TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIII, Issue 13714, 3 April 1905, Page 7

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

The Customs receipts at Invercargill for the year ending March 31 totalled £53,870, an increase of £4405 over the previous twelve months.

Mr "VV. W. Collins, in the Chora] Hall, last night, lectured on "Theories of Human Immortality, considered from the standpoints of history, religion, and science." The Invercargill Police Court returns for the Martin quarter show a marked decrease compared with the same period last year, namely 127 convictions, as against 175. In drunkenness the figures were this quarter and 63 last.

Harvest thanksgiving services were held at the Rangiora Methodist Church yesterday, the Rev T. A. Joughin preaching in the morning and the Rev T. Fee in the evening. The church was appropriately decorated, and the services well attended.

If you want to reduce your ploughing expenses 100 per cent, buy a Benicia Disc Plough. Morrow, Bassett and Co., Christchurch. X32QB

Detective Cox and Acting-Detective Connell arrested a man on Saturday afternoon on a charge of stealing a rolled gold watch. On Saturday morning 650 sheep, sent from Masterton, were landed at Lyttelton from the s.s. Mararoa. The s.s. Victoria, from Wellington, Janded 365. The Customs receipts at Napier for the financial year ending Friday totalled £77,792, an increase of £SOOO compared with the return for the previous twelve months. A first offender, arretted for.drunkenness, was brought before Mr .). T. Brice, J.P., at the Lyttelton Police Court, on Saturday, convicted, and discharged with a caution. Constables M'Rorey and Ryan arrested a man,) at Sydenham on Saturday on a charge, of having stolen pigeons. At St Albans, a man was arrested by Constable Morgan. Accused will be charged with stealing goldfish. The following cases of infectious diseaso in the Canterbury Health District were reported during March, 1905:—Scarlet fever 8 cases, enteric fever 1, diphtheria 5, tuberculosis 7. In Christchurch and district—scarlet fever 1 case, diphtheria 2 cases. The present term of the Technical Classes will not close till Friday next. All students will, therefore, attend as usual on the usual evenings this week. The new term will commence on Monday, April 17, and all entries should be made during the week commencing April 10. The meterological report for March, compiled from instruments at Rhodes Convalescent Homo, is as follows : Total rainfall, 1.47 in, and rain lull on eleven davs. The maximum fell on March 1—1.03. Highest reading maximum thermometer, 81; mean, 66.69. Lowest reading minimum thermometer, 42; mean, 48.322. With the object of encouraging the study of Scottish literature, Mr John Lambie, chief of the Ashburton Scottish Society, offered £lO, divided into three prizes, for the best translation of Burns's poem " The Twa Dogs." The competition closed on March 31, and 158 papers have been received from competitors in all parts of the colony. , At the last meeting of the Spreydon Road Board a deputation representing the owners on the Castellan Estate and land fronting on Someriield Street offered to contribute £6O, providing the Board would channel, curb and asphalt the footpath from Strickland Street at its junction of Colombo Street to the Board's drain. The Board has accepted the offer, and the work is to be put in hand at once. In acknowledging the toast of his health, given at the Wellington Commercial Travellers' Club on Thursday evening, the Premier made the shortest speech on record—for him. His remarks, verbatim, were as follows: " Gentlemen, I thank you. . It is now two minutes to. eleven, and I shall not keep you beyond. You have fixed up the Opposition, the Legislative Council and the House of Representatives. The Ministry is perfectly safe; my health is good; arid 1 thank you for drinking it." There were 150 schools at the beginning of 1904 under the control of the Wellington Education Board. During the • year seven (including four aided schools) were added and five aided schools were closed. The average roll for the whole of the schools was 15,886, and the average attendance for the year 13,462, as against 15,496 and 12,801 respectively for 1903, which was a satisfactory increase, but the average is still considerably below those of several other districts. There is an average absence of 2500 pupils. At the Magistrate's Court on Saturday a first offender charged with drunkenness was fined 5s and costs. Dennis Patrick Mahoney appeared, on >a charge of being an idle and disorderly person, and with consorting with reputed • thieves and prostitutes. The same accused was also ■ charged with being a rogue and a vagabond, and with having insufficient lawful means of support. He pleaded guilty to the first charge. The Magistrate said, in reply to Detective Cox, who prosecuted, that there was therefore no necessity to proceed'with the second charge against the accused, although afterwards advising him not to take such as a precedent. The accused, who elected to be dealt with summarily, and .who had a very bad record, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour. The annual meeting of the Canterbury District Law Society was held in the Supreme Court Library on Friday, Mr B. L. Lane (president in the chair. The annual report and balance-slfeet as presented were adopted. The retiring officers were all re-elected as follows:—President, Mr B. L. Lane; vice-president, Mr F. Wilding; honorary treasurer, Mr W. Izard; honorary secretary, Mr J. A. Flesher. The following were elected members of the Council:—Messrs H D. Andrews, F. I. Cowlishaw, J. J. Dougall, H. Slater and T. W. Stringer. Messrs G. Harper and T. W. Stringer were appointed to represent the Society on the Council of the New Zealand Law Society. The following new members were elected : Messrs J. A. Beattie, R. T. Leathern and F. Pratt. A vote of thanks was passed to the officers and Council for their services during the past year. The Government took over the din-ing-cars on the Christchurch-Dunedin line on Saturday and, though allowance had to be' made for the difficulties Of starting a new service, a marked improvement was noticeable. One of the two new dining-cars was taken south by the second express, and the other will be used for the first time to-day. These cars contain more roomy tables than the old ones, and the cooking arrangements seem ample. Mr Fraser, the Government superintendent of dining-cars, went south by the second express on Saturday, and returned by the first express from Dunedin, and he will travel on the line daily for the next few weeks. The menu has been extended considerably. Breakfast will be served on the early expresses from both Christchurch and Dunedin on their departure at 8 a.m., and the menu card shows a good selection of grills and egg dishes. Lunch will be ready at 12.30, and will consist of soup, fish, entrees, hot and cold joints, sweets and fruits. . At 3.30 p.m. afternoon tea will be served through the trains, and tea will be on at five. For this meal there will be fish, grills, cold joints and eggs. Supper will also be served after 7.30 p.m. on the late trains. The Government is importing a special supply of electro plate ware for the dining-cars. Step in to r day and inspect a special line of Ladies Black Mantles in Silks,, Sealettes and Velvets, smartly trimmed, fur, silk, sequins, etc., these highly attractive goods were bought at a very largo discount, and are now offered at tempting prices—6ss for 425, 72s 6d for 455, 75s for 49s 6d, 84s for 52s 6d, also 151 Tweed and Cloth Dress Skirts, Black, Navy and Greys, in pretty effective styles, quick sellers, 8s lid, lis 6d, 12s 6d, 13s 9d, 14s 9d, 15s 9d, 16s lid, 18s lid, 21s. Beath and Co., Limited, Cashel Street. See window display. 88 Jewellery sale, for one month only. Ladies' Gold Watches from 355, Ladies' Silver Watches from £l. Ladies' Stings from 10s upwards. All goods sold at greatly reduced prices.—K. Girieshaber, Jeweller, 155, Colombo Street. X3£-

Miss 'Bullock, of Ashburton, with a lady friend, on Saturday, drove a motor-car from Ashburton to Christchurch in three hours and a half. The Waimakariri, the Ashley, Ashburton and Waitaki Rivers are fishable, but the Rakaia and Rangitata are not fishable. The record grain yields for the Dromore district up to date are 551 bushels Danish oats and 335 bushels Hunter's wheat per acre, the grower being Mr James Allan. At the Kaiapoi Magistrate's Cou,rt, on Saturday, Patrick Ryan was fined ss, in default twenty-four hours' imprisonment, on a charge of drunkenness. Mr E. Feldwick, J.P., was on the Bench. There were 578 callers at the Christchurch Tourist Office last month, and the daily average attendance was 21? In March last year the total was 569. During the twelve months ending on Friday there were 4163 callers, an average of 347 a month and 13 a day. The man named George Freeman, who was brought up at the Ashburton Magistrate's Court on Friday on a charge of drunkenness, and who was remanded for further medical treatment, will bo brought before the Christchurch Magistrate's Court on Friday. During the past week Mr J. Brake, chairman of the Farmers' Saleyards Limited, addressed meetings at West Molten, Prebbietoii, Hornby, Ladbrooks and Halswell, with the result that over fifty , new shareholders were obtained and several original shareholders applied for shares. The Customs returns for Auckland for March show an increase of £20,000 in the net Customs duties compared with March of last year. The export duties for the same period also show the following • increases: Butter £9877, cheese £487. The decreases were—Beef £B7, against £4751; lamb £11,279, against £13,429. One or two examples of the coiner's handiwork are being circulated in Wellington (savs the " New Zealand Times.") The "tail" of a half-sov-ereign is affixed to the "head" side of a sixpence. The silver side is gilded, and the coin passed as a half-sovereign. There is only about a shilling's worth of gold on the imitation coin, the balance being saved for other purposes best known to the maker. A correspondent, writing in the " Hawke's Bay Herald," combats the statement of Mr G. P. Donnelly, telegraphed from Napier; that rabbits are on the increase in that province. " The Rabbit Board," says the correspondent, "have dono excellent work in the past, and Mr Donnelly can safely leave the matter in their hands. With their staff of competent inspectors, they surely are in a better position to know what to do than he." The eighteenth anniversary of the St Andrew's Caledonian Society, Kaipoi, was celebrated on Friday evening. The president, Mr T. Sullivan, occupied the chair, and there was a representative attendance. The report and which were adopted, showed that the Society had made satisfactory progress, and that there was a credit balance bf £2O 4s Id. The election of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mr T. Sullivan; vice-presidents, Messrs A. Johnson and A. Pearce; directors, Messrs 11. J. Jeff rev, J. Healings, A. M'Gregor, C. Drisooll, E. Robilliard, J. Wyatt and J. Forest. Twentynine new members were elected. A thirteen-year-old boy named Simmonds, a son oi Mr Simmonds, a member of the New Plymouth staff of the Railway Department, was admitted to the hospital on Friday week suffering from injuries to his face and eyes. The boy, who has shown considerable aptitude in mechanical work, constructed a model steam engine. In experimenting with the model on Thursday night, the youthful engineer turned the wrong valve to shut off steam, the result being an explosion, and injury to tho boy as mentioned above. Blindness ensued, but it is anticipated that it is only temporary, and that sight will be restored. On Friday night the patient was able to see the glimmer of a light in tho room. It is announced in the " Gazette " that postage-due stamps, discount stamps, or stamps cut from stamped paper (bill or note forms, share transfer forms, or any other form stamped for payment of duties under the Stamp Act, 1882) cannot be used for prepayment of postage or for payment of telegrams. Stamps cut from letter-cards, postcards, newspaper-wrappers, registeredletter envelopes, and embossed envelopes, may be used as adhesive stamps in payment of postage; and a " registration fee " stamp cut out of a registered letter envelope may be used on any registered packet, but not on an unregistered packet. Stamps of Rarotonga, Nine, or Penrhyn 'lsland may not be used outside those dependencies for prepayment of postage. A little scheme, which seemed roil arkably like an attempt to work off a confidence trick on a largo warehouse firm, in the city, was tried the other morning by a new arrival in Dunedin (says the " Otago Daily Times"). Ho appeared in the warehouse, and, stating he was a hawker, commenced to buy various articles. When he had selected a pretty fair purchase, he desired the smiling salesman to "put them down " to him. The salesman's smile faded into a stony impassiveness as he gently pointed out that this could not bi done, as the customer was unknown to the firm. The bland customer replied that he dealt very largely with the firm's branch in another centre. Still the counter-man was dubious, and the purchaser then offered to procure a guarantee from a highly-respectable city firm. This course commended itself to the warehouse staff, and the stranger departed. Very soon afterwards there was a telephone call in the warehouse office, and the voice at the other end gave tho name of the firm which tho customer mentioned as ablo ' to guarantee him, and stated that ho. I the aforesaid customer, was "all ] sound." Presently a boy ran in for the j parcel. Questioned as to who sent him, the lad replied that a man had met ! him in the street, and had given him [ 6d to go for the parcel and take it to a back street, where he (the man) had a shop. The warehouse staff, however, entertained unkindly suspicion, and cal'ed up on the telephone the firm alleged to have given the an a ran tee. and inquired if it .was actually given by a responsible member of the firm. An astonished answer came back that no one thei'o had ever heard of the customer. Then another boy came in for the parcel, and he also admitted that he had been met in the street by a man who had given him 6d to fetch the parcel; but by this time there was no parcel, and the goods were being restored to their fixtures, and the incident "was chalked up as " another trick that failed/'

Wo are very proud of our handsome collection of Ladies' Tailor-made Jackets. The garments were well chosen and shrewdly bought. Styles are the newest of the new; smart, distinctive, original, out-of-the-ordinary. Fabrics and colourings are uncommonly rich and beautiful. Fit and make aro all that the most critical woman could desire, and prices are less than merely reasonable. You really ought to see them. Black, Beattie and Co. 1988 Keep out the view if it is objectionable. Our window transparencies are 19 inches wide. Price per yard Is, Is 6d, 2s. Put on with cold water only. Minson and Co., 220, Colombo Street. X 2613

The steamer Victoria, which arrived on Saturday, brought from Sydney 84 electric line poles for the Christchurch tramways. Harvest thanksgiving services were conducted by the Rev J. Holland, in St Bartholomew's Church, Kaiapoi, yesterday. Similar services were conducted by the Salvation Army. A large dog was responsible for an accident on Saturday. A cyclist collided with the animal and fell from his machine, receiving cuts on his face which required attention at the hospital. The " West Coast Times" is informed that there has been a good deal of shooting during the close season. Native game, more particularly kaka, pigeon, and duck, have been fairly plentiful locally, and have in some instances been wantonly slaughtered. The recent gales proved most destructive to fruit crops in the Milton district (says the "Herald"), and in tho majority of gardens and orchards the trees were practically stripped of their fruit by the wind. Tho result is that thousands of apples, pears, .and late plums are being sold locally, by the sack, for whatever they will fetch. The Christclmreh Labour Bureau was employed busily throughout. Saturday in doaling with the annual registrations of factories. The Act formerly provided for the registration without fixing a special day, but now that the date, April 1, is indicated owners are liablo to a penalty of £5 for every day after the duo date that their factories remain unregistered. During the month of March, the Government poultry depot at Dunedin has graded and packed for cool store SlSolbirds, as against 2983 the corresponding month last year. Every case held in the cool store up to the time of the despatch of the s.s. Somerset was shipped by that boat, about 60 more cases being required to fill orders. At present the demand for live poultry is far in excess of the supply. On Saturday, as the midday train from Christchurch was approaching Kaiapoi, two cows got on to the line in front of the train. The Westinghouse brakes were promptly applied, but it was found impossible to pull up the train in time. Tho animals were struck by the cow-catcher, and thrown clear of the line. Both were severely injured, and it was found necessary to at once destroy one, and probably the other will also require to be put out of its misery. The owner will bo proceeded against for allowing the cattle to wander on the lino. The annual entertainment and distribution of prizes in connection with the anniversary services of St Peter's Presbyterian Sunday School, Ferry Road," took place on Friday. The Rev T. M'Donald occupied the chair, and presented the prizes. A varied programme was rendered by the children to a crowded audience. At the close the chairman, on behalf of the Sunday School choir, presented a silver-mount-ed ebony baton, suitably inscribed, to the choirmaster, Mr W. T. M'Kay, as a mark of their appreciation of his services. As there appears to be some misapprehension abroad respecting the proceeds of the recital to be given on Thursday evening in tho Canterbury Hall, the Rev T. Tait took occasion yesterday to mention that every penny after paying for printing, advertising, and rent of hall, would be devoted to the fund for the erection of a now Sunday school and hall and the purchase of a new organ for St Paul's Presbyterian Church. Mr Tait stated that none of those who took part in the last entertainment, and who are assisting next Thursday evening will benefit in tho slightest degree, their services being entirely honorary. A convention of. temperance workers of tho Lyttelton electorate was held in the Girls' Friendly Society's rooms on Saturday afternoon. Mr Thomas, formerly Mayor of Woolston, was elected chairman, and Mr A. Foster was appointed secretary. Mr G. Laurenson, M.H.R., was among those who attended, and an apology for absence was received from the Rev A. C. Hoggins.. A committee was formed to make arrangements for canvassers, and a finance committee was set up, both to submit reports to a conference which would take place at Heathcote in about four weeks' time. A mishap resulting in the destruction of two horses, valued at over £SO each, occurred on Friday at Maori Hill, says the " Otago Daily Times." On the site of the new reservoir several shafts have been sunk. A team of horses engaged in ploughing the laud got too near the edge of one of these, with the result that one of the animals slipped in, dragging the other one with it. The shaft contained a few feet of water, and the weight of the second animal kept the head of tho first one under water, with tho result that it was drowned. Tho other animal was dragged out by the combined efforts of three other horses, but expired shortly afterwards. On Saturday flags were hoisted at half-mast at several places in Lyttelton as a mark of respect for Mr G. K. Joss, who died at the Papanui Sanatorium from an internal complaint in the morning. Mr Joss carried on an agency business in Lyttelton for some years, but about fifteen months ago had to retire on account of illhealth. His funeral took place at Lyttelton yesterday afternoon. Upwards of one hundred mourners, including many of the principal residents of the town, followed tho coffin from tho railway station to the Church of England Cemetery, where tho burial service was conducted by the Rev Canon Coates.

With reference to the postponement of the coming into force of the railway by-law restricting the weight of grain sacks to two hundred pounds, Mr D. Buddo, M.H.R., telegraphed the Premier that stocks of sacks would be a loss to importers, and that there was no demand for postponing the by-law except from merchants, others interested in the weight of sacks of grain being satisfied. The Premier's reply was to the effect that inquiry showed that it was quite impossible for persons connected with the grain business to obtain a supply of suitable sacks in time to deal with this year's grain, and in view of representations that had been made concerning the matter, it had been decided to postpone the operation of the by-law until further notice, and in the meantime to carry this season's grain under conditions which have prevailed hitherto. He regretted not being able to bring the by-law into operation, but there was no doubt from information received that considerable hardships would 'have been entailed by so doing. We learn on good authority that a prominent citizen has decided to offer himself for election as Mayor. The gentleman in question is aotuated solely by a desire to further the best interests o.f the city. We are now permitted to divulge his name; it is Butcher,. 210, High Street (next Ernpiro Hotel), the well-known maker of wedding rings and the donor of free wedding gifts. 9988 Household Requisites. Fletcher Bros have a good assortment of baths, buckets, saucepans, kettles, fry-pans, brooms and brushes. W. and G. cups and saucers from 5s lOd, plates from 2s, meat dishes from Is, big dishes 2s 9d, toilet sets from 8s 9d, lamps, cutlery, glassware, etc. See windows. Fletcher Bros.-, Crockery and Hardware Merchants. Lower High Street. 1988

The vital statistics for Ashburton county for March are as follows : Births 21, deaths 9, marriages 8.

An alarm of fire, from a box in Colombo Street North, which was found to bo false, was the means of bringing out the City Brigade shortly after ten o'clock yesterday morning.

There was a good attendance at Wainoni Park on Saturday afternoon, when Professor Bickerton made several experiments in connection with a lecture on "Sound," which he will deliver on Thursday next, at 4 p.m. Some very interesting features of the phenomena of sound waves and vibrations were explained wit'i the aid of differently tuned and suspended globes, and other apparatus. The explosion in the lake was very successful, a column of water shooting up over a hundred'feet. Selections were given on the concertphone, and a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon was spent. " Smnvdropping," or the theft of clean clothes hung out to dry, having become a little too frequent in Ponsonby during the last few clays, a resident set a watch on his clothes.fine (says the " New Zealand Herald"). His vigilanco was duly rewarded. A man and a woman were, it is alleged, seen lurking about the yard, and, assuring themselves that no one was looking, the man entree! the garden, and, taking directions from his companion, picked out the most valuable of the articles flapping in the breeze. Then the owner came out, and there was a brief set-to in the backyard, tbo outcome of which, it is stated, was that one of the snowdropper's legs was broken. The "Telegraph" says:—Misplaced confidence on the part of some residents in a township not a iiundred miles from Napier has rosulted in bitter lamentations. Some considerable time ago a gentlemanly fellow arrived with his wife, and as ho was occupying a comfortable billet, got plenty of credit. Becently lie. gave it. out that his wife had roceh r ed a cable from Homo stating that her mother was dying, and asking her to proceed to England. The necessary arrangements were made for the wife's passage, and, in addition', further purchases, including a considerable amount of jewellery, wero made, strictly on the credit system, in order to enable her to make the passage in style. The husband manifested the utmost interest in the departure of his better half, as he asked, and at first was refused, permission to proceed to Wellington to see her off, but on pressing the point was successful. Hs then informed his landlord of his intention, stating that ho would be away but a few days, and would keep the key in his possession. As the curtains and blinds wore in the usual places, and there was no sign of anything being wrong, no objection was taken to this course, and the two left together for Wellington. They have not been seen since, and it is said that they both left in tho same steamer for England, much to the sorrow of their confiding victims. On the house they had vacated being opened, it was found to contain nothing but tho blind's and window curtains. A dark hall is an abomination to one's friends. We invite a look at our charming new hall lamps 8s 9d, 10s, 12s 6d, 15s Gd, strikingly new styles. Minson and Co., 220, Colombo Street. X 2613 For repairs to all kinds of bicycles, both English and American, the best place is Boyd and Son's, Gloucester Street (opposite Rink Stables), whore they have every appliance and convenience for making satisfactory repairs at lowest prices. Agents for two of England's best bicycles, at English prices. 3469 AN AMALGAMATION. The two largest milk-condensing firms in Europe—Henri Nestle and the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company —have recently amalgamated. The new company lias a capital of £1,600,000 and the shares have been chiefly taken up in Switzerland. This big trust will practically control the European supply. Tho company lias factories in England and various parts of the Continent, but the main portion of the output is from the huge establishments in Switzerland. The milk of 40,G00 cows is imported into England daily in the form of condensed milk. COMMERCIAL AGENTS. Victoria and South Australia have formally agreed to join New South Wales in bearing portion of the expense of maintaining the New South Wales commercial agents in South Africa and the East. Mr Morgan, Premier of Queensland, is also favourably inclined to come into the arrangement. He is to be supplied with further particulars, so to enable him to consult his colleagues on the subject. If an agreement is entered into, Mr Valder, in South Africa, and Mr Suitor, in the East, will supply reports to each of the States. At present the cost to Now South Wales in maintaining commercial agents is rather heavy. If that is reduced, then it will be possible to extend the system. A DEEP SEA HOTEL. The Arbucklo "deep sea hotel" idea is to be again carried out at Now York this summer and more ships, equipped like the original vessel, which has now been transformed into a working girls' boardinghouso, are to be added. Tho idea of a deep sea hotel has been advocated in other quarters, but a demonstration of its practicability has been left to Mr John Ar-' buckle, who has decided to fit up three vessels, with headquarters at 'the foot of West Twenty-first Street. It is interesting to hear of a further development of tho idea at St John. It is proposed to build an entirely new hull, with a superstructure or three stories, containing 130 bedrooms with all public accommodation. It will be run, however, as a first-class hotel and is estimated to cost about 30,000 dollars. There is abundance of fine scenery along -the St John River to make the scheme a success. THE "SPANISH SWINDLE." Tho Government has received, through the Colonial Office, warning from tho consular authorities in Spain regarding the operations of a gang who perpetrate a fraud known as the " Spanish swindle." The methods vary in detail, but the principal features are always tho same. The swindlers usually write to some person, representing that a political prisoner in Spain is either dying or dead, and has left by will valuables or property to his distant relatives. Sometimes the prisoner has a daughter who is left with her property to the guardianship of relatives. If the bait takes, bogus legal or official documents are forwarded, followed by a request for money to enable the possession of the estato to be gained. Needless to say, if the money should be sent, nothing more is heard of it. The consular authorities have reason to believe that the gang is turning its attention to tho colonies, and advise the public to be warned that the whole affair is a transparent fraud.