LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2170, 26 September 1895, Page 18

LOCAL & GENERAL.

The half-yearly sitting of the Court of Appeti 16 fixed for Ootobex 14-. Tbe only case sot down bo far is the application for leave to ftpply for a new trial of Louis Cix-mK About 20 miuuU-s were ctpent at lost night's meeting of the Norlh-East Valley Borough Council in discussing wholher the nnyor is compelled to give a deliberative vote on a question. Hin Worship suid if councillors could show the authority, which they alleged exiited in fche Municipal Corporations Act, for such a thing, he would be happy to give way; but after diligent search being made the authority was not found, find the subjeot under consideration was decided without his Worship recording his views one way or the other. A sample of tatfe vinegar, sold at Wellington, was analysed last week by the Government analyst, who found it to be a mixture of acetic acid, burnt sugar, sulphuric acid iv combination, tsh aud water. The bunst £ug« was used for colouring purptse*. The mixture, however, wro jußt as wholesome aa malt vinegar, though it did not p.iesess the same nutritious proptrlies. The stuff produced w»s latgoly sold as vinegor, as it was cheaper to manufacture than malt vinegar. When tho steamer Tarawera came in from New Zc»!rihl (says tho Sydney Morning Herald) sho reported running into the smoke from biwh Urea 300 miles from Sydney. H.M.S. Wallaroo, which arrived from Auckland, via Hus6ell, rc-porls a like experience, so that it id pretty certain that the strong westerly winds have carried tho smoke from the fifes Well across towards New Zealand. It is on well-authenticated record that in 1851, the yes r of the most fearful buah fires that ever occurred In Australia— namely, tbo'O that broke out in Victoria,— the fire reached such an enormous altitude that ashes and birnt leaves were curried across and fell ou fcbe coast of New Zealand, a good doal over 1000 mi'.oi distant. The Earl of Yarmouth, whoae skirt dancing not long ago electrified tha colonies, is said to have nettled down at Rockbarapton. D.».t*ils aro to hand of the accident that befell Baron yon Holzbau D en on Dtci t Blanc on ' tie I2tb Augu6t. He a«:d hl« psrty had all ' but crowed a glacier above the Grnnds Mulcts 1 when they were atattlocl by a terrible noise, nnd i'ono of the guides Oilled out, "An Rvalnncho ! ■We are ell l&st ! " An immense wais of ice had [become looseued in a ravine of tho mountain, »nd descended with frightful rapidity, carrying 1 Ul before it. There wai no possibility of fl-ght, •Jkhere was nothing to be done but to throw ikhemselves flat on the ground. Baron Ho'zIhauson was nearest the avalanche aa he threw ' Jbimeclf dc wn with his arnm protecting bis head. He saw the avalanche strike the glacier, while bhe pressure of the air cast his companions 10 j paces back, and then he lost his senses. No ! either member of the party wai very srrously Injured. Two of thorn found shelter behind a ,h>ck, over which the avalanche rushed, aud 'pne of tbe guides protected Mdme. Meadon, of Brussels, with his body, his own head being (wounded by the ice blocks. The Baron was buried up t>> hi» neck in ice and snow. A glass of whisky revived Lim Bomewhot, *nd he w«s carried down to the refuge of tbe'Fierre Point us Jaod thence to Chemonuix, where ho is piogressiog favourably. ' The General Committee cf the Unemployed Relit-f Works Association met on Monday. Hie Hon. Tieasurer reported having received since la«t meeting the following subscriptions :— R. BandiUnda, £3 13} ; George Matthews, £5 ; A. Steven and Co., £1 3s 9d ; Duuedin Conservation Society, £18 ; donation, £1 ; private bnbscriptions (Maori Hill, Bouth Ward), £14 9» 6d. Tbe number of unemployed on the relief works has now 'ooomiderably diminished. The only works on hand are the widening of the Roslyn tramway cutting, tbe improvements at the Duke Street reserve, and planting on the Town Belt. 1 • Sir Robert Stout was interviewed while in Christchurch by a representative of the Press with reference to the Binking fund of the loans to local bodies. After explaining the legislation by which provision is made for the creating of these sinking fuuds, Sir Robert went on to fay that the Colonial Trensurer bad to admit tbat he had istued debentures against '^the accretions of the sinking funds. "This," the Bays, "from my point of view, is an utterly illegal transaction, illegal to issue debentures ogainat the accretions at a\l, but utterly indefensible to issue against accretions of past (years. The act of 1884, which allows the iisue lof debentures afainst the secretions of sinking .funds, expressly states' that each financial .year the computation regarding interest, '&c. i« to be made the payments that will accrue under " the sinking fund of each loan during tbe year. If t therefore, the nccretioES of past years have been seized Ihe illegality of it is so app*rent that it is not 'arguable or defensible. The Treasurer haa taid that the issue of debentures against the linking fund has been approved of by the Solicitareeneral and the Auditor-general. I presume that both these office: s meant that there )■ power to do this nnder the act of J. 891. I believe their view of the matter ia erroneous, and I teed not add that the Kinking fund was specially created by the aot of 1692. Surely it is au absurdity to, on tbe ono hand, create a sinking fund, end then on the other hand t»ko the whole of it by issuing debentures against it. Such a transaction ia not only indefensible, but is farcical. I do not deny, however, that the act of 1891 | might give a colour to such a contention, [but dearly it cannot authorise, and does not [auUiorifle, the Treasurer to issue debentures [•gainst past secretions, and this to my mind is simply monstrous. A« to the propriety of doing (what the Treasurer has done, I may say that 'lie is deitrojing the beneficial effeot of the jsinking fund, and thus increasing the debt of jibe colony by making tbe Government loans to jlocal bodies permanent charges on the State, for Which the colony has tothing of an asset." h The Southland Times reports th&t at a meotiog of the late Band Content Committee it was Vesolved that the Invercargill Garrison Band ihaving withdrawn all claim to any prize money, pie prize money be now paid to the bands next 5n order according to the decision of the judges At the oontest in October last. In recognition t ef the secretary's services, it was decided to - vote him 10 guineas. •f Probably (says the Christchurch Press) the clearances of tea under the 3d tariff would have 'been larger than they were but for one little Tcircumetance, which may or may not have been due to the astuteness of the Customs departJment, It appears that the latter obtained from various firms who desired to (clear tea that in the event of higher duties meiDg imposed on tea they would pay the differfence, The result was to materially itop the 0" run." The Importers of tea naturally came to the conclusion that there was " nothing in It" if they had to give a guarantee to make up Ihe difference if the duty was raised, and so speculative clearances were materially oheoked. . $fow Mr Ward announces that nobody will be

palled upon to pay the difference, and there will be no refueds. The consequence is much gnashing of teeth— fir&t among the merchants who did cloar under the 3d tariff that they did not clear moro, nud a still loader wail from those who were " put off " from cleariog at all. In one way and another the mercantile comnrmity will long reraembor Mr Wsrd'B multifoim tariff with feelings of anything but lovo and gratitude. The most noticeable feature of the late Spring Horticultural Show at Dantdin, was the six decorated tables (6 x 3). The competitors were til ladif 6, aud the exhibits weie judged by ladies, Mesdames J. S. William;, B. C. Haggifcfc, and H. Mucker zie acting in the capacry of judges. The t*blea all looked exceedingly pretty, bufc the judges awarded tho first prjza to Mrs Reynolds, whoso Hole was decorated with rhododendrons (Arborea rose;.), relieved by sprajs of the Oarpodetus sorratua. Two candelabra also stood on the t tble, the candles in which were covered with pink paper ehidas, corre ponding to the colour of the rhododendrons, the shades themselves being decked wi'h sprays of "bueb lawyer." The second pnzs table belonged to Mra Sinclaic-ThomsoD, and w&s decked with narcissi in little cane baskets. A number of oandlesticks also s'ood on this table, the candles in which were covered with yellow shflde3, in keeping with tha colour of ths flowers. Bands of grem and jellow ribbon were also stretched dirgonally acres* the tablo. A table decorated by Mrs F. Wo^dhouao was highly commended. Its chief adirnnv nb was a number of pale yellow primroses nicely arranged in little mots-covered b»skels, slmder bauds of green and yellow ribbon also uniting from candlesticks (containing candles with yellow paper shades) with little silver va*es, in th« form of swaus, filled with flowers. Spraya of fern wore likewise laid about the table belwean Iho flowers. The other three tables were alio more or less attractive. In the Wellington S.M.'a Court, two seamen belonging to the ship Oamaru were charged with broaching cargo. The evidence showed tbat while committing the < nVnco the man h%d lit several o*ndles in the vicinity of 45 tonß of gunpowder. Accused were remai ded to enable the officers to ascertain the extnut of the depredations. It ha 6 baen ascertained that during the voyage of the ship from London the rigging was maliciously cut. This was discovered in time to prevent a yard fiooa falling on two m n below. Tho pntijnt log was also seriously damaged. Thu latest news firm Ambry m Island, New Hebrides, is to the effect that the work of re-fcrecling tbe P/( sby terian mission buildings destroyed by fira ib proceeding at a satisfactory rate. Two carpenters, brought from Sydney for the purpose, arc being assitied by a gang of natives, each of whom is paid Id an hour. Since tho return of Dr Lamb and his party several heavy shocks of earthquake have been experienced, but no move lava has been ejected from the volcano. The want of water for drinking was beiog felt when the mail left, and rain was anxiously looked for. The whaling crew organised at Kaikoura during the winter by Mef srs Norton Bros, experienood very bard luck during the past fortnight, as on Saturday, the 7ta in«t., they made fast> to a Tery large right whale iv South Bay, but after being lanced three time 3 the monster got aw ay, the harpoon drawing out. On Friday, the 13bh, they harpooned another very big right whiile, but after they had been drawn by the monster some 10 or 12 miles, another whale crossed the Hue and severed it, and co let tho flisb one away. Eaoh whale lost was estimated to be worth £200. A deputation of Natives waited upon the Colonial Treasurer on Friday in rfgard to the taxing of Naive lands. They urged that Native* ehauld be exempt to tho extent of 50 acres per he%d, and claimed that an injustice was done them by tho valuations placed on Native lands. Tho Hon. Mr Ward promised to bring the mat'or before his colleagues, who would see that no iuju fcice was done to the Native raco.