TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIX, Issue 11554, 15 April 1898, Page 5

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

“ New Zealand Cyclist.”—The current number of the New Zealand Cyclist contains full reports of the Christchurch Cycling Club’s Good Friday meeting and the Druids’ Gala at Wellington, on Easter Monday, together with comments by the special representative of the paper. A feature of the issue is the largo number of admirable illustrations, which have been produced in first-class style, “ Altiora’s ” columns for ladies contain, besides the usual notes, an interesting article on “ Bicycling at Smith College.” The leading article this week is on the management of clubs, and should be perused by all club members. In other departments the journal well maintains its usual standard of excellence.

Meetings.—The following meetings will be held to-day:—Canterbury Rowing Club, smoke concert, 8 p.m.; Union Rowing Club, smoke concert, 8 p.m.; St Luke’s Church, parish meeting, 8 p.m.

Personal.—The Revs H. E. Bellhouse and W. Morley were passengers to Wellington by the Rotomahana yesterday. The Express.—Two express trains arrived from Dunedin last night. Among the passengers were Messrs W. Fraser, M.H.R., and W. Strange. Bowling,—The Christchurch Bowling Club will close its season to-morrow afternoon with a match-between rinks picked respectively by the President and Vicepresident of the club.

Orange Hall, Ashburton.—ln another part of this issue Mr W. Barker invites the farmers and producers of Canterbury, with their wives, to meet him at the Orange Hall, Ashburton, at 2.30 on Saturday afternoon. Mounted Rifles. The Canterbury Mounted Rifles will take partin the annual church parade of the North Canterbury corps to be held at the Cathedral on Sunday morning. Detail orders appear in another column. Raid on Alleged Betting Shops.— Soon after noon yesterday Chief-Detective Chrystall and Detective Marsack raided the shops of two turf commission agents, and seized all the books and papers relating to turf transactions which were found on the premises. It is understood that more will be heard of the matter, although no arrests were made.

Gazette Notices. Messrs J. R. D. Johns, jun.', Belfast, and E. H. Lewton, Bennett's, have been appointed officers under the Fisheries Conservation Act, and also rangers under the Animals’ Protection Act, for the Canterbury District, A letter of naturalisation has been issued in favour of Karl Goldmann, fisherman, Ellesmere.

Yesterday’s Fire. —Messrs J. M. Heywood and Co. elsewhere tender their thanks to the many friends who assisted in removingand seeming their goods and officefurnitnre during yesterday’s fire, and announce that the cartage and forwarding business will be carried on at the old premises as usual, and also that temporary premises have been taken over Mr Hargreave’s office in Cathedral Square. Meat for the Poor. Owing to the low price of stock, the Christchurch Meat Company has decided to make a present of 300 to 400 .-joints of mutton from its various shops to the deserving poor of the city. The meat will be distributed between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Saturday. The Company requires a note from any minister of religion or medical doctor, and each person to bring a kit or meat wrapper.

German Trade with Australasia.— The German Consul at Auckland is distributing a circular showing the extent of German trade with Australasia. From this it appears that in 1896 goods valued at .£5,151,600 were sent from Australasia to Germany, and goods valued at £1,509,850 from Germany to Australasia. Wool (£4,637,550) and metals (£219,900) were the principal items in the first figure, and iron and ironware (£343,650) and instruments and machinery (£222,300) in the second. Canterbury Society op Arts. —The exhibition was well attended yesterday. The. last musical programme for the season will be given to-night, when Misses Davie, Graham, Lake and Marsden, and Messrs Collier and March will contribute items. Miss Jennie West acting as accompanist. The Society has purchased several pictures, to’ the amount of about £25, towards its permanent collection, and so far the sale of exhibits has been satisfactory. The exhibition will be open for the last day to-morrow, both morning and evening.

COOLGARDIE EXHIBITION. — A Sum of £SOOO has been voted by the Government of West Australia for the purpose of holding an international industrial and mining exhibition at Coolgardie. It is to be opened on Sept. 1, and Mr J. Joubert, the veteran who has been associated with most of the exhibitions held in the colonies during the last twenty years, has been appointed general manager. As there is a good market for many New Zealand products in West Australia, it is hoped that this colony will be represented by a creditable display. Mr F. N. Meadows has been appointed official agent for New Zealand. Anniversary Services. —The anniversary sermons of the Southbrook Methodist Church were preached on Sunday by the Eev W. Grigg. At the evening service the church was crowded with an appreciative congregation. In the afternoon a service of song was well rendered by the choir, under the leadership of Mr T. J. Withers, Mr J. V. Chatterton giving the connective readings. There was a large attendance. At the anniversary tea meeting on Good Friday the following presided at the tables; —Mesdames Withers, Turner, Pickard, Grimwood and Elderton, Misses Smith, Grimwood and Turner, and a bachelors 1 tray was superintended by Misses Rolleston and C. Thwaites.

The Slauohtek-house Question. Yesterday afternoon a conference took place at the City Council Chamber between the Abattoirs Committee of the City Council and the committee appointed by the Selwyn County Council to consider the question of the establishment of public abattoirs in the district. The Mayor of Christchurch was elected to the chair, and the following resolutions were passed:— (1) “That it is desirable that public abattoirs should be erected(2) “ That it be a recommendation to the City Council and the Selwyn County Council to appoint a permanent committee to collect information as the cost, site and method of management of abattoirs, and also as to what legislation, if any, is necessary for the erection and working of abattoirs.” Quality Tells. —Telegrams to hand announce that the Hawke’s Bay Wheel Eace and one-mile at'Napier, two, three and five miles at Westport, three miles at Blenheim have all been won on Ml Zealandias by bona-fide purchasers. Oates, Lowry & Co., Makers, Christchurch,—[Advt.] Jones and Sons, Watchmakers, Jewellers, Engravers and Opticians, Cashel Street. The cheapest firm in New Zealand. Our work is second to none.—[Advt.] Dunlop tyres and Dunlop Welch rims are the fastest and most reliable combination in the world; guaranteed for twelve months. —f Advt.] Buy 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

Amateur Athletics. —The Canterbury Amateur Athletic Club’s Autumn Sports Meeting will be held at Lancaster Park to-morrow afternoon. Competitors from. Timaru, Kaiapoi, Kirwee, Ashburton and other centres will be present.

Queen’s Cadets. —The Queen’s Cadets had a muster of thirty-five members at their parade on Wednesday night. Lieutenant Lane was in command, and Lieutenant Rogers was present. The lads went through company movements and standing drill very creditably. Papanui Town Hall. —An entertainment in aid of the organ fund of St Paul’s Church will be held at the Papanui Town Hall at half-past seven this evening, Kinematograph pictures will be exhibited, and there will also be an entertainment, with musical selections.

Women’s Institute. —A meeting of the Canterbury Women’s Institute will be held at Hobbs’s Buildings at eight o’clock this evening. The subject for the evening will be “ Consideration of resolutions for National Council.” A committee meeting will be held at the same place at seven o’clock.

East Malvern Road Board.—A general election of five persons to form the East Malvern Road Board will be held at the Road Board Office, Sheffield, on Tuesday, May 3. Nominations of candidates, must reach the returning-officer, Sheffield, at his residence before noon on Monday, April 25.

EQUALITY OF WAGE, At the Arbitration Court yesterday morning an engineer, who was called as a witness, gave evidence that he had received 10s a day in Melbourne, and on his return to Christchurch could only earn 9s. His Honor Mr Justice Edwards pointed out that the conditions probably varied. In Australia a Judge received 113500 a year, and in New Zealand .£ISOO. Did the witness consider that the New Zealand Judges should apply for the same salary as their Australian brethren received ? The witness thought they should. THE RAKAIA FATALITY. At the inquest held at Eakaia on Tuesday touching the death of Arthur Bayfield, who was killed by a kick from a horse, evidence was given that both Bayfield’s parents were dead, the father having died some five months ago and the mother several years. Yesterday morning, however, a woman living near Tinwald, appeared at Eakaia, and stated that deceased was her son. AN UNDESIRABLE CONSIGNMENT. It is to be hoped that the consignment referred to by the Melbourne Argus in the following paragraph will not be “ placed ” in New Zealand:—“ The 950 cases of tinned salmon condemned as unfit for human food by the Board of Public Health are to leave Victoria, though what their destination is has not been allowed to transpire. The money—some £so—bid for it at the Customs sale has been paid to the auctioneer, the purchaser expressing his intention of ‘ placing it ’ elsewhere, where, it may be assumed, people are not worried by the exactions of a Board of Health. The original value of the consignment may be estimated from the fact that the duty required by the Customs Department, if it had been sold for consumption here, was £3BO, being at the rate of 2d a lb.”

THE ESCAPE OP THE CALLIOPE. Mr H. G. Bourke, who was staff engineer of the Calliope when she steamed out to sea from Samoa in the hurricane of 1889, and to whose management of the engines the ship’s escape was largely due, died at Haslar Hospital a few weeks ago after a week’s illness. For his services on the Calliope he was specially promoted to fleet engineer in the Royal Navy. Our London correspondent states that only a few days before his death Mr Bourke, in the course of a conversation about the Afrid affair, said:—“ln all my years at sea nothing gave me so much confidence in our men as the way they ro-.c to the occasion on March 15. I was about callin gup on some extra men who were off duty to go below, when every man of them volunteered 1 , and all through the hurricane, though we were boxed up there in the engine-room and stokehold, and could hardly hear each others’ voices for the howling of the storm, yet every man did his duty without a murmur. It takes a time like that to show what a Britisher is!” Mr Bourke, who would have earned his retirement in a year or so, leaves a widow and four daughters, and his fellow-officers of the navy are in hopes that the Admiralty will do a little extra in the way of pension for these bereaved ladies, in consideration of the service rendered to the State by husband and father.

MUSICAL EXAMINATIONS,

The Board of Trinity College, London, has decided upon some important modifications in connection with the College local examinations in musical knowledge, which alfect colonial as well as United Kingdom candidates. The first has reference to what papers candidates may take. Hitherto they have been restricted to working _ the two papers of any one division (junior, intermediate or senior), but in future a candidate will be permitted to enter for any two adjacent sections, i.e., junior honours and intermediate pass, or intermediate honours and senior pass, or, of course, as heretofore, for the two papers in any division. Hitherto, a candidate entering for pass and honours could only receive one certificate, but in future a certificate will be issued for every paper successfully worked. In future, also, there is to be no age restriction for candidates for junior honours, and this departure will put an end to that unsatisfactory feature of the junior pass lists—the number of candidates coming under the denomination “ ineligible for certificates by reason of age.” Commencing with the ensuing season, three prizes of £5 each will be awarded for the best pass papers worked, one in each division, these prizes being supplementary to the three of £5 each awarded for the best honours papers. In future, in examinations in vocal and instrumental music, the maximum marks for the various sections will be as follows: —Studies, &c., 20; piece, 40; scales, 20 ; sight reading, 10; grammar, 10; total, 100.

A FRENCH ESTIMATE OF MR CHAMBERLAIN.

Mons. Valfrey, a French’flaneur, whose outpourings over the nom de plume “Whist” in “Figaro” have made for him a name all over Europe, has been contrasting Lord Salisbury and Mr Chamberlain, to the disadvantage of the latter. For the British Prime Minister M. Yalfrey has the greatest admiration, and bespeaks for him the highest homage of Frenchmen for the prudence, tact and spirit of conciliation he has shown in the West African difficulty between France and England. But “ Colonial Joe ” is a horse of another colour, and altogether an inferior being to the “ strong man.” According to “V/hist,” “Mr Chamberlain is the type of Britannic Imperialism, its chief, sprung from a hot-hed of radicalism, and tainted with an early leaning to republican institutions. To look at his photograph, with the shaven face and monocle, one would call him an ephebe—a youth. To 'excuse the vehemence which carries him off so frequently—almost as often as he speaks or acts—one cannot invoke his youth or inexperience, and still less his intellectual maturity. At iiis age, sixty-two, the evil is irremediable.” “ Behold in him,” continues “ Whist’,” “ the enemy in person, who seizes every pretext to trouble the existing harmony between France and England. I proclaim it aloud—he must be watched. We are not in the presence of an ambitious nobody. He. is the embodiment ‘par, excellence ’ of that England which is super-heated with patriotism, and which is greedy of the universal and sole domination of the seas —above all, upon the ruins of our influence. Witli Germany ho shows himself humble and obsequious, with France imperious and

brutal.” “'Whist” then proceeds to say that Mr Chamberlain is classed by an important fraction of his compatriots as the supreme reserve oi the Conservative party when Lord Salisbury shall he no more. “ Lord Salisbury, indeed, is not eternal, and it would be a rude experience for France in particular if ever the direction of the British power passed into the hands of Mr Chamberlain.” PROSPEROUS IRELAND. Statistics are notoriously untrustworthy, and figures can lie, as we know, but it is quite refreshing (says our London correspondent) to be able to prove, even by statistics, that “ distressful ” Ireland is at the present time both peaceful and prosperous. Three sets of statistics, published in Government reports .just issued, show that emigration from the Emerald Isle is rapidly decreasing* that the amount of money m the Irish banks (and particularly in the Cavings Banks,) is greater than it has been at anv previous time, and that evictions and agrarian outrages are becoming fewer year by year. The number of emigrants, which in 1852 was over 190,000, had fallen last rear to 32,555, and this in spite of a steadily increasing population. One regrettable feature about the report for 1897 is that the great bulk of the emigrants go to the United States instead of to the colonies. Out of the total emigration shown above the United States captured 28,760 (nearly 90 per cent), and Great Britain'22Bl. whilst Australia only claimed 676, Canada 397, and New Zealand 332. The question of passage money undoubtedly has a great deal to do with the destination of Irish emigrants, but it hardly accounts for the poor showing made by Canada. The banking statistics show that the total amount of deposits in Joint Stock banks in 1897 was £39,300,000, as compared with £29,771,000 in 1887. The returns of the Post Office Savings Banks are even more remarkable, for, while the total balance in hand on December 31, 1877, was £1,257.000, it amounted in 1897 to no less than £6,706,000, having increased for the previous four years at the rate of half a million per annum. The return of agrarian outrages deals with the last quarter of last year, and shows that the total of offences of this description reported was only thirtyseven, of which sixteen consisted of sending threatening letters, and seven were incendiary fires. There were only two cases of firing at people. These occurred in County Clare. r