TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIX, Issue 14683, 14 May 1908, Page 6

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

At an election yesterday In fill the vacancy on the Rangiora Borough Council caused by Councillor Bell's appointment to the Mayoralty. Mr W. Bridget polled 89 votes and Mr W. D. Johnston 70 votes. A party of Ashburton sportsmen, who have been to Lake Heron, state that game in that locality is becoming extremely scarce, ,and unless a closo season is made for grey duck in all probability in a few years there will be none in the locality. ' It is understood that the promise of -i new railway station for Rangiora is shortly to be fulfilled. The proprietor of the railway refreshment stall has been instructed to bo ready to move his stall to a fresh site in the station yard. At tlio Amborley Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Messrs G. D. Greenwood and G. A. M'Loaii, Justices of tho Peace, for allowing stock to wander at large in tho Town Board area, T. M'Naught was fined 2s Gd and costs and T. Sloper and F. T. Rhodes each 5s and costs.

The action arising out of the accident which, occurred to the steamer Mamari in the Calliope dock in November, 1006, cost the. Auckland Harbour Board £4126. Of this amount the Beard recovered £1154 from the Shaw-Savill Company and the Government Insurance Commissioners. With reference to dirty bank rotes, Dr J. M. Mason, Chief Health Officer, has been informed by the managing director of one New Zealand bank that during 1905 87,000 dirty notes were burned. For 1906 the total destroyed" was 84,000, and during 1907 the number of notes given to tho flames was 64,000. ;

The anniversary services of the Richmond Methodist Church were held on Sunday, the Revs W. A. Sinclair and A. M'Bean preaching. Tho. song service "Only a Waif" was given in the afternoon. A concert and coffee supper will be held this evening. A programme will bo given by the members of tho .Addington Methodist Church choir, i I

The funeral of tho late Mr J. Kearney, of Rangiora, which took place yesterday morning was a very large one, about sixty vehicles being in the cortege. The bedy was interred in tho Roman Catholic cemetery, Mr Kearney having been a valued member of tho Roman Catholic Church. The Rev Father Hyland celebrated Requiem Mass in the church and read the burial service at the grave. At a meeting of the Hoard of Governors of Canterbury Agricultural College at Lincoln on Tuesday, the director (Mr W. Lowrie) stated that it was necessary to increase the sizo of tho farm, in order to give longer periods of practical farm work to advanced students. ft was decided that the suggestion should receive the attention. of the Board. The director reported that there were fifty studonts in residence, and applications for admission were still being made.

Large quantities of pipes for tho water supply scheme in Christchurch are on their way to this city. Air John Duthie, of Wellington, who secured the contract for the supply of tlie pipes, is in Christchurch on business connected with the contract. AVhen ho was speaking to, a /reporter last evening he received a cable message stating tnat 300 tons of pipes will arrive by the Corinthic about tlie middle of Juno and that the valves, tho hydrants, and another large quantity of the pipes will arrive a week later.

Of tlie ninety-four saloon passengers, who- arc expected to reach Wellington next week by the Atlienic, fifty-three have hooked to Wellington, fifteen to Auckland, and fourteen to Lyttelton. These include the British Rugby football team, wheso members are booked to Wellington. , Of the passengers in tlie' third-class, numbering over 300, 106 are bound for Wellington, 55 for Auckland, 40 for Port Chalmers and 32 for Lyttelton, other ports of destination for the remainder including Gisborne. Napier, Bluff, Nelson, Piefffn and Tiroarti.

The New Brighton School Committee recently wrote to the Education Board, asking that the school doors should be made to open outwards, on account of danger in case of fire. The Board yesterday approved a letter sent to tho committee that tho Board was dealing with tho question of school exits, and would take every precaution. At the same time the Board could not conceive any disaster occurring at a school having but a ground floor, with four outer doors, and there could not be any comparison between such a school .and one having five or six storeys, as was the case of the school at which tho recent catastrophe happened in America. A cable message from London some days ago announced that the Union Steamship Company had (purchased the iron nailing .ship Dartford, 1274 tons, now lying at Sydney, for training its cadets. Sir James Mills, managing director of the company, who is now in Sydney, has supplied the following information on the subject t 6 tho Sydney "Daily Telegraph ":—" Nothing has been decided yet in respect to the Dartford. It is contemplated using her as a training ship to trade between Australia and New Zealand, and portions of the Pacific, as the trade demands. There is accommodation for twenty-four lads, to bo trained for tho sea. who will lie able to qualify eventually as officers of the Australian and Now Zealand Mercantile Service. It is felt that a training ship of this sort will servo a very useful purpose. At present parents are averse to their boys engaging for seafaring life, as they would bo taking long voyages and be away from their control. By the cadet service which wo propose to institute parents will be aokv to exercise authority over their sons who enter the service. This is the 'first move of tho kind ill this direction. it is a scheme that has been encouraged by the Government of New Zealand and the Minister of Marine, Mr J. A. Millar." Eyestrain—Headaches.—Mr E. M. Sanclstein, F.S.M.C, D.8.0.A., Oph thalmic 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. Cash el Street W, (next Ballantvno's). Hours, 9.30 to G. Telephono 397. IS9B

Cold feet all dty? That's very trying. Well at least keep them warm at night with Minson's stone footwarmers. X2GI3.

There-was no business at the Rail" giora Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, all tho cases sot down being settled out of court. ■ , ■"■';. Tho citizens of Greymoutli intend erecting a memorial to the lato Mayor, Mr Joseph Petrie, who was a prominent figure in public life on the West Coasti for thirty-four years. At the Amborley Magistrate's Court on, Tuesday, before'Mr W. H. Rhodes, J.P., and Dr Baldwin, J.P., Ronald Munro was charged with having been illegally on the premises of Denis Luecy. Tho accused pleaded guilty and was convicted and discharged. As tho result of correspondence between the North Canterbury Education Board and tho Education Department, regarding Native schools, tho Board decided yesterday to inform the Department that it preferred to take over th« teachers with tho schools, having no supply from which teachers specially suitable for these schools could be drawn. The North Canterbury Education Board, on the suggestion of the Education Department, has decided to issue to school committees a circular, directing attention to the need of clearing dry grass and other rubbish from school buildings, as a school was recently set on lire through tho dropping of a lighted match in some dry growth ad,joining the building. At the annual meeting of householders at Sydenham to erect a school committee a resolution was passed recommending the Education Board to secure the erection of a side school in the southern part of the district. At yesterday's meeting of the Education Board the Building Committee reported that it had deferred consideration of the resolution. It was agreed that members should visit the present school to inspect the buildings, which are said to be showing signs of great age. Something in the nature of a sensation was caused last evening at the Opera House at the commencement of the en. tcrtainment by Fuller's Vaudeville Company. Tho electric wires for the orchestra lights fused, and immediately a brilliant shower of sparks fell on tho piano. The damage was not extensive enough to interfere with the performance, and the artist who was on the stage went on without stopping her song. Tho orchestra, however, had to play for the rest of the evening without the customary lighting. In his presidential address to th© Secondary School Teachers' Conference last evening, Mr Bevan-Browji said that the public might suppose from the agenda paper that the only subject in' the minds of tho members-was examinations. Examinations were a necesary evil. Tho secondary schools were frequently assailed by the newspapers in two ways. Sometimes they werei overexamined, or examination-ridden, or else they were not examined enough. If they secured high examination results, they were called "cramming shops," if they did not, they were behind , the times. But examinations were not the be-all and end-all of education, audi were at the best only rough tests of progress; the true end of education was the formation of character. ; The licensee of the Lyttelton Hotel at Lyttelton has had an unpleasant ex- ' perience which shows that it is not always safe to change a £lO note. On Tuesday a man presented a note of that denomination at tho bar and requested .. change. The barman took it to tho \ licensee, who changed it, and the man. departed. It turned out that the latter had stolen the note and that the lawful owner had taken tho number thereof. The noto was identified through this precaution, and was taken possession" of by tho police when they' arrived to make inquiries. Tlie thief was caught, identified, and yesterday morning sent to eaol for six months by MrH.W. Bishop", S.M., who ordered tho note to bo returned to the man from whom it had been stolen. The licensee of the hotel remarked that it was very hard upon him to lose the money 1 he had given" in change, and Mr Bishop agreed. He sympathised with the hotelkeepcr, who had acted in good faith, but he held the note was'stolen property and must be returned to its , lawful owner. ,

The site of the proposed Botanical Station on the Craigieburn run of tho Board of Governors oi Canterbury*College was visited on Tuesday by a committeo appointed by the Board for the purpose, consisting of. Messrs W. H. Montgomery and C...H. A. T. Opie, . members of* the Board, accompanied! by Mr R. Speight. Tho site is in a/ i basin formed by the hills, about two miles from the Broken River railway terminus. The committee decided that it might be desirable to extend the station to 200 acres, instead of 100 acres "as, pro- .*. posed. A good deal of time was spent discussing whether the station should! be an occasional resort of students for the purpose of studying botany, or whether it should bo an experimental station, which would involve keeping a caretaker there tho whole year round. The matter will come before the Board of Governors, and the committee will confer with Dr Cockayne, who with Mr Speight visited tho reserve some time ago. Messrs Montgomery [■and Opio also visited the coal deposits of the. Board at Broken River, and also the route of the Midland Railway by way of the Cass and Lake Pearson. , Mr Speight accompanied the committeo for the purpose of making geological and other observations. ' , '

The question of introducing the Bible into the public schools was the subject of some discussion at the meeting of the Auckland Presbytery yesterday, states a Press Association telegram. Mr A. Bell moved—" That. the Book of Proverbs be recommended by the Presbytery to the Board of Education as a school book, after a committee of the Presbytery has considered it, with a view to the elimination of what may be unsuitable." The mover said he considered that there was little chance of. the Bible ever being introduced into tho schools, and thought that if the Book of Proverbs were introduced, as suggested, it would bo productive of much good. The majority of the Presbytery, while sympathising with Mr Bell in his godd intentions, generally opposed tho motion, on the ground that it would be a retrograde stop, and that if they were unable to get the Biblo road or taught in tho schools, as desired, it would be preferable to have copies of the Ten Commandments and of the Lord's Prayer hung up in the schoolrooms. Mr L. J. Bagnall, chairman of the Education Board, s&id tho Board had already approved of the Ten Commandments being hung in the classrooms. As to getting tho Bible or any part of it used as a school hook, howover, that was not a matter for the Beard's consideration, and could only be authorised by the Department. Mr Bell withdrew his motion, and a committee was set up to consider the whole question.

"Recognising that there are a great number of ladies to whom only tho best appeals, and who hold that the best is really the cheapest in the end, they will," no doubt, be glad to know that Eugene Spitz, Ladies' Tailor, 198, Cashel Street, will provide them with costumes equally as well fitted as those made bv the best West End tailors is London. 1898

Have you a dislike to anything shoddy, especially in electro-plated ware? If so, and you would like something good either for yourself or as a gift, wo shall be pleased to show you some of England's finest productions which we have just imported, and at prices which you w,ill find reasonable when taking' into consideration the quality. B. Petersen and Co., Jewellers, Obristchurch. .3

"Captain Toomey, of the liyttelton Volunteer Fire Brigade, wishes to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of u .donation of two guineas from Messrs Hildyard and Co., Canterbury Street, in - recognition of the services of the brigade at the recent fire in that street.

The Minister of Labour has decided to establish female labour bureaux in each of the four centres. It is probable that Miss Bremner will be placed in charge in Wellington, Mrs Hawthorn in' Auckland. Miss Morrison iu Christchurch, and Miss- Hays in Dunedin. '

Yesterday, at the Magistrate's Court, Ernest Minifie (Mr Harvey) admitted before Mr V. G. Day, S.M., having embezzled .£l4 13s, the property of James Olegg. Ho was fined 20s and costs and was ordered _to repay the money to Mr Clegg, in default one month's imprisonment.

The non-commissioned Volunteeer officers of the Christchurch Garrison will moot at the Clubrooin, King Ed!ward Barracks, to-morrow, at 7.45 p.m. Major Lascellcs, ch'ief instructor of the general instructional staff, will give an address on the six days' course of instruction in November.

At tho Magistrate's Court at Wanganui yesterday, a man was charged, on the information of the KailWay Department, with making himself a nuisance in a railway carriage by playing the violin and soliciting pecuniary help. The case was practically brought as a test to combat •familiar nuifialiccs. Defendant was lined £1 and costs £3 10s.

The Auckland West branch of the Liberal Labour Federation carried a resolution calling the attention of the Minister of Justice- to the dangerous class of prisoners sent to Waiotapu, judging by tho recent escapes ot two dangerous burglars and one armed highwayman (two being still at large). The Association entered a strong protest against such prisoners being sent to Waiotapu or being again allowed to endanger the safety of the public.

The Education Board decided yesterday to convene a meeting of chairmen of school committees and headmasters of the city and Suburban schools and members of the Board on June 9, to consider the advisableness of having uniformity of school holidays. Uniformity, the Director of Manual Training had suggested, was necessary to obviate keeping the centres in work .all the year round, or dropping some lessons out of the course for some schools. The Minister of Lands met several members of the committee of the' Mana,vatu Agricultural and Pastoral Association on it's grounds yesterday, with regard to a site for tho dairy school and buildings. The discussion was. informal, and tho Press were not admitted, but it is understood that a site for the school has been approved by the Minister, and also one for the manager's residence. The report will come before the next ordinary meeting of tho full committee.

There is at the present time some talk among city councillors and others in Dunedin of removing the Dr Stuart monument from its present position in Lower Rattray Street to the trianglar piece of ground at the northern end of tho Early Settlers' Hall, states the " Obago Daily Times." Mr Tannock, superintendent of reserves, has suggested to the Council that this should be given effect to, as the proposed sito would be a much more suitable one. Before the suggestion is given effect to the consent of the subscribers will have to be obtained.

A Press Association telegram from 'Wellington says: 'The Wellington Harbour Board has for some time been increasing the charges on shipping, notwithstanding repeated Warnings. A notable instance of this policy uas a resolution to construct a dock in defiance of tho experience of other ports. The contention of its supporters was that Shipping was not paying enough, and could well bear the cost. It is _now stated that two shipping companies are thinking of making Lyttelton the principal port of arrival and departure in consequence of the increased charges. The 'Times," commenting on tnis, advises the Board •to bo .very careful what it is doing in the way of increasing tho charges to shipping. While digging the trench for the new tramway offices, at Tborndon Quay, Wellington, the old beach level wis found only from two to three feet below the level of the existing footpath. In one placo tho level of the, wave-wash is defined by a stratum of solid pipi shells from eighteen inches to two feet iu thickness, and extending almost the length of the trench. That was the old beach itself before any kind of a road was formed along tho water-front. Oid Wellington residents still refer to Lambton and Thorndon Quays as '< The Beach." Since that time the waters of the harbour have been forced back by tho ingenuity of man, and the water's edge is nearly a quarter of a mile away from the strand of the former generation. The question of whether a, r Government servant while employed 'in a Go~ vernment Building is immune from tho embarrassing attentions of a bailiff armed with a judgment summons came up at the Magistrate's Court at Napier yesterday. A judgment debtor was employed in the railway workshops, and the Court bailiff, who had gone to serve the summons on thoso premises, had been put off by the manager of the works. The Magistrate said 'that ho had considered it his duty to jeport tho matter to tho Minister of Justice, as ho was not going to have officials of the Court treated with discourtesy. An impression prevails that Government servants cannot be sorvod •with writs while engaged at their business, and the decision of tho Minister on tho point should prove of some ralue.

A Press Association telegram from Palinerstou North states that a Chinaman _ was brought before the. Stijpendiary" Magistrate, yesterday to ohow cause why ho should not pay tho poll-tax. When the ease was tailed, it was discovered that the information for such an offence must be laid within six months of the date of the comittal of the offence, and as tho accused was a long-standing offender it was not possibTo to proceed. Ifc was suggested that it would be a comparatively easy Blatter for a new arrival from the Flowery Land to get safe lading amongst bis compatriots for so short a period as six months. The police had yet another grievance against the accused, in that he was a deserter from the cable-repairing' steamer Iris. The alleged offonce occurred in 1904. Accused admitted it, and was remanded to Auckland to join the steamer. "Go to Watsons!" is the advico that is usually given to those inquiring for the choapest and best place to buy reliable Watches, Gem Rings, and and all lines of Silverware- and Jewellery. Wo specialise in watch and clock repairing, and, if you should be troubled with your watch, give us a trial. As most clocks are too cumberBomo to carry, if you will advise lis Wo will send for yours, and return it yhen finished. Watson, the Cheapest and Most Up-to-date Joweller in the Dominion, 230 Colombo Street, two doors from Armagh Street. Tclephono 1640. 3791

Dinner and Tea Sets.—Fletcher Bros, have just opened up a fine assortment, good value, 26-pieco dinner se,ts from 40s 9d. Tea sote, 21-piece, 7s &d to 17s 6d, 40-pieco from 265; w. and g. China cups and saucers 2s 9d and 2s lid, pink celcite 3s 3d, 3s 9d ; tarthenware Is lid, ull por Jialf dozen —Fletcher Bros., Lower High Street,. 1 ,

A poll will be taken on May 22 on Banks Peninsula, for the purpose of electing seven members to form the Banks Peninsula Babbit Board of Trustees.

Burglars entered two hotels at Stratford on Tuesday night, getting away with money and jewellery from sleepers' rooms. There is no clue to the identity of tho thieves. Twenty-two thousand nine hundred ■Dominion Day medals have been ordered to be distributed among tho pupils of tho public and private schools in North Canterbury.

Owing to the rise in the price of flour, the South Canterbury Master Bakers' Association has increased, the price of the 41b loaf from 7d to 7jd. An increase of Jd per loaf will probably bo made in. Ashburton.

Tho Chinese market gardeners in Timaru, who carry on business at Saltwater Crook, have forwarded a cheque for £5 5s to the secretary of the South Canterbury Hospital Board, in recognition of tho treatment received by Chinamen in the hospital. A meeting of tho Domestic Helps' Union was hold last evening. There was a fail' attendance of members. Misses M. Fleming; and Hay ward wcro appointed delegates to tho School Committees' Association's Conference, and it was resolved in future to hold tho monthly meetings of the Union on .alternate Wednesdays and Thursdays. The Christchurch Caledonian Society commenced its season last evening by holding a social gathering in its rooms in Worcester Street. Mr J. Connal' president of tho Society, was chairman, and he was supported by Mr W. Soy and Mr J. Faith, vice-presidents. Mr Forrester, of the Ashburton Caledonian Society, and Mr Grey, of the Stirling (Dunedin) Society, were also present. Items were given by Misses Smith, M'lntrye, M'Gregor and M. Edginton, Mcsdames Malcolm and M'Leaii, and Messrs Allen, Malcolm, Hart and Boale, and the Society's pipers. John R. Proctor, Oculists' Optician, 180, High Street (established 26 years) may be consulted daily on nil cases o: defective eyesight remediable by glasses Hours—9.3o to 6 pm. Consultation Free, A most complete and up-to-date stock of Lenses, Frames and Artificial Eyes always kept on hand. 198 a

NEW ZEALAND CURIOS ABROAD. Iu tho Imperial Museums of St Petersburg and Moscow there are collections of old New Zealand relics from which Mr A. Hamilton, Director of tho Dominion- Museum in AVellington, hopes to gather treasure. Professor V. V. de Sviatiowsky, of St Petersburg, drew the Director's attention to these deposits during his recent visit to Wellington, and offered to as-ni-st him in securing some of them in exchange for objects in the Wellington Museum. In the case of old Maori carvings, feather boxes and other rarities with which the Russian institutions may not care to part, the professor undertook to procure casts which will bo almost as interesting as the originals. On his return to Russia, he will forward photographs of the New Zealand sections in the St Petersbnrg and MctrCOW museums, with full lists of their contents. Mr Hamilton received word not long ago that a very interesting oarved funnel for feeding a chief during the tattooing process was sold a few weeks ago at a London, auction saio for £33 12«. These carved funnels are very rare now, and thero is great competition to secure them whenever one of them is offered in a public auction. Major-General Robley, who was in New Zealand during tho Maori war, and is a keen collector of such relics, was unable to attend this sale, or he would probably have secured the treasure. He bad left an offer for it, but did not expect that it would fetch so much as proved tho case. Quite a number of curious Now Zealand specimens, Mr Hamilton learns, were offered' at the London sale last winter. Among them were two very fine greenstone meres, which apparently were quite genuine.

RESULT OF THE MOTOR-CYCLE RELIABILITY TRIAL. OPEN CLASS. The motor-cyclo trial to Rakaia Gorge, via Rakaia, returning via Hororata, resulted, as was to be expected, in a sweeping victory for the all British Triumph motor-cycle, in the open class. The distance was 130 miles, and the course was specially selected to test tho reliability of tho motors. Twenty miles of the road was unformed, with numerous unbridged water-races, with the steep cutting coming out of the Rakaia Gorge. S. R. Stedman, 3'h.p. Triumph, Ist; F. Howarth, 3i h.p. Triumph, 2nd; G. B. Brown, 3$ h.p. Triumph, 3rd. Further proof of the reliability of tho Triumph; motor is evidenced by S ; R. Stedman'Tiding tho samo machine in the trial on which ho beat the express between Dunedin and Christchurch in the actual riding itime of 8 hours 57 minutes. Triumph motors are undoubtedly the best, and are British made throughout. We can delivor from stock. Solo agents, Adams, Ltd., 138 and 140, High Street, Christchurch. 1988