NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1173, 7 April 1884, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

An anti-smoking society lias been formed in Auckland. At a meeting of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce the other day resolutions were passed urging Government to ask Parliament for authority to assist a company to introduce and carry on sericiculture and other sub-lropical industries. The Taranaki Herald states that Mr Coleman, of Messrs Bell, Coleman, and Co., is coming to New Zealand for the purpose of introducing their refrigerating machines, and will ship mutton Home for the firm.

Parliament meets for the despatch of business on Juno sth.

The rumour that Judge Johnston will retire, and bo succeeded by the Hon Mr Conolly, is entirely without foundation. An English Syndicate has purchased 40,000 acres of land at Taupo for £32,000. The negotiations were conducted by cablegrams, which alone cost £750.

The Sydney Daily Telegraph states that Mr Samuel Herbert Cox, F.C.S., F.G.S., Assistant Geologist and Inspector of Minos, New Zealand, has been appointed instructor in geology, mineralogy, and mining in connection witli the Sydney Technical College. A much interested female in the “ ladies ” gallery at the Criminal Court, Sydney, called out to one of the witnesses —“ Sbpake up ; we can’t hear up this way!’’ And she appeared very much astonished that for such a request she should be expelled from the Court. At a meeting of the Dunedin Medical Association on Friday night a resolution was adopted that the evidence in the cnso against Dr Parry, who was last week sentenced to four months imprisonment for manslaughter, did not justify a conviction and that a petition be sent to Government for a commutation of the sentence.

The Oamaru Mail says -The crops are threshing out in a most variable manner. We hear of .cases where one portion of a paddock is yielding freely about 40 to 45 bushels, while another portion which has experienced precisely similar treatment, is giving only seven or eight. These are the tilings that go to make the farmer’s life by no means an enviable one.

If Mr Milner Stephen comes North, ho is certain of a warm reception. The “ Waiiara Press ” says : “ Mr Norris, one of the proprietors of this journal, would like to have a quarter-of-an-hour’s backyard entertainment with this spiritualistic humbug'. Probably at the end of that time Mr Stephen would require all his healing power to cure himself of the many abrasures he would receive during the short inteview.”

The concert given by the Waverley Harmonic Society on Friday last was a great success. The hall was well filled, and the programme gone through satisfactorily'. In the glees it was evident considerable pains had been taken will) the practice, and the solos and duels were also well rendered. After the concert, a ball was held, which was kept up till 2 a.m., and was most enjoyable, all seeming to thoroughly 7 enjoy themselves. The music was rendered by the members of the society. The last of the series of mission services was held in the Presbyterian Church last evening. There was a very large congregation, the church being crowded in every part. The Rev. Mr Thompson chose for the subject of his sermon the text “Jesus died for us,” Romans V. 8. At the close of the discourse the rev. gentleman intimated that a Christian Prayer and Fellowship meeting would be held on Tuesday evenings in future, and also that aSunday morning Bible class would be held in the chinch at 10 a.m.

A case of extraordinary cruelty 7 to a wife was heard a couple of weeks ago at Dundee. A young man named Hutchinson, a baker, went home drunk and quarrelled with his wife, threatening her life, and ill-usirg her until he was tired. He then pushed her out of (ho window of. the building, which was 80ffc high, and kept her clm- 7 bqr o>~ - '' r g when Luc yuilcc forced an entrance to the and rescued the woman in an exhausted condition. She had only 7 recently 7 been married. The prisoner was sentenced to two months’ hard labour. An accident has occurred at Wellington in connection with the loading of the ship Lady Jocelyn with frozen meat for the Home market. A day or two back, one of the boiler plates was found to be weak, and it was necessary to remove it. The machinery was stopped, and as the compartments were air tight, it was thought the delay would cause no injury to the meat already on board. However, on Friday morning some of the carcases wore discovered to bo getting soft, and it was found necessary to tranship 2000 of them to the steamer Florida. The remainder of the cargo was afterwards transferred to the Gear Company’s freezing hulk. A gentleman, who has just shaken off the dust of his feet against Poverty Bay,

gives us (Nelson Colonist) some very

interesting particulars of that terra incognita , as far as the South Island is concerned. The population of Gisborne, the capital city is 1700. There are 17 practising lawyers, several of whom are making from £2OOO to £3OOO a year. Between them they employ a score of lawyer’s clerks. There are between 20 and 30 native interpreters in Gisborne, and a dozen commission agents, and of the unlicensed practitioners who prepare deeds and evade the “ Conveyancing Ordinances,” and who "jump licensed interpreters’ proper claims, their name is legion.

Notwithstanding the unfavourable aspect of the weather on Saturdaj' afternoon, a very fair number of players rolled up at the Domain to open the football season. Sides were picked and a very good game was played ; and in spite of the slipperyness of the ball, and the want of training on the part of the men, play was shown that speaks well for the future of our local team. It is to be regretted

that some of the town members were conspicuous by their absence, but on the whole the Club is certainly to be congratulated on making such a favourable commencement. As a match is contemplated with Hawera shortly, it would be as -well to suggest to our local players that a little independent training would improve their chances of success, seeing that the days for practice are so far apart. Archibald Forbes in the Sydney Morning Herald, relates the following concerning Mr Gruneisen, the Morning Post correspondent in Ihe Carlist War of 1837 : —“ Gruneisen took his chances like oilier people, and one of these was a very near thing. Ho was sentenced to be shot the following day, but was able to get off a messenger to (ho British Consul at Biiboa, who galloped all night up the Asturias Mountain slope, and arrived -just before dawn, barely in time to save Gruneisen, the hour for whose execution bad been fixed at sunrise. Long years after, at a part}*- in London, jie was presented to an elderly Spanish officer, who, glittering with multitudinous decorations, was among the guests. “I have had the honour, Senor, to meet you before to-day, observed Gruneisen. The Spaniard professed himself desolated that he should have no remembrance of the occasion. “ Your Excellency,” said Gruneisen, with fine politness, did me' the honour of sentencing me to be shot up in the Asturias in ’37 !” It is not recorded that his Excellency made the retort General Sherman is said to have done to the American newspaper correspondent who met him after the war, and told him that he, Sherman, had ordered him to be hanged. “ Then how the devil are you here now ?” queried Sherman with a disappointment in his tone.

The Mail steamer is at Auckland. The Hon, Major Atkinson passed through by train this morning on his way to Hawera. We are compelled to hold over reports of the Wairoa Highway Board, Patea West Road Board, together with other matter. We remind our readers that the Hon Major Atkinson will deliver a political address, at the Harmonic Hall to-morrow evening. The gaol officials throughout the Colony have subscribed £290 in aid of the family of Warder Adams, who was murdered at Nelson gaol. The Minister for Public Works is on his way from Wellington to Taranaki, whence he proceeds to Auckland by one of the proposed routes of the Main Trunk Railway. The Railway* employes intend to have their annual picnic on Friday. The scene will be Wcsthoe, whither the local railway people will be conveyed by a train leaving Patea at 6.25 a.in.

The Wavorley races to-morrow should prove very enjoyable if the weather keeps line. There are a fair number of entries, and all the races appear to be open, and the winners difficult to spot.

Now that the winter is coming on, we hope to see steps taken to rc-organise the Debating Society. Last year the members obtained a large amount of amusement and instruction from its proceedings, and we anticipate increased popularity for it this suasion.

The farmers in the Ashburton district (Canterbury) will have about 180,000 bushels less wheat this year to sell than last, 158,0t0 less of oats, and about 20,000 less of barley. But as a set-off against this, they have put more land in fettle for grazing, and have raised more sheep and fed more cattle than ever.

The Directors of the Moat Freezing Company met on Saturday and accepted the following tenders: Slaughter house and yards, P. Searling, £2lO ; main buildings, McFarlane and Swinbourne, £622, The time allowed for both contracts is six weeks. Some discussion took place about the calls in arrear, and it was resolved to take steps to collect these without delay. Shareholders had therefore better take the hint.

The following additional cases to those that appeared in our last issue were disposed of at the R.M. Court on Friday before C. A. Wray Esq., R.M., and G. S. Bridge Esq., J.P. : —Patea Borough Council v Patterson, claim £lO 9s 2d, judgment for defendant with costs, 21s ; Corkill, assignee in Odgers’ estate, v Whitcombe, claim £2 10s, judgment for plaintiff with costs ; same v McKittrick, claim £26 14s 7d, judgment for plaintiff with costs ; same v Kiink, claim £3, judgment for plaintiff with costs; Bramwell v Kerrisk and Murphy, claim £35, adjourned to April 18 ; Baldwin v Erskino, claim £l, judgment for plaintiff with costs. This was all the business, Mr G. D. Hamerton’a house had an exceedingly narrow escape from being burned down last evening. Three gentlemen, Messrs Cole, Dwyer, and Kogan, were passing along Egmont-street north, when they noticed one of the window blinds in the house to be in flames. They 7 at once rushed in, and there being fortunately a good supply of water close at hand, they, after a little work, managed to extinguish the fire. It appears that tl,» become ignited by some means or other, and the names were just communicating with the ceiling when the fire was noticed by 7 the three gentlemen. It is lucky they happened to be passing at the time, for Mr and Mrs Hamerton were at church, and there were several young children in the house. Insured in the Union Company, but the damage will be covered by 7 a few pounds.