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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 6081, 28 September 1880, Page 2

The Liugard Dramatic Company open at the Theatre Koyal on the 11th October, according to present arrangements. A meeting of the Board of College Governors will be held on Friday next, at the Provincial Buildings. Thera will be a sitting of the Supreme Court in Banco to-morrow at 11, before the Chief Justice. There are a largo number of cases on the list.

| The proceedings of the City Council at its meeting on Thursday will be interrupted at 8 p.m. by a full dress parade of the Municipal Fire Brigade in front of the Corporation Buildings, when Councillors will have an opportunity of seeing tho condition which the new organisation has arrived at. At the ordinary meeting of the Board of Education to-morrow morning, among other business to be considered, will be tho report on the examination of the Normal School, and suggested alterations in its rules. The Board will also appoint a new head master for the Hutt School in place of Mr. Willis, there being fifteen applicants for tho office. An assistant for the same school (eight applicants) will likewise be appointed. Tho Harbor Board will hold a meeting on Thursday, at 2.30 p.m., the principal business being to receive the report of the committee appointed to frame a tariff of charges, by-laws, and harbor regulations. The choice of a banker will also be decided upon, and the Board will choose a secretary from among those who have applied for the post. On Friday tho Board will take over from the Government the new Railway Wharf and its own adjacent endowment. The following are tho tenders that were received by the City Council for the long tunnel for the Wainuiomata Waterworks, Accepted —W. F. Oakes, £1982 13a. Bd. Declined—J. Kelleher, £3103 9s. lid.; W. Burton and Co., £3421 2s. 7d.; P. Sealley, £3566 XOa. lid.; Cleary and Co., £3876 19a. 6d.; W. Whiteford, £4625 17s. 4d.; Robert Scott, £46SI 18s.; Clark and Dunn, £4979 12s. Tho engineers estimate for the work was £3774.

Judging by appearances, the Wanganui timber trade is not nearly so extensive as local (reports would load us to believe. As a case in (point, it may bo noticed that the largo totara timber tor a now wharf which is being erected at Patea comes all tho way from Mr. Chew’s (sawmill at Cartertou, and is being shipped by the steamer Patea. If Wanganui could supply this kind of timber, the fact that a Wellington timber merchant was allowed to secure the contract, with the disadvantage of sixty miles extra railway carriage, aud an additional hundred miles by water, needs some explanation.

A general meeting of the members of tho Star Cricket Club was held last evening at Salmon Bros.’ office. Mr. W. J. Salmon, on being voted to the chair, said it gave him very much pleasure being called upou to preside at a meeting called for the purpose of resuscitating a club in which ha had some years ago (taken a very active interest. Ho felt sure if the old members, and those present, would rally up in the old form, the Stars would be able this season to again establish themselves l|n a good position among the clubs of the Empire City, Mr. J. A. Salmon was elected secretary, Mr. J. J. M. 1 Hamilton treasurer, Mr. J. S. Blacklock vice-captaia, and Mr. W. J. Salmon captain. Those four officers to bo ,tho Committee of Management. Amended rules were passed, aud the committee requested to make arrangements for a match, if possible, on Prince of Wales Birthday. Messrs. HaughI ton, Blaoklock.and tho secretary were elected I delegates to tho Wellington Cricketers Association, aud Mr. Haughton executive member of committee. It was decided to give a bat to tho best average bowler and aggregate batsman I during tho coming season. A vote of thanks ' to tho chairman terminated the proceedings.

? During the week ending 27th September, the number of patients admitted and dis-. charged at the Hospital are as follows :—Admitted : Males, 6 ; females, 2, Discharged ; Males, 4 ; females, 2. Remaining ; Males, 60 ; females, 18. Wo have been requested by Mr. Cary to state that the 11 Pinafore” performances will take place at the Theatre Royal and not at the Academy of Music. The piece is still iu active rehearsal, the chorus being under the care of Mr. Wolf, R.A.M., who will also act as musical conductor during the performances. There appears to be a great scarcity of male teachers at the present time in Otago. Recently the Education Department advertised for teachers, and in soine instances there was not even an applicant. The Education Board largely depends upon the Normal School for a supply, but at present there are none qualified for a responsible situation. Consequently vacancies in district schools are obliged to be filled by females where male teachers ought to be appointed.

The accidental omission of a numeral among the figures given iu our leading column in yesterday’s issue, displays an apparent miscalculation, thus;—Receipts, £790,846 ss. 4d., expenditure, £603,292 14s. 9d. ; balance, £87,553 10s. 7d., instead of £187,553 10s. 7d. The omission was so obviously a mere mischance, that explanation is scarcely needed, except from the fact that it has been pounced upon by a certain awfully clever, self-import-ant contemporary, as giving opportunity for claiming the faculty of preternatural vision. The annual meeting of the Wellington Cricket Club was held at the Star Hotel last evening ; Mr. O. A. Knapp in the chair. There was a good attendance of members, and the report and balance-sheet for the past year were read and adopted. The latter showed— Receipts, £72 145., and the expenditure £67 sa. 7d; balance, £5 Bs. scl. The following office-bearers were elected:—Presid-nt, Colonel Pearce ; vice-presidents, Hon. G. Randall Johnson and W. H. Levin, Esq., M.H.R., Secretary, Mr. J. P. Kennedy ; Treasurer, Mr. J. M. Adams ; Committee, Messrs. Page, Hickson, Bate, Marchant, and Worry. The delegates appointed to attend the Cricketing Association, were Messrs. J. P. Kennedy, Hickson, and K. Leokie. A number of new members were elected, aud, after the transactiou of some routine business, the meeting ended.

The annual general meeting of the Excelsior Cricket Club was held at the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel last night. There was a good attendance of members, and Mr. 11. Renner, the honorary secretary of the club, occupied the chair. The report and balance-sheet for the past year, the latter showing subscriptions amounting 1 0 £2l 10s., and an expenditure of £2l Is. 2d., were read, and unanimously adopted. The report showed that the highest bowling average had been made by Mr. Ridings, and the highest batting average by Mr, Mansill. The club musters about 30 members, and to these were added by the meeting Messrs. Raikes, Hoggard, and Smith. Mr. R. Renner was re-elected hon. secretary and treasurer. The following committee was appointed :—Messrs. Brown, Duncan, Kreeft, J. Renner, and Stohr. Messrs. R. Renner, Ridings, and M'Beth were elected delegates to the Cricket Association. The affairs of the Club appear to be in a very healthy position, and the members are likely to go in for a good deal of practice.

Judgment has just been given on the question of the remuneration to be given to the four liquidators of the City of Glasgow Bank. In giving the opinion of the. Court, Lord Shand said that the liquidators had made the following payments towards extinction of the ordinary debts. During the first year £7,396,910 Is. Id. ; from October 22, 1879, to March 19, 1880, £931,274 9s. Id. ; total, £3,328,214 10s. sd. ; and that at March, 10, 1880, they had a balance in hand available to pay off in addition some £600,000, making together £3.923,214 10s. sd. It was obvious that the remuneration to be divided among the four gentlemen who from October, 1878, to March, 1879, had devoted themselves to the arduous duties of the liquidation must be exceptionally large, while, on the other hand, in dealing with a sum of nearly £9,000,000, the rate of commission ought not to be at ail on the same scale as in the case of an ordinary estate. Taking all the circumstances into account, the Court had come to the conclusion £10,500 should be paid to Mr. Anderson, and the same sura to Mr. Jamieson, and that Mr. Haldane and Mr. Cameron should each receive £7200. A serious accident, which may yet have a fatal termination, occurred at the foot of Cubastreet at 12.45 o'clock yesterday afternoon. A number of men were engaged in launching the yacht Volaute, and had adopted the usual means tor accomplishing their object. After moving her for soma little distance a strong gust of wind caused one of the guys to break, and the yacht immediately canted over, falling on a young man named Thomas Hitchins, son of Mr. Hitchins, butcher, of Cuba-street. Another of the party saved himself by jumping aside. All the men immediately rushed to the assistance of the unfortunate man, who was released by righting the yacht. It being found that he was almost insensible, and evidently suffering from some severe injury, Dr. Tripe, who lives near the spot, was sent for, and under hia directions the sufferer was placed on a shutter and subsequently conveyed home in an express. Dr. Collins, the medical officer of a lodge of Odd fellows, of which young Hitchens is a member, was then sent for, and the two professional men ascertained the injuries are of a very serious nature. A number of the ribs are crushed in, and the spine is injured to such an extent that recovery is very doubtful. We understand that the unfortunate young man is part owner of the yacht, and that he had obtained a holiday from his employers, Messrs. M'Duff and Co., for the purpose of assisting in the launch. Another of the old Wellington residents has died, Mr. William Sedoole, of Cuba-street, having passed away, and will this morning be buried at Karori. Ho died at the ripe age of 92, and though blindness and gathering infirmities have kept him secluded for some years past, very many residents in the city will retain a lively recollection of him in his more active days. Ha has been in the colony for many years, and was one of the first and most active among the Karori settlers in obtaining attention to the local requirements of that district. The erection of the Karori Church was due in the first instance, in very great degree, to hia assiduous efforts to raise the necessary funds. Ha was in his earlier days Chief Postmaster at Dover iu England, and in this city was associated for some time with the firm of Levin and Co. A singular fatality attaches itself to the fate of some members of his family. His son, Captain Sedcole, was drowned, so also, were his two sous-iu-laws, Captain Cauty and Captain Oroucher, and also a son of Captain Cauty. The funeral cortege of deceased will leave his late residence about 8 a.m., and we understand that it was his last wishes that there should be no ostentatious gathering, bat that he should be buried quietly, followed to the grave merely by his immediate relatives and friends. Mr. W. H. Lyston'e Rosebud Christy Minstrels, a company new to Wellington, made their first appearance before a house which was crowded iu every part last nignt. It is highly probable that the promise that a number of valuable gifts would be distributed created as much interest as the announcement of a new company, and this is the more probable, as no distribution of the sort has taken place in this city for a considerable time. Tire programme consisted of a number of wellselected songs, tho comic element being very judiciously distributed. Tho first part included, among others, “ Are you tin l re Moriarty V well sung by Sam Porter ; 1 leave thee, mother, with regret,” by Mr. Jas. Corbett, who saug with a good deal of feohug ; and “Such an education,” in which Johnny Seymour distinguished himself. The chief items in tho second part were the double song and dance, “ Flowers blush and bloom” (Seymour and Porter), and the very amusing farce “Jones struck a Bonanza,” in which the whole company took part, rendering it iu a manner that appeared to take immensely, as they created any amount of laughter. The distribution, of course, put everybody on the tiptoe of expectation, and a number of larrikins, who, by the way, behaved in a very unseemly manner throughout, used the opportunities for making a number of remarks which, if they were occasionally witty, were certainly very rude. The suite of furniture, guaranteed worth £3O, fell to Captain Von Schoen, while two ladies carried off a very handsome inlaid table and a silver tea and coffee service. Numerous otherprizes of considerable volue were included among the number, and many who were present must have wondered how the distribution could be made with profit, although the house was a good one. The drawing was conducted by three independent gentlemen, chosen by the audience, including a member of tho Press, and was therefore thoroughly fair and above board. Tho entertainment will be repeated to-night, when the chief prize will consist of a suite of bedroom furniture,

Messrs. Smith, Sidey and Co. anticipate to* day clearing off the balance of stock in the estate of VST. Nicholson, of Cuba*street, at whatever prices the public choose to bid. Mr. Benjamin Cohen’s stock of tobacconists* goods, and the iron safes, jewellery ca-e?, &c., will be 'on view to-day at Messrs. T. Kennedy Macdonald, and Co.’s auction mart, Panamastreet, where they will be sold without reserve, to-morrow at 11 o’clock.

Messrs. Dwan and Co. announce the sale to-day, among a multitude of other lines, of a splendid selection of substantial household furniture, which they have orders to clear without reserve. The opportunity is a good one for those desiring to renew or increase their house furnishings.

A meeting of members of St. Luke’s Church, Greytown, was held on Thursday evening, for the purpose of electing a representative for the district to fill the vacant seat in the Synod. Mr. W. C. Cuff occupied the chair, and read the advertisement convening the meeting, and the authority from the Bishop for doing so. He also explained the desirability of electing a resident of the district. Mr. Bock proposed, Mr. York seconded—That Dr. H. T. Spratt be elected to represent the Greytown district. Dr. Spratt having expressed his willingness to act was declared duly elected, and a vote of thanks to the chair terminated the meeting.

The Otago Daily Times asks how it is that, just when the brewers and publicans are subjected to a tax of threepence a gallon on beer, the price of a glass of beer has been reduced in Dunedin from sixpence to threepence ? “Of the fact the public are assured by large placards, and if it stood alone we should suppose that the retailers were determined to make up for diminished profits by encouraging a larger trade. We are told that the reduction is not so large as it looks, as anyone could always get a pint of “ colouia’ ” for his sixpence if he liked. But the drinking capacity of most people does not extend to a pint at a draught, and we suspect more glasses than pints were sold for sixpence. Admitting that the concession is an important one, then what does it mean T We should rejoice at it if its effect was likely to be the extensive substitution of colonial beer as a universal beverage for bad spirits. We cannot help thinking this would be an improvement, just as a Chinaman is a step in advance between a negro and a white man. But at the sune moment we hear of “drinks” of all kinds being reduced in some houses to fourpence, and this really intimates something serious in the condition of things. Can it be that the demand for intoxicating drinks does not keep pace with the supply. Is Othello’s occupation gone ? Of all the melancholy s ? gns of bad times this is surely one of the mrsfc melancholy. Not only are we losing all prospect of “drinking ourselves out of debt” as a State, but the condition of a large and time-honored “local industry” Is in jeopardy,” Thus, satirically inclined, our contemporary concludes by expressing opinion that the drinkseller has few friends, and that those who use him most will most abuse him. “We cannot help having a feeling that it is one compensation for reduced wages and want of employment that less is spent in drink. This is another of the * sweet uses of adversity.’ And if threepenny * beers * are one of the enforced necessities of the times, the public will not be inclined to grumble that they can obtain a very mild stimulant at one half the price which they have hitherto had to pay for it. We should like to see the price of the more spirituous stimulants kept up, and that of good wholesome beer kept down.”