TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10662, 24 May 1895, Page 4

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Contents. —Sir W. Y. Hareourfc, Chancellor of the Exchequer, declared ia the course of a speech that ths Government would never favour bi-metallism on any conditions. A section of the holders; of New Plymouth Harbour bonds is endeavouring to prevent the quoting of New Zealand stock on the Stock Exchange, evidently in retaliation for the refusal of the Government to guarantee the harbour bonds. The attack being ’ made upon the Eeid Government in New South Wales has produced an ostensible reconciliation between Sir H. Parkes and Sir G. E. Dibbs, who have exchanged letters, which the Premier, however, regards as “ comic.” The annual meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club was held yesterday. Diploma Day was observed with the usual ceremony, at Canterbury College yesterday afternoon. ,

The Queen’s* Birthday, To-day being the birthday of her Majesty the Queen, will be observed as a general holiday. The E Battery will fire a royal salute, and have its shot and shell practice at Cashmere. The Mounted Rifles will have a private field day in the same neighbourhood. The Canterbury Trotting Club will hold a meeting at the Addington show grounds. There is to be a railway excursion to Timaru; and cheap fares will be charged on the Lyttelton line. The ordinary time-tables on the tramway lines will be suspended, and special holiday arrangements made. The'small steamers and launches at Lyttelton will run excursion trips. In the evening, the Gourlay-Stokes company will produce a new piece at the Theatre Royal; the Tivoli company will give a special programme at the Opera House, and there will be a Band of Hope Union entertainment at the Oddfellows’ Hall. , • , ’

Arrest.— Yesterday afternoon Constable Dillon arrested two women for driving a horse with sore shoulders.

The Richmond Ward.— A proposal has been mooted for severing the Richmond ward from the city, and uniting it to the Borough of Liuwood.

The Late Mr Mares.— The members of the City Council have been invited by the . Mayor to attend the funeral of the late* Mr Hyman Marks to-day.- It is understood that among the bequests, Mr Marks has remembered the poor of Christchurch, and also the hospital.

Cheviot Post-office. have been given by the Postal Department to call for tenders for the erection of a post-office in the M’Kenzie Township at Cheviot. Tenders will close on July 4. A central post-offiee has * been greatly needed there, as the present building- is some distance from the township.

Funeral at Lyttelton.— The remains of the late Mr John Thompson were interred at Lyttelton yesterday. The cortiga included several members of the Lyttelton Borough Council, Fire Brigade and Foresters’ Lodge, besides a large number of Freemasons. The service was conducted by the Kev E. E. Chambers.

Deuidism.— The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Perseverance Lodge was held on Monday night, when there was a full attendance of members. D.P. Bro Hooker, on behalf of the lodge, presented P.A. Bro Christmas with a P.A. collar for past services. Bro Hatfield, also on behalf of some of the members, presented Bso Christmas with a very handsome pipe. Presentation. —On Monday night the scholars attending the Rotherham School and a few friends presented the schoolmaster, Mr Jackson, with a suitablyinscribed writing-desk, on , the occasion of his marriage. After the presentation the proceedings took the form of a “social,” and a very pleasant evening was spent. Canterbury Jockey Club.— The annual meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club was held yesterday. A very satisfactory report and balance-sheet were presented, and office-bearers for the ensuing year elected. It was decided to recommend the Racing Conference to decide that the full advertised amount of all stakes should be paid, without the deduction of 5 per cent for expenses. A report of the meeting appears elsewhere.

Sangioba Rifles.— At a meeting of the Rangiora Rifle Company, held after drill on Wedneeday evening, it was decided to hold a bazaar at the end of the present year, with the object of reducing the mortgage debt on the hall. A strong committee was appointed to carry out the details. During the evening three new members were elected, and out of three applicants for the position of bugler, Master C. Bell was appointed. The company is recruiting strongly this year, and the roll number is now fifty-six. Band of Hope.—- The monthly meeting of the Sydenham Wesleyan Band of Hope waa held on Monday evening, when an excellent programme waa provided. It consisted of selections by an orchestra under Mr George Bell; songs by Misses A. Scott, Higgs and Agnes Williams and Mr C. Ball; recitations by Messrs Stenning and Delmer; pianoforte duet by Mies Edith and Master Alfred Baker; and amusing dialogues by the Dialogue Society. Miss Daltry and Miss Williams acted as accompanists. This society is now in a flouriabingcondition,numbering fully twohundted members.

Order of Foresters.— -The fortnightly meeting of Court Star of Canterbury was held on Monday evening, C.E. Bro J. W, Hunter in the chair. There was a fait attendance of members. The Woodwards reported seventeen members on the sick fund. The C.E. read correspondence from Court Western Pride, Australia, and Court Eobin Hood, Nelson, in reference to sick brothers. Two new members were initiated. The amended by-laws, with, several amendments, were passed up 'to law fifty, further consideration being held over till next Court night. Sick pay was passed, and the C.E. closed the Court in due form. Receipts of the evening, £29 4s 6d.

Christchurch Parliamentary Assembly.—A meeting of the members of this organisation was held at the Provincial Council Chambers on Wednesday night, when a large amount of preliminary busi-. ness was transacted, Mr I. Lisle, Clerk of. the House, in the chair. Messrs Thomson and Donnelly were recommended as Speaker and Chairman of Committees respectively, and both gentleman signified their willingness to act. Many members expressed a hope that Mr Lisle would see his way clear to act as clerk for another session, and expressed their sense of the indebtedness of the Assembly to that gentleman for his services last year. Mr Lisle promised to consider the matter, and this announcement was received with applause. The " Young New Zealand Party ” will meet shortly to draw up the main points of its policy and embody them in the Governor’s .speech. Everything ia in a forward state for the opening of -.the

Kingsley Club.— -A "pound social” will be held in the Kingsley Club v s rooms at 8 p.m. to-day. , Theosophy.— -Mr J. C. Staples, from London, will give, an address in the OddiEellows’ Chambers to-night on Karma. • Mess Dinnsb.— The annual mess dinner of the officers of the North Canterbury Volunteers will take place at the Cominer--oiali Hotel to-night. A Lay Sermon. —It is announced that h “lay sermon” will be given in the Theatre Royal on Sunday night, on the subject “Be Thyself, or the Church of To-day.”

Band os' Hope Entertainment. ■— A Band of Hope entertainment will be given to-night in the Oddfellows’ Hall, whore a large number of limelight views will be exhibited.

Students ox entertaininent will be given in the,’Social Hall of the Students of Truth‘this evening, when the three-act comedy-drama Patrician and Plebeian will be staged.

City Council.—lt is understood that Mr A. Ayers will be a candidate for thevacant seat for the South-east Ward on the City Council. Mr Ayera formerly represented this ward for nine years. The Late Bishop Mokan.— The body of the late Bishop Moran will be embalmed find will lie for a few days in the reception room at the Bishop’s palace, Dunedm. It will then bo removed to the cathedral, to lie in state. The funeral will taka blace on Wednesday . ~ Destboyins Maebam Gbasb.— Yesterday Constable Stumer, when passing the City Council’s reserve on the sandhills, saw a man loading" a spring cart with sand and in removing it digging up the roots- of marram grass recently planted. Proceedings will probably be taken against him.

Bible Christian Chubch, —The anniversary services of the Addington Bible Christian Church will be continued today, when a convention and tea-meeting will be held. There will he two sessions of the convention, one at 2.30 and the other at 7.30. The tea will take place at five o’clock.

Pbopiett Sale.—An auction sals of property was held yesterday, when the following lota were sold-270 at Tai Tapu at .£22 6s per acre, 135 acres at Weadona at £l2 12a 6cl per acre, 10 acres at Marshlands at £45 10a per acre, 1 rood on the Waltham Road, with bouse and jbuildinga, at £167 10a. ' Entertainment at the Hospital.—The ' Tivoli Speciality Company gave a performance at the hospital yesterday afternoon at 3o’clock, andtha inmates were well pleased. Miaaea Annie Brandt, Millicent Mowbray and Emma Markham, and Messrs Denver, Hugo, Prior, Baxter, Brown, Kerr and Kingsley contributed items, which were much appreciated. Convention. —This afternoon, at 2.30, a convention in connection with the Young Men’s Mission will be held at the Young Men’s Christian Association Rooms. In the evening, at 7.30, a missionary meeting will he held at the Baptist Tabernacle, when addresses will be delivered by Miss Florence Young and Miss Edna Bavin, two returned China Inland missionaries. Buffaloism.— The members of the Royal Christchurch and Waltham Dodges met at the Wellington Hotel on Wednesday evening to try conclusions in a friendly match at euchre. The Christchurch brethren came off victorious. Songs and toasts contributed by various members made a very enjoyable evening. Post P. Fuchs supplied refreshments. The Tivolt Company. —There was -another good house at the Opera House last evening, when the Tivoli Company Repeated its programme of songs, dances And farces. This evening there will be an fentire change of programme. A burlesque entitled Predatoria, or the Pirates hf Linwood, will be performed, and new and dances will be given. 4 . The Hospital Commission.—lnforma§>a baa been received that the sitting of e Hospital Commission has been delayed rough the illness of the Commissioner, T>r Giles, but that it will begin during the first week in June, that the Government will be represented by the Crown solicitor, and that all other matters 4 connected with the Commission have been left absolutely to the discretion of the Commissioner. The Harper Case. —Mr Inspector Pender left for Wellington by the s.s. Takapuna yesterday, in order to have the stamp of the Colonial-Secretary’s Office affixed to certain depositions taken before Mr H. W. Bishop in connection with the informations against Mr L. Harper. All the witnesses concerned in one case have been examined. This is one of alleged wrongful conversion of money belonging to Mr P. Miles. Mr Skerrett remains in Christchurch, and Mr Pender will return about Monday or Tuesday next.

Bakebs’ " Social."’— -The fifth annual ball of the Christchurch journeymen bakera and bakera’ carters, which took place at Hobbs’a Buildings last night, waa a very pleasant and successful gathering. About sixty couples were present, and dancing waa kept no with much spirit, to the music of Mr C. H. Fox’s quadrille band. Messrs Willis and Roberta acted as M.C.’s, and Mr A. Rattray’s' catering gave' much satisfaction. Songs and other items were given between the dances, and a card room was provided for those who did not dance. Supreme Court.-— Argument in the ease of the Mount Hutt Road .Board v. Dent was resumed before his Honor Mr Justice Denniaton in banco yesterday morning. Mr Joyht concluded his address on behalf of the defendant. Sir Robert Stout replied. for the plaintiff, and his Honor reserved judgment. The Supreme Court office will bo closed to-day on account of the Queen’s Birthday. The hearing of the action, Pyne v. Black, Beattie and Co., in which .£2OOO damages are claimed on account cf injuries sustained by • the plaintiff through the fall of a roll of •matting in defendants’ shop, will bo taken at 11 a.m. on June 6. bef ore his Honor and & special jury of twelve.

A Novel Display. —At the D.LC. establishment there is a novelty—a display exhibited by gaslight in the daytime. The articles shown are dress stuffs for evening wear, opera cloaks, fans and other accessories of a lady’s evening toilette; and the object of displaying them by gaslight is to enable customers to judge of their effect in the ballroom, or at the opera. A apace on the ground floor, some 40 feet by 15 baa been enclosed so as to exclude the light. The interior appears like a brilliant marquee, the roof and walls of which are of crepons and nun’s veilings, of the delicately beautiful tints now in fashion. The principal entrance is brilliant with plushes .of many colours. Around are disposed, so tastefully as to produce a charming effect, moires, brocades, hand - embroidered gauzes de chine, satin-striped moires and other dainty and beautiful fabrics, interspersed With fans, laces, gloves, belts, clasps. Opera cloaks and the new "fascination” wraps made of a gauzy material of silk and wool with trimmings of feathers. The gaslights are bedecked with flowers and fans, while the pipe carrying them is concealed by drapings of pongee silks. The whole display is arranged with very creditable taste, and the general effect is charming. 741 A Tear Ahead op tee Times. —Wa are aow fitting to “Rapids" all 1895 Stanley Show improvements, namely, large tubing and chain wheels, detachable gear, narrow tread, swing chain adjustment and patent head-lock; finished second to none. Write for catalogue. Waller, Myhre and Co., 48, Manchester Street.— [Advt.] Babies Only.—Beautiful, Darling Babies. Great concession is boui'.r made by 0. )T. Hankins until the end of June. Mothers, grasp the opportunity of obtaining one dozen of his widely-known, brilliant, Cabinet, Enamelled Photos for Nine Shileisgs. Bring your darlings while healthy. Ages from one to seven years. SI2IU Staiisish and Pkiecb,photographers by special appointment to his Excellency the Governor and the Countess of Glasgow. Studio, High Street.— LA DVT. i , Time Payments—2s 6d per week, 2s 6d per week, 107 Sections, quarter and half-acres, the favourite place for picnics at New Brighton North. Trains jine times daily. To be sold cheap. Small deposit, balance 2s 6d weekly; no interest charged. Plan )o be seen and all information at Vf. Thomson's, . ’A2, Colombo street.— [Abvt.ll ,

The Lyceum.— A “ social M will be given in the Lyceum to-night. Salvation Abmy. The anniversary tea meeting of the Salvation Army will take place in the barracks this evening. Primitive Methodist Chubch. — A sale of work and tea meeting in connection with the Linwood Primitive Methodist Church will be held in the East Belt Salvation Army Barracks this aitirnoon, followed by a public meeting at 7.30 p.m. RAINFALL. The rainfall for April was Auckland, I'7B inches; Napier, 421 inches; New Plymouth, 3’73 inches; Wanganui, 706 inches; Wellington, 11-23 inches ; Christchurch, I*7l indies; Camara, 0'44 inches; Dunedin, 1'72 inches; Invercargill, 404 inches; Westport, 450 inches; Hokitika, 5'44 inches; Greymoutb, 4 04 inches. CARRIAGE OP POISONS. The Wellington Post says:—Attention has frequently been called in our columns to the dangerous condition in which poisons are so often shipped to the colony from Home. A striking instance of this was visible on the Queen’s Wharf on Monday, The ship Earnock brought out amongst her cargo a hundred kegs of arsenic for transhipment to Wanganui. These were discharged, end the wharf and shed floor were plentifully sprinkled with the poisonous dust which fell in a cloud from the kegs if shaken or roughly handled. What may have been stowed under these kegs in the ship’s hold, or over what other goods they might be placed in transit to Wanganui or beyond it, we are, of course, unable to say. Fortunately, however, the attention of the Customs authorities has been drawn to the matter, and no doubt the kegs of poison will have to be made contenta-proof before they are allowed to be removed. The danger of poison becoming mixed with food products when it is shipped so carelessly packed is very great, and shipowners would do well to refuse all cargo of the kind not securely packed in proper packages. AN EXTRAORDINARY INDUSTRY. It is learned from a Tacorrin (Washington) dispatch dated April 24, that five thousand horses have been ordered for slaughter in Eastern Washington and Oregon. ‘The meat is to be canned and shipped to France. An effort will also be made to ahip canned horse-flesh to Japan. The horses were contracted for at the rate of sdols per head, and those not suitable for canning will he treated at the rendering works. There are mady thousands of horses on the Eastern Washington and Oregon ranges ready for a purchaser at Sdola per head. The idea of selling canned horseflesh originated in Oregon about a year ago, when a few horses were slaughtered and their flesh waa put up in this manner and shipped to Prance as an experiment. The meat was highly appreciated by the Frenchmen, and a large eider was placed for American canned horseflesh. A Mr James R. Ralph, who appears to be the principal man in this new trade departure, says a syndicate of stock raisers and men of capital has been organised tor the purpose of buying horses and slaughtering them for canning and rendering purposes. ' It is proposed to treat the horse-meat after the fashion of canned beef. THE PERTHSHIRE’S CATTLE. Referring to the news that the carcase of one of the Perthshire’s bullocks had been washed ashore at New Brighton, the New Zealand Times says:—“lt would be possible to compel the destruction on board of all carcases of cattle that die in port. Indeed, it was generally understood that the Perthshire’s furnaces would have been utilised for saving the colony from tho danger .of infection. But a provision of this kind would not meet every case, and what we want is a provision that shall not leave any case out of its reach. It is possible to compel tho destruction on board ship of any cattle dying oh board of disease in harbour. But of cattle dying at • sea within drifting reach of the coast no .regulation can by-any possibility take any account whatever. The case of the Perthshire has demonstrated that the men in charge of these cattle ships care absolutely nothing for the danger of infection to the colony whose ports they enter. To them grave disaster to the cattle trade of the colony is nothing compared to the trouble of cutting up a dead beast and throwing it into the fires. If people will not take ordinary care of our interests when they put into our ports with cargoes cf cattle, they ought not to bo permitted to bring their cargoes into our porta at all. Shutting them out altogether is the only precaution which will cover every case.” JUDGMENT DEBTS. A case in the Magistrate’s Court at Invercargill yesterday seems to indicate that Parliament., in passing the Magistrate’s Court Act, 1893, did not realise the possibilities of hardship under the provisions for compelling a sub-debtor, i.c., an employer, to pay over workers’ wages in toto to satisfy a judgment creditor, the effect being to place workingmen in a far worse position than under the Abolition of Imprisonment for Debt Act. The parties were a tailor and a workman named Aston, for whom the tailor had made a suit, and the proceedings were on a judgment summons. Liability was admitted, and had Aston not been in work, the Magistrate would have decided in the ordinary way, whether plaintiff had or had not proved that defendant had been possessed of means to pay, and in all probability would have ordered payment by instalments, with imprisonment in default of payment. Aston, who had been out of work owing to bad sight, had, however, recently got employment in twine works, and his employer waa summoned to show cause why he should not hand over all moneys owing to Aston to satisfy the judgment. It was found that the sum due waa not sufficient to satisfy the judgment. Mr Wade, for tho defendant, urged that it could not have been the intention of Parliament to give power to strip a man and hia family of the entire means of living for a month. If so members of Parliament •had taken care to secure their honoraria from seizure, but left the worker to the mercy of this provision of the new Act, and the position waa worse, instead of better, than before. The Magistrate held that he was bound to attach Aston’s wages, and in consequence he and his family were left without means of subsistence after a long period of enforced idleness.

QUEENSLAND CATTLE. A proclamation has been gazetted absolutely prohibiting vessels with Queensland live stock on board from coming into any New Zealand port. The prohibition relates to all meat dead or alive, all skins., horse hoofs, straw, fodder or offal. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE. Yesterday afternoon the Premier informed a deputation from the Wellington Agricultural and Pastoral Association that he was in communication with the Colonial Treasurer as to getting a reduction in the freight on frozen meat. Ho promised to afford every facility for holding a conference on matters connected with the frozen meat trade," and to cable to Mr Ward asking him to bring out full information bearing on the subject of the distribution of meat in England for the consideration of the conference. Ho also undertook to communicate with the Australian Premiers, other than the Premier of Queensland, as to whether it would bo uccisaary to include cattle from other Australian colonies in the proclamation with regard to Queensland cattle. THE COLONY’S DEFENCES. Speaking at «n inspection of the Wellington Naval Artillery last night. Colonel Pox said that tho events of the past sin months had placed an entirely different aspect on matters connected with tho defence of the colonies. There were now within easy distance of the colony 100,000 arms! fighting men, who might at any time ba launched against Australasia. It was therefore of tho utmost importance that tho defences and forts should be in a state of efficiency, in order that the

warships of the Empire might be able to retire to their shelter to refit, provision, coal or obtain war material, and to use them as a base of operations. Without such shelter and such base the warships must bo crippled should they have to defend the colony from attack in time of war; with them their efficiency would bo greatly increased. Id therefore behoved the authorities to do all they could to place the defences and volunteers in a state of efficiency.

TELEGRAPHY WITHOUT WIRES. News comes from Scotland of a species of telegraphic communication which, though not new to the scientific world, may fairly be described as marvellous. The cable between Oban and the Isle of Mull being out of order, messages have been transmitted across the water without any connecting apparatus whatever. This astounding result has been achieved by means of the well-known telegraphic phenomenon called induction. A wire is erected on the mainland opposite to and parallel with a portion of the telegraph line on the island. The message which it is desired to communicate to Mull is transmitted over the wire on the mainland in the ordinary way. The signals thus transmitted pass at the same time over the parallel line in the Isle of Mull, and telegraphic operators there read them by means of the telephone. This fairy-like achievement of science is not by any means novel as an experiment, but it is believed that it is the first time it has been turned to account in the practical, every-day work of telegraphy. ARE YOU THERE? Central P Yes. Adams, Curtiea and Co. speaking. Put us on to No. 700,000 the whole crowd. Right. Is that the mighty public. Yea. Listen! We are selling to-day strong second-hand Safeties from £5. Our modern Stars, with big chain wheels, are selling fast; and for the boys we offer a cheap line of Safeties. Now come along with your orders, and if some of the crowd cannot ride we will teach them. 8895