LOCAL AND GENERAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXX, Issue 3863, 5 October 1899, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho semi-annual coranmnicatioh of the Grand Lodge of Freemasons of New Zealand is announced to take place in tho Agricultural Hall, Dunedin, on the evening of the last day of 1 this month.

, The following tenders have been received by the; Public Works Department for*the Newtown Post Office:—Messrs Wilkerxing andi • Dryden. (accepted), £1706 ; W. H. Bennett £1733; Priddy and Mnir, £1779; ,J. and A. Wilson, £1790; R. Spurway. £1800: J. Russell, £1897; J. H. Fairhnrst, £I9OO ; J. Moffat. £1989; J. Nicholson, £2040;' D. McLean, £2091. . A special meeting of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children was held in the Alliance Rooms. Sirs W. A. Evans presided, and there were also present—Lady Stout, Mesdames Hoby, Findlay. Kirkculdie. - Wallis, Williams, and Miss Glasgow. The report and balance-sheet was 'preparecl for printing and will be presented at the annual meeting to be held in about a fortnight’s time, when His Excellency the Governor has promised to preside. Captain and Mrs E. C. Hore, of the London Missionary Society, will address meetings in tho Courtenay place Congregational Church this afternoon and evening. Captain Hore has for the last five years been - in command.ot the missionary steamer John Williams, employed in visiting New Guinea and the mission stations- in Polynesia. Prior to that he spent ■ eleven years in pioneer work on Lake. .Tanganyika in Central Africa, during . which time ho successfully conducted several caravans from the coast ! "to . the interior; and placed the. first steamer upon the lake. Mrs Hore was for some, years' teaching at Tanganyika, and lias accompanied hep husband pn several voyages to the islands.

Mr J. Muirhcad, of Potone, has sold out his stationery business, and it is reported he is leaving short!” for South Africa. An illustrated lecture entitled “Transformation of Insects” will be given by Mr G. Vi Hudson at the Infant School- , room, Ohuznce street, this evening. It is tiie desire of the Anglican Bishops of the province of New Zealand that no clergyman be married within three years of his ordination to tho diaconate. The Women’s Social and Political League wilt hold a public meeting at the Oddfellows’ Hall this evening, when an address will bo given on federation. A discussion will follow. The Bishop of Wellington (says tiie “ Church Chronicle ”) desires that there bo no marriages celebrated in private houses, except in cases whore both parties arc living at least six miles from a church or church-room. Tiie Petonc Borough Engineer lias succeeded in overcoming tho initial difficulty of putting down the gas-holder tank in connection with the new borough gas works. This difficulty being now overcome the works should rapidly be completed. A splendid specimen of a giant kauri log was sent down by train from Hclensville to Auckland last week, consigned to the Kauri Timber Company, Auckland. It measured, after dressing (reports the “Herald”) 82ft lOin long, with a girth of Bft lOin average. Not a knot is visible in tho log, which is evidently intended for a ship’s mast. The Premier (says the “Grey River Argus”) is said to have expressed himself to tiie effect that it was a very open question—a toss up, in fact—as to which side would emerge from the e’ectious with a majority. Taking other circumstances into . consideration, it is not probable that either side will sweep the polls. The ‘ Timaru Herald” learns on very good authority that the Government has contemplated the purchase of the Three Springs estate, about the sale of which there have been negotiations going on during the last few months. The price is said to be £1 10s per acre, and .the area is about 7090 acres.-fiSCO of which are flat and downs, and a lot of it rich limestone.

Tho ordinary meeting of the Executive Council of the Wellington Ratepayers’ Association was Held last night, Mr J. M. Richardson being in the chair. Several matters of an ordinary nature were disposed of, and a desultory conversation ensued with respect to tho present by-laws of the city. It was decided to bring the subject up at a future meeting.

The Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company advertises two popular excursions. ,- Next week on Wednesday and Thursday excursion trains will be run for those desirous of witnessing the Otaki Races. The other excursion will be in connection with the Napier Park Races, and the Hawke’s Bay Agricultural Show. Further particulars as to fares etc. will be found in the advertisement. It is observed that the seasons in the. Transvaal are very much like our own, with tlie exception that the winter is comparatively dry. Spring is the wet season, rain as a rule starting in September and ending in November. After November, according to a Napier citizen who resided for some years in the Land ot the Boers, the season is very settled, and ’“you can take tlie roof off your house without fear of any rain for at least six months.”

Large shoals of houki-houki (says the “Kaikoura Star”), a fish closely resembling frostfish, have lately visited tlie shores a about Kaikoura. Food in the shape of. herring has been the attraction. North and south of the Peninsula, residents have obtained a. considerable quantity of the fish during .daylight, but last night a number of townspeople had some rare sport in catching them. So thick were the houki that it was not a. difficult matter to land them by hand alone.

Now Zealanders—at any rate Wcllingtenians—cannot bo accused of lack of imagination after an. incident which occurred yesterday. A Union Jack, which was flying at the staff over the city Post Office, twirled round the pole in such a manner that only a yard or so of red end was left fluttering in the breeze. Immediately somebody started the rumour that this was a red flag which was being flown as j token, it was concluded, that war had broken out in the Transvaal. The report flew like wildfire round the city, and for a time groups of poo'de stood about in the streets discoursing more or less intelligently on this presumed portent, and on “the situation” in general. The other day Mr John Laidlnw, cf Woodlands, Southland, received a copy of the “North British Weekly Mail” from Glasgow. On opening it a letter containing two cheques on the National Bank of Scotland for £4O and £45 8s respectively dropped out. A; the stamp on the letter was not obliterated, it was evident that it, had never been through the hands of the Glasgow post office (Officials, and probably slipped into the newspaper in. a posting-box. The “Southland Times” says Mr Laidliiw has returned the cheques to the bank, and will thus clear up what must have been ‘ a bit cf a mystery to a good many people. The cheques were nqt drawn by the same persons. The Loyd Antipodean Lodge, M.U. Oddfellows, held its meeting last evening,- Bro. B. K. Couper, N.G.. presiding. Xfyring the evening fraternal visits were paid by Bro.. Clinton, of Warrnambool, Victoria, and Bros. Tvibhlcwhito and Fogdon, of the Loyal Ekctahuii.i Lodge, who were all received with lodgo honours. A motion was carried congratulating*Bro. John Smith, jun., P.P.G.M., on attaining his sixtieth birthday, and the fact of his being an Oddfellow for forty years'. The balance-sheet was read, showing the lodgo to possess, funds amounting to £IO,OOO, made up as follows : ■»—General fund, £8452 10s; distress, £53; , management, £430; surplus, etc., £893. At a special meeting of the Wellington Drivers’ Union, held at the Trocadcro last. evening, the report of the Social Committee Vas presented. The report showed a .surplus of £lO as a result of ,the recent ‘‘social.” The. committee set ui) to confer.with the employer's reported that .it had’sent circulars to over one hundred employers in regard to the, question, of .hours, pay, etc. Very few employers responded. Those who did rjeply were met by the committee, of the union in friendly conference, but notliing. definite was arrived at. It was thought that the matter should be taken before ‘ the Conciliation Board, The committee recommended accordingly, and a resolution was unanimously carried that Hie case be at-once brought before the Board.

■ Jupp’s Brass Baud art union was drawn in the Exchange Hall last evening in the presence /.of "a large audience. Mr F. Townsend, who presided, referred in a short address to the good work done by: the band during the last nine years. He said the bazaar and art union had been run for the purpose of raising funds to enable the band to get clear of debt, which it had succeeded in doing. If a* any time' the band were disbanded, its property would ho sold and’the money given to the Hospital. A deed had been drawn up to that effect, the names of the trustees being Messrs E. W. Petherick. W. Graham and "W. Jupn- Messrs "W. Mitforcl, J. Brady. W. H. .Thomas and C. Pankhurst, who were selected by the audiehce, acted as scrutineers during the drawing of the art union. The result appears in our advertising columns.

The City Band of New Plymouth has forwarded a donation of £2 towards the expenses of the" trip'to Bathurst of the Wellington Garrison Band. The Garrison Band at mo contest will play “ Euryanthe” as its test selection. This was the test piece played by it at the Wellington contest in 1892. The Meyerbeer selection will also be played. A case stated for the decision of the Supreme Court was argued before the Chief Justice yesterday. The Pahautanui Domain Board was the plaintiff, and Mr J. Stace' the defendant. Tiie question was whether the Domain Board, which was composed of delegates appointed by tho Governor under the Public Domains Act, 1881, was liable to pay the costs ol fencing' between its reserve and tlie adjoining properties. For the board it was contended that these delegates were only administrators or managers for the Governor, and as such wore not liable to. contribute towards the cost, and further if they had to contribute to the cost they had no means of reimbursement. The Chief Justice hold that tiie delegates were occupiers, and as such were liable. Mr T. W. Hislop appeared for the board, and Mr A. A. S. Menteath for the defendant. -

M Juies Guerin, the self-constituted prisoner of the anti-Semite Club, is (says the “ Daily News ”) a retired tripe-seller of La Vilette, which explains why he has a lot of butchers with him. He* is a “ gaillard ” of 3-5 or so, solidly built, a great crony of M. Drumout’s, and received his political education with the Marquis de Mores. • He was one of the band who signed themselves “The Friends of Mores.” After the death of tho Marquis, M. Guerin took the load of tho anti - Semites, and, always spoiling for a, fight, ho lias been in every street demonstration which tho anti-Semites have got up in Paris for this last ten years. He always carries about with, him a huge knotted stick as big as a small tree, and wears a big felt hat. This is the man, moreover, that half-killed a policeman-in the Place de la Concorde a few months ago during a demonstration. He has done well in polities, and his paper, “ The Anti-Juif,” has enabled him to make money. It has lately been said that this money, like that of M. Deroulede, is from the Jvuko of Orleans. M. Guerin, whilst a follow capable of doing much mischief, is in reality more of a braggart and blusterer than a dangerous man.

Messrs R. E. Hornblow and R. Mowatt, Justices, presided at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning, when Henry Walters was sentenced to a month’s imprisonment for stealing five hammers, the property of Hugh Trainor. Robert Wilson was* remanded on a, charge of assault till Friday, October 13th, bail being fixed at £SO or two sureties of £25 each. Four seamen from H.M.S. Mildura appeared in answer to various charges. John Watson was charged with being drunk ’ and disorderly. ‘ Frederick Johnston and Edward Bowyer with using obscene language, and Robert Williams with assaulting Constable Tonkinson while in the execution of his duty. It appeared that Watson, Johnston and Williams were amusing themselves in Manners street playing mouth organs and sky-larking on Tuesday night. Some trouble arose with tho police and one of tho men had resort to blows and the other to obscene language. Tlie Bench decided to* defer sentence until the afternoon in order to allow an officer ot the warship to be present. In the afternoon it transpired that Watson, Johnston and Williams had not given in their right names;; their real names being Pratt, Andrews and Gibbs The men were ordered to be handed over to the officers of the warship for punishment. i

The/ anniversary tea meeting of the Kent terrace Presbyterian, Church was held yesterday evening. There was a large attendance, 'the schoolroom being twice filled for the tea. In charge of the tables were the following ’ ladies :—- Mesdames Low, Riggs, Hannay, Stewart, .Cochrane, Turner, McGirr, Bedford, Thomson, Gibbs, Glover, D. McLean, McAlpino, Walker, Bell and Kirfcer,, Misses Robertson, Irons, Rowden, Stewart, Mitchell, Iveir, Campbell, Virtue, McCauley, W. Hannay, McLean, Clieyne and Janes. At tho public meeting which followed, the Rev J. K. Elliott, who presided, gave an address on “lire Duties of Church Members.” Addresses were also given bv tho Rev Dr Erwin (Christchurch) on “Influence,” the Rev W. C. Oliver on “Our Powers and how to use them,” and the Rev W. Shirer on “The Current of Present-day Thought.” with special reference to tho Christian Endeavour Movement, , and the union of the Free Churches.' Mr 'D. Robertson, one of the elders, explained the finances of the church, and made, an appeal on behalf of the effort to reduce the debt on . the church property. During tile evening the choir, under the leadership of Mr W. A. Patterson, and with Mr p. Bennett at the organ, rendered a number of anthems. Solos were contributed by Mrs Bedford, Mrs Petrie and Mr J. Searlo. After votes of thanks had been awarded to the ladies who assisted .at the tea, and to the speakers, the meeting was closed with the benediction.