LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2010, 1 September 1892, Page 18

LOCAL & GENERAL.

The Timaru Herald has been informed by a m'emßer of the Salvage Company that they could have taken the steamer Elginshire off the reef some weeks ago, but they cou'd not be sure of keeping her afloat alter she came off and began to feel the moving strains of the sea. Their policy has been to get the leaking inner bottom of the main hold made as watertight as possible before. allowing the vessel to float. This work has been carried so far that the hold was pumped out on Saturday, but this disclosed a damaged place before unknown, and that has to be patched up before doing anything else. It is impossible to say when the company will be ready to sb'iffc the vessel. They will get all ready and get the tug at short notice, and probably before tho public can be made aware of it the Elginshire will be on her way to Lyttelton dock— or the bottom.

There was .a large attendanse at the • Jewish Synagogue on the 24th to witness the marriage of Mr P. Selig, of the Weekly Press, Christchurch, with Miss Kate Mendelsohn, daughter of Mr Louis Mendelsohn, of this city. The rabbi, the Rev. Mr Chadowski, performed the ' ceremony, and afterwards delivered an earnest address to the happy pair on the duties of the marriage state. The bride was neatly but richly attired in white corded silk, and wore the customary wreath of orange blossoms. Shewas attended by her two sibtero, the Misses Bertha and Aunie Meulelsohn. The bridge groom wrfs attended by Mr Joseph Mendelsohn and Mr Mark Cohen. The Synagogue was very tastefully decorated for the occasion, and as the' bride left the building her path was strewn with flowers by her numerous young friends. The " Wedding March (Mendelssohn) and a voluntary were played by Mr Hawkins, of the Densem Company.

The Auckland Herald 3tates that Major Dane, who is at present in the United States, in a letter to a friend says : — " We are having very exciting times between capitalists and working men. Capitalists call on powder and lead for protection, and out they have gone to assist the powers which have brought about the present condition — to increase tho causes and multiply the evils. You will observe that the parties in conflict at Homestead, Pennsylvania, are not Americans, but foreigners — all of them. -The Cftruegies are — well, Scotchmen— their labourers, Irish and Bohemian. The whole drama is a farce to me. What a burlesque on 'Government,- justice, equity, and Christianity ! Are we progressing ? Is humanity, particularly, an honour to the Creator ? . . . I have said all round the world that New Zealand is a ' matchless country— better blessed than any other land, and that it has a future of wonderful developments. To survive the injuries which ■ have been inflicted upon it, and to spring into vigour of life, proves that its vitality is unequalled. I am lecturing on New Zealand now, anil have given the lecture many times iv this country.. Politics are mixed with us this year. We have four regular candidates for the Presidency, and tho two old parties are in' a bilious condition, and are threatened with fever. The main fight will be over Protection (robbery) and.Freetrade (delusion), and no one can tell what the result Will be. It will make little difference to the "people how matters end. The Chicago Show will be a big affair." The Government printing office printed and issued last 3 ear nearly 40 million stamps of various kinds. ' 37£ millions were letter and newspaper stamps ; nearly one million post cards ; the rest made, up of postal notes, beer duty and duty stamps, railway stamps, and a few hundred thousand for Samoa and Tonga post office. Eight duty stamps of special values were printed, the eight representing a total value of nearly L 23.000. The total face value of the stamps issued was L 580,000.

An inquiry conducted for the Education department by the Under-secretary (the Rev. W. J. ,Habeus) into charges of misconduct recently preferred against an official of the Cdversham Industrial School was opened yesterday morning. The counsel engaged on both ' sides protested against the inquiry being made a private one, and Mr Habens stated that while he had no convenience, even if there were no other reason, for making it an open court in which the public might attend, there was a middle course which might satisfy the parties, and that was to allow the reporters to attend. This course was assented to. Threo witnesses were examined during the day, but the bulk of the evidence was of the most filthy description, and is necessarily quite unfit for publication.

The Postmaster-general (the- Hon. J. G. Ward) arrived from the north on Thursday, and left for Invercargill next morning. He has been granted leave of absence from his parliamentary duties on account of illness in his family.

Inspector Hickson was informed by telegram on Thursday that the infant child of B. J. Kelcher, a publican of Otautau, Southland, was found dead in a perambulator at 10 o'clock on Thursday morning. The child had been there since the previous night, and had evidently not been attended to, as the mother was in bed and to all appearances under the influence of liquor. Death was probably due to suffocation. Mr W. S. Allen, who was unseated after being elected to represent Te Aroha, intends returning to New Zealand. The Te Aroha * News states that in a private letter Mr Allen writes in very glowing terms of the success which his son, Mr William Allen, has just achieved in being elected member for Newcastle-under-Lyme, having beaten his opponent by a majority of 1088. The railway returns for the four weeks ended July 23 show the revenue for that period to have been L 78.208 12s 7d (Hurunui-Bluff, L 47,664 Is 6d), and the expenditure L 58,"591 4s 8d (Hurunui-Bluff, 1.35,026 17s 4d). The icturns are about equal to the same period last year. Up to dato both passengers and goods traffic this year show a considerable increase in -almost every section. , At Timaru on Friday Thomas Broomhall Steele (alias Lord Wortley), notorious in the south as a loafer and cheat, was sentenced to a month's hard labour foe obtaining board, &c. from a' hetelkeeper by false pretences.' The defence was drunkenness and complete oblivion of everything connected with the affair. He had victimised 'several well-to-do people in the district by pretending that he wanted to buy an estate. - An attempt was made on the 2o"th insr. to burn down the Toitoi Valley (Nelson) Girls' School. . When the fire was discovered two boles, the larger being about 18in diameter, were found to have been burned in the flooring boards ; . but fortunately the boards were damp, otherwise the building would have been burnt down. .As it is, no great damage has been done. A young man named Frank Conley, who hid been out rabbiting with, three others near Flagstaff on 1 Thursday, had, a rather disagreeable experience. He and nil companions lelt Mr Alton's Peak hut on Thursday mowing with the intention of coining to town, but when crossing

the country they got ldst inia fog. At about half-past 1 o'clock in the afternoon, when about six miles from Flagstaff, Couley, who is rather delicate, sat down and said he would not go any farther. His.companions tried to induce him to continue his journey with them, but he would not move, saying that he would stop where he was. The three others proceeded on their way, and after walking for about four miles they came to a digger's hut, some three miles distant from Waitati. They were then directed by the digger to Waitati, on reaching which place they came on into town, and at about 4 o'clock one of their number, a rabbiter named John Turner, reported to the police the circumstances under which they had left Mountedconstable Boddam subsequently went out to look for the' missing mail, But returned after dark without having discovered any truce of him. He and another coustable left later iv the evening to visit tho miner who directed the others on their way. Oonley was formerly a trimmer on the Elginshire, and is about 20 years of age. He was discovered by Constables Boddam and Carmody on Saturday morning at a farmhouse about six miles from Waitati. He had, it appears, reached the farmhouse just a few minutes before the constables, and he was very wet and cold. He stated that when- the mist cleared oft" on Thursday he wandered about the hills, trying to find his way. At length he came" to an old hut, which was badly in need of repair. He patched the hut up and stayed iv it without food or firo for two nights. When he reached the farmhouse he was in a very weak state.

The hospital returns for the past week are:— Remaining from previous, week, 72 ; admitted during the week, 1G ; discharged, 12 ; deaths (Sue Wan, Alexander Turnbull, and Margaret Tanner), 3 ; total remaining in the institution, 73 According to the Dunstan Times the following telegram has been sent to Mr Scobie Mackenzie, M.H.R., with reference to the Mining Bill, by Mr W. Fraser, chairman of the Vincent County Council :— " Clause 3 meaus confiscation. It has arpused intense indignation amongst miners throughout Central Otago. Am' uded clause^ even worse than original. Were idea not too absurd, would almost appear deliberate attempt to destroy value of w.iter rights in order to nationalise them cheaply hereafter. ■ Miners depend on their representatives to protect them from the inevitable blackmailing that must ensue. Surely Goverament cannot seriously intend passing clause. If so, must appeal to Upper House to prevent such gross injustice.. Conceive result to towns like Clyde, Cromwell, and Alexandra, if- right to pure water in their respective water races is denied." The Mount Ida Chronicle' reports that, a party of Duuedin businessm en have applied for 3000 acres of Mr J. H. Preston's run at SwinbuYn as a special settlement. A few weeks ago a slight ".breeze " ocenrrpd between the Hospi t al Tr tiptoes and Dr Cough trey over the stringent manner in which the rules and regulations of the hospital are enforced without regard to circumstances. A case occurred on Saturday afternoon which would seem to show that these rules are badly in need of revision. ' '.The facts so.' far as we can learn are as follows: — A man named Charles. Guiding/ residing at ' Pine Hill, fell off his dray on , Saturday afternoon in King street, just in front of the North Dunedin drillshed. The wheel of the dray passed over his shoulder and arm, but strange to say did not seriously injure him. -When, however, he attempted to stand up, it was found that he had broken his left leg in falling off the dray. Fortunately, Mr George .Buller, the agent of Dampier Dramatic Company, happened to be passing, and, having a knowledge of ambulance work, he at once set to < work, ■ and with his handkerchief and some pailings from" a fence put the "broken limb ■ into splints in a most creditable manner. He despatched a messenger to the nearest telephone requesting that the ambulance waggon should be sent from the hospital for the sufferer, but received the extraordinary reply that he would have to send a horse for the waggon. As he is only a visitor' to Dunedin, he was somewhat staggered at this answer, but having taken the case in hand he determined to see it through, and despatched a messenger to ring up the North Dunedin police station, requesting that a stretcher be sent along to carry the man to the hospital. Meantime he prevailed upon the driver ofaspringcart to procure a mattress, and on this he placed. Gurdin'g. To prevent his receiving any injury by the jolting, Mr Buller kindly supported the mad all the way to' the hospital,, dust on arriving at the' hospital gate' he thet'two policemen, atiu on questioning them, was informed' that the hospital authorities had absolutely 1 refused to allow them to take away a' stretcher on which to carry the injured man: ;Oa making inquiry at the hospital as to the reasons why assistance was not sent, one of the members* of our staff. was informed that "it was against the rules." Dr Griffin stated that the arabulauce waggon would have been sent if the parties requiring it had provided a horde. As. for the stretchers, they were intended for the hospital, ' aiid no provision was made in the' rules for sending them out, although occasionally 1 they were sent to cases close to the hospital. ' l,f the facts 'are as stated (and we have taken every precaution to verify them), the Hospital Trustees should take steps at once to give some discretionary power in carrying out rules which' may under gome circumstances lead to' shocking inhumanity and gross barbarity. The cohdubt of a passing visitor like' Mr Buller stands -out in marked contrast' to the official assistance which he invoked after doing 1 what' he 'could for an unknown individual' who was' in'pain'. . : ' ' ' , A Native difficulty is reported from Kawakawa, Bay of Islands. A' determined opposition has been raised to the v work of the Government'survey party under Mr Maxwell, who started out to survey a road eight miles long from Kawakawa through ' Waioinio Valley' in the -direction of Hokianga^ The Natives said even if they granted' "permission for the road to bo made they would require LIOOO compensation for tho land,- and .also that it should be properly fenced 1 on both sides, and they further stated they objected to such a road being made at all, as they had set apart the valley as a special reserve for the exclusive use and occupation of the Native, race, into which they would allow no European intrusion.

A somewhat sensational bolt occurred on Monday afternoon shortly after 1 o'clock. Mr Jatnes M'Kewen was driving in a sulky up Hanover street, when the horse got frightened by the accidental capsizing of a wheelbarrow in froat of him, and swerved, throwing thp driver out and nearly capsizing the sulky. By. an effort M'Kewen got hold. of the shaft and righted it again, and her Held on for some time endeavouring to get hold of the reins, but the horse ran so close to tw hospital fence— a few .palings of whioh were, torn off by the wheel— that the driver ftad to relinquish his hold. The horse then galloped into George afcnet, where be broughj'the sulky iqto qo\> I'siouwith* verandah po'^ at Mr Alexander^

butchery establishment, capsizing and throwing the ■ vehicle to the opposite sido of the street and completely smashing the wheels. The horse, getting clear, galloped through? George street and Priuces street, and^wfieii, opposite the Southern Hotel came in 1 * qpntaCt., with a dray which was drawn by two '.horses , and in charge of Hugh Ireland, a resident of Mount Girgill, who was at the time standing holding the horses*by the head. The leader being frightened by the runaway, reared up and knocked Ireland down, and before he could get up one of the horaea trampled or hit him on the back part of the head, inflicting a nasty wound. M'Kewen arrived on the spot about this time, and called Dr Barnett to. dress Ireland's wound. The ruuaway was eventually caught near the racecourse.

At tlie conference of the West Coast Railway League at Christchurch on Saturday f the following resolution was passed for submission to a general meeting of the league on the 13th : — " That as there appears no probability of the company ever completing the Nelson line under the present contract, and as it is not expedient to ask the Government to guarantee the large amount required to complete the Nelson line, the Government be requested to endeavour to arrange a contract under which the company might bo induced to coiibtruct the line between Canterbury and the West Coast." Arbor Day was unavoidably postponed at tho Walton School (writes a correspondent) until Thursday, when the school children with their parents and friends assembled in the school ground. A number of trees were planted, the work of the day completely changing the forlorn and dreary look of the glebe. Messrs Thos. Sliore (chairman) and Wtn. Martin, juu., representing the committee, and numerous friends were present. Messrs W. G. Fraser (head teacher), Thos. Shore (chairman of committee), and Win. Martin, sen , addressed the children, and after the planting Mr Shore hauded to each child a bag containing sundry good things. Cheers were given by the children for Mrs Siiaw, the committee, and the teachers

"Anglo- Australian," in the European Mail, writes :— " It must be highly gratifying to all New Zealand wheat-growers that at the recent milling and baking exhibition, held iv London, the wheat which won a gold medal was stated by the judges to be that which most nearly approached the character of wheat grown in the Britain of the South. It is certainly much to find that the wheat of New Zealand is thus taken as a standard."

A correspondent sends us the following with respect to the recent sandpit fatalities : — "On July 6th~ J. Woodford was killed in Calverley's pit by a fall of sand, and on August 24, or six weeks later, E. Goodchild met with the same fate at Caversham. There ia a strange similarity in these cases. Both the men were middle-aged, and ordinarily followed the occupation of carters. Both bodies when found were covered by only lft of sand, and each had the moutti crammed full of the sand. Neither accident was observed by any one near, so there was no evidence by an eye witness. The verdict in each case was • Accidental death,' and the employers in each case said that the men were where they were found against; instructions. Calverley's sand face is 50ft high, and the Caversham sand face 10ft, and each sand face has Bft or 10ft of stripping or clay on top of the sand. A low face is, none the less dangerous. An experienced man was killed in Green Island two years ago in a sft cutting of loose clay. The best class of sand being undermost, and usually the easiest to get or dig, there lies the danger when an inexperienced or reckless man is at work. The. buyers of sand have screwed down the price to 'such a low limit that only the very cheapest labour can be employed, and even then ther.e is no margin left to pay for proper precautions, being taken against accidents, and until sand is raised to double its present price no one but the buyer can be morally held responsible for accidents in sandpits. With careful and experienced men there is no great need for inspection, but at present there seems to be every necessity for the proper ' inspection of sanapijis, and perhaps quarries and other open' face works throughout Otago."

The Yen. Archdeacon Dudley died, at Rangiora on Sunday;^ He came 10' Lyttelton in one of the first four ships in 1850, and tbpk charge of Lyttelton parish till 1869, when he left for Auckland, occupying the temporary curacy of Otahuhu under "Bishop 'Selwyn f B,e returned to .Canterbury in iB6O, and took charge of the Rangiora parish,' where he continued his ministrations for, 32 years. He w^s 87 years of

At a meeting of. the Baiclutha Literary Sodety' on the 24tb! ult., after an ' animated discussion on'the'question "Should the Upper House be abolished ?." the vote taken resulted iv ! a tie— 2o for each' side. The president, Dr Fleming, in giving his casting vote, for the negative, pointed out (says the Clutha Leader) that in tho discussion that was always going on' ia tie papers as £0 who would be called to 1 the Upper House, the name of ' Mr James \V,. Thomson,' late member for Clutha arid Bruce, should^ not be omitted, and remarked' that tbis 6Y any other Government in honouring Blr Thomson thus would realty confer an honour on itself, for 'there was not to be found in Ihe whole of New Zealand a fairer man, a man of more sterling 'uprightness' of character, a man With no axe to grind, or'a man who by long and faithful service in the colony was better fitted to revise acts of parliament than wa3 Mr Thomson. The Free Press states that the report of Mr, G. M. Ba'rr and Mr W. Smaill on the practicability of making the Clutha available' tor'large steamers will be submitted to the Riyer Board on Tuesday. ' From' what can be learned there are no engineering difficulties in the' way, and, the bar at the mouth dan be removed at a very small expenditure, well within the means of the" board. The removal of the bar will give a depth of something 'like 28ft of water. The Castle Hill Company have, it is understood, secured the services of a mine manager from, Fife, with a large experience of coal mining, who is expected to leave for the colony soou. On his arrival, the work of coal raising will be entered upon on a large scale. It is rumoured that the company are prepared to place a number of coal steamers on the river as soon as it is made available for steamer traffic.

On Saturday last an Aveliug and Porter 8-h.p. traction engine left Messrs Mackerras and Hazlett's bond with a full load of goods in tow for Coal Creek. This engine is to be employed by the owners, Messrs M'Lellan and B'uc.hauan, of Evans'- Flat, for hauling purposes - between Lawrence and the Teviot. The engine is one of the latest improved make, having just landed by the s.s. Rangatira, consigned to the Buckeye Harvester Company.

From a circular received from the honorary secretary, we learn that the committee of the Teehnioal Classes Association intend to establish an examination, and to grant a certificate in domeitio economy to students of their cookery classes. The examination will be a combined practical and oral one, and will be

conducted by members of the hdies' committee who have taken this matter in hand. The syllabus is somewhat similar to that required for; the same grade in the South Kensington 'sj^gjne. The following Udies have agreed to <^H(s an examining committee for the present ''sgssipu : — Mesdames James Allen, M. Cohen, ■Xx! ti. Denuiston, Gordon Macdonald, W. H. Reynolds, J. Roberts, and G. M. Thomson. These names are the bast guarantee the public could have of the valua of the association's proposed certificate. We are convinced that this 13 a move in the right direction, and one worthy of snpport by the friends of the association and by the public. The status of any domestic servant holding such a certificate is at once raised, aud its possession ought to lead to her being able at once to secure a desirable situation Heads of households will ultimately find it to their aivantnge to see that their servants have qualified themselves fur service by gaining the certificate, and ought indeed to take steps to induce them to do so. We hope naxt year to see a large number of young women attending Mrs Miller's classes. We are requested to st ite that copies of the syllabus can be obtained on application to any of the booksellers.

In conseqience of the committee having only 19 band parts at their disposal for the senior, band contest at Wellington, they will be issued in the order of application. Eight bands have entered so far. The committee found that the expense of getting the n^jiijtional parts copied would be too great.

Two Japanese commissioners are at presold visiting Fiji, after having been at the New Hebrides, with the object of sglpctiug a suitable field for the settlement of Japanese emigrants. They intend to visit Australia,

The children attending the Kailcorai School held their Arbor Day on Saturday. At about half-past 2 in the afternoon they assembled at the school, and, headed by the Kaikorai Band, marcheJ to the Town Belt, to the piece of ground which had been selected for the planting operations at the back of the Roslyn tramway bheds. Between 500 and 600 children were present, and the residents of Roslyn, including the mayor (Mr A. C. Begg), and most of the members of tlvi school committee, turned out to see the children at work.

Mr. Bishop, R.M., has met the Natives a,t Kawakawa who obstructed the survey party. They promised to^bstiin from further action, and the affair is expected to be amicably settled.

At a n c ting of tl c Au< kland Liberal Associa-. tion a resolution was passed that strong opnositon should be shown t . the , c .itiou of Mr Q. S. Cooper praying Parliament to grunt him a further sum of public money, in addition to his pension of L 533 per annum ; also, that no public money should be given to the widow of the late. Sir H. A. Atkinson while there are unemployed and deserving poor in distress in. the colony. The. resolution, will be forwarded to, the city members, ami the Premier.

The residence of Mr R. Smith, Invercargill, traveller for Messrs Bing, Harris, and Co,, was burnt down at 5 a.m. oniu, sday through a candle iii the. servaut's bedroom catching the curtains. Nothing was saved. Tlie house w.as insured for L 250 in the South British Office and the furniture for L 275. in the New Zealand. The loss is estimated at L4OO above insurances.