CHRISTCHURCH NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2685, 30 August 1905, Page 49

CHRISTCHURCH NEWS NOTES.

(From Ouk Own Co-respondent.) CHRISTCHURCII, August 25.

The question as to whether or no{ a certain man was drunk in one of tha Christchurch hotels yesterday afternoon exercised the attention of the bench of justices for a considerable time this morning. Sub-inspector Dwyer and Sergeants Bird and Mullancy affirmed positively, that they saw the man relplessly drunk h\ the bar He was not coherent, and hatt to be taken (o the lock-up in a cab. The accused, however, swore as positively thab he was perfectly sober at the time -that, in fact, he had only had lour light drinks during- the whole of the day. Ho had when arrested walked quietly to the cab. but ho had been thrown into tho vehicle by one of the sergeants. The licensee and the barman of tho hotel, together with a third man who was in tho bar when the accused was arrested, jilso stated that the man was not drunk. In consequence of (he doubt created b\ the contradictory nature of the evidence the bench dismissed the ea-e. Sub-inspector Dwycr stated that the case would not bo allowed to rest where it \vo>, and it. is understood that the- licon-eo will be charged with permitting- drunkenness on thc_ hotel premises. Mr A. Jeffries, ex-banker, of Temuka and candidate for the Ueraldine scat in - the Opposition interest, addressed his fir«t meeting of electors at Temuka last evening. c_ He had a large meeting, the Volunteer Hall being filled to overflowing, and he was accorded an appreciative hearing. He announced himself as a straightout Oppositionist, and advocated the reduction of Customs duties on the necessaries""' of life, giving- tho option of freehold to lpase-m-perpetuiry settlers at the original values, ihe election of the Upper House on the basis of one representative to every two electorates, and tho completion of the trunk railways at the rate 'of half a million a year. He was opposed to the referendum and the Bible in schools, and would remove the disqualification against thrift in regard _ to old-a.sro pensions. He would repeal the Public Revenues Act. and generally endeavour to secure clean administiation. He r< ceived a hearty vote of thanks, asking that any further expression of confidence bi reserved for the polling- booth.

Again the lament of the beating man rend" the air. The Avon grows les? like a river and more like a ditch annualK. and pretty soon the boating man will bo compelled to borrow Victoria Lake to paddle in, or cease from boating altogether. It is no longer possible to hold races oti the Avon: it is barely possible to row _at all. Is there nobody to come to the assistance of the man of oars and help him 10 impi'o-'-e the river. The city recollects* tha;. in the dim and distant past such things a-< I floral fetes were held in the purlieus of i Chri&tchurch, and that a sum of money was made, and that thai sum of money was vested in trustees. It has a dim recollection that iho&o trustees gravely considered 'pertain schemes for the improvement of the Avon, including the bringing in of the Waimakariri. the establishing of locks, the application of dred^incr. and so on. Where ara those trustees ? What has. become of ibosc schemes? If anyone knows their whereabouts, or has any information on the point, remarks nne evemnsj paper face-■fciouslyto-niffht. will he kindly communicate, with this office? It is hiprh time they did soroethinsr, if they only take turn about with a hand-pump and pump a little more water into the fast-diminishing stream. "9