LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1610, 7 January 1903, Page 48

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Instructions have been, given that the number of Government surveyors employed in the North Island is to be considerably increased this month, in order to expedite the opening up of Crown lands.

“ The Yeomen of the Guard” was performed by the Rangitikei Operatic Society on Thursday and Friday evenings. Mr J. G. Wilson, the conductor, was given three cheers by the audience after the second performance. Miss Kilgour appeared as Elsie Maynard, I -iss N. Parsons as Phoebe Meryll, Miss D. Stevens as Dame Carruthers, Mr N. C. Holdaway as Colonel Fairfax, Mr R. A. Wilson as the jester, Jack Point, and Mr A. McKenzie as the gaoler, Wilfred Shadbolt.

The Board cf Trade has approved the use of life-belts made o$ kapok instead of cork. A committee of the Marine Board of Victoria reported ’having considered the application of the Melbourne Steamship Company for approval of a life-belt constructed of kapous:. The committee, after due inquiry, found that the life-belt complied with the regulations for the equipment of ships, and recommended that it be accorded the formal approval cf the Board. Special attention was drawn by the committee to the fact that the life belt was made of ordinary kapok, ~and that as such material is largely used in tiie manufacture of mattresses, pillows and cushions used on shipboard, there existed an addition to the usual equipment wthich. might not be generally known, and which in certain circumstances might prove invaluable m assisting persons in the water until picked up. - . On Monday in Manners street, Jjamediately opposite the Royal Oak Hotel Victor Grouhand, aged about twelve years, while iu the act of alighting from the front part of a tram while it was in motion, missed his footing, and the lower part of his right leg came under the wheels of the car. The foot was almost completely severed by the sharp iron flange of the wheel. The car was •immediately stopped, and some bystanders rushed to the assistance ol the poor little fellow, who stood upon one foot for a then lay on the around crying piteously. He was picked up and Messrs Dalgleish, Rivers and Du"gan, of the Anderson Dramatic Company, and H. ’Wilson, of the ’Wristcrn Hotel rendered prompt assistance. Medical aid was telephoned for, but some twenty minutes elapsed before it arrived. In the meantime one of the gentlemen named had succeeded in arresting the hemorrhage bv tying his handkerchief around the injured limb fa.igh.er up. On the arrival of two aoctors, the patient was removed to the establishment of Mr Wilton, chemist, on a stretcher, and his wounds having been temporarily dressed, he was conveyed in the ambulance to Newtown Hospital. On reaching there amputation was found necessary, owing to the extensive nature of the laceration. The hoy belongs to a family residing at Adelaide road, Newtown, and was in the employment of Mr Lloyd, jeweller, Lambton quay. The driver of the tram was Walter Mangin, and conductor, Albert Pearry.

News has been received in town of the death at Karamea of Mr Robert Packer, engineer of the steamer Te Xapu, who was 'well-known in shipping circles. He was engineer on various steamers of the Union Company, including the Ohau, Hauroio and Pukaki.

Interviewed at Dunedin, the Rev W. Cuff, of Shoreditch Tabernacle, who has come to the colonies with his wife for a holiday,questioned as to the social condition of the masses in the Old Country, said he thought the people generally speaking, appeared to be going up in the social scale. “But,” said Mr Cuff, “the great curse is the abject indifference of great masses of the people. They have turned their backs on church and chapel alike, and it is next to impossible to rouse them to enthusiasm about any social, religions or political question. This trouble is increasing. It is like a pall over the people. It seems impossible to puncture or pulverise it.. The people will not turn up to record a vote even at local elections or at the Parliamentary elections either. It was their abstention from the polling booths that gave the Government their big majority at the last election.”

It is considered practically certain that the next chess championship tournament will he held in Wellington at the end of the present year, though the fixture has not yet been made. Amongst local chess players satisfaction has been expressed at the honour earned by iVlr Grierson, the present champion of the colony. The Aucxiand player has many friends in this city, who admire him as much for his pluck as his ability. Apropos of the next tournament, it may be mentioned that Mr F. Hollins, an. English chess player of proved ability, now residing in Taranaki, will be a contestant. Mr Hollins defeated in ■ a match the amateur champion of the London Chess Club, and in matches with other eminent amateurs he was -in all instances successful. His presence in the next tournament will lend additional interest to it. Mr Mason, an ex-champion of the colony, will, at the next contest, make another attempt for championship honours. An inquest was held at the morgue on Monday afternoon by the District Coroner (Mr James Ashcroft) regarding the death of a man unknown whose body was recovered from the harbour on Sunday. From the evidence given by the brass-boy of the steamer Rotomahatia, it was in a measure shown that » the body was that of a man who came, from Picton to Wellington by the Rotomahana on the trip made by that vessel on thp 26th ultimo. The lad recognised the body as being that of a man whom he saw on the trip across the 'Strait, and subsequently on the Queen’s Wharf, in an intoxicated condition. The occurrence of a man falling into the harbour was reported on Boxing Night, on which occasion it was stated that a hat belonging to the man was found on the wharf. The hat was missing from the body found on Sunday. There were papers found on the body bearing the name of Harris, but there was nothing to prove that the name was that borne by deceased. The jury returned a verdict of found drowned.

The following are the export returns for Wellington for the month of December: —Butter, 11,217 cwt value £54,361; cheese, 5112 cwt, value £10,991; frozen beef, 660 cwt, value £967; mutton, 52,715 cai’cases, 26,959 cwt, value £37,785; mutton pieces, 385ewt, value £557; lamb, 11,089 carcases, 3186 cwt, value £5204.

„ A resident of the Buller district, according to the “Westport Times,” underwent a remarkable operation the other day for cancer, which had attacked the root of the tongue the palate and the lower jaw. He went to Napier, where the growth, with the entire tongue and lower jaw were removed by Dr Caro at his private hospital. The patient, the “Times” adds, is well on the way to recovery. Two New Zealand journalists now in Sydney are reported to bo in a serious state of ill-health. Mr Joseph Evison. formerly editor of the “Catholic Times” in is said to he dying ot cancer; and Mr J. A. Wilkinson, wellknown for his connection with the “Wan_ gan?ui Herald” and other journals, and as a Parliamentary correspondent, is in a critical condition in the public hosnital.

The employees of Mr C.. E. Darnell, Masterton, whose woodware and carriage factory was destroyed by fire on Christmas morning, offered, by way cf expressing their sympathy for him m his loss, to give him a week’s work without payment. Mr Daniell would not accept this proof of their generosity, but finally, as the men persisted, agreed to take half a week’s gratuitous service, on condition that the artisans who had lost their tools in the fire should be allowed to participate in the benefit of this offer, the employer making up their share in another way Already many seats have been ticketed off in the chamber of the House of Representatives by members of the new Parliament. Mr W. T. Wood, member loi Palmerston, will occupy the seat formerly held by Mr Hornsby, and his companion will be Mr Graham, of Nelson, Avho intends to move over to the seat immediately facing the Speaker, which was occupied by Mr Collins in last Parliament. Mr Jennings, the new member for Egmont, will take Mr Barclay's old seat, on the other side of Mr Wood, and next to Mr Fowlds, of Auckland. ’ The seat- near the Government benches which Mr Napier formerly held has now been claimed by Mr Flat man. Mr T. E. Taylor will have the seat on the cross-benches which Mr Gilfedder had in last Parliament, just behind Mr Fisher. Mr Laurenson-has ticketed Mr Graham’s old seat in the same row, and Mr T. H. Davey will be just behind him, in the place where Mr Meredith sat. Mr Hone Heke, who was in last Parliament on the back row of the Opposition benches, has taken a seat immediately beside the door facing the Speaker, in that part of the chamber formerly reserved for strangers. The seat which Mr Atkinson occupied win next session be taken by Mr Herdman; Mr Lewis will be next to Mr R. H. Rhodes, on the last row of the Opposition benches, and Mr Major will be in the place from which his predecessor for Hawera, Mr McGuire, was wont to address the House. ~

Mr Thomas Hughan, Crown Lands ranger-in Otago, has retired from the public service, after thirty years’ useful work.

The master butchers • of Wellington and other parts of the colony are seeking to have certain amendments made in the Slaughtering and Inspection Act in next session of Parliament. Those who are moving in this matter consider it a hardship, if an animal is condemned as unfit for human consumption after having been purchased by a butcher, though that purchaser paid a high price for the animal, believing it to be sound, that the butcher should receive only one-third of £B, the value of the carcase as fixed by law. The butchers claim that it is unjust that they should be called upon to pay the whole cost of the animal and of condemnation, less onethird of £B, and that it would be fairer to ask the vendor, who has perhaps been in possession of the animal for a considerable time, to bear a proportion of this loss. It is intended to take united action throughout the colony on the part of butchers to bring this matter under the notice of the Go’/ernment so as to secure an amendment of .the law.

An inquirer has been vainly seeking information in Wanganui as to the cause of such a prolonged contmuanoe of heavy winds as has been experienced of late. In reply to his query, Captain Edwin supplies the following:— The heaviest winds generally accompany atmospheric disturbances of greater than ordinary dimensions. These take more time in passing over the "country than those of less magnitude, and when, as has been the case for some months past, disturbances covering larger areas and of greater .energy than usual have followed one another at more frequent intervals than usual, high winds continue longer than under ordinary conditions. The winter in both hemispheres has been prolonged. The atmospheric conditions have everywhere been unusual, and though our summer is undoubtedly very late we have not suffered as much as other countries from these exceptional circumstances. •

The following is taken from a London contemporary : —The New Zealand and African Steam Ship Company (the successful tenderers for the New Zealand Government’s subsidy for a direct line of steamers to South Africa) has been floated. Capital, £250,-000, in £lO shares. Objects, to carry on the business of shipowners, shipbuilders, shiprepairers, charterers of ships and' vessels, warehousemen, merchants, ship and insurance brokers, managers, underwriters and insurers of ships, goods! and (other property, A'eight contractors, carriers, forwarding agents,wharfingers, barge' owners, lightermen, importers and exporters of meat, provisions arid merchandise, sheep-fanners, stock-own-ers and breeders, graziers, dairy farmers, carriers of passengers and goods, mails, troops, treasure and merchandise, etc. No initial public issue. The number of managers is to be two ; one is to be nominated by the Federal Steam Navigation Company, Limited, and the other by the directors of Houlder Bros, and Co., Limited; registered office, 2, Fenohurch avenue, E.C.

The result of the lawn tennis District Shield match, played at Wanganui on New Year’s Day. was a win for Wanganui from Palmerston North by eighteen sets to nil. Wanganui has now to play Masterton on a date to be arranged.

The death is announced at New Plymouth of Mi* Levi Sarteu, at the ago of sixty-two. Deceased landed as a child at New Plymouth 'from the first ship on 31st March, 1842. He was a wellknown citizen and a member of the Harbour Board.

Over one hundred specially-selected merino rams, consigned to Dalgety and Co. by two well-known breeders in Victoria, for sale by auction, were landed at Port Chalmers on Wednesday. The breeders of the sheep were Mr F. Beggs, of Bushy Creek, Victoria, and Mr S. F. Stoughton, of “Staughton Vale.” near Geelong. A Press Association telegram from Wanganui states that at a public meeting on Monday night, Mr J. F. McL Beth, who has been chief postmaster there for tue past twen-ty-five years, and has been promoted to be chief postmaster at Christchurch, was presented with an illuminated address and a purse of sovereigns.

One of the New Zealand teachers v.lio went to South Africa, Miss A. Preston, of Kuniara, who is now engaged in a school in Pretoria, gives an account in a letter to a relative in Canterbury of a memorial servico in the Pretoria cemetery on November Ist in honour of the fallen British soldiers. “At tho cemetery,” she writes, “we found quite a crowd of people. A large cross had been erected in one of the paths, and piles of flowers were at the foot. The military hand played, and soldiers were lined up all round. After a most impressive service, in which five ministers took part, we .were asked to decorate the soldiers’ graves. Miss Guise, a Christchurch girl, Miss Ferguson and 1 had taken flowers with us, and we looked for the New Zealand graves and placed our flowers on them. Two Christchurch hoys are buried there— Dudley and Ross I think are their names. I found the grave of a young fellow I knew at home. .It is sad to .see so many graves, but they are ail beautifully kept by the Society of Loyal Women. The New Zealand boys’ graves we could distinguish quite easily from the others, as each of them has a small iron cross with a shield on it.”