FIFTY YEARS AGO

Evening Star, Issue 22571, 12 February 1937, Page 2

FIFTY YEARS AGO

FROM 1 STAR ' FILES John Moffatt, nephew of the famous missionary, Robert Moffatt, and relative of Livingstone, the African ex-* plover, died in St. Louis (United States) on Christmas Day. He was the bestknown temperance worker in the United States. • * * * The Registrar-General has published a table setting forth “ the conjugal condition of the people ” of New Zealand. From this table it appears that at the last census (taken in March, 1886), of a total of 307,694 males, 84,557 were husbands. 215,429 were unmarried, and only 6,248 were widowers. Of 266,246 females, 84,463 were wives, 171,857 were unmarried, and 9,764 were widows, • • # • A ■ more hopeful feeling prevail in Austria, France, and Germany, and the Bourses are regaining their usual tone. ■ » ’ • • •' .Donald Sutherland and party, who have been prospecting for some time past on the West Coast, applied to Mr E. H. Caa-ew, warden for the Otago district, for a grant of a special claim as a reward under the Act for their discovery of payable gold. The claim they apply for is a mile in length and half a mile in width, and the land is situated about halfway between Martin Bay and Milford Sound. The.ground is near, the sea, and of terrace formation, while specimens of gold found there by them and submitted to the warden are of a coarse nature and mixed with quartz. They state that they can earn from £3 to £8 a week a man, and that there is room in the vicinity for a couple of hundred miners. a> £ * ■ • The ‘ Anglo New Zealander ’ of December 24 contained an article on the proposed loan for the Port CJjalmers dock, in which the Harbour Board’s resolution of October 29 and the report of a special • committee of the board adverse to the construction of a second dock in the present circumstances of the trade of the port, are set out in their entirety* » * * * It seems hopeless to expect that the city councillors will ever get into the way of putting the work at their meetings through with reasonable quickness. At every successive fortnightly sitting a great quantity of time is wasted in empty talk, and frequently it happens that a great part of the evening’s business has to be adjourned until a future meeting. Last evening was no exception to the rule, for dose on four hours was occupied in discussion, and thus half of the business had to be postponed. Certainly there were two important matters for consideration, but "only one of them was carried through. Quite an hour was wasted over the question of adjourning the other matter, for, instead of the councillors being content with voting for or against the proposed adjournment, a number of them persisted in speaking to the whole matter at issue—though they were clearly out of order. Considerable time was also expended over so trivial a matter as an application by some cabmen to ply the streets for hire on the three approaching race days instead of having to remain oil their stands. We notice that matters held over are to be dealt with at a meeting to be held to-morrow afternoon, and*this suggests the idea that the council should revert to the old system of holding meetings in the daytime. Councillors’ time is then of some value, and they would take care not to unnecessary waste it as they do at present; as it is, some of them seem to clutch at every meeting as a means of affording them a night’s relaxation and diversion. « » * * Writing on the subject of bathing regulations, “ Microscope ” says: “Now that the St. Clair Baths are in full swing, it is a pity gentlemen should not be allowed to bathe with their wives. Most of the lady bathers would then be able to swim, with the instruction and guidance of their husbands. People think it a farce to be able to look down at one another, from whence one can really discern more than if in the water. Some regulation might conveniently be come to by the committee of the baths. I hear a club of ladies and gentlemen is being organised for bathing together at Phelan’s. If this is true, why. not elsewhere; at least during the ladies’ hours it could be managed.’’ • • « • From all accounts labour is at present very scarce in the Tuapeka district, and farmers- with a big harvest to. dispose of are calling out about the scarcity of hands. In some places the crop had to be left standing too long owing to there not being sufficient labour available to take it in. It seems rather anomalous that Tuapeka farmers should be offering 8d an hour for harvest workmen, when there are unemployed walking Dunedin streets. If some ,of these gentlemen wended their way into the country about this time of the year, they might find more to do than they would care about. • * * ♦ A. L. Inglis, an actor well known in Dunedin some years ago, died in the Brisbane hospital lately. • • • • Not a few will learn with regret that the Rev. Alexander Todd, the Presbyterian minister of Hampden, died at the manse yesterday morning. The reverend gentleman laboured for some time as a missionary in India in connection with the Free Church of Scotland. His health gave way, and he had to resign. Acting on medical advice he came to this colony. For three years Mr Todd occupied the position of pastor at Hampden with great acceptance, and discharged all the duties of his. office with marked efficiency. He leaves a widow but no family. • • • « It has now been ascertained that contractors for the German army have bought up the whole of the Australian preserved meats in the English market, to the entire exclusion of the French Government, who-have ordered 5,000,0001 b weight of preserved meat from Chicago. • ♦ • • One of the smartest things in advertising that has recently been heard of has been achieved by a furniture dealer at Providence, Rhode Island, who offers a bedroom suite to any couple who would come to be married in his shop window. The only difficulty he seems to have had was in making a selection from the scores of couples who applied for the honour. Tire event came off with the utmost satisfaction, to all parties, thousands of people witnessing the ceremony from the street and the interior of the shop. » * ♦ * The death is announced of Mrs Henry Wood, the popular novelist, aged 67. ‘ East Lynne 1 was the most succesful of many books written by her*