LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1901, 17 July 1890, Page 13

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Cable communication with Europe is still interrupted, and steps are being taken in Australia to run steamers between Port Darwin and Java pending the repair of the cables, which are supposed to have been injured by a volcanic eruption. In Melbourne and Adelaide the authorities are on the alert lest it should turn out that the cable was cut by an enemy. No alarm is felt, but it has been deemed advisable to take precautionary measures.

The following telegram, received by Mr G. S. Brodrick, has been handed to us for publication :— " Reuter's latest cablegram received before the interruption of the cables states that Mr W. H. Smith goes to the House of Lords, and Lord Randolph Churchill rejoins the Ministry, assuming the position of leader of the House of Commons. This step is being taken by the advice of the Marquis of Hartington, who declined to take office."

We understand that private cablegrams received 4a town intimate that the London board of directors has decided ' to take over the management of the business of the Bank of New Zealand, some leading city men joining the board.

There was a, large gathering of members and friends of the Dunedin Youths' Mutual Improvement Association on Friday evening at their rooms, Princes street, the occasion being a lecture on " Life Insurance " by Mr Murray Aston. The lecturer made his subject most interesting, and was frequently applauded by his audience. A few songs and readings given by the lecturer proved most acceptable. A vote of thanks was passed to Mr Aston, and also to Miss Aston for her valuable assistance as accompanist.

It is estimated that the bodies of over 100 human beings are annually taken out of the Yarra river, Melbourne, having been drowned through various causes. Although " post mortem " photographs are taken of every corpse, only about 30 per cent, of them are identified.

Mrs Arthur Perry, mother by her first marriage of Mr Rhodes, M.H.R., and his three brothers, died on the 10th inst. at Timaru. As Mrs George Rhodes she came to Timaru in 1854, and was the second white woman'in the district. She also leaves five children by her second marriage. The cause of death was heart complaint.

From a comparative return, prepared by the treasurer and presented to the Harbour Board at their meeting on the 10th, it appeared that the board's- receipts for the first six months of the present year were £24,216 0a 4d, as against £23,320 16s Id for the corresponding six months of last year. The expenditure for the first halfyear of 1889 was £23,174 16s lid, and for the similar period of the present year £26,752 0s 7d.

A series of five lectures, uuder the auspices of the Dunedin Centre of the St. John Ambulance Association, was commenced at the Central Fire Brigade station on' the 10th,. There was, considering the weather, a surprisingly good attendance. Dr Colquhoun, who was the lecturer, explained the nature of the various organs of the body and the functions performed by those organs; laying, in. fact, the foundation for the remainder of the course of lectures. Last year each of the ambulanoe lectures was delivered by a different medical man, but this year Dr Colquhoun, who is honorary lecturer to the association; has consented to undertake all the lectures, while an examination .will be conduoted by some other doctor at the conclusion of the series. Those who 'pass this examination will be entitled to a "first aid " certificate of competency, ' Successful candidates at th^ examination after two years' courses will be entitled to an "advanced aid" certificate on- vellum, and after three years' courses to a medallion or "final aid " certificate. It is hoped, this winter to hold a series of ambulance lectures at Mosgiel, at South Dunedin, and, if possible, at Fort Chalmers. The Dunedin Association has, it may be explained, become affiliated to the St. John Association, of whioh H.R.H. the Prince of Wales is prior, and H.E. the Earl of Onslow the patron in New Zealand.

A Home paper says :— " It is with deep regret that we have to record the death of the senior churchwarden of St. Paul's, Hamlet road, which took place on May 13 at his residence, Wairana, Upper Nor ward. The deceased was the son of the late Admiral Sir Edward Chetham-Strode, and was for some years district judge in New Zealand. He had been in failing health for some years, and never seems to have recovered from the shock caused through the death of his beloved wife a few months ago. The deceased had charge of the Mission Church at St. Hughes' road, Anerley, where he was beloved by the poor, whom he visited in their sickness, and to whom in the Mission Churoh he preached the gospel of peace. At the funeral, which was largely attended, the chief mourners were Dr Strode, Mr W. Strode (sons), and two daughters. The churchwarden and sidesmen, Messrs A. M. Bethune, Morton-Smith, Swansborougb, and Izod, also followed ; and General Green, Rev. J. Bice Byrne, and Mr R. G. Kesfcen. "The coffin was carried to the grave by six working men connected with the mission, who had asked to be allowed this [privilege out of love to their departed friend."

A picture, which is on view in the Werfcheim Machine Company's depot near the Ootagon, has attracted a good deal of attention during the last few days. The painting is from the brush of Mr J. Gaut, an artist who has recently arrived from Auckland to settle in Dunedin, and represents "Dunedin Harbour at Sunrise," with the steamer Tarawera steaming up the harbour. Mr Gaut has adopted a somewhat striking scheme of colour, and has on the whole produced an effective piece of work,' though there is at least one flaw noticeable in the drawing.

The London Estates Gazette expresses its surprise at finding that land near cities hr New Zealand is worth considerably more than it is in many parts of the old country at present. A compact farm of 61 acres, situate near an important town in Yorkshire, was sold by auction recently for about £900 ; while for a " desirable freehold property" of 87 acres, called Home Bash farm, with leasehold sections in the harbour district, close to Wellington city, £2250 is asked, which is about the cost of the Yorkshire farm of two-thirds of its size some 20 years ago, when land values in England Btood as high as have ever been recorded. As prices of colonial produce are largely ruled by London prices, the value set upon land 16,000 miles distant from that market seems rather high as compared with that placed on land in parts of England.

There is much bitterness amoag the Auokland out-settlers at the action of the Acclimatisation Society in getting the export of frozen game stopped, more especially of pheasants. They consider that the enhanced prices realised for pheasants by the creation of this new industry would in some measure compensate them for the depredations which the birds infliot upon their crops. It is pointed out that the export trade is carried out in the South. So far the society is obdurate, and is insistingupon a stopnace of all export operations. It is rather unfortunate that the question should have cropped pp, as the Acclimatisation Society must depend

for much of its success upon the hearty goodwill and co-operation of the country settlers. The game license fees to date are slightly in excess of previous years, although it is believed there is still a great deal of shooting going on in country districts out of season, and " pot-hunting." The proposal to introduce a fresh strain of pheasants is looked upon with favour, although the reason given for the diminution of the birds — namely, breeding in and in — is not regarded by the secretary of the Acclimatisation Society as a satisfactory explanation of their decrease. Immense numbers of eggs and young birds are, destroyed every year through the Maoris burning off the fern in order to get fresh feed for their stock.

Samuel Perry, a labourer, was received into the hospital on Saturday, from Glenomaru, suffering from severe burns on the face, head, arms, and hands. A cask of powde I*,1 *, near which Perry was standing, was upset without his observing it, and he threw a lighted match on the ground upon the powder, with the result that he received the injuries mentioned by the flaring up of the powder. The man is making good progress. — Charles Lamb was also received into the hospital on Saturday, having been run over, whUe engaged removing furniture on Saturday evening, by a cab.

,The Dunedin Poultry, Pigeon, Canary, and Dog Society's show, in the Garrison Hall, was w.ell patronised on Saturday afternoon, and in the evening the hall was so crowded that it was with the greatest difficulty that a sight could ba obtained of some of the exhibits;' in fact, owing to the very large numbers who settled down in the gallery to listen to the music discoursed by the Garrison Band, it was simply impossible to see the pigeons, which were supposed to be on view there. About 9.30 the drawing for prizes took place on the stage, under the supervision of Mr Carlton, assisted by members of the committee, and after this was over three cheers were given for Mr Carlton and three more for Mr Loasby.

From Dr Macgregor's last annual report on the lunatio asylums of the colony it appears that of the 391 patients now in the asylums, 230 are males and 161 females. It is a striking circumstance that of that number 107 females were occupied in domestic duties and 21 were domestic servants ; while of the males 77 were labourers and 15 farmers, 13 had no occupation, 12 were commercial travellers, 11 carpenters, and 11 shopkeepers and shopmen. The table of causes of insanity gives 102 unknown, 45 drink, 36 hereditary, 21 domestio troubles, 14 epilepsy, 12 senile decay, 13 congenital, 13 child-bearing, and 14 religious mania. " Love" was the cause of 9 cases, grief in 5, financial difficulties in 4, and solitude in 3.

A proposal is on foot to establish a steam ferry service between the old railway station at Anderson's Bay and the cross wharf at Dunedin. The promoters intend to dredge a channel, and properly line it with timber, from the terminus at Anderson's Bay to the bridge on the road which crosses the bay. The bridge it is intended to raise a few feet, so as to afford free passage to the steamer at any time. The plans for the proposed steamer, whioh is to be procured in London, have been prepared, and from tbese it appears she will be a very handsome little vessel of light draught, fitted with all recent improvements, and oapable of carrying 70 passengers. It is expected that one engineer and a steersman would be . all' that would be required to work the craft. Boats of this class are already in use in various places in shallow water, and have been found to answer admirably. It is anticipated the steamer could make about 60 trips per day should the traffic demand it. There is little doabt that the establishing of a smart and efficient' steam ferry service would tend greatly to the settling of townspeople in the district about Anderson's Bay.

. The Riverton Star reports another death from diphtheria, a young daughter of Mr Meek, of Fairfax, being the victim, while it was reported that another of the oases at Wairio had termiuated fatally, as had also a case at Thornbury.

An extraordinary duel took place at Vienna, according to the Wiener Tagblatt, a few days ago between a girl, aged 19, and a young Vienna doctor, who had offended one of her friends and refused to apologise. He was challenged in the ordinary way by two seconds, a student and an officer of the reserves, and, when he ridiculed the idea, the girl threatened to horsewhip him publicly. The challenge was then accepted, and a meeting with seconds and doctors took place in a hired room in a Vienna suburb. All the rules for a duel with swords were strictly observed. The doctor first acted on the defensive but was soon obliged to fight in earnest, and left off after the second round with a wound in the left side, which was declared not to be dangerous. The girl, a Croatian educated in South America, is said by the seconds to be the best fencer they ever saw. After wounding her adversary, she left the place without casting another look at him.

A meeting of domestic servants was held on Monday night to forward the movement recently set on foot to form a union among servant girls. Several speakers addressed the meeting, the general tenor of the remarks being in the direotion of advocating the establishment of a domestic training home, the shortening of hours, the granting of a half-holiday every week, more Sunday leisure, and higher wages. The latter question was raised only once during the evening, and that in an almost inaudible voice from the rear of the hall. One or two of the speakers started to sketch out ideal service lives for the girls, but they got so high up in the clouds that the auditors were quite unable to follow, apparently believing that such bliss could never be theirs, and the little dreams were at length interrupted by a general laugh all round. One gentleman advocated that mistresses should supply their maids with suitable books to read, and another blandly asked what possible harm there could be in allowing Mary Ann's " sweetheart " to come round to the kitchen at night to whisper soft words to her. Boisterous laughter followed both suggestion. Even a proposal that the hours of labour should be limited to eight found no favour in the face of a statement by one girl that phe worked 18 hours a day and that she had done this for years past. At the meeting Mrs Darney said she had only had a short experience in keeping a registry office, but during that short time she had had on an average 10 or 15 girls at her office, and she was bound to say that in all her experience she had not come aoross 16 strong healthy girls. The majority of her patrons told her they were over-wrought with long hours, and were only fit for light places. She had given ont situations to women of 25 and 30 at 53 and 6s a week, simply because their constitutions were thoroughly wrecked. Mr H. Maxwell, secretary of the Wharf Labourers' Union, said he had no doubt something was necessary to be done among the servant girls in this town, and not only here but all over the colony. That meeting was the first of the kind that had ever been held in any part of the world — a fact which would justify them in being proud of having attended.it.— (Applause.) He thought that 12 hours a day was too long a period for work 1 10 hours was more reasonable.— (Voices : "Eight!") Re might say he know of the case of a young girl who bad been obliged to, rige ft

the middle of the night to do the washing, so that ehe would not be hindered with her work in the middle of the day. He believed there were many mistresses like that one in Dunedin.—(The Chairman: "Surely not";" and voices : " Yes, yes.") The case he had mentioned was one he had heard of lately, and the result of it was that the girl had to leave off the work to recruit her health, after which he supposed she went back to the same old " drudgery," The Chairman said that he could not believe that in Dunedin there were many houses where such practices went on.— (Voices : " Yes, yes.") Well, if any one present could relate such experiences let her come up to the front and tell her story. Rev. Mr North reminded the chairman that he was asking the girls to expose themselves to the law of libel. The Chairman : Oh, am 1 9 Well, I didn't know it. I. do not want them to give their names. A girl at the end of the room intimated that in many oases servants worked from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. The whole matter has been left in the hands of a committee to draw up rules for submission to a future meeting.

Some time ago it was reported in Australia that Mr Carnegie, the American millionaire ironmaster, was crushing his workmen, whereupon Mr David Proudfoot, who is an admirer of Mr Carnegie, communicated with him. He has received a reply, in which Mr Carnegie says :— "In regard to crushing our workmen, it is scarcelj worth while to notice partisan attacks. So far from having reduced their pay recently the sliding scale under which our men work has increased their wages 26 9-10 per cent. They are paid every month upon the basis of the market prices of the product, which is the only way in which labour can obtain justice. No large body of men in the world make as high wages as ours." Mr Proudfoot has also received intimation that Mr Carnegie will soon visit Australia, which he designates as the " coming republic."

The Australasian of July 5 thus concludes an article dealing with the financial position of New Zealand:—" The revenue from. the customs for the past year was not satisfactory, it being some £49,000 below the estimate, and there was a large excess of exports over imports. This latter fact, whioh is usually a cause of rejoicing to Protectionists, has been made the theme of some lamentation, whioh appears to be altogether without warrant. A colony which owes a great deal must at times find this state of affairs arise, but it does not indicate a decline of trade or a failure of industry in any way. A mere glance at the statistics is sufficient to prove this. The exports for the past year shows a large increase, especially in all the staple articles of produce, an increase which has developed year by year, showing that the resources of the country are being steadily turned to account. If we look back a deoade we may well be surprised at the advance that has been made whilst, as we have been told, the colony was steadily going to ruin, If we analyse the returns we shall see that the increases Bhow a steady development of industry, whioh speaks well for the past and promises better for the future. Such figures prove, beyond all doubt, the steady advance of the country, in spite of many drawbacks, due mainly to ill-considered enterprise and financial rashness in past days, the effeots of which will be felt for many years to come. But with such a basis as the statistics show, and with a population whioh is advancing rapidly, we may say, with the sage of old, that the problem f solvitur ambulando.'"

Mr D. Harris Hastings has been appointed official agent in New Zealand for the Tasmanian Exhibition to be held at Launceston.

Constable M'Kenzie, who has been stationed at Outram for about 14 years, is to be transferred to Lumsden.

A seven-roomed wooden house, situate neat the cattle yards, Half-way Bush, caught fire in some unexplained manner shortly before 10 o'clock on Tuesday night. The building had been unoccupied for five or six weeks, but there were carpenters about it within the last week repairing it for an incoming tenant, who purposed using it as a dairy.

Some very strong and startling statements were made by Dr Neild in giving evidence before the Victorian Charities Commission in Melbourne, He said he was distinctly in favour of establishing a foundling hospital in view of the large amount of infanticide prevailing. He had himself made post mortem examinations on about 500 children, the majority of whom had been killed, most immediately after birth, and others by starvation. The number formed but a small percentage of the whole number of infanticides. In connection with the murdering of these infants, at least three persons were concerned — the mother, and probably, at least, two other persons — so that in the cases he had dealt with there mußt be 1500 women who were walking about with murder on their souls, and they did not feel any compunction or remorse in the matter.

Mr Fitzgerald, who has been 30 years a surgeon in the Melbourne Hospital, alleges that even the ground around the institution is so fully impregnated with disease germs that the disturbance of the soil in gardening operations has a distinct influence for evil in the health of the inmates.

At the sitting of the Police Court on Tuesday, before Messrs S.N. Brown and T. Brydone, J.P.s, Charlotte Hooper was charged with the larceny of a post office order for £6. Mr Fraser, who appeared for the accused, said that he questioned whether that court had jurisdiction to deal with the case, but to simplify matters he would ask to be allowed to plead guilty. The facts of the case were that accused found the P. 0.0. on the Bth of July in the street. She was a respectable married woman with a large family, and was in extreme ciccumstauceß, there being actually no food in the house. She looked upon the order as a godsend, and took it to a draper's to procure blankets, of which she stood greatly in need, and to procure food for her ohildren. The police found the owner of the P. 0.0., and then accused found that she had done wrong in not endeavouring to find the owner before disposing of the order. Chief-detective Henderson said that Mr Fraser had told half the story, and had taken the rough edge off. The state of Restitution mentioned was correct. The Bench, intimated that they had no doubt but that the woman was guilty of a breach of the law, but they had no desire to deal harshly with her. She would be convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon.

We understand that Messrs Robert Anderson and Co. have purchased the Manor place mills, and that they intend to reconstruct the machinery and put in a full roller plant with all the latest improvements.

Dr Stuart at the late meeting of the W.C.T. Union said that his plain speaking on temperance in his young days gave offence, not to the publican, but to the tipplers; and that the effect of coffee and currant buns on the afternoon of th.c Communion Sabbaths was not to shut the "Blackcook," but to induce mapy to forego the use of whisky and sour beer. In 1888, after an absence of 30 years, he found church and sohools at work as of old, bat he also found the " Blaok,-

cock" still dispensing its wares to travellers and tipplers. The publio house is firmly rooted in our British soil, and little less than a social convulsion will overturn it.

The ordinary monthly meeting of Lodge Dunedin, No. 931, E.G., was held in the Freemasons' Hall, Moray place, on Tuesday night. Bro. J. S. Capstick, W.M., occupied the chair, and was supported by a numerous gathering of P.M.'s. The election of W.M. for the ensuing year resulted in Bro. John Stone, S.W., being returned. The W.M., in the course of a short speech, made feeling remark to the death of Bro. the Earl of Carnarvon, the Most Worshipful pro-Grand Master of England. After the lodge was closed, a pleasant half-hour's re-union was held.

It is reported that lung worm has made its appearance in the flocks in the Wellington province, and that the mortality is very great.

The Press says that a leading Christchuroh olergyman, in a recent sermon, took oooasion to deplore in outspoken terms what he called the nil admirari spirit of young people brought up in the colony. It was difficult, he said, in effect, to get them to take an interest in anything. If you told them of brave and heroic deeds they were unmoved. If they went Home the sight of the grand old cathedrals and other historic buildings excited in them no enthusiasm. If you set. them down before Westminster Abbey they saw nothing in it — they would hardly acknowledge it was so very much better than their own cathedral. They took life more as a species of joke than anything else.

With reference to the discovery made recently that some £1500 was lying in the Union Bank, Nelson, being the balance of what was raised for the Taranaki Refugees' Relief Fund, Mr Oswald Curtis writes to a Nelson paper giving particulars. He was secretary of the committee in which the fund was vested, and when the need for distribution ceased the then Provincial Solicitor advised that they had no power to deal with the balance in hand without the authority of-an act of the General Assembly of New Zealand. Mr Alexander Eerr, the then manager of the Union Bank of Australia, and honorary treasurer to the committee, left for Auokland, and a year or two afterwards died. Some time afterwards Mr Curtis found that the balance, about £500, was lying idle. Although without any legal authority, he placed it on fixed deposit bearing interest, and the £500 has now accumulated to £1500. The surviving members of the committee have not as yet hit upon a plan foe the appropriation of this money which they think would be acceptable to the General Assembly, and there are reasons, whioh those behind the scenes can see, why the matter should not be moved in at present.

The following are from Lloyd's Weekly of May 22:— "Joel Burbage went to Wellington, New Zealand, in 1875, and was still there in December 1888. His parents ask news. Jane Crocker (nee Churchill) went with her husband (a bootmaker) from Dorsetshire to Auokland between 30 and 40 years ago. Brother James. Thomas Goodman, who emigrated to New Zealand 17 years ago, is sought for by his youngest sister Betsy. Francis Henry Laughton was last heard from while at Rokonionoa, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, in May 1888. His mother and sister Harriett would be glad of news. Edward Arthur May sailed in the Belgenland for America in September 1880, and 12 months since was lost sight of, when ha left Parksville, Conn., for New : Zealand. Sister ' Alice asks. James and William Palmer, of Sellindge, neaa Hythe, Kent, were last heard of at Prospect Farm, Upper Parara, Timaru, New Zealand. Their mother awaits tidings. J. S. Pawson (Parsons), last heard of at Port Nelson, New Zealand, during 1871, is sought by his sister. John Simpson was last heard of at Lovells Flat, Otago, New Zealand, in 1878. Brother William. George Smith arrived in Auokland from Islington in 1874, and about 10 years ago desired his letters sent to P. 0., Shortland, Thames Goldfields, New Zealand. His aged parents long to hear of him. Richard Ventric, engineer, left England for New Zealand in 1868, and was employed at Mr Gibbon's sawmills, Grahamßtown, until he proceeded to Australia in 1877. Sister inquires. George Wright, farrier, and his brother William are sought by their mother. George went to America 17 years ago, and two years later William sailed for New Zealand." Complaint was made to us (Oamaru Mail) to-day by one of our most successful and respected settlers that the local press fail to reoord some of the best sales of grain made by farmers, and that Bales are Bometimeß made at fully 3d per bushel above the prices quoted by the papers. We need hardly point oat that the fact of such good prices not being recorded by us is entirely due to thefarmer who sells the grain. We some time ago requested farmers when selling their grain to inform us of the price reoeived,that<hetruevalue of grain might be made publio for the benefit of other farmers, but with one exception no notice was taken of our appeal. How is it possible for us to become acquainted with the fact that |a [Heller gets a good 'price fo<- hi« wheat unless he informs us. There ia little chance of the merobant doing so, for while he might give 2d or 3d per bushel above the quotations supplied to the papers for one or two lots he is the last person to publish the faot, knowing the result would be to put up prices at once to his own loss, W hat we would suggest is that farmers should on selling supply the secretary to the Farmers' Club with the particulars of the transactions, and also leave a sample of the grain with Mr Ohuroh. Each sample could be numbered and an entry made of prices, &c, in a book of reference, which would obviate the necessity of names being given, The press should be allowed aooess to this record and the sales, without the names of the sellers, published. We commend this to the Farmers' Club for consideration.