THE New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 1895.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1222, 2 August 1895, Page 20

THE New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 1895.

The directors of the United Farmers' Alliance, Limited, Wellington, and of the Manawatu Farmers' Co-operative Association, Limited, Palmerston North, have decided to submit a resolution to their respective shareholders advising amalgamation of the two Associations. General meetings will be called in due course for the purpose of submitting tho necessary resolutions for the consideration of tho shareholders. Tho name of the new Association will be the United Farmers' Co-operative Association, Limited. It will comprise between 1400 and 1500 shareholders, with a paid up capital of over .£20,000, and an uncalled capital of =824,000. In tho action Olsen, Hendricksen and Johnson v. D. 11. Johnston, publican, Martinborough, in which £IOO damages was claimed by each plaintiff for false imprisonment, Mr Martin, S.M., to whose judgment the matter had been referred, has given his award. It is to the effect that not one of the plaintiffs is entitled to recover anything from the defendant. Mr Jeliicoe appeared for plaintiffs, and Messrs Skerrett and Bunny for the defendant. A young man named Alfred G. Eye, son of a Normanby resident, while playing football, received a severe kick on tho head, and has since died in the New Plymouth Hospital. In the doctor's opinion, the blow caused an abscess on the brain.

The Customs officials were kept very busy on Tuesday, large clearances of goods being made in expectation of the new tariff. One firm it is said saved £SOO. Bottled beer, tobacco and spirits were tho lines most dealt in. About £5750 was collected during the day. The Customs duties collected at this port last month amounted to £30,105 Os 2d, as against £27,816 5s 3d for the corresponding month of last year, and £23,630 2s lOd in the previous month (June) of this year. The details of last month's contributions are as follow:—Spirits (in bulk), .£4467 6s lid ; spirits (in case), .£2980 16s 6d ; spirits (perfumed), £39 8s; cigars, cigarettes and snuff, £llOB 19s 6d ; tobacco, .£4757 5s 9d ; wine (sparkling), £136 9s 3d ; wine (Australian), £196 6s ; wine (other kinds), £417 4s 9d ; ale and beer, .£798 5s ; tea, .£1644 Is 7d ; coffee, chicory, cocoa and chocolate, .£137 3s 6d; sugar, molasses and treacle, .£572 7s 9d ; glucose, £26 0s 2d ; opium, £ 174 16s ; goods by weight, £2866 16s Id; ad valorem, .£9039 8s; other duties, .£731 9s ss.

A little boy named David Mackenzie, son of Mr William Mackenzie, Wauganui, had two of his fingers almost cut off on Monday while a companion was chopping a piece of wood. In our first article on the New Zealand Academy Exhibition the drawing in Mr J. M. Madden's fine picture of the Beach road, Queenstown, was described as " admissible." The word was " admirable "

in fact the drawing is one of the strong points of the picture. Owing to gales on the East Coast of the South Island, the departure of the Hud-dart-Parker liner Anglian has been further postponed, and she does not leave here for Napier, Gisborne, Auckland and Sydney until Tuesday, 6th August, at 3 p.m.

The Benevolent Society Trustees met on Tuesday afternoon. Present—Rev H. Van Staveren (chairman), Messrs F. Bradey, G. H. Baylis and C. E. W. W illesfcon. The Rev Mr Evans, who was appointed by the United District Board to supervise the administration of charitable aid, wrote asking that ho should be allowed to attend future meetings of the Trustees. It was decided to send a reply that the Trustees did not see any reason why he should be present. It was pointed out that he had already been allowed to attend one meeting. The Trustees voted 4s a week for the maintenance of a little boy. A woman with four children, whose husband had gone to New South Wales in search of work, was granted rations and 5s a week. The Trustees decided that a letter be sent to one of its contractors informing him that if he continued to depart from the conditions under which he had tendered his contract would be cancelled.

The annual meeting of the Girls' Friendly Society was held on Tuesday afternoon, Mrs Fitz Gerald (president) in the chair. There was a fair attendance. Officers and council for the ensuing year were elected as follow : —President, Mrs Fitz Gerald ; vice-presidents, Mrs Fancourt and Miss Greenwood; council, Mesdames Wallis, D. Anderson, Coffey, Vennell, Gore, Mason, Red ward, Tanner, Stock, Sprott and T. C. Williams; hon treasurer, Mrs Ashcroft; hon secretary, Miss Ashcroft. The annual report and balancesheet were read and adopted. The report referred in terms of deep regret to the

I death of Lady Jervois, the originator and ' patroness of the Girls' Friendly Society in ) New Zealand, and to the deaths of Mesdames Barraud and Burnott, who had been for some years associates jof the Society. It congratulated the Society onj the fact that Mrs Wallis, who had been connected with Girls' i Friendly Society work in England, had I consented to act on the council, and to become a working associate. The position of matron had been satisfactorily filled since January last by Miss Rix. The number of members is 95, and there are about 30 ! candidates for membership. At present there are 23 honorary, 26 working and 26 diocesan associates. The balance - sheet showed the finances to be in a favourable condition. A committee consisting of Mesdames Wallis, Eedward and Vennell, and Miss Greenwood was set up to devise means to increase the number of members. Soon after the Tainui, which arrived from London on Monday, left Teneriffe the carpenter of the steamer, named Sprague, died of inflammation of the lungs. He was very ill when the steamer left Plymouth. He leaves a widow and family in England. • A subscription in aid of the widow and : family realised over .£SO.

The cheering shortly after the members had adjourned to the lobbies after the Budget was very great. It was at first considered that this was the method adopted by the Liberal members of acclaiming the Budget. It turned out eventually, however, that this was the welcome accorded to Mr T. Thompson, the newly elect of Auckland, who was observed to be hanging up his hat and coat in the Whip's room. Not the least pleasing feature of the demonstration was the hearty reception accorded to Mr Thompson by the membdr for Eden. Other leading members of the Opposition also welcomed the new member cordially back to the councils of the nation.

The condition of the Porirua Asylum, so far as the manner in which the outer walls of the building were constructed and the comfort of the inmates threatened thereby, again came before the House on Tuesday. Mr Duthie commented strongly on the fact that the bricks of which the building was constructed were of very inferior quality and let in rain-water. The Premier admitted that the quality of the bricks was inferior, but denied that the comfort of the inmates of the Asylum was at all affected by this. If anyone was to blame for the defective bricKs it was the engineer of the department, not the particular overseer in charge of the works.

The Tainui, which arrived from London on Monday, brought 73 passengers, 11 packages and 62 boxes of mails, and 3000 tons of cargo for New Zealand ports, of which 2210 tons are for Wellington. " At the annnal meeting of parishioners of St. Stephen's Church, Marton, a committee was appointed to take steps to procure an organ for the church. The Napier Bootmakers' Union has voted .£lO to the boot strikers in Brisbane.