NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7267, 21 July 1893, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Judge Ward is gazetted as District Judge for the districts of Ashburton, Timaru, Oamaru, and Otago goldfields, and his appointment as Supreme Court Judge is revoked.

Curiously enough, says an exchange, the two newly elected members of the House of Representatives, Sir Robert Stout and Mr Willis, are vice-presidents of the New Zealand Free-thought Association. Mr Fi-h has given notice of a Bill amending the licensing lawa. in the direction of abolishing the present system of elective committees and reverting to a nominated Bench of Magistrates.

A goodly number of people turned out yesterday afternoon to attend the funeral of the late Mr B. Eoberts, including a number of the members of the Druids Lodge (in mourning regalia) of which deceased was a member. The service »-t the grave was conducted by the Bev. 0. E. Beecroft, and the Druids' funeral oration was given by the J.P.A., Bro. B. W. Simpson.

The ordinary weekly meeting of the Wesleyan Mutual Improvement Society was hold last evening. There was an excellent attendance of members and friends, and the president, the Bev. 0. B. Beecroft, occupied the ohair. The secretary was instructed to accept the invitation of the Presbyterian Literary Association to spend a social evening together. Other business having been disposed of, papers on “ The methods and aims of Mutual Improvement Societies ” were given by the Misses B. Smith and A. B. Clarke, and Messrt A. Wilson and W. Q-. Irwin. They were all considered of excellent merit, each essayist describing what the methods and aims should be according to his or her individual opinion. The composition and reading of each were very good. Hearty votes of thanks were accorded to the essayists, and a request was made, that owing to the superior merit of the contributions, they be allowed to become the property of the society by being copied into the journall The request was agreed to. Criticism of a favourable character was offered by members, and also by the Eev. L. Hudson, a viator from Dunedin, who spoke of the good done by societies such as this, and also the Christian Bndeavour Society. The meeting closed with hymn end prayer.

The road race to Winchester and back took place yesterday, starting from Shephzrd’s corner at 2 o’clock. Hall was very unfortunate, having a spill on the bridge at Woolloombe’a Gully going out, He, however, remounted and rode from limaru to Winchester and back to Tomuka in an hour—a distance of 20 miles. After this he collapsed, and although on the Opihi bridge at the same time as Whelan, be gradually lost ground, coming home fairly beaten, the spill having injured both himself and the machine. Whelan rode remarkably well, and did the fastest time, covering the distance, 32 miles, in Ihr 48min 40aeo, which lowers the previous record by 23 minutes. Had Hall not had the spill, the race home between him and Whelan promised to be very exciting. The winner turned up in Parr (20min start), who for a maiden rider must be complimented on bis excellent performance ; his actual tiding time being 2hr lOmin 46sec. A good number of people turned out to witness the start and finish, and when it was known that Hall had made such splendid time after having (be spill and injuring his leg as to do his first 20 miles in the hour, everybody thought he would catch Parr, and (he result was a surprise. The places of those who ' finished were—Parr i, Whelan 2, Ort 3, Hall j 4, and Burford 5.