Untitled

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 6077, 18 February 1891, Page 2

An inmate of the Old Men's Home at Ashburton died the other day who was reputed to be 102 years old. The acting Engineer-ie-Chief will make another inspection of the Gorge railway line before taking it over from the contractors. The Salvation Army has leased the premises adjoining the office of the Daily Teleoea.pi:, formerly occupied, by Mr P. A. Herman as an auction mart. Mfssr3 Baker and Tabuteau's sale of Petane land, and of engine and saw-mill plant, advertised for the 25th instant, has been postponed till Monday, March 2nd. Mr Douglas, who was second engineer at the Spit freezing works, and resigned some time ago, has returned to Napier, and is now chief engineer in charge of the freezing hulk Edwin Jox.

At a special meeting of Court Captain Cook, A.O F., the appointment of Dr. Innes as surgeon was confirmed, the pay to be on the higher scale, under which children of members under eighteen years of age are treated.

Mr Justice Williams at Dunedin yesterday decided that the by-law of the Cromwell Borough Council, under which a commercial traveller was fined forhatvbing goods, is ultra vires, and the conviction was quashed. The Ministerial residence in Tiuakori road, which was formerly occupied by Captain Russell, will be sold by auction at an early date. The Premier (Mr Ballance) intends to occupy the Ministerial residence in Boweu street. Mr W. P. Finch, the honorary secretary of tho Napier Operatic Society, was yesterday afternoon pi'etonted by the members with a handsome dipner service, on the occasion of his marriage. Mr A. P. sheath made tho presentation, and the recipient in a neat speech acknowledged the compliment that had been paid him. ; The Libel Bill, which has already twice passed the Legislative Council, only to be numbered with, the innocents in the other Chamber, will, we are glad to learn, be r taken up by the present Government and pushed forward amongst their earliest measures next session. Now that Mr Stonewall Samuel is happily no longer a member of the Legislature, 'this fair and just measure, assimilating , the law of New Zealand relating to libel with the law of England on the subject, may be expected to pass ea-'ily.—Post. Referring to the way in which the reputation of New Zealand produce is damaged by inferior shipments being sent Home a correspondent of the Press writes:—"Why should not the Marine Department have expert officers to try, sample and brand all articles of produce, such as meat, butter, bacon, honey, flax, tallow, &c , with the colony's passport of excellence or otherwise and not allow rubbish to be shipped to the general humiliation of our country's fair name. It is only a suggestion, but it has a tone of common sense which would tend in a large measure to prove the quality of our exports and add cash value to our annual revenue." In speaking of the report on " Religion and Morals," presented to the Presbyterian Assembly at Uhristchurih on Wednesday, the Eey. W. Gillies (Timaru) wished to say a few words about young nen. He had been watching the matter for years, and he had come to the cqnclusion that it was not to them but to their employers that they wanted to speak strongly. There were a large number of business houses which kept young men at work at unreasonable hours during the week, and especially on Saturday nights. In many cases the young men were paid inadequate salaries by business men who liked to stand well in their congregations, and it was this that disgusted, yowng men with religion. It waa also the gambling by the heads of families that led to the falling away of the younger members,

At the K.M. Court, this morning, before Messrs J. H. Vautier and A.. 0. Lang, J. P.s, Eobert MuLeod, on bail, charged with drunkenness, had his bail estreated.— Eobert Boyle was charged with the larceny of £1 2s, tho property of Emma Gifford". From the evidence it appeared that the accused, who was drunk at the time, went to the residence of the prosecutrix, forced his way jn, and while there snatohed from her a hand-bag which contained £2 3s. Accused took the money out of the bag, with the exception of a shilling, and placed the coin in his pocket. Mrs Gilford then held him, and sent for a policeman. W hen the constable arrived on the scene the prisoner produced the money. Accused, who elected to be dealt with summarily and pleaded guilty, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment. The Auckland hospital enquiry was continued yesterday, when Dr. Collins was cross-examined. One of the Commissioners, Dr. yon JTirbach, having expressed the opinion thatit was most extraordinary that -Dr. Philson, who was in active practieo °- " was consultant at the. hospital- hold the position of j£ a %yho gave evident yusterdftyi asked Dr . Mirbach J »vnat authority he had stated that he held inquests on his own cases ? He (Dr. Philson} was not in active practice ; he was in consulting practice, and held the office of coroner by permission of the Government, who knew the position he occupied. He had never conducted inquests in cases in which he was concerned. Mr. Bees objected to the witness asking the Commissioners questions, and an altercation took place between the witness and Mr. Rees, leading Sir Maurice O'Eorke to threaten to dispense with Dr. Philsou's services as a witness. At a meeting of members of the Wellington Lodge of freemasons, to consider tho letter of the Earl of Onslo'w, P.G. W. of the Grand Lodge of England, on the present position of Masonry of Now Zealand iv connection with the Now Zealand Grand Lodgo movement, tho following resolution was carried :—" That the letter of Bro. tho Earl of Onflow bo received, and that he be respectfully informed that while the Wellington Lodge has no present intention of severing from tho Graiid Lodge of England, the brethren nevertheless fully share the regret expressed by His Excellency at tho dissensions now unfortunately existing among Freemasons in the colony, and would be glad to hear of any plan for their removal." The latter portion of tho resolution is in refcenco to that part of His Excellency's letter which states that he has a plan for ending tho trouble if the lodges were agroeablo to his formulating it. The Crown Lands Commissioner has lately been inundated with anonymous letters from settlers regarding dummyism, but these have not beeu taken notioe of. Tho Commissioner to-day at the Land Board meeting said maoy people did not know what they were writing about. A great deal of thia alleged duininyieui whs merely speculation. Men took up a section with the idea that they would sell out at an advance. Ho did not think that there was much real dummyism being carried oil in this district. One person wrote to the Commissioner under the twin dc plume of "Fair Play," bur, ho did not consider it " fair play " to hide himself under this signature while ho mado accusations of dumrayi.sm against other persons. The writing was known to the Commissioner, who sent back the letter to tho person he suspected of having writteu it, with tho request that his name be signed to tho documeut. Tho letter ouino back a short while after with the writer's signature. Tho li'ivo O'clock Tea is Perfection Davidson, Irviue, and Co., agenta.

The death of Mr J. C. Brown, ex-member for Tuapeka, recalls a. curious aud aad coincidence. At the last division that took place on the adjournment of the House on September 17th last, two of the tellers were Mr Brown and Syduey Taiwhanga, the latter of whom died on the day of election. Mr Brown quickly succeeded him in the fiualjourney.

Recently, it appears, the question came up for discussion among the New Plymouth city fathers as to whether E. M. Smith, .Esq., M.H.R., town turu-cock aud lamp-

lighter, ought net to resign the latter position. It was agreed that there was something incongruous in the combination in one person of the functions of legislator and lamplighter, but they had no reason to offer except the feminine one that it was. Finally, however, they were convinced that the arrangement was better as it was. It was suggested that other districts sent their best men to the House, but that the New Plymouth people found the peer of the best men of other districts in lowly positions among themselves. That implied, of course, that there was a large reserve of respectability and learning in New Plymouth to winch other towns had not yet a parallel. Mr Smith will, therefore, continue to light the gas in New Plymouth, and to £-.■>* to the Houee in Wellington about the mineral wealth of New Plymouth, till at the next election the electors cut him off in the green and tender bud of his political career.—itangitikei Advocate.

The Borough Council meet this evening at the usual hour.

One of the most remarkable of lucky finds was recently cast by the sea at Newbiggin, a fiehing and sea-bathing village on the coast of Northumberland, about twelve miles south of Tynemouth. Edward Dawson, a fisherman there, picked up a gold watch on the beach, bearing the inscription that it had been presented by the good folks of Kinghorn to their worthy minister, the Key. David Johnson, on the occasion of his leaving Kinghorn for tlit> Orkney Islands. Mr Johnson lost the watch whilst bathing one August morning ten years ago. He left it lying ou the beach, and when he returned the tide had covered it over with sand, so that it could not be found. All these years it has been embedded in saud, and covered by the sea twice daily. When found the watch was growing to a large scar, the case was quite good, and the glass was unbroken. The action of the aea water had corroded the works somewhat, but the inscription on the ease was quite legible. The distance between Kinghorn, where the watch was lost, and Newbiggen, -where it was luckily found, is, roughly speaking, about one hundred and ten miles.

It will be remembered that a good deal of the speculation prevailing in our local wool markets 12 months and 15 months ago was based upon the expectation of largely decreased supplies of wool from the River Plate and also, to some extent, from South Africa. Is, however, the value of wool fell heavily throughout last year, instead of rising, noone aeems to have taken much notice of the causes which were expected to make for a vise. The complete statistics for the year 1890, which have just arrived by the mail, .show that the expected decreases were realised. The supplies of River Plate wool for 1890 amounted to only 317,000 bales, as against 421,000 bales in 1889. the decrease (104,000 bales) being about 25 per cent. We have frequently referred to the instability of the wool growing industry of the River Plate as compared with that of Australasia. In the latter country ttie progress from point to point is fairly steady and continuous, and is only occasionally arrested by an exceptional drought or national calamity. Tne River Plate industry, so far as can be gathered from its exports of wool, is much more irregular aud spasmodic in its progress. To find a year during which the production was as low as it was last year we have to go back nine years, to 1581. In 1882 the production rose to 344,000 bales, and reached ■102,000 bales in 1885, the year before the collapse. Falling to 342,000 bales in 1887, it rose to 421,000 bales—the highest it has ever been—in ISB9. From this high point, however, it fell in one year to 317,000 bales.—Melbourne Argus.

A.n exhibition was given yesterday at the offices of the Fresh Food and Frczon Storage Company in Bourke street of a new atmo!<plieric churning machine, patented by Mr \V. B. Walters, of Dunedin, New Zealand. The machine is somewhat simple in its construction. The churn itself is made of steel tin, in which there are two portholes, or windows, through which the whole process of churning can bo watched. Above the churn is a pipe, in which an exhauster is iixeel, and this is connected with a steampipe, which, when working, acts in such a manner as to exhau&t the air from tho churn. The supply of air to the churn is obtained from a coil of pipe placed inside a cistern standing on one side of the churn. Inside this cistern the water can be poured, regulating at will the temperature of the air as it is drawn through the coil-pipe for delivery into the churn. If "required, ice can also be placed inside the cistern. Une end of the coil of pipe is open to the atmosphere, and it can be protected in such a way as to prevent the admission of dust or germs of any kind to the pipe. Between the churn and the cistern a thermometer is attached to the air-pipe, which shows the exact temperature of the air as it entmra the churn. On the other side of the churn is placed an open cistern, -which, is filled with cold water for the purpose of washing the butter after the milk has been taken from it. It is claimed that thia system of churning butter by a constant current of air passing through the cream carries away any gases or deleterious matter which would otherwise remain in the butter, while the butter, it is assorted, is of better quality, and likely to remain longer in goad" oondition than that produced under the ordinary system of churning. The motive power of the machine described is steam, but it can also bs worked by air or water pressure, whichever is found to be most convenient.—Melbourne Argus.

The Times, commenting on Mr Ravenstein's paper at the British Association on over-population, says :— Mr Ravenstein estimates the population of the world for the present year at 1,465,000,000, and, after making careful allowance for various unfavorable circumstances, he oomes to the comforting conclusion that the human race may increase to the number of 5,994,000,000 without outrunning the supply of food. As this is equal to more than four times the existing population, it may be feared that improvident persons will find in his figures some encouragement to continued careless-

ness. But a closer examination will convince all but the most thoughtloss that, great as is the apparent margin, we cannot afford to dispense with caution and foresight. Mr Ravenstein has put to himself the pregnant question—How lon<v will it be before the world i 3 full <3 humanity if it persists in its present reck- : less rate oi increase—namely, 8 per cent, por deoado. Most people will probably learn with pained surprise that on those [ terme the limit of expansion -will be reached in 182 years. In the year 2072 unless the human race mends its ways, there will be no more room anywhere. But a single decade will see an increase of 479 millions, and in a single year—the year 2073—a number of unfortunates exceeding the present population of the United Kingdom will be born into a world which will have no food to offer them. Imagination reals under the effort to realise the gigantic calamity thus clearly foreshadowed by the operations of science. The interval may actually be bridged by a. couple of lives. Tho babe born this year may live to see tne birth of a grandchild or great grandchild in 19S1, who, in turn, may live to witness the birth in 2073 of one of his descendants fated to endure either starvation or a diet of grass. Surely the most frivolous must pause at the j awful thought. ■ I

Professor Newton, of Cambridge, Mr Seibohm, the prolino writer on British birds, and Dr. Softer, of the Zoological Society, a" argue tnat Q balance di cviis in favor of the sparrow. They say that it is only at one particular season, when the farmer's grain is " dead ripe," th*t this bird makes any inroad upon it. In large fields the loss is hardly noticeable, but in the case of a small, isolated patch of grain it naturally becomes a serious matter, because the eparrows appear to concentrate their forces on such, inviting spots, and leave practically nothing but the straw for the reaper. This doubtless accounts for much of the clamor raised against the sparrow by the small farmers all through the colonies. In the_ breeding season, however, the sparrow is entirely insectivorous. Each pair produces from five to seven young ones and theae nestlings are fed entirely and exclusively on animal food. Every few minutes during the long summer's day one or other of the parent birds visits the nosfc, carryiug in its bill a caterpillar or a grub, a beetle, a fly, or worm, but never a grain of corn or fruit of any kind. Consider what this means. Hundreds of thousands of sparrows, all intent on the same business, having young ones at home who must have insect food of some sort. As a consequence millions of insects in all stages of development are hourly passed into the insatiable maws of these young sparrows. The English apologists argue from such facts as these that, even admitting all the mischief complained of, the sparrows, which are now acclimatised aud established in the colonies, do far more good than harm ; and that, so far from being an object of constant persecution, the bird is entitled to the gratitude of the agriculturalist for the service it renders in tho way of eradicating insect pests and vanquishing the army of caterpillars that make their periodical appearance.

Do you drink " The Five O'clock Tea?" 'Tin the fashionablo afternoon tea of the day ; quite pure, and a wonderful quantity consumed daily. To be obtained of your local grocer at 2s 4d per lb. Davidson, Irvine, and Co., agents.

Searle and Co.'a Annual Stock-taking , Salo is now on, and will only last three weeks. Wo are giving Bargains right through the liouso. Everything re-marked special for this salo. Country visitors will suvo money by spending their notes with us. Searlo and Co., Ready Cash Drapers, Napier.—lauvt.J

A. H. WILSON, Ironmonger, for Carpenters' Tools, Planes of every description, Rules, Gouges, Hammers, Bevelededgo and Double-feruled Chisels; also Firmer and Mortice Chisels, Draw Knives, Spokesbavos, Bovils, Saw-seta Plyer-hand and Punch. All Carpenters' Tools are by beet makers a,u4 lowest priges.--[A:ovr]

The popular English beverage is now Bovril; loz. of Bovril is said to contain more muscular nourishment than 50 of Liebig's and similar preparations. Mr Owen, chemist, Hastings street, has just received a quantity for sale. This is a fine opportunity for athletes and shootists. Borril is par excellence the nerve steadier.— [Advt.J Riding saddles, colonial made, with furniture complete, 30a each for cash • Portmanteaux., Gladstone and Brief Bags and other goods, of which there is a great assortment, very cheap, at John M'Vay's Hastings street Napier and at Waipukurau.—[~Advt.] . Dr. P. W. Menzies, L.R.C.P., L.R C S > Edinburgh, will carry on Practice in Napier on and after the 10th February, and may be consulted at Eakine aud Oo.'j Pharmacy, Emerson street, between the hours of 11 and 12 a.m., and 7 and 8 p.m. • eleo at the Spit branch of Eakins and Brush's by arrangement.—[Advt.]