NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3357, 7 January 1884, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The Timaru School Committee will meet this evening. Dr Hector is to report officially to Government on the Cbristohurch Exhibition,

Mr H. W. Perryman has been reelected Chairman of the Christchurch Corn Exchange.

Four Europeans have been arrested near Qreymonth for a brutal assault on a Chinaman.

The Hon. the Premier is expected to return to Wellington from Taranaki on Wednesday. The Eev. Lloyd Keating has been appointed Incumbent of St, Thomas’ parish, Auckland.

Mr Friedlander informed us on Saturday evening that he had already disposed of over 80 circle tickets for the second performance of “ Patience.” Stall tickets for the first performance are now being rapidly taken up.

There are sixteen prisoners for trial at the criminal session at Auckland, which opens to-day. The offences are fraudulent bankruptcy, burglary, forgery, sheepstealing, &o. A verdict of accidental death was returned at the inquest on the' body of Henry Lee, who was drowned in the Wellington harbor by the upsetting of a boat on Christmas night.

The Canterbury cricketers arrived in Wellington on Saturday morning, and were met by a Committee from the Wellington Cricket Association.

The Telegraph Department announces that cable communication is now estabtablished between Cadiz (Spain) and the Canary Islands. Telegraph stations are opened at Santa Cruz, Teneriffe, Las Palmas and De Palmas.

The Eight Hours Demonstration Committee at Auckland have resolved to invite Sir George Grey to address them on a subject pertaining to labor, on the 31st January, in the Theatre Boyal. The demonstration is to be celebrated on that day by sports in the domain, It was first proposed that Mr Datgaville should address them that night. The Australian Blondin was unable to perform on Saturday evening, owing to the bad weather, but he will do so this evening on the market reserve, and it is to be hoped at length he will have some success, for his stay here has been most unprofitable hitherto.

As Dr Coughtrey was going down Portobello road in a buggy on Saturday night, he came upon a dray with horses standing still in the middle of the road. On examination he found the body of a man lying under the dray with one wheel upon the throat. The body was found to be that of a man named A. Mclntosh, who was in the employ of Hugh McLean.

The body of James Gifford was found on the road at Maori Creek near Qreymouth on Saturday morning, stabbed to death. There were two deep stabs on the chest and one bad one on the neck, besides two smaller ones. He was stabbed also in a number of places. Cries of a human being were heard in the direction of the murder on Friday night at about 11.30. Gifford was a witness against Morton in a notorious case of stealing sold at Maori Creek. A man’s hat and knife were found close to the body, as if the murderer ran away in a hurry. No suspicion rest on anyone in particular at present.

[ The Government sent Home by Saturday night’s mail, nominations as follows : —Auckland, 97 statute adults; Otago, 37£; Wellington, 24£; Southland, 24 ; Hawkes Bay, 22 ; Nelson, 21; Taranaki, 27; Canterbury, 19 ; Marlborough, 4 ; Westland, 2 t The immigration nominations include 89 single women and G 5 single men, the remainder being families. The nationalities of the whole are—English 161, Irish 63, Scotch 53, and foreign 24. The fees received amounted to £874 2s 6d. The six days’ walking match at Auckland for £IOO a side, Edwards v. A. and. J. Hendry and Huckstep, terminated at 11 o’clock last night, Edwards winning by 9 miles 8 laps. Huckstep, the third competitor, in bis second term, finally retired at 9.15 with sore feet. His record was 61 miles 12 laps. Edwards’ score at the close of the match was 471 miles 19 laps. The combined score of the others was 462 miles 11 laps. The Theatre Boyal was crowded to excess. Three cheers were given for Edwards, who is to be accorded a complimentary benefit on Monday night. He did not appear much diseressed at the finish. The new wood pavement in Paris in the Champs Elysees which extended only half the length of the avenue, has stood the test of an entire winter, and is to be laid to the Arc de Triomphe. This pavement has been put down by an English company. The ground is first excavated about a foot in depth. A layer of stones about the size of walnuts, and mixed with cement, about an inch in thickness, is carefully spread. The blocks, which are previously prepared by being saturated with some resinous compound into which tar enters largely, are set upon this cement; they are six inches thick by a foot in length and three and a half inches in breadth, A space is left between each block, and after they are laid a thick preparation of tar is poured over them followed by an application of fine gravel. Finally the interstices are filled with cement,

In consequence of a disagreement between the manager and the miners of the Kawakawa coal mine, with regard to rates for coal-getting, the whole of the coal heavers struck work and brought their tools out of the mine this morning, without giving the usual fortnight’s notice. The cause of the strike is briefly stated that the Coal Company considered on account of certain drawbacks they have had to contend with, that their miners, who have been for years earning from 9s to 12s per day, some of them only working six and a half and seven hours in twenty-four, should help them out of temporary difficulty by bearing some of the (losses to a very Blight degree by hewing at Id to 2d less per skip, according to the nature of the coal, which is harder in some boards than others The getting of coal and delivering the same on board steamer, has for more than 12 months been costing the Company 13s 5Jd per ton, while they have been compelled to sell it at 15s, thus entailing a loss on every ton produced, notwithstanding the heavy outlay in prospecting new ground, working bad “faults,” and absent dividends.

The Caledonian games at Dunedin on Saturday were again spoilt by rain, which prevailed in greater or less degree all the afternoon. His Excellency was on the ground during the day, and Donald Dinnie was presented to him. The principal races were the Champion 220 Yards and the 10 Mile. In the former all the competitors who included Woods and Hulston, started from scratch, and Woods won easily. In the 10 Mile Race nine started, but only four finished, namely, Burk (220yds), 1 ; Keys, (680yds), 2; O’Connor (scratch), 3; Poster (900yds), 4. Burk won in 56min 17seo by about 400yds from O’Connor, and 100yds from Keys. The most .interesting competition in which Dinnie took part was throwing a 561 b weight over a horizontal bar. Dinnie, with one hand, threw it higher than Tyson the wrestlerjcould do with two. Matheson, who never attempted the feat before, did very well, knocking the bar down at lift 6in, which Dinnie, using both hands, cleared by about three inches. Dinnie threw the same weight 24ft Bin in distance against Matheson’s 20ft llin, the former, who allowed the others a three feet handicap, thus winning.