertisement of Messrs B. Petersen And Co., Jewellers, announcing a special . Amount off all cash purchases made during this month. Thty ak«> wi*h to state, m they are not only direct importers, but the actoal manufacturers, of a great many of £beir goods, the prices will be found very low, every article being marked in plain figures. 611 Preserving Season. —Fletcher Bros, have all kinds of jam and fruit jars, lib »ke, Iβ 3d; 21b *iz», Is 9d: Mason, 2s 3d; tuinblraa from Is 3d half-dozen. Fletcher Bros, allow no one to underseiythein. High street,-— (Advt.) The wise young man will kill two birds ; with one stone by making the engagement ring the Chriatma* present, and the wise young woman will commend hi* economy. No Booh pretty selection of engagement ring* elsewhere in city as Clarke and Co., 148 Colombo street, axe now showing; rings at all prices—but every one a beauty. (Advt.) For bicycle repairs we specially recommend cydists to Boyd and Son, who are romVnuig first-class work with moderate duix&tt. 191 Gloucester street, Christeanrch. Telephone 47. 29 Mr Grieshaber, jeweller, who has re- • noved to new premises, 155 Colombo street, riite City Hotel, is haying a clearing of his whole stock at greatly reduced prices.—< Advt.) uum enjoys a very large sale in New Zealand, and that it* fame is spreading is proved by the fact that the proprietom of the popular oough remedy have this season secured orders from Westralia, Brisbane, ' f Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Fiji—Ad--1 Tance New Zealand.—(Advt.) Mutual affection require* to be preserved by mutual endeavours to please and to meet the wishes of each other. It would 1 bo hard to imagine a more pleasing proof of affection than presenting a lady with -, one of Butcher's engagement rings. 7 The , possession of one of these jewels of rare • beauty and elegance will be found a. most . permanent tovrce of happiness. Butcher, jeweller and ring maker, 210 High street, it Ohristohuroh.—-Advt. .;.. The number of accidents that hare reV cenUy occurred through bike aocidente, i kicks from horses, and sprained ankle* hare ..'■ served to emphasise this fact—that 4' wherever pain or inflammation is present 4 Loasby , * Koolibah stands unequalled. I Hundreds of testimonials prove this.—Advt. .&L Christmae Gifts.—Purchasers should in•C'specfc xmr pictures, oil end water colour. y! '.boxes, etc. Secure a camera, and enjoy %-\ you* holidays. The P.O.P. Camera and p., Fine Art Stores (faciug Clock Tower).—---11l (Advt.) ;V ~ Bell Cycle*—The meet reliable and' '£ honest machine built in New Zealand, Manufacturers, Bell Bros., 170 High street, ~:4 jost past dock Tower. Special attention v; iortptir*. tm i[' It is hard to say what is the ultimate jjcjv cost of a so-called "cheap" bicycle, but it %'" is certain to amount to very much, wore V I '"than a high-class machine, therefore if you /'.' wish to cycle in comfort and security at a ;i' minsnum of expense, order either a r, Hum- ".. ber" or "Anglo-Special ,, bicycle, made and W by experienced and responsible % '.doocerw. See the two-speed gear and freeV- wheel, it is simple and practical, also lug- }/:, l*p carriers, hold-all, trip meters, etc,, Xi suitable for cycle touriste. The Anglo- ;,? New Zealand Cycle Coflnpany, D.LO., and Zto High street—(Advt.) I "J)ISCX>VERirIx)STCA3IDe. |A'< Discovery postcard* are the latest devel«fV-> epBMDt of the pictorial postcards issued f|{' ly the "Weekly Press, ,, and this morning f.V *»o «wde will be on sale (at 6d per packet M d 12), «t the "Press" Ofßoe. ' Each card 3% totes two pictures of the Discovery in ■\y. LyfcUtooo. They will make a capital £!• aos*emr of the Twit of the Antarctic ship f !?* to our port. !|; BANK NOTES EATEN BY A COW. fC Pieces of bank notes, taken from s> cow* ;/£.{ stomach, were recently put together at the *'f-Sank of Ottawa (America) to the extent £>y.at £27. The ; cow belonged to a Lanark i;.\ County farmer, who had £29 in notes, > n which he placed in the pocket of a coat ,'.an» hnngtop on a fence while at work. The. J-"',,' '*jj"* *H found shortly after on the ground. * A : The note* had fallen out of the pocket, and *'/, we cow was quietly chewing them. The h '' lumer bad the animal slaughtered, and fragI: nents of the notes were discovered in the stomach. They were pot. in a bag and car■fj! f TMA to the branch bank, whence they were % '",•»* to the Ottawa head office for the con-. p> tente to be examined, with the above re* *-;"' „ A VILLAGE~SUMMONED. >■'.; , A Pane despatch to a London paper at states that a curious legal situation has been \; created at Taradcau, in tHe Department of ;V'' Var, where the whole of the inhabitante , V'" of the commune, 511 in number, have been ; fn- Mtnmoned before the local police tribunal £ yWT» charge of disoxderl/ proceedings. It " ; ;\ seems that the population following a long- *' l established custom, which prevails in the ij *' district, TecenUy celebrated, the marriage of ■ )" » widow by singing and shouting and rais- J . * diabolical din with kitchen utenals. ' jr Ja their exuberance, however, they went, ... 100 far, and the village gendarme, to make ';'.- certain of capturing the delinquent* sumatoned the entire community. •[ ■ MORPHINE HAiIT IN* FRANCE. il.* The growing frequency of the morphine in France, which is largely due to i , ."? tt* tinreetricted use of the narcotic in .-" * .hospitals, is becinning to cause' uneamnets among thoee who study the signs of the ' smee"5 mcc " A M nionaWe chemieb m the Rue ■ Oβ la Paix assured the correepondeob of a 5 London paper that the amount of morphine Wten in professional and society ckoles ie "very considerable, and he added that women *ere hie best customers. Dr. Paul Rodet, ' nsad of a well-known bydrotberapeutic establishment in the Rue Boileau, instances M deeply addicted to the drug women of ashion, army men and colonials, journalists . *od politicians, and medical men. Another doctor adds to this Iwrfc Pane work- . mg girls, milliners, and dressmakers, to • Whom chemists sell morphine too freely, - and both medical men are agreed that stricter measures should be enforced irith a ▼sew to staying the terrible ravages of thia - . dtogeroua habit. MAJOR MADOCKS'S NEW APPOINTMENT. Major Madoeks, who so distinguished bimself with the New Zealanders in Sooth Africa laet year, has not been allowed, J"?**" our London correß}iondent on November Bth, to remain idle very long. He

had a delightful trip Home from New Zealand, via America, where he remained several weeks, and has been in England only ten days. Immediately on his arrival, although his leave bad still two months to run, he volunteered at tie War Office for active service, and his turn baa come at once. General lan Hamdlton has resigned the position of Military Secretary at the War Office, and is gpmg out- to Sooth Africa to serve as chief of 'Lord Kitchener's staff, and will take his departure on Saturday. He has offered Major Madocks a position on the headquarters army etaff, which the latter has gladly accepted; so ha will accompany Sir lan as deputy-aeeistanb adjutant general. Afl Major Madbcks'a friends in the colony— and they are.many—will be delighted* to hear of hie good fortune.