FIRE BRIGADES JUBILEE DEMONSTRATION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5709, 4 March 1890, Page 3

FIRE BRIGADES JUBILEE DEMONSTRATION.

Wellington, to-day (1 p.m.) A start was made .with the Fire Brigades Competition at the Basin lieserve this morning. The attendance is not yet very large, but as a half-holiday will be observed in town, there should be a large crowd this afternoon. The weather is favorable. The first event on the programme, hose and hydrant practice for five men, had to be passed over for the time being owing to an accident to the water plug. Manual Engine (dry), one man. Man to start 20yds from front of engine in full working uniform, run to engine, lock fore carriage, turn over, secure and unlock levers, connect one length of suction hose to engine, run out 50ft canvas hose and fix branch, run back to engine and give one stroke of levers. Time, from start to stroke of levers. One entry from each brigade. First prize, President's Cup, valued at LlO i 10s, presented by President Smith, Christchurch, and L 3; second prize, frame of photos of officers of the Association and LI 10s cash. This event brought out twenty-three competitors, the following having finished : Wellington ... 57 4-5 sees Masterton (2secs penalty) ... 70 „ Ashburton (2secs penalty)... .59 2-5 „ Gore and Gordon ... ... 47 4-5 „ Marton ... 63 2-5 „ Tiraaru (2secs penalty) ... 62. „ Later, 2.30 p m. At the Fire Brigade competition the manual engine dry (one man) was completed, the quickest times being :— Gisborne(includ. lsec pen). . . 47 2-5 sees. Gore and Gordon 47 4-5 „ Palmerston North „. ... 50 „ Greymouth ... 55 „ Rangioru 56 1-5 „ Hokitika 57 3-5 „ A Timaru man got first honors at the Exhibition for cod liver oil, his own make. It is said to be a really good article. A correspondent to a Duuedin, paper draws the attention of the sweating commission to the hours of the servant girl, and says her physical and intellectual health is impaired and ruined by extreme self love of employer. On Wednesday next Messrs Williamson, Garner, and Mußgrave's Opera Company from Melbourne, numbering 70 performers, commences a season at Dunedin, during which "Mikado," '"Patience," " Dorothy," " Princess Ida," and " Yeoman of the Guard" will be produced. The Little Lord Fauntleroy Company also open at Auckland under the auspices of the triumvirate at Eaater, Sixteen thousand acres of bush land in the Woodville district will be put in the market within the next two months, and will be offered as unsurveyed land. The bulk of it ia good'sheep country, and will be offered in areas ranging from 150 to 700 acre lots. Nineteen thousand acres were taken up in the Hawke's Bay Land District during the past month ; this district now includes the southern portion of Auckland. Hawke's Bay proper has very little land to offer, there are two or three, blocks of fairly good land in the neighborhood of Danevirke, but the " law's delay," as exemplified by the Native Land Court, is indeed a source of irritation to the hundreds of people waiting to select. — Correspondent of Post. Stronger* visiting Gisborne and desiring •to know ihc best establishment in which to purchase Watches, Clocka or .Tewciiery will please note that S.McLernon offers special ad' vantages. He. imports direct and buys for cash from the leading manufacturers, consequently he claims. to be in the best possible position to serve the public well. One. month's trial given with each Watch repaired by him. If not satisfactory, money^ returned,—Adyt,

Mastorton (WSmmipa) has formed an Early Closing Association. A summons has been issued against the cook on board the steamer Kahu for emptying ashes into Wellington harbor. The autumn meeting of the Dunedin Jockey Club resulted in a profit of considerably over LISOO. A Maori was arrested at Napier for travelling in a Union Company's boat without a ticket. Ho was released, Mr W. S. Greene, interpreter, guaranteeing the money. There had been some mistake. An Auckland woman celebrated her birthday the other night by throwing sovereigns away in Karangahape road. A man in blue, who watched her for a few seconds, came to the conclusion she was drunk. He was right. On searching her he found L 64 in her pockets all in gold. At . a banquet tendered to Mr J. C Williamson, the theatrical manager, at Melbourne, previous to leaving on a six months' trip to America and Europe, that gentleman said the extent of the firm's operations and responsibilities might be judged by the fact that during the past seven and a half years upwards of L 900,000 passed through their hands in the form of receipts. In the first place, that sum looked like more than a competence for any three, but the percentage of profits on those receipts was nothing compared with the percentage of profits of many other speculative businesses. Managers here did not get a fair return compared with the returns of managers in other countries. The Premier replied to a deputation from Westport regarding the rate of wages on harbor works that Government is of opinion they should do as little as possible to interfere with the current rate of wages cither by paying more or loss than the market rate ; that for all temporary or casual labor required the ordinary market rates paid in the district by private era- \ ployees should be paid by Government. With reference to the work at Westport harbor, it is the intention of the Govern- ' ment to let by contract all required work as far as possible, and pay for such temporary or casual labor as cannot be done bycontrncttheordinaryrateof wages which prevail in the district, but Government cannot accept the dictum of any society as to what that rate is without first having satisfied themselves by full inquiry as to the current rates. That devout Presbyterian, Duncan Martin, of Sydenham, who haa been committed to trial at Christchurch for embezzling Lls church bazaar funds, was a nice man. He was also committed to trial for stealing LSO worth of ironmongery from his employers, Messrs Mason, Struther, and Co. The evidence showed that Martin had been employed for 3&- years as foreman at Ll7 10s per month. His pilfering extended over nearly two years. Whenever he wanted ironmongery he had helped himself from the stock. Ho was building a house at Sydenharn, and abstracted a boiler and other necessary fittings from the firm's goods. Mr Stvuther's suspicions became aroused, and on the 18th instant he taxed Martin with taking goods without paying for them. Ho afterwards extracted a full confession from Martin, and handed him over to the police.