TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIX, Issue 11538, 26 March 1898, Page 5

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

The “Star.” —ln the much-looked for eight-page edition of the Star, readers will this week find the following specially - selected subj eots: Tales and Sketches The Fight for the Crown, Life in the Morning Land, The Black Eider, A Canadian Idyll, “The Bush Telegraph,” An Escape from the Devil’s Island. Ladies’ Page—At the Last Moment. A Feminine Mania, Etiquette of Weddings and Dinner-Giving, A Remarkable Woman, Household Hints, Woman’s World. Reading for Everybody—Fun and Fancy, Notes and Notions, Brief Mention, Band Gossip, &0., together with all the latest telegraphic and general news.

Meetings.— The following meetings will be held to-day: —Bakers’ Union, annual meeting. Temperance Hall, 8 p.m.; Canterbury Rugby Union, annual meeting. Clarendon Hotel, 8 p.m. The Lyceum. —The subject of Mr W. W. Collins’s lecture at the Lyceum tomorrow will be Theistic Theories: Is Nature Moral?” Story Competition. —ln the present issue the proprietors of the New Zealand Graphic advertise particulars of a prize story competition in connection with that journal. Shooting Eights Recognised.— The Land Board decided on Thursday that the lessee can prevent sportsmen from shooting over any part of Reserve No. 3192, Ttake Ellesmere.

Cycling Corps. —A private message from Wellington states that the services of the cycling detachment of the North Canterbury Volunteer Battalion have been accepted. Engineering Society. —The annual meeting of the Engineering Society in connection with Canterbury College will be held at the College Buildings at eight o’clock this evening.

Societe Franqaise. —A meeting of the Societe Prancaise was held at Girton College last evening, when Mr F. C. Hall presided. There was a good attendance, and the subject for discussion was the Otago Jubilee. Kaiapoi Sports. —An excellent programme has been prepared for the Kaiapoi Amalgamated Friendly Societies’ sports, which take place on April 11 (Easter Monday). Prizes have been provided for thirty-two events. The Late Me T. S. Wauchop.— A special service in memory of the late Mr T. S. Wauchop will be held at St John’s Church, at 3.30 p.m. to-morrow. The members of the various swimming clubs are invited to attend. Ceown Lands. —The interests of nine lessees of Crown land who had failed to meet their payments of arrears of rent, were declared on Thursday by the Land Board to be absolutely forfeited. The Board intends to take proceedings for recovery of the amounts due. Farmers’ Co-operative Association. — The directors of the Farmers’ Co-operative Fire and Marino Insurance Association of Canterbury invite applications for the issue of 1000 shares at par. Applications will be received at the Cashel Street offices of the Association up to April 3.

Pastoral Land Sale. —The most important sale of pastoral properties that has taken place in Christchurch for some time will be held to-day at noon, when Mr F. C. Tabart will offer, a c his salerooms, Manchester Street, the Eagle Hill Estate, West Oxford and Mount Arden, the last unsold block of the Midland Railway land, Horsley Downs. Both are very desirable properties.

Durham Street Methodist Church.— The balance-sheet of this church, which was read at the anniversary meeting on Thursday evening, showed that the sum of £416 11s had been spent on renovation. The expenditure, including special items, amounted to £636 12s lid, leaving a debit balance of £262 12s. The income from the ordinary account amounted to £345 12s sd, and the expenditure to £373 19s lid, leaving a debit balance on the ordinary income and expenditure of £25 7s 6d.

Botanical Photographs. —Mr L. Cockayne has prepared a number of sets of highly interesting photographs, representing specimens of the native flora of New Zealand growing in their natural habitat. One set is for the Canterbury Museum, and others have been sent to museums and scientific institutions in various parts of the world. Many of the pictures are highly effective from an artistic point of view, as they represent scenes of great natural beauty, which have evidently been photographed from a position chosen by an artistic eye.

Prohibition League. —The usual meeting of the Prohibition League was held last night, when Mr T. E. Taylor, M.H.E., presided. A considerable amount of business was transacted in connection with the Easter Convention. The Band of Hope Demonstration Committee brought up a further report and asked for mdre assistance. It was unanimously resolved—- “ That this League believes that the action of the City Council in the matter of openair meetings is an interference with the recognised right of free speech, held dear by all English-speaking peoples, and it is prepared to unite with other organisations in protesting against the Council’s action.”

Sunday Services. —At the Durham Street Methodist Church ; to-morrow, the Eev F. Si Prior will preach both in the morning and the evening. At the East Belt Church, the Eev H. W. Williams will preach in the morning and the Kev J. Orchard in the evening. At St Asaph Street Church, Mr J. L. Wilson will preach in the morning and Mr .1. T. Smith in the evening. At the Cambridge Terrace Primitive Methodist Church, the Eev W. Lee and the Eev T. H. Lyon will be the preachers in the morning and the evening respectively. At the Linwood ChurclTMr W. Dobbs will conduct the service in the morning, and the preacher in the evening will be Mr E. IT. Turner. At the Sydenham Druids’ Hall, Messrs Knott and Crawley will officiate at the service in the morning, and Messrs Pritchard and Peek at that in the evening. Harvest thanksgiving services will be held at the Trinity Congregational Church; the Eev Sidney J. Baker will occupy the pulpit at both the morning and the evening service. At the Art Gallery, the series of lectures on “The Manifestation of Man” will he continued in the morning; in the evening the subject will bo “ Our Critics.” At the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Barbadoes Street, Mr J. W. Heath will conduct the evening service; his subject will be “Christ, the Way of Life.” In connection with this church Pastor G. Teasdale will hold a service at the Lincoln Druids’ Hall in the evening, and deliver an address on " Prophecy: What it Eeveals to Us.”

Skins on Firs ! Skins on Fire ! With torturing, disfiguring eczemas, and every species of itching, scaly and blotchy skin and scalp humours are instantly relieved by a warm bath with Cuticura Soap, a single anointing with Cuticura (ointment), the great skin cure, and a full dose of Cuticura Resolvent, greatest of blood purifiers and humour cures, when all else fails. To those who have suffered long and hopelessly, and who have lost faith in doctors, medicine and all things human, Cuticura remedies appeal with startling force. Thoy are, in truth, the greatest skin cures, blood purifiers and humour remedies of modern times. F 23

Sumner. —The Woolston Band- will play at Sumner to-morrow.

Picnic. —A co-operative picnic will be held at the Kaiapoi domain on Easter Monday. Art Union. —Particulars-of the-drawing of the Amberley Bicycle dub’s- art union are advertised in this issue.

Notice to Jurors. —The attendance of the common jurors, summoned for Monday, March 28, will not be required. Tennis. —The Canterbury and Canterbury College Lawn Tennis Clubs will formally open their respective courts at 2 p.m. to-day. Dog Trials. —The Methven Collie Club’s trials will take place on April 19 and 20, and entries will close with the Secretary at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12.

“After Death: What Then?”—Mrs Harris will deliver another lecture in the Choral Hall, to-morrow evening, at seven o’clock. Its title will be—“ After Death : What Then?”

Supreme Court. —Mr Justice Denniston is expected to return from Dunedin to-day. The civil sittings of the Supremo Court will open at 11 a.tn. on Monday next. The list of cases appears elsewhere. Fireworks. —The Timaru Boating Club gave a display of fireworks at the harbour on Thursday night, the night being fine. The Battalion Band played selections, and there was a large gathering of people to witness the* display, which passed off very well.

Confirmation. —Bishop Julius held a confirmation service at St James’s Church, Southbridge, on Wednesday evening, when the Rev P. J. Cocks presented twenty-six candidates, thirteen males and thirteen females. There was a large congregation.

Education Reserves. —ln another column will be found a list of educational reserves which are to be let by tender for fourteen years from May 1. Conditions of lease and all particulars can be obtained from Mr H. H, Pitman, Government Buildings.

The Art Exhibition. —The annual exhibition of the Canterbury Society of Arts was open during the daytime yesterday, and was well attended. Several pictures have already found purchasers. To-day the exhibition will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In the afternoon, Mr Corrick’s juvenile string band will play selections. Afternoon tea will be provided for the visitors.

Anniversary Services. —Special anniversary service in connection with the Baptist Church, Oxford Terrace, will be held during next week. To-morrow the subjects will be—At 11 a.m.; “ The Greatest Thing in the Earth,” and at 6.30 p.m,, “ Christ and a Victim of Selfishness.” At 2.45 p.m. there will be a “ flower service.” On Monday there will be a farewell service to -Dr Charles North, and a tea meeting will be held on Thursday A- Garrison Band.-— At a meeting of officers of the Christchurch Garrison Volunteer Corps, held recently, it was resolved that a military band should be established to take the place of the Garrison Band, whose services have been dispensed with. It is understood that the officers undertook to raise the funds necessary to pay for instruments and to meet other expenses. Another meeting will be held shortly to further consider the matter.

Ashley. —At a special meeting of the Ashley School Committee, held on Saturday evening last, it was decided to purchase a piano for the school, two-thirds of the sum required being already in hand. On Thursday the annual outing in connection with the Methodist Sunday School took place at Ashworth’s Beach, Saltwater Creek. The day was perfect as regarded weather, and the arrangements were satisfactorily carried out by the Superintendent (Mr W. G. Whiteside) and the teachers.

Conservation of River Banks. —The Land Board at its meeting on Thursday received a circular from the Department of Lands, which suggested that, as far.as possible, lands should be reserved on the mountain ranges and high hills where streams had their sources, and along toe banks of the larger or navigable rivers. The suggestions were made with the idea of mitigating the disasters which have occurred chiefly from the denudation of the covering provided by Nature in the hills, and also in the interests of forest conservation, tourists and others. The Board approved of the circular, and decided to put the proposal in operation as soon as possible. Sunday School Annivef.sary. The Crescent Road Sunday School anniversary was held on Sunday last, when the Rev J. Orchard preached in the morning, the Rev T. Fee in the afternoon, and the Rev W. Lee in the evening. Special hymns were sung by the children, assisted by an efficient orchestra under the direction of Mr W. Lunas. Miss Lucas presided at the organ. The annual soiree was held on Thursday evening, when there was a large attendance at the tea and the public meeting. Mr Bailey, the assistant superintendent, presided, and the Revs Lee and Williams and Mr Broughton addressed the meeting. Mr Hull, the newly-appointed secretary, gave his report, which was very satisfactory. The Clock Tower.— The erection of the ironwork upon the pedestal of the clock tower at the corner of High and Manchester Streets is now proceeding rapidly. The hoarding which has surrounded the ground during the erection of the base still remains there, and the City Council has called for tenders for the rio'ht of advertising upon it for the next three months. This has given me to considerable dissatisfaction amongst the tradesman in the locality, who consider that they have been inconvenienced by the obstruction quite as long as is necessary. They have, therefore, jointly written a letter to the Works Committee of the City Council, protesting against the hoarding being kept where it is after the ironwork has been finished —which should be some time next week —until the arrival of the clock from London, which is .not expected to take place before the end of June. In their letter they point out that the structure not only interferes with business in the locality, but is also very dangerous to traffic, as it encroaches greatly on Manchester Street.

Sale of Pianos.—On Wednesday next, Mr Charles Clark will sell by auction, in bis rooms, two first-class pianos. These instruments are guaranteed of superior quality, and should command the attention of all requiring a first-class piano. The auctioneer is instructed to sell without reserve, and the pianos will be knocked down to the highest bidder. — [Advt.]

Dressmaking. —Ladies are advised that in anticipation of heavy demands upon this department for this approaching season, a leading Melbourne dressmaker has been engaged to take charge of a room at the D.I.C. The styles introduced will be quite a departure from those in vogue in the Christchurch shops, with the further inducement that a specially moderate list of charges has been arranged for every model of gown made to order. 2228

Jones and Sons, Watchmakers, Jewellers, Engravers and Opticians, Cashel Street. The cheapest firm in Now Zealand. Our work is second to none.— [Advt.} McClinton and Thomson’s Barilla Soap is what Prof. Kirk recommends. (See

advt. front page.) 2224 But a gramophone, the latest and most wonderful home entertainer ever invented. Call and hear it. Barlow Cycle Co., 48, Manchester Street, next Coker’s. 2164 Bicycles for Easter can he supplied from stock or built to order at a few days’ notice for .£2l. Oates, Lowry and Co., Zealandia Cycle Works, Christchurch.— [Advt.] Morbpobk Celebrated Mild-cured Hams and Bacon can be bad in any quantities from Hubbard, Hall and Co., Manchester Street, next Milner and Thompson’s. 2192 Dunlop tyres and Dunlop Welch rims are the fastest and most reliable combination in the world ; guaranteed for twelve months.— £Advt.]

Building Trade.— A meeting of subcontractors of the building trade will be held at Otiey’s Hall on April 1.

Rugby Union. — The annual general meeting of the Canterbury Rugby Union will be held at the Clarendon Hotel at eight o’clock this evening. Shaestebean Club.— The annual meeting of the Kaiapoi Girls’ Sbaksperian Club, will be held at the Kaiapoi Coffee Rooms at 7.30 on Tuesday evening. Klondyke. —The Union Steamship Company of New Zealand will despatch the s.s. Paroo of 4000 tons, from Auckland, via Vancouver, to Juneau and Dyea, on Saturday, April 9. Dairymen’s “ Social.” —The dairymen’s annual “ social ” was held at the Art Gallery last evening, when there were over eighty couples present; Mr C. H. Fox supplied the music; Mr A. Rattray was entrusted with the catering, and Mr F. Johnston made an efficient M.C. Arrest.— At midnight last night Constable Hill arrested a man in Davis’s Lane, off Victoria Street, for stealing a coat, and also arrested two men in the same locality for using obscene language. The constable had some difficulty in taking, at one time, the three prisoners to the lock-up.

St John’s Church. Special thanksgiving services in celebration of the restoration and renovation of St John’s Church will be held at 11 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. tomorrow. The offertories will be in aid of the renovation fund. The services will be conducted by the vicar, the Rev H. C. M. Watson. Special anthems and other music will be rendered.

Personal. —Captain Anderson arrived from Wellington by the Monowai yesterday, and Captain Hall left for Wellington by the same steamer in the afternoon. Mr D. M’Millan came by the express train as far as Dnnsandel last evening. Mr G. W. Russell came up from Dunedin by the same train. Major Sommerville and several of the competitors from the New Zealand Rifle Association meeting returned from Oamaru last evening.

Theatrical. —Mr Christie Simonsen, business manager for Mr Bland Holt, and Mr Harry Norman, stage manager, passed through Christchurch yesterday on their way to Sydney, to make arrangements for the company’s season there, which opens at Easter, with The Cotton King. In addition to the White Heather, which has created quite a sensation in London, Mr Holt has secured the colonial rights of Women and Wine, Sporting Life, and How London Lives.

The Premier at Lyttelton. —A public meeting will be held at the Railway Social Hall, Lyttelton, at 8.30 p.m. to-day, for the purpose of presenting an address to the Premier from the Liberals of Lyttelton. The address will be presented by Captain M’Lellan, president of the Lyttelton Liberal Association. The address has been handsomely illuminated by the Sisters of the Convent of Our Lady of Mercy, whose work is exceedingly tasteful and beautiful. The Lyttelton Band is to meet the Premier at the railway station. Encouragement of Local Art. —At a recent meeting of the committee of the Christchurch Chrysanthemum Society, it was decided, in reference to the trophy for the inter-clnh competition, to ask the past and present members of the Canterbury School of Art to compete for designs for a suitable illumination on vellum, the prize proposed to be offered being five guineas. The Society shows that it is actuated by a generous policy, not only in the direction of the culture of chrysanthemums, but the culture of all that is aesthetic, and its present action must commend itself to all who take an interest in the development or encouragement of artistic design in the colony. Railway Traffic.— The express for the south yesterday consisted of nine carriages, several vans and two engines, but the number of passengers was not unusually large. The second engine was sent to Timaru in order to bring on a train from that town to Christchurch in advance of the express in the evening. The first of the express trains arrived at Christchurch, from Timaru, at 8.50, but brought very few passengers... The through express arrived at 9 p.m., and it was not crowded either. A large number of return excursionists are expected from Dunedin by tonight’s express, and a special train will leave Dunedin for Christchurch at 9.25 this evening and arrive here to-morrow morning.

Cathedral Square. —As the City Council has advertised that no meetings will he allowed to he held in the streets or squares of the city without permission having been first obtained and the position allocated, several bodies who have been in the habit of meeting in Cathedral Square have decided to ignore the mandate and to hold their meetings as usual this evening. Mr W. Barker announces his intention of holding a meeting there tonight, at eight o’clock, when he will speak on “ The rights of the people to meet and speak at their own free will.” The Socialist Church will hold a meeting in Cathedral Square to-night, when the speakers will be Mr T. E. Taylor, .M.H.E., and Messrs M’Cullough and H, A. Atkinson. New Zealand Natives’ Concert. —A meeting of the Concert Committee of the New Zealand Natives Association was held yesterday, when the Rev C. A. Fraer presided. It was decided to engage Mr Parquhar Young, Miss Eose Blaney and Miss Clara Mongredien to sing at the concert, and also to obtain the services of the best amateurs in other parts of the colony. A feature of the concert will probably be two tableaux representative of New Zealand. A magnificent firefly club exhibition will be given by Professor Tankard, of Sheffield, one of the champion fancy club swingers of England. The clubs will be of glass, with a strong electric light in the bowl of each. This exhibition, on a darkened stage, should be very fine; Miss Lilian Smith will be asked to sing, and a minutet will be danced by Miss Cowper, of Auckland. Mr T. M. Wilford, of Wellington, is to be asked to contribute a comic item. The concert will be held on April 21.

WAR RUMOURS. A writer in one of the Melbourne papers has pointed out that the decline in stocks which took place the other day, in consequence of the unsettled state of affairs in Europe, was much less serious than the fall that took place during the Baring crisis. He illustrates the two cases by the following quotations for 3-J per cent stock: —

There is certainly nothing in these figures to justify alarm over the present situation.

ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS,

Mr E. W. Jansen has written to the Auckland City Council, stating that he has succeeded in inducing a company of high standing in London to interest themselves in electric tramways, and their engineer is now en route to Auckland to make proposals to the Council for the equipment of an efficient service. Mr T. L. Murray, manager of the Bank of New Zealand, has also written to the Council, asking it to continue the negotiations with Mr Mark Epstein for the equipment of an electrical tramway system, as the bank has every expectation that the persons represented

by Mr Epstein will bo ablu to caixy hi® project through.

IRRIGATION. At Thursday’s meeting of the Geraldine County Council, Mr Talbot, the chairman, read a paper on irrigation. He was inclined to the opinion that irrigation could not be successfully utilised on the Canterbury plains for grain growing, but it would confer very great benefit if applied to the purposes for which it would be useful, such as for watering roots, grass, or clover for fodder purposes, and also gardens and orchards. It would be a very easy matter and not costly to work such a scheme of irrigation along with the present water supply system,, used for giving drink to stock. AUCKLAND FIRE BRIGADE. In response to an invitation from the Auckland City Council, the superintendent of the local fire brigade gives a long list of applications made by him to the Council for better appliances, and of which no notice had been taken. These extend from 1877 to 1896. The wonder is, as the New Zealand, Herald remarks, seeing the steady refusal of the Council to pay attention to Superintendent Hughes’s representations, that he continued making them. He gives a statement of the remarks at the firemen’s dinner, and says that the most pressing need is for the building of a new station. THE CRUCIFIXION GRAFFITO. A correspondent, of the Daily Chronicle referring to the reported discovery of an ancient sketch of the Crucifixion, which was mentioned in these columns some days ago, says:—" Objections are made in the archaeological world to Professor Marucchi’s interpretation of the drawing as representing the scene of the Crucifixion. For instance, a Catholic archaeologist, Signor Gatti, thinks the ‘graffito’ represents a rope dancing scene, and the word ‘ Platus ’ is read by some as ‘ Other arcliomologists, like Signor Lanciani, regard the sketch as a simple joke. It now remains for Professor Marucchi to tender proofs in support of his interpretation. Meantime the ‘ graffito ’ is exciting much, curiosity in Rome." LEASING CONVICTS. It is not, it seems, only in South Africa that prisoners are leased out as labourers, 430 men, women and children having been similarly disposed of recently at Albion, Florida, by which the State has been enriched by 21,000d01. They were virtually sold for a year to the four contractors who made the highest bids for them. There is no penitentiary in Florida, and this is the system of dealing with prisoners. These convicts may he sub-leased by their owners, and they are mostly employed in the phosphate mines and turpentine camps of the State, as well as in road making. It is hardly to be wondered at that a. committee of the senators of the State Legislature last spring who visited the camps where these persons were employed found that in a majority of cases they had poor and insufficient food, and that they were made to live in miserable accommodation and were generally badly treated. JAMESON RAID. Mr Chamberlain’s reply, dated April 10, 1897, to the Transvaal’s claim for £1,677,938 3s 3d on account of the Jameson Raid, has just been published in a State paper. He declined, it appears, to present the demand for “Moral or intellectual damage ” to the company ; and with regard to material damage, asked for the particulars. He was sure this request would promptly be complied with, as it was “apparent,” he said, “from the nature of the figures, that the Government of the South African Republic had proceeded on very precise data in arriving at the various sums to which they lay claim.” This allusion to the three-and-threepence was a palpable hit. No reply to this despatch is given in the paper, and presumably the next move is still with the Transvaal Government. A DELICATE QUESTION. Women are, says the Melbourne Argus, getting on. They have so far invaded the domain of man, that, at this, the end of the Nineteenth Century, the stuff for their dresses is so similar to that used'for men’s trouserings that Customs office experts "and importers quarrel about the drawing of the line between the two. Formerly women’s dress-piece goods and men’s clothing were manufactured in different widths, and the Customs officers were thus given a rough but effective means of distinguishing between them. For some reason or other the stuffs are now manufactured in the same widths, and apparently no one can tell the difference, since the same cloth which serves a woman for a dress may take a man’s fancy for a pair of trousers, or even a coat. To the ordinary mind it matters little, but to the Customs officer or to the importer it is of consequence, inasmuch as while women’s dress goods are admitted free, men’s goods are subject to a duty of 25 per cent. Importers in the city allege, indeed, that the Customs officers have been so hopelessly mixed in the matter that they have for exactly the same cloth charged two or three varying rates of duty.

Crisis. 1890. Etunours. 1898. Eise. £ £ £ Victorian ... 094 104 44 New South Wales ... 1004 105 4i South Australian... ... 984 110 114 Queensland ... 98 104| 6f New Zealand ... 914 107 l."4 Tasmanian ... 96 106 10