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New Zealand Mail, Issue 1196, 1 February 1895, Page 20

This week we inaugurate an additional and, we trust, an interesting feature in the always popular Ladies’ Pages of the New Zealand Mail. We refer to the “ TeaTable Topics ” by “ lone.”

Descriptive letters, having for their subjects “ Pahiatua ” and "A Visit to Danevirke and Ormondviile,” are unavoidably held over until next week.

The special attention of our country readers, especially those interested in the dairy industry, is directed to the interesting and valuable article entitled " Butter Testing—The Opinion of a Scientist,” which appears in the Parmer Pages of this week’s issue. Mr C. Hulke, the scientist in question, has made a special study of the Babcock and other testers, and his remarks thereon will be found of considerable interest and importance.

The Flora, which arrived from Sydney last Wednesday, brought 87 passengers, of whom 54 landed at this port. Amongst the passengers weie 13 Chinese (including a young married woman). The woman’s paper which is to be established here will be called The Emancipator, and is to be edited by Mrs Louisa Adams. The first issue will appear on Wednesday next.

There was a large congregation at St. Mark’s parochial room on the 30th, when a special service was held. The service was taken by the Rev H. B. Harvey, of Palmerston, and the Rev A. C. Yorke, incumbent of Masterton, preached an impressive sermon. A collection was taken up on behalf of the Enlargement Fund. A portion of the Bank of New Zealand staff is now located in the offices lately occupied by the Publio Trust officers in the National Mutual Buildings.

In consequence of the very unpleasant weather which prevailed last Wednesday the cheap excursion train to Petone Beach was only moderately patronised. Had the weather been anything like favourable there is no doubt that large numbers would have availed themselves of the opportunity to spend a few hours at this pleasant resort.. As it was the dust was not blown about in clouds as in town ; consequently those who took advantage of the excursion enjoyed themselves very well. The man John Anderson, who was arrested the other day at Invercargill on a charge of deserting his wife on the West Coast, turns out to be the wrong party. Upon being brought before the S.M. at Grey mouth he was at once discharged. The Natives at Rotorua are making preparations for an exceptionally big meeting. They expect a gathering of fully 3000, and a large iron building is being erected for the accommodation of the visitors. At the Magistrate’s Court on the 30th, before Messrs G. Allen and J. P. O’Meara, Justices, an old man named John Burke O’Brien was fined 20s, or seven days’ hard labour in default, for drunkenness, and a man named John Ross was sent to gaol for three months as a habitual drunkard. A well-known character named Nellie Neilson was sentenced to twelve months’ imprisonment as a vagrant. The young man Joseph Tray nor, chaiged with attempting to obtain £7 by means of a valueless cheque from the licensee of the Club Hotel, was remanded until Friday. Detective Herbert, who has for some weeks past been incapacitated from duty by rheumatism, and is even now only able to get about by the aid of crutches, has been transferred to Invercargill. He will be replaced by Detective R. Neil, of Christchurch, whose place will be filled by Detective Maddern, of Invercargill. About 10.15 p.m. on the 30th, Constable Me''a ’thy was on duty in Charlotte street when he heard the screams of a woman a short distance away. On running to the spot he found that the woman had been knocked down. Constable McCarthy arrested a man, whose name is Simes, on the charge of assault, and took him to the station. While in the watchhouse Simes struck McCarthy in the face, and a further charge'of assaulting the constable was thereupon entered against him. The woman did not accompany the constable to the Police Station, and expressed herself as being unwilling to give evidence.

At the fourth annual meeting of the Petone Industrial and Provident Co-opera-tive Society the following officers were, elected for the ensuing year :—President, Mr E. J. Jenkins; vice-president, Mr W. Heppleston; secretary, Mr F. Burnley (re-elected) ; auditor, Mr G. Falder; committee, Messrs H. G. Brooks, R. Wheatly, F. A. Godfrey, R. Jenkins and M. Robinson.

Mr Fraser called attention at the meeting of the Board of Education on the 30th to the irregular way in which the schools close and open at holiday seasons. It was decided to procure a record of the days on which the various schools closed for the Christmas vacation and were opened after it.

On Wednesday morning a man named Frederick Akers fell from some steps at a house where he was boarding and received somewhat severe injuries to his face. He was taken to the Hospital, where he is reported to be progressing satisfactorily. The report that he was suffering from lockjaw in not correct.

At the Skating Rink last week, the Minister for Labour, speaking on the labour parties of New Zealand and Australia and the labour laws of this Colony, had a large and attentive audience both of unionists and the general public, A vote of thanks to Mr Reeves was carried by acclamation' the mover testifying to the confidence felt in the Minister and his colleagues.

How Pilot Posgate saved an outwardbound New Zealand ship—the Pareora—in the English Channel in 1881 is told in an interview article in the Strand Magazine for December :—“ The Pareora was a large passenger ship, belonging to the New Zealand Shipping Company. In November, 1881, we were going down the Channel. Practically I had done with the ship, as we had reached the Downs, but the captain asked me to stop by him, as it threatened to be a dirty night. Long before midnight it was blowing a terrific gale, and was as black as pitch. Suddenly I saw two vessels close upon us. One was the British Navy, a large merchant ship, which foundered during the night and drowned 20 of her crew; the other was the Larnaca, of Liverpool, both large sailing ships. Presently I saw the Larnaca’s second anchor had parted and that she was driving upon us. She came athwart our hawse and parted our cables. I was on the fo’c’sle. I saw there was no time to lose, and I gave orders to slip our cable chains. It was well for us that we were prepared. We had our foresail, foretopsail and a jib blown out, and were, going broadside on to the sand. I called out for some of the men to go up and cut away the foretopsail, which was blowing loose ; but all refused to go aloft. They asked, ‘Have we time to get down again before she goes on the sand ?’ Said I, ‘ It doesn’t matter where you are when she strikes, for not a man of you will outlive it.’ They finally went up and cut away the sails. That saved us, and we cleared the sand, just touching the spit of it. There was an awful sea on, which struck our rudder and carried our wheel clean away. But we got clear into the North Sea, where we drove before the wind four or five days. When the storm moderated, we worked our way down again to the mouth of the Thames, and the same tug that took us out of the river met us again near the Kentish Knock, and brought us back to Gravesend to refit, as wo had neither anchors nor chains.”