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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXIX, Issue 98, 27 April 1895, Page 2

A good deal of public opinion respecting the one pound postal notes which nre now in circulation has been expressed lately. One gentleman goes so far as to say that by this latest innovation of the PostmasterGeneral the public is gulled on the one hand and robbed on the other, inasmuch as it pays 3d for nothing but a piece of paper. It seems that the Government recently issued postal notes for £1, which tho people could use for remittance to their friends or to business men, making each payable to the person for whom it was intended, this giving them a receipt for the amount in the event of payment ever being disputed. That note was right enough; it was withdrawn aUd a new £1 note issued in its place, but all the provisions of the old note were cancelled so that if a person sends one of the new issue to a friend and it is disputed there is actually nothing to show that it has been received. In fact it is just the same as sending an ordinary £1 bank note, yet the Government asks the public to pay 3d for this note which is only current within the Colony. We fail to see how the Governmont can consider it a convenience to tho public to issue such notes and to charge 3d for each. r It would be just us reasonable for the Banks of this city to charge 3d on every note belonging to their branches within the Colony, which they cash here. We hav« ascertained from the Chief Postmaster (Mr H. Calders) that if such a postal note is lost — even though the purchaser can produce its number or make a declaration as to its loss— there are no means of recovering its value from the Postal Department.

On the fourth page amongst other interesting leading will be found the following, vizr, " Death of a Lancashire Millioniare," "Birds in Winter," "The effects of cold upon the Mind,' and " The Lust Fight in Annous."

An effort is being made to resuscitate the Winter Evening Debating Society, and a meeting for that purpose is called for Tuesday next at if p.m. in the Bishop's School. All interested are invited to attend.

The lad David flilberlson, whose ripht leg was badly broken yesterday tnrough a fall of timber upon it, is a son of Mr Joseph Gilbertson, second mute of the Charles Edward.

Mr Rowland Edwards will hold services in the Trafalgar street Hall to-moirow afternoon and evening, and on Monday and Tuesday.

An official visit was paid by Kio. Walton, 0. S. J.T., to the Juvenile Templars at the Foresters' Hall lust night. He complimented Superintendents Jackson and Leonard upon the large attendance of the juveniles and their good behaviour. Subsequently he presided at the Loyal Kelson Lodge, and spoke regarding the Grand Lodge session. Hearty votes of thanks were giantcd to Bio. Walton for his addresses

Miss Jessie Knapp, 8. A., at present n teacher at Charleston on the West Coast, has been appointed II end Mistress of the Palmers-ton North infant school.

Messrs Bolton Brothers aro to-day forwarding for exhibition at tho Greymouth Show, which opens on Wednesday next, the stand of 2-i Japanese Chrysanthemums with which they won the prizo at the Nelson Show. Tbcy aro also sending the twelve Jeanne d'Arc blooms which wore so noticeable in the local Show. Jlrs Merrick is sending an exhibit of Chrysanthemums to the Chrietchureh Show,

Mr J. A. Wilson, Government Engineer in charge of the dredging operations, left Nelson yesterday, but before leaving he informed Mr Graham, M.111i., tha.t it hod been decided to keep the dredge at work at the l'ort for a while longer, ns useful and better work than heretofore was being done. The space between the breastwoik by the shear legs and the outer tee had been rendered of a uniform depth of about 18ft at Low water. Some time ngo Mr Graham wrote to tija Public Works Department pointing out the nejjespjfy for preventing ihe resilting of the basin, and hft ljao been advised that the matter bad been referred to tbe chief of the Department, who recognises the necessity for rome protective work, such as close piling the northern part of the wharf. It is expected that some uuch work will be put in hand shortly. An open air musical performance in the Botanical Reserve is to be given to-morrow afternoon by the Stoke Orphanage Hand .under tjio conductorship of Mr H. Leaper. Adj.nission will be by silver coin the proceeds tp go to the band iund. A selection " Austral " by Balch, which the band )ms been practising, k to be played among other pieces. The Garrison Jland hau been uugai'cd to play at I'ooley's Steam Riding Gallery to-iiiylil. At the meeting of householders at l'icton last Monday to elect a School Committee only seven persons were present, ono of whom was the Secretary, another head master of the school and three members of the old Committee. There were thus only two representative;! of the pencral public, and one of them had to leave before any business was njone. The Senate of th,o University of Edinburgh has conferred the degree of D. I), on the Ifev David Sidoy, of Napici,

In addition to tho c-xeellcnt technical instruction which the Rev 15. 0. hn.na has given to many youths and young mon of Nelson that gentleman has determined to extend his field of operation so as to include afternoon classes for ladies in drawing ami modelling, instruction will also bo given in wood carving, repouss^ and Venetian iron work the first class to meet atCampbcU's School on Monday nfteruoon from :i lo o. Mr Isaacs w.ill attend half an hour earlier to ni/o"d any .desirable information to intending punita. }{epottssc is described as a [and of ornamental jnef,al wprk formed in relief by striking on fho metal from behind with a punch or hammer until the required forms are roughly produced in relief upon the surface ; the work is then finished by the process of chasing. The Wellington Chrysanthemum Show opened on Thursday, and tho l'usl says: Tho Chrysanthemum exhibitors include Mr J. MoLcod, gardener to Mrs Kandall, Napier, and Messrs Bollon Jiros, Nelson, Mr McLeod's collection, which includes some now varieties shown for tho first timo hero, is not seen to the best advantage, for the reason that the blooms were cut n fortnight, ago, and Binco that time havo withstood an oxbibil.lon af, Niipier and the (rip to Wellington. We had the plcasuro of seeing them on their arrival some days ago; and there were then many blooms which would not have disgraced an English show. There is an excellent collection of now seedlings, grown principally by MrEarland, gardener to Mrs T. C. Williams, who had the misfortune to lose most oi his show blooms in the recent gale; several good stands of pot plants, and a lot of handsome bouijiiots. Tho fruit and vegetable section surpasses CKpaJfations, especially the fruit.

Mrs Duncan of the Wakedeld Lodge, Mr Simpson of the Loyal Marine, and Mr Day of the Loyal Nelson, who attended the Grand Lodge of Good Templars as delegates returned to Nelson by the Graf ion this morning.

Regarding the recently imported trotting stallion " Pirate" tho Marlborough Times says he is a horse of evident breeding, shapely, of excel 'en t; proportion with as pretty a head as any thoroughbred could wish for. On taking off his rug his strong quarters and good shoulders at once take the eye. Well let down behind and standing very straight on his fore legs, sound, healthy, he looks a model trotter, and will undoubtedly prove a great acquisition to the district. He is a rich chesnut in colour with one white foot and a white blaze down his face, » kindly eye, and large projecting forehead, showin<{ much intelligence, and— n trait more Acceptable than any— perfectly quiet either in saddle or harness.

A. return of last year's travelling expenses of officers of the "Wellington Education Boards show the following : — Inspectors : Mr Lee, £140, Mr Fleming, £144 ISs; Director of Technical School, Mr A. D. Kiley, £19 7s Id; Drill Instructor, M. de Mey, £171 19s; Musical Instructor, Mr K. I'arker, £13 ; Hoard's Carpenter, i'3l 4s 'M. Total *520 18s 3d.

For the Birthday Hack Eace meeting at Benwick the following programme has bean approved by the Marlborough KucingClub : — Hurdle Race ot 1' 25, second borso £3, 1} mile3 ; Maiden liaeo of £20, 6 furlongs ; Blenheim Handicap of £30, second horse £5, 11 miles; Selling Hate of £25, 7 furlongs"; Trot of £-»0, 2J miles ; Flying Handicap of £25, G furlongs ; and Final Handicap of £2;>, one mile. The Committee threw out the suggestion that the Selling liaoo be altered to a Ladies' Bracelet, being under tho impression that Selling Races are not remunerative to tke club.

From the Christchurch Press we learn that a lni'ge and important meeting of the employees on tho Longbe?oh Estate was held aC the homestead on Saturdayeveninjr, when JMr JolmGrigg mot them with reference to a proposed reduction in the wages hitherto paid. MrGrigg pointed out that,. owing to the low prices ruling for nil kinds of farm products, lie was not warranted in continuing to pay the rate of wages he had up to the present been giving. It grieved him very much indeed to make a reduction, and lie had been the last to do so. He did not wish any employee to accept n reduction 6r stay on against his will, and if any of them eliesc to leave it would give him great pleasure to hear that they had bettered themselves. Should the prices of products at any time sufficiently improve, lie should be only too glad to put everyone of his employees back at the old rate of pay. There were about I GO permanent employees represented at the meeting, every one of whom took the naturally unwelcome intimation of a proposed reduction of wages in good part. Further than this they showed their good feeling towards one of the most generous employers of labour in New Zealand by giving Air Grigg as hearty a cheer as was ever heard on Longbeach. It is understood tho reduction amounts to 12A per cent. , and that it takes place from Monday next.

The Sydney Bulletin thus describes a co-operativo settlement in New South Wales:— On 21 st July next the Pitt Town Settlement will have existed two years. To tho end of last month, February, i'6778 cash had been expended upon 100 families; not £300 had been earned. The improvements (including settlers' Luts, fencing, and other things, which have little or no value when tho settlement is disbanded) are estimated as worth £4991, so that the labour of one hundred men and a number of youths for nineteen months ha3 failed to earn rations for themselves and families. There is no doubt whatever that as soon as tho* Government subsidy stops the settlement must stop too. The settlers have had for 19 months their daily bread—including the currants and raisins, pills and pain-killer, pipes and tobacco, bird-seed, balsam, and cocoa into which "daily broad" is translated at Pitt Town — found for them by the hard-working community outside the Arcadian fence, who toil, many of them, ton hours a day, to supply the cash the strictly eight-hour Arcau'ians absorb with such alacrity. The real martyrs arc the community, upon whom Parliament has permitted a sot of amiable nincompoops to foist fln ideal poor-house, with unexampled possibilities in tho way of carrawayseed and cayenne pepper. It isn t wholly the fault of the men that the Pitt Town future is bo ghastly. But the sooner the country sets it foot on the neck of tho " simple, beautiful Arcadian system," the sooner tho men will mend.

A gentleman in a certain town not far from Wellington, who had been a house anil estate agent, recently ujiplied to an otlicial of the Land Department for a billet as inspector of something or other. On the back of his envelope wins a seal, with the motto '' Uet on the land, yonn'' man.' 1 The ollicial out out the soiil ami returned it to the applicant, the answer apparently being ellectual. The motto waa adopted by the applicant whi>n he begun business, and Ms feelings when the seal was returned by the Land Department may be imagined. —Post.