THE New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1895.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1213, 31 May 1895, Page 20

THE New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1895.

The Premier left on Wednesday for the West Coast. He intends to return about 10 days hence. By an accidental omission the name of Mr T S. Lambert does not find place amongst the list of the gentlemen who were present at the Governor s leve6 on the Queen's Birthday. George Giffen, the well-known cricketer, has been presented with an address and 400 sovereigns in recognition of bis valuable services in the test and intercolonial cricket matches. A meeting of the Wellington Assembly of the Knights of Labour was held on the 29th, when it was decided to submit the following resolutions to the District Assembly:—(l) That the Government be askedto grant bush settlers their selections free of rent for the first three years; (2) that the Government be asked to reduce the railway rates on perishable produce irrespective of distance; (3) that the polltax on Chinese be increased to dSIOO.

At the meeting of the Board of Education on the 29th the Chairman, m reply to the Rev J. Paterson, stated that last year the Board increased the salaries of pupil teachers by .£1294 per annum. Subsequently it was found that the revenue was not increasing as rapidly as they had anticipated, and the Board decided that as its account at the bank was overdrawn, all salaries should remain as they were then—July, 1894—a1l increases being suspended from that date until the Board's financial condition improved. As a matter of fact, added Mr Blair, last year the pupil teachers received two increases—one being on the basis of general increase to salaries of junior teachers and another on the basis of their increased classification.

Mr Marchant, Crown Lands Commissioner for Canterbury, arrived by the Waihora on the 29th to attend a meeting 1 of the Land Purchase Board for the Canterbury district, which takes place to-day. There are from 15 to 20 offers of properties under the Land for Settlements Act to be considered. None of the properties are of large extent, the total area being- under 50,000 acres. The Land Purchase Board for the Otago district is to meet shortly.

Dr W. G. Grace scored 257 for Gloucester in a match against Kent. This is his second innings of over 200 in less than a fortnight. The Department of Labour chanced upon a joker the other day. When the Women's Bureau was started a circular was sent out to householders apprising them of the fact that a register of unemployed women had been started, and that those in quest of domestic help or willing hands for officecleaning and such other work as usually falls to the lot of the gentler sex might be suited at the Bureau. One of these missives fell into the hands of the wag in question, and he promptly returned it with the following memo, insciibed on a turnedtip corner: —" We are not taking any office-cleaning just now, thank you. But if you happen to have anything going in the artistic line, Pm your Moses." Accompanying these lines was a pen and ink sketch representing the artist in an attitude of ease, with a palette and mahlstick in his hand and a pot of paint at his feet.

Dr Newman moved, at the meeting of the Education Board on the 29th, " That, in the opinion of this Board, technical instruction should be more largely given in the State schools ; that the syllabus should be revised and modernised. This Board suggests a conference of all the Education Boards for this purpose." Mr Fraser seconded the motion, which was carried, and the secretary was instructed to communicate with the other Boards of the Colony with regard to a conference.

A man named Charles Waters, an oyster saloon-keeper, of Cuba street, who had been arrested by Acting-Detective Bishop, was charged before Mr Martin, S.M., on the 29fch on an information, charging him with having on the Ist January, 1890, at the Registry Offica, Hanover square, London, married Jane Russell, his former wife, Charlotte Waters, being still alive. The information was laid by Jane Russell, for whom Mr Jellicoe appeared. Accused was remanded until this morning, bail being fixed at two sureties of .£3O each.

At Napier on Tuesday Mr J. V. Brown, acting on behalf of the Theatre Royal Company, sued Messrs Williamson and Musgrove, the well-known theatrical firm, for <£3o, rent of the theatre for six days. The defendants did not appear to contest the claim. From the evidence of the plaintiff it seems that the manager of the Royal Comic Opera Company, which toured the Colony a short time ago, wrote engaging the theatre for six nights from March 4th to 9th, an order which was never countermanded, although the building was not used, the company passing Napier. Mr Turnbull gave judgment for the amount claimed (<£3o), with costs £3 4a.

Mr George Leitch is very busy in Sydney arranging for the production of " The Land of the Moa," and the artists are hard at work, Mr Leitch having been able to secure the paint-room of the Criterion Theatre. All the managers are keenly interested, several having suggested the advisability of producing the work for the first time in Sydney. The original programme will be adhered to,however, and the first production will be given in Wellington. All the popular artists are, we understand, liberally assisting Mr Leitch with valuable sketches and suggestions.

Mr J. Sawers, Chief Dairy Expert, leaves next week —probably Tuesday or Wednesday—on a visit to Newman, near Eketahuna, to hold a meeting of the settlers in reference to the erection of a local dairy factory. Upon his return it is most likely that he will proceed to Cheviot regarding the equipment of the dairy factory there, which is now in course of erection and almost completed.

Shortly before 11 p.m. on the 29fch Constables Cameron and Smith, who were on duty near the Opera House, were informed that a man was engagod in throwing stones in Manners street, near the Bank Hotel, and that he had practically cleared the thoroughfare. When Smith arrived at the spot, slightly ahead of Cameron, the man threw a big blunt stone, which hit the constable's shako just on the side of the badge, and, breaking through, inflicted a very severe cut on his forehead, the wound bleeding- profusely. The constable staggered and fell, being nearly stunned by the force of the blow, but he was lifted up by some persons who had witnessed the occurrence, and soon quite recovered consciousness. The man who had thrown the stone started to enter one of the shops in Manners street, but was arrested by Constable Cameron, who found that he had in his hand another stone similar to that which had struck Constable Smith. The prisoner, whose name is Steele, was taken to the Central Police Station, and charged with being drunk and disorderly and assaulting Constable Smith. The constable was attended to by Dr Pollen, who dressed the wound on his forehead.

In the Christchurch Magistrate's Coxirt on Wednesday morning, cases were called against twelve publicans for Sunday trading. Cross informations had also been laid by the publicans against three men for inciting and procuring in regard to the offence named j also against these three, together with another man, for conspiring to incite and procure the offences charged against one or the publicans. 4-s the two Stipendiary Magistrates were otherwise engaged, the cases were formally adjourned sine die.