FORTY-FOUR YEARS AGO

Evening Star, Issue 16398, 14 April 1917, Page 12

FORTY-FOUR YEARS AGO

The foundation stone of tho Masonic Hall at Timaru was laid on the 15th, but next day a sneak thief shifted the stone and removed the coins buried beneath. ******* The Government have sent Home Mr Thos. Russell, of Auckland, with instructions to sue Mr Webb, owner of the Nebraska, for tho recovery of penalties for breaches of his postal contract. ******* In a case heard at Akaroa the Rev. W. Aylmer (the local Episcopalian clergyman) objected to having the oath administered to him, saying that as a Church of England clergyman he could testify without being sworn. Mr Pelliet, R.M., said that he had never before heard of such an objection, and insisted on Mr Aylmer being sworn. ******* A novel match was witnessed on the Northern Recreation Ground on Saturday, a well-known pod. named Edwards being matched for £5 a side against a runner named Barker. The former undertook to walk 70yds while the other ran 100. Barker objected to nm on the ground, owing to the roughness of the surface; the contest, therefore, took place in King street. Barker lost by syds, Edwards walking the distance in I2sec. ******* At the inauguration of Caversham Public Library (Professor Macgregor presiding) Mr R. Stout gave an address on ‘ Libraries and Education,’ in tho course of which he emphasised the need for technical education and sound reading. In concluding, he said that “ there could be no social nor political reform till people began to think, instead of listening to mere party cries, and that social reform must precede political reform Mr R. Rutherford expressed entire agreement with tho lecturer's views. ******* In Regina v. Ryan the jury were discharged after being out for 17 hours. It was generally stated that eight, who ranged themselves under the leadership of a wellknown citizen, favored a verdict of guilty, while the remaining four, headed by the foreman, were for an acquittal. ******* Mr Henry Houghton purchased the s.s. Wanganui for £8,500, and she will trade between Dunedin and northern ports. ******* About 120 passengers by the Philip Laing celebrated the 25th anniversary of their landing by holding a conversazione at Port Chalmers. On arrival they were saluted from Taylor’s battery; then they inspected the railway pier and the fine vessels (the Zealandia and Euterpe) lying alongside. Some of them had not been in the Port for more than 20 years, while several had never before seen a railway. Their remarks were interesting, when they compared their ship of 600 tons with the clippers just mentioned! After being entertained at dinner they were addressed at length by the Superintendent and Mr A. J. Burns (who came out by the Philip Laing with his parents). One of the passengers informed the ‘ Star’s ’ represent a- ' tivo that “ the day on which the Philip Laing’s passengers arrived was the counterpart of yesterday—warm and bright—but snow fell the following day.”