PAYMENT OF MEMBERS.

Evening Post, Volume XLIV, Issue 46, 23 August 1892, Page 3

PAYMENT OF MEMBERS.

TO THE BIHTOR. Sir — As I sco the Government has promised to introduce a liill this session to inoroaso tho honorarinm of memberß, I hopo sorao action will be taken by tho public to protest most strongly against such a monstrous proceeding, l'ho present allowance, J2150 per annum, with tho privilege of free railway passes, &c, ought surely to bo ample compensation for the work performed, and is certainly as mnclr as tho country in its present state can afford to pay. It is proposed, I belinvc, to increaso the honorarium to .£240, which moans an additional cost to the country of over .£lO,OOO per annum, -which money, I venture to think, would be far better employed in proriding work for the unemployed, and rolieving some of the distress which unfortunately exists at the present time. Hoping there is sufficient patriotism loft in the House to prevent such a measure bocoming law, and adding to the already heavy burdens of the colony, I am, &c, J. S. Jameson. 23rd August.

There was no sign of tho s.s. Hauroto, from Sydney, up to the time of our going to press. Mr. Markland, private secretary to Mr. Tennyson Smith, has been seized with a sovero attack of rheumatic fever, following a wetting which ho reoeived last week. Jsr. Fell is attending him. Wo have to acknowledge! receipt of a pamphlet by the Rev. W. F. James, of South Australia, "On Methodist Union in Canada, an Object Lesson for Australasian Mothodism." The team which is to represent Auckland in the Association football tournament at Christchurch arrived by tho Takapuna this afternoon, en route to the Cathedral City. Tho Ohingaiti distriot, on the line of the Main Trnnk Railway, is stated by the Marton Mercury to be progressing rapidly in the matter of settlement. The residents, howover, complain that thoy have only a weekly mail. The Mercury says the distriot is entitled to a mail three times a week. The quarterly meeting of tho Wellington Operative Bootmakers' Union was held last evening in tho Trades Hall, Mr. W. Hutchison, President, in the chair. The balancesheet for the last quartor showed the Union to be in a very satisfactory state. The membership of Union numbered 152 at tho end of last quartor. It was decided to take part in tho Eight Hours Demonstration on Bth October, and delegates were elected in connection therewith. Tho following wore elected officers for the ensuing quarter :—: — Prosident^— Mr. W. Hutchison (re-elected) ; Vice-Prosidents, Messrs. Shclton and Jack ; Seorotary, Mr. E. Lawrence (his seventh term) ; Committee, Mossrs. Walters, Leslio, Walworth, Staples, Taylor, Dolanoy, Curry, Peterson, and M'Swigan. Tho Philatelic Society of New Zealand, which was formed in Wellington about four years ago ior the advancement of the interesting pursuit of stamp collecting, is contemplating an extension of its sphere of operations, which up to the present have been attended with an encouraging amount of success. It is proposed, where the number of membors of the society in one district in the colony is sufficiently largo, to form local circuits or branches, which will be affiliated to the present society, and derive all the advantages which the latter possesses through being in communication with kindred societies, and in correspondence with leading collectors in other parts of tho world. It is calculated that this new departure will bo highly beneficial in spreading over the colony tho aims and objeots of tho Society. Philatolio literature is to bo circulated amongst members, and tho governing body proposes to encourage beginners, by answering questions and furnishing particulars concerning issues of stamps, &c. Mr. L. A. Sanderson is the Hon. Secretary. Tho Civil Court of Rouen has just given judgment in a case which is of great importanco to British shipowners. On the 18th September tho English petroleum steamer Wildflower was surprised by a sale. The whole crew was occupied in nrgent work, with tho exception of a young French sailor named Clement, who was placed at tho helm. Tho waves were so strong that suddenly Clement fonnd that he could not keop tho vessel in her course, and ho was thrown by tho tiller on tho chains which worked tho helm. Thoy were not covored with boarding, and the uufortnnato young man hod his arm and hand | so crushed that a fow days later it was found necessary to amputate tho hand. | Cloment claimed damages from the English. ; shipowner, and took proceedings in the J Fronch Courts because his engagement was signed at Rouen. Tho Court decided it was compotont to hear tho case, and it ordorod Mr. Stuart, tho English shipowner, to pay Clement a lifo annuity of 1200f. (£4S), and to give him 4000f. (i! 160) as damages. According to letters from Santos, under date of 12th June, yellow fevar has been unusually severe at that port this season. Ono account states: — "In this port, as i 6 well known, the yollow fevor season has been unnsually fatal. Upwards of 200 captains, of all nations, have died there within tho last season, to say nothing of tho crows. It appears to bo a rule of tho port that any person attacked with yollow fovor has at once to bo romoved to the hospital. One captain who was out thcro had with him his son, quito a youth. This lad got tho yollow fovor, and was forthwith removed to the hospital. On his father applying to see him after his removal to tho hospital, he was told that ho was dead, and that his body had been taken to a kind of mortuary. Naturally tho father followed him there, to take a last look at him. To his surprise, ho fonnd tho poor lad was not only conscious but able to speak to him. He was dying rapidly, surrounded by corpses, but for all that the lad was not dead, and the inference is that with propor and judicious treatment he might possibly have been saved — at any_ rate, have escaped the horrible surroundings in which his last hours, wore spent."

Echides being delayed by bad weather in <heir To Aro railway extension contract, Messrs. Cronin & M'Grath havo had lo nubmit to oonsiderablo alterations and ex* tensions of the plans, almost doubling. We ai'O informed, tho amonnt of Work to be done. The s.s. Takapuna. which arrived from Onehunga and New Plymouth this afternoon, brought the following passengers :—: — Mo»')fd. Stevenson, Thompson and Houston, and 3 steerage . New Plymouth does not think it can afford a Telephone Exchange, and the proposal to call a meeting lo arrange for the establishment of one has been abandoned. Mr. J. Pronse, who was going to Nelson this week to sing " Elijah," finds that he is not required until next week, and ho has tlioreforo offered his valnablc assistance to Mr. E. Parker for Thursday next. By tho courtesy of tho Wellington Orchestral Societ3 r the full rehearsal for tho concert will be held this evening at 7.30. The total amonnt of dividends paid by mining companies in Victoria during tho ftrht quarter of this year was .£113,300, and in the pecond quarter .£13(3,031. Towards these Hums the Ballarat district contributed £76,830, and tho Bendigo district ■£93,470. The amonnt of dividends declared during tho first half of 1892 exceeded that paid in the simitar period of 1891 by .£19,220. A return by the Mining Department shows that ]42,2900z of gold were raised in tho colony during tho quarter ending 31st March hist, and 107,45J0i! in tho quarter which closed on the 30th ult. During thoso six months, the yield from the Ballarat mining district v.-ns 9G,6390z, and that from the Bendigo district 58,5050z. Tho total yield for tho colony during the first half-year of 1892 was 18,3150z in excess of that for the corresponding poriod of 1891. A remarkable fraud has been perpetrated in Victoria by telegraphy, for which Mrs. Dunn, the postmistress at Traralgon, is the sufferer. Recently a well - dressed man entered tho office, and after somo preliminary remarks, said he was a telegraph operator from Melbourne. Ho asked Mrs. Dunn if sho would allow him to communicate with a fellow-operator at the head office. Mrs. Dunn obligod him. and he appears to havo sent two bogus messages, as i hough they came from tho postmistress, intimating in each case that JS2O had been paid at the Traralgon offico for cortain porsons in the city, fictitious names being used. He then sent privato messages, and tho money was paid in Melbourne in duo course. Mrs. Dunn was unablo to road by sound, nnd so did not know the nature of the messages. Tho perpetrator of this now system of fraud has not been arrebted. The New Chum United Company at Bendigo has now the best prospect experienced in the history of tho mine. During one recent fortnight 445 tons of stone were crushed for a yield of 17260z Bdwt gold, none of which came from pyrites or plates. An averago yield of about 4oz per ton is thus shown, and it is interesting to note that this gold comes from a depth of over 2000 ft from tho surface. The stone taken from the intermediate level at a depth of 2035 ft yielded at tho rato of 20oz per ton. For the remainder of the year the Now Chum United should bo the premier gold-producing mino on tho Bondigo field. During tho past five weeks the company has paid 6s per share in dividonds, in three consecntivo weeks disbursements of 1b per share, 2s per share, and 28 Gd por share having been made. Dividonds are now to bo paid fortnightly. Some time ago the Australian Theatrical Management Company offered prizes of .£lOO and .£5O for a drama if reooinmondod by a committee of gentlemen for production. The author, in addition to the prize monoy, was to receive 15 por cent, of tho receipts, after deducting all expenses connected with tho drama at tho termination of each run, wherever it might bo produced in tho colonies, and also to be entitled to all rights in England and elsewhere. The offer brought out 49 competitors, and their works woro carefully oxamined by a committee of five gentlemon, who are unanimously of opinion that none of tho MSS. submitted possesses sufficient merit to justify the award of either a first or a second prize. As a general rule the writers appear to be unacquainted with tho requirements of the stage in respect to an acting drama if it is to be successful. Tho XJieces are either defective in construction, or weak in dialogue, or improbablo in incident, or reproductions of scones and situations which havo become hackneyed by frequent repetition on the boards, or quito impossible of representation by reason of tho number of personages, the inconsiderato sequence of elaborately set scenes, tho great lengthTof commonplace dialogue or of individual speeches, or the excessive cost of production entailed by tho accessories and supernumeraries which would have to be procured. Laery & Co. will sell to-morrow, fruit. Fob ten days previous to my annual stocktaking I havo_ decided to offer tho balance of my Winter Cloaks, Jackots, Ulsters, Jerseys, Dress Materials, and Millinery at mere nominal prices. I havo determined to sell this olass of goods, no matter what the sacrifice. I shall sell 30s Sealette Jackets for 15s 6d ; 25s Ulsters for 12s 6d ; 8s 6d Jerseys for 3s lid ; 30s fashionable Bonnets for 10s 6d ; 25s navy and black Dorothy Cloaks for 13s 6d ; tho balanco of my folt untrimmed Hats, usnal price 3s 6d to 5s Gd, all at Is each. Please remember these special prices aro for ten days only. C. Smith, the Cash Draper, Cuba-street. — Advt. The groatest honour that can bo conferred on an English, merchant is to bo appointed purveyor to the House of Commons, and only those obtain this distinction whose goods aro found to be superior to thoso of other firms. Tho proprietors of Buchanan's famod " House of Commons Whisky " gained for their brand this high honour — a fact which Now Zealanders would do well to ponder over, and, instead of carelessly and indisoriminatingly drinking any fluid that may bo placed before them, call for Buchanan's " House of Commons Whisky " on all occasions. — Advt. 3 For continuation oj reading matter seejourth. vao>.