For the corresponding quarter of 1883 the numbers were— VITAL STATISTICS.

Timaru Herald, Volume 2990, Issue XL, 24 April 1884, Page 7

For the corresponding quarter of 1883 the numbers were —

VITAL STATISTICS.

07.5. Value, j Auckland 9,721 £38,491 Marlborough ... 583 2,332 Nelson 833 3,095 West Coast ... 2,854 113,760 Otago 31,288 12G.119 Totals ... 70,967 £283,797

(By Telegraph.)

Wellington, April 10. The following ara the statistics for March for the undermentioned Boroughn : — I'roportion of deaths Boroughs. to 1000 of Birtba. Deaths, populkf ion. Auckland ... ill 36 131 Wellington ... 82 37 166 Chriatchurch 53 21 1.30 I Dunedin ... 59 24 0.93 Thames ... 15 6 1.15 I New Plymouth 13 3 O.SO Napier ... 21 6 0.06 Wangutmi ... 8 4 0.79 Nelson ... 11 13 1.82 Bydenham ... 35 II ±.18 Lytrelton ... 10 S 0.46 Timaru ... 16 4 0 flt Oamara ... 22 4 0.63 Hokitilta ... 10 1 O.SC Cavereham ... 8 6 \AI InvercurgiU ... 17 11 217 Totals ... 490 189 Tlio death of persons not reiiclenla of Bor-iuj! 8 orcurring at ho.»pitnls h:ivo been excluded m all oases. The total births m the above Boroughs amounted to 490 ngainst 4R7 m February, an increase of 23 The deaths m ALirch were 189, an lVirraie of 15 on the number for February. Of the abive deaths males contributed 111, and feniule" 78. Niuety-threo of the deaths were of children under five yeira of age, being 49.21 per cent of t.ho whole number. Heveulyfour of these wore of children under one year "f age.

Raixfall vok M.uicn. — Tho rainfall during tho month of March, registered by the Vcn. Archdeacon Harper's gaujje, was 1.67 inches.

Timahu Hospital. — The following is a return of thepaliimts m the Timaru Hospital for the month of March : — Patient; under treatment at date of last return - males 14 ; females, 8 ; admitted during the month : males, 7 ; females, 1 ; totals treated : males, 21 ; females, 0. Discharged during the month— cured : males, 5; female, 1 ; relieved : male, 1 ; femule, i ; incurable : females, 2 ; dead : male, 1 (Patrick Kassnn) ; remaining under traitmcnt: males, 14; females, 5. Out patients treated during the month : males, 18 ; females, 6. St. Mary's.— His Lordship Bishop Harper preached the sermon at St. Mary's Episcopalian Church on Sunday morning to a very large congregation. In the evening His Lordship, ussisted by the Ten. Arelic eacon Harper, administered the rites of confirmation. For this there were forty-three candidates, twenty-eight young women and lifteeu | young men. A full choral service was performed. The church was crowded m every part, many persons having to stand throughout the service.

An Apple Farm. — About a year ego a company was formed m Auckland to carry on apple growing on :i large scale. The company bought a farm of 240 acres, and last s.sason about 90 acres of applo trees were planted, and this season 50 acres more will be put m. The first lot were planted 10 feet apart, to be thinned later on ; next plantings will be put m 30 feet apart, and the ground cropped between them. This is without doubt the biggest fruit growing enterprise, south of the Line.

Business of the X.II. Cottbt. — Drring tho quarter ended 3larc.li 31st there were 271 criminal or quasi criminal 'eases heard a'; the Resident Magistrate's Court, Timaru, of nhieh 98 were eases of drunkenness. Fines recovered amounted to £70 Is, and costs and i'ecs to £13 2s. During the March quarter of last year 225 cnsi-a wero heard ; fines recovered amounted to £15 15s, and costs and fees to £29 3s. During the March quarter of this year 281 civil plaints were entered, for a total" amount of £2787 15s, of which the plaintiffs recovered a total of £16G1 1-ts lid. During the corresponding period of last year 356 plaints were heard. The total ani(.imt claimed was £348-1 4s sd, of which plaintiffs recovered £1583 la !)d.

Raiidit Fur Hats. — Mr J. Ch Cowan, who is now selling pull-over felt hats mado m Pnuedin from rabbit fur, has on view at his shop, Slain North Road, a case of articles showing the different stages m the manu-.'ac-tiiro of these hats. These are shown m all live of the stages through which the material for a hat. passes, between leaving the rabbit's 6kin and reaching the head of the weiucv. The first shows the fur m its natural state ; tho next two after it has been treated with chemicals and partly felted, wl en it looks like a thick piece of wadding, and the fourth shows it when it lias been felted. The material is then dyed, after which it is " blocked" into the desired shape. The hats are manufactured m Dunedin to Mr Cowan's order, and are certainly very creditable, specimens of i colonial indust it. The exhibits referred -0 were shown at the Industrial Exhibition held at Christ church recently, where thny secured the highest award, tv also at the Dunedin Exhibition of 1881, and MrCow.ni got them for the purposo of showing his customers, many of whom scarcely believed rabbit fur could bo so utilised. They are well worth seeing. The hats being mado all m one piece (ninny felt hats are. not) me very flexible, and do not give or break m the rim" m lifting them off the head. In finish the colonial-made article is equal to any imported ones, and m durability far sup'erioi . One advantago of having the manufacture located so near i 9 that anyone having a peculiar tasto m hats can have ono made ot any shapo ho pleases, by requesting it, while, tho ordinary customer can be supplied a', considerably lower prices than are asked for English goods.

Discovert op TImtlTiTE is DrNEDiN.--Tho Otaijo Daily Times says of Iho recent mineral discovery m Dimeclin : — Tlie seam of homnlitc which lmn ibepn struck i" t-lio Bowling street cutting is likely to become of some value. KxperM assort that tlie oro is superior to Iho ordinary licniiitilo usivl at tlio Hill-ido Govcrnniont Workshops, and it. h;in been successfully ti'ied aloiifT with both English and Nelson hemutite*. Wo are given to iindcntnnd that tlio N.Z. Trou iincl Woodwaro Company and Messrs Smith and Smith are, erecting machinery for tlio purpose of crushiug tho ore and making it market-

able. Alv.wly Hie tatter linn lnve taken deliver;,- of übjut 20 loads, and others m tho same line of business have tried samples of it with satisfactory results. Should the seam increasi: m thickness, as it evidently shows signs of doing, and should the vein be of any considerable extent, there is no doubt that n, profitable return will be the result to the contractor for Dowling street cutting. The Government analyist has not yet tested a sample, and his analysis will be looked for with interest as to its real practical and commercial value. The contractor for the cutting assures us that m ease it should not turn out to expectation, it is his intention to preserve tho lode and await further experiment s rather than use it for the purposes of reclamation. The darker portions of the lode are reckoned the most valuable, and it has a tough, putty-like feel. The lighter samples are more mixed with clay, which decreases its value as a paint. Ixquhst. — An inquest was held at the Woodbury Hotel on Thursday evening into the circumstances attending the death of William Brearton, a cook who had been employed at Four Peaks Station, and who had dieil suddenly the previous day. Mr Wadlow was chosen foreman of a jury of twelve. The evidence showed that deeea'sed went to tho house of Norman Macpherson at midnight of the 14th inst., somewhat the worse for liquor, and asked to be taken m, saying he had fallen off a horse. He remained there till last Wednesday morning. He complained of: being unwell, but. could walk about. On Wednesday morning he sat down at a table, and Mrs Macpherson thinking he was worse, went for assistance, and when she got back he was still m the same position, but dead. Dr Fish, who made a post mortem, showed that the heart, liver mid kidneys were all much diseased. He believed death was due to heart disease. The jury returned a verdict of death from natural causes. Deceased was about 44. years of age.

VOLrSTEEK FIRE BEIGADE. — The third annual meeting of the Timaru Volunteer Fire Brigide wan held on Monday. Captain Amos presided. There was a good attendance of members. After the usual monthly business had been disposed of, the Secretary read the report and balance sheet for the past year, from which it appeared that the total income from all sources amounted to £149 11s lOd, but the expenditure had exceeded the receipts by £19, which amount is due to the Treasurer (Captain Amos). The large expenditure was due to the Brigade having purchased new uniforms, and to expenses incurred m alterations and repairs to old ones. The Brigade is now furnished with two good suits of clothes, and none will be required for at least two or three years. In reference to the proposed banquet the Secretary staled that the Borough Council had responded to the appeal of the Brigade by voting the sum of £10, but as the captain had decided that the banquet should be at tho joint expense of the Borough Council and insurance companies, objecting to canvass tho public for subscriptions, he had waited on several of the insurance agents, but owing to thy. indifference shown and objections placed m the way, he had declined to go any further m the matter. The captain then" reported that from a fireman's point of view, business had been very dull, but the Brigade had been called out seven timC3. Only one call was serious, that being to a lira m a five-roomed house m William street. The next m importance wns the partially destroyed cottage of Parsons, theothers being little better than false alarms. The next business done was tbeelection of officers forthe ensuing twelve months, which resulted m Captain T. Amos being re-elected for the fourth time ; Foreman J. R. Wardle re-elected Foreman of the Pioneer company ; Foreman J. Barrie, re-elected foreman of No. 1 company ; and the Secretary, R. Orwin, was also re-elected. It was resolved — " That a hearty vote of thanks be passed to Captain Amos, for the kindness and courtesy which he has always shown to the Brigade." In reply, Captain Amos thanked the Brigade for the confidence they had placed m him. Ho hoped they would always work together well, and confidently asserted, that a? far as efficiency was coneci-ned, from what he had seen during hi* visit north he was perfectly satisfied with the Brigade. One new member was unanimously elected. There being no other business the meeting closed.

TlMAlir WOOLLKK FACTOBY BuiLDIXG. — Tho plans for this building are just about completed, and we have had an opportunity, through the courtesy of Mr M. do H. Buva'l, the architect, of glancing over them. Tho section tho Company have purchased is situate at fho corner of Bank street and Arthur street, adjoining (lie Gas Works, and contains half-nn-ncre. The. building to bo erected on it is to be constructed of br:ck, three storeys high, but from the level of thestreets named it will only show two-storey fronts. Theprincipalthingkeptinfiewinplanning the building has beenstibilifcy, and there has been no attempt to give the'fagades an ornamental appearance. The building will bo 90ft by 40ft inside measurement, and have an elevation of 48ft at the back. On the ground floor is situate the boiler house, 12ft 9in by 25ft 6in ; engine house, 25ft 6in by 12ft ; and a coal house, 26ft by 13ft. The remainder of the floor space will be taken up by wool scouring, dyeing, cloth scouring, fulling or milling, and teasing or nap-raising machinery. A hydraulic press will also be located m this room. This floor will be lit by six largo windows facing north, and six smaller ones facing cast. Space is provided on this floor i'or storage purposes, the wool, coals, etc., being shot down from tho street level. In (ho north-cast corner of the building is placed a staircase, '.vhich leads from the lower to tho second and third or top storey. 'There are also two lifts which work from top to bottom of the building. On the second floor are to be erected two spinning jennies, which will each have 360 spindles ; iind the carding, condensing, bobbin machines, etc. This room will be lit by twenty -seven windows. On the third floor will he ten looms, and the doubling, framing, winding and folding machines, and it will bt> lit m a similar manner to the room just below. The. rooms are all loi'ty ; the lighting is expected to be most complete, and the very best provision has been made for ventilation. Tho contract for building tho factory is to be let shortly, and the machinery, which will bo obtained from th» very best makers, will bo ordered so as to nrrive here when the building is so far advanced as to be ready for it.

Tiswark Factory.— Wo are pleased to learn that another industry has sprung up m our midst, which bills fair m the near future to become one of vevy great import aneo. Wo refer to the tinware factory of Messrs Priest mid Holdgato, which is ' at present being earned on m a building facing the rost-offiec, m Sophia street. Mr A. Mills, a tradesman well and favorably known here, is m eliargo of the. business, ami although it lms not been m existence many weeks there is already abundant- evidence of the quality and chnrai-ter of the work which can be turned cul. In a room n! the back part of the, building a furnueo has been erected at which, to heal the " irons," and alongside the walls of (his room are placed the benches at which the operatives worlc. The machinery used is. of the latest pattern, and comprises a guillotine (one, of English make, and, we understand, the only one m this district), wiring, bottoming, rolling, circular cutting, and swedging machines, etc., — m fact every known machine used m tlio trade. Tho materials mcd are the very best, obtainable, the sheet tin being 30in wide — about the larger size nude— while the iron, wire, cite ., is also of more than average size. The process of manufadure is not by any means so tedious now that good machinery has been introduced. To make bakers' cakerings, dishes, billies, etc., t!>e operative takes a sheet of tin, sets tho guillotine to tho necessary gauge, and cuts off the required length ; " these are then passed between rollers which can also be adjusted to work to any circle, to givo the sheet a cylindrical shape ; the ends nni then put through the seamer ; the top edge is next tinned down and wired, and finally Hie bottom is put on by a innehine called the " bottomer," and you then have the article complete. Tlio 'finish of the goods is admirable, every scum and edge showing most even work, and 113 tlio machines can bo set as tine as desired, absolute accuracy m pint measures, and such liko articles can bo guaranteed. Among tho articles shown us were, those mentioned, also coffee pots, colanders, and garden watering cans ; and any description of tinwerk can bo produced as required. Work can idso bo iloni! m sheet iron, brass or copper, the largest article timiod out m the first nuU" tiouod metal being portable furnaces.