INTERPROVINCIAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XL, Issue 2946, 3 March 1884, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL.

[Pebss Association Telborams.] Auckland, March 1. A flro broko out tonight m the Mount Eden Road, and destroyed the residences ol ! Mr Geo. Creamer, carpenter, and Mr Patrick, painter. It originated m Creamer's hoiiße. No one was m at tho time. It wns insured m the South British for £125. Patrick's wa< insured by the ownor, Mr Buchanan, m th« New Zealand office for £50. Tho house or' Mr Nelson, a carpenter, adjacent, wan damaged. It -was insured for £100 m the Livorpool and London and Globe, and tho furnituro for £50. Tho Auckland Fir« Brigado went out to tho city boundary, bul; finding that the firo was on the Mount Etlen highway, outsido of tho boundary road, ul; once turned buck to town. The trip of tho steamer Annio Millbank to Tiritiri, with tlie object of recovering port of tho cargo left on the rocks by tho Triumph, proved successful, and she returned to port this ovoning with a full cargo, con» stating principally of hardware. It was stated at the City Schools' Committoe meeting that tho City Schools weni now crowded and hundreds of children had to bo rejected. As the Education Board had no funds to build fresh schools, it was suggested to ront buildings. The annual report of the Auckland Scripture Gift Association stated that 6426 standard books had been distributed among publio schools during tho year. Gisborne, March 1. Tho Harbor Board and County Oounoil havo jointly agreed to promote a Bill for next session of Parliament for borrowing £200,000 for harbor workß.on Sir John Coodo'ii plan ; for rating the district to meot cost ; and for reconstituting tho Harbor Board. Wellington, March 1. Goorge Duncan, steward of the brig Sarnli W. Hunt, was arrested on tho arrival of the s.s. Wairarapa from Lyttelton ns a stowaway. He said he camo to Wellington to try and soc the American Consul, ns ho liad serious clmrgfls to mako against tho captuin of the Surah W. Hunt. He wns fined £5. At a, conference of tho four Lioonsing Committcos of tho city it was unanimously decided not to issuo any licenses boyond elovon

o'cloc-i, t.nd to call on the police to enforce the provisions of the Licensing Act and the Adulteration Act of last session m regard to the vending and importation of impure liquors. Major Atkinson, accompanied by Messrs Seed, JBtitkin and Cooper, has been making a 'series o£ domiciliary visits 1o the various Government departments to try and learn something about their work and organisation, with a view to retrenchment. Mr J. Chantrcy Harris, of the Nem Zealand Times, is delivering Sunday evening lectures m the Free Thought Hall on " Spiritualism." BiEKniira, March 1. Harvfsfc operations m Wairau are now almost completed. It is expected that by the end of next week the whole of the crops will be gathered. From ell accounts the harvest will be satisfactory to all. Wheat, oats barley, and potatoes are ir. splendid condition, the barley especially being well grown and of good color. A novel mode of dealing with the rabbit nuisance has just been adopted by Parsons Bros, m the Awatere district. Early hist Thursday, before daylight, when the rabbits were down on the flats feeding, about 1000 yards of string netting was hung loosely on stakes driven into the ground at distances of about a chain, as far round the foot of the Scarborough Hill as it would reach. After daylight dogs were employed to start the rabbits off towards their burrows, and the efforts of those engaged m the work were more Kiiccessful than had been anticipated. Started by the dogs, the rabbits made for their holes m large numbers, and rushing at tho loose netting, they becf-mc entangled m the meshes and were then eesily caught. At two o'clock 1700 had been killed, and it was expected that another 500 would be obtained before dark. Nelson, March 1. Professor Brown, M.A. of the University College, Auckland, has been elected to the vacant fellowship of the New Zealand University, the other candidates having withdrawn. Tho Senate last night appointed several Committees, and agreed that students of medicine who were registered m 1883 at the Otago University should be accepted as having been registered m the New Zealand University. A man named John Smith Furniss, against whom a prohibition order was obtained a few days ago, wis found drowned this morning. An inquest will be held this afternoon. Mtrch 2. At an inquest on the boily of John Smith Furniss. who was found drowned, tha following Utter, posted on Friday evening to Mrs Furniss, and which had bu'en obtained from the Post-office by his soa-in-law with permission of the widow, who is m Wellington, was read : — " Mary, when you receive this 1 1 will be no more. Sam and Suruh are as Judas Iscariot, they betrajed a man by saying, ' Whomsoever I put my finger on take him.' I forgive all your unkindness to me. Signed, J. Furniss." The jury returned a verdict of drowned while suffering from temporary insanity. CnßiSTcatmcH, March 1. The convocation of tho University opened to-day m the Hall of the Canterbury College. About twenty members were present. The business m the morning was of a routine character. Dttnedin, March 2. The Champion Bicycle match for £50, between Mackenzie, ex-champion of the North of Scotland, and O'Donnell, champion trick bicyclist of Victoria, came off yesterday. The- match comprised three distances, one, three, and five miles. Mackenzie won the one mile by a few feet, after a capital race ; O'Donnell won the three mile, and Alackenzie tho five milo by eighteen inches only, the finish creating a deal of excitement. The timeß were slow, owing to a strong breeze. Messrs Gillies and Kei-ferd, of the Victoria Ministry, made a trip do^vn the harbor yesterday, as "the guests of the Harbor Board. At the annual meeting of the Ancient Order of Foresters, the reported stated — " We are pleased to report that the Courts generally are m a healthy condition finincially Bpoaking, and although three Courts have seceded, there is still a gain of seven members for the year, showing the position of the United Otago District at tho present time to be as follows : — Seventeen Courts with 1306 members, end Court funds as follows — Sick and funer il fund, £11,501 2s ; management fund, £1328 17s od ; goods for sale and regalia, £443 6s ; making the total worth of the Court b £13,773 5s sd. The district funds are of the value of £2843 9s 6d, viz., funeral fund £2100 18s, nianugemont fund £181 0s 3d, relief fund £467 Is 3d, goods and properties £99 Is, — maldug the total value of the United Otago District £16,621 14s lid, the groater portion of wliich is invested on freehold security." The Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce has sent a circular to impoiters urging on them the necessity and importance m forwarding orders to Enzland of pressing on their agents to make cut bills oi lading for delirery of tho goods at Dunedin wharf only, instead of at Port Chalioera only.