The Evening Star MONDAY, MARCH 12, 1888.

Evening Star, Issue 7468, 12 March 1888, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, MARCH 12, 1888.

The Colonial Secretary left Wellington for Oamaru and the Minister of Works for Dunedin by the Waihora this afternoon. In the opinion of Count Jouffroy D'Abbans, French Consul in New Zealand, "in no distant future the beet sugar industry will be the backbone of New Zealand agriculture, the principal element of its prosperity, and fcke guarantee of its economical advancement."

The Westpovfc Harbor Board have resigned at the request of tj>£ Government, and a board, consisting of Government officers, jis to be appointed. This step is probably the outcome of the inquiry into tho management of Westport harbor affairs, Instituted during the late session of Parliament. There was a large attendance at both morning and evening services in the First .Church yesterday. The new organ was brought into use, and was presided over by Mr A, J. Barth in the morning and by Mr Timson, the organist, in the evening. The organ has been very tastefully decorated by Mr Scott, and has an imposing appearance in the gallery. The Rev. M; Gibb occupied the pulpit at both services, and the collection in aid of the organ fund amounted to L 42 12s.

It is a curious fact that the House of Commons has had three blind members during recent years, and that two of them— Robertson and JFawcett—have sat_ for Brighton. The other, Mr M'Donald, is an Irish Episcopalian clergyman by profession, but left the church sjme years before he became blind, on account of religious doubts of a somewhat pronounced type. He now sits for an Irish constituency as a Parnellite. He is a most perfeivid orator. Dr Robertson is a cheery and indomitable old man, who, on finding his sight hopelessly gone, entered himself as a law student at Gray'a fnn (at the same time as his own son,), and bepame the life and soul of the students' mes*.

At the District Ashburton, on Friday, Thomas Holt, bacon ciyer and herbal beer manufacturer, a bankrupt, was charged with failing to keep proper books, and obtaining goods previous to his bankruptcy with no reasonable prospect of being able to pay for such goods. The,evidence went to show that the bankrupt had started in business without any capital, and had baugtopne lot of goods and sold them to pay for .a&ew, and that he had not kept books in such reasonable manner as to show hia tr,ue financial ppaijiion. Judge Broad comm&fced.the bankrupt .to Gaol for one rocuith ,oa the charge of obtaining goods prior to bankruptcy without having reasonable prospect of being f»blo to pay Jo/The Hon. Mr Shrimski, while presiding aj the Police Court, Oamaru, yesterday, remarked that there were a number of drunkard being brought before the court almost daily, «ffd who were sentenced to various short tents .4 imprisonment, to be kept on idleness} or, U .employed", the y were kept at work within tfce Qf the gaol property, at the public expense, and served no useful purpose whatever. So far w Jib was concerned, be had made up Ins mind that Jn future he would not sentence \ drunkard to Imprisonment unless some useful or profitable work wernfound for the prisoner to perform. Respecting tfce case then before him, be said that had it not town that he was informed that the police had some work for fcna prisoner in filling up the bed of the creek he wo«fd oot havo sentenced him to imprisonment, f he*« were many useful and profitable works in aod about town which could be performed by prfaqn labor,! such as stone-breaking, and working on &e: streets and roads. Then there was tfa hospital garden to dig, and also the puHic gardens. He had observed that In ether places prison labor was employed on suoh work. As the matter stood at present the gaol authorities could not employ a prisoner outside the grounds unless by speoial permission and as prisoners were kept in gaol sp to the full term-one month -he considered that as they were kept by the public-they slwuid J?e $l,lowe(Bo work fonthe benefit of.the nptyfc,

An inquiry into the fire that occurred at Mrs Brady's boarding-house in Cargill street on Wednesday last will be held at the .Resident Magistrate's Court-house tomorrow morning at ten o'clock. The Home delegates to the Victorian Congregational Jubilee, mentioned in our Saturday's cables, are the Rev. Dr Hannay and Mr Henry Lee. Dr Hannay (formerly of Dundee) is secretary to the Congregational Union of England and Wales. At a numerously-attended meeting of farmers at Chriatchurch on Saturday afternoon it was resolved—" That the time has arrived when it is absolutely necessary that dairy factories should be started in Canterbury, that she may successfully compete with other countries."

At the annual meeting of the Canterbury Law Society it was resolved that the society was of opinion it would be advisable in the interests of the profession if the vacation fixed by the Supreme Court rules _ was abolished, and in lieu a vacation established from December 18 to January 31.

James Knox, son of the licensee of the Farmers' Arms, fell while endeavoring to step on to a tram-car in Cargill road yesterday afternoon, and had his left leg badly bruised. It was a narrow escape from a serious accident, as the trousers and drawers were torn right up the leg, probably owing to the contact of the wheel.

Before daybreak yesterday a five-roomed house at Invercargill belonging to and occupied by Charles S. Brass, till recently a clerk in the railway department, was destroyed by fire, which is said to have originated in the casing of the kitchen chimney. Nothing was saved. The insurances were in the South British and Equitable; LSO each on the house and furniture—L2oo in all. Some amusement was caused on the Wellington wharf on Thursday just after the s.s. Bayley had left for Lyttelton by Bix firemen belonging to the vessel, who had evidently been enjoying themselves in town, and who had arrived on the scene too late to secure their passages in her. As the ship was some distance down the harbor the men, who were determined to get on board, at once chartered the p.s. Despatch to follow her; but after going as far as the Pilot Station they had to give up the chase and return to town, their own vessel being almost out of sight.

Respecting the Education Board elections, the Christchurch ' Telegraph' says :—" Miss Freeman, who was very near being elected, was only beaten by men of large experience and influence in school matters. It is to be regretted that Miss Freeman did not obtain the position which she sought. The loss is the board's, not her's. She is a lady of very high culture, and possesses indomitable perseverance, plenty of energy, and a great deal of experience. She must not be discouraged by failure in this instance, but must hope for better luck next time. She deserves credit for her effort to break down the prejudice which relegates women of intellect to the back ground because they are women, and for having shown to other ladies of exceptional culture a way in which they may make their talents of use to the public." At the annual meeting of M.U.1.0.0.F., Otago District, held at Quecnstown, on Saturday, it was decided to hold the next purple lecture in the Manchester Unity Hall, Dunedin, and that next district meeting be held in Loyal Dunedin Lodge-room. The motion to alter district rule No. 26 to make the payments to the sick and funeral fund on the averages of members of lodges gave rise to an animated discussion. The motion was cairied by 13 votes against 9, but in view of the closeness of the division it was decided that the resolution should not take effect until the Ist of January, 1889, in ofder that the brethren might havefurther time to think over the matter. Levies weic fixed for the year of one shilling each to the sick and funeral and incidental funds. The election of officers resulted in D.P.G.M. Smellie being unanimously chosen P.G.M. ; P.G. Wood, D.P.G.M. ; P. Black, secretary ; and Bro. Robin, treasurer. The 'Graphic' of January 21, in an article chronicling the starting of two more evening journals in London, says that ther.e can be no doubt, speaking generically, that the evening Press has made great strides of late years. Judging from our recollection of five and thirty or forty yearsj ago, the evening prints of those days were rather dull and spiritless publications. Railways and electricity have revolutionised this as well as many other departments of industry. London was once the fountain head of news, and the papers had to be published early in order that provincials might get them before they went to bed. But now, as regards priority of news, all the country, indeed all the European Continent, is practically on a level. The result is that the importance of the evening journal increases. When also we remember that the morning is the time for work and the evening for leisure, it is quite possible that in the twentieth century the big papers will not appear till the afternoon, the appetite of the morning readers being slaked by a four-page sheet of small dimensions, containing a condensed summary of the most striking items of the previous day's intelligence—just as much, in fact, as a man can comfortably get through during his twenty minutes' or .halfhour's journey to business. Instances of canine sagacity have often been chronicled, but there have always been sceptics as to the genuineness of them. One of these sceptics—Mr Newland, of New Plymouth—has been compelled to admit, through the action of a collie that he owns, that the intelligence of the dog is sometimes wonderful. On Saturday, the 25th ult., he was confined to his bed with a severe illness, and being in the house all alone, and the nearest neighbor being over half a mile distant, he was put somewhat in a fix. This collie dog, which was about the house, repeatedly came into the room where he lay, displaying each time a feeling of unrest, as if he understood thatthere was something amiss with his master. At about nine o'clock at night, the dog turned up at a neighbor's house, about three-quarters of a mile away, and wen,t on : in such a way as to attract the attention of the settler. He was offered food, but refused it, and made unmistakeable signs that he wanted to go back,_ but in someone's company. The settler decided to go with the dog, who made evident signs of satisfaction at his resolve, and conducted him to his master's house, where the settler was able to do many things for the comfort of Mr Newland, who was very bad indeed.

CargiU road Wealeyan Church annual soiroe to-morrow eveuing,

Protection League adjourned meeting in the Coffee Palace this evening.

A cheap railway excursion to Waikouaiti will bo run from Dunedin on Friday. Meeting of sympathisers with the Irish cause in Christian Brothers' Schoolroom, Kattray street, to-morrow evening.

The council of the Borough of Maori Hill intend to levy a separate rate of 3d in the £ on rateable property in North Ward.

The committee who have the arranging of the Carifwrdok' aport meeting meet to-night at eight o'clock at the Pier Hotel. Entries will be received then and'the handicaps immediately declared. We are requested to direct attention to the i advertised sales by the New Zealand Loan and! Mercantile Agency Company of 13,500 sheep at • Lumsden en Thursday first, and a farm property ] at; Waipahi' en the 21st inst. ! Notice re rehearsals for St. Patrick's Eve con- \ cert appears in our advertising columns. We are specially asked to mention that a rehearsal for the seoond part of the programme takes; place to morrow evening at the Dresden Piano Company's at seven o'clock sharp. Tho cricket matoh Fire Brigade v. Dunedin Navals had to be stopped on Saturday owing to! the rain. The Navals, going to the wickets! first, had one man out for 1 run. The Navata j adjourned to the Fire Brigade Station at the j brigade's invitation, and were hospitably entertained. ! A sacred concert will be given on Wednesday;. evening in the Valley Presbyterian Church.! An exceptionally good programme has been: arranged, consisting of solos by the best voices, in the Valley and a good collection of choral: items, amongst whlc.h' appears' Beethoven's {| •Halleluiah "(GfepW ß ' from ' the .'Mount'of.] Olives.' ' In Mr Mendershaufjen's window js to be Been) a fine colored ohromO'Uthograpb of the Jajfce Emperor of Germany, with a geriflßof pioturoß ; showing the meeting of Moltke and the King of Prussia at Sedan, the Imperial palaoe at Berlin, and portraits of Prince Bismarok and Count Moltke. The picture is exhibited by thej Caxton Printing Company. ' '

We are requested to mention that Saturday is the closing day for the receipt of applications for space at the Melbourne Exhibition. Foreign manufacturers will be present, eager to seize upon auy market, aud, unless colonial manufacturers are represented, foreign consignments which may be kept up for a pe/iod of years will probably result. The Exhibition Commissioners desire this matter thoroughly weighed and considered.