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New Zealand Mail, Issue 1211, 17 May 1895, Page 22

At the invitation of the Egmont Agricultural and Pastoral Association, Mr D. J. Nathan left for Hawera on Thursday to address a public meeting there on Friday in relation to his frozen meat scheme.

The Pahiatua County Council propose to raise a loan of .£2500 to repair the damage to roads and bridges by the recent flood, and a meeting of ratepayers is to be held to consider the question.

The capabilities of the Union Steam Ship Company’s steamer Takapuna and the efficiency of her officers were thoroughly tested on Tuesday afternoon shortly after she had cast off from the Queen’s Wharf on her trip to Lyttelton. When she was on the south side of the hulks, and just as she was beginning to go full steam ahead, a man was seen to fall overboard from the fore part of the vessel. The engines were quickly reversed, and the boat brought almost to a standstill, and one of the starboard boats was manned with great promptitude. Meanwhile the steam launch Kate, which was at the hulks, made direct for the man, who was swimming towards the wharf, and picked him up just as he was getting exhausted, and just as the Takapuna’s boat got up to him. The officer in charge of the boat, seeing that his services v/ere not required, rowed to the wharf and made a communication to Captain Strang with regard to the occurrence. The man who fell from the steamer was brought on shore, apparently little the worse for his mishap, and taken charge of by some friends. We understand that he had booked a passage for England by the Kaikoura. The steamer was delayed altogether 23 minutes, and the incident was watched with much interest by a large crowd of people, who appeared to be much impressed with the prompt measures taken by the ship’s officers for the man’s rescue. On Thursday week the Department of Industries and Commerce cabled to the Agent-General asking him to state the lengths, thickness, etc., flitches should be cut for furniture purposes. The reply, which came to hand on Monday, is as follows ; —“ Furniture flitches 31 inches thick ; as wide and long as possible; width very important. Figured honeysuckle is very much wanted.”

A chess and draughts tournament has been arranged for this week by the Pahiatua club.

Mr John Sawers, Government-Dairy Expert, returned on Sunday night from a three weeks’ visit to the Westland and Nelson districts. He went first of all to Greymouth, where he addressed two meetings on the subject of the necessity for establishing a butter factory on the Totara Flat. As a result the farmers there are taking the necessary steps to carry out his recommendation. Plans and specifications and the requisite detailed information have been sent to them from the

Department of Agriculture. Mr Sawers went on from Greymouth to Hokitika, and addressed a meeting at Kokit-xhi, and after visiting also the Koiterangi district he addressed a meeting in the Hokitika Town Hall, suggesting the establishment of a butter factory and three creameries in the district. A committee is now at work to ascertain what support in the way of capital and milk supplies will bo forthcoming, and in all probability the project will be launched. Subsequently Mr Sawers had a conference at Westport with the directors of the Karamea Dairy Company, visited the dairy factories at Motueka, addressed a meeting at Nelson, and. on Saturday night last gave a lecture at Richmond on co-operative dairy farming. It is highly probable that a large cheese factory will be established in the Richmond district in time to start operations by September next. Mr Sawers will be engaged for some time in Wellington pulling up arrears of departmental work, and preparing his annual report to Parliament. The Department of Industries and Commerce are sending to Canada by the outward San Francisco mail a parcel of prepared rabbit-skins, the silver grey variety especially, as the department are informed a very large trade in this commodity awaits development. The parcel is being sent to a business man in Ontario who some time since visited New Zealand and advised the department that a large trade might be done with the Dominion in rabbitskins. Furs enter very largely into the clothing of the people there during the winter months, and the fur-bearing animals peculiar to the country are decreasing in numbers while fur correspondingly increases in value. In this connection it may be mentioned that in 1893 New Zealand exported 17-A- millions of rabbitskins (valued at ,£139,000) and that 15£ millions of them were sent to London. The department also hope to open up a market in Japan for rabbitskins. We understand that during the coming session the Minister of Education will introduce a Teachers’ Appeal Court Bill. Hitherto the teachers in the employ of the State have had no recourse except at common law against wrongful dismissal or other injury affecting their position in the service. The proposed Bill will set up a tribunal that will deal with all such cases, and ensure redress if injustice has been inflicted.

Twenty men arrived from the South on Wednesday en route for Awakino, to work under the Lands Department on the alternate system.' The Talune, which arrived from Sydney on Tuesday, brought 136 passengers, of whom 81 landed at this port. She brought 14 Chinese —13 for this port and one for Dunedin.

Mr W. R. Cook, of the firm of, Cook and Gray, who have opened a branch business in Dunedin, has just been appointed by the Official Assignee as supervisor in the estate of Friedlander Bros. A man named John R. Curtis was arrested by Constable MacKinnon, of the Upper Hutt, at Akatarawa on Tuesday on a charge of stealing a horse, the property of H. C. Dowman, at Mitchelltown on Sunday last. He was brought before Mr Martin, S.M., yesterday afternoon, and remanded until Friday. Mr Haselden appeared for the accused. The Benevolent Institution will be unable to pay accounts until Saturday week, by which time it is expected a sum of £246 16s, the balance of £SOO imprest, will have been received from the United District Charitable Aid Board. At Tuesday’s meeting of the Trustees the secretary was instructed to apply to the United District Board for a sum of £7OO for the incoming month. The Hospital Trustees met on Tuesday morning. Present —Messrs F. H. Fraser, L. L. Harris, J. Danks, C. E. W. Willeston, J. Collins, It. C. Kirk, G. Allen (treasurer), H. Gaby (secretary). Accounts amounting to £390 4s Id were passed for payment. Nurses Bichardson and Alexander, on the recommendation of the Medical Superintendent, were granted further leave of absence for one week on account of illness. The Chairman reported that the following ladies had passed their examinations, and were duly qualified nurses:—Nurse Moor© passed with “ highest distinction”; Nurses Beswick, Eattigan, Palmer passed with “distinction”; and Nurses Moorhouse, Anketell and Stone also passed: Nurse Stone was promoted to be a senior probationer. It was decided that several necessary articles should be procured for the institution, and that slides to prevent draught should be placed in the wurds. In committee the Trustees decided that they could not comply with the request of Mr Haybittle, of Feilding. On Tuesday afternoon Messrs G. Thomas and Co. sold at auction the freehold farm of 50 acres at Takapu, Tawa Flat, belonging to the estate of the late Mr George Davis, to Mr George Thompson for £6OO. Mr A. G. Johnson stated at the.meeting of the Trustees of the Benevolent Institution on Tuesday that he had arranged for a number of men to clear away the slips at the Queen’s Drive. Thej started work on Wednesday. Mr E. Lee, Inspector of Schools, will visit the following schools on the dates named —Levin, 21st May ; State Farm, 23rd May; Ohau, 4th June; Tokomaru, sth June; Shannon,6th June; Kereru, Bth J une.

The Dairy Regulations Committee met in the Corporation Buildings on Tuesday afternoon. There were present—Mayor of Wellington (in the chair), Mayors of Melrose, Karori and Onslow, Messrs L. L. Harris, E. H. Beere, Cook and Speedy. An apology for the absence of Mr W. A. Frtzherbert, Mayor of the Hutt Borough, who is suffering from the effects of an accident, was received. The inspector (Mr Collier) presented his first report as to the places he had inspected. Generally the sanitary conditions were found to be satisfactory. At some places improvements were needed, and it was decided that the inspector should report at next meeting as to what improvements were required. At the meeting of the Trustees of the Benevolent Society on Tuesday Mr Collins brought up the case of a family of seven children, the eldest of whom is 13 years, requiring boots.. The poor little children were paddling about in the rain on Monday without shoes, and were unable to go to school. Mr Baylis said they could go to school without boots. Mr McKenzie said it was cruel to send the children to school without boots. Mr Baylis said the chairman of the Education Board had decided that, children could go to school without shoes, and teachers had no right to reproach the children. Mr Lancaster said it was discreditable to a community that children through no fault of their own, should have to attend school without boots. The children should have the boots. It was decided that the family, who is in receipt of rent and rations, should be supplied with boots. Mr Bradey thought that a paragraph in the paper to the effect that the Trustees required boots for poor children would induce kindly disposed people who had bools too small for their own children to send them to the Trustees.

The meeting of the Trustees of the Benevolent Society on Tuesday was attended by Messrs G. H. Baylis (in the chair), J. Collins, T. W. McKenzie, S.’ Lancaster, F. Bradey and C. E. W. WUleston. In the case of a woman with five children, who stated that her husband was in an advanced stage of consumption, it was decided to continue granting rations and rent. The woman was also receiving some assistance in the way of food from Mrs Fulton. An elderly woman asked for assistance for herself and son. They had no food or firing, and had only one shilling during the last three days. She also asked for blankets for her son, whose only covering was a quilt made of coats and bags. Her son, who had broken his leg some time ago, and was still a cripple, had earned 15s recently by carrying an advertising board. Kent and rations were granted. The secretary reported that he had received <£6 Os 6d from the Wairarapa Benevolent Institution, and £2 8s from the Horowhenua County Council for the maintenance of inmates in the Benevolent Home.