LOCAL & GENERAL

Otago Witness, Issue 2252, 29 April 1897, Page 22

LOCAL & GENERAL

The Maori Parliament was formally opened ' at F&pawni, near (Jreytown, on Wednesday ' 14-th, when^thcre was a representative gathering of chiefs. A parliamentary building has been erected of a semi-Maori design. A large entrance door leads into a, spacions sleeping compartment, which was nsed for the ooening ceremony. Here tha walls were draped with oil paintings of defunct and present chiefs, and | other interesting mementoes. At the rear* of i this large hall, which extends over aa are* of I 90ft by 30ft, are two double dcors giving ■ entrance to a huge dining hall. There were 10 large tables iaden with various edibles on the opening day. From here a large staircase leads up into a sptcious ball 90f 5 by 30ft, which is to be the debating compartment. A corridor and balcony overlook the public apartment. ; The building is well finished with dadoing all ■' round, and reflects much credit on the Natives, J who did the work by their own labour, uuder the supervision c-f Mr M. R. Varnbain. Io ths , grounds large marquees have been erected, ' and butcher's and baker's shops. The Papawai Natives desire the session prolonged until ths pakefja Parliament meets in September. j The saloonkeepers of New York are much agitated by the latest temperance movement iv their State. A measure known es the AntiTreating Bill bas been introduced into the Senate, aod it is suoported by that terror of the winebibber, tbe W.C.T.U. If the bill ba- , comes law, to treat & friend to a drink in a New '; York saloon will be to render oneself liable to a ' fine of sdol for tbe first offence, and if caught ' again tbo offender will be sentenced to an imprisonment of at least five days. An AntiTreating Bill was at one time in force in lowa. It proved a complete failure. At the meeting of the Education Board on the 21st intt. Mr Donald Borrie was appointed chairman for the ensuing year, being elected by fonr votes to two. The other candidate w&s the Hon. John MacGregor. Me*si'3 Clark and J. F. M. Fraser were appointed to act with the chairman as a selecttion committee. lha regular meeting of the Benevolent Institution Trustees, h^Fd on the 2 1st insfc., was attended by Messrs Allan (in the chair), Wilson, Watfon, Greco, Hazleti, and Gourley. Accounts amounting to £30 93 3d were passed for payment, aud about 50 relief cases were j dealt with. i Major Birken3faaw, who for the past two and R-half jears has had charge of the Otago division of the Salvation Army, has been transferred to a, similar position in Wellington. During his stay in Dunedin Major BirkenEh*w has not only endeared himself to the .member* of tbe Salvation Army, but be has en reed the esteem and respect of ministers and others belonging to the different religious bjdies in the city. He has proved himself an enthusiastic labourer iv the cause to which he has devoted his life, ar.d under his care the work of the Salvation Army fcai been advanced in a marked degree throughout the whole of the province. The nsws of his transfer has been received with regret by his many friends in Dunedin and Otago generally. At a farewell tea meeting which was held in the Salvation Army Barracks on tbe 2lsb ib was stated that Major Birkenshaw's successor will be Staff-major Bennett, wbo is at present ] stationed in Goulbaun, New South Wa'es. A number of leading residents in every p&rb of the Tuapeka electorate have presented to Mr C. C. Rawlins a purse of sovereigns to assist in defraying his election expenses in recognition of the plucky and determintd fight he made at the last election. They regret their own supineness in not giving him more active support, and have by this mexr? attempted to retrieve their ehortc-mings. They refer, also, to the disgust felt at the treatment mtted cut to Mi' Rawlius by his opponent. Mr Rawlin*, in returning thank?, points out th«t his friends must know now that if he had received the slightest assistance he would have - wou the seat. As to the couduct of the sueCPSsful candidate he says : — " Many people may forget bis outrageous conduct towards me .- I may, indeed, overlook and forget it myself , but neither myEelf nor anyone else can, as a matter of duty, forgefc or overlook the fact that by his conduct on that occasion at the close of the poll, he brought shame and discredit on the tleclorate." A Hobart cable gram states that Mr Carter, Bf Princes ftreer, DunediD, has vron the first prize of £1800 in Tatters alt's Sydney Cup j iwcep. I A New Zealand Acetylene Gas Company has been formed in NeJsoo, and Mr W. Tyree, the managing director, is now touring tho colony ■with » view to introducing the new gss as an illuminant. There is no doubt that the new gas will be xr.os'u useful in districts where there is no other gas supply, and if satisfactory proof is forthcoming as to its safety when the manufacture is carried on by a non-expert it is sure to make its way. Tbe Chortl Hall was crowded on 21st, when the Dunedin Burns Club held their regular monthly.maeting. In the absence of the preeident, Mr J. Gibson, vice-preßident, was in the chair, and Sir Robert Stout also occupied a seat on the platform. The Hutton family played a couple of selections very capably ; the choir, under the direction cf the conductor, Mr Francis, gave three part songs, which were thoroughly appreciated ; and Mr J. Donaldson, Miss Elli?, Miss Macdonald, Mr Macgrogor, and Mr Monteith sans, their efforts meeting

I with decided approval. The Misses Weir and Macdonald sang the duet " O why left I my hame," and Mr A Bafchgate gave a most interesting address on Sir Walter Scott, which was listened to with close attention. Sir Robert Stout also gave a brief address, in the course of which he said the Barns Club was an object lesson for joungNswZealander3, who shculd have an association of their own to cultivate tbe spirit of patriotism. Miss Wright played the accompaniments, and the hearty singing of "Auld lang *yne" c'osod the con- t cert, after which a short dance followed. , In connection with the drowning ot Mr J Watkins, of Dunediu, and James Aitke.i ah the i head of Lake Wakatipn, the Lake County j Pre-8 states that both Frank Wells, the third i occupant of the boat, aud Mr Watkins were able j to swim, and Mr Walls made several heroic ! attempts to rescue Jim Aitken, succeeding twice m getting him to the surface, but [ had to relinquish his efforts at last, , and just barely managed to reach the • shore in a state of perfect exhaustion. Mr ! Watkiun meantime had sbruck out, and j bo ueirly succeeded in escaping tbat hs ! actually perished ia 4-f b of water, having appa- j rently got cramped. RehVs Lake i 3 a small | lake upon the Diamond Cree'c, a little betow i Diamond Lake, and being fed by the waters of i Earnalaw Cceek, which his iti source right in j the great glacier, the wa";er is so intensely cold i tbat ib is impossible to Jive in the shallowest | pares of it for even a short time. The deepest sympathy is felc all over tbe district for Mr and Mrs Aitken in their sad affliction. Ib appears that the Tutanckai, with the Premier and parby on board, had a rough trip to Auckland, and several of the pas=eu^ ri were considerably knocked about. Mrs Seddon re- J csived some savere bruises through the pitching i of the vessel. Boy 3 who take a delight in inflicting p»in on bird ot beast are unfortunately not unknown, but a. hoy whose idea of having a, good time is to inflict pain upon himself is surely a rarity. Bub such a youngster appeared at tin Police Court on Thursday. Some shorb time back the little chap s.'ole some money from a house at Burke?, and journeyed to townto enjoy himself. One of the first thiugs he did WR3 to seek out a dentiet's surgery, and, feigning to have looihj ache, he requested tha,t t*?o of his te*-tu might ba extracted. The dentist; was somewhat taken ! aback by the smallness of the patient, but performed the operation. The lad then liquidated a portion of the remaining sum by the purchase of painkiller — probably not having fcu.ui tb« \ interview with the dentisb the " bbing it was j cracked up to be." On Wednesday, ib appears, he again stole some money, and making h : s way ta Sb. Claic he expended it there. He wound up the day by going to a hotel and, with all the coolness imaginable, requesting accommodation for the night. The landlord deemed it wise to send for a constable, wbo promptly took charge of the boy. It is to bs regretted that there is no training ship in the colony, so that the adventurous boy could be sent there, and his enterprise directed into proper channels. The Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Times telegraphs the following sensational item : — "A case which, it is averred, will rival the Petone murder casa is ab present being investigated by the police here. At the present itage ib is undesirable that details should be givtn, but thnsa that can safely bs mentioned ore thab the alleged poisoning took place nob 20 miles from Wellingtou about the end of latt year. Further developments may ba expected ia a few days." The Marlborough Education Board takes j some pride in the fact that it was the author of the system of " household schools." The board initiated the system (gars the local paper) with some misgivings as to how tbe department would view its action, bub no disapprobation was expressed ; and some time after other j boards in the coloDy followed the example. The maintenance of these small schools has been a heavy financial burden to the board, bub thmestablishment has been a great boon to tha many worthy settlers in the bounds cVstricfe whose children would otherwise be bereft of even the primary educational advantages enjoyed by those children liviDg at the centres of population. At their board meeting on Thursday the directors of the Uuion Steam Ship Company voted £ICO towards the Hanke's Bay relief fund, and authorieed the free carriage, up to IQO tons, of any food contributions that may besenS there. A telegram was sent to the Mayor of Napier conveying this information and expressing greab sympathy for the sufferers by tho floods. The duties and powers of special inspectors under ''The Alc.hohc Liquors Inspection Act, 1896," are set forth in an Ordsr-in-Couneil published in tha last issue of the Gazette. Amongst othtr things each special inspector is required to report monthly to tbe Minister for Justice the result of bis inspections, showing the names of the houses inspected and of ths licensees thereof, and also the result of every analysis jnade by him during the month, to-g-ebher with such other particulars »s he thinks }i jor the Minister directs. He is alfo to maka such suggestion-, or recommendations as he deems expedient for the better administration of the licensing acts. A letter from Mr A. Clarke Begg (son of Mr A. C. Bsgg), wbo is at present fctudsiusj for the medical profession in Edinburgh, has beeu shown to us, in which Mr Begg states that the London Univfr^ify degrees are yearly growiDg in prestige, its medica.l degrees being now looked on as the best in the world. This beiDg

so, Mr Beg g thought he would try to pais them, but touud that the firstpreliminary was to pas 3 the London UniverMty entrance examination, for which there are 10 compulsory subjects. Although he had only three weeks in which to prepare he entered for tbe examination, and passed with first-class honours. This feab is creditable alike to Mr Bppg and the Dunedin Boyb' High School. Mr Bigg intends to complete his studies at the London University. The funeral of the late Mr Edmund Watkins, who met his death by drowning at Lake Wakatipu", took place on Thursday afternoon. The remaius were followed to their last resting place in the Southern Cemetery by large numbers, iacluding members of the Dunediu Cycling Club and the Dunediu Rifle Club. Beautiful wreaths from these bodies were olaced on the coffin. Four gentlemen ia the ofHse of Messrs Hal!enste.u Bros, (where deceased had been employed) acted as pall-boarers — namely, Messrs E Nicolson, A. E. M'Lcod, A. Thomson, aud I. dc Bser. The Rev. E. G. Edwards officiated at the grave. By a fire at Waimate on the 20th the buildings occupied by Messrs R. B-sin (barber and tobacconist) ani Frederick Smith (painter, &c), and owned by Mr R. Hunter (painter, of Melbourne), wers destroyed. The buildings were insured in the Liverpool and London and Globe office for £200. Mr R. Brain's stock was uninsured. Four Natives on a rabbit-shooting expedition near Obaki were nding io Indian file, when the rsar man hit his horse with h ; s gun, which exploded. The sbot struck the horse immediately in front, and, glancing ».ff, wounded two of the other riders, oae in tha back aad the other in the leg. The one who was struck in the leg is seriously injured, and (according to the Otaki Ma ; l) may be crippled. Mr G. W. Torrance, Doctor of Muiic in Melbourne, has proposed a noteworthy plan for appealing to tbo popular imagination, giving much pleasure, and raising some money in conntction with the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the Queen's reign. Ib has been proposed m Londoa tint a simultaneous nofee of praisj sbould go up all over the Etupire in connection with the celebrations, nnd Mr Terrace*'* idea is tha 1 ; a j mu'ical iestival saould bd held in lbs Mcl- : bourne Exhibition, building on the evening of Jane 22, the proceeds to go to the Qaee-n'a Ho<pit;al fund. He thinks tha*". the musical societies aud choirs of Melbourne and suburbs, and, if possible, volunteer*! from country districts, might join their forces, and render such works as Mendelssohn's " Hymu ot Prnisf" and Handel's and B-e thoven'a sublime Hallelnjah cuoruses, together with bhe special music selected bo be sung ab Sfc. Paul's, London. A furtaer suggestion iB thab " the performance might proceed till close upon 10 o'clock, or as near as possible to the time calculated, when a pause should be made, to await the magic signal, which could ba so arranged as io souud a bell os goug witbia tbe building. At snch & moment, the silence and intense expectation of a vast multitude would be little shorb of elecbrical, and tbe suddea outburst, vocal and instrumental, of well-known sbrains, led off by an immense choir, and taken up by the assembled thousand*, . would produce an effect seldom cxj.oiii'ncfcd. and never to be tora;obbeu by those present." This appeals vividiy to the imagination. Prince Bismarck (says a London paper) is reported to have thrown over his shoulders the ■ mantle of tho melai choly Werther. In conversation wibh » viei-,or tha other day the ! Prince said :—": — " I feel we*k and languid, but nob ill. My illness is v.ant of fch<> joy of life. , My pfr-ist'-nce is no longi-r of any ute. I hive ' no offi -ial duties, and what I see as an onlooker '. gives uin no pleasure. Should I live longer it j will still be the case. 1 feel lovely. I have j lost my wife, and as regards my sons they have j their own businefs. With growing age I have i also loat interest in agriculture and forestry, j I rarely visit fields and woods since I can no ! longer ride, shoot, and move about as 1 like. ' Little by little politics begin to tire me." There was a large attendance at O'd Knox Church on Wednesday evening, the 21st icsb , the oecision. being the firsc public performance on the new two-mauual harmonium which has been procurpd fov use iv the Sur_day , school and at the weekly prayer meetings, and i those who accspted the invitation of the Sunday ' school teachers were greatly pleased at the t entertainment given. The new instrument, ; which was specially imported and built by \ Messrs Scoullar and Chisho'm, is a decided acquisition, and its good qualities were demonstrated under the skilful manipulation of Mr A. J. Barbh, who gave a couple of organ eo'o". Sougs were capitally rendered by Mra W. j llulop, Misses Campbell aud Danlop. nni Messrs T. Holgate, W. Stewarfc, and E D. ; Mason ; a recitation by Miss Wilkie being a decided feature of the evening's enjoyment. Speeches were delivered by several gent'lsm^n, Mr E B. Caraill referring in complimentary terms to Mr Braik for having single-handed raised the funds to pay for Buch a superior instrument. A vote o 1 " thanks to Mr Braik was piopoped and carried. Refreshments were supplied during the evening. A prisoner named Edward Hall, sentenced at Auckland to 12 months' imprisonment ab the lasb criminal eesaiona of the Supreme Court ou March 9 oa a charge of stealing a horse, made a desperate attempt on Monday, 19th, to commit suicide. While being taken out for exercise ab Fort Cautley he dashed down the hill and through the trees, and threw himself or fell with tremendous force against some iron piping supporting the chimney of an engine used for drawing up big guns. The chimney and stay were carried away, and the prisoner fell some 15ft on to the rock*. Picking himself up again he made for the water, and jumped into the sea. Two men in a boat seeing tbe whole occurrence went to the rescue, and after a desperate sbruggle with the prisoner, who was determined to drown himself, they succeeded in getting him into the boat and taking him aahore. The prisoner has developed melincholia since his incarceration through brooding over his wife fa-uily. j Mr J. W. Kelly, M.H.R., has gone to Weli lington fco give evid»ncf bi-fore the Conciliation Court in the tailors' dispute there. Mr W. O. Fraser, one of the Auckland delegates to the Trades Conference, arrived on FricUy night after bii eveatful journey. Leaving Auckland oa Thursday, 15th iust., in tho Mahinapua, he reached New Plymouth after 22 hou's' steaming. As the storm which has i played such havoc tet in and the steamer was , detained, he left for Wellington by train, bub before reaching T<! Iliti, so great was the force of the gale i-hfit the train was brought to a st%ndstiil and had to be cab into two. Ab Te Eati there was a waib of seven hours to allow of the train from Wanganui pasjiiisj. and ib was nob till 3 a.m. on Saturday tbab Hawera was reached, Ab 720 a.m. another start wan made. Afc K-vkar^mea the railway station wai found stiuding upside down, having be?u blown into tha'; position by the gale. At Kai Iwi there was another deteu-

J tion owing- to a landslip, but Wanginni was ' eventually reached.- Here the delegate learnb that he could nob get through ;to Wellington for two or three days, , j owiDg to three bridges being washed away ; bub as he was determined to get to Wei- i lington he took train back to New Plymouth, which he reached on Monday. There he caught the Takapuua, and the rest of his journey was very pleasant ; bub he reached Dunedin only last night, when the business of the conference was practically over. He had also lost bis luggage ou the journey, and arrived hore without any clothes but those he was wearing. Afc a special meeting of tbe Caversham School Committee on Friday it was decided to recomj mend the Education B-ard to appoint Mr Abel to the position of junior male assistant. At the Magistrate's Court on Friday the case Mary Rollinion v. Edward Favell, which was to have been continued, was adjourned for six weeka. Mr Hanlon, in making application for this lengthy adjournment sbatod that since the last hearing the woman had been confined, j and sbe was now seriously ill. Ib being St. George's Day, the court offices were then closed j for the day. At a meeting of the North-East Valley School Committee on Friday it was decided to recommend the Education Board to appoint Miss Bawling as second female assistant. : ! The directors of the Mosgiel Woollen Factory I Company bave declared an interim dividend for the half-year at the rate of 8 per cent, per annum. Messrs Peter Murray and Archibald M'Kiy j have beeu noniinifcd for the Sanriy mount sub- I | division of the Portobello Road Board. The ] poll takes place on the Ist prox. " j ' A remarkable case of the d r ad being restored i to life ha 3 jasb occurred near Mftsterfcon. A : local mcd co was summoned to the country, bub when he arrived he was met at tbe gate by an individual who was weepir g, and who said it was wo late. The doctor wenb inbo the house, | and found the supposed dead person beiug ' washed and la : d out. On being examined ib ', was found thab the supposed dead person was > merely in a swoon. J i According to the Post a Bendationsl incident • | took place at the very outset of tha Rimutaka's voyag-j from Londtn At 1 a.m ou March 6, i when the stuamer was nesr Start Poinb, a vessel wan seen to the southward flying dis'ress signals. Inquiry elicited the fact that the vessel desired to be borne to Plj mouth, liaviug been cub to tha water* eriga in a collision with another vessel. Oa account of the heavy sea ' great difficulty v»a« experienced in securing a i tow-line, aud once the Hue parted. The vessel proved to be ths Derweut, which had be on run inbo by the steamer Milo. The Wilo had beeu , standing by all night, her own bow having been • completely stove in by tbe collision. The ' Der.vent was taken in tow to PI j mouth. Notices of a favourable character have from time to time appeared in our columns of tho ; poetical work of William G*y. Mr Gay, -whose j tonnets have been pronounced by competent | critics to be of a high order, has been for years ' lauguishing on a bed of sickness, from which he , has himself, indeed, litflfl hope of ever rising. . Hi* latest .poem, " Christ on Olymp'i V w&s ' writhen whilst the poet; was thus chained to his bed by illnets A movement is now on fco 1 ; to convey 111 1 tbe afflicted post soma token of tho sympathy thab is felt for him here by those interested in literature. Wit'i a view to making i | Mr Gav'a merits as a poet b«ter known to this ! commu'.iicy, it i% prooosed fcj holrl a library < ' aad mus'csl evening in tha hall of the B >ys' 1 1 High School, the U3e of which has beeu granted i , for tho purpose by !.he B ard of Governors. ; ■ Mr Wilson, rector of the schoo', who thinks ' ; highly of Mr Gay's work, will give a sbort ' ; address, dealing with the post's work, which, , j (h^uajh small in amount, is of excellent quality. ! Mr Giy, though now a resident in Victoria, was • I for some time in Dunedin aud is well known to ia considerable uumb^r of our b^sb- known ; citizens, who a-e very naturally iuteresW in \ ' his oreitut somewhat sad life, and who -vill no i dcubb do their best o second this tfforb to \ < obtain for the poefe, in this particular com- • mnnity, a wider recognition than his work has J so far uiefc with. The matter is being taken in < hand by an influential committee of ladiep, and l when arrangements have been made further 1 particulars will appear by advertisement. ' There is on view in the window of J. Wilkie and Co., Princes street, a very handsoniß , ! photographic camera, which has been preeenred i ! by the maker as a ptize for compe'itiim by the ! ' members of the Dunedio Photographic Society ' ! at their sixbh annual exhibition, which opens oa I the 3cd prox. The camera is a handsome onf, ' I and is made of a very fine sample ot rewarewa ; j wood. There is also shown a gold rnidal for the | J b°sb eerie* of photographs by any one meiib. j r j 1 of the different societies exhibifciog at the eibi1 bition. The society is getting a grea l ; number of exhibits from the several photographic clubs j in the colony, and the yearly increasing number [ of pictures has rendered ib necessary to take j a larger room than hitherto. The Choral Hall I ! has been engaped, and ib is hoped that tho | i greater Fpace afforded will allow of the pictures i 1 being displayed to better advantage. I j Ab a meeting jf the Duuedin Liedertafel on ! i Friday, Mr F. L. Jones (the chairman of the ' i commitbee) made a presentation to Dr Don I (who has been appointed rector of the Waitaki ' High School) as a memento of appreciation of , the services rendered to the society during the past five years. Dr Don acknowledged the gift in & few bappy remirks, i The body of the joung man Alexander j j M'Kay, who wa9 drowned in the wreck of t \ the Zuleika, wa3 brought; down from Wellington - j by the s s. Tasmania on Sunday, and taken to j j his parents' residence in Carey's Bay for burial ( i on Tuesday. j : At a meeSing which was held at tbe Otapro i University oa Saturday morning, Mr D R. I White, M.A., was reappoinfcsd to represent the ; graduates on the University Council for the j ; ensuing five years. j | The Waikato, which arrived on Saturday, has . j on board for the Canterbury Atc'itnatisation Society nine head of deer, and aboub 40 pheasants 1 and psrbridgea. Ten of the birds shipped died on the voyage. i Messrs Dooley, Henderson, and Stewart have i been elected without opposition as members of the Tomahawk Road Board. I The followint; ciccular has been tent toshare1 holder 3of the Colonial Bank (in liquidation) :—: — j "April, 1897. Ws have buea approached by a | number of shareholders, who are desirous that j some concerce"d actiou should vow bo tikea ia the interests bf the general body of share- . , holders. You are already awara that, through. ' , the energetic efforts cf Ui<i Shareholders' Co-n- ! mittes in the vast, Mr W. L. Simpion was appointed one of the liquidators of the bank in \ place of one of' the three nominees of the direc- j tors, and the determined sfforb to compcomise the claims against He J. G. Ward aud his companies was frustrated. It i 3 cow felt that, in ; vie ft of ths disclosures contained in bhe liquidators' report and elsswhsre, ib is imperative ' thai prompt step 3 should bo takea (under legal

F advice) to bring to book those directors anfl officials of the Colonial Bank who are responsible for the disastrous position of the bank at date of , liquidation. It may be that the liquidators will themselves take the necessary proceedings i on proper representations being made to them to that effect, and ib is intended to make application to them to do so in tbe first instance. On the other hand, the shareholders may be driven to approach the court direct on the subject. In either case a considerable aum will be required to defray law costs, &c, and as wa have beeu requested to take the initiative, we now invite our fellow shareholders to provide the necessary funds. It is expected that a levy of 3d per share will bo sufficient to pay all charges, including those already incurred A trust account has been opened with the Bank of Australasia, Dunedin, in the joint names of two responsible shareholders, and into that; ; trust account; all subscriptions received in [ response to this circular will b8 paid. Any surplus will be returned pro rata to the snb- ! scribsrs. If you sympathise with our views as abovo-expresßed. will you kindly fill up, sign, and post to Major George, Epsom, Auckland, or to W. C. MacGregor, Esq , solicitor, Dunedin, the accompanying slip, together wibh a cheque for amount of your subscription. — Wm. Barron, Dunedin ; F. Nelson Gbokge. Auckland." Only the required number of candidates were nominated for two of the subdivisions of the Peninsula Road Board, as follows : — Anderson's Biy subdivision. MrDiniel M'Curdy; Highcliff subdivision, Mr Alexander SteWarb. The abovenamed were accordingly declared elected. Mis 3 Nellie SUtham has been appointed organist %t Sfc. John's Church, Rosljn. Mr Arthur M'Artuey, one of those drowned in tbe rescue boat 3in Hawke's Bay during the recent flood, took an active parb in the Maori wars on thp ea'Jt and west coasts of tin North Island. He joined the Armed Constabulary and was ia 14 engagements, for which he re ceived the New Zealand war medal. He was for some time orderly fco the late Sir Donald M'Lean. He joined F Battery on taking up his residence ia Napier, and was elected captain iv 1887. One of the settlera in the Tauner settlement (nearly .ill Canterbury men) at Purangi, Taranaki, writes to the Chrisbchurch papers stating that after a trial of two and a-balf 3ears, during which he has be2n working hare*, living haid, and roughing it generally, he is poorer than when he went to the place •• It's a thing," ho writes, " to place people on the land, but ib ts only those who go on ib and do the pioneer work who know what id really means. Wlv n one sees their neighbours ou« after another obliged to abandon thoir sections atter th^y have »p°nb year* oi hard toil aud what capital they had on them, ib makes ouo think th>vt tbe cry oC ' Biok to the laud' may be Vfiry fine in theo-y bu 1 ". mighty hard for those who attempt ib in practice. Especially in it the case with ua. Ws have been milled and unjustly treated by the Government ; we bave been the vie ims of, and treated with couterapb by, the Lind Board officials aivl their friend?. The forfeited sections m bhe distich have been reduced 33 per cent and yet no on=: will take them up, while we whoaraiuideavountxj to make spttlers can g-efc no reduction ; and Me John M Kenzie dechues to assist; us, and regrets thab wa should think of givii g up our seotions after *U the money the Government bas spent in opening up the district." After enumerating broken promises, the writer stabt-s bhit ou tho co-operative works they could no 1 ; make m-ve than 5i per day. while flour costs 18s per 1001b and oatmeal 5*33 pf»r 25 b. The settlers have to live most!.'' on pitit^es and wld pig*. Ib frequently ram* four day? in the wtek. The writer says bf h*» changH.d some of his views on labour questions. His etperisnee has convinced him that tbe working men wanb saving from themselves ; sVll there is a leaven of good amongsb them. He believes "there is more geuuioe sympathy for the c*us^ of the workers among those who aiM not in the rank-t ot libiur thiu there is amontjsn the workers themselves. Ido not mean the capifcalUt p^rt ot the community, bat such meri as Mr O'Bryen Hoard, and others liki him. O* which of our labour membars can their raos'-, enthusiastic friend 3 biv th^b self h»s no. b- % " placed fi'<sh?"' LUcre wa, a iir-^e gaolie.nng at Temuka o i Friday night to witness a presentation from a number of the residents of the districb to Mr A. E G. Rhode?, a former representative, who was defeated at the last election, bat who is evidonbly held in high esteam by all sections of the community. Toe hall was packed throughout, there beiue probably between 500 and 600 persons present. Mr G. J. Dannistoun, a leadiog settler of the neighbourhood, oecupitd tbe chair. Dr Hayes iv a brief speech, eulogiat'e of Mr Rhodes, presented thp testimonial, whicu was a laVge and very liMidsomely bound album containing an illuminabed addrts 1 . Mr Rhodei as brufly responded, and thpn addresses fol« lowed from Messrs Rolleeton, Scobie Mackenzie, Jtfmes Allen, Waaon, Moore, and Lewis, M.H.R 's, all of whom were received wibh much cheering The lengthy speech of th» evening had been allotted to Mr Scobia Mackenzie, who occupied an hour in delivery. A eummary will appear in a future issue. Miss C, Jones, on leaving St. Matthew's School last week, was the recipient of presentations from the scholars and from the vicar of tb.B parish, in tofcen of the high regard in which she was held by the aubhorities and pupils. The fchool started under new management this week. The teaching sb«fF has been doubled by the SVers of tbe Church, *ho have taken over tbe school. They have appointed as head .-niafress Miss Elison, who at Hobarb speedily raised the church school from a roll of 40 bo one of 200. The parish should, now that ib ia. pirfcly relieved of a financial burden, feel gratetul to tha Sisters for coming to the aid of its educational work. The managers are determined to use every endeavour to make this new branch of their work a snecess. Occasionally (*ayn the Argus) the up-to-date detective falls across a cue iv a fashion which is suggestive of ths stage, and has about it all the flavour of an old-time melodrama. Detectives Bannon and Bear supply tbe latest case ia poinb. On 13fch March they were instructed to inquire into a crime report made by Mr Charles Ludwig, of Prahran, who asked their assistance to trace some property, valued ab £30, which had been stolen from his premises. Up till yesterday they had nob been able to learn anything, either of the property or of the thieves, and in the meantime had tnrnrd their attention to the peculiar story of a Frenchman named Louis Armand, who alleged that he had been tricked by a " confidence man." Armand had innocently tried, ib is alleged, to pass ~ ProviLcial and Suburban Bank £10-note on a hotelkecper in the city, and when told the nota was bogus, and was signed " Don't take ib," accountant, and "Oh, you fool," manager, had related a circumstant'al story, in which he figured as the victim of a smart rcgue. The story was for the time accepted in good faith, but when its publication in bbc Ai-gu3 directed the attention of Me Ludwig to the note, ho supplied the detectives with a little information, which lea

rapidly to the arrest of Arrnand. Mr Lnd•wig told the detectives that the note signed •' Don't take it" and " Oh, you fool" was a jocular curiosity, which he kept in bis pocket, and which h»d disappeared with his watch and chain and other property at the time of the robbery on March 13. Armand was thereupon asked for an explanation as to the manner in which he got the note, and failing to satisfy the police, was locked up, charged witn burglary. Mr Harry Yelverton Goriog, formerly of New Zealand, at present a tobacconist at Tamvr oith, in Staffordshire, has just succeeded to the family baronetcy. It appears (writes our London correspondent under date March 20) that on Thursday he received a telegram from a J friend in Lichfield congratulating him on his , title, and referring him to the obituary notices | in that day'e Times. " I sr.id to my wife," ! remarked Sir H. Y. Goring, " I doubt my ; friend is hoaxing me, but anyhow I'll go to the j pnblic reading room and see the paper. So ] after I bad had my dinner I went, end read ' the notice of the sudden death of my cousin, ; Colonel Sir Charles Goring, I had never anbi- • cipateda fatal termination to his illness, particularly as he was of tha same age as myf elf ! and had not geno through the many hardships ; that I have." The new baronet says he went i out with his father and mother to New Zes- i land, where his father bscame private secretary ; to Sir George Grey, the then Governor, and ; continued to act in thnt capacity to the sue- j eeeding Governors for 30 yoaw, when he retired on a peneion. The present baronet could find nothing to do, and went to Sydney to look for | work. Nob getting sty, he joined the First j Battalion 12th Suffolk Regiment in 1860 Ho j h&d friends in the regiment, and the promotion be got was eimply on hia merits. He wss made sergeant at Sealcot (India) in 1869. In 1872 he returned Home, aud retired in 1885 on a { pension of 253 6d per week. Ab he had a largo i family he entered the iobaceo t usinoes, and bus ' been in it for seven years. Asked if he would i atay in Tamworth, the b-,ronefc tad: " I feel j quite satisfied with my present position, 60 tar i as ib goes. I am quite comfortable, end did I not want this thing at all — this honour which ! has been put upon me withont ray wish. I did j not expect that I should ever come into ib, but < I always thought my sen would get ib fonia ! day. He is iv New Zealand, manng'tng a sheeu ' ranch." Just then an o!d lady came iv for her [ "penn'orth 'i snuff," which the barounb duly j served to her. The baronetcy is an old one, ■ the present baronet being the eleventh holder j of the title. His wife is the daughter of a j Lichfield musician named Hickin. They have j five sons and two daughters. The eldest I daughter is a clerk in the locel post office, and J the grown-up boy*, except tao eldest, are | engaged at factories in the district. { The Taapeka Times states that taking the , frait season just over altogether, it was a fairly profitable one. Prices were 50 per cant, higher, j while the decreased cost ot picking and carting ! made the cost of production proportionately j less. Judging by results, the Teviot fruit- ) growers can fairly claim to have enjoyed, if not ' a very prosperous year, yft an average one. ; Strawberries were about the same in quantity ; as the previous year, but the average price (6d • per Ib) showed an incrense of 2d. Tho cherry crop waa very limited. Plume realised 2-^d and 4-d, as against ]£<i to 2M per Ib in 1896, the , quantity beiug about the same. Apricots were • almost ft failure, and though the price ross from . 2d ond 4d to 6d and 8 J there was only abon'- a j quarter of the crop. Peasfaes were only fair, I but prices ranged from 3d to sd, as against l^d ! to 3d per Ib for the heavy crop of the previous j year. Grapes and tomatoes were about tho ! same in price and quantity. ] The Hon. W. Rollestcn in his speech at J Temuka on Friday eaid "democracy" w»s < supposed to mean •' Government of tho people, by the people, for the people." Nowadays and in . New Zealacd it meant " Government of the ■' people, by Seddon and for Seddon."' 11l \ showed that Liberal labour legislation was ' initiated years ago by Mr Fulton, that the j liberalisation of the land laws was the work of j Mr Donald Reid aad himself, that the iustitu- i tiou of public education must be oredited to,Mr [ Tancred, and of the State system of education I to Mr Bo wen, ail those gentlemen being , members of the so-called Conservative party. j From what appears in the London "Free- i mason " of a late date it seems that the rocog- j nition of the Grand Lodfie of New Zealand i 3 j an acknowledgpd official fact. At a meeting of ! Grand Lodge Bro. Philbrick, Grand Registrar, in reply to a question, said "Of couree the New Zealand Grand Lodge is recognised." This being ao (says the Press) if; is remarkable that the liaglish District Grand Ledge authorities here have received n© official intimation of the fact. * Mr DonaH Reid, jun., aanonnc.es in another j column that ho has taken new offices in Govern- > ment Insurance Buildings, Princes street, Dun- ! edin. Clients n're requested to note the change of address. I