NEGATIVES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVIII, Issue 11462, 28 December 1897, Page 5

NEGATIVES.

Standish and Preece having purchased all the negatives taken during the past twenty years by the late P. Schorup, C. H. Manning, and also L. W. Appleby, arc supplying photos and enlargements from them atespecialrates. Studio, High. Street.,,

fired. The question of the person or persons responsible for the scandal is being fought out very angrily in the Greek Press. But the nature of the scandal seems to he cleared up by the statement of the German firm which supplied the torpedoes in question. Every torpedo, it seems, is sent out from the factory with two heads—a “ manoeuvre head,” used only at practice drill, and another, intended for real warfare. The manoeuvre head contains, instead of the charge, a similar weight of iron ballast. The Greek torpedo boats went to sea with the manoeuvre heads. “It can only be supposed,” says the man/ufacturers, “ that owing to the hurry and excitement of the departure of the Greek fleet, those responsible for the torpedoes unfortunately forgot to bring the charged heads on board and to fit them on. In consequence of this the torpedoes on the boat in question were held ready for action' when fitted only with manoeuvre heads.” CROPS IN CENTRAL OTAGO. A gentleman who has been through Central Otago—embracing Blacks, Lauder Valley, and Ida Valley districts and the Maniototo Plain—informs the Oamaru Mail that the wheat and oat crops are looking remarkably well. The interior does not appear to have suffered so severely from the drought as the districts nearer the coast—a fact due to the land having received a good drenching some time since, which gave crops a good start and kept them going. With a little more rain the settlers hope to have the best harvest that has been seen in the interior for a long time. THE WANGANUI ABATTOIRS. An unusual case was heard at Wanganui last week, arising out of the fact of a local butcher having declined to slaughter at the public abattoirs, and appointed an inspector of his own. In consequence, the authorities refused him a license, and he was summoned for unlawfully carrying on the business of a meat purveyor within the borough without a license. In giving judgment, fining the defendant 20s and costs, Mr Kettle, S.M., held that the Borough Council -was within its rights in making the by-law prohibiting the sale of meat which had not been killed and inspected in accordance with the Abattoirs and Slaughterhouses Act. He sympathised with the defendant (Mr T. Mitchell), and thought it would have been reasonable for the Borough Council to have provided for inspection under suh-section 10 of the Act. Defendant’s solicitor accepted the decision, and said his client would not appeal, but would renew his application for a license; DOMESTIC SERVANTS. Of late it has been remarked throughout the colony that there is a great dearth of domestic servants. On making inquiries a representative of the Post finds that Wellington proves no exception to the rule. As one agent puts it, “ You can’t get a servant at any price.” One agent “ had his reasons ” for this state of thin os, and he regretted that the spread of the factory system had led young women away from the domestic hearth. “But there,” said he, “ ’tis only human, for, after all, one experience of the average girl with some of Wellington’s mistresses is enough to make them forswear home service. Why, look here, I can show you a letter —but you mustn’t touch the name—the conditions of service contained in which are by no means exceptional.” This lady says she wants an experienced servant who can do general work; she must sleep at home, must he at her duty at 6 a.m., and can leave for home again at 8 p.m., unless specially required. She must be fond of children, and of fair complexion, “ because the children have a strong dislike for dark people, and if I approve of such a girl I am prepared to pay her—3s a week.” In one such case a girl apparently answered the requirements in all respects but one, and she reported to the agent who had secured her —“ The lady said I was dark, and she wanted a fair girl.” On making inquiries at the Labour Bureau, the Post representative learned that not only is a large list (some twenty-six) of persons desiring servants registered there, hut labour agents in town have sent up asking “if they have any girls to spare.” And so, at the end of the year 1897, the report goes about that there is a dearth of domestic servants in the land.