The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26,1902.

Evening Star, Issue 11692, 26 February 1902, Page 4

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26,1902.

Tbeze wa* no bwdness at the S.M. Court

,jtU» awon*.

No less than serenty-one delegates, ministers and lay, to the New Zealand Methodist Conference arrived from the North last evening. Seven were from Auckland district, nins from Wellington district, six from Nelson, and thirty-seven from Canterbury. At this evening's open session, to be held in Trinity Church, the principal event will be the addresses bv the retiring president (the Rev. C. H. Garland). Following this the election of the president and secretary will take place. Cr Marlow gavo notice at last night's meeting of the St. Kilda Borough Council of his intention to move—" That the Council affirm the principle of rating on unimproved values, and pledge themselves to take the necessary steps to get a vole of the ratepayers on this cruestion." Intimation was received in town to-day that, owing to the President's detention at Westport and Greymouth, the Arbitration Court will not sit at Invercargill until. Saturday, the Bth prox. When the delegates to the Methodist Conference arrived at the railway station last evening they were assailed by a small army of boys, whose shrill cries "Book of the races," "Card for the races" must have been slightly perplexing, not to say disconcerting. We have every reason, however, to know that it is a libel to assert that some of the country delegates were under the impression that a new church paper was being offered for sale. Commerting on tho remarks of the Minister of Lands at Lawrence re land settlement, the ' Ptet' says: " Such an unjust and malicious libel on the Supreme Court Bench is unworthy even of plain Mr Duncan, while it, is open to the severest condemnation in a responsible Minister of l the Crown. As Mr Duncan owes his office neither to Parliament nor to tho Liberal party, but to the extraordinary caprice of the Premier, Mr Seddon is necessarily answerabie for his colleague's highly improper attack on tho chief judicial authorities of the State. Mr Duncan, it must be admitted, is no orator, and consequently finds much difficulty in expressing his ideas clearly, so it is just possible that he did not quite realise the meaning of his words; but even so, he has had ample time to explain- himself since. The country would not brook his powerful and able predecessor's ill-advised attack upon the Bench of Judges, and it is still less likely to tolerate such conduct in a man who lacks the late Sir John M'Keuzie's strong claims to regard. Mr Duncan's unpardonable error Las not unnaturally led to a demand in certain quarters for his withdrawal from office."

At last) night's meeting of the Drainage Board a communication was received from the City Council acknowledging the receipt of resolutions defining the outer drainage areas. The Council had resolved that the Board be asked to place streets in the City ■where Ihere wph no drains or sewers on the same rate footing as the suburbs. It was decided to inform the Council that the Board had carefully considered the matter, rnd could not see their way lf> alter the rating within the City. At. a meeting yesterday of the Committee of the Dnnedin Technical School (Mr G. M. Thomson presiding) the ro.-ignorkms of Mr James Robin a* a member of Committee and of Mr Lillie, M.A., as teacher of physics were accepted with regret. Mr I J. M. Grrrow was appointed a member of tbe Appointmenti (Committee during the ! ,-ibsenee of Mr D. A. M'Kicoll from the colony. The Appointments Committee met subsequently, and made the following additions to the teaching staff: —Mr Jas. Simmers, M.A. (with honors in physics/, to be teacher of physics; Mr Walter Given, M.A. (honors in chemistry), to be teacher I of chemistry ; Mr Walter) Graham teacher 1 of mathematics; Mr Chas. Digby Smith ' assistant teacher of typing ; and M- Thos. Contts teacher of tailors* cutting and fitting. j Concerning the dismissal of the Dnnedin ; "tote" prosecutions on Friday last, the 'Post' remarks that as the two justices had sat during the early stages of the adjourned case they were quite in order [ in sitting ajain during its final stages, but

their insistence upon sitting /"."Siring the second case, though they were*within their strict legal rights, waft *(. say the least of it, unnecessarily assertive, and calculated to creat suspicions as to their motives. This particular series of cases seems to call for the intervention of the Justice Department, while the whole J.P. list is in urgent need of an hotiest Minister's blue pencil."

What may prove a lticky discovery was made by Air J. Loudon, one of the pilot boatmen at the Heads, early last week. He was down on the beach "cockling," and on opening one found a large black pearl inside. Wc were shown the pearl this morning. It is the size of a pea, weighing 12£ grams, and is jet black. Ibc pearl is doubtless valuable, a leading jewellery importing establishment having classed it as such. It will probably be sent Home. Only two cases were set down for hearing at the Police Court this morning before Mr C. C. Graham, S.M. One was adjourned and the other struck out.

The Burns Club choir will not meet for practice to-night.

Montague's great annual clearing sale is now on. Parties furnishing should not miss this opportunity.—[Advt.] A nuuee to members of Court Pride of Dunedin, A.0.F., appears in this issue. Everyone interested in artistic house deco-* rations should inspect the metal ceilings and wall coverings at Briscoe's.—[Advt.] A meeting of East Ward ratepayers will be held in Gould's Hall, Woodhaugh, on Friday evening re gas. Members of Ninth Contingent arc noticed they can nrocure razors, etc., at 25 per cent discount from A. M. Hendy, hairdresser.— [Advt.] We have received the following additional subscriptions to the J. O. S. Grant fund: Ralph Ewing, £1 Is. Still leading in price and value.—Dinner sets from 17s 6d; no sale required, F. R. Hall, 186 and 222 Princes street south. - [Advt.] As a result of the letter which appeared in our issue of the 18th inst., the Dunedin Liedertafel, on being approached, have decided to give their services for an open-air concert in the Gardens on Tuesday, March A. The bands desire to thank the writer of the letter for his suggestion. Great sale of second-hand bicycles prior to stock-taking. Prices, £3 to £ls; very easy tonus. Call on or write to the Anglo-N.Z. Cycle Co., 6 Princes street, Dunedin.—{Advt.] Salo bargains again this week. Boys' odd jackets, 3s lid; odd knickers, 2s 9d—les3 than half price. Also, Melville suits, 8s lid; Mosgiel, see doors. N.Z. Clothing Factory, Octagon.—[Advt.] Mr Morris, photographer, Princes street, Dunedin, finds it is not generally known that his charge is one guinea per dozen for cabinet portraits of children. Any extra charges are for vignettes, groups, large mounts, also the various methods of printing.—[Advt.] Mr A. J. Park, patent and trade-mark agent, Manse streot, Dunedin (authorised by the New Zealand Government), supplies the following list of New Zealand applications for patents, compiled from the 'New Zealand Gazette' of the 20th February:—Auckland : J. Phillipps, windmill; G. Dent, hairdresser, cabinet; J. Macky, shirt; D. Galbraith, using kauri gum dirt; T. M'Farlanc, drawing instrument; J. Johns, fruit-preserving pan; W. Macull, pump; D. Cochrane, excavator: G. P.igelow, hairpin; W. Over, amtseptic dressing. Canterbury: It. Stevens, milk aerator'; W. Currie, ballast spreader; J. Murray, clothes line; Lightbaiid and Lanauzc, canoo; R. Pearse, bicycle; E. Hope, preventing marino engines racing; G. Claydon, spark arrester; C. Bristow, hat fastener. Hawke's Bay. H. Alexander, extracting gum from flax. Nelson: Black, Stringer, and Clayden, hothouse. Otago: W. Stewart, ink: A. Morrison, screen; J. Falconer, grain drill; Norris and Baldwin, cold air circulator; T. Baldwin, gold-saver; Findlay, Salmon Bros., and Ashton, leggings; W. Borlase, pot cleaner; A. Lorie, sash fastener. Southland: .T. Macalister, seed sower; J. Taylor, branding cheese. Wellington: Macpherson and Phillips, tailings ejector; T. Ballinger, skylight: Memory and Hind, adjustable settee; H. Cooper, spark catcher. Westland: G. Perotti, amalgamator. All questions relating to patents and trade marks may be addressed to A. J. Park, patent agont. Manse street, Dunedin; 53 Esk street, Invercargill; 208 Hereford street, Christchurch: and 26 Shortland street, Auckland.