MISCELLANEOUS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1315, 13 May 1897, Page 34

MISCELLANEOUS.

Tiio Southland Acclimatisation Society begins the year willi a credit balance of .£l2l. During the year 507 trout-fishing licenses were sold. For a junior clerkship, worth <£so a year, under tlie .Lyttelton Harbour Hoard, there were 70 applicants, including married men amd young men 27years of ago. ifie Kangitikei County uouncil have decided to a«k the Government to contribute .£.OOO towards ro."t >ring communication no- os* the rivers is that district. (>ni- ?,! is< drl on correspondent says : —T!ic in:prov ed appc-iim-uco ol: the N U'.v Zkai.and Timks of late lias been favourably commented upon, and the paper is eagerly sought a! ter at midday. A practical minor, writing to the manager of the Dunedin Slur from Cape Foulwind, says :—1 have just returned from Coolgardio after twelve months of hard luck and empty pockets, and am glad to find myself again in the best country in the world. A few weeks ago a meeting was held in Huntervillo to urgo on tho a.uthorities tho necessity of erecting a cottage hospital there. A reply has now been received from Dr Macgrogor, Colonial Inspector of Hospitals, in which he expresses himself unfavourable to the proposal. It is s>i'l that tho W. Sheehan who has confessed to the murder of Miss Laweock at Amberley was onoo concerned in a sly-grog case in Camara as informer. At all events the name is the same, and tho individual had a lump on the neck similar to that described to be on the murderer. On counting out the receipts at the City Band’s concert yesterday evening (says the Southland Times) in aid of the sufferers by the Hawke’s bay floods it was found tnat generous individuals had contributed bits of tin, gun wads, pens, Ac., for the _ relief of follow colonists wlio have boon Tinned by a calamity against which there is no insurance, and of children orphaned by the drowning of , their fathers while on an errand ot mercy.

J The Gore Town Council has decided to I celebrate the record reign by a bonfire on the ! Hokonuis, to cost <£7. { The 7th of July, being Arbour Day, will be observed as a public holiday iu the Government offices throughout New Zealand. A poll taken on a proposal to borrow .£350 for the purpose of constructing the Rangiuru-by-the-Sea district roads has been carried. A five-pound note on a now do'unct Australiam bank has been passed on a local hotelkeeper. Shopkeepers had better boware. The Masterton Daily Times assorts that the postal officials at that place are being sweated, and that they are therefore unable to efficiently copo with their work. The public accounts for the past year, a memorandum of which was laid on the table of the House during the short session by the Colonial Treasurer, were published iu last week’s Gazette. New barometers are to be supplied at -all tho principal weather stations in the colony, and a number of new stations are to bo appointed to enable complete weather forecasts and records to bo made. The Defence Department have received from the Secretary of State for the Colonies tho revised regulations with rofercuco to tho entry of naval cadets into the British Navy. They are published in last week’s Gazette. A largo number of alterations and additions will require to be made to the Woodville Railway station in connection with the completion of the railway communication to that place. Amongst other things a refreshment, room will be establi-hed there. Ihe poll taken by tbe Stratford Comity Council upon the proposal to borrow £1650 to biidgo the Patea River on tho Skinner road north, and to make the necessary approaches to the bridge, and also to form, grade and metal tbe Skinner road north, has been carried. Tho members of the Loyal Antipodean Lodge. 1.0.0. F., M.U., to tho number of 16, on their bicycles, headed by P P.G.M.’s Bros. J. Smith, jun., and W. Guise, journeyed to Potone last week, and paid a sm prise visit to tho local lodge. The members of the Petono Lodge expressed their pleasure at tho compliment paid them, and ininted the visitors to a “ social ” to be held at Potone shortly. Tbe cruiser Calliope, which had been laid up at Portsmouth ever since her wonderful escape from tho harbour of Apia, Samoa, five years ago, during the fearful hurjioano which wrecked so many vessels of other nationalities, has been recommissioned as overflow ship to tho sea-going training vessol Northampton. The Calliope sailed on a cruise on the 11th March. At the request of the president of tho Wesleyan Conferenoe and of the chief officer of the Salvation Army in New Zealand, the undermentioned names have been; withdrawn from the list of officiating" ministers under the Marriage Act, 1880, for the year 1897 : VVcsdcyan Methodist Church, tho Ucv A. Frank t-milh; Salvation Army, Reuben hdwaids, Albert Pruutnell, Allan Fisher, Ernest Knight. Tbe following have been appointed r fficialing ministers : Salvation Army, Staff-Capiain William Bennett, StaffCaptain John Cain, Major Jonah Evans. 1 he Mat aura Ensign reports the capture of a baby Wild pig, the bead of which w r as shaped like an elephant's, minus the trunk. On the point of tho snout, instoad of tho orthodox nostrils, was placed an enormous eyo, unprotected by cj elids. The month was situated on the under part of the body, just at the junction of the nock and ho.ad, whilo a pair of ears sprouted from oither side of the lowor jaw. There was nothing abnormal about the other portions of the body. This monstrosity was captured on tho Glendhu estate by Messrs Collins, Gardiner and Stickles, of Mataura.

A local resident has been good enough to hand the Nor h Otago Tunes a couple of San Francisco papers, in one of which are pictures of “ Butler and his double.” The pictures show two men almost the exact counterpart of each other. While Butler was in gaol in San Francisco a man was arrested for drunkenness, and some of the police officers in the Court were horrifie i to think that Butler had escaped and been “ run in ” for drunkenness. However, the man had never heard of Butler before, and was in no way related to him The Corsican Brothers and the two fJromios are the best historical records we have of doubles; but if the pictures in the San Francisco papers are correct delineations of the men they represent, then Butler and his double must take a place with the above. Mr Hone Hoke, M.H.R., in a paper in the Christchurch Press on the future of the Maori, writes : —“ Education nowadays without means is good, but not enough. Things have so changed that influence and environment seem to dominate even education. If the Maoris are to acquire education at all in its truest sense, and fit themselves to follow in the course of civilisation, then I repeat they must be given tho same rights to their property as their European neighbours, and it is only just to remove the cumbersome and oxpensive modes of procedure which obtain at present. If ab this is done, then the Maoris will have their way clearly defined to all our grades of education— even io the highest. If all this is done, then I think their homes can be bettered, their living made more certain, and there need be no fear as to the race dying out. Everything would bo in their favour to qualify them-elves as good settlors, citiz'n* and colonists, and so to become a part of, and not apart from, tho nation we arc striving to build on the fish that Maui brought to tho surface of tho Pacific Ocean.” We have reason to know that an English detective has arrived in New Zealand, and is at present engaged in making enquiries in a certain district in the North Island iu reference to the Sunderland bank robbery, one of the perpetrators of which is supposed to be iu this colony. Tho robbery is thus described,, in a Home paper : —“ The bank at which tho robbery was committed is the North-Eastern in Fawcett street. When the son of the manager came down in the morning, he found that the lock of the safe would not yield to the ordinary keys. A locksmith managod to open the safe, and it was then seen that during the night a daring robbery bad been effected. Copper, silver, gold and notes lay strewn about the safe, and a hurried investigation showed that the burglars must have taken something like <£3553 in gold, and a considerable sum in rotes. It was supposed that the doors of the bank were opened by a master key, which was used to lock them again when the.thieves left. Tho locks of the door leading into the strong room are three in number, and a knowledge of the combination is necessary to their successful opening. How tho thieves managed to deal with the locks of the safes inside was a complete mystery. The caretaker and his wife, though sleeping in the upper rooms of the premises, heard no noise during the night.”

The Native Land Ctiurfc is to sit at Levin on 15th4nst. The harbourmaster at Wanganui, in his monthly report, states that there is now 12ft of water on the bar at high springs. An <_>amaru man is trying the experiment of placing sprats on the Sydney market. He has taken across six tons of these fish. The Engineer to the Rangitikei County Council estimates the loss to that county by the recent heavy flood at >£33,400. The undesirable light-fingered gentry are still with us. A few lays ago a resident of this city was relieved of his watch and chain in a tramcar. The organ of All Saints’, Dunedin (the church of Dean Fitchett), is to be entirely overhauled and reconstructed under the direction of Mr Hobday, the well-known organ-builder, of Wellington. Thei e is a possibility of the overflow of the Oroua river in the vicinity of Reid’s line, which has flooded the Taonui and Mangaono atreams, cutting a fresh channel and course in the direction of Palmerston. During the late floods four piles of the Wanganui Heads’ wharf were broken owing to the pressure of the Store-bird and Huia, which were lying alongside during the fresh. The harbourmaster suggests that the damaged piles should be replaced by ironbark timber instead of totara. The s.s. Waikato, which arrived at Port Lyttelton on Thursday morning from London, brought three red deer stags and six heads, 27 pheasants, 11 red-legged (BTench) partridges and eight English partridges, to the order of tho Canterbury Acclimatisation Society. Tho whole of tho animals wero in excellent condition.

A Home for Domestic Servants is about to be established in Auckland by the Sisters of Mercy. Young women seeking situations will be given a home there if they have none other, and will be received when ill and nursed back to health, instead 'of being compelled, as is too frequently the case, to stay in lodging-houses amongst coldly indifferent strangers. A Chinaman charged at tho Dunedin Police Court with haying under-sized fish in his possession greatly surprised His W r orship by saying that ho placed the fish in a coffin 1 o keep them alive. “ What! in a coffin,” interjected His Worship. ” \ es,” replied the Celestial. Mr Hanlon, counsel for tho defence, hero oxplained that a coffin was a floating box. A proposal to raise a loan of .£BOO for metalling a portion of the main WaiukuMaioro road has been carried by the ratepayers of the Waipipi Hoad Board. A special rate of §d in tho pound has been made on all ratable property in No. 1 subdivision for the purpose of making provision for paying interest and sinking fund on the loan. The voyage of the scow Rata, from Auckland to Wellington, has indeed been an eventful one, but the details are too fresh in the minds of our readers to need recapitulation. Captain Harrison states that even after leaving Napier the vessel’s bad luck stayed with her, but at last she succeeded in reaching her destination in safety on Saturday. The Rata is the vessel which has been chartered to carry to the beach near West Wanganui the new machinery for tho Taitapu Gold Estates Gold Mining Companv. During an interview with a Wanganui Herald representative last week Dr Maegregor said, in reference to the new Wanganui Hospital, that its up-to-date character placed it above any other institution of its kind in the colony. It stands as a monument to the energy and perseverance of the townspeople. Referring to the payment of fees for medical assistance received by patients, tho doctor said that a most pernicious system was creeping in which was anything but fair to the taxpayers, for in many instances those who could well afford to pay for medical advice sought it in an underhand way at the expense of the people. The exclusive right of supplying both bulk and case whisky to the “ Great Victorian Era Exhibition ” has been obtained by Mr Peter Dawson, of Dufftown, Glenlivet, for his celebrated Three Diamond Perfection Whisky. This exhibition is to be opened in London this month, and is to be held to commemorate the Diamond Jubilco of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, and which will serve to illustrate tho progress in the arts and sciences during the longest reign on record. The difference in distillery methods between the time of Her Majesty’s accession in 1837 and the present day will be fully illustrated. Mr Dawson intends working a new still in tho Exhibitionii. tho wme manner as those used in his own distibery. A disgraceful scene took place at Petone on Saturday at the conelmion of the Athletic-Oriental football match for the Juuior Cup. Mr B. J. Finucaue, the referee, gave a decision that did not meet with tho approval of a lirge portion of the spectators, who wore mostly composed of young feliows resident at Petone. they hooted, jeered and jostled Mr Finucano on tho ground and then followed him through the township to the railway station, the while hooting him. It is to be hoped that the Rugby Uni n will fully enquire into the matter and make an example of the offenders. The season is only just commencing, and if tho Petone “ barrackers ” are to be allowed to take up a similar attitude every time a deoisioii given by a referee does not meet with their approb tion the greatest difficulty will be experienced in getting men act at all. The gentlemen who gave their services should be protected as far as possible, and the Union should therefore take steps to prevent a repetition of Saturday’s scene.

The income returns are to be sent in by Ist July to the Commissioner of Taxes. A smill boy drew the prize of a gold man of the value of 1000 sovereigns at the Druids’ Gala -in Melbourne.

There were 22 saloon. and 32 steerage passengers from Sydney by tbe Hauroto on Sunday, and of these 10 saloon and 15 steerage were for Wellington. The total estimated population of the colony on March 31st was 757,503 —40C,537 males and 356,968 females —including 39,834 Maoris.

Mr Mountford, of the Survey Department has joined the party which is engaged in the survey of the Taihopo special settlement near Humerville, and the work is being pushed on with all possible speed. A telegram has been received at Wellington from Mr C. Williams, late of Petone, which states that he has discovered a very rich reef in tho Earl Brassoy lease, Victoria range, Reefton. The Monowai, with the English mails of 17th April, left San Francisco on tbe 29th April, due date. The Alameda, with the colonial mails of the 17th April, arrived at San Francisco on the 6th May, time-table date.

The return of the value of imports at the several ports of New Zealand during the quarter ended 31st March amounted to <£2,248,719. and for the eorresponding quarter of 1890 £> 1,712,528. Tho exports for the past quarter of this yoar amounted to <£{-,125,054, and for the corresponding quarter of last year <£4,327,032.

The total number of vessels entered inwards at the several ports of New Zealand during the quarter ended 31st March was 156, of a tonnage of 171,630, and with crows numbering in all 5443. The number that was entered outwards was IG4, of a tonnage of 184,389, and carrying crews numbering 5679.

Mr S. G. Martin, secretary of the National Mutual Life Association, has received cabled advices from Melbourne to the effect that tho taking over of tho business of the Mutual Assurance Society of Victoria has been approved by the Supreme Court, so that the members of the latter society will have become members of the National Mutual as from yesterday. By this accession of business the yearly income of the Association is ir.crens-’d to £>450,000, and tho invested funds to <£2,500,00. At Jolmsonville last week a successful gathering was held in aid of tho Hawke’s B<>y Relief Fund. Mr 11. A. Field, M.H.R., presided. There was a strong contingent from this city to aid the entertainment, including Messrs Hale and Paterson, whose recitals wero warmly received. Among tho singers were Mrs Snaddon, Mrs Muller, Miss Daniels, Mrs Lundin, Messrs W. Watson, ’ Liddle, Munt, C. Bould, Usrnar, K. Better. The Roselle Surprise Party also assisted, and Mis 3 May played the accompaniments. Tho concert was followed by a dance. Tho Feilding Borough Council waxed highly indignant at their last meeting, when they were presented with an account of licensing election expenses totalling £>lo9 3s. Some of the charges were described as simply monstrous, and it was pointed out that the amount claimed equalled 26 per cent, of tho total revenue received from licenses in the electorate. However, after several items for “ refreshments and horse feeds ” had been rejected as a protest, the accounts were passed for payment. - r Captain Fry, of the barque William Man son, left for Auckland by the 4 aliapuna last Friday evening for the purpose of conferring with the heads of the New Zealand Insurance Company, in which Society the barque is insured. In all probability the work of repairing the vessel will be commenced at an early date, and Captain Fry is confident that afterwards his boat will be as staunch and *taut as ever, and capable of holding her own in any stormy weather. The William Manson is still making water, but very little. At Kilbirnie last week a complimentary “ social ” was tendered to Mr Charles Wilson, M.H.R. for Wellington Suburbs, which was very largely attended by the electors of the district. The Hons T. Thompson and W. Hall-Jones were also present. The guost of the evening, accompanied by Mrs Wilson, arrived a little afte- 9 o’clock, and was cord-ally welcomed by Mr Heginbotbam, chairman of Mr Wilson’s Kilbirnie committee. Mr Wilson, in reply, thanked those who had worked so hard in his interest during the recent election, and for the honourable position in whi-R they had placed him. He expressed his sincere pleasure at the warm welcome they had extended to Mrs W ilson and himself. A>tor the speeches tho

proceedings were of a social nature, and a very pleasant evening was spirit. Says the Wairarapci Daily Times : —The recent accident near Kaitoke naturally makes travellers a little uncomfortable, but the lino as a rule is carefully managed, and incidents like that of Monday week are of raro occurrence. It has been suggested that a,contingency such as tho one which brought about this misadventure should have been prevented by a special regulation. '1 ho next derailment which takos place will probably bo due to some other cause, and if regulations could be now framed in anticipation of it wo might have reason to be grateful. Tho accident which has already taken place will be a sufficient warning to careless or thoughtless platelayers, but now and again some careless or thoughtless conduct of a railway servant will undoubtedly imperil tho safety of tho public. Good all-round management is the best preventative, and there is some reason to believe that wo have this to a reasonable degree. Rome of tho Lower Ttangitikci settlers suffered severely by tho recent floods. vVe learn that Mrs Amon lost over 500 sheep, many acres of land which were washed away, j a quantity of fencing, several horsos, and tho house furniture. Six hundred acres of land were covered with silt, 400 of which will grow no grass till next spring. Tho family of ; ino were on the kitchen tablo for several hours during the flood. Mr Scott, a neighbour, lost, ho estimates, <£soo worth of horses, a valuable flock of sheep, 500 bushels of oats and a great deal of fencing, and much of his land was siltod up. Mr Daniel, punt-keeper, lost oil his possessions, and estimates his loss at .£OSO. Mr McKelvie lost stock and crops, and had miles of fencing rased to the ground. His monetary loss will be about J 2500. Mr Burns, a small settler, had his orchard ruined, and lost 00 sheep. All his fences were levelled. His loss is to him very serious. Mr T. U. McKenzie, of Poyntyfield, lost 100 sheep, and estimates that it will take .£3OO to cover his damage generally. He thinks the silt will improve his land considerably. Mr A. A. McDonnell lost 100 sheep, and had 400 acres of land silted over, which will necessitate tho sale of more of his sheep. The bulk of his furnituro was destroyed. His loss will bo over £I3OO, not including the covering up of the grass,

I Typhoid fever is rather prevalent in the j Forty-mile Bush at the present time. I Further rumours of a payable gold reef j having been found in the ranges have reached j Grey town. ' The local paper says that a Maori boy was ; born at Otaki a few days since with six toes ! on each foot. For the past week or two the Lyttelton j harbour has been simply teeming with fish, j mostly cod, which are being caught by the • boatload. Nearly everyone who has a iitt e time to spare, and can get a boat, has be .*n . taking a hand in the' sport of fishing. A meeting was held at Eltham on Wednesday to take stops to raiso funds for the sufferers by the floods in Hawke’s Bay, but as a local settler, Mr J. K. Franks, had iost his right hand by a dynamite accident, it was decided to canvass for subscriptions on his behalf instead. Mr J. Howan, of Foxton, lias purchased his father's interest in tho s.s. Sunbeam, as j she now lios at the bottom of the river. So j far any attempt that has been made to raise her has proved futile. However, Mr J Howan is quite confident that ere long ho will have her raised. The intelligent and prompt action of Constable Roelie, who was responsible for (he arrest of the Amberley murderer, has been favourably commented upon all over the colony, and Mr R. Meredith, MTI.il , has written to the Minister of Justice asking that tho constable’s services bo fittingly recognised. Tenders are called for 30 gold medals to be presented in connection with-the New Zealand Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Association’s championship show, to bo held in Auckland on the 15th, 16th and 17th of July next. Tho show will bo tho fourth undertaken by tho Association. Tenders for tho manufacture of tho medals must be in by tho 2Gfch inst. Tho following statistics wero given by tho minister’s warden at St. John’s Church, Kangiora, in reference to tho despised threepenny. He stated that in list year’s offertories there were 8 sovereigns, 12 half sovereigns, 63 half-crowns, 181 florins, 11S9 shillings, 1969 sixpences, 3614 threepenny pieces and 514 pennies. The humble threepenny pieces seems to hare added largely Lo tlio receipts. Shopkeepers had better see that tbanweights and measures are properly stamped. The Inspector is on the warpath, and on Monday ho increased the revenue by over £B. Two Europeans and three Chinese were charged with having unstamped weights ni their possession, and wero fined in sums ranging from 5s to <£3, with costs. jhe Mes-ageries Maritiines Company an-

nounce that in order that passengers travelling by their steamer Polynesien, leaving Sydney on May 19th and Melbourne on May 22nd, may reach London in time to witness the record reign celebrations, the voyage will be accelerated, and tbe passengers landed in Marseilles on the 20th June and London 21st June In regard to the clashing of dates between the Wellington and Manawatu shows, Mr McHardy, at the meeting of the Manawatu Agricultural and Pastoral Association on Saturday, sa’d he had been making enquiries with a view of ascertaining the effect it would have on the Manawatu show so far as the attendance was concerned, but in every -instance he had beon informed by the people that they were going to attend the Manawatu show. (Applause.) The police have received information of a peculiar incident which occurred at Longburn on Saturday. A man named John Miles went into tho Longburn Hotel, and after drinking one glass of whisky he lay down upon a sofa and became unconscious. All efforts to rouse him proved futile, and the police wero then communicated with. Sergeant - Major Scanlon despatched Dr Satchell, accompanied by Constable Breen, to investigate the matter. Upon an examination of the patient being made the doctor ordered his removal to the hospital, where he lies at present in a critical condition. A meeting of settlers w&s held at Mangamako last Saturday to discuss matters in reference to the Otara Bridge. Councillor Atkinson was voted to the chair. The meeting expressed itself very strongly in favour of proceeding with the erection of the bridge without further delay, bolding that they had a distinct agreement with the Kiwitea Comity Council to erect a bridge if the settlers would raise the necessary loans to complete tho roads leading to tho bridge this they had done. It was further pointed out that the councils wero practically asking the settlers at that end to suffer for tho losses at the lower end o f the district. Messrs Pemberton and Bryce intimated that a meeting was to bo held the same night at Pemberton, and tho ratepayers on the Ohingaiti side would be askon to co-operate. The folio wing resolution was carried unanimously:—That the local bodies be asked to establish temporary communication at once, and that tlio Kiwitea County Council be urged to proceed with tbe erection of a bridge, pointing out that if the bridge be nnt proceeded with the Council is distinctly breaking faith with the settlers who ai-e now paying special rates on loans raised for the construction of roads under an agreement with the Council to erect a bridge.

The town of Gore is at present busy in preparing for an industrial exhibition. A horse was killed by the train in the vicinity of the Feilding Railway Station on Thursday. The third prize in the Druids’ art union was won by Mr C. Woods, of the White Hart Hotel, Christchurch. It is likely that a Brass Bands Association will be formed at Greymouth to include the bands of the West Coast. The Government has decided to subsidise the expenditure on the Pareora bridge, Canterbury, by ill for j£l up to «£SCO. . According to Mr Mac £ wan, there is a very strong feeling amongst importers at Homo that Australasian produce should be shipped on a consignment basis. The Pctone Borough Council have just received from England a number of enamel plates, bearing the different names of the streets in tlio township, which will be placed in position as soon as possible. The Wairoa, Ma'uia and Nuliaka natives intend, as soon as the obsequies in connection with Waata Karihuka aro over, to make a collection, principally of produce, in aid of the Hawke’s Bay Flood Relief Fund. Mr Park, M R.C.V.S., Government Bacteiiologist. will shortly visit the Taranaki district for the purpose of applying the tuberculin test in cases of cows suffering with tuberculosis. Mr li S. Smythe has arranged with Mr Durward Bely to give SO recitals of “ Scottish Song and Story ” in Australia and Now Zealand. The tour will commence in May next year. Messrs Dwan Bros, report having sold Mr Robert Buckeridge’s interest in tho Lovin Hotel, Levin, to Mr '1 homas Sidey, well known in the Hawke’s Bay district; also, the froehold, furniture and goodwill of Mr Fabian’s Club Hotel, Greytown, to Mr Maurice 1 yons, of Palmerston Norih. Heavy rain fell in the Hawke’s Bay district on S:< tm day night, and tho rivers rose immediately. One result was that wliou tho through train from Napier to Wellington reached the Wailangi deviation yesterday morning tho water was running six inches over tHo rails, and a delay of balf-an-hour was caused.