IN OTHER CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 222, 12 June 1908, Page 8

IN OTHER CENTRES.

(DY TBr,EGRArn—SPECIAI COERESrONDENTS.)

• CHRISTCHURCH. ; Jnr.o 11. As a result of the recent agitation l for tlio stopping of the use of steamers' whistles in Lyttolton Harbour, the Harbour Board hav6 adopted tho following.by-law:—"A : steamwhistle, or siren, or fog-horn shall not be sounded on any vessel (the r -Lyttelton. Harbour Board's tugboat;, excepted) navigating the waters of the port, or. when lying alongside any wharf,-for-tho'.:purpose of :summoning or signalling to-workmen or. passengers, or, any person whatsoever, but shall only be sounded for such purposes as relate to navigation." !' Obituary. Very general regret was expressed in town yesterday, when the news of tho. unexpected death, at Auckland, of Mr. William Thomson, manager of tho Balmoral estate. North Canterbury, became knpwn. Mr. Thomson, who was tho most popular. men in the province, ,had been.in,somewhat ill-health lately, and ' loft with'' Mrs. Thomson on a trip to Australia about a fortnight ago. He was appointed manager of Balmoral/station in 1873, at a tim© when tho country was almost in a-state, of nature; arid the'fact that he held'the'position up to the time of-his death, a period of 35 years, speaks ' eloquently of his ability. The station comprised 59,824 acres freehold and 8002 acresJeasehold, carrying about 35,000 sheep,besides over 100 head of cattle,-when he becamo manager. When rabbits, threatened an invasion, Mr. Thomson- erected thirty miles-of rabbit-proof fence around the boundary, 'and amongst other, improvements, he carried out was about; thirty miles of waterraces on the Balmoral Plain. Under his management the station has /been developed into a .very fine property. ' Ho was a member of' tho'Amurj County.-Council,-arid ,of tho Hurunui Rabbit . Board,, and was honorary' secretary of;; the Hurunui Racing • Club for twelW.years, and: held,a'.similar position in - connection 'with the Amuri. Turf Club since its,; establishment in ,1887.,,»He ■ was . a', very keen.-sportsman, and took, great' interest; in raoirig and -hunting. He was an ' excellent four-m-hand whip, and was one of those who first droyoafour-m-hand team over the WaiauKaikoura Road. - Mr. Thomson was'also an enthusiastic volunteer, .and' was. for some time the' second;. captain of. the AinuH Mounted Ri/les.- Mr. Thomson's father,'• .in the early sixties, represented, Avon -in, the House of Representatives, and was subsequently auditor for; the' province of .'Canterbury. . ' / School Holidays. ; A .conference was. held' on Tuesday, between tho chairmen, of city :,ahd .suburban, school committees and headmasters . to. ''come to ?ome arrangement providing .'for ■ the uniformity; of sohool holidays. It- was : decided that tho city-arid;; Suburban school s-'-sliould break .up for. a, fortnight'on the first'-Fridiy m September ,also .on'the Thursday .before Christmas', reopening \ipon the last-Monday in January.' An "executive was "appointed, to decide upon-casual holidays.. The number, of weeks fixed by the. resolution left-.a inargin Of one - extra, week,- whjcli could > be, allotted by the scjiopl, committees according :to 'circumstances;, .In .-Marshland, which ,is a great potato arid, onion ■ growing ■ distriotj '.'thb■Ttical condition's might prevent the : regular holidays being .a'dhored to, .but pthenyiso;t{;o --hQPft:^iis oxpressedHhat.-'the;Comriiit'tees would.',keep*.to tlio uniform holidays'.! At tlio'.meeting of\tiie board yesterday' one inemb'dr stated' thaV'tlio board seeniod to allow more holidays--than otliers in the-Doniiiiion.. Tho. East .-.Christchurch sphool Jast year had sixty-seven days, and Akaroa ■ sixty-thrQo 'days' hplidiy. - Tlio matter . was referred to a. committeo. • ' A Presbyterian Rally. " On Sunday a,Presbyterian. rally of every congregation . throughout thfo Christchurcil Presbytery's .district will be held, the object being to.'secure the attendance, at : tho-ser-vices of every Presbyterian adult arid: child iri every parish. The rosult, of .the rally, it is believed, -will bo to deepen tlio interest of tlio people-in the welfare of the Church, rovoal its possibilities, and givo an-impotus 1 to its work in.every branch. Arrangements have been niiado to deliver a card of. invitation to every family or. individual -to attend tho services,-which will bo of a special character. t ■

A Distressins Acoldant. . ■ A most, distressing .case has just comb tto light' in Timaru. ■ A 'cabinetmaker,, lpst -jthp use .of; both; eyes:';. Ho'.js a'.marr,ied.-piah,j.'and: tho, father: of'.three children. He was carrying', a' bath out of. a* room., wlion' the, bath struck the half-closed door, and in some,way his spectacles were broken-and forced, into his e'yos. As a result of,tho accident; ho'bad to-, have both .eyes removed. This made it inipossiblo, for him to continue bis tradp,: and as ho. is a man-of forty if.is: unlikely; that ho will evor bo able to earn anything..,' His wife has. mado a bravo struggle to keep a homo together by going' out Swashing,- But littlo by littlo :the furniture- has -had"to.- go to . provide - biro necessaries, .until very littlo is,, left. ■ About Christmas timo' on ono occasion there was not a crust of bread or'a bit of coal: in the hpuso, and the family have had 'a terriblo . struggle for 'existoiice.'.. They havo ;lately: .been: receiving , some assistance from "charitable friends. , Whilo tho wife;..is away .atwerk thejiusband is helpless: in his blindness, and as ho" isv uiiablp ,to ; keep, a firo alight "lie- suffers'considerably from tbo cold laud: r,liouinatism. . The man' was 'at ono time .',a. prominent- .footballer, -in * the - North Island, and it has been suggested that footballers might give him somP assistance.

DUNEDIN. -V" , June 11". 'Richard' Brew' sued a .Warcp'a named Gilbert Stewart" for: '£2; : 125.: ; for.; engaging , employees. ;• '.'Plaintiff ..is." a,, .licensed registry ojiico .koeppr, • and ,it was ' , shown that ho".had certain''.hands forVde+ foildaut, to, whom lie soveral times applied for'.payment' .'in.,vain'..The' charges'/made were those gazetted by the. Governor Order-in-Oouncil, and contained : in the.*- regulations ~of ."The New Zealand' Gazette."' Defending counsel said ho would' prPvpthat, although .tho Act gave registry'office keepers tne . right to charge, employers, .yet';, the right wiy had; not ' bberi exercised because if it were, employers ; would prefer to ; put at. advertisement into the newspaper rather than pay: 7 S , / He would call;witnesses to prove-that-this .was the■ usage in Dunecun, and moreover the defendant -would--sweat that • in conversation with. Brew tho. latter confirmed; the impression which .was ;in. .liis mind ' previously that' iio charge was ..made to employers. Mr. Widdowson held that though it was a'common practice .amongst labour agents: not to charge employers' for this particular, class of employee,'it 'was not in' his opinion a definite : and; binding rule, a'.trade usage which could be set up. in contact with tiio law. Ho also ruled against defendant on, tho question of a v tacit understanding given in conversation. He 1 , however, refused to allow certain items in which the' omployees. engaged ■ had ■ not lu'rned up, or, had left in a few days/ • Further, he refused to allow costs, judgment was for. plaintiff for. £1 17s. Dr. Coughtroy, interviewed by; a; reporter, points out 1 that boats" arb. by law' supposed to carry light's, and he-contends 'that the Harbour .Boards ought to make proper regulations as'to boats' lights aiid signals.' In tho course of .tlie interview the.' doctor' says: ''Just- as wc are' talking about - these matters there is a-very opportune and apposite illustration .of- tho trust, to . luck '.method's permitted in' Ca!ptain' ; Novillc's report of the predicamont- ho found';'himself in ■ rPgardi'ng timber rafts in Auckland Harbou'rj and. this '-reminds-' me .' of ;an .incident that- once o'c-. curre'd' on a, large 1 ocean'.' liner :coming'out of Harbour Voir a,misty day.'.l was . aboard of: lier,'and' wb had just "'rounded Point HalsweH, \l' think, it is .called,,and •wore,.making', for. tho ': west: deep'.'.Water channel 'near, the Falcon'shoal; 1 buoy, when .there' suddenly, Jbomcd up a'smaller steamer that had-entered by channel.'f remarked, 'That, was ;ri The Captain' replied,', 'Yes,, there- will, be a'Very, serious^accident: here, some, day -unless .'strict regulations are enforced .ordering';vessels of light draught.'to take/a, different ".'eourso'to -ni- - These channelß cross one-another. 1 ,""