The Otago Daily Times. WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 1885.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7317, 29 July 1885, Page 2

The Otago Daily Times. WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 1885.

The Victorian Coalition Government, being prevented by the terms of its constitution from dealing with the larger matters of policy upon which its members differ, has brought clown as a Ministerial measure a -^.u-i^-c.^cimuig-t-iie-llcenßins'-la^o-^f-ti,^. Colony which is of Draconian severity, and marks a new departure in Australasian legislation upon the subject. The principle of local option is to be extended so that it may .apply not only to prevent an increase in the number of licensed houses as at present, but also to shutting up one-half of the houses now existing. Partial compensation is to be; given to houses thus closed through no fault of their own; but—and this seems to us a capital error—that compensation is to come out of the general revenue, and not from the pockets of the virtuous ratepayers who shut the houses in their districts. Special licensing courts are to be created, consisting, of three members appointed by the Government ; and there are to be district inspectors, who will report to these courts on the character and condition of the local houses. The grocers' licenses are to be maintained at double the existing fee. The statutory number of licensed victuallers in any one district is fixed at one for each 250 of the first 1000 inhabitants, and one more for each subsequent 500, the ratepayers having the right to vote that the licensed | houses now existing in their district shall be | reduced to this limit. The penalties for Sunday trading are made very heavy, and a : publican forfeits his license on the third conviction. The existing barmaids are to be allowed to pursue their trade, but no more women are to be allowed to enter this employment. It is scarcely necessary to point out that this bill is much more zealous than discreet. The best feature of it is the appointment of nominee licensing courts instead of elective committees, which are too apt to be controlled by publicans or teetotallers. The rule of one public-house to so many ratepayers is absurd, a proportion which would be sufficient in a suburb being manifestly too little for the requirements of the central parts of a city where people transact business, eat luncheon, &c. As to the compensation, it seems to us that it should come partly out of the pockets of the ratepayers who vote for the reduction of houses, and partly out of the tills of the remaining houses whose trade is increased by the abolition of their competitors. As to barmaids, we have already expressed our opinion at length, but it is worth noticing that there are only 346 in Victoria to 4299 public-houses. As to Sunday trading, the Argus well points out that "a law which can only be enforced by an army of policemen and by a penalty equivalent to the ruin of the detected culprit should not be on the Statute-book in so severe a form, but should be judiciously modified and relaxed, so that it can be as easily carried into effect as any other law." A fifth of the ratepayers can under the bill demand a vote to reduce the number of existing houses to the number named in the act; and if, as is usually the case, little interest is taken in the poll, the result might be the closing of the houses by a fifth of the ratepayers. At least an absolute majority should be required. We shall look forward to the debate upon the bill with interest, because information and experience applicable to this Colony may be brought out during the course of the debate, but the bill requires more remodelling than any of Sir Julius Vogel's policy bills before it can safely be allowed to become law.

The greatest reproach against our municipal arrangements is one which it would cost nothing to remove. There is no other town of the size of Dunedin in the Colonies the streets of which are not properly numbered, whereas Princes and George streets are almost the only streets in Dunedin in which numbers are exhibited, and in these not a j fourth ofthe houses are numbered. We trust the City Council will no longer delay in making it compulsory for every house within the city limits to exhibit a number in a conspicuous place. There is not a citizen who is not constantly having to inquire his way about his own town, and who is not constantly bothered with inquiries from others. In the aggregate, the amount of inconvenience which might be avoided by this simple device is far greater than we think. To answer questions of this kind is not much trouble; but often it become a weary hunt to find a house which under a proper system of numeration there could be no difficulty at all in finding. By far the best way of numbering streets is to have the odd numbers on one side and the even on the other. The council have only to advertise for tenders for painting figures according to pattern stencil-plates, and to make it compulsory for each house to have its number up, to the satisfaction of the inspector, within a certain date. The contractor will have to undertake to paint the figures for any householder, at contract price; or it will be open to tho householder to make a private bargain with any other painter, or paint them himself, so long as the figures are sufliciently conspicuous to satisfy the inspector. This was the system adopted in Christchurch three years ago, and it worked

admirably without causing annoyance to anyone. Apart from the inconvenience to ourselves of the streets not being numbered, we have to remember that the number of visitors to Dunedin is yearly increasing, and the discredit which it reflects upon the city to be behind our sister cities in so simple an arrangement.

Reports of yesterday's Courts, letters to the editor, and other matter appear on our fourth Pago.

t From some unexplained cause, wo have received no European cablegrams this morning.

The Hawea, with the San Francisco mail on board, left AVellington at 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon. She should reach Lyttelton in time to catch this morning's express, and the mails may therefore be expected this evening.

In the Legislative Council yesterday the Criminal Code Bill passed its third reading, and the Law Practitioners Bill was thrown out.

In tho House of Representatives, questions in connection with the defences largely occupied the morning and evening sittings. The Whitmore Enabling Bill evoked a lot of discussion, as did the measure amending the Public Works Act providing for tho taking of land in connection with the fortifications. As a claim for compensation has been sent iv from Auckland, and the time forfiling the defence to itexpires to-day, it was intended to pass the bill through all its stages, but this was not done. The Hospital And 'Charitable Aid Bill was dealt with in Committee and arrangements made, but consideration of the measure is not yet concluded.

Mr W; N, Blair, chief engineer for the Middle Island, leaves Dunedin this morning on his way back to Wellington, staying for a day or two at Christchurch en route. During his short stay in Otago, Mr Blair has paid visits of inspection to the Otago Central railway, the defence works, the asyhim at Seacliff, and in fact to all the Government works of importance in the locality.

Stephen Stamp Hutchison was charged (on remand) at the City" Police Court yesterday with concealing property prior to his bankruptcy with intent to defraud his creditors. The presiding justices were unable to agree, one favouring a committal and the other being of opinion that the case should be dismissed. Under these circumstances no decision was given, and as-the case was not remanded the accused walked out of the court.

The- social meeting of the Ravensbourne Women's Christian Temperance Union on Monday was again very successful. The Rev. Mr Young presided,and delivered an address, as also did Mr Graham. A number of songs, readings, and recitations were given and enjoyed by those present. Miss Little presided at the organ. The union is making very satisfactory progress.

Messrs Peter Black and George Leslie, of Dunedin, have been appointed valuers under the Friendly Societies Act.

Au extraordinary assault was made recently upon Mr E. Pyke, an acting station-master at the. Redbunk railway-station, Queensland. Three men rode up to the station, roused up Pyke, and demanded a passage through the gates. While be was in the act of opening the gates the men set upon him in a most brutal manner, and left him lying semiunconscious in a pool of blood, with several ribs broken and other injuries. No cause is assigned for the assault.

At Patea, a few days ago, his Honor District Judge Rawson sentenced a bankrupt to two months'hard labour under section 171 of the Bankruptcy Act, as it was his Honor's opinion that the bankruptcy was attributable to unjustifiable extravagance in living. The bankrupt, named Richards, was lately a publican at Patea. From the evidence it appeared he allowed his wife to run up extravagant drapery bills without paying for them. Just before filing his wife obtained a 35s bonnet and a sixguinea brocaded velvet dress. But the worst feature of his extravagar.ee was calling in all his customers and " shouting" away his entire stock-in-trade. The bankrupt admitted being elrunk on this occasion, and said that while he was someone picked his pockets of his keys and stole £143 from the safe. The Court held that a publican who treated his customers at the expense of his creditors, and allowed his wife to run np drapery bills without paying for them, clearlycame within the meaning ot " extravagant" living according to the Act.

Ajneeting ofthe Auj?lic<m-clerey_of_Dmiedin^ and suburbs was held at St. Paul's Vestry on Monday to consider the reply of the Minister of Education to the request of a deputation that waited upon him some months ago to urge that ministers of religion should be permitted to give instruction during school hours. The Bishop presided. The Minister stated that the question had been considered by the Cabinet, and that it was not deemed possible to amend the Education Act in the direction desired. The meeting regarded this reply as unsatisfactory, and resolved to take any steps that might be found practicable towards the attainment of their object.

An extraordinary fracas which occurred recently at the Echuca Hospital was investigated by the committee. From statements made by Drs Murdoch and Osborne and the servants of the institution it appeared that one night a wardsman and the matron, a married couple, quarrelled, and got into a very excited state. The passage of the hospital was strewn with clothes; the surgery window was broken, and the clothes which were hanging on the pegs in the servants' room were discovered to bq, on fire, the wall being blackened and the floor charred. Upon Dr Murdoch's arrival the matron, who was in an excited state, abused him and struck him on the head. She also assailed the nurse, and acted in an extraorelinary manner, until a constable was sent for. The wardsman was found lying on the verandah, and had to be taken in and laid on the bed. Dr Murdoch expressed his conviction that both the wardsman and matron were drunk, but the wardsman in defence stated that his wife had been suffering from a rush of blood to the head, and he from the effects of morphia. The committee unanimously decided to dismiss both forthwith, and to invite fresh applications at £120 a year.

The telephone at AVellington is being largely made use of by practical jokers, and some unfortunates have been put to serious inconvenience by receiving orders for goods, &c. The consequence is that precautions are now taken to invariably ring up the Exchange after any such order, and thus ascertain the genuineness of the

message.

Mr James Tyree, photographer, Great King street, has forwarded several eases to the Wellington Exhibition containing views taken in Dunedin and Otago. One case shows a number of the principal buildings in Dunedin devoted to local industries, besides instantaneous views of Princes street, and photographs of such wellknown structures as the Jewish Synagogue, the Great King street Tabernacle, and the Lyceum. The remainder of the collection includes views taken on the Leith, in the various mining centres, and other picturesque parts of Otago.

The committee of the recent assault-at-arms given by the private and High School pupils of Mr Hanna met the Benevolent Institution Committee last evening in the Coffee Palace. Dr Brown occupied the chair, and handed over to the committee the handsome sum of £125 0s lOd, being the proceeds of the above entertainment, after deducting all expenses. In the course of his remarks the chairman mentioned that this was the first of an annual series of entertainments to be given by Mr Hanna's class, and he hoped they would all be as well patronised as the recent one. Mr Reimie, chairman of the Benevolent Committee, on receiving the cheque, spoke of the evil results of intemperance, and said the majority of cases which came before them every week were caused by drinkHe also thanked Mr Hanna and his pupils for the time they had given up to bring about such a handsome result. Mr Solomon also thanked them on behalf of those receiving relief. Before the company dispersed, Dr Brown presented to Mr Maeaulay a handsome gold locket and an address, subscribed by the pupils of Mr Hanna's private class. Mr Maeaulay thanked the donors of this gift, given in appreciation of his services as honorary secretary to the assault-at-arms. The locket was engraved on one side with the recipient's monogram, and on the other the following inscription: "Presented to Mr John Maeaulay by Instructor Hanna and his private gymnastic class. 28 |7 | 85."

The only case ou the list for the Banco sittings of the Supreme Court to-day is Marshall v. Hawkins, a motion for writ of prohibition, but we understand that the cases of the Commercial Property and Finance Company v. Graydon, and Andrews v. M'Culloch will also be taken.

After the parade last evening, the Dunedin Naval Artillery held a meeting, when an influential committee was appointed to make arrangements for the annual ball, which it was decided to hold on the 4th September. Mr G. H. Wallis was appointed hon. secretary, and Mr R. Donaldson hon. treasurer.

The second performance of " The Woman in White " attracted an excellent audience at the Princess Theatre yesterday evening, and Mr Wybert Reeve's admirable impersonation of Count Fosco was again received with every manifestation of i approval. There is to be another change of programme to-night, " The Woman in White" giving place to Andrew Halliday's comeely, " Love or Money," in which Mr Reeve fills the part of Major Buncombe in a style that has made this one of his most popula- vcharacters.

A meeting of the Lay Helpers' Union in connection with the Church of England was held last evening in St. Matthew's schoolroom. An instructive aud interesting paper on " Religion in our public schools" was read by Mr A. M. Barnett, of the Normal School.

The half-yearly meeting of the Colonial Bank proprietors will be held this afternoon.

The Railway concert and ball in aid of the Benevolent Institution will be held in the Lyceum Hall this evening. A large number of tickets have been already disposed of; and given good weather, the attendance should be good. A meeting was held at Gore on Monday, , mainly composed of delegates from different districts, to receive the report and balance-sheet of the Waimea Railway-rate Defence Committee. . The old committee were' re-elected after the report was aelopteel. We learn from' tho Ensign's report that Mr Cauning said that after the decision in the last case ratepayers wanted to know what was to be done next. He told them they were prepared to carry the cases from Duneelin to.Wellington and from Wellington to Britain. That would cost a lot of money, they said; but he pointed out that the whole cost of taking a case Home would not exceed one rate. People were determined to see the matter out.

A suggestion was received at the Auckland Parliamentary Union from the Hawera Union pointing out the elesirability of an exchange between the various unions in the Colony of order-papers and bills. It was decided to take steps to give effect to the proposal.

Au inquest was held in Melbourne on the 15th on the body of Andrew Gueriu, who for many years had obtained a living by selling caudles to cabmen. He lived' at a boarding-house in Bourke street, where it was generally believed, in consequence of his appearance, that he was badly off. Recently he became very ill, and was removed to the hospital in an emaciated conelition through tvaivt of food. He died on Sunday from the effects of chronic disease of the lungs and starvation. When his effects were searched by the police, papers were found which showed that about £720 was lying in various banks to his credit.

News by the San Francisco mail states that a elespatch from Boston of June 24 says :— "The journals of General GorJon at Khartoum, voluminous extracts from which are given out to newspapers to-day, make a crown octavo volume of over 500 pages. It was published on June 24. A prominent feature of the extracts are the remarks, frequent and bitter, which Gordon has for what he terms the ' indecision of the British Government.' In this connection he writes: 'It is not easy to get over a feeling dthat a hope existed of no expedition being necessary, owing to our having fallen.' He believes the Soudan should be given to the Turks, and incidentally referring to India, says: ' India to England is not an advantage. It is the cause of all party intrigue, and if the same energy were devoted elsewhere it would produce tenfold. India sways all our policy to our eletriment.' In a similar manner he touches upon the marvellous, but constantly recurring, theme of the shortcomings of the English Administration. ' Oh, our Government, our Government,' he writes, 'what has it not to answer; not to me, but to these poor people ? I declare that if I thought the town wished the Mahdi, I would give it up, so much do I respect free will.' A passage, apparently indicating the tone of the whole book, is the following:—'l could,' he says, 'write volumes of pent-up wrath on this subject, if I elidnot believe these.things ordained and all for the best.'. Tho first edition of 10,000 of the General's.diary was reported to be exhausted on June 26.

A writer in the European Mail says:—" The great Australian continental Colonies have their shields and bearings, which have been familiar to the world; but the arms of "New Zealand appear to be very little known, comparatively, and to . mauy_are a matter of dubious character. I have been led to make these remarks owing to the circumstance that at the offices of the New Zealand Agency here there are quite a surprising number of applications for information as to the arms of the great island Colony. c Letters come from all quarters, from members of various railes, who seem as desirous of putting up the arms of the Britain of the South as the typical West End tradesman is of displaying the Lion and the Unicorn. This, so far, is most decidedly highly gratifying from a colonist's viewpoint and it certainly tells a very significant tale as' to the estimation in which New Zealand is now hold in the industrial centres of this country The Great Seal of the Colony consists, as my readers know, of a missionary and a Maori, with an altar between them, and it seems to me— averse as I naturally am to criticise anything of this kind-—that something much better might be ' invented' in theso days to match the wellknown shield and quartering.? ofthe great members of the continental Australian group. At present it may be said that virtually New Zealand is, in an heraldic sense, au unknown quantity, as the Colony can hardly be said to possess 'arms' in the same sense as the United King dom, or even as many of our ancient guildg here do. Is not this a thing that might well be looked to ? Surely it would be easy enough to devise, on legitimate heraldic grounds, such a coat-of-arms as would sorve for those who wished to display them, with pardonable pride, in their industrial connection with the Britain of the South. Something better than the missionary and the Maori might surely be found."

tlielitlf°,tm ea,alld "cfri Sera(' in £ Company meet on The ratepayers iv the Peninsula Road Board district meet at Highcliff on Saturday /"closing a roadline. * <- '"""

Mr M. Pym will sell nails to-day. Messrs James Samson and Co. will sell household furniture to-morrow. . ™

The Perpetual Trustees, Estate, and Agency Company will sell freehold property in Opohoon tiie llth

of the M.U.1.0 0.F., Otago District, will be held this evening in the Stuart street Hall In addition to the usual vocal and instrumental selections at the V.M.C.A. social meeting ths even "(LitMe'n/'' WIU ddiVer a" address ™

A dividend of Is in the £ in the estate of Hatton King, and Co. is declared- -0"1

The programme of tlie"Otago Hunt Club Steenlecliase meeting is given elsewhere. Nominations for handicaps are due on the 21st August. Whether Port Chalmers ever gets the "ravine dock and its endowments, there is one thing cert i n^ that the exertions o its pleaders at Wellington ought to le recognised in a suitable manner. Dock orio dock, one thing the inhabitants of the Port n-e assured: a new iiiic, large, pronerlv-constifiifwi ... ,i well-filled butcher's shop" Ali^Tt, 'e s ™£ procurable. Prices reasonable. Smallgoods iu<l

Oysters! Oysters! Oysters .'-Grand Hotel Rm Sor-o^^^^yS^S