LOCAL GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2295, 24 February 1898, Page 20

LOCAL GENERAL.

The Otago Acclimatisation Society has sent away 78 starlings by the Talune to be liberated in Gipijsland. At a meeting of the Committee of Manage- j ment of the Educational lubtit.ute, held on j Saturday last, Messrs J. Garrow, W. David- j son, and O. J. Hodge were appointed to represent the institute on the Educational Committee of the Jubilee Industrial Exhibition. It was reported that at the com cil meeting held in January last it was agreed to revise the constitution <f the New Zealand Educational Institute, »ud as the3e new rules will tend in some degree i,a regulate the district institute?, it was thought inadvisable at; present to make any radical changv in the constitution ot the Otago lustitute, although the Committee of Management has prepared a now set of rules. The only change that it is proposed to make this year is in the election of officers and of the Committee of Management. Members of the insiirute will, in the course of a few day?, receive a circular on the subject. ! Captain John Anderson, of the Waikare, is | still an inmate of the hospital. He is making j somewhat glow progress towards recovery from | the accident he met with at Preservation Inlet on the second trip of his vessel to the West Coast Sounds. The location of the injury \a the pelvis, a piece having been chipped off the crest of thtf ilium. An operation has been performed, and the broken piece of bone removed. The Dental Boeud have just concluded an examination, at which eight candidates presented themselves, the following five p.isMUg :— H. G. Bunby (Napier), O. V. Ellis (Nelson), C. C. McfiVtt (Invercarglil), R. W. Swmdley (InveroariiiD), and R. Youug (PaJmersfcon j North). The names are in alphabetical order, j and not necestanly in the order of merit. In reference to a paragraph which appeared recemly relating to religious instruction in schools, Mr Thomas Taimer, formerly M.H.R. for Waipawa, writes to the Press as follows :— " I did not use the words j attributed to me ss follows : ' Were so j much less religious men than their predecessors, i Such words are absurd on the lace of it, as the j * appointees,' a3 everyone knows, had do ' predecessors' — they were simply ' additions ' to the Council. The Hon. Mr Downie Stewart's reply ■was, as I mentioned in the synod : ' There is ro chance of pasxing the bill, as the recent additions to the Council are man who are opposed to it.' The additional remark I made as to their religious convictions on ths subject was the construction which I personally put upon Mr Stewart's reply." During a discussion in the Christchurch City Council on Monday night on the proposal to make the S-smarihin Home a separate instifcutioD, some councillors severely criticised the Charitable Aid Board, asserting that, in some cases, it i ailed to give relief where it was required, and. on the other hand, that very tmdeservirig people were to be found among the j recipients of relief. One councillor mentioned j lDßtiances, and (the Lytfcelton Times reports) | said that he had given the Charitable Aid Board the names of three people drawing between them £60 a year in relief, one of -whom, he believe d, had an income, from tha earnings of vaiiou* members of the family, of £100 a year. In another case, the members of j ■a, recipient's family bad three bicycles among them. He knew charitable aid recipients, too, men and women, who were as well dressed as any memher of the council, and who walked about with four-bulton kid glovetf and silk umbrellas. In the obituary notice of the late Mr John Cargili it waa stated, " During one of hifi trips to the Home country he joined ths Edinburgh corps of volunteers and became ensign therein ; he also attended the School ot fi&uiketry at Hythe, and obtained a certificate as a first-clas3 markfenmu." This should have read "and became lieutenant ; he also attended the School of Slueketry at Hytha, and obtained a first- class certificate tinder General Bay." It should htve been also stated that his third daughter, Eliza, married Mr E. R. Anderson, and the fourth married Captain Facquier, with whom she resided till his death five years ago in Brir.ish Columbia. She is now residing in Europe. Captain Cargili took such a warm interest in the volunteer cause that he brought out with him Sergeant Murdoch, of the 42ad Highlanders, ■who had acted as coveriDg-sergeant in his Edinburgh company. Murdoch ultimately became sergeant major of the Otaeo district. It was greatly owing to Colonel Cargili and the person&l interest taken by him in musketry instruction that the Otago volunteers for years obtained tbe premier position — his old company, the Scottish, holding the record. As an inetacce of this he attended the fi^rst colonial championship rifle meeting at the Hntt in 1867, and by his coaching assisted Christie, of tbe East Taieri, to win the championship wad Taylor, of the Scottish, to win the second prize. He again coachud these men when j Taylor wo« tho championship the following ' y&ar afte- !>iug with Cnristie. A Bingu'ar case wr« tried before Mr Haselden, S.M ,at Maaterton on Friday last. A xnaa named Leonard Cloke, a private detective from Wellington, was charged with assaulting a boy ramed R*pbael Soler, nine years old, and the boy's mother, Mary Tucker. The affair was a sequel to a recent divorce case, in which the boy's fa' her, Joseph Soler, had been granted leave to take the custody of the child. The father had, however, not applied for an order givirg h ; m the custody of the boy, or for a habtas corpus, but had (to use the magistrate's words) chosen instead to employ the defendant (who was manifestly an improper person to have charge of the child for a siogle day), and had instructed him to kidnap the child. It wa,s plain, Mr Haselden said, that the attetnprs of the father to obtain possession of the child bad resulted in much suffering to fche boy and his mother, and amounted, in deed, to persecution. The defendant succeeded in getting hold of the boy, and exercised a degree of roughness and violence towards the child, which was quite unjustifiable under any circumstances, whether under warrant or order of the Supreme Court or without such authority. The defendant was convicted and fined £5 la and costs (£3 6j). Tho fine was increased by Is at the defendant's request to enable him to appeal. At the Anglican General Synod on the 16th feeling references were made to the death of Bifthop John Selwyn. The Primate moved— •'That the members of this synod have ju 9t9 t heard with the deepest sorrow tbe lo«s which the whole church has snst&ined in the death of Bishop Jo^u Richardson Selwyn, who was very dear to members of this church, first as a missionary and afterwards as bishop of the Melanesinn mif fcion. They thank God for the bright exarrmla given to them in the life of Hi« servant of nrsrlfish heroism in action and "of patient enrl"— >ncp in suffering. That the Primate bo re i ] co v.Hy reqnested to convey to the bishop's »g< d mother and to his widow and children an assurance of Ilia heartfelt sympathy with them

of all churchmen in New Ze&land, and of earnest prayers that they may be supported iv fchoir sore trial by tho Father of mercie3 and the God of all comfort." The Progressiva Liberal Association is to submit the following notices of morion to the National O'ouucil of Women, which meets at Wellington on April 20 :— "1. That the council reaffirm'! the necessity of placing upon the Statute Book an Old Age Pension Act. 2. That the council immediately take steps to promote further organisation and combination amongst the women workers of the colony. 3. That iv the opiniou of this council the abolition of the Legislative Council is an urgent necessity. 4. That thecounc.l urge 3 upon the Government the necessity for establishing State co-operative industrial settlements in tha colony. 5. That the council affirms the desirableness of establishing in this colony a system of preferential voting at the election of the members of the House of Representatives. 6. That in the opinion of this council all religions houses in the colony should be open to Government inspection." Bishop Wallis, of Wellington, was to have moved at the Auglican General Synod on Monday — " That a select committfe, consisting of all the seven bishops, ba appointed to consider and report to the synod what change, if any, it is expedient to make in the style of the primate of this province." The bishop, however, explained that as there seemed to be a feelhig against the motion he wouid withdraw it. The motion was accordingly withdrawn. Speaking at the Anglican General Synod of the d fnoultieß the trustees iv the Poriraa trns>b would have in tracing the collateral branches of a Native race (the Ngatifcoa tribe) whom it was suggested to give a pr? ft-rence to scholarships under tha Poriru* trusf, Mr H. W. Bishop (a judge of the Native Laud Court) &aid he knew oae Maori w&r> when land in the Ngatitoa trib* was being partitioned amongst the descendants was a Ngalitoa ; wheu ib was Ng«ti-auk»wa l»nd that was before the court he was a Ngatiraukawa ; aud wh^a it was Fgatiawa land he belonged to tne Nga-tiawa tribe. The Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Time's wires that tbe Cle/k of the Wms received a telegram from tito Suenkt-s of Jits Hou=e on Monday morning iiuioaatiiig that he had received Sit 1 R. Stout's reaiguatiop, notification of which will appear in tnia week's Gazette. The vvris will probably be issued before the end of the week. The committee of the Irduifci-ia! Asscsciition appointed to consider the • ornpetition between the Government and the Manawaui Railway Company suggest that " should be made whereby the M<uiawa.fm fcrwu should run to Woodyille and mset the Napie- train on its arrival, or that the Government should Btart their Palmerston train on the a.rrivs.l of the Napier train, instead of waitir.g iwo hours fer tbe Manawatu train to connect at Lonsjburn, and if it could not be accelerated they should run another train to meet the Wanganrsi-Ntiw Plymouth train later. The running over each other's lines is nothing new. It is done in Great Britain, sometimes by act of Parliament, sometimes by mutual agreement where there are two companies and it i« not considered desirable to build another lino. The matter ia of so great importance to the public that we aro of opinion that strong representations should ba made to the Government to put an end to a state of affairs that is entirely against the best interests of the whole colony." At the meeting of the North Canterbury Board of Education on tbe 163h it was resolved — " That the board forthwith take fche necessary steps to establish technical aod manual classes in such schools as the boatd's grant for manual and technical education will enable ihem to establish." A special committee was appointed to go carefully into details with reference to the cost ot buildings, tools, apparatus, &?., and to report to the board at its next sitting. It waa stated that 33 of ths board's teachers had already been qualifying as instructors, and were now ready to undergo the n»ce*sary examination. The vicar-general of the Roman Catholic diccs3e of Cfiriitchureh wrote aski -.g tha board to authorise tha inspection of tho Catholic schools in Canterbury by the* inspectors of the board. The letter pointed out that the Catholics as taxpayers had a right that their schools should be bo inspected, and also that the want of such inspection debarred their children from obtaining positions in the civil service. Consideration of the lebtoc was deferred until next mseting. Mr G. H. Thomson was ou the 16th admitted by his Honor Mr Justice Williams as a solicitor of the Supreme Court. With reference to the refusal by the Land Board last week to grant any of the applications for allotments on run* 163 and 140 a and 140b, the Tapanui Courier understands that r.he defeated applicants will now appeal to the Minister for a rehearing of their cases. In the Supreme Court on the 16th iusfc., Mr Hosking, on behalf of a petitioning creditor, moved for directions as to the time and place for the hearing of a petition for, the wtnding-up of the New Zealand Co-operative and Aeceney Company (Limited), and Mr Justice William? directed that the petition should b« hear.d oa Tuesday, the Ist prox., at 11 o'clock. On the application of Mr Ho»kiog, Mr 'X. K. Hatty was appointed provisional official liquidator of the company. In connection with these proceedings, the company has issued a circular notice to it 3 shareho'ders calling a meeting to consider the position of the conupauy and to decide whether it would be best for it to go into voluntary liquidation or to call up capital for the purpose of carrying on. Tbe circular points out that the amount of share capital is too s/oall at present to enable the business of the company to ba carried on. It is hoped by the management that, whatever course the shareholders may decide on adopting, there will be no nece sity for further proceedings in the direction of obtainiug a compulsory winding-up. At the request of the Maoris Mr Daniel H. Rakiraki has decided to subdivide the Port Molynpux Native Reserve, and will forward applications to the Native Land Court, which is to sit at Waikouaiiii on Friday. It is understond that the result of the pale of the Kaitaugata Railway and Coal Company's property to the English syndicate which is purchasing it will, when carried through, be that shareholders in the company will receive £25 in cash for each £10 share, and £2 10s for each share on which £1 is paid. The weekly meeting of the Benevolent Institution Trustees, held on the 16th, was attended by Messrs A. Solomon (chairman), Colin Allan, P. Treseder, R. Wilson, James Green, and R. Watson. Accounts amounting to £117 38 Id were passed for payment. The Secretary reported that Alexander Patterson (aged 67) and James Mulligan (89) had died in the institution ainc9 laßt meeting. Fifty-five relief cases were dealt witb. Tho atmospheric phenomena which were noticed in Dansdin and elsewhere in this island on the 9th inst. prevailed also at Milford Bound. " The day," our correspondent writes, "was thick and cloudy, and the

I wind light from the N.E , with mild showers of ] [ rain. It came on very dark at 11 a.m., and afc noon it was necessary to light limp 3 all after- j noon up till night Bet in. At 5 p.rn it got much darker, bo that one could not even read a paper ourside. I bave never ho«n the atmospheie ' like this before, it being sometimes a ditt? j i yellow, and at other tiioes a pale green. All i the poultry went to roost shortly after noon. I ! am not prepared to say whether the phenomenon i I was due to a volcanic outbreak or a heavy bu.su j I fire to the N B , which would mean from the i direction of Martin's B^y. The outside reading ! of tho thermometer was 60d<*g Fahr., being an ; exceptionally hot Mr. Tho barometer stood at 1 noau at 29 - 70. On the following morniug the ! • wind shifted to west, which cleared the atmosphere." Messrs Robertson and Stephen?, of the Australian Evangelistic Association, opened a week'a mission at the Presbyterian Church Hall, Caversham, on the 16ih. There was a numerous congregation, and judging by the earnestness with which the discourses of the evangelists were listened to there is every indication that the mission will prove a great success. Mr G. L. Denniston, hon. treasurer of the Hawke's Bay relief fund, has received from the executive in Napier a large number of the statements of the administration of the fund very fully set forLh. Any contributors or others interested can have a copy of the statement by J applying to Mr Deunieton or at this office. | The Pall Mall Gazette mentions in connection with the knighthood of Dr John Batty I Tuke, president of the Royal Co lege of j Physicians, Edinburgh, whose name was in- ; eluded in the New Year honours, that after * graduating M D. be went out to New Zealand, I where ho was in charge of a wing of tbe 65th | Regitneut as civil practitioner in medical I charge, and on the outbreak of the Maori war ' in 1860 he was appointed senior medical officer Ito the colonial troops. On his return to 1 Edinburgh in 1863 he began practic-3 in the ! spc^'aloy in which he has become tanaous — I mental diseases. j There seems no dor,b'; (trrifps tbe London . corresponderit of the Ag>) that the use of cellu- | loid for th<- mauuf&ctura of combs and buttons adds a nevv aud v»;ry potent danger to ordinary domestic life. Celluloid is a compound of guncotton and camphor, aud is used iv the manufacture of combs, boxes, knife handles, trays, billiard balls, tooth brush? s, collars, ties, and j umbrella handles. The rompound is highly j iuflammable. Professor Boys has received a j letter from the WesS ot England describing a most extraordiuary adventure of a laoy who was standing near a bright, but not blaz.ng, fire. She found herself suddenly enveloped iv smoke, and & gentlrm>ui who rescued her and crushed the ignited portion of her dress hid his hands badly burned. The fire wm found to have originated from the ! spot wb^re a large fancy button had been, but which had now disappeared, while & similar butnon on the dress was scorched. In order to test the truth of the various statements made, a representative of the Chronicle purchased several combs at different shops iv the West Ead of Loiadon, and this is I his report : — " In every case they proved to be ; highly iufii»mmable, and even explo-iive, igniting 1 more readily than a wax taper, and burning with a fierce flame. In a ballroom, should th» comb in a lady's hair catch alight, the results, I am confident, would ba very seriousf, if not j fatal. The best remedy is for people when they j are buying OJdbs to ask whether they are made i of csliuloid or xylonite, and if they doubt the I shopkeeper's assurances that they are not, to S promptly try and light them. Bone combs will ", not burn, therefore always ask fur a boufc ! comb ; they are made up in quite as elegant i and tasteful styles, aud whether a? ornament or ', for use. are far safer, though a litfcie dearer I than the dangerous inflammable celluloid or j" xylonite." { The Very Rev. the Moderator of the New ; Zealand Presbyterian Church Assembly appears S (writes "M-^rculio" in tlie New Z-. aland j Herald) to be tomewbat intermittent or disI criminative in his prayers. Af h er he had delivered hia address, Mr M'Kiuney remarked that tho moderator did not seem to have put in a prayer f.ir the Qaeeu, the Governor, and the Government. Tno moderator replied that I be always prayed for tbe Qaeen and (.he ! (roverkor. A epectator. nofcieiu^ tbe hiatus in I the reply, observed sotto voce that Gordon Webj ster did not pray for the Government, because, j apparently, he thought "it was past praying for." The employees of Measrs Irvina and Stevengoo, v-ith their frieuds, to the number of 260, he'd thoii: third annual picnic at Waitati on j Wednesday, 16tb. The woather waa delightful, : - ftrj'l the ground io perfect; condition', allowing a ! first-cists'* programme ot" sports to be verj' I successfully carried out. The .children preseat were also wall attended to ia the matter of races, and wera provided with PuUablo prizes. A contingent from the Engineers' Band, which sceompiuied the party, contributed greatly to the day'? enjoyment, dancing being freely indulged in by tho young folks. Living ! W.iitau at 6.50 the pirhy reached town at 8.10, ' having thoroughly enjoyed their day's outing. Th« commiutess thank those who so kiudly donated prizes, &c, also Mr Colehan fun the j frae use of the ground and shed and his othfi 1 - J whe great assistance towards the success of j the picnic. | On the 16th an important decision was given i in the Auckland Supreme Court in Bauco in the appeal case of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Auckland (appellants) v. W. J. Speight (respondent). This was a case in which the stipendiary magistrate had upset the decision of the Assessment Court regarding the rating valuation on the offices of the Government Insurance department in Auckland. The City Council appealed therefrom on the ground that the stipendiary magistrate had no power to go behind the judgm-nt of the Assessment Court. Mr Cotter appeared for the City Council, and Mr Theo. Cooper for the Government Insurance department. His Honor, in the course of a lengihy judgment, held that the S.M. should cave upbeld the decision of the judge of the Assessment Court. Ha could ! not go behind the valuation of the Assessment [ C>urr, wh ; ch had alreidy decided the matter, but, his Honor said, as he himself was a policyholder in the Government Life Insurance office he was an interested party, and was not, therefore, competent to sit in jurisdiction in th's cass. flad he had jurisdiction he would have upheld the Assessment Court's decision. "Considering, therefore," concluded hia Honor, " that I am compelled to decline jurisdiction the appeal will be dismissed without coats. If the case should be carried further ifc will be gathered tb.it if I hiid considered I had jurisdiction I should have allowed the appeal with co3ts, on the ground that the decision of the Assessment Court was final. On the other hand, if I held that I h»d jurisdiction to hear the case, and also could go behind the decision of the Assessment Court, I should have dismissed the appeal with costs. Appeal disI missed with ceils." Mr Cotter obj«cte-l to his ' Honor giving stou a cc-cbioa, siting that he

was not competent to exercise jurisdiction. ] His Honor said Mr Cotter could appeal on that j point. j The following candidates have passed the j senior civil service esaminxoion :—lnvercargill: — Invercargill j — B. 0. Basstiau, A. F. B-^nt, Helen Curnwelt, T. S. Fiemiug, Ellen M. Smith, E. J. Wiseinau ; Dunediu — Jessie Sinclair and A. Thompson. Thu following passed with distinction : — Margaret O. Rose, Wellington ; James J. ■Wilson, Auckland ; Mary A. B. Eyre, Wellington ; Edward J. Fitzgibbon, Hokitika. The Alameda, with the English mails of January 22, left San Francisco on the 4-th, one day late. The Mariposa, with the coionial mails (January 22), arrived at Ban Francisco on the 10th, also one day late. The Rome, with mails, which left Melbourne on January 11 and was due in London on the 15th inst., arrived two days early. The ordinary train from Lawrence to Dunedin on Tuesday night met wifch &n accident, as a result of which the passengers did not arrive in town till about half-past 1 yesterday morning. Just as Round Hill was reached, and happily just before the downward grade commenced, the axle of the engine broks and threw it off the rails. The passengers were somewhat alarmed at the shook, but aa the carriages remained upright, none of them s>uEtaiced auy injury. They freely congratulated themselves, however, that tre accident did not happen a few minutes later, otherwise they would have bean spinning down bill on the edge of a steep embankment. Some of them started off for the nearest stat'on, where a vehicle waa hired, with which they proposed to push on to Milton. There must hive been a Jonah in the party, however, lor they wero destined to meet more accidents. They secured one vehicle, and were jast about to set rff in ib when it was discovered it was in an unsafe condition, and consequently they returned. naving got another, wth renewed hopes they once more started f^rtb, bub had not proceeded far when the shaft broke. Their ardour was somewhat danmed by these reverses, but they managed to tffect such repairs as permitted of a somewhat venturesome trip being made to Milfcon. Those who patiently waited, however, at the little flag ' station for relief from the railway authorities ', in the shape of a special train, arrived at Milton as soon as they — vz , at about half-past 10 ; and, continuing their journey, the unlucky ' travellers arrived in town at the small hours of j the morning. It i« understood that the ! passengers who left Dunedin on Tuesday for Lawrence reached the latter place by vehicles (rota Milton. A meeting of the former members of the ' biology classes at the Obago University wai ' held at the university on the 17ch for the purpose of considering what steps should be taken to establish a suitable memorial of the late Professor Parker. Dr Burnett, who was voted to the chair, said everybody "recognised the fact that Professor Parker's same was worthy of perpetuating by a suitable memorial, and the smallnesa of the attendance was accounted for \ by the fact that most people thought that the ; meeting was a purely formal one to appoint a j committee to collect; subscriptions and decide j what form the memorial was to take. After some discussion it was resolved, on the motion of Dr A. Stenhousi?, seconded by Mr Line — j " That those present pledge themselves to raise ! a fund with the object of founding a permanent memorial of the late Professor Parker, and ! appoint a committee for that purpose, &urch committee to report the result of their work to a future meeting." It was subsequently resolved that fche committee consiet of all I present, tug^.thor with Dr G. Brown and Dr I Logan, and Drs A. Stenhouso and Logan were appointed j nnl secretaries in connection with the fund. The secretary v.aa empowered to j convene the next meeting, ;o prepare a list of Dc Parker's past studeuts, and to draft a circular to be forwarded to them. A meeting convened by tbo Mayor of Oamaru for Wednesday evening to discuns the question of a locii celeb-alion of ths Jubilee ot O.ago w<\s attended by t\bcut ten persons only. Hia Worship said that the requisition was such a small one, and the meeting also small, and there being no response outside r^g*rriing the meeting, he thought the proposal should not be gone on with. Mr Reid said tb.it a few gentlemen hr.d thought that by gefctiug bb some sports and a procession here they would piovide some means of celebrating the event locally, probably a good day's enj <ymenr, and prevent money going away from the town which could not be spared. They had thought thst the various local societies might join, but there seemed to be no responss to the call, and there was nothing for them but to drop the matter. This view was by general conse-nt adopted. Captain Jackson Barry, in the character of a candidate for the Wellington seat in Parliament, add r e*sed an open-air meeting of the electors on Wednesday morning, but the promise of support was so insignificant that he made up his mind to retire from the campaign, which offered only disastrous rout aa the result ot its prosecution. Oae incident of the meeting is recorded by the correspondent of the Lytfcelton Times as worthy of preservation. "Are you a conciliator ? " demanded a hu^ky- voiced elector of the captain at the conelunion of his address. " I'll give you a lift unrier the ear if you oome barrackiwg me," retorted the veteran, who had juat previously offered to give any man of his own age a start of 10 yards and run him for £100. The total births ia the four principal cities of the colony in the month of January weie 395 pgaicst 377 in the preceding month — an increase ot 18 The deaths numbered 214, an increase of no less than 53 over the number in December last, but they included as many as 59 persons of the age of 65 years and upwards ; among them being three nonagenarians and 15 octogecarians. Mr Priclor has submitted for r-\ir insrertion a specimen of the picture nf Dunedm which he intends oft'eriuK to the public at thn time of the forthcoming Provincial Jubilee. The picture is yet in the hands of the artist, but sufficient has been done to iu^tify the certainty that when completed it will be as interesting fiom an artistic point of view as it will he valuable as a medium of refoiecce. If +he onlooker could imagine himself suspended < n a balloon about halfway arro-s the lity he would be able to lealise what the picture represents. Every building in the city and suburbs comes out with absolute fidelity. The contour of the town and the arrangement of the streets are faithfully represented Dunedin looks at iti best from the haibour, whether l>y day or night. Tf one could .=eo it from a balloon the view would be still mo-e beautiful ; that which it is not convenient to attain, the artist, Mr Hawcridge, has supplie.3. The woik ij to be in 10 colours, so thai it wiU bi superior to a mere black and vMfre production in artistic merit. / s a memento of Dune-din in I l' v ',')S— so yuai" after the settlement, — it is certain to ba in Irtrce damand, for ia no other way that we know of t'iau by sending a pictuie could residents make their friends at a distance acquainted with the actual appearance of Dunedin. Nor is the picture without practical value. By merely referring to it any building in the city ! and suburbs can be recognised at a glance, and there could be no better way of giving a direction. V» r e are sure that Mr Prictor hps struck a eplencHd idea, and are confidant that his eutsrP'./jtf Will bO K?r&?dwd.--Aii¥fc.

The Education Board have appointed threa of their number — viz., Messrs D. Borrie, P. B. F->ser, aud the Hon. J. MacGregor — to inquire into the complaint lodged by Mrs Aimia Burgess against a teacher iv the For busy School of excessively punishing her son. At Thursday's meeting of the Kdr.estion Board Mr J. Jb\ M. Fraser appeared a good deal iccensed by the way he was treated by the other members of the board. He had risen to speak on a certain matter under consideration, and had only made a few remarks when ha discovered that the other members of the board were engaged in something like a confidential discussion across the table. This caused him to observe that if his colleagues did not think the matter was of sufficient importance to listen to he wou">d leave the room. Without more ado he left the board table, and, although acpealtd to to returD, showed no inclination to do go, but complained that whenever he got up to tpf ak ne was versistently interrupted. He utao intim»tea tb&t he would leave the matter in the hands of the board in the full confidence that they would properly deal with it. He then took his departure, only returning to the meeting some time afterwards when sent for to assist in the consideration of another matter. The contract has been signed for the erection of a new Cath< lie hall, which will be situated on the corner allotment ia Rattray street, uoderueath the Bishop's palace, and will contain n well-appointed gymnasium, a parochial library, and a fine hall measuring 70ft long by a width of 27ft. Mr D. W. Woods is the contractor, aad the hall, which will cost £1469, will, it is anticipated, be of great benefit to the Catholics of the city and district. A little fellow named Gordon Cassey, two years and two months old, wandered from his parents" home at Parakanui on Thursday afternoon, and was not missed until the evening. At 10 o'clock a search party of 30 neighbours was organised, and the child was found at 2 o'clock on Friday morniug two and a-half miles from home lying asleep under a tree. The representatives to the twenty-fifth annual conference of tbe Nevr Zealand branch of the Australasian Wesleyan MethodisC Church are already leaving their respective homes in order to attend the sittings, which will commence ia Trinity Wesleyan Church on Friday evening next, when the Rev. P. W. Fairclough, the retiring president, will deliver the inaugural address During the currency of the eonferecce sh^ra will bo an outdoor temperance meeting, the ordioatioa of five candidaies for taa ministry, a e&cicd c-'ncfvfe, a " social pro- ' bleins " meeting, a Sunday school dbmonstra- [ tion in the Agricultural Hal', a home missionary | rneetine, and a conversazione iv the Agricultural Hull, while the usual conference picnic will ba held at Tahuoa Park. Tne delegates, of waom there will be nearly 130, will be provided with luncheon in the Choral Hall while the conference is in session On the sbh Janu-vry the Aberdeen Journal celebrated its 150"h birthday, being the second oHest newspaper in Scotland. A preliminary sheet was issued two days after th-3 battle of ■ Culloden, and contained a stirring account of the defeat of the Jaoobitss, which report led the way iv th^ matter of special w.ir correspondence. Issue No. I—on1 — on Janna-y 5. 1748 — contained ouiy one advertisement : " That; on the 29fcu laso month were amisßing Three Fromissorv Notes of tbe Aberdeen's Company, one for £10 and two for 20s each, and ot tl,e Bank of Scotland, two for 20*. Whoever brings them to las Publisher of thin Papar ahail h>.*ve two Guineas Reward and no Questicns asked." Charles James Russeii, formerly a doctor in I Carist'.:O«rch but for some time practising without a diploma, was airesred thin afternoon on a charge of having, on February 5, at; Christchurch, with intent to procure tho rmiaarriage of s certain wom»n, named Kate Louisa Scott, unlawfully u-ied a certain instrument upon her. Oa Stu\si«.y Do H. C de Renzi was called in to sed Miss Bcott, and as she became worse her det options were tak< j n this afternoon by Mr H. W. Bi-hop, 5.31. The^eira plicated Russell, and a warrant was immedivtoly issued for his arrest. A little later on, Detective Benjamin and Consfeabls M'Leod went to Rupsell's residence, but finding that he was not in they remained in the vicinity and as he approached arresc^d him. After being searched' be was taken to the unfortunate girl's house, when sheidentified him as the person who had performed the operation on her. Russell took his arrest quite coolly and never uttered & word. The doctor despairs of saving Miss Scott's life. We understand that at a meeting of the Cabinet held on Thursday it was resolved to take the necessary steps to opeu up the Blue Mountain limestone, near Palmersncn, and convert it into agricultural lime for the supply of farmers. The Minister for Lauds left Wellington on the 18rh for the south to make all the necessary arrangements. The second annual report of the Dunedin City Mission shows that whereas last year the accouat-i were closed with a balance due to the mis-ionary, not only has that been wipnd out, but thia year the committee close their accounts with small balances in favour of fche general Rccouuts, the literature account, and the poor fund. The comoiitfasa all along felt confident; that as the work became better known the public would be inclined to give the necessary support, and in this they have not been disappointed, as shown by the balance sheet— from which it appears that, the receipts for the year amounted to £182 10s 2d, of which private donations represented £93 2*, collections by private individuals £19 16<, collections ab the Russell «treet Hall £17 8s 9J, church eollectiorm £27 8s 3d, and the proceeds of lectures i £13 9s Id. The residents oE Alexandra co^'.^mplate forming 3n amenities society, ani'. with tha,t object in view have communicated with the secretary of the Dunedin Amenities Society. The monthly meeting of the Henley River Board was held on Monday laftt, when Mr John Stevenson was unanimously elected chairman for the ensuing term. Tne passing of a few Fm*H accounts for payment was the only other lustiness transacted. A Bitting of the Supreme Court in Chambers w&i h'-id by his Honor Mr Justice Williams on the 18tb. The court was occupied nearly all day in hearing argument as to the rosts of tbe examination of the Hon. J. G. Ward and others. Judgment in this matter was reßt-rved. The motion for an order for the prosecution of the Hon. Mr Ward and Blr John Fisher was mentioned, but was postponed until Friday next to permit of the filing of answering affidavits. A meeting of the committee of the Technical n&sse s Association was held in the Techn : fi3.l School on Thursday, and was attended by Messrs M. J. Scobie Mackenzie, M.H.R. (in the chair), W. Cutten, D. M'Nicoll, G. .Simpson, 1 G. M. Thomson, and D. White. On consideraj tion of the applications received for the position ! of assistant superinfcendentol the classes, itvrafl resolved to appoint Mr Augns Marshall to the [ post. Owing to the heavy expenditure already ia'tured sud what must set be iuauned its

connection with the new school, the small amount of assistance received from the public, and the reduced subsidy from Government, the committee finds itself greatly straitened for Sands, and it wag therefore reluctantly resolved ithatthe salaries of the teaching staff be reduceed by 10 per cent. The secretary was authorised to advertise for teaohera for the Latin, mathematics, chemistry, and physics classes. The secretary reported that Mr J. W. Mellor, B.Sc, the instructor in chemistry, had received the appointment of ecieuoe teacher in the Lincoln Agricultural College. It was resolved to hold the annual meeting on Thursday, March 3. Mr J. It. Cheeseman, general manager for the Shag Point Coal Company, was presented on the eve of his marriage with a very handsome silver entree dish by the office staff, yard liands, and .carters. Mr J. Latbimer, in making the preientation, wished the recipient long and liappy married life and prosperity, and Mr Cheeisman, who was taken by surprise by the gift, suitably responded. Mr H. M. Stanley recently secured an interview with President Kruger, and he does not ceem to have been favourably impressed. la hi* letter to South Africa Mr Stanley says : " He appears to know absolutely nothing outside of his burgherdom ; he has neither manners Eor taste ; his only literature seems to be limited to the Bible and a few treaties and documents about the Republic ; he has no intrinsic excellence ci character that should appeal to the admiration of the public ; but \vhat he does know he knows well. He knows the simplicity of his rude and bearded brethren of the veld ; he can play upon their fears and their creed with perfect effect, and it is is the nature of his ill-conditioned personality to say 'no,' All the rest has fallen to him became hs is so unyielding and others so vacillating and so pitifully v?eak." This ig tha rnau, adds Mr Stanley, whom ''the Johanaeaburgers hope to weary with their prayers and petitions ; but they never will do it." A deputation from the jury which acquitted James Wilson on a charge of robbery from the person waited on the Cfcie f Justice on thelßthaud complained that a constable, acting on inotructioDS from the sevge&at of police, had endeavoured to find dufc who voted for a conviction and who for an acquittal. Inspector Emerson denied all knowledge of the matter, but Coostable Ramsay explained that he was inttrueted to find out because ifc wss believed that the j foreman was a'relaMon of Mr Creaswall, nelici- | tor, who appeared for the defence. His Honor j said such an inqory was most improper, but, j though Napier might be entirely free from bus- i picios, unfortunately there were places where , there was a good deal of reason to beli&va tbat ! the same sort of thing went on between a jury j and a prisoner or his friends and advisers — { legal and otherwise. i The adjourned meeting of the Conciliation Board was held in the Supreme Court at 2 o'clock onTJonday afternoon ; present — Messrs "W. A. Sim (chairman), G. L. Sise, J. A. Millar, M.H.R., and R Ferguson. Messrs J. A. Froatick (ChrislcLurch), J. Kingslaud {Invercargill), and A. H. Bridger (Dunedin) represented the Boot Manufacturers' Union, i and Messrs J. F. Arnold (Dunediu) and W. "Williams (Christchurch) the Boot Trade Union of Workers. As the Conciliation Board had at the previous"sitting recommended the parties , to confer, and as' they could not agree at the conference, the whole matter was referred to the Arbitration Courfc. On inquiry at the hospital on Sunday -we "were informed that Captain Anderson's condition was slightly improved. The friends of Dr Stanley Bitchelor (son of Dr Batchelor of this city, and ex pupil of the Boys' High School) will learn with pleasure of his appointment as a house surgeon at Guy'a Hospital, London. A memorial service in connection with the death of Bishop John Selwyn was held at All ; Saints' Church on Sunday. The Very R-v. Dean Fitchebt, who occupied the pulpit, preached a discourse having reference to the ■ ' late Bishop of Melanesia. He alluded to' the i fact that- it was often said nowadays that $ Christianity was dead, bat he contended that | that statement was disproved by the lives of I «uch men as Bishop S»-Iwvd, who dedicated ' himself to missionary work among one of the ' most degraded races on this planet. What, he . asked, led such man to do what they did ? It oould not be explained by saying that it was fanaticism. Many of the greatest missionaries of the nineteenth century were educated at English universities, which were not places ; -where fanaticism was bred. All things that ■ were thought amongst men were discussed ' there. Freedom of speech, freedom of thought, ( and familiarity with everything said and •written — the?e were the characteristics of the great English universities. And the thing that ' presented itself to him in the li>'e of a, man like Selwyn was this : that he was in the presence of a divine power. Such a life was as much a - miracle to him as if he saw Jesus turning water : into wine or calling the dead from the gepul- j •chre. Nothing that one could concaive of as j ordinary human motives could explain such a ' life, which he was compelled to say was "touched by a, divine power. The proposal to make an annual charge for Creeping small accounts, which has been under consideration for tome months by the basks trading in New Zealand, has not yet been adopted. We believe (say* the Trade Review) there is not complete unanimity among banking leaders on the question, and it is urged that New Zealand may well wait the general adoption of the practice in the Australian colonies. So far Western Australia is the only colony in which the charge has been adopted, and South Australia, where the change wag in contemplation, seems to hesitate to take action. An interesting letter from an orphan boy of 3.4-, telling how he had promised his mother on her deathbed that he would look after his youngest sister, who had come to him in an unhappy state of mind, was read at the meeting of the Benevolent Trustees in Wellington last week. The lad asked the trustees if they •would kindly help him to fulfil hig promise. 'The reading of this touching letter was (the Post says) followed by two women who desired to interview the trustees on the subj-jct. One of the women, who had taken charge of the girl on the mother's death, said the child had & comfortable home with her and had been Bent to school regularly, but that the child had Ibeen stolen away one day whilst on her way Jhome from school. The second woman corroborated this version, saying her friend had nursed the mother during her last illness, and Bhe (the mother) had often 'expressed tbe wish that this woman should take cara of her girl. tThe trustees decided to investigate the matter, and sal up a special committee with that object. The Dunedin Operative Tailors' Society held their second annual picnic at Paketeraki on /Saturday lasb. The party, consisting of about J250 persons, left town by the 7.40 a.m. train, And on arrival at Puketeraki a first-class programme of sports Was carried out, each event being well contested, A baud, under Mr

Dickinson, was present, and contributed in a great measure to the day'a enjoyment. The children wera not forgotten, there being a large supply of toys and fruit aud lollies for them. Mr John F. Bagan, late of tha 39bh Foot Regiment, was present, »nd acted as drum major of the band. The committet received donations to the prize fund from Messrs Rosa and Glendinniug, Messrs Bing, Harris, and Co., Messrs Butterworth Bros., Mosgiel Woollen Company, Messrs Thomson, Fox, and Co., Messrs Baton and Crow, Messrs Jamioson and Co., Mr A. Anderson, and Mr S. Jarvis. The sports were carded out under the followißg officials: — President, Mr James Wilson ; judges — Messrs J. Murray, H. Patei'sou, and W. Thompson ; .starter, Mr Jauiei Cherriß ; handicappsr, Mr D. J. Miller ; c'oiks of coarse — Messrs M'Laron aud Wiliiaray ; secretary, Mr R. C. Wilison. His Excellency the Governor and suite will visit Balclutaa on Friday, the 18t!i prox. The date of tha local Jubilee celebrations (included lin which are the opening of the Victoria Jubilee recreation ground and cycling sports, &'j.) has consequently been altered lroai tha 23rd to the 18h, and it has been arranged thai; his Excellency shall formally open tne ground. The Governor visits Naseby on the 9.h March, on which day he will drive from X jkooga. On the 17 ih prox. his Excellency's visit to Gore will be paid. A sitting of the Supreme Court ia Bank- ! ruptcy was held before his Honor Mr Justice Williams on Mouday, ancl the ntxb sitting of the Bankruptcy Court was fixed lor Monday, the 4th of April. The Pukeiroitahi School Committee have j voted for Mestrs Grren, Harraway,- and ] Mitchell for the v&c&ncit* on the Education j Board ; the Tu&peka West Committee for j Messrs Fraser, Ha.rrs.way, and Sim ; the Upper j I Kjeburn Committee tor Messrs Borrie, Fraaer, \ aud Mitchell; the Fatearoa Committee for Dr ; Brown, Messrs Harraway and Mitchell ; the Gimmsrburn and Kyeburn Committee for Messrs Mitchell, Sim, and Dr Brown. Electricity and spiritualism do not make a good combination. An ingpuioua attempt to utilise them conjointly nearly gained for its contriver the honour of a coroner's inquest all to himself. A medium who made a specialty of luaainous apparitions has recently been in rnucla demand among amateur searchers after the marvellons, but will not appsar further in j consequence of m accident to the •Isetric light. ! Oa Monday week, so a correspondent of the ! D*U.t Telegraph narrates, he gave a. sSan.ce to a i number of ladies aud gentlemen at fche house of [ a scientific nasn, aud successfully reproduced j from hi* recess in a darkened room the I luminous vision of various deceased personages. j While Shakespeare was on view the awe- \ stricken audience were surprissd to hear a gasping, gurgling nei'e proceeding from his throat, while the head swayed <o and ito, as if in pain. A gentleman rushed forward just ia time t) Bave the gr«ar. poet froe? suffocation by pulling out of his thorax a miniature electcic lamp, connected by a slender wire to a small bittery underneath his coat. Oa the principle of the schoolboy's salamander trick of illuminating ! the face by putting s. lighted match in the mouth, the medium caused a faint spiritualistic glow, enough to satisfy wonder-seekers, to cuf- j fuse his countenance by inserting, before his bands were tied to ensure confidence, the tiny electric lamp behind his teeth. Unfortunately ia thin case the article slipped too far dowc, j and, as the medium's bound hands prevented ' him pulling it up again, the unfortunate man might have been choked by an incandescent light. But nobody knows what electricity may yet do in the cause of spiritualism. At the annual meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board the report showed thatthe revenueof the board during the past year had been the largeat in the hi tory of the port, reaching a total of £56,688. or cloae on £5000 more than in the previous year. The profit and loss account nhowed a profit on the years operations of £10,105, which, together with the balance brought forward from 1895, gave a total of £13,610 ab the present time. The asseJs of the board, after deducting all liabilities, stood at £322,704-. The treasurer, among a series of carefully prepared tables, which gave the positien of the board's finances at a glanoe," enumerated in detail the value of the docks, wharves, dredges, shads, aud land reclaimed from the sea, and thereafter deductions were made for depreciation. The total reached the sum of £675.000. The land« reclaimed from the sea represented a value of £287,4-00, and in addition to these are alio large unclaimed endowments belonging to the board. The Alexandra School Committee has voted for Dr Br*wn, Me»srs Borrie and Clark for the vacancies on the Education Board ; Oamaru | Middle Committee, Messrs Harraway, Mitchell, and Sim ; Luggate Committee, Dr Brown and Messrs Harraway and Mitchell ; Ophir Committee, Messrs Borrie, Clark, and Sim ; Mosgiel School Committee, Dr Brown, Messrs H*rraway aad Sim ; East Taieri Committee, Dr Brown, Biegsrg Harraway and Mitchell ; j Incholme Committee, Messrs Borrie, Ciark, and | Sim ; Waikoikoi Committee, Messrs Borrie and Sim ; Papakaio Committee, Dr Brown, Messrs Borrie and Mitchell ; Herior, Brown, Sim, and Harraway ; Lovell's Flat, Clark, Borrie, and Sim ; Knrow, Borrie, Mitchell, and Sim ; Maruimato, Harraway, Mitchell, and Sim ; Bivingatone and Duntroon, Harrawsy, Mitchell, and Sim ; Beaumont, Fraser and Sim ; Rie's Junction, Dr Brown, Green, and Sim ; Miller's Flat, Dr Brown, Mitchell, and Sim ; Bannockburn, Dr Brown, Harraway and Mitchell.