TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVII, Issue 12850, 24 June 1902, Page 4

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

The Railway Traffic Manager was unabl* to arrange for birds exhibited aotae Poultry ; Show to be gent back by the express traaa,, • and thev were consequently sent away'by the early goods train yesterday morning. Mr T. W. Glover, of the New Zealand Alliance, gave a. lecture at the Drtadb' HaJl, Sydenham, on Sunday evening ontfoe sub-,, iect "Then and Now." Mr J. ,G. Smith, M.H.R., was in the chair, and there was a good attendance. The general manager of the Afcsets Beard ' : (Mr W. H. Foster) says it is quite true, a* " reported in the newspapers, that an offer, from a syndicate of £9O;GO0 far the Mat** u l ; mala Estate was refuse-i. Th» estate con* tains about 45,000 acris, and. «»isideriß||.,:;- v +h» OT l,.« «f tine !«■* ♦).» i»ft» otoed «■»!—

The Mayor has received £1 from Mrs Bouter, and £5 from Sir John Hall, as ■ donations towards the Coal and Blankets .. I'unU' The Shaw, Savill and Albion Company's liner Delphic! arrived at Hobart from London yesterday morning, and left for NeAV JSealand in the afternoon. A* sitting of the Lyttelton Police Court was held'yesterday i morning, before the Mayor, Mr-J. Grubb. A first offender was convicted of drunkenness and discharged with a caution.

The challenge silver cup which Commander Sir Charles Oust, R.A., has presented .„ for competition to the Cust" Mounted Rifles, ■ jg'on view in Messrs B. Petersen'and Cc-.'s ' window, High Street. The' cup is to be fceld by the best shot in the corps. At' the Kaiapoi Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr Moore, J.P., and Mr Feldwick, tJ.P., a prohibition order was issued against a man for twelve months, to take effect in the Kaiapoi, Avon and • Ohristchurch districts, on, the application (f the police., On Sunday afternoon, G. Ell, JI.H.R., gave an anti-gambling address at a fceeting for men, held in connection, with ♦he Lincoln Read Baptist Church. The ■ Jtev J. J. North occupied the chair. The National petition against the totalisator was -largely signed at the close of the meeting. A teleo-ram from Dunedin states that at the opening of the new Law Courts, yesterday, Mr Justice Williams made a reference to what may indicate his early retirement. He said that he would bespeak, for his successor, for his successor must come before long, in the ordinary course of things,, the same consideration from the Bar,that had) been accorded to himself..

There has lately been a .considerable ■ thortage in the domestic coal supply in Wellington. * The dealers assert that the principal cause of this is that large shipments are being sent away for warships on the China station. During the. last .few weeks, fifteen thousand tons, have been . »hipped in this way. It is stated, on, the ether hand, that the present scarcity is due to tho recent bad weather having prevented steamers getting in and out of \Vestport expeditiously. . At the last meeting of the Lyttelton Harr bour Board, it was decided to improve the Pier at Sumner, by building a landing etage at the south end of the tee. On Saturday, the launch Canterbury towed a lighter round from Lyttelton, loaded with timber and gear for driving the piles, and yesterday Inspector Derbidge made a start at the work. When it is finished, it will he a great convenience to the public, more especially to the passengers travelling by the launch plying between Sumner and New Brighton. A meeting of the General Committee appointed to arrange for a presentation ,to Mr and Mrs A. E. G. Rhodes was held in the rooms of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association yesterday afternoon. The Treasurer reported that a substantial sum had been subscribed for the purpose. A eub-comemittee was appointed to make arrangements for the presentation. It is intended that the presentation shall be made by the Chairman at a public meeting, when all- subscribers will be invited to be eent. The date will be arranged to suit the- convenience of those desiring to attend, | Ibe St Alban's Fire Brigade has decided to use a new convertible spray nozzle, by imeans of which a solid jet of water may be ton-verted into a strong conical spray shield covering l a wide area. A fireman using the ■pray is thus defended against the strongest «noke * and flame, and is enabled to work much, closer to the seat of a fire than Under ordinary conditions. The new nozzle - s.liM>-provides .for the conversion of a jet of •water into a combined jet and spray, and for the reduction of the size of the ordinary jet. The changes are all very quickly and easily made, and tho improved nozzle is useful in preventing the -waste of water. The new nozzle will be shown, at the Avater display on Coronation Night. The "Bulletin'No. 7" of the First New , Zealand Mounted Rifles Association has just been issued', and is a cleverly -written; and interesting number, which deserves better support than it seems to getting. The editor, in his opening remarks; complains vigorously of the remissness of memibeM of 'the Association, and Bays: " The Bulletin appears for' the seventh time pretty nearly 'too weak to stand- . , . No further issue, therefore, Trill be (brought out unless at least fifty letters are in hand by the time the present growler is ready to spring off his editorial tail again, and no furthor issue can be . brought out unless ■ somebody sends some . money along." - The Bulletin certainly deserves a 'better fate than death by starvation. • Twenty samples of butter taken from • various Taranaki faotories by an officer of the' Agricultural Department have been recently analysed in the laboratory of the Department's Chemist, Mr B. 0. Aston, F.O.S, (say's the "Post"). The proportion of water -was found to range from 9.4 to v 14.1 per cent, but the latter figure was exceptionaEy high. On eliminating this, the average number was 10.9, the variation from this figure being, with the above exception, not more than 1£ unite. This is, Of course, an extremely satisfactory result, and tends to 'bear out the opinion, of Home experts as to the high value of New Zealand butter, by reason of its low proportion of moisture, and consequently high per cenifcage of fat. " The lady traveller for the "Tracker" fc*aad Eucalyptus Oompanv, who has beerii • .*ent by them from Australia, is here now, to arrange agencies with the local businessmen of tho city, to place this special! brand oi Eucalyptus on the market. The company are advertising largely, and in quit© a novel way. A lady may be is*en! tiding on horse-back through the streets, With the company's advertisement, and toostera are also out all over the town. 1988 Our wedding rings still retain theircharm to make their owners happy'; we are also making specially liberal wedding presents. Every purchaser will receive a Juece of silver plate, such as a butter-dish, bapkin rings, knives, forks, photo frame, cruet, etc' Wewish to impress upon your mind that marriage is not a failure if you buy your ring from Jeweller, Hig-h /-Street. - X 2909 Sale , Sale, Sole, at S. Clarke and) Oo.'s, 148, Colombo Street, of wedding and engagement rings*, watches, g-old brooches, clocks, jewellery, etc, at prices that must ensure a' speedy clearance. Rotherfiams, ■bc-guinea levers, sale price £4 2s 6d. Gold . chains, spectacles, etc., equally cheap. .- X 5054 Boyd and Son, Gloucester Street, are devoting their large appliances and staff almost exclusively to bicycle repairs. " Results, very best' work at lowest prices. X 2588 Pianos and Organs, new instruments, 10s fcer month, no deposit; five years' guarantee. Milner and Thompson. X 2961 During the winter months and social seaBon, ladies often have a great difficulty to retain the curl of the hair, especially when dancing, etc.j and nothing detracts so much from the appearance as to have the hair all straight and out of curl. Strange and Co., Drapers, are agents for a splendid preparafcioE, namely, "Hendy's Frizzane," which fetains the curl in the hair for several days, and.will be found a boon to all ladies who Those who have not tried it should do so a* once. X 2396 Enamelware, a single article at wholesale prices. Saucepans from lid to 4s 6d, basins 5d to 3s lid, tea-kettles 2s 3d, teapots'23_sd to 5s 9d, breakfast cans, tea bottles, billies, colanders, cups, saucers, jugs, chambers from It sd; fry-pans, lid. Fletcher Bros., Lower High Street, having jtitt landed a large shipment of enamelware.. X 2565 "Good eyesight a blessing." Those who kav* indifferent. sight for either reading, music or distant objects, should consult Jobs B. Procter, Practical Optician and .. l>t*fd*Hakiu, 180. Higa Street. Christ-

Searl's Hotel, one of the largest in Wellington, has been sold to Mr F. M'Parland, for between £30,000 and £40,000. ' An; old offender, whose police recordl shows assaulting tba police to be' his pet hobby, was yesterday arrested for assaulting Constable W/OOttwm The annual examination of the New Zealand Accountants}'" and Auditors' Association will be held throughout the colony on October 20 next and following days.

The Otago Executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union has called the attenr tion of the -Representation Commissioners to the desirableness" of considering community of interest when readjusting the ■electoral boundaries.- A reply has been) received: that the matter is receiving serious attention.

Tho " Hot Lakes Chronicle " learns from a Native source that an old encampment of Te Kooti's has been discovered in the bush at the. back~of Paparata. This is the place he retired to on being driven from Tapapa some thirty-five years ago, and he must have rested there .for some days, as his followers carved grotesque figures upon a large number of the tawa trees around the encampment.

The ceremony of hoisting the New Zealand ensign took place at tho Greta Valley School on Friday. Besides ■tibe chaldron, a large number of parents and' visitors were present. Mrs Gibb, wife of the chairman. of the School Committee, and the oldest resident of the- district, unfurled tho flag, which, the children saluted. Patriotic songs were sung, and the Rev D. D. Rogers delivered an . appropriate .address-. Refreshments were provided, and the proceedings closed with " God! save the. King." For a considerable time past a charge of 2d has been made for admission to the principal railway ; stations in the colony on holiday, and other occasions, the object in view being to prevent over-crowding, and enable the porters and officials to carry out-their duties without inconvenience. The desired result has been- attained, and the Railwav Department has now decided to apply the system to the smaller stations whenever there is likely to be large crdwds on the platforms on the occasion) of the arrival-and departure of traink. Goldfields local bodies in the north have been clamouring for a substantia 1 ! vote for the drainage of the Piako swamp, which it is hoped will.be converted into a field of settlement for thrifty miners. The Minister for Lands has replied tbat a necessary preliminary to drainage , must be a complete engineering scheme, and to enable this to be determined a vote has been placed on the Estimates. It is understood that the amount is £14,000. The work of drainage will cost more like £200,000, but the land is rich. .

The candidates for the examination held by Dr Talbot, of Dr Crawford's first-aid class, of the local branch of the. John Ambulance Association, on June 17, were: E. Baker, N. Brodie,. M. Crichtoh, M. Cuthbert, F. Chidgey, M. "Ellis, H. Jeffrey, A. Macdonald, F. Macdonald, K. Pi Merrie, E. Myhiil, A. Osborne, S. Patterson, F. Scott, E. Toombs, N. C. Toombs, j M. B. Smith, F. Sinclair and M. E. Taylor. The following passed in the order placed: N os. 2, 17, 14, 11, 5,7, 1, 13, 12, 16, 10, 9: Four candidates failed, and three were absent. Dr Talbot reports that the papers o| Nbs. 2 and 17 were remarkably good.

Ulr D. Buddo,'M.H.R., telegraphed! to the Acting-Premier that the Farmers' Cooperative Association of Christchurob, and the Tunaru, Oamaru, Otago, Southland and Hawke's Bay delegates at the Christchurch Conference desired to know what was proposed as the regulation weight of grain sacks, so that the orders for the coming season could be pla/ced. He has received thte following reply:—"Re weight of corasacks. Before finally deciding, I feel that it is necessary to again mike extensive enquiries througbout thfe colony. There is such a diversity of opinion as to the right weight to fix for sacks that I want further information before I can see my way to settle the limit.—J. G. Ward." The Loyal ■ City of Norwich) Lodge, 1.0.0. F., M..U., Lyttelton, (has a surplus. of £2839, equal to £11.78 per member, om the operations! of the quinquennial period! ended Dec. 31, 1900. The Registrar of FriendOy Societies has authorised the Lodge to appropriate £I7OO of that sum. It is proposed to apply £4OO to the hall: fund, £2OO. to the management fund, and £llOO to paying the sick and funeral contributions of members sixty-five years of age and upwards. It is estimated that the interest on the £llOO will do this, and will thus confer a substantial benefit on members when they arrive at the age at which such), relief is most acceptable. The unexpended balance of the surplus, £ll3B, is to remain to strengthen the Lodge funds. There is one Oddfellows' Lodge in the North Canterbury district, the .Loyal Benevolent Lodge, Cbristchurch, which stands higher in regard to the quinquennial surplus tteni the City of Norwicb Lodge, which is ■eighteenth .on the list of Lodges of all Friendly Societies of New Zealand in respect of that surplus.' A CONFIDENT WITNESS. ; A considerable amount of amusement was created.in one of the Jury Courts, says a Sydney " N newspaper, by the confident demeanour of a defendant, who is also a Justice of the Peace, in giving his evidence. His counsel wished to obtain some testimony from him which' was objected to by the other side as inadmissible, and 'spirited argument ensued, While one learned gentleman was addressing the Court in support of his view of the law, the witness assured the Judge that the evidence was admissible. Those present in Court roared, and his Honor seemed to enjoy the unique \ position of-being "enlightened" by a layman on the law of evidence. A CURIOUS DIFFICULTY. Mr H. W. Lucy writes to the " Sydney .Morning Herald":—A curious difficulty arose in connection with the case of the medallion of Archibald F or bes, soon to beunveiled in tho crypt of St Paul's Cathej dral. The sculptor displayed on the breast I of the famous war correspondent ribands J representing the many medals bestowed upon him in foreign wars. They included the much-prized iron cross won on the field during the Franco-German war. Question I arose in the committee managing the work on behalf of the subscribers whether display of the decoration was, in the circumstances, desirable. Forbes never obtained tho necessary permission to wear his medals in this country. One of his colleagues recalled an occasion when having, on some festive evening at which King Edward, ■lion Prince of Wales, was present, worn his iron cross, H.R.H., a martinet in these matters,,; beckoned him ' aside, and pointed out the irregularity of the proceeding. It was decided that as the medallion would be shown in a national building the ribands should not be shown. They were accordingly removed from the cast before the metal medallion was run." THE GERMAN LOAD-LINE. In the Reichstag, a heated lately took place on a proposal to regulate the loading, manning, and provisioning of German merchantmen. The following is interesting:—Herr *. Raab -(Anti-Semite.) greeted the proposal with satisfaction. Ii the proposal of Herr Lenzmann, to consult the shipowners, were adopted, then, in all fairness, the experience of the seamen would be equally valuable. For several years had the deep load-line been in forco in .England, and for twenty-five years on the rivers of the German Empire. His only objec-

TTIE SECRET OF A CLEAR SKIN, soft, white- hands, and luxuriant hair ia found in tho perfect action of iba pores produoed by CUTICURA SOAP, beyond all comparison tho most effective skin purifying and beautifying''soap in tho world, as v/cll as purest and sweetest for toilet, bath, and nuraery. It is a preventive of pimples, blackheads, red. rough, and oily skin, red, rough hands wiih Fhaueless nails, dry, thin, and falling hair," and" simple baby blemishes, becausn »pgeveniiv—-« . i*.a*™™l.iian> and clogging of

tion to th© application of -the English'law was that it did' not go sufficiently far for the protection, of the, lives of seamen. So far from England contemplating the repeal of the law, the House of Lords was at the present time discussing a Bill introducing a "light load-line." A Hamburg newspaper had declared last February that the English ships offered the greatest security for the lives of crews; and, according to the official returns, the German mercantile marine had double the loss of life of that indicated in tho English marine. He de* clared that outside the circles of seamen, witnesses testified that the lives and limbs of the crews were sacrificed to avarice and lust of gain on the part of the shipowners.

CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES. The French Canadian.' has always 'been very much averse to the idea of the annexation of 'Canada to the United States. To •him that meant the .extinction! of his language, and thus the crushing out of their existence as a separate people. As these privileges are guaranteed to 'him- by Great Britain, he has always been loyal to the Crown of Great Britain, thougb it w not to bo expected that his loyalty would be the unreasoning loyalty of the heart sucn as one finds in a man of English, birth pr descent, or such as marks the son of tbie) United States, no matter in what part of the -world he <may be. Of late public men and journals in the province of Montreal have shown less dread of the idea of annexation than formerly. This is an interesting development of tho time, and' ( one which has not passed unnoticed. La Verlte," a weekly .paper of Quebec, whose articles attract, great attention at times, in its current issue points out this tendency, and institutes-air inquiry as to the cause. Coming from the source it does, the article is remarkable in many ways. Though it concedes that there are substantial seasons for the change in public sentiment, it sets its face as -resolutely against -annexation, as it has set it against 'British Imperialism. The article, wliieb is headed "Pas Annexation, .sets forth that sundry events in the political world have caused a discontent, an angry irritation, among French Canadians. This unrest has translated itself by a new manner of viewing the question- of annexation to the United 'States :—For our part, says "La Ver.ite," if we must ohoose between British and American Imperialism., we will choose the former as the lesser of two evils! British.. Imperialism would be very onerous and dangerous, but at least it leaves us both our 'Catholic schools and the French language—that is to say.bfe and hope, with the power of fighting. * At the same time the Yankee .Imperialism, annexation to the United States, would deprive us of all vestige of autonomy, and would infallibly drown us into pan-Americanism, and that for ever, except by a miracle. That is why, while admitting that annexation really menaces us, we repudiate at more to-day tban ever. To us it -always appears the most shameful fate that could befall. ' ' .. _