THE New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY). SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 1890.

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 8968, 19 April 1890, Page 4

THE New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY).

SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 1890.

With loh'ch a- r. incorporated thf. 'Fei/i, Independent, established Viib, and. the Nev Zealander.

Held Over.—Owing to pressure on our space we are compelled to hold over leading and other matter. St Peter’s Parish.—Mr Edward Anderson has tendered his resignation as Incumbent’s Churchwarden of St Peter’s Parish. The Rev \V. C, Waters has accepted the resignation, and has appointed Mr J. H. Bethnne to fill the vacancy. The Woollen Mill Difficulty.—Mr T. K. Macdonald yesterday afternoon received the following telegram from Mr Wools, manager of the Woollen Company’s mill, who is at present in Dunedin : —“Secretary Maritime Council asked Fisher yesterday to hand over our dispute to them, and a quick settlement on lines- nearly everybody would approve could have been made, but rather than do this they rescind their resolution. You may publish this.—J. Woods.”

St Patrick’s College. —Weather permitting, the St Patrick’s .College Bind, under Bandmaster Oimino, will peiform the following selection of music on the College grounds to-morrow afternoon, commencing at 3 o’clock: Qaioktnaroh, “Jeannette”; overture, “ Elysium”; baritone solo, “The Tronbador,” with variations; funeral march, “Bitter tears”; qnickmarob, ‘"The Bay of Biscay”; eupboniuai ' solo, “The minstrel boy,” with variations ; valse, “Loving and" hoping”; fantasia, “Genu of Ireland”; finsle, “St Patrick’s Day.” The boys have been practising assiduously for some time past, and a musical treat may confidently be expected.

Wellington Agricultural Returns. — The agricultural returns for the Wellington Provincial District are not yet complete, those from the Hutt not having been supplied. The other district returns having been sent in to the Registrar-General’s office, however, approximate figures have been worked out by putting the Hutfc down at its last returns. Upon this basis the returns up to February last showed the following results :—Wheat, 13,357 acres in cultivation, produce in bushels 369,989 ; oats, 17,030 acres, 618,317 bushels; barley, 882 acres, 25,920 bushels ; potatoes, 2214 acres, 15,807 tons. The production in all classes shows a great improvement on that of the previous year. The increase in wheat is over 30,000 bushels ; in oats about 210,000 bushels, and in potatoes about 4000 tons,

San Francisco Mate. —The San Fran, cisco outward mail closes to-day at the General Post Office at 5 p.m. Money orders and registered letters at noon.

The Orpheus Club’s Concert. The first public concert of the Orpheus Glee Club, which was postponed from Tuesday last owing to the conductor’s illness, will take place on Tuesday next iu the Exchange Hall, when a very attractive programme will be presented, including some interesting musical novelties.

Harmonic Society.— The members of the Harmonic Society’s choir held their weekly rehearsal last night in the Exchange Hall, when several choruses from Dr Mackenzie’s oratorio “The Rose of Sharon” and Sir Arthur Sullivan’s “Golden Legend ” were practised. In the absence of Mr R. Parker through continued illness, Mr C. Rous Marten again conducted. Mrs Matthews presided at the piano. The Jubilee Surplus. —A petition signed by about 20 members of the General Committee appointed in connection with the Jubilee celebrations was presented to the Mayor yesterday requesting him to call a special meeting of the Committee for the purpose of reconsidering the decision arrived at at last Friday’s meeting with regard to the Jubilee surplus. His Worship has not yet replied to the petition.

The Melrose Estate. —Mrssrs J. H. Bothune and Co. announce in car advertising columns that they will sell by public auction, without reserve, at their rooms, Featherstou street, on Thursday, Ist May, at 2 o’clock, by instructions from the Registrar of the Supreme Court, acting at the request of the mortgagees, the whole of that magnificent property known as the Melrose Estate, containing 455 acres 33 perches. Being situated iu close proximity to the city, the property should attract the attention of investors and capitalists. Chess. -The handicap chess tourney of the Working Men’s Chess and Draughts Club commences next Monday night, and promises to be very successful. Fourteen entries have been received and classified by the handieappars as follows : —First-class, 5; second-class, 4; third-class, 2 ; and fourth class, 3. The odds, as usual, vary from pawn and move to rook. The novelty of this tournament will be that a competitor will not know beforehand with whom he has to play. On entering the room he must either play with any disengaged oompetisor in waiting, or await the arrival of another competitor. A player having been absent six nights is disqualified, and all games played by him are annulled. These “ surprise” tournaments, it may be men ioned, have been tried in Christchurch and Napier with great success, and promise to become very popular. Professor Drummond.— A cable message of yesterday from Adelaide states that Professor Drummond has arrived there with the intention of delivering a course of semiprivate lectures in the colonies. We trust that efforts will be made to induce him to visit New Zealand. Professor Henry Drummond is a native of Stilling, and was educated at the University of Edinburgh. He subsequently passed through the Free Church Divinity Hall, and after his ordination was appointed to a mission station in Mslta. On his return to Scotland, he was appointed a lecturer in science at the Free Church College, Glasgow, and also took charge of a Working Men’s Mission in that city. He subsequently travelled with Professor Geikie in the Rocky Mountains and South Africa. His popularity as a writer is based on hia “ Natural Law in the Spiritual World.” He is an attractive preacher, and his addresses delivered at Grosvenor House (the residence of the Duke of Westminster) in 1886, and subsequently, draw large and fashionable audiences. His most lecent work, “The Greatest Thing in the World,” appeared in November, 1889.

The Elections. —The elections in the country districts of this province are likely to be pretty severely contested, and numerous persons are already mentioned as certain candidates. The entire rearrangemeat of electorates in the Rangilikei, Manawatu, and Waitotara districts will rather tend to mix matters up a little_ in respect of candidates and constituenciesMr Maoarthur, the sitting member for Manawatu, will contest the Eangitikei seat with Mr Arkwright, a gentleman who has already made an unsuccessful effort, and who is a notable, in that he has sat iu the House of Commons. The country districts around Palmerston North (cow in the Rangitikef electorate) have always been kinder to Mr Macartbur than the people of the town, and his chance would therefore appear to bo a very good one. Mr J. G. Wil on, who now represents Foxton, will contest Palmerston, and rumour says that his opponent will be Mr H. S. Fitzherbert, who is living in the town. The Waitotara seat will be fought for by Messrs Bruce aud G. Hubchissn, aud the formerislookedupou aslikely to win. Mrßallance is pretty certain to be returned again by Wanganui, aud Mr W. C. Smith is not likely to be beaten in Waipawa, judging by present indications. Mr George Beetham will be opposed by Mr McCardle at Masterton, but it is not probable that anyone likely to causa Mr Buchanan any uneasiness will be found to contest Wairarapa. As to the Hutt, nothing definite can be said vet. Mr Fitzherbert may leave that district and try his fortune in Palmerston, and Dr Newman, Mr C. B, Izard, Mr H. D. Ball, and Mt R. C. Kirk are all mentioned as “probables.”

“Little Lord Fauntleroy. ” The coming production in Wellington of the dramatised version of that very beautiful story “ Little Lord Fauntleroy ” is an event which is already being looked forward to with considerable interest. In literary annals the book itself has had a unique history, inasmuch as no work of lecent times has brought to an author such fame and fortune as this pretty little simple story has done for Mrs Frances Hodgson Burnett. The story has found tens of thousands of readers in all English speaking communities, and the central portion of the novel inspires the same tender and sympathetic interest in the minds of both old and young as is felt in those familiar creations of fictions, “Paul Dombey,” “Pip,” “ Tiny Tim,” “Little Nell,” and “ Jo,” the crowning successes. It would seem that all the essential features of the story have been carefully preserved and harmoniously interwoven, and the piece has the qualities of oonsecufciveness, consistency and completeness, which are too often wanting in slop adaptations of successful romances. A feature in the performance of the play is that the company includes two representatives of the part of Little Lord Fauntleroy (Miss Olive Berkley and Miss Graoie Hopkins), both of whom are highly spoken of as children of remarkable ability. They appear in the character on alternate evenings, an arrangement made with the view of relieving the strain upon the physical powers imposed upon the little actresses, were one alone compelled to undertake the arduous task night after night. The company also embraces the names of Mr Henry Edwards (a very distinguished actor), under whose supervision the piece is to be produced, Mrs Louise M. Berkley. Miss Ethel Winthrop. Miss Doey Mainwaring, Miss Irene Darrell, Mr W. H, Leake, Mr G. Leopold, Mr E. Gladstone, ifr B. Cawbourne, Mr Geo. Seeth, Mr M. F. Kemp, and others. Messrs Williamson, Garner, and Musgrova present the play by special arrangement with Mr Geo. Wotherspoon, the personal representative of the authoress and of Mr Wesley Sisson, of New York, in whom the copyright of the work is vested. Mr Wotherspoon travels with the company. Intending patrons are reminded that they may secure seats at Mr Holliday’s, at whose establishment the box plan will be on view to-day.

Furniture Sale.—We are requested to remind intending purchasers that'Mr C. R. Carter’s high-class household furniture, which is to be submitted to public auction on Monday next by Messrs J. H. Bethune and Ce., will be on view this afternoon, between the hours of 2 and 5 o’clock, at the residence, corner of Pirie and Austin streets.

Me D. Christie Murray.—We remind our readers of the intellectual treat at the Theatre Royal to-night, when Mr David Christie Murray repeats hia famous lecture, “ How I came to be a Novelist.” It is one of the very few lectures we have had in this city worth hearing a second time, and the fact that so many people requested Mr Murray to redeliver this lecture is a proof that it is well worth listening to. Wheat and Oats. —The following interesting returns of the grain trade of Canterbury and Otago appear in the current issue of the New Zealand Trade Review. The yields for ISB9-90 were as follow : Canterbury Wheat, 228,734 acres, 5,550,974 bushels; oats, 153,446 acres, 4,823,527 bushels; barley, 16,143 acres, 499,584 bushels. Otago—Wheat, 65,460 acres, 1,834,687 bushels; oals, 217,933 acres, 7,235,696 bushels ; barley, 6612 acres, 257,434 bushe's. As these two districts combined represented in wheat and oats about 88 and 89 per cent respectively of the total yield of the Colony in 18S9, they may be accepted, we presume, as a fair indication of the resale of the harvest for this year. Compared with the returns of the previous year, there is a reduction in wheat equal to between 4 and 5 per cent, and an increase in oats at a rate of about 23 or 24 per cent.

What About the Boys?—A feature of the sittings of the Sweating Commission so far has been the persistence with which Mr Blair has met each witness ooncerued in trade with the question—“ What does your Society propose tojdo with respect to the boys to whom you object?’’ Mr Blair’s idea is that this is a very important phase of trade unionism as at present carried out, and he has pointed out to each witness that while the societies all make provision against the employment of more than a certain number of boys, the question of providing for the “ surplus boys ”is left undecided. One or two having suggested that the boys should be put upon the land,” Mr Blair asked whether they know that meant a sort of slavery, and was almost invaviablv impracticable. He advised those who made that suggestion to go upon the land ” themselves and see whether it suited them.

Labour Arbitration. During the examination of a representative of the Boot* makers’ Society before the Sweating Commission yesterday the question of procedure in the case of strikes cropped up. The witness explained that bis Society always referred a matter in dispute between operatives and their employer to arbitration if possible. If, for instance, they wanted a rise in pay, that would be referred to arbitration, but if the master was insisting on a reduction of wages, or on introducing another “statement,” which would have a reducing effect, then the Society warned him that if he persisted, the men would go out, and that he would have to be at the cost of the strike —that i?, would have to make good the strike money that might be paid. Mr Blair suggested that some regular and permanent court of arbitration should be established in the four centres, partly elected by the trades and partly nominated by the Government, to inquire into and report on trades disputes. The want of such an institution had been practically demonstrated, he said, in the recent proceedings between the Trades and Labour Council and the Woollen Company. The witness (Mr Browalt), agreed with Mr Blair as to the value of arbitration, but thought it would be difficult to arrange such Boards as were suggested and provide a practical trade knowledge, which ha considered in such case indispensable. The EtEcratc Light.— The ridiculous farce of turning off the electric light at 1 o’clock was continued this morning. Not withstanding tha righteous indignation of Councillor Brandon the case stands thus For more than a fortnight past the Wainui water supply alone has been used to drive the turbines for the dynamos, and that supply has provided a decent light up to 1 o’clock each morning. Now, as there are thousands of gallons of water running to waste over the Wainui bywash, the story of preserving our water supply is all pure bunkum. Besides, we are preserving it in the Karori reservoir, seeing that we have not drawn upon it for the electric light for over a fortnight. The fact is that although the Wainui supply alone does not give sufficient pressure to work both dynamo stations at full candle power, yet it provides at least three-quarter candle power for the lamps, and as it answers sufficiently well up to 1 a. m., there is no valid reason why the light should not be continued a few hoars longer. One excuse will be made that the hours will be too long for the dynamos to work, seeing that two of them have to supply the whole of the lights, but that excuse is not a good one, for although it was intended that two stations should be worked, the machinery was designed and constructed so that one station could do all the work if it was at any time found necessary; for example, as it is at present. The dishonesty we spoke of in Wednesday’s issue was the dishonesty of breaking faith with the citizens, who, after cheerfully paying for the eleotrie light an the condition that it was to be available from dusk to dawn, have a perfect right through the press to grumble if the Electric Lighting Committee are not doing their duty. We still hold the opinion, not from ignorance, as Councillor Brandon so innocently put it, but from actual knowledge, tha result of investigation and inquiry, that there is no necessity for the city to be plunged in darkness at I o’clock each morning. Probably the dark state of the streets may induce burglary, and so bring grist to the legal mill—a state of things we feel sura Councillor Brandon would very much deplore.

The Anthropometricae Bureau.—The Anthropomettical Bureau at the Dunedin Exhibition, which was organised by Mr EL O. Forbes, director of the Canterbury Museum, on the modal of the laboratory arranged by Mr Francis Gallon at :he Health Exhibition at London in 18S5, has, from the degree of interest that has been manifested in it, amply justified its existence, which was for the purpose of performing measurements of the human faculties with the object of “ familiarising the public with the facility and need of periodically recording facts which test the progress of individual growth and development, whether it is proceeding normally or otherwise, and ii it it should he abnornal to call attention to the existence of hurtful influences and to demand inquiry into their nature, and whether they may .not be removable.” The number of people who had_, np up to the close of last week, patronised the bureau was upward of 4200, and by the courtesy of Mr Colclongh, who Is in charge, we are enabled to state the records that have been made. The tallest person who has visited the bureau was a man from Christchurch, who stood 6ft B|in his stocking soles. The heaviest individual was a woman, who turned the scale at 19afc 741 b. For measuring the strength of “pull,” it may be explained, an instrument consisting of two handles connected by an elastic spring is used. One is held in each hand, and they are then drawn apart as far as possible by an action resembling that of an archer drawings bow. The strongest “pull” registered up till recently was 142, but last week a blacksmith pat this in the shade altogether by running the instrument up to 193. Strength, of “squeeze” is ganged

on a machine consisting of two bars. Sin or 4in apart, separated by a spring. The highest “record” that oan be made is 123, which was reached by one individual who patronised the bureau. The spirometer is the instrument that shows the breathing ■ capacity. It is & counterpoised vessel, suspended in water, and when the air is breathed into it through a tube the vessel rises, and a scale at the side shows the number of cubic inches of displacement. The ■ best record so far in Dunedin is 372 for a ■ gentleman and 246 for a lady. It may be interesting to append, for the sake of comparison, the average results obtained after several months’ experimenting at the Cam- - bridge University and the South Kensington Museum in England ;— Cambiidge ; Height, oftSfin ; pull, S 3 ; squeeze, 87'5 ; breathing, 254 ; weight, 153'61b. South Kensington : Height, sft 7fin ; pull, 74 ; squeeze, 85 ; . breathing. 219 ; weight, 1431 b. It must be remembered that in the case of the Home men their ages ransred from 19 to 26, the Cambridge men being trained athletes, while those who have patronised the • bureau have been of all ages.

Our preparations for the Autumn Season are now Complete, and we have in our Dress Department such a superlative choice of the Newest and Latest Fashions in Autumn and Winter Fabrics as it has seldom been in our power to show at the Wholesale Family Drapery Warehouse, Te Aro House. We invite the special attention of ladies to our Enumeration on the 7fch page of this paper, of some very handsome unmade Robes. These are admirably assorted in Braided, Silk, and Chenille Embroidered and Combination Robes. Without exception, they are some of the choicest Dress Materials that have ever come within the precincts of the Wholesale Family Drapery Warehouse, Te Aro House.

We have also a variety of other materials, 25 inches, 42 inches, 44 inches, and 50 inches wide, such as Colored French Meltons, FonleSerges, Homespuns, Amazons, Fancy Tweed, Plaids, Bonnetta, Knickers, Splashes, Flecks, Broken Checks, and Jacquard Borders; most < beautiful goods in every variety of fashionable and useful colors, and varying in price from 6£d to 3s 9d par yard, at the Wholesale Family Drapery Warehouse, Te Aro Hones. It is almost superfluous to say that ourtwo large, Commodious Dressmaking Depart- ■ meats which have been for so many years in successful operation, are still presided over. by most talented and accomplished dressmakers, and that the strict essentials of a good dress, ‘fit, finish, elegance,’ can be had as of yore, at the Wholesale Family Drapery Warehouse, Te Aro House,