THE VOLUNTEERS.

Evening Post, Volume XLI, Issue 83, 9 April 1891, Page 3

THE VOLUNTEERS.

On Saturday next tho Guards will hold the second competition for Mosars. Stephens' and M'Korrow's trophies for A olass men, scoring to count for the belt. Ranges, 300 and 500 yardß ; Snider rifles and English ammunition. The B and C class competitions will also be continued at same ranges, Auokland ammunition. Morning squad at 5 30 and afternoon at 2, on the long range, Polhill Gully. Ammunition after parade this evonJDff. Tho C and D Class shots of the Wellington Navals will hold company competitions on Saturday next ; ranges, 300 and 500 yards, ten Bhots at eaoh. This match will close the season fpr junior competitors, and great interest is evinood by tbe young shots in the Ootnpetition for the aggregate prize, as only a few points separate tho first ten, and consequently an interesting finish ia looked for. Ammunition will be issued on Friday night, at 7 30. The s.s. Hauroto, which sailed for Sydney thiß afternoon, took 1450 tons of general produce. BUe aho tcjk a large numbor of passengers. Tom H. Hill, horso trainer and hotelkeeper, of Island Bay, in a statement to the Official Assignee, alleges that the immediate causa of bis bankruptcy was the pressure of a judgment oreditor for the sum of £14 12a, the alternative boing 10 days' imprißonmont. '• Having no means to aatisfy tho judgment, and being the bread-winnof of a family of six, he was compelled to Beok the protection of the Bmkruptcy Court. A seven months' experience of hotelkceping at Island Bay bad turned out most unprofitable, and he had also been burdened with old debtß. With two or three exceptions, the whole of tbe debts mentioned in the schedule dated fiom three to fivo years baok. An informal meeting of tho creditors in the estate wr.s held at the office of the Official As-HRneo this afternoon, Mr. C. C. Graham, presiding. The debtor, examined on oath, stated that Mcosrs. St.iple3 & Co , as loHora, took possession of the Island Bay Hotel during his absence about a fortnight ajo. The roason for this step Was that he hid forfeited his license through being away from the premises for a longer period than that prescribed by tho Licensing Act. Ho waa not indebted to tho company for rent. He took oharge of the hotel on the Ist of September, 1890, for whioh he paid £50 in caeh, and gave a bill over hia furniture for £32, to cover law costs, &o. When he wont into the hotel he had capital amounting to about £70. The balance left after the purobaae of the hotel was spent, together with all earnings in the hotel, in disbursing his debts. He kept no books, but was convinoed tbat tho hotel did not earn expenses for more than four weeks out of the whole time he was in it. The Official Assignee and creditors present expressed an opinion that the debtor ought to have kept books. The meeting was adjourned to to-morrow. Pelorua Sound ia becoming one of tho recognised holiday resorts for Wellingtonians. Last night a party of Beven returned to town by the Rotorua, after having spent what they desoribe as "an awfnlly jolly" fortnight in and about the Sound, and enjoyed to the full extent that large measure of hospitality which country people best know how to dispense. The party consisted of Messrs. W. P. James, A. R. Kennedy, T. Kinnibnrgh, H. Thomas, J. Varnham, G. Allport, and A. Young. Leaving Wellington by the Penguin on the Wednesday before Easter, they were dropped in their whaleboat near the entrance of the Sound, and then rowed 17 miles to an unoccupied house owned by one of the settlers, whioh they were allowed to use as their headquarters during their stay. From this centre they made regular excursions day by day, visiting friendly settlers along the coast of the Sound, robbing bee-hives, fishiDg, and after the Ist of April following native game into tho bush. On all hands they met with the heartiest receptions, and "musioal eveningß" in their honour were almost nightly occurrences. Notable amongst their entertainers were Messrs. P. Archer, J. Mills, T. Milla, Henderson, Godsiff, Webb, and Ruffell. On Monday last the boating party rowed down to the neighbourhood of the Frenoh Pass. Camping in St. Catherine's Bay they Bpent a lively day in fishing about the Pass, making large hauls of hapuka and other fine fish. Mr. Webber, keeper of the Pass light, did muoh to make the time pass pleasantly until yesterday morning, when the Rotorua came along and brought the townsmen home. Nominations for the triennial licensing eleotion for the Wellington distriot must be in by noon of the 15th instant. The eleotion will take plaoe on the 28th instant. On the samo day the local option poll for the diatriot will be taken, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. It will be notioed that the licensing eleotion and local option poll in the Porirua district are to be taken on the 24th met., and nominations for the former are receivable on the 16th at noon. Mr. Bosoo Wilson, advance agent for Miss Jennie Lee's Dramatic Company, arrived in town to-day to make arrangements for the opening of the season on the 17th instant at the Opera House, when Miss Lee will reappear as Jo. One of the members of the party of Polorus Sound exouraioniste who returned last night, Mr. J. Varnham, met with a peculiar accident during the trip abont ten dayH ago. Jumpiug over a fence to recover a sheathknife which had been thrown into the long grass, he ohanoed to alight upon the upturned point, whioh passed through hia boot and foot, coming out at the instep. An ugly wound —as inflioted, which was dressed by Mr. W. P. James— who had profited by the Ambulance Sooiety's lectures — and Mr. Varnham had to content himself with considerably diminished exeroiso for the remainder of the outing. Luckily for himself he had spent a ooupleof shillings on a policy "i the New Zealand Accident Insurance Offioe applying to the trip, whioh will reoompenso him in somo degree for his suffering. The Oamaru Mail understands that the Mosgiel Woollen Faotory Company have scoured the contract for the manufacture of tlie Kharkco oloth for the new uniforms to be issued to tho New Zealand Volunteers. The New Zealand oloth will be a slightly yellower shade than that of Victoria, being moro of a tnssooky colour. Those aeririnß to replenish their library will note the sale of valuable library books to be held by T. Kennedy Macdonald & Co. to-morrow afternoon, at 3 o'clock, in their auction rooms. Exchange Buildiagn. The catalogue is a varied and extensive onr, and comprises works of bioi-iphy, history, travel, science, and fiction, find bonna numbers of ths standard magazines. Details aiipear ia our advertising- columns. The auction room will be open to the public this evening from 8 o'clock, to allow of a careful inspection being made. For continuation or reacting matter ite fourth naaa