TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12571, 5 August 1901, Page 5

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

The following additional subscriptions to the Jubilee. Memorial Fund have been received':—Mr A. Orr, Methven, £2; proceeds of concert by Mr E. W. Seager, at Lyttelton Borough' School, £2 5s 3d. The Fairfield Freezing . Works closed down en Saturday,-to enable the contrac- - tors for the additions to proceed uninterruptedly with their work.' Stock intended far these..works will be dealt with at the Belfast works, the company bearing the 'additional expense. The workmen who daily patronise' the 7.20 a.m. train to and the 5.15 p.m. fr?in from Lyttelton have a grievance against the Railway Department. They do not so much object to having to ride in the oldest carriages in the service, but complain bitterly about tho lighting provided. Two women, Louisa Finnerty and Annio Smith, were each fined 10s and costs for drunkenness by Mr H. W. .Bishop, S.M., on Saturday. A man was also charged with drunkenness', bub was unable to appear, being in. the Hospital suffering from r.a.scalp. wound, and was therefore., remanded ~utitll. to-day. , The Court of Arbitration adjudicates on the eight hours principle, but does not observe it. Efforts are now being made to overtake accumulations of work in connection with industrial disputes, and the Court has been working overtime. At Dunedin, recently, its sitting on a Saturday lasted until nearly 10.30 p.m. . Some of the suburban lands bought during last summer have proved to be unde- ' sirablo places of residence in a wet winter. i -Between Christ church and the ' Opawa railway station one or two cottagers have found ".to"their dissatisfaction that their .sections 'are.-not now as high and dry as appearances led them to imagine was the case when they built there. Mr H. F. Browne, .one of the organising inspectors under the'Manual and Technical Instruction Act, spent last week among the schools <in Timaru and the neighbourhood. On Saturday he addressed a gathering cf thirty or forty, teachers in the Timaru main school, and gave •■demonstrations of seme of the work that may be done under the Act in kindergarten occupations,' preliminary and advanced. During the election of vice-presidents of tliO; Pub|ic Schools' Amateur Athletic Associatiori at the annual meeting on Sa-tur-day;-one.gentleman proposed declined, on thei ground that he was getting old. The -President (Mr L. B. Wood) replied that that, excuse was of no avail, as, in order to keep up the interest of "old sports," it had been contemplated to hold, at the next sports meeting, a bicycle race for vicepresident's over fifty. Surgeon-Captain Thomas,, of the Fourth Contingent, was entertained on Friday evening by the Timaru Fire Brigade, as their honorary surgeon returned, from the front. Tha South .Canterbury Battalion, tho medical'profession, and the municipality were represented. In the course of his reply to the toast .of his health, Dr Thomas deprecated the Boers being blamed for firing on the medical forces with their red cross badges. The fact was that the baclgti was indistinguishable beyond a hundred yards or so. . During tho time ha--was in. South Africa the Boers played the game properly, and very well,,too. The Arbitration) Court on Saturday again indicated ths> character of its proceedings by urging two parties to a dispute to confer together and settle points of difference before submitting them to the Court for decision. Mr Justice Cooper said that the Court did not want to make hard-and-fast decisions;"its desire was more to bring about amicable arrangements. Mr S. Brown, arbitrator for'the employers, endorsed these statements, saying that both parties would feel better if they came to a mutual agreement;" '■ A' conference in the " dispute was held soon afterwards, but no agreement .was come to, and the dispute will have to be decided by the Court after all. - : • . In connection with- the Grand National meeting, the prizes for the Ladies' Bracelet Race are being exhibited by Messrs B. Petersen and Co., jewellers, of this city. The Seleoti'oiii Committee have departed from the orthodox bracelet, and in lieu of it the' first prize is a combination brooch and hair ornament,- the design toeinig a crescent, with rising sun. The crescent contains twenty-thre.e diamonds and the sun forty-two, making a total of sixty-five in all; while in'the centra of the sun i's a beautiful ruby. The workmanship is excellent. The second prize is a pair of sterling silver pian'o candlesticks, with fluted pillars and Corinthian caps, together with a silver match-box.and tray. At the Ashburton County Council meeting on Friday, the Chairman stated that, in company with Messrs Hardy and M'Lachlan, M.H.R.'s_, and H. Friedlander, he had interviewed the Bromier, in. Wellington, regarding the Ruapuna, headworks, and the Premier had promised to favourably consider "the question of a special-'grant in aid of the work. The Hon W. C. Walker and Sir J. G. Ward had also promised' assistance, and the Minister cf Lands said he would,himself pay a visit to the. headworks. The 1 consideration of Mr Napier Bell's • schemey which would misanr an additional cost of £SOOO to the £6OOO already expended/was held; over until a fuller meeting of the Council. A deputation from Ruapuna .presented a resolution passed at a meeting of ratepayers, requesting the Council to act on 'Mr Bell's advice,' and' not go in for any curtailed scheme. iTihe Arbitration Court has had a very busy time .lately. ~ Tt has been travelling up and down the colony hearing Industrial disputes, some of which are -of a very complicated character, and affect large industries. There has been an accumulation of work to get through, but it isnow expect-ed-that within three weeks of the present ./fete'-the.;Court will have determined all matters which were pending up to July 1. Mr Justice Cooper hopes, and expects, that all arrears of work in the South' Island will be-cleared by the end of the present month. The. Court will go to Waihi to hear the mining dispute there next month. On the way back it will hear some of the Wellington disputes, and it is expected that by the middle of November the North Island, .as well as the. South,.will be clear. If these anticipations are realised, there should be sufficient time to have absolutely all work ■ disposed of by the end of the year. .About one hundred and thirty farmers '•attended! a meShing at- Tiniaru, on Saturday, ■•'.for 1 •'the purpose of. forming ■ a "-Farmers Union. The meeting was addressed by Messrs Maslin and E. Acton, as mover and seconder of a motion that a Union: he formed. Their remarks in favour of the proposal were received with frequent applause, and the motion was carried unanimously. Soma discussion took place on the question of membership qualification, and it was resolved that' anyone shall be eligible who is engaged in agricultural or pastoral pursuits, this definition including employees as well as employers. A provisional Committee of twelve was appointed to draw up a programme of rules and take\other steps to institute the union. The committee,, at. a subsequent meeting, fixed the subscription provisionally at 2s 6d per annum, with a possible liability not exceeding ss. The committee will obtain all information possible in the ensuing week, and! also enrol as ..many members as .possible-, and meet again en Saturday next, to draw up a programme and rules. It is understood that Mr Glass, organising secretary to the North Island Union, .is coming south, and it. was* suggested that his assistance.would be valuable. The provisional programme which members are asked to sign, states that party politics are to be avoided as much as possible. A farmer at the meeting complained that hitherto the speeches in favour of the. union, especially at Pleasant Point, had been strongly antagonistic to the Govem-

First consideration at the Arbitration Court to-day will be given to the hairdressers' dispute. The printers' machinists' case will be taken next. Two prisoners, who had been arrested on warrant in- Wellington, were brought down by the- Rotoiua yesterday. One is charged with forgery, and the other with wife desertion. It has transpired that the thieves who dvnamited the safe at the Little River railway station on Wednesday last got a good haul, as the stamps and cash stolen run into nearly three figures. The missing trolly was discovered near Hornby. ■-,■ -The Crown has retained Mr T. I. Joynt, of Christ church, for the defence of Alexander M'Lean. who will b 3 brougluup at the Supremo Court this week to take his trial on the.charge of having murdered Mrs Martin. Miss Martin, and Lawrence Martin, at Eyreton. On Friday and Saturday much annoyance was caused in West Lyttelton by a party of vagrant-cows which wandered into gardens, trampling down flower beds unddoing other mischief. The grounds of St Saviour's Church were invaded among other place?., and a good denl of damage done. ;'; ,At a public meeting held in the. Waikuku Schoolroom, on Friday, Messrs C. E. Skevingfcon and G. Dunkimon were elected members of the .Waikuku Domain Board in. place of Messrs Tipping and Preece, who have left the district. At a subsequent meeting of the Board Mr S. Griffiths was elected chairman.'

The Corporation swans arc increasing at a very fair rate, and at the present time no fewer than seven, pairs are sitting on eggs at various points along the river within the city boundaries. It is to be hoped that the birds will not be disturbed by boys, as they were lasft year. As the s wans belong to the city, it would be as well if any persons who see boys interfering with them would caution them not to do so. At Ruapuna School, , on Monday afternoon, July 29, the scholars assembled in the playground, and were each, presented with a medal a« a souvenir of the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York to the colony. Immediately after the medals were distributed cheers were given for their. Royal Highnesses, and ihe children dispersed. 'The next exciting event will probably "ha the'hoi.sting of tho flag, to" which the children are looking forward. At Little. River, on Wednesday, before Dr M'Arthur. S.M., David Lucien and Albert Hunt were charged with furious riding at Little River on June 12, but the case was adjourned till Sept. 4, as Mr Gissack, who had been ridden over on the night m question, was too ill to appear at Court, Mr Gissack is still in a rather precarious condition. Besides three broken ribs, there are ether internal injuries of a serious nature. A sensational rumour, to the effect that tliere had been a boat accident in the harbour, and that a well known boatman had been- drowned, was circulated in Lyttelton, on Saturday afternoon. Tho occurrence which gave rise to it was a trivial one. A;boat which the s.s. John Andercon was towing across the harbour broke loose, and the steamer turned back to pick it up. This was seen from a distance by some persons who were too far away to perceive .exactly what happened, and their surmises were presumably magnified .into the sensational story. The criminal sessions- of. the Supreme Court, at- Christ-church, will open this morning, : at eleven o'clock, before his Honor Mr Justice Denniston. The calendar is not a heavy one, but includes one charge of murder. There are four charges of forgery and -uttering, three being against one -man, two of breaking and entering and theft, one of conspiring to defraud, one of escaping from custody, and one of assisting escape, and one of unlawfully using certain instruments. Three offenders will be .brought up for sentence, the' charges being theft, sending threatening letters and burglary. A noteworthy feature is that there are no charges cf indecent assault, which crime has been so prominent at the recent criminal sessions all over the colony. Messrs Strange and Company announce that their present stock-taking sals' bids fair to prove the -most successful they have ever held. So far, the attendance of the. public '■ each day has been exceptionally large, and very brisk business has resulted, Some special attractions, have besrii provided for this week. The. doors are thrown open a t 10 a.m. daily, but it is during the afternoon that the crush is greatest, invariably. The best time to shop, consequently, for those who don't caxe about a r.ush, .is the morning,' when'-sale patrons can always depend en receiving prompter attention than 'can possibly be given to them later in the day. 936 To-day, three weeks' Extension Sale at Beath and Co.'s. Balance of winter stock to be cleared at tempting bargain prices, in many cases at quarter and half the usual prices. Come at once; must effect clearance. Fur necklets 2s lid for Is 6d, children's coloured gaiters 2s 6d for Is, stylish lace scarves Is 6d for 6|d, squire cuffs and collars for 2d, perfumed toilet soap 6d tablet for Id, new- fall nets Is 6d for 6'id, wide fancy ribbon Is lid for - Beath's Extension Sale. See windows for bargains. X 2867 The Anglo-New Zealand Cycle Company have seven ladies' and gents' bicycles, built of sample English parts, for which they are quoting extremely favourable prices .and terms. Earlv inspection invited, at D.LC. and 226, High. Street. X1'196 It isn't the material which goes into your repaired'watch that results in a perfect job, it is the know how. Anyone can buy the fine kind of,material that Clarke and Co. use, .but the most valuable material that can be used, in watch repairing is skill, and the bungler can't buy it. Clarke and Co., Jewellers, 148, Colombo Street. X 1275 Townend's Bilious and Liver PillsKeep in Health the Liver, Stomach, Heart and Kidneys, free the skin of blotches, and ptirify the blood. Sold everywhere. Price Is. W. P.. Townend, 183, Colombo Street, Christchurch. " X 2521 Good tyres fitted to • a bicycle make cycling a real pleasure. Fit "Ideal" tyres and you haye an ideal cycle. Pdx years'. trial on the Australasian market have given Jdeal tyres a most enviable reputation. X 2771 Sun Brand Chutney.—Piquant, Peppery, and Pleasant. From all grocers. X 2775 The market is flooded at the present time with worthless preparations for*the hair, many of them being injurious as well as .worthless, but Hendy's egg-julep may be honestly' recommendsd as a most reliable hair tonic for beautifying and cleansing the hair. Price, Is per bottle. Thisele° gant preparation may be procured from Strange and Co.'s, drapers, Christchurch, who are also sole agents for Hendy's Frizzairs, or curling fluid. X 2533 In the window of W. J. Dunlop's shop is to be seen a display of most beautiful jewellery. N.B.—Repairs of all descriptions done on the premises, 175, High Streetopposite J. Knight, Butcher, below Clock Tower. X 2815 For bicycle repairs we specially recommend cyclists to Boyd and Son, who are combining first-class work with- moderate charges. 191, Gloucester Street, Christchurch. Telephone .437. X 2588 Lodestar Carbide, peteol, arsenic, mineral naptha, benzine. Henry Markwald, Bow. ! ron's Buildings. Telephone 1044. '. X 2775 We have them! The new Palmer tyres, ne\V pattern hollow rims, new-' free-wheel' and back -pedalling brake, new overhanging chain wheel, all fitted to New Zealandia Cycles now, without extra charge. Oates Lowry and Co. X 1571 Wire netting, heavy fencing, inch, 7d per yard. Fowl netting l|d per yard, by 100 yards.coil, 10 yards 2s 3d. Sheep netting, centre strand, 2gd, by 100 yards-coil, i, %, and 1 inch, in stock at lowest prices. Fletcher Bros., High Street, Christchurch I X 2565

It is not considered necessary to hold a Magisterial l inquiry into the striking of the To-moana at Gisboms some days ago. Mr?! Deans, sen., will give three prizes, £1 10s, £1 and 10s,-for competition a t the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association's Metropolitan Show for the best cured butter, not less than 101 b, made upon farms not exceeding 200 acres. Mr W. W. Collins lectured in the Lyceum last night on "Right and Wrong, in Theory and in Practice," pointing out both the complexity and antiquity of the question, and that, the happiness of ourselves and others depends- on 'good conduct based on an adequate conception rif what~rc\-iTty constitutes right fMid wrong, or good j'nd evil. Applications are being clled for the petition of lady assistant teacher at the Christchurch Girl's High School. The salary is £l2O a year,' but if the teacher is capable of teaching .physical science as well as the other subjects required, the salary will be £l4O a year. Applications must be sent in to Canterbury College by August. 17, and the successful candidate- must commence, her duties on Sept. 17. The box plan of " Elijah," in which Madame Belle Cole and Mr John Prous-e will take a prominent, part to-morrow evening, i» full. The box plan for " The Messiah," on Thursday, will open this morning. Mesdames Burns, Jennings, and Brooke, and Mr Mark Woodward will assist at the concerts. It may ba mentioned that Madame Belle Cole made a special study of oratorio work under Sir Joseph Barn-aby. The Rev S. G. Fielding conducted the services at St John's Church yesterday. His sermons were impressive, and were listened to with interest by the congregation. Feeling reference was made at both services to (he regretted illness of the vicar, the Rev H. C. M. Watson. Mr Fieldinghas exceptional ability as a pieacher, and is the author of several works well known to New Zea'and readers, notably " Southern Lights" and "Down.to the Sea in Ships." He is undoubtedly an acquisition to the ranks of the clergy in this diocese, and the parish of St John's can be congratulated upon obtaining the services of such an eloquent -and. cultured gentleman*to officiate during the leave of absence of the vicar. A PROSPEROUS 'SETTLEMENT. It is only a little over a year -since tho Aorangi Estate, situated auout a nr : le fivm the town of Feilding, en tii-;< i.tcu:.. River, was acquired under- the Land for S-e'ttle-men'ts Act from' Mr James Bell, and- transformed into a settlement. Tho area was 1758 acres, and this was divided in. thirtyseven holdings, varying from five to 180 acres. With the exception of a few tradesmen, nearly the whole of .the settlers were working men with families, and some of them at first, between'bare paddocks' and limited capital, found a great difficulty in getting their holdings fenced, built upon and stocked. How they have triumphed over their difficulties is shown by the first year's report of the Crown Lands Ranger, says the "New Zealand Times." The improvements that the settlers were, required to make under the conditions should represent a value of £606. The actual valu* of the improvements effected since the selections were made is £4653. ■ No fewer than 34 substantial'houses-have: been built, and 1631 chains of fencing erected; 53 selectors reside on their holdings, the. total number of souls being 134. The stock consists of 876 head of cattle, 509 sheep and 114 pigs. Nineteen settlers are dairying, and had at the time of inspection! .314 cows. A creamery has been erected, and good me tailed roads are being made. The smaller sections art) held hy men in business in Feilding, or persons working in the district. The settlers -are doscribed as a thrifty class, they seenr'to be satisfied with their prospects, and the ranger says he is satisfied they will do well. RUSSIAN LABOUR LEGISLATION. Of late years (says "Engineering") labour legislation has been 1 receiving attention in Russia. In 1882, a law was passed prohibiting tho employment of children under twelve years of age in factories and works, while children between twelve and fifteen years were to be employed only eight hours a day, nob including the time -spent at school, at meals, and in rest. Work could not continue for more than four consecutive hours, and children could nob be employed between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., or on Sundays or great holidays. By a later law, women or males under seventeen years of age cannot be employed at night in textile industries. Only about twenty per -cent of the factories work day. and night (including glass..\vorkss t.etc'o The laws against strikes are very'' severe ; ; an 'attempt' to strike' by any operatives is punishable by imprisonment from a week to five months, while for an actual strike the penalty.is from two to. eight .'months. When damage has been done during a strike, or there has been any intimidation, -the limit of imprisonment is sixteen months. • THE APPRENTICE QUESTION. One of the most difficult questions the Court of Arbitration has had to deal with is that of apprentices and their conditions of labour. It is brought up in connection with almost every industrial dispute the Court is called on to decide. When thft ■Court was sitting on Saturday morning, Mr Justice Cooper said that the very old English sytem " of .indenturing, in a trade like the printer's, which was before the Court, tended to the advantage of both boys and! masters. It was desirable that boys should be bound to a trade 'which- they were supposed to learn. Apprentices musb be under an obligation to. learn trades,, and masters must be under obligations to teach them.- There might be a tendency in modern industrial life to do away with apprentices. That, however, was not in the interests of industry as at present in this colony. In America, where the practice of binding ' boys -had almost ceased, there were many institutions where young men could learn trades without being bound to masters. In that country there were technical schools in connection with almost all industries, and at those schools boys would probably learn their trades better than if they 'were sent to ordinary manufacturers In New Zealand,-"however, there tfas no such thing. Therefore, it was essential that boys here should bo taught their trades, and the-only means of doing that was by a system of apprenticeship Until there was something like technical schools, with a proper system of instruction in this colony, the adoption of the course he had indicated was very necessary. It was better for the boys, the masters, and the industries that the young men should be taught properly. The system of „lvine a certificate at the end of a term was in his opinion, a vicious one.