TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3148, 14 February 1871, Page 2

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Theatre Royal. —Saturday evening’s programme was repeated last evening to a moderate house. City Auditors. Messrs J. E. Graham aud H. E. Alport are the only persons at present nominated as City Auditors for the ensuing year. Ashburton. —The telegraph office is now open to the public for transmission of messages from and to the above place. Mr Doherty, formerly line inspector, stationed at the Selwyn, is the operator. Oddfellows. —The city Lodges of Oddfellows purpose building a hall which will supply a want long felt in the city. A preliminary meeting was held last evening, and after the project had been discussed, it was resolved that a special meeting of the members bs called for Friday next, to consider the question in all its bearings. We certainly think that the time has now arrived when a building suitable for public amuse ments, &c, should be provided. Accidents.— On Sunday afternoon as Mr W. Hinton, of Springfield Road, was driving a trap near the residence of Mr H. J. Hall, Riccarton, the horse stumbled and fell, breaking the shafts, and throwing Mr Minton into the road. The horse’s knees were severely cut, but fortunately Mr Hinton was not injured. A serious acci dent occurred to a man, whose name we have been unable,to ascertain, at Prebbleton, yesterday. Whilst working at Mr Hailey’s threshing machine, one arm was caught in; the machinery, and; before the engine could be stopped, was broken just below the elbow, the joint of which was also smashed. The; unfortunate man was at once brought to the 1 Christchurch Hospital, where Dr Prins ampu- | fated the arm, just above the elbow, and he I is now doing well.

Public Scholarships. —The Board of Education notifies in an advertisement that ten scholarships will be competed for on dates mentioned. The Puis —A late number of the Ei]i paper states that the United States Government intend taking prompt action about the protection of the 3?iji Group, aud will very shortly have a man-of-war stationed at Levuka, and institute a Court, to which people of all nationalities may appeal.

Compbns vtion Claijis. The Resident Magistrate attended at the Kaiapoi Courthouse, yesterday, for the purpose of hearing further claims from persons whose cattle were destroyed on the Native Reserve at Woodend after the district was proclaimed to be infected with pleuro- pneumonia. Ihe following is a list of the applicants, and the amounts claimed by each; —Mr Alexander Kynock, 67 head, value £4OB 3s; S. Coleman, 1 head (killed by Inspector), £l2 163; A Weir, loss on sale of about 20 head, £B4; W. Milligan, 5 head, £l3; E. Atkinson, 2 head, £ll 10s. The Court will sit on Monday next to hear any further claims that may be made, hut notwithstanding the amount of claims handed in last week, the first item in this list, if paid in full, would nearly swamp the whole of the compensation vote passed at last session of the Provincial Council. The North Koad. We would recommend the Eyreton Road Board, in whose district it is, to at tend to the repairing of the approaches to culverts on the North road, between White’s Bridg,e and K-iapoi. It is not long since an accident occurred to a lady and gentleman at the culvert near Monk s Flax Mill, through the insecure state of the approach, causing both horses *o fall upon the culvert, the consequence of which was that the lady sustained some severe bruises, and has not been able to move about outdoors since. Though notice has previously been made of the evil, it still existed yesterday. The river still continues to encroach • upon the road near the old breakwater, or what is more generally known by the name of Wylde’s Folly ; but we are glad to see that the Eoad Board have fenced off the piece of land recently purchased by the Government from Mr Grigg with a view to forming the road about two chains back from the river. Rakaia North.— The origin of the fire by which Mr Dunford’s hotel was burned to the ground on the night of the Bth iust. seems involved in mystery. The only persons sleeping on the premises at the time were the landlord, the groom (George Austin), a servant girl, and Mrs Dunford’s little daughter, five years of age, Mrs Dunford having left that evening per coach for Christchurch. No travellers were staying there that night. The first indication was given to the groom, who slept upstairs, by a feeling of suffocation from smoke. He jumped out of bed and ran downstairs, not waiting to dress; he then saw that the house was on fire between the kitchen chimney and the back door of the bar, flames coming up apparently from underneath the floor, which covered a cellar that access could only be got to from the trap-door outside the house. The cellar was full of beer and spirits. He roused Mr Dunford, who rushed to the servant’s room and got her and his daughter out of bed and put them through the window. He had no time to save a single article of clothing, or anything else, nor bad the groom. All had a very narrow escape, for in less time than it takes to write this the whole building was a mass of flames and everything totally destroyed. It was blowing a strong N.B. wind at the time. The neighbours kindly lent the inmates some clothes and gave them shelter. The agents of some of the insurance companies visited the scene of the fire next day. Mr Dunford's loss is covered by insurances in different offices to the amount of £BOO. A subscription is being made for the servant girl aud the groom to enable them to purchase clothing.

Total Abstinence Society.— Last evening, at a meeting of the members of the Christchurch Total Abstinence Society, held in the Temperance Hall, Gloucester street, Mr J. G. Baker in the chair, a lecture was delivered by Mr Hugh Bennetts on The Working Men’s Mutual Protection Society, in connection with the Total Abstinence movement. The lecturer, after some introductory remarks, pointed out the relations between capital and labour, dependent as they were for prosperity upon each other. He said that whilst he did not approve of the Government pouring in immigrants when there was a large amount of surplus labour in the province, and whilst he approved of the working men uniting together in a peaceable manner for their mutual protection, still they must bear in mind that it was in their own power to do a great deal to promote that reformation in the state of affairs which they earnestly desired to bring about. They must recollect that there was no r.-form like self-reform, no reliance like self-reliance. The lecturer then alluded to the fact, as stated by Mr Fox, the present Prime Minister of New Zealand, that the sum spent annually on alcoholic drink in the colony was at the rate of £7 per head for every man, woman, and child ; and taking the population of Canterbury at 40,000 souls, that would give £280,000 expended in this province every year in alcoholic beverages, a large proportion of which he believed to be consumed by working men, who, if, instead of spending their hard won earnings in drink, laid them by for a rainy day, would soon find them selves in a position of comfort, and would not be c mpelled, in order to keep themselves and families from starving, to accept whatever rate of wages was offered to them. In conclusion, the lecturer thanked the audience for the patient and courteous attention they had accorded to him, and invited the working men present to come forward, and by signing the pledge to show that they really desired protection ; for, said he, ‘ the eisno protection like self-protection.” A vote of thanks to the lecturer having been carried by acclamation ; several persons signed the pledge, and the meeting terminated. Norwegian Settlers. —The following account of Norwegian customs is contained in a memorandum on emigration, made by the Commissioners when in England:—ln Norway •the following information was obtained at Christiania, the capital of the country. The average number of emigrants from Norway (the chief ports of embarkation being Christiania and Berlin) is about 12,000 souls a year. Last year it amounted to 15,000 ; but emigration has during the present year very materially slackened, owing to the reports from their friends in America being less favourable than formerly. Moth Norwegians and Swedes emigrate almost exclusively to Chicago, and the neighbouring States of Winconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois, where there are large settlements of their countrymen, who have apparently done well, for they remit annually large sums to enable their relatives and friends to join them. They move in large bodies, or rather in whole communities, or, as one party expressed it, “ whole church congregations.” Old and young, single and married, able-bodied, and the most infirm. Very few go from the towns. They are chiefly agricultural labourers or small farmers. They are first rate axemen and sawyers, and understood the lumber trade thoroughly; expert boat and ship builders and fishermen; first-rate sailors (the Norwegian mercantile navy being the th rd largest in Europe); excellent joiners and carpenters; in short, owing to the suspension of all agricultural operations during so many months of the year, they are obliged to turn their bands to all kinds of indoor work, and to learn and follow some trade or other. They are represented as extremely hones',frugal, and industrious, and all are more or less educated : for education is compulsory, and ad are obliged to undergo an examination when they present themselves at about sixteen years of age for confirmation (a rite to which great importance is attached). ' If they fail to pass the examination, confirmation is refused, and they are obliged to ; attend the schools until they have attained the required standard; and until confirmed ( they cannot marry, and are subject to other : disabilities.- They seem to bare great ■ facility in acquiring the English language, and in habits, manners, and customs re- ! semble very closely our own countrymen, ' especially the Scotch. I

Tonic Sol-Fa Association. —The members of the above meet for practice this evening, at the Crystal Palace Buildings. After practice, a programme for the first concert given by the Society will be drawn up. Sunday School Institute. A conference in connection with the above will be held this evening, in St. John’s Schoolroom, commencing at 7.80. The Rev. F. Knowles will introduce a discussion on “How to retain and instruct senior scholars;”