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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 6501, 16 February 1882, Page 2

The contract between the Government'and the Directors 1 of the Wellington and 1 Manawatu Railway was to have been signed yesterday, but it was deemed desirable by the members of the Ministry now in WelUngton to;cbmmnnicate with the absent meniber, prior to formal ratification. This was accordingly done/ and the inatt’er—which may already be'coMidered as good as settled-—will, in all probability, be ; disposed ,of finally; to-day. _ The Directors may then, without farther delay, set to' work and make arrangements -for’ an: com ’ mencement; of this important undertaking, so essential to the Jthp~Rorth -.lsland, and especially to the prosperity of Wellington.

A Committee of the Education Board will meet to-day to consider applications for teachers’ appointments. We hear that it is Sir John O'Shannassy’s intention to stay at least two months in this colony, visiting the various places of interest in both islands.

Mr Toohill, of the Imperial Hotel, Cubastreet, has undertaken the catering in connection with the Rifle Association’s meeting at Nelson.

A cricket match, Masterton v. Grey town, came off at Steward's paddock last Tuesday afternoon, resulting in an easy victory for the latter club, with thirty-six runs to spare.

The Christchurch Local Board of Health and Hospital Board have now under consideration the question of establishing a contagions diseases ward in the hospital at that city.

The “Dunstan Times” states that rabbits are represented as being positively in millions on the’upper portions of the Dunstan commonage, and along the spurs and ranges thence to Cromwell.

It is stated that a strenuous effort is about being made to establish a butter factory among the settlers on the Douglas block, and that the Hon. R. Campbell has promised material assistance to inaugurate the undertaking.

Up to yesterday no arrangements had been made for accommodating the Customs Department while the new buildings are being erected. The matter is, however, likely to be settled to-day or to-morrow. Mr C. Jeffs, who some months ago went northwards on a mission to expound Free Thought, has returned to this city, and now contemplates travelling southward on the same behoof.

Constable William Lyons has received wellmerited promotion, he having been appointed acting third-class sergeant. He has for a lengthened period occupied the position of keeper of the city watch-house.

A match will take place next Monday morning between the Nelson and Wellington Artillerymen. This is the first of a series of matches between the Wellington Battery and the various batteries of the colony.

An Englishman has invented a combined life-buoy and umbrella for use on ocean voyages. An inflated buoy is placed inside the umbrella above the braces, which adds but a trifle to the weight, and does not show when folded.

It is stated, and apparently on reliable authority, that during a heavy hailstorm which swept over the Peel Forest in Canterbury district last week, the hailstones lay nine inches thick on the ground, and most of them as large as pigeons’ eggs. About £IO,OOO was paid at the Wellington Property Tax Office yesterday. Very numerous payments have been made to the Postmasters in various parts of the colony, but advices as to the total sums paid have not Jet been received.

The Hon. Major Atkinson purposes leaving tor the South on Monday next, and will, during his visit to the different parts of the Middle Island, direct his attention specially to the several branches of native industry. On bis return he will also visit the North with the same important object in view, The "Advocate" says the old Waitara chief, Wiremu Kiogi, who died recently, had one hundred sovereigns in his whare prior to his departure to the happy hunting grounds. Fifty of these he distributed amongst his sorrowing followers, and he buried the other fifty to pay his expenses to the land of shadows.

We were shown yesterday a lump of coal weighing about two pounds, which onr informant states he broke out of a seam apparently measuring two feet in thickness in the Tararua ranges. It, apparently, resembled Waikato, there being also a considerable quantity of resinous matter in it. The exact locality is to be kept secret for the present. The Wellington Hospital returns for the week ending 14th instant are as follow : Patients in Hospital at last date, 56 males, 20 females ; admitted during the week, 7 males, 2 females ; discharged during the week, 2 males, 3 females ; in Hospital at present date, 61 males, 19 females. The number of outpatients is 133. It is worthy of note that there has been no death among the Hospital patients for 33 days past, A general meeting of the Shooting Com* mittees of all corps was held last night to consider the question of engaging a permanent marker for the Polhill Gully range. After much discussion a Committee consisting of Sergeants Webb and Godden, Quarter-Master Sergeant Davis, and Petty Officer France was appointed to make all necessary preliminary arrangements and to report next Tuesday evening.

A man named James Anderson, a hawker, was arrested yesterday afternoon on a charge of having received stolen property. The charge arises out of a case the details of which will be found in our report of the proceedings at the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday. A man named John Willis was also arrested on a charge of having stolen a number of sacks. Anderson was admitted to bail. Both prisoners will be brought before the Court this morning.

Messrs Kohn and Co. have on view in the window of their Lambton-quay establishment a handsome silver-mounted belt, which they have just completed to the order of Mr Charles Chavannes, of the Alexandra Cavalry. The mountings made by Messrs Kohn are elegant and appropriate, and are well displayed on the leather work, which Mr D. Cameron, of Manners-street, has supplied, and on which he has also lavished excellent workmanship. Judging by present appearances there is every promise of an excellent supply of grass in the country districts for the coming winter.: A period of drought in April or May would, of.-.course,; materially interfere . with present prospects, but scarcely to such an extent as to make grass very scarce. The frequent falls of rain and succeeding calms have caused a splendid growth eyeu in the driest localities, and it is believed that in some oases the grass cannot be fed off, but that it . will settle down and rot when the winter rains set in.

At a farm near Ballarat recently, a little girl was standing under a large tree, feeding a turkey with some grain, when a thunderstorm passed over her head. A lightning bolt struck the tree under which she was standing, splitting it from top to bottom, and the two parts fell to the ground on either side of the child.; The turkey she was feeding was killed, but the child herself, though the fall of the tree, brought the roots, over which she was standing, up with such force as to throw her up in the air two or three feet, was not injured beyond a slight shaking. ■ Superintendent Whitford, on behalf of the members of the Municipal Fire Brigade, thankfully acknowledges! the receipt of £25 (forwarded per, favor of his Worship the Mayor) from the Underwriters’ Association as a, ..donation for their promptitude at the late fire in Hunter-street. We are informed that the above would have been forwarded at an earlier date, but the Mayor .thought it a matter of courtesy to lay the same before the Fire Brigade Committee of the Municipal Corporation at their first regular, convened meeting after the receipt of cheque from the Underwriter’s Association.

Cigarette smokers beware ! It is said that .the cancer in the mouth and face, to which the late Colonel Anderson, of Victoria, finally snct cumbed after many- months of hopeless suffer* iug, was brought on by the constant smoking of a' peculiar kind ’of cigarette, of which deoeased was very fond, and which is made in Mexico, where a similar disease in a mild form frequently prevails amongst the manufacturers of the article. It is said that in rolling the cigarettes the- natives ■ are in the habit of wetting the outside covers' with their saliva, those Buffering from cancer thus sowing the seeds of contagion amongst the consumers. According to the Dunedin correspondent of the “Lyttelton Times,” several auctioneers who live in suburban municipalities, but who carry on their business in the city, have paid their license fees n to the boroughs in which they reside. ■ The City Council contend the fees belong to them, and have decided to bring an action to recover. One of the suburban municipalities has decided to indemnify the auctioneer who has paid them his fee against an action, and refuses to pay over the money received. As there are eight municipalities around Dunedin, and most of the auctioneers do not live in the city, the loss to the city may be considerable if they cannot establish a right to the fee.

Some Maori boys (says the “ Akaroa Mail") - who were anxious to play at cricket with the Little River Cricket Club were refused till they paid their subscriptions.; ' Determined not to be beaten, they found a couple of bullocks' on the road belonging to a gentleman not .wholly unconnected with sawdust, and im-' pounded them.. -The proprietor of the bullocks, who is a general benefactor to the district, was stirred to the soul when he heard of this nefarious transaction, and immediately gave orders that a mob of.cattle that were in sight, and suppiited to be Maori property, should be pounded. The act was accordingly performed, in spite of the remonstrance of a small relative, -who was shut up. When the ponhdkeeper began examining the brands, he discovered the well-known-initials of the irate gentlemen who had tordered their incarceration. He, the irate fees, and baa since been a wiser, if not a sadder man. ■

'Parishioners of St. Paul’s, Tborndon, are reminded of the social gathering, to take place this evening, as per advertisement. The Steward of the Hospital begs to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of a bag of fruit for the use of the patients from Mr Gaby. - The wife of a well-known settler at Greytown has just presented her liege lord with his sixteenth olive branch. There is no waste of the family wardrobe for want of wearers. The Williamson’s Dramatic Company made a first appearance at Timaru on Monday evening last in “Struck Oil.” They had a most flattering reception. A meeting of the Waterloo Lodge, No. i 63 5.0., was held on Tuesday night, when Bro. Quick, R. VV. M., ou behalf of the members of the lodge, presented past masters’ jewels to P.M., Bros. E, T. Gillou aud J. It. George, The members of the Volunteer Land Scrip Commission will shortly enter upon their duties. Mr James Fulton, M.H.R., a member of the Commission, was expected here yesterday, but, we are informed, it is not likely he will arrive until the latter eud of next week. It is stated that Messrs Beetham Bros, not only contemplate the establishment of meatpreserving works near the Waingawa, but also the construction of a narrow gauge railway line from the Taueru to Masterton, with a view of bringing to market the totara which grows on some three thousand acres of their estate in that neighborhood.

Father Le Menaut des Chanais, S.M., is at present holding mission services at the Catholic Church, Hawera. The mission will last from list Sunday until the coming Sunday, inclusively. It was arranged that yesterday evening he should give a lecture in the Town Hall, Hawera, the proceeds to go towards paying off the debt on the local church.

A meeting of householders was convened at Opunake, on the 11th instant, to define the boundaries of the Opunake township, preparatory to having it incorporated under the Town Districts Act ; after which, the residents conridered how best to urge upon the Government the desirableness of selling the 6000-acre block between the Ouri and Taungatara Rivers. The formation of an isthmus between the United Kingdom and Ireland is now ou the tapis in the Old Country, and, it is said, is being quietly but energetically pushed. The site has been decided, and capital is being hunted up to provide funds to connect by land England, Ireland, and Scotland. The “Home News” is responsible for the statement.

The match College First Eleven, bar masters, v. Our Boys C.C. was played on Saturday last on the College ground, and resulted in a victory for the College by one inning-i and 75 runs, the scores being College, first innings, 103 (Smith 21 and Parry 35, not out). Our Boys, first innings, 17 ; second innings, 11. MoKae and Conolly bowled splendidly for the College, getting 9 and 7 wickets respectively. The liabilities of Thomas Carter, cab-driver, are filed at £125 17s 2d, the principal creditors being — Messrs W. and G. Turnbull, £3l 18s 3d ; Messrs R. Prongs and Sons, £23 14s 2d ; Mr W. B. Williams, £lB 14s lid ; and Mr J. Dransfield, £ls 10s. The assets are set down at £4 4s 4d, the creditor being Mr W. Hutchison, M. H.R. Mr S. Carroll has been appointed creditors' trustee. The usual monthly sittings of the District Court will be held to-morrow, before his Honor Judge Hardcastle, when the following cases will be heard :—G. Parkhouse v. O. W. Clayton, claim £IOO ; F. W. Hamilton v. W. H. Clarke, £94 1s 8d ; W. Rowberry v. Wellington Trust, Loan, and Investment Co., £100; W. W. Hall and G. J. Browne t. E. F. Jones, £l7O 4s ; together with special damages involving a claim for £29 16s. It is to be hoped that one or more of the Wellington brass bands will enter for the competition that is to take place at the Christchurch exhibition shortly., Great rivalry exists between the brass bands attached to the Volunteer corps of the South Island, and at the competition referred to Invercargill, Dunedin, and Christchurch are sure to be well represented. The bands from the two first-men-tioned places will take a lot of beating, so that if our Wellington musicians intend to compete assiduous practice will have to be the order of the day. The ladies of America have this season gone in for athletic amusement of hare and bounds, and are said to have energetically pursued the sport, clearing ditches and fences, and scouring over ploughed fields with the greatest zeal. The get-up of the fair ones consists of red or blue knickerbockers, with no skirt to speak of, Jersey polo cap, parti-colored stockings, and tennis shoes ; and there is no doubt this costume is half the mine, for it is obvious that to engage in hare and bounds with success the lady, must be “ fast.” A Home paper says :—“ Baroness Erlanger, wife of the well-known banker, owes her life for the second time to the tippling propensities of her coachman. This geutleman was half seas over when driving his mistress to the Nice Theatre on the night it was burnt, and the consequence was that he took a wrong turning and found himself a couple of miles on the road to Mentone before he discovered bis mistake. When the Baroness reached Nice the theatre was already in flames. On the night the Ring Theatre was destinyed the same coachman had orders to put to the horses at half-past 7 to drive the Baroness to the theatre, hut at a quarter to 8 he was still iu amorous dalliance with the bottle, and on reaching the Schetteuricg at a quarter past 8, the Baroness was informed of the awful calamity. The coachman has been handsomely rewarded.”

The Wairarapa “Daily” is a little ruffled over recent Volunteer changes. “If the first result of Major Bunny’s appointment to the command of this district is the removal of Sergeant-Major Bezar to Feathers ton, we (the ‘Daily’) must lodge a protest. We do not desire to question the expediency of the new arrangements the Government have made in this district for the conduct of its Volunteer business, though they are, as everybody knows, open to adverse criticism. If, however, they are to be followed by absurd changes such as the one which is now contemplated, it is to be hoped that some friend of the Government will jog their elbow and remind them that blunders are being perpetrated which will bring their administration into contempt and ridicule. To place the drill-instructor of the district in the only township in which there is no corps is such an absurdity that even for the sake of Mr Bunny we cannot consent to such a preposterous abuse of newly-fledged authority.”

The hapless settlers at the Karamea Special Settlement have not yet overcome all their troubles. There is no means of dray traffic as • yet to the settlement, and supplies are received per steamer from Nelson and Westport—when the weather is good and steamboat skippers choose to call. This sort of service is at the best erratic. The “Westport Times” of the 10th instant says :—Mr Middleton Kay, of Karamea, who arrived here from the settlement on Wednesday, informs us that the residents there are in sad r plight from the want of provisions. Nine weeks have elapsed since a steamer last ' called there, and the settlers assert that the bar has been workable several times when steamers have passed on. When Mr Ray left there was but 2cwt of flour in the settlement, and that in the possession of his father, and the people are living on what they themselves can grow. The miners had not left the settlement for their claims since Christmas, owing tP having had no provisions to take with them." Fruit which shpuld hare been in the Westport market weeks since has rotted in the,cases in which it was placed for shipment. During the nine weeks but two small letter mails have reached Karamea, and which were taken up by chance travellers. Altogether the Karameans consider that they have been very badly treated. The first half yearly report of the Wellington District Masonic 1 Scholarship Fund has been circulated among the brotherhood. The contributing Lodges to this fund consist of the Pacific 517 E. 0., Waterloo 463 S.C., Masterton 1430 E.C., Wellington 1521 E. 0., the members of each paying 2s per annum. The report states ;—“ The Committee were able at once to offer, tor competition at the end of the year, a scholarship of £ls per annum, tenable for two years. The examination (in English grammar and composition, arithmetic and geography, the subjects prescribed by the regulations) was held in Wellington in December last. Five candidates entered, and, in accordance with the report of the examiner, the scholarship was awarded to Alfred Richardson Meek, who gained 295 out of 370 marks, and whose work was reported to be thoroughly, and in some respects exceptionally, satisfactory. Master Meek is a son of a memberof thePacifio Lodge. The Committee have to acknowledge the services as examiner rendered by P.M. Bro. Kenneth Wilson, M.A. A few days before the examination the Committee received from Bro. P.il. the Rev. 13. W. Harvey, M.A., Priu ipal c f the iVauganui Collegiate School, a veiy generous offer to receive the Masonic scholar into that school as a boarder at a redaction of £2O a year from the ordinary fees, which was in effect to make the scholarship worth £35 per year.” The report further states that as there are fifteen lodges in the provincial district a revenue of £75 per annum should be received for scholarship purposes.

For evening wear, for the opera, or for ball costumes nothing can exceed in effectiveness the very _ elegant material known as Madras Muslin. Of this there is a great variety of all the most fashionable shades at Te Aro House, such as pale blue, pale pink, cream color, brown, black, &c. An excellent new shade in cream-color, now so much in vogue, is well worth inspection and purchase. Ladies would find it pleasurable to view some very elegant costumes made of this material, notably among which are—lst, a cream-color over a pink satteen under-skirt—a charming costume ; 2nd, a cream-color over blue satteen —very effective; 3rd, a white over pink satteen — exceedingly delicate and choic •; 4th, a white over blue satteen —fresh and attractive. To wo these choice goods would mean an irresistwele desire to purchase, and as an early visit would secure the best choice, ladies should wend their way without delay to James Smith, Te Aro House. —[Advt.] T. R. Proctor, whose advertisement appears in another column, has had 30 years’ experience as an Optician, and has so thoroughly adapted himself to the adjustment of glasses to suit the various sights, that even the most difficult and perplexing cases are bound to be successfully met by his mode of examining the eyesight of any individual. He lias travelled the whole of Hew Zealand, and is the only one who lias initiated the cylindrical and astigmatic principle, discovered by Professor Airy, the present Astronomer Royal of England, in connection with which T. R. P. has various mechanical contrivances and instruments, which have been constructed to suit what is known as Donder’s system, and are believed to he the only ones of the kind in the colony. W* would advise one and all to profit by Mr Proctor’s presence in Weiton, as his stay his limited.— [Advt.]

To BE FOREWARNED IS TO BE FOREARMED, says the aphorism, and the weapon that best serves the purpose of a protective tngis against nervous ailments, kidney diseases, dyspeptic tendencies, physical langor, nausea, or loss of appetite, is Udolpho Wolfe’s Schiedam Aromatic Schnapps. Stamped with the signet seal of medical approval, it can be infallibly trusted and honored with the award of popular opinion, it can be confidently commended to universal use.— [Advt.]