TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIX, Issue 14682, 13 May 1908, Page 6

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

The following auctioneer's advertisements appear on page 11 :—A. E. Craddoek, Friodlander BrotherSj Harding, Son and Co., Wright, Stephenson and Co (Duncdin), Now Zealand Farmers' Co-operative Association of Canterbury, lies and Co, Guinness and Le Cien, M'Konzie and Willis, East and'East, and C. A. Lees aad Co.

The coldest weather of the season was experienced at Ashburton yesterday morning, six degrees of frost boing recorded.

The Council of Defcnce_ refused an application for the formation of a new mounted infantry corps in Dunedin on the ground that it does not consider that such a corps is required. Tho Salvation Array's Homo at Middlermarch for girls will bo opened at the end of May. All the money for the purchase and equipment will be forthcoming by the dato of tho opening.

A well-attended meeting of the ladies of West Lyttelton parish was held iu tho parish schoolroom on Monday night. Messrs P. E. Bean and G. C. Smith, churchwardens, attended. It was decided to hold a bazaar in aid of the church funds about October.

Tho election of a. representative of the Borough of Lyttelton on the Lyttelton Harbour Board, in place of Mr Colin Cock, will take place on Thursday, June 4. Nominations will be received at the Lyttelton Borough Council office till noon on Thursday, May 28. The dates previously announced have been cancelled.

With a view to promoting the health of school children, the South Canterbury Education Board, at a meeting yesterday, passed a resolution asking the local authorities throughout the district to assist in fumigating schools whenever they were closed for holidays. The Board also resolved to seek an' amendment of the Act, with a. view to making a compulsory report to teachers direct whenever a case of infectious disease occurred in. a family of children attending school. Tho Hon J. A. Millar says that no official complaint has reached him as to the shortage of oysters For tho first weelc close on a thousand sacks were placed on tho Auckland market. The Chief Inspector of. Fisheries states that he is now able to fully meet the demand, and has authority to employ as many men as are needed, and reports that the demand has now been overtaken and that regular supplies _ are coming to hand both from Waiheke and the Bay of Islands. A Press Association telegram from Palmerston North states that Edward Meyers, with eleven previous convictions, was sentenced to a year's imprisonment with hard labour on a charge of being a-rogue and vagabond. The Court, in awarding the maximum sentence, said that, considering the prevalence of robberies in the dominion and the recent epidemic in Palmerston, is was desirahlb to make an example of tho accused. His previous convictions included robbery and false pretences.

At tho Magistrate's Court at Ashburton yesterday, before Messrs H. Davis and T. E. Upton, Justices of the Peace, William Evans, who is in custody awaiting his trial on another charge, pleaded not guilty to a charge of stealing 19s at Wihchmoro, on October 11, from a dwelling occupied by George Blue. Evidence was given that the accused had been seen to leave Blue's whare en October 11. He reserved his defence, and was committed for trial at the next criminal session of tho Supreme Court in Christchurch. Tho annual meeting of tho Southbridge Public Library was held on Saturday evening, the president (Mr J. Stony) in the chair. Tho balancesheet showed a credit balance of £l4 14b 3d. The election of officers resulted as follows: —President, Mr J. Storry; treasurer, Mr W. Scott; librarian and secretary, Mr C. D. Thompson ; committee, Dr Withers and Messrs E. J. Cowan, W. Poolo, E. G. Hubbard and H.v Money. It was decided to write to Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs, asking that a number of books should be sent for the committee to choose from,' and that subscribers to the library should be invited to suggest the names of any new books they would like. It was decided that the sum of £5 should bo expended on new books. Mr T. Riordan was elected auditor. A bonus of £1 was granted to the librarian.

. James Walter Waller was charged aX the Police Court at Auckland yesterday with a breach of the Bankruptcy Act by contracting liabilities without Laving a reasonable or probable ground of being able to pay, and with having, while an undischarged bankrupt, incurred liabilities with Archibald Bryden, obtaining credit by means of fraud. The bankrupt's solicitor said that his client would plead guilty, and asked that he should be dealt with summarily, urging his great ago and exceptional circumstances. Waller might not have had reasonable grounds to believe he could discharge his liabilities, yet he thought the equity of his property in Australia would help, and he anticipated help from a brother who had property worth £26,000 to £27,000. It appeared that the accused had pleaded guilty to four out of eleven charges, and others had been dropped. Mr Kettle, S.M., said that it was for him to determine, whether the charges could be withdrawn once they were laid. It was not for police, counsel, or others to arrange. Accused's counsel, under the altered 1 circumstances, withdrew the plea of guilty. The cas» stands adjourned to May '26. Mr C. A. C. Hardy, M.P., has fallen under the influence of the beautiful North. Ho has joined a large and increasing band of ardent admirers of the North Island, and if he was young again, Selwyn, which is a very old love of his, would find him utterly cold and unresponsive. " Look hero," he said to a reporter in Christchurch yesterday, " if I was a young fellow I'd be off to the North like a shot." He had returned to Christchurch a few hours previously from a visit to Auckland. Ho had gone up and come down the Main Trunk line, and his conversation was all about the bush, the birds, the land, the rainfall, the climate, and the great prospects of the country that is being opened up. The Mokau district captivated his fancy more than any other part of the North Island he saw, and he says that it has an assured future; but ho also says that the Waimariuo and other districts along the line present splendid attractions to settlers. He found time in a short conversation to bestow unlimited praise on the Makatoto viaduct, which has been erected by young colonial engineers employed by the contractors, Messrs J. and A.. Anderson, of Christchurch. He says that it is worth wliilo to go a long way to see this colonial work. He also speaks highly of the manner in which the officers of the Public Works Department are" handling the passenger traffic on the Trunk line. " They're doing right well," he says, "and I want to pat them on the back." Defective eyesight and how to preserve it. If you nave any trouble with your eyes, no matter how slight, consult Walter 3. Watson, F.1.0.C., D.8.0.A., London, Eyesight Specialist and Optician. Ten years London and colonial experience. My rooms are ' fitted with all the latest appliances; and patrons can rely on getting the best advice, and in no case are glasses recommended if they are not required. Doetors' prescriptions for glasses prepared. Rooms above Watson, Jeweller, 230, Colombo Street, two doors from Armagh Street .Telephone IG4O. 1988 Lamps fitted with new burners, chimneys, globes, shades, galleries and wicks. Hand lamps from Is each. Table, hanging and hall lamps in stock at lowest prices, at Fletcher Bros, Im- , porters, Lower High Street "•

A Press Association telegram from Auckland states that some of the mine managers still complain in their weekly reports about the difficulty in securing competent gold miners to - fully man the faces.

Some comments were made at a meeting of the Wellington Presbytery on the smallness of the stipends paid. One reverend gentleman said it was a scandal that the Church had eollegobred men receiving the miserable pittance of £llO or £125 a year, and even this not always regularly paid. He made a comparison between the liberality of parents and the parsimony of their descendents, who were better oft. It •« understood that-Mr C. Boxshall, a Canterbury and New Zealand cricketer, well known in Christchurch, has issued writs against two newsvendors in Christchurch. claiming damages for their selling copies of a newspaper which contained a libellous article concerning him. Mr Boxshall also proposes to take action against the proprietor of the papor, who resides in another colony.

The April examinations of the Pharmacy Board resulted as follow: —Passed, Section A.—Auckland—l. Phillips, A. F. Farmer; Wellington—A. HCarter; Christchurch—W. Crawford; Dunedin—M. Lory, H. Brown, H.B. Dodds, W. B. Kearny. Passed, Section B.—Wellington—D. G. M'Gregor, P. Gordon. I\. F. Eager, A. V; Sulcliffo, D. S. Bain, F. Spragg and F. Campbell: Christchurch—D. E. h. Coilott; Dunedin- -R. Winning.

The boring operations with tho object of testing the extent and quality of the local shale deposits says the "Orepuki Advocate." have been continued during the past week. In tlie first bore put down bedrock was reached at a depth of twenty-five feet, and it was decided to try in another part, about thirty chains to the south ol the shale works. Work at this bore, which is now down some forty feet, had to bo suspended on Thursday owing to the inclement weather, so that there is really nothing yet of moment to record in connection with the operations.

The proposal that Chisholm Park, which embraces a very large area of ttie sandhills in the vicinity of Tahuna Park, should be converted into a tocreation ground as a set-off against the proposal to acquire Forbury Park, says the " Otago Daily Times," is not likely to reach the stage of realisation. Tho town Clerk and some members of the Dunedin City Council have been over the ground 'and the emphatic conclusion arrived at is that the converting of the park into a recreation grouhd is quite out of the question, as tho expenditure that would be entailed would be beyond all reason or justification.

According to tho "Western Star, Rivcrton, Soutldand, stoats and weasels are vearly increasing there, and the Longwood ranges are now infested with them. As a result native birds are becoming scarce, especially the New Zealand robin, tomtit, and fantail. Quite recently one of the racemen in the Longwood saw an unequal contest between a stoat and a pigeon. The latter was sunning itself on one of the branches of a large tree when the stoat fell from a higher branch on to its back. The pigeon attempted to fly away, but the stoat fastened its teeth into the neck of its victim, and both came to tho ground, where the pigeon was finally despatched.

A Feilding timber merchant who is familiar with the milling business throughout tho dominion, has'informed tho Feilding "Star" that tho timber industry is busier this year than it has been at any time during the past five years. Tho demand is greater than tho supplv. Already this year some three million feet of timber have been imported into New Zealand from British Columbia. "With the groat forests and cheap Japanese labour, the merchant says, "mi Here over there could land timber hero as cheap as our own millers on the spot could produce it." Ho supposed that there was great activity in the building trade, as tho timber most in demand was that used for building purposes.

\ An interesting find was made a few days ago by Mr T. E. Hughes, of Woodville, Kaipara. While fie was walking over ui.e sandhills a few miles below Helensvillo ho ' discovered the perfect skeleton of a moa. The skeleton had evidently been buried in the sand for centuries and the recent winds from the north had removed the covering sand and exposed the bones. When discovered the skeleton was perfect, but on attempting to remove it most of the smaller bones crumbled into dust. The large bones of the leg and part of the back were sufficiently sound to ' permit of removal to Mr Hughes's homo, where they now lie. This discovery is interesting from the fact that previously no traces of the moa have been found in this district.

Mr C. D: Morpeth, who has just returned to Wellington from a business trip to Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa. states that Hastings in spite of the fact that its land values have fallen a little, is possibly going ahead faster than any other town on the Wellington-Napier-Now Plymouth line. Remarkably largo blocks of buildings are being erected in Hastings. Of smaller towns in Hawko's Bay the most notable at present is Waipukurau, where fully one hundred new houses have been erected during the past twelve months. Masterton and Palmerston Noi'l~ are showing a steady growth. All over the country the pastures are looking In splendid condition, and in the fine growths, and with stock coming on splendidly, the fanners have apparently forgotten all about the bush fires. It will be remembered, says the Dunedin " Star," that at a Trades and Labour Conference some years ago it was decided to form an Independent Political Labour party, which has been in existence for some time. It would now seem that a complication has arisen, as at a meeting of the Trades and Labour Council last week it was agreed to call a meeting of the executives of all the unions with a view to considering the political situation. Rumour has it that this step has been taken with the object of strengthening the Political Labour League, and that a portion of the workers are desirous of running candidates against Messrs Barclay, Sidey, and Arnold, with a view to capturing these* seats for the more advanced Socialistic party in three years' time. The trial survey in connection with the Auckland end of the East Coast railway is at present being pushed on. Mr J. A. Wilson, resident engineer of the Public Works Department, who has returned to Auckland from a visit to the line of the survey route, states that two strongly-staffed parties of surveyors are now at work between Waihi and Tauranga, under the .charge of Mr Hannah. Prom Katikati to about ten miles south of Maketu. the route so far as the trial survey is concerned, has been generally decided upon, subject to the consideration of alternative routes over certain sections. Where the route lies near the sea, the resident engineer states, it is not difficult to fix, but over a considerable portion of the other part of the route the country requires to bo carefully examined.

A word to members of presentation committees. Having decided to make a special allowance on the purchase of any articles sold by us for presentation purposes, we invite you to inspect our stock and ascertain our prices before finally making your selection. B. Petersen and Co., Jewellers and Silversmiths, Christchurch. 2.

Special purchase by Armstrong of Children's Millinery, 5s lid, 8s lid. lQs 6d; all the newest styles. 8

Tho Domain Board has received tha resignation of Mr Dawes, the presenif gardener at the Public Gardens.

Mr N. K. Bowden has been nominated for the vacancy on the City Council created by the election of Mr C. Allison to the office of Mayor. Two other candidates will probably be in the field. The Culverden Estate, which has recently been acquired by the Government for closer settlement; will be opea for application on June 19, after which, date visitors will bo alldvved to inspect the estate. • ■.'■'■'

Speaking in regard to the committal of habitual drunkards to public institutions under the Habitual Drunkard! Act, 1906, Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., yesterday said'that the treatment waa not punitive, but reformative,..■' The Tuapeka by-election will be helcj on the roll used at tho 1905 election, as the new roll will not come into opera* tion until the rising of Parliament at the close of "the coming session.'Tha old Tuapeka electoral boundaries wilt also remain in force.

, Tho telephone numbers for the two Christchurcli fire stations at present are 1031 and 216. As these numbers are thought to be rather inconvenient it has been agreed by the Chief Inspector of Telegraphs that as soon as "No 1 " on the telegraph list is vacant it shall be allotted to Lichfield Street station, and it is proposed to arrange fop "No 2 " : to be allotted to the Chestel? Street station. ' ,

Yesterday Messrs W. H. Montgomery, C. H. A. T. Opio and T. W. Adams, members of the committee appointee! by the Board of Governors oJ Canterbury College, visited tho site on the Board's Craigieburn run suggeste4 for the botanical station. This site ha* been visited by Dr L. Cockayne and Ml\ K. Speight, both of whom feel that it is a very suitable one. It is in a basin formed by high hills, and is reached by a path that leads over the saddU from the Broken River railway sta» tion. It is about an hour's walk from tho station.

A deputation from the "Wellington i division of tho British Medical Associiii tion waited on the Minister of Labour at Wellington and urged on the. Government the advisableness oi passing legislation to enable medical assesors to have a seat OB the Arbitration Court in cases oi claims for damages under tho Workeri Compensation for Accidents Act. Ml Millar said"that it would be very effective to have medical men as members of the Court in such cases. He undertook to put the matter before his col* leagues.

A pamphlet entitled "Baby's Welfare" has been issued by the Publio Health Department, and is being circulated to parents through the offices ol the registrars of births. The chief aim of the pamphlet, which has heeu v written by Dr Agnes Bennett, is to discourage the artificial feeding of babies, but useful instructions are given on a wids range of subjects connected with tha baby's early career. Information is also given as to the preparation of artificial foods in cases where the natural food cannot bo supplied. v A correspondent recently wrote ask-, iug if it was optional or compulsory upon grocers to close their busineffl premises on tJio second Monday iu May, the date fixed for the annual trade picnic. Inquiries at the j Labour Department's office/elicited the information that the grocers' award only stipulates that assistants shall have a holiday on tliatJda.y, and that if tin? assistants are required to work on anj holiday they shall be paid double time, If the grocers who remained open on the picnic day employed no assistants, or paid their assistants double wagea for that day, no breach of" the award was committed.

A former resident of New Zealand, writing from Johannesburg on April 9 to a member of the staff of the "Lyttelton Times," says:—"Things hero are' gradually settling down and getting sounder. Of course, the financialstringency is really the result of an artificial condition of things. Tho gold mines spend in the Transvaal about £15,000,000 annually, and our white population does not exceed 400,000. The Rand is suffering from over-epecu-latiou, and the farming districts havci not fully recovered from the effects of the war. They are, however, stoadilv increasing their flocks and herds, and bringing mor e land into cultivation, ii New Zealauders owned' this country it would be one of the most prosperous oH earth."

Good work is being done by the new! refuse destructor recently installed iii Wellington, and it is displaying a cap? acity for refuse that is a good deal hi excess of the available supply. The old destructor was unablo to copo with all the rubbish gathered, and in consequence tradesmen and others were sometimes put to great inconvenienco, but the " Post" says that nowaday* there is no trouble in getting rid of arty quantity of trade refuse. A recent large lot of rubbish consisted wholly of fish 1 offal. When the destructor had dona its work only a fine powder remained. There is a very fair demand growing up for the services of the destructor, and an acceptable addition to the city revenue is sure to accrue from its operations, quite apart from the sum. of £IOOO a year which it will save thrdUghj supplying power for tho Shone system of drainage which Wellington city possesses, and to work . which a l 'large expenditure on coal has been necessary hitherto. There is a good deal of surplus energy available at present, and when extra rubbish comes along this can be increased. < Mr Morton, the city engineer, is now perfecting plana tor utilising this power to the profit and convenience of the city. G V> W ; Ru6sel l, chairman of tlio Board of Governors ■ of the canterbury College, in a l e t. tor to the "Dominion," in Wellington, deals with higher education for Maoris. He says:—" Some years age I endeavoured on th e Canterbury College Board of Governors to get special scholarships established for Maoris, but tho feeling was that we were too; far from the bulk of tho Maori population to be of real service. The position is one that can, however, easily be grappled with by the Government. J-ney.have a large civil list "fund for Maoris, some of which could be well spent on higher education. To assist educational work amongst the Natives —W Th© status of the Maori schools should be raised, teachers being employed who were capable of giving instruction in the preliminary sections of higher education to talented and promising youths. (2) Residential high, schools for Maori youths should be established at Wellington and Auckland, and, if the scheme succeeded, at IS a pier and New Plymouth; or existing institutions should be subsidised with the view of supplying .the want. (3) Special Maori scholarships sbrm'd be established, capable of being held at any university college in the dominion, such scholarships to cover the entire cost of education, including boardincc, travelling expenses, etc. I submit that no better investment can be made on behalf of the Maori race than to ' catch ' early their talented youths, and train them in education, medicine, law, agricultural science, etc. Already several of the Native race have passed through a university course, and have shown tJfe undeveloped potential!, ties of the race."

Eyestrain—Headaches Mr E. M Sandstein, F.S.M.C., D.8.0.A., Ophthalmic Optician, may be consulted on all cases of defective eyesight. Fifteen years' special study and 'experience. The most up-to-date and completelyequipped optical parlours in the colonies. Cashel Street W. (next Ballantvno's). Hours, 9.30 to 6. Telephone 397. , 1898 Cold feet all day? That's very trying. Well at least keep them warm at night with Minson'a stone footwarmera.

A United Press Ascociation.cable message from Melbourne states that the Court has sanctioned the amalgamation of the Mutual Life Association with the Citizens' Life Assurance Company. William Moynahan, a Middlemarch farmer, was fined £lO at the Police Court at Dunedin yesterday for sending to ' the Burnside cattle-yards two steers very badly affected with tuberculosis.

The first meeting of the Kennedy Bush Reserve Board will be held at the Crown Lands Office, Christchurch, on Monday. The following gentlemen have been gazetted, members of the Board:-—The Commissioner of Crown Lands (Mr Eric C. Gold Smith), and Messrs H. G. Ell, M.P., W. Reece, G, T. Booth, G. Harper and Dr L. Cockayne.

Members of contributing bodies and their friends are invited to visit the '.various departments of the Technical i College and see the classes at work today. The School of Domestic Instruction, in Manchester Street, will open this afternoon from 2.30 p.m. to 4 p.m., when both primary school and adult classes will be at work. The Technical College may be visited both in the afternoon and in the evening.

The ". Otago Daily Times" says that it will be reassuring to the public in general to know, notwithstanding the report circulated last week regarding a pig sent to Dunedin from Clutba, that there is no such thing in the dominion as fever or measles amongst swine. It is some time since New Zealand was declared free from swine fever, and a ease of so-called measles has never been known in any part of Now Zealand. The Arbitration. Court is evidently in for a heavy time, as' far as the coalmining industry is concerned, at its next sittings in Dunedin, which wall probably be held early in July. Apart from the references that have been filed by the .workers' unions, seven of the largest companies carrying on coalmining operations in the province, namely, Kaitangata, AJlaudale, Ta.ra.tu, Bruce, Freeman's, Jubilee .and Christie's are at the present time busily engaged in preparing references for now awards. ; Mr J. R, Scott,, secretary of the South Island National Dairy Association, speaks enthusiastically of dairying conditions in Taranaki. The recovery the district, has made from the drought, he says, is reniarkable. The pastures -have a magnificent growth, absolutely free from roughage and with good body in the grass. There has never in his experience been such an autumn in Taranaki. The factories have recovered their outputs in a surprising manner. Mr Scott says that the South Island has all the butter it requires for the local winter markets, and the make of cheese is keeping up well; in fact, the season promises to be a record one for length. Several of the factories will have cheese to ship in June. ;

The "cracksman" has not taken his departure from Wellington yet. He visited the residence of Mr R. H. Edwards, at the top of Majoribank Street, at 3.15 o'clock on. Monday morning. His presence was not desirable, and he beat a hasty retreat over a back fence, and took cover in the Town Belt reserve. Mr Edwards's son was the first to receive the visitor. He was awakened by a light passing his window, and immediately aroused the household. Then ho gave chase, but the cracksman, having a good start, got over the back fence, and away in good time. The I>olice were communicated with, and, responding to the call, searched about for an hour or two, but without avail. There wore no &igns of any of the doors or windows having been tampered with. Apparently, he had just arrived on the ecene when hie light awakened Mr Edrards. The seventh annual meeting of the Christchurch Photographic Society was held on Monday night. The report and balance-sheet, which were very satisfactory, were adopted as read. The results of the May competition lor the Paget Plato Company's prize were announced, Mr E. Harding taking first jind second places, and Mr M'Gregor ■Wright third. All the prints sent in were of exceptional merit. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:—Patron, Mr R. C. Bishop; president, Mr T. Crook, F.R.M.S.; vice-presidents, Messrs T. G. Strange, 'T. N. Taylor and G. Wright; committee, Messrs J. Griffiths, F. E. Leigh, T. Pearson, S. F. P. Webb and P. WhiteParsons ; honorary secretary and treasurer, Mr E. Harding. Votes of thanks were passed to the retiring officers, and three new members were elected. In the course of his address to the Ttiapeka electors, at Lawrence Dr Chapplo made no secret of his opinion that New Zealand was not getting the right kind of immigrants from the Old Land. The class wanted out here, ho naid, were farmers and farm hands of the sturdy agricultural class. Some time ago he had made it his business to ascertain, the occupations of 1100 immigrants arriving at Wellington in fivo successive ships. He found that only 10 per cent were agriculturists, while the other. 90 per cent were valets, clerks, hands, raspberry-pip makers, etc. He explained that in England imitations of raspberries wcro made of gelatine, and the holes made by the stalks were imitated by means of little bits of wood, known to the initiated as raspberry pips. Tho idea of a man coming to New Zealand for employment on the strength of beina; able to make raspberry pips was hailed by the audience with delight. A writer in the "Dominion " tells a story in regard to the Rotomahana, which, after many years, has been taken off the New Zealand trade. Some years 8»go she was lying at the Auckla«d pier ready for her trip to Sydney when the mail steamer from San Francisco arrived. The officers of the two vessels started to back the speed of their boats against each other, and bets were made on the result of a race from Auckland to S3 r dney. The Rotomahana got away first 'in the afternoon, and the mail ateamer followed soon after. When the aun set on the first day the long black cloud of Bmoko from the Rotomahana funnel could be seen far ahead by the passengers and crew of the mail steamer. As soon as the sun rose next morning all eyes were strained in search of their competitor, and there far ahead was the Rotomahana's long "black cloud of smoke. All day they matched, and tho officers and crew jrorked their hardest, but when tho night' came down they* seemed just as far off as ever. When they looked out over the waste of waters on the last day. the Rotomahana was going on nhead as fast and as strong as ever. When they reached the Heads at Sydney tho two steamers were running almost " neck and neck." The excited shouts and barracking of the passengers could be heard from one shir> to tho other. The two vessels continued in this order up the harbour, and the New Kealander won the 1250-mile race across the Tasman Sea. Recognising that there are a great number of ladies to whom only the best nppeals. and who hold that the best is really tho cheapest in the end, they will, no doubt, be glad to know that Eugene Spitz, Ladies' _ Tailor, 108, C;rshel Street, will provide them with costumes equally as well fitted as those made by tho best West End tailors in London. 1898 To tho Ladios of Christchurch.—T. Armstrong and 06., Limited, are making a special offer of tho Choicest 'Creations in Ladies' Model Millinery, from 12s od t 0.215. Inspection invited. 800 windows-

Mr V. G. Day, S.M.. gave judgment yesterday for plaintiff for £2 10s and costs in the Rangiora ca.so Maher (Mr Van Ascli) v. Egan (Mr Cassidy). January 9, 190!), will be the fiftieth anniversary of tho arrival at Timaru of the ship Strathallan, "tho firsi ship," and the survivors of the passengers on the vessel are discussing a proposal to celebrate the event. _ The Timaru Borough Council has decided to undertake as soon as possible the improvement of the Gaol Reserves on the West 'Town Belt. As a preliminary it will bo necessary for the Council to find other accommodation for its horses.

Or. Wednesday May 20, at 8 p.m, Dr Adolph Temple will commence a series of lectures to women in Sumner on "First Aid to the Injured." The lectures will bo given in tho Sumner Parish Room under the auspices of the St John Ambulance .Association. Some time ago the Timaru Borough Council granted the use o? its reserves as a practice ground to a football clu'b on the condition that there should be no Sunday games. Tho club, however, ignored this restriction, and after a somewhat heated discussion on Monday evening the Council decided to inform the club that if. it continued playing on Sundays permission to use the reserve would be withdrawn. A Press Association telegram from Auckland says:—A Dane, who has become a naturalised New Zealander during his nine yearn' residence in tho dominion, gav 0 a " Herald " reporter particulars yesterday as to how ho had been boycotted and insulted in his business at every turn. Because he was a foreigner, he h. n .d, he said, been hounded down by other shopkeepers and boycotted from, one auction mart for six months, Two Danes left NewZealand on Monday for ether fields, and it is stated that more are to follow. "How can I possibly get on," said Mr Thorn at the Conciliation Board yesterday, " if, every two or three words I am interrupted by Mr Evans. T was trying to prove out of Mr Evans's own mouth that it did not necessarily follow that production costs are less than when wages are low." Mr Evans (interrupting): " But I said the dear man worked cheapest." Mr Thorn : " That proves 1 my contention." Mr Thorn subsequently threatened that he would count the number of interruptions made by Messrs Evans and Jones and name it at the Board's sitting next dav.

Something of an anomaly was mentioned at a meeting of tho South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce on Monday, the sccrotary reading a letter from the local representative of the Labour Department stating that only three trades in South Canterbury were bound by their awards, to observe the Prince of Wales's Birthday as a holiday 'namely, bakers and pastrycooks, flourmiil employees, and slaughtermen. Slaughtermen's assistants, however, wore entitled under the terms of their award to a holiday on Empire Day, and as it seemed that it was impossible for the slaughtermen to work without their assistants, and the assistants without the slaughtermen, the two trades would have to observe both holidays. The estimates for 1907-8 were placed before the Timaru Borough Council on Monday evening. Tt was resolved to strike, a general rate of Is 4d instead of Is 3d in the £, as had been done last year. Tho receipts for the vear are estimated to amount to £26,233 Is -Id. compared with £21,667 last year, while the expenditure, it is estimated, will be £29,376 18s 6d as against £28,905 last year, leaving an estimated overdraft on March 31, 1909, of £3143 17s 2d. The council decided to increase tho salaries of the caretaker of Caroline Bay, the junior clerk, the sanitary inspector, and two employees at tho domain, the alterations made increasing the original estimate of the expenditure by £4ll 16s. The yacht Fleetwingr, which went to pieces recently on the rocks near Kaikoura, Lad a rather, interesting history. She was built in Manukau Harbour in 1884 or 1865 by two sons of the late Captain Wing, who w r as then harbourmaster at the Manukau Heads. She was designed by Mr C. Throgmorton. Though amateurs, the two young ship's carpenters turned out a line boat. She was sailed, round to the Waitemata, and at Auckland and -'it other regattas in tho waters of that province won nearly twenty cups in succession. Taken down to Lyttelton a year or two after her Auckland triumphs, she proved her superiority in Port Cooper contests, winning a number of important races. At last evening's meeting the Christchurch Fire Board adopted the recommendation of the Plant and Staff Committee that all members of the permanent staff; engaged in future must net be less than twenty-one years of age and not more than thirty-five years, not loss than oft Gin in height and not less than thirty-six inches in natural chest measurement. It was also decided that all permanont hands should bo engaged on one month's probation and auxiliaries on three months' probation, and that one month's notice of discontinuance of service should be required on cither side. The ages for retirement were fixed as follows:—Superintendent 60 years, deputy superintendent 55, fireman drivers and firemen 50 Jt was decided that the City Council should be approached with a view to allowing the Board's permanent staff to act as relief drivers.

The " Oamaru Mail " understands, that as a result of the Government Railway Department Classification Act, which was passed last session, and which operates as from April 1 last, there is considerable dissatisfaction in certain sections of the service, and .already some who have been on the staff for a considerable time are contemplating the advisability of seeking other employment. Tt is in the ranks of the si in nters that the discontent is mostly to be found. Inquiry has elicited tho fact that shunters who have all along undertaken the risk and responsibility attendant on this particular branch of the railway are now classified as act-ing-shunters only, which meant-, that. they will not participate in the annual increment provided in the Act for that particular department. There is. ill fact, a feeling amongst the men that they have been thus classified purposely to exempt them front the yearly amount to which they would otherwise have been entitled.

Tho absence of a manual fire engine from the Good Friday sports of the Christchurch Cycling Club caused tho lire brigade event, which was on the programme, to fall through, it being stated that tho Christchurch Fire Board had refused to allow the club to iiso the engine that had been asked for. At last evpning's meeting of the Board the chairman (Mr ,1. D. Hall) said that the application had come before him personally that the Board should allow the use of its manual engine and permit the permanent members of the, staff to compete at Lancaster Park on Good Friday, hut he had not seen his way to grant it. He had recognised that the engine was tho property of the public to a certain extent, and somebody wan sure to complain if the Board's staff and plant in "SO on the occasion, seeing that there was such a difference of opinion as to sports on that day. _ It was a matter in which he did not like to take the responsibility, and he would like to have, some expressions of opinion from members. The, Board decided to approve of the chairman's action. BOOK IS H N ESS ~AN D STATESMA NTSHIP. The "North American Review '•' pub-

lishes under the title of " Bcokislmefts and Statesmanship" the sulsstance of the address delivered a) Edinburgh some tim e ago by Lord Rosebery. " 1 believe," sr.vs Lord Rosebery, " that nowhere in history, so far r.s 1 know, is there an instance of so intensely bookish n man as Mr Gladstone, who was at tho same time so consummate a in,ti i;) affairs. Although from his excessive devotion to beaks. Mr Gladstone was unique, many other Prime Ministers, however, have been b.-ckkU men.'' Lord Ro-ebr-ry says :--" H arley wa. c » a bcok-lover, but even lie was rather a collector than a reader. Boiingbroke, who was perhaps Prime Minister for a few hours, was ,n book-lover after his fall, or said he was. Stanhope had 3 library which still exists at Chovoning, preserved in a. (separate room—a priceless example of the book collection of a Minister in the eighteenth century. Sunderland founded a great library. Charles Fox was a £rsat reader. A friend has recorded" how in a day he would discuss Homer and Virgil, jEschylu.s and Euripides, Milton and Massingcr, Pone and Addison, Gibban and Blnckstoue, Sophocles and Shakespeare, Metastasio, Ocugreve and Vanbrukh, Cowper, Fielding, Burns. The next possibly bookish Prime Minister wa? Canning: but with a literary side all his life, he was only Prime Minister for a few months. Melbourne was n great reader, and. like Mr Gladstone, a great rerder of theology. Sir Robert Peel, like some of the Rtatosmen of tho last century, came to the business of politics an a brilliant specimen of Oxford scholarship. Lord John Russell was. perhaps, more of a writer than a reader of books. Tho onlv book, T think, mentioned by Lord Palmerston in his correspondence is ' Comngf=by.' " Lord Beacons-field was born in. a library. Lord Salisbury was also much devoted to books from his youth up. Lord Ronebery does not speak of himself, but lie i=i almost as much a book-lover as Mr Gladstone.

RESULT OF THE MOTOR-CYCLE REI/ ~,rM TY TRIAL. OPEN CLASS.

The motor-eyclo trial to RakaJa Gorge, via Rakaia, returning via Hororata, resulted, as was to bo expected, in a sweeping victory for tho all British Triumph motor-cycle, in the open class-. Tho distance was 130 miles, and the course was specially selected to test tho reliability of the motors. Twenty miles of the road was unformed, with numerous unbridged water-races, with the stoop cutting coming out of the Rakaia Gorge. 8. R. Stedman, 3J-h.p. Triumph, Ist; F. Howarth, h.p. Triumph, 2nd; G. B. Brown, 3i h.p. Triumph, 3rd. Further proof of tho reliability of the Triumph motor is evidenced by S R. Stedman riding the same machine in the trial on which he beat tho express between Dunedin and Christchurch in the actual riding time of 8 boons 57 minutes. Triumph motors are undoubtedly the best, and are British made throughout. We can doliver from stock. Sole agents, Adams. Ltd., 138 and 140. High Street, Christchurch. 198 S