IN OTHER CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 159, 30 March 1908, Page 8

IN OTHER CENTRES.

(BY TELEGKAJH—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS.)' ' : " .. ——-' I CHRISTCHURCH. \ ; i . March 23. Crib Time. ' ' Tlio ''Press," remarking that a good deal has been heard lately about tho hardship of ;'the Blackball'minors being allowed'only a | quarter, of'an hour for their lunch,:and having to take it in tho' mine, says AThore is a fairly numerous and, on thq whole,'deserving body of workers in . tho Government service Avh _ :-rn allowed, only a quarter of an hour's ; > "c.ib". tinie, arb fined 'if"they, cxcce'd it, and' in busv seasons are cut. down to teii' miriutes! The Christchuroh telegraph ■messengers,' who; take the late shift of the day's work, namely, that extending from 4. p.m. to 11 p.m.',-got only/ten. minutes," .or at' most: a'quarter "of

on hour, for'food, in tho course of-their sevt..' hours' duty, and they: have' to ■ take it in 1 the. despatch room, which can h&rtfljv be'.favourable either to appetite or good digestion. ,\Ve can hardly expect members'of Parliament, or .'Labour leaders to concern. themselvoj about, telegraph boys, who hare;, no votes. The Postmaster-General, , however,' ' bear.vthe reputation of being a humane man; ■and no.w thut his' attention has been directed ■'to the matter we.■ hope. the:boys' may bo allowed an extension 'of ''crib"-time'.: V, ~ ' .' . r.-. March 29. ■ Loss of Memory. A queer case of loss of memory brought about; in unusual circuiiistaiicM has . opmo t'o notice locally.! It appears' that oil Thursday' night a seafaring jiian, "who had boon spending the .evening at a friend's' house in' : Ad-) dingtpn, was., running. aerosiS tho'South- Park endeavouring to catcli the Riccarton car to town, whon, not noticing tho. deep drain which runs through tho reserve, ho pitchcd headlong into it. He was, dazed by tho mishap, and,. with his clothingin : a".saturated condition, his-' ■ way '■ .to .tho railway station. From there lie was'conveyed to tho hospttal, arriving about midnight. Inquiries .as to- bis! identity wero;. fruitless,.,; the 1 severe shock ho had received entirely obscuring his memory .for .the. time being.. In the morning, however,/ lie haJii somewhat recovered, and was ablo to remember, his naino.' Of searching' his clothing' ho found 'that all his .valuables wero missing,, and vague ' apprehension's aroso .in his' mind as to whether ho had, bee-u . the'victim of'a sand-bagging ehterpriso tlic previous night, and' had .hatKliit, personal possessions looted.' l Theso fears wero quickly dispelled, however, when-lie ascertained that, on admission'to the Hospital his dripping clothes had been' hung up to : dry. and his belongings placed in safo. keeping. Last evening lie had practically recovered from his : extraordinary experience, although ho was still'somowhat dazed;". Tne Bonnet Court of Corsetiill. An institution which appears .to ,have ...been, on similar lines to our Conciliation' Boards is noted by the " Press " as having existed 'in ocotland 'm the -eighteenth century! In the Kilmarncck Stahdard ,,J . of-January 4 last republished; a portion' of. the minutes of' the . Bonnet Court of 'Corsehil.l," and' from' this it appears that'the -bbriiietmakers-of-.those'days ; wero ; only permitted- to' carrv oh tlieir. industry .under. veYy-, strict regulations.: l'or instance, there aro .soveral 'casesVre-' ported .111 ' which bonnetmakers wero fined for. having mado bonnets -, • insufficient'.' 'inweight. Gno entry reads: "Jen Currio acknowledged att least James Ryburn for her, ithat sho had two'dozen'and: a half cans ..insufficient, for 1 , which, tho -baillio fines her m- 0110. shilling per dozen, and ordains all necessary execution to' pass -hereon within 52JJP- ,' a .T' An. entry on December' 15,'' 17ti0. ordains that no caps are to' be mado'l a , ' ? certain "specified period," any offender to forfeit ."the-spume; of .'five'shillings- sterling- for each day's transgression.'' Another, .entry, on December' 4,'; 1761; 'fixes a ponalty of £1 sterling as payable : by- any person^who omploys anyone on their return fronr .Kilmarnock who had worked' " Bonnets the timo of our caps making."- Under date December 8, 1762, tho: following entry.. app?aZs:. bonnetmakor oourt having' met at Goosclulls, Alexander Picken entered,with tho trade, if ho bo- married.betwixt this and tho third of July', -1763, >ho.is to pav nothing but please the deacon, .'an'officer of the court. If not ,he is to pay ten marks Sco-ts money.":'.

Too Much Noise. A movement is on foot-among tho residents of Lyttelton-. for tho abolition of tho practice of steamers' whistles screeching and shrieking ywhen vessels are; about to leave port. \\ lust.lo blowing by steamers in most of the largon pork of New Zealand .is prohibited, and bugles.or ships' bells are,used to announco tlio approach of sailing time. At present steamers leaving Lyttelton are prohibited from using. thjir whistles after 10 oclock .at-, night, excopt when- necessary for tho safo navigation of vessels. On many occasions, howover, the people: of . Lyttelton aro wakened from sleop late at night or in tho early hours of the morninp by the sound of tho tug's whistle or by: the'blast from the horn or. syren of a ste-amer entering port at daylight. • At air hours during tlio day the screeching goes on, each vessel for at least half an' liour boforo her doparturo giving a series, of blasts in token of farewell. A very large number of tho residents of tho port aro stronglv in favour of the abolition of 'whistle-blowing by'the steamers oxcont for, tho purpose of navigation,. in which caso, long or short blasts to indicate tho movomqnts of Rteamers aro often: ahso-' lutoly necessary. Tlio Jlavor of Lvttolfon has on two occasions brought tho matter before tho Harbour, Board;' but no action'has been taken.by them. A potition is therefore to bo.-drawn up niicl .1 deputation appointed to present it to tho Harbour Board, request--mg thorn to abolish .tho practice.

HASTINGS. A potition is being extensively: signed requesting the Mayor to call a public meriting to consider the question of erecting a suitablo monument to the memory cA the late jfr. l W. C. Maddison. Tlio petition will be I presented to the Mayor at the Council Chambers next Tuesday.