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Evening Star, Issue 12625, 3 October 1905, Page 4

The rough weather of last week (reports oar Tuapeka correspondent) caused the death of a goodly number of lambs throughout the district. So far there has been very little growth, the young grass being very backward, and this, of course, tells its own tale where stock is concerned. The London 'Echo' is dead. It ceased publication on Tuesday, September 5, without any fuss or preliminary puff. They do say that the failure was due to its crusade against betting, the proprietor having decided never to mention betting. On the following Friday, at the invitation of Mr F. W. Pethick Lawrence, the late editor of the 'Echo,' the staff met at the offices of the defunct journal. Gloomy faces; many of the men having been with the paper since its commencement—thirty-seven years ago. Gloomy faces brightened when the chief made personal gifts to every member of the stan, gifts varying with each man's position and length of service.' Total amount of gifts, upwards of £2,000. It is questionable whether the seriousness with which some members of the Katepayers' Association take themselves at times is quite justified. The smiles with which the knowing ones meet occasional utterances of their oonfreres would seem to indicate that they also have a' doubt on the point. It was, however, stated emphatically during last night's discussion on the City finances that an earnest spirit of economy has taken root in the City Council, ana the inference was that the vigilance af the Association had a good deal to do with the change. The following statement by one member of the Association has rather a savor of that body's attitude in times past:—"l think we should keep a close watch on what our city councillors are doing, because from what I can see our present Council are just as extravagant in expending the citizens' money as the previous councillors have been, and that is the reason I especially ask our councillors their views on this matter."

■ At the recent public meeting which decided to ask the ratepayers for a loan for the renovation of the gasworks, one-time Cr F. Shaddock was emphatic in his statement that several councillors were not in favor of the necessary alterations being carried out by the gas engineer. The statements be elicited from city councillors present at the meeting were more or less indefinite. A letter on the subject from Mr Shacklock was read after last night's meeting of the Ratepayers' Association had adjourned. The writer stated that he gathered that the Association were under the impression that the City Council had decided to place Mr Courtis in charge of the alterations at the works. He pointed out that this had not been settled yet, and stated that some members of the Council, including the mayor, favored obtaining outside assistance.

The monthly meeting of the Caversham School Committee was held last evening. The head-master reported that the roll number wa3 303 boys and 249 girls, the average attendance being 503. The savings bank account showed deposits to be £7 9s, withdrawals 15s 7d, and total deposits £lO6 12s. A year's leave of absence was granted to Miss A. H. Barnett, who contemplates visiting England early in the new year for the benefit of her health and in the interests of her professional studies. The question of providing technical instruction for North-east Valley, Mommgton, and the Flat was referred to the School Committees' Association for further particulars. Mr J. Brown was cordially welcomed to a seat on the Committee (vice Mr W. Abel, who had left the district) and placed on the Works Committee, lit was decided to celebrate the 20th inst., Trafalgar Day, as a half-holiday. The Chairman reported that arrangements for the united bazaar were progressing very favorably, and that the children were being trained in a variety of ways in connection therewith. The members present were Messrs Todd (chairman), Austin, Barnett, Glasse, Rendel, Wright, and Thorn.

In making the award in the carters' case the Arbitration Court left Labor Day out of the list of holidays. That omission hus now been rectified, and as Labor Day is shortly coming round "again it will interest the parties to be told that the day is to bo observed as a holiday.

A Wanganui Chinaman writes to the 'New Zealand Times' as follows: —"Sir, — It was with regret that I read in your issue of Monday last of the fatal shooting case, in which one of my fellow-countrymen was the unfortunate victim. ' I write to take exception to a portion of your published report, no doubt written by an unfeeling reporter, whose knowledge of the Chinese and their devotion for their fellow beings (more especially when a disaster occurs such as the one under notice) must be very slight. Reference is made to the Chinese as a nation not being much concerned at losing ono of their brethren, or, to nso your reported word 9, 'Life is held very oheaply by their race, and it did not really matter much ; why worry?' A statement of this sort in our present century should not be attributed to any nation or race; and it is most unkind under the trying circumstances to accuse us of being so ungenerous Many Chinese in this district (Wanganui) have waited upon me in fairness to our race to write and deny this accusation. I have been connected with many Europeans in this colony, both in private and business life, and the comparison that I have formed places my fellow-countrymen easily finst as regards the devotion to parents, etc. There is not a deserving object that we have knowledze of to which we do not willingly lend a helping hand. In fairness to our race, I hope you will publish my letter, which will no doubt remove from many friends the impression your report might convey, and which we do not deserve nor accept." In the case of the Corporation of Alexandra v. James Rivers (Messrs Sim and Bartholomew f<fr the plaintiffs and Messrs W. C. MacGregor and Hutton for defendant), Mr Justice Williams gave judgment to-day, to the effect that Mr Rivers is not bound to leave the Speargrass dam full of water when he from time to time ceases to work hk claim, nor to leave in it a greater depth of water than 30ft.

Cr Small asks us to correct the fkrnrcs given in his address showing his apportionment of Cr Loudon's estimated cost of the tramway and Waipori services. Those should 'be £280,991 and £182,326 respectively, and not £299,490 and £163,837 us printed. The sum total—namely, £482,355 —ia not, however, affected. Mr Justice WnTams 'gave- judgment today in the case of Raymond and Co. v. Friedknder Bros. Plaint/ffs asserted that in May of 1903 they sold and agreed to deliver to Friedlander Bros., of Melbourne (as agents for defendants), 5,000 sacks of C grade oats at Is 9d per bushel, f.0.b., Bluff, that 3,000 sacks were taken deUvery of, and that defendants refused to take delivery of the balance of 2,000 sacks, wherefore plaintiffs had to sell them at a lora, and thus claimed to recover £421 6s sd. Mr Sim appeared for the plaintiffs and Mr Wilding for the defendants. His Honor found that the measure of damages to which the plaintiffs are entitled is the difference between the contract price and the market price at the end of July. No doubt after the date of the contract the market prioe ■P-tts falling, and Scandrett, an independent witness, and whose business it was to buy and sell oats, rays that the price of C grade oats had fallen in July to la 7£d. The contract price was Is 9d. At four bushels to the sack, 2,000 sacks represent 8,030 boshek, and that at lid—the difference between the prices—is £SO. There ■nouid be a judgment for the plaintiffs for £SO.

In the case of Marion Shirkey v. Annie Hill, in which the former claimed £4O damages for an alleged misrepresentation with regard to the sale of a confectioner'! and fruit shop to plaintiff, judgment was given at the Magistrate's Court yesterday uftemoon, the plaintiff being non-suited, with costs (£2 2s). Mr Widdowaon, S.M., presided. Mr Mocre appeared for the nlsiatjtf. anAMr-BarchEc to tka-defeadant.

Sir Michael Hioks-Beach received the nice fee of 6,000gs for? acting as arbitrator/ in the matter of the purchase of the docks at Singapore for the 'British Government.' "A Chalmers Elector" calls attention to the fact that official notification baa been made thai a copy of the parliamentary roll for that electorate hj open for inspection at every post office in the electorate. But as the St. Hilda section of the oonstitaenoy does not possess a post office, how can persons interested satisfy themselves that their electoral claims have been upheld? Where there is n*i post office the difficulty might b» got over by depositing a certified copy of the roll with the sohoohnastar. The Otago Commercial Protection Association write to us disclaiming that they are in any way responsible for the issue of bogus summonses, on which we commented in our issue on the 28th nit., but- we do not feel called upon to state by whom the document in question was issued; suffice it that we have discharged a public duty in calling attention to the danger of circulating such deceptive instruments. An exceptional assortment of hand-mad* furniture is offered at lower prices than ever. Sanders, 86 George street.—{AdVLj Coal merchants and carriers will observe Labor Day (October 11) as a holiday. The annual meeting of the Dunedin Amateur Athletic Club will be held in the Waratah Tea Booms, Moray place, to-morrow evening. Messrs Myers, dentists (while new dental parlors are building), have secured temporary premises a few doors from their old place round the Octagon.—[Advt.l A meeting of the Gaelic Society will be held in the Oddfellows' Hall, Stuart street, to-morrow evening. . The Railway Department advertises excursion fares in connection with the Dunedin spring races on the 11th and 14th inst. Members of Court Woodland's Pride, A.0.F., visit Lodge Otago, TJ.O.D., Rattray street Hall, to-morrow evening. Best cakes, 16 for is; buns from 16 to 30 for Is; infants' malted rusks. At Searle and Eberhardt's.—[Adit.] The spring session of the botany class at the Technical School will begin on Monday next, 9th inst. A fancy fair in connection with St. Martin's Church will be held in the Town Hall, North-east Valley, to-night and to-morrow. The new railway station at Seacliff will be opened for traffic on Thursday morning. Mr Hendy, having returned from Europe, notifies that the hairdressing rooms are again under his personal supervision. Hairdressing, shampooing, etc. 104 Princes street.—[Advtj Messrs Irvine and Stevenson were the donors of packets of confectionery that were distributed among the pupils of the new kindergarten in Hanover street. The ladies of the Methodist churches in and around Dunedin gome two years ago founded au auxiliary in oonneotion with foreign missions in the South Seas. They bare now a sister (Miss May Jenness, of Wellington) engaped in the work at Dobu, New Guinea. To assist them the auxiliary decided to hold a sale of work for one day. This will ba opened to-morrow afternoon m Trinity Schoolroom, and continued in the evening. Everything that is usually pertaining to a sale of work will be there, also orchestral music, etc. Port Chalmers. Sale of salvage goods damaged by fire and water—boots, drapery, and clothing—at Town Hall.—fAdrt.] A notice to members of the Otago Shipwrights' Society appears in this issue. Always up to date, the 'Weekly Press,' which will be on sale to-morrow morning, v. ill include amongst its illustrations two poge3 of Bpecially-taken groups and snapshots of the peace delegates as they appeared at Portamou+.h terms between Japan and Russia. This is a specially interesting serieß, and the sixteen pages of illustrations depict the week's news of the colony.