NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7270, 26 July 1893, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The sitting of the District Court yesterday was a short one, and Bis Honour Judge Ward left for Oamaru by the express train in the afternoon.

The Taranaki News states that the parents of “ the Taranaki Highwayman” are respectable residents at Weatown, the father being a contractor. The prisoner is 21 years of age and lived with bis parents. Mr Thomson, the contractor for building the secretary’s and competitors’ rooms at the Caledonian Grounds, baa got (he work well out of hand. The room for the competitors is of good dimensions, and the secretary’s room should prove most convenient on sports’ days. At the Ashburton Poultry Show, Mr Tracey, of Timaru, in addition to the prizes named yesterday, also took first and special for silver Wyandotte cockerel, and second for silver hen or pullet. Mr Tracey took six prizes with six entries.

The members of Pollard’s Juvenile Opera Company who were accidentally left behind on Monday, through making an excursion to see the stranded steamer Elginshire, left by the express train for Dunedin yesterday afternoon. After visiting southern cities and towns the company will most likely return north.

In the past winter (says the St, James Gazette) many Londoners ate, without knowing it, fresh fish brought from New Zealand and sold in the markets. It was blue cod—at least, so it is termed in its native parts—but the appearance of the fish closely resembles gray mullet.

The Press says: -Mr Andrew Soil lard, who is reported as missing from Waikari, and supposed to have gone prospecting on the hills, is well known in E aiapoi and Ashburton districts. He was one of tho first ferrymen on tho Waimakariri river. In recent years be has given much attention to prospecting the ranges for precious stones and gold. Mr Spillard’s wife and family reside at Eaiapoi.

The Dunstan Times states that Mr Vincent Fyke has received tho following telegram from the Premier ;—“ Self and colleagues unanimously approve of your candidature for Tuapeka seat in the Liberal interest. Your life’s devotion to the public fully entitles you to succeed, and it would be a graceful recognition of your faithful and untiring efforts in promoting the well-being of all in that pars of tho colony should they see fit to return you unopposed.” The Evening Post publishes the following rumour for what it is worth : —“ The story runs that an intrigue is being carried on to oust Mr Stddon from the Premiership and leadership of the Liberal party in favour of Sir Robert Stout, Mr Seddou being compensated by appointment as Chief Commissioner of Bail ways for five years at a salary of £IOOO a year. Such an arrangement would be utterly discreditable to all parties concerned.”

The Dunstan Times is of opinion the present system of balloting for land urgently requires amendment, and believes that not more than 20 per cent of the names of applicants are those of bona fide settlers. It farther states that at the late Central Otago land sales a speculator put in applications for himself and five or six rabbiters. One of the latter was successful and he at onoe sold bis interest for £IOO and divided the pool between himself and the speculator.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Timaru Lodge United Ancient Order of Druids, was held in tbs Foresters’ Hall last evening, Arch Druid, £ro 0. E. Knight, presiding. Correspondence of a lengthy nature was and disposed of. The installation of officer, was performed by D.P. Bro A. G Anderson, assisted by Bro 0. J. Butt. A clearance was granted to a brother. Three candidates were elected and initiated into the rites of the order. One person was proposed for membership. The lodge balance sheet for the half-year ending June, which was held over from last lodge night, was submitted and adopted. A subscription list was opened on behalf of the widow and children of the late Bro Roberts, and was headed by a donation of £5 from the lodge. The lodge was olosei as 10.16 p.m. by the presiding officer, the receipts for the evening amounting to £22 16s 6d.

Tho Sydney Morning Herald of the 12th instant says :—'' From private letters which have reached here from New Zealand, it appears that a movement is afoot to organise a sealing expedition to the Antarctic, on the lines of the recent trip made by the steamers 'rom Dundee, Scotland The proposal is to fit out two steamers of about the size of the Balaena, one of the Dundee ships, and run across to Graham’s Land, which lies about 700 miles to southward of Cape Horn. The voyage could be handily performed from New Zealand. The Balaena is a woodenbuilt screw vessel, barque rigged, and of 416 tons gross or 240 tone net measurement ; and it is contended that as Dundee people purpose forming a company to carry on Antarctic sealing, steamers of the Balaena description can be readily provided in New Zealand, fitted out, and worked to greater advantage than is passable from Grcit Britain.”

The commhteo of the Mechanics'lnstitute have tried various methods of augmenting the income of the institution, for the purpose of wiping off a deficit, b\it of those tried this year none should he more effective than the concert to morrow evening, the excellent programme for which is advertised this morning The bu k, if not indeed the whole, of the work of arranging the concert, we understand, has been done by the energetic secretary, Mr Bold, and he is to be congratulated on the success of hia appeal to the musicians for their assistance, which we are informed was most willingly given. The programme is varied, end contain?, it will ho observed, pnipesoua concerted pieces, and others with accompaniment. The concert should attract thp. general public by f's promise of merjt, but it should particularly appeal fqr patronage to members of the institute, for whose financial benefit it is to be given. The Institute Hall is quite too'

□arrow a space to contain an audience such as the double form of appeal should bring together, and the cotmniteee have therefore taken the Theatre Royal. At the same time the prices of admission are so low that they can offer no obstacle to attending The Theatre ought to be crammed at the prices. PUBLIC OPINION. The opinion of the leading skin authorities of the world, viz., the late Professor Sir Erasmus Wilson, F.B .S., Dr Redwood, Ph: D-, F. 0.5., F. 1.0., Mr John L. Milton, Senior Surgeon St. John’s Hospital for the Skin, London, etc., unanimously agree that Fbabb’ Soap is the best soap for the skin and complexion.—[Advt]