Christchurch Notes.

Clutha Leader, Volume XX, Issue 1035, 25 May 1894, Page 6

Christchurch Notes.

[From Our Own Correspondent.] There is nothing new to record in the way of business from this quarter ; everything seems at its worst. If it were not for such pressing questions as the unemployed, old age pensions, female dress reform, etc., the chances are we should »li go quietly off to sleep, and awake with the twittering of the ever-wakeful aparrow building his neat in our chimneys and house eaves in the early spring. It is a great pity such a state of things did not occasionally come about, as a great deal of expense, gas — natural, of which we appear to have a superabundance — and worry would be saved. Nelson gets the name of sleepy hollow, Christchurch could very well be dubbed " sleepy flat." We get np in the morning, and those who are lucky enough to have work to do to and do it in a hum-drum kind of fashion. When that is finished go home, have our evening meal, read the daily papers, have a smoke, and —put out the light. The many friends in Balclutha of Mr A. R Webb, late manager of the National Bank, will regret to hear of his death, which took place here on Sunday morning at the age of 63. Mr Webb had been in failing health for come time, and since Easter very little hope of recovery has been held out." A generally impaired constitution terminated in dropsy, and Mr Webb, after lingering for nearly three months, passed away as above stated on Sunday morning. Mr Webb will be rememhered in Balclutha as a kind and obliging officer, and ever willing to lend his aid at concerts, etc., for benevolent or other purposes. His violin solos and other contributions at these gatherings were always highly appreciated. It was perhaps in connection with the Anglican Church that the deceased gentleman most identified himself, where, when necessity arose, he acted as lay-reader, and always to the front in the musical department of the church services. Since being* transferred from Balclutha he served in the bank here till just before his fatal illness came «n, when he retired from the service, and has been living privately with his family. The loss to the family is great, but they have one solace : their father while alive performed his duties honorably, and lived an upright, honest life to the last. The funeral was very largely attended. The exemplary sentences— six months' hard labour — passed by the Christchurch J.P.'s on some of the members of the speiling fraternity have had the effect of Btopping the " cheap serge " nuisance to a very marked extent. Such a number were there at tho trade that people began to wonder how so many hard up " runaway sailors " were allowed to bo at large. It seems we have had a thoroughly organised baud of scoundrels at work amongst us, who would not stick at trifles to gain a lazy living. The "runaway sailor" theory was exploded in the Police Court when ono of the accused called one of our large drapers as a witness for his defence. This witness gave* evidence to the effect that the accused had purchased several pieces of serge at his shop at a very low price, and by selling it at 25s a piece had made an enormous profit. Counsel for the accused objected to the long sentences pnssed, and fumed and threatened, but to no effect ; the members of the great unpaid on the bench were adamant, having made up their minds to make an example of the men before them and stand the consequences of an appeal to a higher court, which has not so far been done, nor at ali likely. Something like a practical attempt has been made in the city to grapple with the unemployed question. It is just what is being done in other large centres. Money is being collected to be spent on beautifying the town, and employing the more aged men out of work. A gang of 50 have been set to work on the river banks to form them up and plant ornamental trees, form paths, etc. What was known in the early days, as " Paddy's market " is being transformed into an ornamental ground. This piece of ground is a portion of market square, and since the demolition of the old market buildings has been used as a stone yard by the City Council — a very unsightly pile in the centre of the city. All the atone has been carted away and men put on to pick np the old pavements and generally turn the whole piece up9ide-down, when it will be sown down in grass and surrounded by an ornamental chain fence. A shelter for homeless men has also been started. The " old mill," in Hereford street, has been transformed, through the agency of Pastor Birch, into a comfortable ".doss-house," where tea, bed, and breakfast are provided to destitute men. The good pastor hid some difficulty in carrying out hie scheme as assistance was not forthcoming very freely, and, to use his own words, he " appealed to christian friends for a whole monuh for the sum of 4s 6d, and then tried the ' publicans and sinners.' " This decision on his part seemed to work like magic, for a few days after publicly making the statement goods and specie rolled in to such an extent that the home was fully equipped in three days time. Quite a large number of men avail themselves of the shelter every night, as many as 33 having been provided for in one nirrht. Where possible the men are provided with work, and if poorly clothed something is done for them, as far as means will permit. The pastor has also taken upon himself the care of the wives and families of the men sent away to relief works in other parts, and sees their wants attended to, till such tune as thsy join their husbands. The exports of frozen meat from Lyttelton were very heavy last week. Four deep sea boats left the port, taking respectively 20.500, 12,000, 25,913, and 20,000 carcases, mutton and lamb. Taking these together with the numbers loaded at other ports the total number of sheep slaughtered and frozen must have been exceedingly large. It is surprising the holding capacity of some of "these great " tanks," for such they are. Here is the outward cargo of one, which will give some idea : — Matatua, 3322 tons, for London : From Oamaru — 11,297 carcases mutton,| 3593 carcases lamb, 31 bales wool, 1000 sasks bran, 2925 sacks oats, 2 boxes butter; from Dunedin— 497o carcases mutton, 422 bales wool, 132 bales skins, 293 bags zinc, 53 pkgs ; from Lyttelton—ls,oo3 carcases mutton, 10,410

carcases lamb, 1] bales fibre, 43 bales wool, 1970 pieces mutton, 385 sacks oats, 1019 sacks beans, 2 bales skins, — and this is a smull boat.