TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 16060, 15 October 1912, Page 6

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

a -meeting of ladies held at Timaru vestordav decided to take up Mrs Godley's senior cadets' prize scheme. a vou tli was sued at Timaru yesterj* jL r the valuo of a horse which ho hired at a livery stable with a buggy for as he a reasonable journey. Th« horse was brought back exhausted ■a died soon alter reaching tho £able The evidence showed that the vouth'had driven eighty miles in about twelve hours, with three neurits and four children in the buggy. Tho Magistrate decided that defendant had driven too far, and held bin. responsible He was ordered to pay for the horse, the ™luo of which was assessed at £lO. an< * costs >

During September thirtv-nino of the 93)52 sheep slaughtered at the abattoir wore condemned, and thirty-ono cattle out of 914 failed to pass the inspectors. Twelve pigs were condemned out of 892, and ssvon calves out of 231. There were no condemnations among tho lambs, 351 passing through the abattoir.

A Press Association telegram from Groymouth states that the West Coast competitions closed last night. The entries constituted a local record, and theso for impromptu speaking a record for Australasia. Mr G. N." Baeyertz was tho sole, judge of music and elocution. Tho Russell cup was won by St Colomba Club, and tho Morico cup by Trinity _ Institute. Trinity choir won tho choir contest. St Albans continues to held pride of placo in tho number of building permits, and during September 18 were granted for tho ward," tho value represented being £9~70. In the inner area of the Central Ward 5 permits, representing £2700, were granted, and in tho outer area 7 permits were issued for building valued at £3030. Linwood had three permits for buildings valued at £940 and Sydenham 5 permits representing £1750. Whan the minutes of the previous meeting are read ta the City Council, tho Councillors usually take tho opportunity to finally discuss matters of interest, and there is generally a low murmur of conversation accompanying tho reading. Last night tho Mayor noticed tho custom was indulged in to an_ extent greater than usual, arid ho quietly asked: "You have heard some of tho minutes; are you of opinion that they diould bo confirmed ?"

Methods of checking and preventing tho spread of consumption will bo discussed by a medical conference to he held in Wellington on October 22. It has been convened by tho Department of Public Health, with a view to arriving at a national policy, and its particular function will be to select the most effective means of educating the people. Doctors who havo been in charga of consumption sanatoria in the four centres and the chairman of the Nov/ Zealand branch of the British Medical Association have been invited to attend the conference.

Dealing with the question of meetings at tho Clock Tower last night, the By-laws and Finance Committee reported to tho City Council that it had no recommendation to make. The committee urged that permission should not bo granted to tho Salvation Army to hold meetings at the lampnost at tho corner of Victoria and Colombo Streets, but expressed the opinion that meetings could bo held without obstruction to traffic on a site behind tho lamp-post and nearer the railings of the" b'and rotunda grass pint. Tho committee's report was adopted. A tally of fifteen lost cycles was reached last week at the police station, five coming in between Saturday and Monday. At present there are fortyeight cycles in store, notwithstanding that a clearing sale was held recently, and the police would be glad to seo moro inquirers for lost machines, as tho storage capacity is being heavily taxed. There is a general reluctance, apparently, among jhe public to apply at the nolice station for cycles, although there are a good percentage of recoveries. A great many cycles are reported missing, and the percentage of new cycles is increasing, which would lead to tho assumption that a trade is being made of cycle thefts. Tho City Council some time ago was divided as to the interpretation of a clause in its agreement with _ its drivers, and it applied to the Arbitration Court for its view of tho clause. Last night tho interpretation was received from the Court, but once more tho Council was divided, this time as to what was the correct interpretation of tho interpretation. Various opinions were expressed. Councillor, Otley declaring that the interpretation was "as clear as mud." The Mayor smilingly remarked that after putting on his glasses and reading the interpretation, be had bean able to understand it. Councillor Otley should wear glasses. To this Councillor Otley replied shortly: "Your Worship, I can seo very well without glasses. 1 '

An opsn-air meeting in connection with tho Riccaiton borough proposal was held last night at the corner of Clarence- Road and Lincoln Road. About 6ixty people were present. Tho object of tho meeting was to nut tho proposal before the ratepayers of the district. Mr A. Hampton, tho principal speaker, outlined the proposal, and ether speakers were Messrs "White, Boyce, Pace. Tasker and Mawson Stewart. At the conclusion a resolution in support of tho proposal was carried. unanimously. Another mooting; will be hold to-night at the corner of Station Road and .Stafford Street, and on Wednesday night a monster meeting will ba held in the Wrmrcnui Schoolroom, iho Mayor. Mr H. Holland, presiding. The poll will bo taken on Thursday.

" That the words proposed. to bo omitted stand part of the question " is a harmless little formula inside tho walls of Parliament, but it is a stumbling block to laymen, and even clergymen, as was proved at last night's meeting of the Diocesan Synod. Tho parliamentary nroceduro befogged a few clergy and laity, and after the division, in which thoso in favour of an amendment to strike out words should properly have voted "No," it was discovered thnt confusion existed, and the chairman of committees, after consultation, decided to put the motion afresh, allowing the "Ayes" to vote as-" Ayes" and not as "".Noes." So far in the Synod, -the strict rules of Now Zealand's Parliament havo not been followed, particularly in regard to prior amendments, it being the practice to deal with amendments in tho order of their reception. The conse.-. quenee is that the Synod is enabled to' go backwards in a clause, and parliamentary precision, which never permits of a retrograde movement, except recommittal, is lost.

The thirtieth annual conference of tho New Zealand Baptist Union and the Now Zealand Baptist Missioners' Society will bo commenced in the Oxford Terrace Baptist Church to-day, and its sessions will continue until October 24. Between 140 and 150 delegates will assemble, under the presidency of tho Rov R. H. Kempton, of the Auckland Tabernacle. A* public welcome will bo accorded to the visiting delegates in tho Oxford Terrace Baptist Sunday School this evening by the Mayor (Mr IT. Holland). The secretary of tho Union (the Rov R. S. Gray) will preside, and speeches of welcomo will be made by the Rev T. A. Williams and Mr S. R. lngold. The president of the conference and Mr C. Cathie, of Wellington, will resnond on behalf of tho delegates. The business sessions of the conference will open each day at 10 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. Tho presidential address will be delivered to-inorrow, and on Thursday a " missionary conversazione " will be held at 8 p.m., and a missionary and valedictory meeting will bo held in the evening. Miss Beekingsale, at present on furlough from India,'and Miss Wilkinson, who is to leave for India immediately after tho conference, will speak at these meetings. Amongst matters ol general importance to be discussed by tho conference during the- present session are the attitude of tho Church towards social unrest and social c Y l!s> . nm '., t! ,' o question of Bible instruction m State i schools.

Wo arc fast becoming a much bespectacled race because modern conditions, education, and competition all demand a higher standard of eyesight Tho man who cannot see well is left behind. Evestrnin causes nervous disorders such as headaches, neuralgia, giddiness, etc., which.can be cured by properly adjusted spectacles. Consult John R. P rcc tor, occuhsts' optician. SOO, High Street, Christchurch. 19W

A runaway baker's cart collided with a trap at the corner of Richmond Terrace and Moorhouso Avenue yesterday. Tho shaft of the trap ran through the shoulder of the horse in the baker's cart, and the horse had to be destroyed.

The Dnncdin correspondent of the "Lytteltcn Times" states that fruitgrowers in Central Otago arc anticipating one of tho best seasons known ior years. Orehardists in the district are confident of successfully competing with California apples and onions.

A Press Association telegram from Duncdin states that a sudden rise of Is to Is 4d per lb .was experienced at the rabbitskin sales yesterday. Prime, super doer, realised 5s GJd per lb. which i:; claimed to be a record for 't*:e dominion. Tho high price is attributed to tho shortage of opossum and musquash skins on the Homo market leading to a demand for finest rabbitskins for the manufacture of imitations. In urging in favour of the construction of an asphalt footpath towards the entrance of tho Linwood Cemetery, Councillor W. H. Cooper said at last night's meeting of tho City Council:— " Although I regret to have to say it, tho cemetery, financially, is one of the soundest of the departments controlled by the Council, and it shows that many old friends have passed away in order to put it in such a sound financial position." It was decided to construct tho footpath. Sermons on behalf of seamen have been commended to the Diocesan Synod by the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, which in a letter "to Canon Knowlcs has asked whether the Synod would receive a deputation on the subject. The Synod has not decided to receive the deputation, but the Rev E. E. Chambers has given notice of tho following motion: —" That it bo a recommendation to the Synod to authorise the clergyman in charge of each parish, or parochial district, to preach one sermon per annum explaining the aims and purposes of the Seamen's Institute, Lyttelt;on."

day's business yet done at tho Wellington municipal fish market was recorded on Friday, says the "New Zealand Times," and the municipal authorities feel satisfied that the enterprise is going to prove an unqualified success. There was a very big supply of fish, including a quantity from Napier, but the demand was still bigger and by midday everything had been sold. Customers reached the market even before the doors were oponed at 6 o'clock, and for a time the fich was being sold as fast as it could bo handed over. The demand remained steady all the morning. The takings were between £45 and £SO. At the Lyttelton Police Court yesterday John M'Donald Etheridge and Joseph Pope were charged with stealing four pipes from tho shop of Sydney H. Ayers. Tho goods Avere valued at 21s 6d. Both defendants pleaded not guilty. Sergeant Ryan stated that the accused had been in Aycrs's shop on Saturday last, and during the. absence of the proprietor from tho counter four pipes were stolen. The accused were suspected, and one pipe was found on Etheridge when sea7'ehed. Pope stated that ho was drunk and had no recollection of being in th'c shop, while. Etheridge stated that the previous witness handed him a pipe in tho shop. The Pencil fined both men £2 each, in default fourteen days' imprisonment. They were also ordered to pay the value of tho two pipes unrecovercd. LONDON MAYORAL SEAL. The London mayoralty seal, which has been used in the city since 1381, was formally " broken "" by the City Chamberlain, Sir Joseph Dimsdale, at a recent meeting of the Court of Aldermen. Tho "breaking" was only nominal, and the seal will be deposited in the Guildhall Museum. It is still in fairly good preservation, but it is desired to protect it from further wear and tear, particularly as it contains the earliest known representation of the Sword of St Paul in*the City Arms. The seal ran great risk of destruction or alteration in the reign of Henry VIII., when it was ordered that all pictures and figures of St Thomas of Canterbury should be destroyed. Upon tho •Mayoralty seal Thomas "a'Bccket is represented as sitting side by side with St Paul, hut the Tudor citizens mistook kim for St Peter, and the seal was maintained intact. To take the place of the seal now relegated to the museum a new one has" been made by Mr E. G. Gillick. It i 3 a replica, with the exception of two tiny reses inserted expressly for differentiation.

MAORI MATRIMONIAL DISPUTES. The matrimonial differences of two Native couples some two hundred years ago formed the basis of tho contest over the Maiahiia block, which was beforq tho Native Land Court at Tuparoa a few days ago. In ono case a child crisd for crayfish. The father rebuked the child, and the mother resented this treatment of the little savage. The father then remarked that it was somewhat strange that he could not chastise his own child, since the latter would never derive any land

from tho mother which would entitle him to procure crayfish. The mother was so irritated at this that she immediately went to one of her landed relatives, who forthwith made the child a present of a block of land that was then of little value. If the other case, the wife, having a difference with her husband, no, according to ancient, custom, left her and took unto himself another partner. Prido forbade the first wife from publicly complaining, but when he had the effrontery to send some of his slaves on to her land to collect fern root and other delic:\eies_ of that nature to feed the second wife it was more than human nature could stand. The first

wife forthwith collected a war party, who fell upon tho husband and his people and slaughtered them, and in repayment to the chiefs for tho assistance accorded she divided the lard among them. Both tales are accepted by the Native race as genuine, and tho only point in dispute is as to the boundary between tho two areas of land affected by cither gift. THE LATEST OF~THE NEW LIGHT CARS. A reporter who visited Messrs Adams Ltd.'s garage yesterday to obtain information regarding the new types of light, moderate-priced cars which the firm is introducing to the Now Zenland market found in the process of unpacking a very fine specimen of tho latest development in light cars. This was a 10-15 h.p. Clement Payard car, built with the new 1912-13* pattern light charsis, with its neat, simple, reliable " fool-proof " engine and fitted with a beautiful thrce-'oater torpedo body made in London. The reason for frhtinP! an English body to a French chassis, it was explained. lay in the fact that while the Frenchmen are excellent engineers, their body work is not up to the British standard. In introducing light cars Adams Ltd. arc anxious that nothing but tho. fines* possible rppro.-nntative'fi of tho new type shall lcaye their garage. The CleirentBavai'd is finished in light rrrey, lined with a darker, grey, mid the general effect is both rich and quiet. The engine is simple enough to be managed bv a lady after a single morning's tuition, and it is guaranteed to vivo lOO.OOOmilos of service without needing a mechanical repair. The reliability of Clement-Bayard engines has, of course, been very strikingly demonstrated by tho Cloment-Bnvard"taxi-cabs that .have criven such wonderfully consistent service in this city. Tho price of the new Clemen t.-Bnyard chassis '" Paris, and tho price of'the Lcndon-built bedy in London, complete with hood and wind shield, is only fQdl 103, to which figure Adams Ltd.* add only tho actual cost of importation, a system c( sellnig which certainly commends itself $n straightforward and satisfactory. 1988