NEWS OF THE DAY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5575, 21 September 1889, Page 3

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Football's done in Gisborno. Australian Jockey Club'smeeting to-day. In Auckland a company ir- to be formed for the export of fruit. There has not been even a "drunk " at the Police Court this week. Departures from the colony during August exceeded the arrivals by 30!). The invitations issued for the opening ceremony at the Dunedin Exhibition total 1,250. A steam lighter named the Fanny has been purchased for conveying frozen meat to the Napier roadstead. Messrs Nelson Bros, will be able to freeze (500,000 sheep annually when their Waipukurau works are finished. The Rotomahana made a fast trip of 4 days from Sydney to Auckland, and 22.T hours from Auckland to Gisborne. A fish market at Auckland is being carried on on a 1.-.rge scale, fish being auctioned three times a day. New South Wales imported 13,318 sacks of oysters in twelve months, chiefly from New Zealand. In a letter to the Post, Mr Travers, the well-known barrister, says that protection is lying on its deathbed in the United States." A servant girl named Alice Franklyn at Richmond, Melbourne, committed suicide by cutting her throat from oar to

English papers to hand by the 'Frisco mail contain large accounts of the visit of Emperor William to England. Last mail it was all Shah of Persia.

The Auckland papers made a great fuss over the abduction of the Maori girl, and sent 'specials' with the police party which went to recover her.

The interior lighting of the Dunedin Exhibition will be by means of 20,000 gas jets independent of tlie electric light in the art gallery and concert hall. In Dunedin Otago grass-seed is quoted at from 4s 3d to 4s 9d dressed, and from .'is to 4s undressed. Poverty Bay seed (scarce) is quoted at from 5s to 6s (id. Freights from England to Australia have been reduced to 25s per ton, and the P. and O. Company book through to New Zcahnd at 455, against 00s by the direct steamers.

If the PreM Association does not this season come to some terms as to payment for publishing weights and acceptances, there's likely to be considerable curtailment in that line. — Napier Telegraph. Yesterday's mail brought a large number of circulars dealing, with the Sydney Jockey Turf Club's consultations. The secretary has changed his name, but these consultations always were a swindle. Of course it is. The Marlborougli "Express " remarks that tho aquatic race Charles Stephenson v. Hearn ought to be rowed at Marlborough town,on the Wairau which is the most magnificent reach of in the colony. The following was hoard at the County Council table yesterday :—" There are only very few ratepayers in Waiapu riding, are there not." "Very few but they make a big noise." "They are too far away for us to hear much." At a Napier football match the other day a man who was under the influence of drink was seen to be groping about on the around endeavoring to get some invisible article over his head. He mistook the chalk line for a rope and was trying to get underneath it. Says the Southland Times : - A settler at Tuturau named Joseph Burgess, whilst clearing bush struck the limb of a tree to which a lawyer was attached. The creeper sprang up in his face, and, as lie made a sudden movement to avoid it, one of tho formidable thorns tore one of his eyes clean out of the socket.

■ <• TJie indebtedness of the Duned** City Council has for some years past been increasing at the rate of over L2OOO annually, and, notwithstanding the fact that large sums are being constantly transferred from the gaa to the general account, the overdraft at the present time fluctuates between Lb'4,ooo and L 42.000.

An action in which MrT. G. McCarthy, brewer, claimed L6OOO damages from the Wellington City Corporation for polluting a stream which ran through his property has been decided. T,he jury awarded the plaintiff L 250 for the deprivation of his water rights, and 40s as damages for the creation of a nuisance. The question of costs was reserved.

During the past session 09 Bills received the Royal assent, and 75 were " dropped or otherwise disposed of." Of these 103 originated in the House and 34 in the Council, and 5 were private Bills. 521 petitions were presented, 468 questions asked, 472 reports received from Select Committees, and 228 papers laid on the table. The House sat 477 hours in 53 days— an average of 9 hours a day. At Invercargill a funny case has arisen. An eccentric individual named James Watson was arrested for stealing women's stockings from a clothes line. He was found carrying a quantity of female underclothing in a damp state, but the latter not being claimed Watson was sent to gaol for two months for the theft of the stockings. On being stripped at the gaol it was found that Watson had under his own garments two embroidered chemises, two bodices, two pairs women's drawers (calico and flannel), and two women's singlets. A constable was despatched to search a hut which the man had occupied at One Tree Point, for two months. They found a further quantity of women's underclothing there. It appears as if it were a case of monomania. Mr and Mrs Bowden and a family of nine children are on their way to Christchurch. The family were formerly resident in Canterbury, and left there some years ago for America with a view of bettering their position. Arrived there, however, they were di.ssati.s6ed with American prospects, and came quickly on to England. Mr Bowden has come to the opinion, after travelling all round the world, that there is no place like New Zealand. They return via Australia, the Orient Company having agreed to take them to Melbourne, and pay their passages across in the Union Company's boats, for less money than was demanded by the Shaw-Savill Company.

Noting the rise in frozen meat a London correspondent writes : — The greatest benefit will, of course, go to the New Zealand fanners, for during the past year the shipments from Australia have fallen off from .">7.r)88 last year to 14,010 this. The shipments from Melbourne have, in fact, ceased entirely, and only about one consignment per month arrives from Sydney. The reason for the falling off is stated to be that the number "boiled down " is greater than heretofore. In New Zealand mutton and lamb the increase of carcases distributed is something wonderful, and makes one believe that the silly prejudice against it is gradually wearing off. The increase for the tir.st half year was (so a great trader says) 32,248 ; 550,482 being the exact number of carcases imported.

Mr M. F. Kennedy, lion, secretary to the Wellington Municipal Fire Brigades, has issued a programme for the demonstration there on the .'Jrd and 4th of March next. The events aro hose and hydrant for five men, manual engine (dry) one man, manual engine for live men, ladder race, life saving apparatus, hose and hydrant for two men, handicap officers' race (150 yards), manual engine for five men, ladder rescue for two men, hose reel practice for five men, hose and hydrant race for one man, ambulance for five men. tug of war (North v. South), and consolation event of manual engine for five men. The demonstration will take place on the Basin Reserve. All the events are to be run under the new rules of the United Fire

Brigade Association, ami ;i special prize is to be given for the best life-saving apparatus exhibited during the demonstration,

Chili would be a good place for land agitators, being .subject to earthquakes. Japan is half as large agair.as New Zealand and has a population of 38,0IK),000. Lord Hopotoun engaged 2<> cabins on the R.M.S. Britannia to transport himself

and household goods to Melbourne. " But why do you want k> marry her ?" " Baeause I love her!" "My dear fellow, that's an excuse— not a reason '." The latest estimate of the wealth of the present population of the United is twelve thousand million pounds. Ladies. White Chini silk is one of the favorite fabrics for summer dresses. Tucks on the skirt, tucks on the sleeves, tucks on the waist, tucks everywhere. The widow is less selfish than the maiden, for while the latter is always looking out for No. 1 the former is satisfied in watching for No. 2. A popular youthful toilet at the fashionable resorts is a tinted-silk blouse waist with skirts of lace, either white or matched to the blouse in color. It was suggested in Congress, on August 22nd, that to avoid impending race troubles in the Southern States. Cuba be purchased for 50,000,000d01., and the colored people move there. The value of all exports from New Zealand and the colonies to 'Frisco is 818,400 dollars. During the same period San Francisco exported 337,587 centals of wheat to the colonies, and 31,334 barrels of flour.

Captain Ashby's book on New Zealand lias had a wide circulation. The following par comes from a chance Swiss-German paper: — "To emigrants ! No land offers

to emigrants such fine chances as New Zealand. The writer has received from Captain Ashby a pamphlet prepared by him touching this lovely country. I shall m-ike a translation of it for your columns. " The book is also to be published in the London Post.

Sweden would seem to be a country after the heart of the most pronounced advocate of woman's rights. Women are there employed in all the vocations which ordinarily are conceded to be the peculiar property of mankind. Every Swedish girl not born to wealth is taught a trade of some kind, and it is now triumphantly announced that Swedish ■women will shortly receive equal political right with their husbands and other male relatives.

The rare and interesting sight of a Chinaman in tears was observed at a Sydney Court recently, when Chi Oug was sentenced to six months' imprisonment for keeping a disorderly house. Before the sentence was passed Chi pleaded that lie had been thirty-five years in the colony and had been "welly honest allee tiniee." "Tell him," said Judge Docker to the interpreter, " chat I am sorry to hear that after being 35 years in the colony he should be keeping ft disorderly house. Tell him also that he is sentenced to six months." Then Chi sat down in the corner of the dock and dropped sundry tears on a dirty piece of rag. A man named Frank Leslie worked oft' some ingenious swindles in Melbourne. He wrote from the country on embossed paper and envelopes as G. R. Darcy, station proprietor, engaging rooms for himself and wife at several hotels, and asking the proprietors of each to take jharge of any letters or parcels there. He then ordered goods from tradesmen in a similar manner, to be sent to an hotel. A messengers presented himself subsequently at the hotel with a note from Darcy stating that his wife's illness would prevent him coming for a few days, and asking the proprietor to give the parcel to the bearer. The tradesman calling for payment for the goods led to the discover v of the fraud.

The Brown-Sequard " Elixir of Life," recently made known to the world, is creating a profound sensation amonc; the medical men of the United States and the public generally. Some of the faculty favour, and others oppose it. Ex-surgeon General Hammond, of New York, published the result of the treatment of three subjects, 62, 63, and one 33 years of age, in which the "Exilir," made from a macerated gland in the cellular tissues. The first was cured of muscular rheumatism, the second of heart trouble, the third of impotency and insomnia. In all these cases, the more marked features of old age disappeared from the personal appearance. A great many other experiments have been made by doctors all over the country, in some instances with disastrous results to the patient.

Betting, professionalism, rowdyism at football matches in Victoria and South Australia are becoming very serious matters and are attracting considerable attention. The leading clubs in Melbourne have a trainer to attend to the teams, and the men are treated more after the style of racehorses or professional pedestrians than players engaged in a friendly game, each player being rubbed down and his body oiled by the trainer before the game commences. The latest ease of rowdyism occurred at Adelaide in the match between Norwood and Port Adelaide, which resulted in a draw-, three goals each. It was a terribly rough game, three players being injured and one knocked insensible. Fifteen thousand people were present, and the ground was rushed by roughs, and at the conclusion of the game there were several free tights. Some of the females present fainted, and the Secretary of the Port Adelaide Club dropped insensible through excitement.

The people of Oklahomo territory, U.S. recently settled by a rush on the opening of the land, are naturally proud of their progress. The address which was adopted by the delegate convention which met the first time id August, after congratulating the people of the United States, said —

'• In less than three months thousands of American homes have been established, populous cities have been built, municinal governments acquired, and peace and order secured throughout all the lands opened to settlement. At no time in human history lias the world witnessed such marvellous and rapid development of civilisation, and nowhere in the United States in the absence of State or territorial authority has there been greater security for life, liberty and property. Conscious of the high obligations resting upon us as the representatives in this convention of more than 50,000 people, thus exemplifying the best elements of American citizenship, and thus engaged in the material development of the most fertile and beautiful portion of the public domain, we declare it to be impolitic and unwise to enter at this time upon the formation of a provisional territorial government."

There are at present 3064 languages spoken by the inhabitants of our globe, whose religious convictions are divided between 1000 different confessions of faith. The number of males is nearly equal to that of the females. The average duration of life is thirty-three years. One fourth of the population of the earth dies before attaining the seventeenth year. Of 1000 persons only 1 reaches the age of one hundred years and not more than 6 that of sixty-five years; the entire population of the globe is 1,200,000,000, of whom 35,214,000 die every year 96,480 every day, 4020 every hour, 67 every minute and 1 and a fraction every second. On the other hand, the births amount to I every year, 100,800 every day, 4200 every hour, 70 eveiy minute, 1 and a fraction every second. Married people live longer than the unmarried, the temperate and industrious longer than the gluttons and idle, and civilised nations longer than the uncivilised. Tall persons enjoy a greater longevity than small ones. Women have a more favorable change of life before reaching their fiftieth year than men, but a less favorable one after that period. The proportion of married persons to single on;s is as 75 to 1,000. Persons born in spring have a more robust constitution than those burn at other svaSOlllS.

The man who always pays down is never called upon to pay up. Government House at Melbourne is to be renovated at a cost of L4OOO.

A sheep-worrying dog at Waiau, Otago, killed 70 sheep on one station and 20 on nother.

" Three cheers for the Queen " at the big Sydney strike demonstration only provoked hisses. Gladstone, Lord Tennyson, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Lord Houghton, and Darwin wore all born eighty years ago. There are 30,000 children in England who received no education, owing to the wandering habits of their parents. Madame Patti lias lately been appearing iix "Romeo and Juliet." It is said that the receipts from the opera exceeded £4000. A wild bullock escaped one morning last week from a mob of Queenstown cattle being driven through Carl ton, near Melbourne, and did considerable damage besides clearing the streets. Several shots were fired at the animal. One man sitting on a baker's cart was shot in the arm, and another man wu.s grazed in the neck by a bullet. The animal was eventually shot.

Lupton's hotel at Numurkah (Victoria) was found to be on fire the other morning when an exciting incident occurred in a room where the piano was located. Two men, M'Donagli and Eccleston, were pushing out the instrument, when it be-c-ime jammed in the doorway, thus rendering it impossible for them to escape. The obstacle was only removed to allow the men to escape, jusfc as the roof fell in, and the names completely enveloped the piano. The Board of [Trade and Chamber of Commerce of New York have endorsed the proposal of a World's Fair in that city in 1892, and appointed the necessary committees. Charles Hinkel, a Washington architect, has prepared a plan for an Exposition tower 1500 feet high, or 500 feet higher than the Eiffel Tower. The dome on the cupola at the lowest part will be 2o'o feet high and 280 feet in diameter. Around the foot of the tower iron buildings are to be erected for exhibition and other purposes.

The London Lancet says: — " Children who are allowed to go barefooted enjoy almost perfect immunity from the danger of ' cold ' by accidental chilling of the feet, and they are altogether healthier and happier than those who, in obedience to the usages of social life, have their lower extremities permanently invalided and, so to say, carefully swathed and put away in rigid cases. As regards the poorer classes of children, there can be no sort of doubt in the mind of anyone that it is incomparably better that they should go barefooted than wear boots that let in the wet, and stockings that are nearly always damp and foul." Despatches from Lucerne on Aug. 21st say that a syndicate of German bankers, which has been quietly buying up certain railroad interests, proposes to pierce the Simplon. They have accepted a scheme for a tunnel at the base of the mountain on its southern side, facing Italy, and that country will contribute about 15,000,000 francs. There is little doubt the Swiss Government will now accept tin's pi-oposal. The plan is of great importance to Germany and Italy, both commercially and strategically. Franco, Switzerland, and the Simplon Valley will be thrown open to the Government, to the detriment of French commerce, and in case of war Italy and Germany would be enabled to bring troops directly to the Franco-Swiss frontier, which is almost entirely unfortified.

Mr Buchanan, speaking in the House to the question of wages, said the prospects of labor in this colony were improving every day. He saw no reason whatever to compassionate the working classes of the colony. The deserved rather to be congratulated upon their position. Every employer of labor knew the difficulty of obtaining steady and efficient workmen, and when they got the services of such workmen, employers were only too glad to retain them. Of course there was a large number of person who, from various causes, could not give the kind of services required of them. The position of these people deserved sympathy, but the colony ought not to sutler in good repute from the complaints of such men.

The London Standard draws the commercial world's attention to the fact that Messrs Nelson Brothers, of London, must have a great deal of coniidence in the future of the frozen mutton tr.ide, as they offer to take from New Zealand .shippers, for three years, any number of carcases of first class meat at 2|d per lb, free on board, and to pay 40 per cent, in excess when the meat sells at more than 4^d per lb, and 80 per cent, more when the price exceeds sd. For secondclass mutton they offer id per lb less, and for third-class meat Id less. Considering (says the once hostile critic) that in recent years, before the rise in the price of mutton, colonial shippers got but little over a penny a pound net on an average, the terms seem advantageous, especially as Messrs Nelson have to take the risk of competition with other importers. The idea of a syndicate to " corner" New Zealand mutton seems to have been given up as impracticable. There has been a considerable rise in the price of New Zealand mutton since the beginning of the year. In January the quotations of the N. Z. L. and M. A. Co. ranged from 3Ad to 4d per lb, whereas during the present month they have been from od to (iid, and (i^d was touched in June.