The Evening Star FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1886.

Evening Star, Issue 6807, 22 January 1886, Page 2

The Evening Star FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1886.

Tho Premier loft Wellington this after noon for Dunedin.

The Invercargill policy-holders in the Government Insurance Association have formed themselves into a vigilance committee.

Napier boasts of a funded debt of 1,70,000 and a revenue of between LIO,OOO and L 17,000. Its burgesses arc rated at half a-crowa in the £.

According to the ‘Telegraph,’ Mr W. C. Smith will forsake Waipawa at the general election and oppose Mr Ormond at Napier. If defeated, he will be consoled by elevation to the Council.

According to the Wellington ‘Press,’ Mr Charles Wliite, formerly connected with building societies and other institutions in the Empire City, which lie left rather suddenly, has turned up in Rockhampton, where he is in business as an actuary.

Two young men named Boss were charged at Palmerston, before Mr Robinson, R.M., on Tuesday, with spearing trout in the •Shag River, and were each fined LI and costs. The Magistrate intimated that for future offences heavy fines would bo inflicted.

A correspondent calls attention to the adaptability of the Oamaru stone for filtering Soaes. A common kerosene can may be , with a slab about half an-ineh thick, and this will bo found to answer admirably. Another plan is to utilise a piece of ordinary drainpipe, with a slab an inch think. This gives a very serviceable filter at a ridiculously small cost. Or the slab can be placed across the end of the tank, and will answer equally well. Mr Duncan, C. E., informs us that ho has used Oamaru slabs in his own filters and tanks, and for two years lias had a supply of excellent water. The Palmerston paper states that the express train has recently repeatedly arrived there late, and affords the following explanation of the cause :—“ It would scarcely be credited, but it is nevertheless said to be true, that the engineering skill of the Colony deems itself superior to that of the Home product, ami that the locomotives have boon tampered with after their arrival in New Zealand to suit the ideas of experts hero. .Such, however, we are assured is the case, and that to this attempt to improve upon tho engineering skill at Home is to be attributed the failure of the express to keep up to time on the occasions referred to. As it was pithily put the other night, want of steam has l.ee:i the cause of the express not keeping the time-table. ” An insurance case, resembling in many respects that of Toudut v. the Now Zealand Insurance Company, that so often engaged tho attention of then District-Judge Harvey, was heard in the Supreme Court at Wellington on the I2th inst, and in reference to it a local paper remarks:—“To the ordinary lay mind it seems rather singular that when a jury, after listening carefully to the evidence in a long case, and spending some hours in considering their verdict, find in favor of the plaintiff, the Judge should immediately enter a verdict for the defendant. Tliis was done in the ease Kempton v. National Insurance Company, Why the jury were required to listen to the evidence, and find a verdict on the facts submitted to them, when certain facts on which they were not required to find were fatal in the case, we fail to understand, but suppose it is all right, although probably annoying to those whose time was taken up. Ihe point on which tho Judge entered a verdict for the defendant was that the plaintiff had effected certain large additional insurance without giving the defendant Company notice.”

Ilio services of the Peninsula Bides as an honorary corps have been accepted. Only ou,. declaration of insolvcnoy has liei.a lijod (luring the week, viz,, Thomas ijodford Cameron, of Dunedin, architect. Mr ))ack lf tiro nianagoy pf tljo Sjorth Oantorbury vaijwjvya, has Vfisiguod, having agopptvd fho gcqomi vnan&gonioiit of thfi '■ftuc.uudau vailvvaysi Boaohlng on qu ukteiisive soaio Is wM to he oaniefl on lu the Tokoihulrlri! Bivol’. tho ( Hcwild' assarts* that tho yioaohers are not content with tho old-fashioned method of but have resorted to the use of pitchforks to prod tlio fish out with, while wo hoar that even tuna have been used with deadly effect. The river being very low enables this abominable method of fishing to bo easily carried «ut, Where is tho ranger ?

A handicap of 130 yards was inadvertently omitted from the programme of the St. Clair tournament. Tho prizes are a gold Maltese cross and a trophy. The adjourned half-yearly summoned meeting of the Loyal Dunedin Lodge, M.U.1.0.0.F., was held at the lodgo-room last evening. There was a good attendance of members, and after dealing with several minor matters the auditors’ report and tho annual balance-sheet were considered. Tlio balance-sheet showed that with a membership of 1-15 tho lodgo had accumulated funds to the value of L 5,523 15s 4d, of which amount LD,035 is plaecd at interest averaging 8 per cent During the year the amount paid for sick benefit was LlB3 13» 4d, distributed amongst twenty-five members. The report and balance-sheet were thought highly satisfactory, and were unanimously adopted. In moving a vote of thanks to tlio trustees (I’.P.G.M. Harrop, P.P.S. Keith Ramsay, and P.G. M‘Queen) for the careful manner in which they had managed the funds of tho lodge, P.P.G.M. Deacon congratulated the lodge on its flourishing condition, and stated that ho was quite sure that no other lodge in tho Colony oould si iow such favorable results. The vote of thanks to the trustees was carried by acclamation. During the evening P.G. Drew was presented with a very handsome certificate as an acknowledgment of his services while in the chair.