LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2689, 27 September 1905, Page 32

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Probably no one was A"cry well satisfied by the prices realised for Mr E. W. Chri-st-mps's paintings, auctioned by Messrs Park, Reynolds, and Co. on Friday — nobody, that is, except the buyers. There were 0113 or two comparatively decent prices — £17 10s ' for a large Scotch coast study. £12 15s for a charming Welsh piece; but " Loch Katrine " only brought £6 10s ; " Ennogera Lagoon," f£3 10s; "A Grey Day. Manly," £3; and •60 forth ; and a number of other pictures j only realised from £2 to £3 each. All the ; pictures were handsomely framed. The artist j who brings pictures to sell in Dunedin brings them to a very uncertain market. A deputation from the Navy League, ! consisting of Messrs J. H. Hosking. G. ' Fenwick, and J. A. Johnstone, waited upon J the retail section of the Otago Employers' Association on Thursday mornuiig re the { observance of Trafalgar Day. The opinion of the meeting, whilst against the augmentation of holidays, especially when they fall towards the end of the week, was that the circumstances were special, and it was J resolved that the league's wishes be acceded to. It was pointed out that the i day being proclaimed a holiday by the I Government brought it in as a statutory ', holiday under " The Shops and Offices Act, 1904." The monthly meeting of the High Schools Board of Go\ernors held on Thursday afternoon, was attended by Messrs J. R. Sinclair (chairman), J. M. Gallaway. and the Hon. T. Fergus. A communication was received from the Taieri County Council with reference to the formation of an embankment adjoining certain of the board's sections at Strath-Taiori that were liable to flood, and after a report from MiNess had been read on the subject it was resolved that the board confer with Mr Couston (Taieri County engineer), and that .subsequently the chairman and Mr Fergus visit the locality and interview tenants interested, having power to act. The Rector of ihe Bojs' High School reported that the entry of new boys at the school for the term juat commenced was 42. as against 33 lasi year; and the Lady Principal of the Cu-K High School reported that 24 gills had joined the school and sixhad left, tlieie being now 192 girls on the roll. These figures were considered very satisfactory. | Our Naseby correspondent, wired on ; Thursday: — ''The continuation of the hank- J ruptcy proceedings Thomas Morgan v. John Ewing was taken this (Thuisday) afternoon before the District Court Registrar. Mr J. R. Kirk appeared for the 1 petitioning creditor and Mr C. C. Hutton I (Clyde) for Mr Ewing. Evidence was gi\cn by petitioner that he had no security , I for his debt, and he was then called by j counsel for the debtor and examined as io ' other matters. The debtor and Thomas j Hughes (of Cambrians) al<-o ga v e evidence on behalf of the debtor, and after counsel had addressed tho courr on different < a-.pt.tis of tho ca^e the registrar made an J Oi Jcr a>ljiulicating Eviinj* a bankrupt , I Nonce ot appeal wa-a ghon, and the | ' regional* stj^ed proceedings jiending an ■ appeal, on socuun of £20 being gnen."" | ' I Mr William Jaquos, Go^ernmciil canning j expert, who has received numerous re- j < cjueM-, to come to Dunedin and address , tho-o interested in the canruno industry, ' } has acceded tr, Hii» request and is at pro- ' , s>ont in Dunedin, after a leeluimg toi\i in i the principal ccnttcs of Can'orbuiy. 110 . is going on to Milton for the .same pin- \ pose, and "n 111 bo in Dunedin on Wednc?- '

day, 27fch inst., when he will give a pracj tical and comparative demonstration of Californian and New Zealand fruits at 2.30 p.m. at Messrs Moritzson and Co.'s warehouse, to which he cordially invites all wholesale merchants, canning factory managers, grocers and storekeepers, produce merchants, and all others who are interested.

Mr Jaques had similar meetings in Wellington, Christchurch. and other centres, which Avere very largely attended by all interested, and proved most interesting and instructive. After the demonstration in Dunedin Mr Jaques intends to proceed to Roxburgh and Alexandra.

A number of workmen from the Way and Works Department are at present busily engaged, as opportunity permits, in lining portions of the CJpper Port Chalmers tunnel, which has of late shown signs of weakness. The work is somewhat tedious and difficult from tho fact that it is being accomplished without in any way impairing the efficiency of the regular train service.

A private letter received from Auckland (says the Chris tchurch Press) tells of a rather mortifying experience of a daffodilgrower. This lady exhibited at a church bazaar a number of blooms from her garden, and among these some expert disco >ered a bloom of an entirely new variety. An offer of £25 for the bulb was promptly n.ade, bul the grower could not remember in what part of the garden she picked the bloom, and up to the present the bulb of this new daffodil is still somewhere in this plot of ground. In the meantime the , precious bloom has been placed in a block of ice. and is to be sent to England. I A former resident of Wellington, who went to South America in connection with gold dredging enterprises there, writing from Bolivia to a friend in Wellington, says: — "I have just returned f rom- a prospecting trip on the Andes Mountains, and have been 12,000 ft above the sea. It is country like Central Otago, barren mountains and small creeks. Prospecting indications arc good, and T think there will be a big boom here in time. We have one dredge built, and starr in a week. This is a very lawless country — shooting, stab- i bir.ff, pnd murder. Money is king here, ' a:«.l if a man has it be could murder all i Bolu ia and go free. There is no law for murder, so murderer? - are arrested and drafted into tho army, and in time are taken out and become policemen." He al«o indulges in a gloomy prophecy as fol- ' lows : — ''From Bueuoi Ay res we came by train for 1000 miles through country like Canterbury Plain-,. Tr pos-ses.'.es a delightful cliiriato, has beautiful rivers, and can . srrow anything. When the Argentine is fairly going the colonies will be doomed, j for the Republic will win at every point." During thp meeting of the Benevolent lii"- tees on Wed.ios'Uy Mr R. Mai is Clark j {chairman) referred to a portion of Dr j Ma-cGregor'ft annual report on the i»ospi t«iU and charitable institutions of the colony. wherein it says:— "An attempt was made to prevent the killing- of charity by giving special power to elect trustees and a -voluntary subsidy of 14s in the pound ! for voluntary subscriptions, but this has disa->tronslv failed _in its purpose, and the power to cU'ct trustees ha? in some places been an unmitigated evil. Eveoot in times of spasmodic activity \\\* '•*,<*' dwindled and became indirYf* •<• meetings wore hole-and-cor*" ■ of s-elf-»t?olver-j lo run the >•• rvL'i tl'oj) -eat- were Jn dnn^> alwtiy-i able to get brick by gt'tti: z, \ to repiv">nt •'•ome of the outlying hvA i>- ' The Chairnma ttaied thai tbe oflio'al

report had not yet tome to hand, but \vh:n th-o document uas aiailablc he would ag.iii refer to the matter.— Mr Burnett: "What salary decs iho- Inspector-general receive a year?"'— Mr Clark: "£I2OO per annum, I believe."— Mr Burnett: "Just so. The Benevolent Trustees recenc no payment for the time expended on their labours." —

The matlpinvas then allowed to drop. At" the half-yearly meeting of the M.U.1.0.0.F.. Otsgo Di.tricl.on Wednesday a lengthy discussion arose over a mot. on introduced by Bro. Hamel, the obiecfc o£ which was that the district should take stops to provide a lodge scholarship in addition to that provided by the Earrop bequc«t Considerable opposition was show n to the proposal by a number of members on the ground that the funds could not l!e devoted to such a purpose. Bro. J. Robin, as one of the objectors, lemarlccd tLat there was in the present age far too much indiscriminate education, and that, if many of the boys who were now being sent to High Schools were pent to work, there would not be a tendency to Iheir becoming paupers on the State. He thought, as Oddfellows, they should first put their financial hou«? in order before making votes for -educational purposes. The question of tho scholarship was referred to a committee to report. At the meeting of the Hospital Trustees on Wednesday Mr J. N. Brown remarked that among the poorer class of people in Dun-e-din there appeared to be a prejudiced notion existing as to the kind of treatrront received at the Hospital by non-paying patients. To assist in dispelling this nor ion he might mention that quite lecently a woman had, of her own free will, spoken (o him of t!~>e \erv careful treatment g"iven 1o a fh;!d of hers which had b^en received into the Hospital ->uffer:nc; from a fractured limb. The X-rays had been brought, into requisition, and generally the greater and roost careful attention .shown. The ireatment had been wholly successful, and the mother had expressed to him her extreme gratitude to the institution. A meeting of the Otago Dock Trust was held on Wednesday to consider the tenders received for the supply of 4000 tons of cement for the new graving dock. The tenders were as follow: — Briscce and Co., £12.966 13s 4d; Milburn Lime and Cement Company, £13,200; Thomson. Bridger. and Co . £13.300. After consideration the tender of Messrs Briscoe and Co. was accepted. The regular weekly meeting cf the Benevolent Trysfcees on Wednesday was attended by Messrs R. Maris Clark (chairman), A. Tapper, R. Wilson. William Burnett, .and J. Hazlett. The xepoH showed that one of the inmates (Margaret Roberts, aged 70 years) had died during the week. . Twenty-one outdoor relief eases were dealt with, and accounts amounting to £121 9a 7d were passed for payment. Mr C. C. Graham, S.M., sitting in the City Police Court on Wednesday to take evidence in the Belleknowes shooting 1 case, no doubt thought. " How oft the sight of means to. do ill-deeds makes ill-deeds done." He ask-id Mrs MitcheLson, the mistress of the house where the shooting took place, whether she thought it safe and wise to keep a loaded revolver in the house, in an easily accessible place, when there wee five children in the house. The mother's reply was thar the children knew she had it, but thoy never touched it. Chief Detective Herbert explained to the bench that Mrs Miteheteon was an expert in pistolshooting, and kept it for her protection, as she wa-s left alone in tho house for long periods when her husband- was in the country. The country teacher s life is, as everyone knows, not devoid of troubles. In applying for an enlargement to a school residence on Wednesday, a teacher informed the Education Board that the most commodious bedroom therein was something like 9ft square, and that it was impossible to use the fireplace or properly open the door. Miss Jeffreys, who has spent some four or five years labouring among tho soldiers of India, and who is at present on furlough, addressed a meeting in St. Andiew's Hall on Wednesday evening, the Rev. Dr Waddell being in the chair. Miss Jeffreys gave an interesting account of the work done among the soldiers, and in the course of her remark* gave some description of the Soldiers' Homes, w hich. she said, were the only homely places they had to go to. The life of the soldier in India, according to Miss Jeffreys, is a monotonous one, and many seek distraction in drink and gambling. The Soldiers' Home she referred to as a good trap for a good purpose. There was a refreshment room, a reading room, and a meeting room, in the latter of which short services were conducted nightly. The soldiers were first attracted by the refreshment room, and then generally found their way to the leading room, and finally came to attend the religious services ; and Miss Jeffreys gave numerous instances of the good results obtained from these. One thing she emphasised was that the homes* were strictly undenominational. Miss

Rheumatism is one of the most paiu/til diseases. Many are bent and physically disabled by the torture and suflermg inflicted by thi& dreadful scourge. The disease may settle in the large muscles of the back, neck, or thigh; m the joints of the arras or legs; or the pains may dart fiom one muscle to another. The pains may be constant or ot.-ca»-oa«l. but all are pioduced by the same cause — dxcn=s of uvic acid in the blood. EHETJMO is the best, the only cure fos il-ieurnatic pains. It neutralises and drives mifc tbe poi«oi>ou!! acid, relieves the pdin, lemoves the sve'ling, aiid effects a speedy and permanent cure. A trial will satisfy you of it^ mcnts. Sold by all chemists and stoics at 2-5 6d and -is 6d a bottle

Jeffreys, who returns to India at the termination of her furlough, was listened to yribh evident interest.

Some interesting figures regarding the terosene trade of the colony were quoted by Mr Byron Brown in the course of his election, address at Johnsonville. When &c duty of 6d per gallon was taken off kerosene it was reckoned, said Mr Brown, that the price of 9Jd per gallon would ffall to 3Jd. That was the case for about a month, but then Mr J. D. Rockefeller fiot wind of the alteration, and took step 3 i:o reap the benefit. Soon the price- went up and up, until now the latest quotation was lOfd per gallon.— (a voice = '<w« don't get it fox that t")— Well, they did not pay- much - more ; it was very little profit the storekeeper made on kerosene. But the case was different with J. D. Rockefeller. Last year we imported 4,420,000 gallons of kerosene to this colony, and when we summed up the matter we found that he was making out of the people of this colony £110,512 by comparison with the returns when the duty was in force. There was prospect that the Tar an aid oil springs would prove a success, and if that ever took place the Government should «ecuue the springs, and not allow Rockefeller to buy them up and close them down in the interests of his monopoly.

At the conclusion of the usual weekly parade of the Dunedin Engineers on Wednesday, Colonel Robin presented Lieutenant E. C. Laoey with a 16-years'-service medal, and Sapper W. Dean with a 12-years'-ser-vice medal. In the course of a. felicitous speech, Colonel Robin referred to the fact that three of the company's officers had /earned the distinction, the other two being Senior Lieutenant Midgley and Captain G. D. Ross.

Mr Donne, of the Tourist Department, is (nays the Wellington correspondent of the Christohurch Press) advised that Professor Parsons, of Washington, author of "The Story of New Zealand," is about to visit the colony with, a view of having a lookat it, to see what it is like, and to revise fois book. Professor Parsons is a member of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, and is the director of the Department of History in the Bureau ol" Economic Research at Washington. "The Story of New Zealand " was a spontaneous work, for it was neither subsidised by the New ? Zealand Government nor was the Gov.ernme.nt asked to take copies of the book; The book has not been placed on the New Zealand market.

In - a recent issue of the New Zealand Friendly Societies' Gazette is given the following example of the benefits that *corue from friendly society membership. A member joined the' Loyal Antipodean Lodge, 1.0.0.F!, M.U. (Wellington), in 1867, and, through the misfortune of meeting -with an injury to one of his arms, he was declared on the sick fund on July 2, 1872. The member drew sick pay continuously till the date of his death (April 24, 1905), a period of 32 years nine months and 22 days. He received £736 5s as sick pay, £20 funeral donation, and £21 15s from surplus donation— making a total of £778. In addition to this sum, the lodge voted 'him innumerable sums as gifts from the distress fund.

Our Naseby correspondent wires that the half-yearly sitting of the District Court was held on Wednesday, his Honor District Judge Haselden presiding there for the first time- Before formal business was entered upon the judge was welcomed, on /behalf of the local Bar, by Mr J. R. Kirk The only business was an application by Stephen Dillon, Blacksfone HJH, miner, for an order of discharge from bankruptcy. Mr Kirk appeared in support of the application. The assignee's report was favourable, and t-h« application was granted. •

Amongst the applicants for outdoor relief who came before the Benevolent Trustees on Wednesday was" an able-bodied, robustlooking man, who stated that he had been all over the town and suburbs in a vain endeavour to obtain some casual labour whereby to earn a few shillings. Questioned as to howi many places he had inquired at, the applicant stated that he had called at a number of places, but could get no work to do. One of the trustees was evidently prejudiced by th© applicant's personal appearance, and he suggested that the applicant should wash his face end make himself look tidy and clean before applying for woi'k, assuring- him that that would be a favourable recommendation itself. The applicant replied in en injured tone that he usually washed 'himself the first thing in the morning. " Oh, well, you should wash yourself at midday also," was the quick yetort; "it wouldn't do you any harm."

The last piece of stons required for the exterior of the new railway station has been placed in position. The work of tuck-pointing and washing down •the exterior walls is being pushed on expeditiously. Four large sculptured figures of lions rampant have been placed •in position at the top of the clock tower, and the white stone colonnade balustrade an front of the building is rapidly approach"dng completion. Mr James Wilson, the Sydney expert who secured the contract for placing the decorative faience tiles in jposition, has made a good start with the anterior decoration of the main vestibule, «• task which, involves the placing in position of over 10,000 tiles of various shades, eizes, shapes, and designs, from the plain square tilo to large draped figures in low relief. Mr Wilson has expressed himself as being agreeably surprised with the nature and extern of the faience decorations shown on the plans, and 6<:ates that when completed the decorations will undoubtedly be the finest of their kind in the (southern '-°misphere.

Amateurs of the romantic-picturesque in two kinds are referred to the odyssey of William Carveth, as narrated by him to Mr Justice Williams on the 19th. William sets he is 75 (the police, guessing officially, say 56; but that is a detail). In 1848 he met a girl, and they became intimate. Over and over again he returned to her from his* wanderings. He came to her from the perils of civil war in America, and even from the grey vicissitudes of legal marriage. And just the other day he perjured himself to get her an old-age pension. As to his age, he cays 75. He looks younger. What would the police have reckoned Ninon's age to I>e ? — Ninon, who x-ioted in the fresh young beauty of her 70 years, while mere men fought and bled for her. And even in our own Paris has not Liane de Pougy, peerless in her orbit, looked less than 25 for quite a dozen years? Is not the insolently lovely Cavalieri more than 17?

At the meeting of the Otago School Commissioners cm the 19th a letter was read from a lessee (a widow) of a five-acre section at Jaeobstown, Gore, asking the Commissioners for a substantial reduction in the rent of the property. The rent charged by the Commissioners amounts to about £6 per year, but in addition to this the lessee is subject to a borough rate, and this she characterised as extortionate. At the time of leasing the, section the borough rate- amounted to 7s per year, but in 1904 it was raised to £2 17s 3d, and in March last to £3 0s lid, while according to the last notice received the rate next year will be £4 Is sd. This drew from a member the remark that it was no wonder Gore was becoming famous as a progressive town. Another member unkindly added that with such rate 3it would very soon become notorious.

A largely-attended meeting of Reid and Gray's employees was held on the 19rh inst., when Mr Dalton gave a report of his visit to Christchurch, and spoke of the enthusiasm of the Christchurch workers in opposition to the Harvester Trust. On the motion of Mr Bennett, seconded by Mr J. Davis, the following resolution -was unanimously carried— " That this meeting of implement employees, having heard the report of their delegate to the Christchurch meeting, respectfully suggests to the Otago Trades and Labour Council the advisability of holding a, combined trades meeting in Dunedin as early as possible to protest against the introduction of foreign goods into the colony with a view to encouraging local manufactures."

The efforts by the Navy League and others to hare the Trafalgar Day celebrations held on 20th October next have so far met with gratifying success. It has been decided to close Government offices, banking institutions, and public schools on that date, and the Mayor of Dunedin (Mr J. Braithwaite) has decided to ask the citizens to observe the 2Gth as a holiday. The Chamber of Commerce has acquiesced in the proposal on behalf of the mercantile community, a nd the matter will be considered by the Retailers' Association at its meeting to-morrow evening.

The Dunstan Times states that the platelayers are making good progress with the work of laying the rails on the OmakauChatto Creek section" of the Otago Central line, which is now completed as far as Mr D. Kinney's residence on the OphirClyde road. The two long girders for the No. 2 Manuherikia bridge arrived at Omaikau by the afternoon train on Saturday and will be forwarded on immediately. Three more gangs were put on to the formation works between Muitontown Gully and Clyde during the past week. At the present rate of progression a very few months should see the formation between Alexandra and Clyde completed.

At a special meeting of the committee of the Dunedin Horticultural Society, held on the 19th, it was decided, owing to the very little sunshine experienced this month, to postpone the spring show from September 27 to October 6. Notwithstanding the great rainfall this month, the weather has been fairly mild, and the growth of narcissi has been good, some bright, sunny days only being wanted now to ensure a very fine display of the charming daffodils on the date, now finally fixed upon

A pleasing feature in the Mines Statement was the marked increase in the output of coal. In the southern district the Kaitangata coal mines take first place, the output for last year being over 119,000 tons.

The University of New Zealand examinations for matriculation, junior scholarships, medical preliminary, solicitors' general knowledge, and barristers' general knowledge, will be commenced in the principal towns of the colony on December 5.

We have received 2s 6d from "C. I*. V. E." on behalf of the Young Englishman Fund.

The annual horse parade under the auspices of the Otago A. and P. Society will be held on Thursday, 28th inst., at Tahuna Park.

A rather unusual incident took y^ace at the Supreme Court at Wanganui on Thursday. When the divorce case, Goddon v. Goddon had been disposed of the defendant rose and asked if he might say just one word. Permission being granted, he "commenced: "I must say that your honor 18 very biassed." "Arrest that man," ordered the Chief Justice, who remarked: "I will not have the court insulted by blackguards like you." The offender was taken down to the cells, where he remained till the business of the court was concluded. Ho was then brought ujj ajid asked, shy lie

should not be committed for contempt of court. Godden expressed contrition, and said that he had spoken in the heat of the moment. His Honor addressed to him some words of advice, told him to keep away from liquor, which had apparently influenced him, and allowed him to depart.

The total number of patients in the Dunedin Hospital at the end of last week was 110, the number of patients admitted for the week being 32. and the number discharged 27.

The Invercargill Borough Counoill has accepted the tender of Messrs Turnbull and Jones (Limited) for the complete electrical installation of the. municipal theatre that is being constructed for it.

There is little reason to wonder at the expressed desire of thoughtful Americans to have a law on the 1 New Zealand lines adopted for the?, prevention of industrial warfare. The statistics of the recent 15 weeks strike of teamsters at Chicago have been made up by a correspondent of the) New York Evening Post. He computes the expense incurred by the unions as 300,000doi; and the wages lost by the strikers as 750,000d01. To fill their places the employers have had to pay 2,100,000d0l extra in wages, and their loss of business is estimated at over 12,000,000d01. The strike has cost tLe city avithorities 175.000d0l and the Federal authorities 100,000dol. The services of no fewer than 2200 police, 1400 specials, and 3400 deputy-sheriffs were- required to maintain order. In spite of their vigilance, 21 deaths and 450 injuries were reported ;n strike riots, After this, it is something of an anti-climax to lea,rn that the origin of the whole trouble was an affair concerning "16 little tailors," the strike of the teamsters being of the "sympathetic " species.

The Drainage Board forward us the- following rainfall statistics for the past week: September 17, .OlOin; 18th, .HOin; 19th, .055 in; 20th, .005 in; 21st, .290 i n; 22nd, .440 in; 23rd, .630 in; total 1.540 in. Days on which rain fell, 7. Rainfall for 1905 to date, 18.103 in.

We learn from the foreign exchanges which have been coming to hand during the past month or two that the series of articles on "The Sampling a nd Valuation of Mines," contributed by Professor Park to the New Zealand Mines Record, published by the Mines Department in Wellington, have been reprinted in mining and engineering journals in Australia, India, England, and America. The wide publicity given to these articles must be' very gratifying to the author.

Twopence is a common charge for a workman's ticket in Great Britain. For this sum on the Great Eastern railway, Engineering points out, he is carried on one branch a distance of 10| miles and back, or 21£ miles in all. On the Metropolitan railway a similar far© will carry him seven and three-quarter miles and back, and on the North London railway six and a-half miles and back. On the Midland and the London and North-western railways the same fare is good for a journey 61' only about two and a-half Unites and back. In Belgium, although the lines are- operated by the Government, and wages are lower than in England, the cost of workmen's tickets is in practice not substantially different. He can obtain a weekly ticket carrying him three miles and back for l^d per day. For 2d he can travel eight miles and back, for 3d 22 miles and back, for 4d 40 miles and back.

His Honor Mr Justice Williams heard yesterday formal appeals against the convictions of George Neill and Cecilia Furies on charges of selling liquor in a prohibited district, the ground of appeal being that it was now shown that Port Chalmers was not at the time within a prohibited district. Mr Solomon appeared on behalf of Neill and Mr Hanlon on behalf of Mrs Furke, and the object of the appeal was to get rid of the convictions. The Crown solicitor (Mr Fraser) said he did not see his way to oppose the appeals. His Honor allowed both appeals, the convictions to be quashed.

Mr G. Cruiekshank, S.M., gave judgment at Lawrence on Monday in the case brought by Mr H. Craig, coach owner, against a number of Lawrence footballers for loss of a horse and damage to a vehicle. The facts of the case were that the defendants hired a vehicle from plaintiff in order to drive to Milton and play a football match there, and plaintiff's caw was based on the fact that ■when the defendants arrived back at Lawrence at about 11 p.m. the same day the horse fell down at the stables, and died about two hours afterwards. Plaintiff therefore claimed £30 for loss of the hone and for some damage to the vehicle. For the defence, veterinary evidence was given by Mr A. Hamilton that the horse was suffering from disease of the liver, and as there was a doubt as to the cause of theanimal's death, judgment was given in favour of defendants. Mr Hay appeared for plaintiff, and Mr Hanlon for defendants.

On Friday last the secretary of the Otago Educational Institute wired to the Premier asking- him if the: provision fixing the minimum retiring allowance at £52 a year had been retained in the amended Superannuation Bill. The following reply has been received :—" Yes, the minimum of £52 per annum ctiJl remains.— E. J. Seddon."

Evidence given in 1m c Supreme Comt by police reports on Monday serves again to warn suburban householders against th» danger of tolerating or encouraging so-called hawkeis in one kind. It is stated that the most notoriously bad characters) of the city have a habit of occasionally putting paltry oddments into a, bag and going- forth to exploit the suburbs. Wherefore, when a gentleman with a shifty eye comes along

and offers certain serge at an amazing sacrifice, because he got it accidentally from his brother-in-law, who is supercargo of a brig or something, it is generally advisable to shut the door without parley and let loose the dog's.

The following is an extract from the letter of the Hon. R. Oliver to a member of the Hospital Extension Committee in which he discusses the erection of the proposed new wing:— "The interest Mrs Oliver and I felt in the Dunedin Hospital is not lessened by our distance from it, I assure you. If you are as successful as I expect, and as I hope you will be, and the matter of the new wing goes on, please tell the committee that I will subscribe lOOgs. I hope when, I come again to Dunedin— which time may not be far distant— to find the new wing in course of construction, or, possibly, completed."

In these days of modern stress professions multiply, and there is constant extension of the scope of specialism. In the Supreme Court on Monday a police witness testified that one dubious person's only known occupation was that of "racecourse guesser." Precisely what a guesser' s disreputable specialty may be does not matter now ; but it was not suggested that all guessers are of neoessity criminals. Probably that is not so. There are g'uessers and "guessers. Your guesser may be a reputed thief, or ho may be a guileless and estimable citizen in all his summer glory of white waistcoat and spats.

The crew of the French steamer Saint Louis were invited to supper on Monday night in the Sailors' Rest. As the crew is composed of Syrians and Frenchmen, Misses Bellamy and Werner, who spent many years in Syria as missionaries, addressed th& Syrians -in their own tongue (Arabic), Miss Dunlop addressing the French in French. A number or seamen from New Caledonia sang some hymns in their own language Others of different nations were present, including Lasoars from the Aparima, the Rest being filled wUa seamen and the workers. Mr Axelsen presided, and Mr Falconer, the sailors' missionary, brought the proceedings to a close.

The decision on the games in the telegraphic chess match between Oamaru and Naseby, which were reserved for adjudication, have now been announced, with the result that Naseby has secured a victory by three and a-half games to two and a-half.

The process of opening up land for settlement is going on vigorously in the United States. On the Ist of the present month the State of Texas was to place on the mai'ket 6,000,000 acres of land at a minimum price of a dollar an acre, payable in 4-0 annual instalments with 3 per cent, interest. This announcement indicates the extension of the agricultural area, as this land, hitherto leased to cattle-men, is expected to be purchased by farmers. Although many ranches will thus be broken up, Texas will still be leasing to cattle-men no fewer than 12,000,000 acres, so there is no immediate prospect of the extinction of her most famous industry.

The largest bequest of the year for public purposes is that of Mr John Innes, of Merton, Surrey, who died on the Bth August last at the age of 75 years. Probate of his will was granted in London this week; the deceased gentleman left estate of the gross value of £338,026. of which the net personality has been sworn at £315,029. The will was the subject of the action Scott v. Innes, in which the president of the Probate Court on the 24th July last pronounced for the validity of the document ; in consequence of this decision nearly £200,000 is available for public and charitable uses. Tlie late Mr Innes bequeathed £1000 to Mr Charles Barolay Innes, of New Zealand, and £500 to Mr James Innes, also of that colony, in addition to numerous handsome legacies to relatives and servants, while he left his house, the Manor Farm. ."Vferton, with 11 acres of ground, to his trustees, upon certain trusts, one being that the house and two acres of the ground should be used for the establishment of £. school of horticulture.