The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 1886.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3608, 24 April 1886, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 1886.

"We append the gas return, which relates to the seventeen cities and towns m the colony m which gas ia burned m the street lamps, namely, Christchurch, Auckland, Wellington, Oayersham, Lyttelton, Timaru, Hokitika, Greymouth, Wanganui, Napier, New Plymouth, Ashburton, Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Oatnaru, and Nelson. The return has been accurately compiled, and is therefore a reliable document. It gives the number of months gas is annually consumed m each city or town, the number of days, the number of hours, the average hours per night, the number of cubic feet burned per hour, the number of street lamps, and the cost of lighting, including cleaning and repairing, as well as the cost of gas per 1000 feet. With the exception of Dunedin and Nelson, the gas is supplied by gas companies m the places named. In Dunedin and Nelson it is supplied by the Corporations of these cities. The number of hours the lamps are lighted during the year is 20,017, being an average lighting of 170 hours. The total number of street lamps m the colony is 1993. Auckland, the largest city m New Zealand, with a population of nearly 60,000, has 224 lamps leas than Dunedin and 51 less than Christchurch. This is a strange disparity, which can only be accounted for by the northern capital being notably sparing m the consumption of street gas. In that city considerable difficulty is often experienced m obtaining these lamps for thoroughfares where they are greatly needed. Upon the whole it is quite apparent that gas lighting is far more expensive throughout the colony than it should be, and that the price must be lowered sooner or later, and thus brought nearer Australian charges than it is. Many years ago the larger citica and towns m Australia charged as tbey liked, enjoying as they did, a complete monopoly until rival companies were formed, when great reductions were, though reluctantly, made by the original companies. The competition was keen for Borne considerable time, and the public materially benefited thereby. "With the vast supply of excellent New Zealand coal at our disposal, suitable enough for gas, there is no necessity for the price of its consumption being fixed at the high figure it. 18 m our respective cities and towns. Gas companies are, of course, desirous of securing large dividends for the shareholders, but as this can only be effected at the expense of the consumers of gas it is unfair that these hitter should be overtaxed to enrich the coffers of organised speculators who invest money m such concerns ; but when dividends, as they do, roach 12 or 15 per cent., there should be a stop put to such oxcess. Besides, if the charges were moderate, the consumption of gas would be correspondingly higher ; for the cheaper any commodity is the greater the demand for it, and the shareholders would reap the benefit of this augmentation, and preclude the formation of new companies to out-rival them. In this town gas was burned m the street lamps up to a few months ago, when kerosene oil was introduced. This is, to say the least, a markedly retrogressive step, and we certainly cannot congratulate our Town Council upon effecting such a change, when it is taken into consideration that kerosene gives inferior light to that of gnß. If it happened that the town did not manufacture gas there would be excuse for lighting with kerosene, and we should be glad of the convenience, but when there is nn ample supply of gas at the disposal of tbe Council, and that, too, at a reasonable price, we are at a loss to understand why gas is not still used. The townspeople are dissatisfied with the new arrangement, and well they may. No other town m the colony would act similarly, and we trust the Corporation will perceive the propriety of speedily reverting to their former mode of lighting, and thus keep pace with the progressive march of the age. Some short time ago, the Gas Company offered the Council to light the streets at £7 10s per lamp, the lamps to be extinguished at 12 o'clock. Subsequently the Company reduced the charge to £7, to induce, if possible, tho Corporation to accept tbe offer which, however, was declined. Considering the charges made m other towns, we venture to say that the Company's proposal was a liberal one and should not be rejected. In Port Chalmers, the cost of lighting each lamp is £9, whilst m Caversham it is £8 10s, and m Napier £7 15s. Under the old contract with our Gas Company, the Council paid £8 10s for each lamp, and a reduction of £1 10s, to bring the charge to £7, ought to have been availed of. The Council could not be induced to fall m with the terms of the Company, and negotiations between them on the subject have ceased. The lighting, and the extinguishing of tb.e town lamps occupy two- hours to one man every night, and sometimes more, when the weather ia unpropitious. The coal used for producing the town gas is that of Greymouth, which for ordinary nse, is highly spoken of. It makes excellent gas, and is reasonable m price. It is extensively used m Dnnedin, Hokitika, Christchurch, Lyttelton, and Nelson, for gas. With so suitable a coal, it greatly surprises everyone that the gas charges m this town (14s 2d, 11s 8d) should be so high. A lower price would yield a handsome dividend to the company, because a much larger consumption would undoubtedly be the result ; and this being so, it is to be hoped that still further reductions will be made. Oar townsmen are looking for such, and if tbe Company is disposed to consult their own interest they will do so. Messrs Miles & Co., of Christchurch, have made an offer to the Council to light the town with electric light, and tbe proposal is now under consideration. This light, which is very brilliant, is now used largely m citiss and towns, m manufactories, and on board steamers, and may soon supersedo gas to an extent not yet contemplated. There is therefore ample reason for keeping the

price of gas within bounds. The following is the table referred to : —

Mass will be celebrated on Low Sunday, the 2nd of May, by the Rev. J. Foley, m the echoolhouse, Fairlie Creek, There was one man arrested for drunkenness on Thursday, but he was bailed out and will appear beforo the Bench this morning. Tlio annual meeting of ratepayers for the Mount Peel Boad l)istrict will be held m their offices on May Ist at noon. The election of fire members for the Mount Peel Boad District will bo held m their offices on the 7th of May. The nomination of candidates must be made by noon of the Ist May. It will bo seen on reference to our advertising columns this morning that rents on Crown lands on the Pareora and Otaio river beds have been considerably reduced m price. The contractors for Quinn's new building m George street have mado a splendid start, and have erected the necessary hoardings for public safety and to keep tho curious at bay while the work is being carried out. On Thursday workmen were very busy excavn ting, and m a few days the foundations will be laid. On Thursday evening most of the shops kept opon till a late hour, but m consequence of many people having gone out of town m the afternoon, the streets at night did not wear tho busy appearance they always do on fine Saturday nights. Yesterday very close holiday was kept, and the streets after the departure of tho volunteers for Oamaru m the morning were almost deserted. The ne«v verandah m front of the Theatre Boyal buildings is now quite finiahod, and it has wonderfully improved tho appearance of the buildings it is attached to. Tho footpath from the sido entrance to the theatre to Woollcombe street corner is now entirely covered hi, and the general nppearance of the main street at this point is much improved thereby. Tho foundation stone of the new Voluntoer Hall at Qoraldino was laid on Thursday afternoon, by Mr E. H. Pcarpoint, Chairman of the Geraldine Town Board, with military honours. A very fair muster of the public turned up, and great interest was taken m the proceedings. The hall, when finished, will be of great public benefit to the volunteers and public of Geraldine, and is well situated. A report of the proceedings at tho ceremony will be found m another column. We are rcry glad to learn that tlio proposal put forth some time ago m Victoria that the colonies should be represented at next Wimbledon riflo meeting at Homo lias met with such support that it has been definitely decided to send an intercolonial rifle team to do battlo on tho world-famed shooting ground. Tho team if sent will, wo confidently aßscrt, well uphold tho honour of our colonies. The cable message conveying the above news is published elsewhere. Taking advantage of tho holiday, several parties - had a day's shooting yesterday, but we hoard of no extraordinary large bags being made. So far as wo can loam game is hardly so plentiful this season, as it was last or the previous one. The scarcity, however, to our mind, is more imaginary than real, as the weather we have bad since April let, has been too fine on tho waters inland to induce ducks and other gaino to take to tho warmer waters on the sea-coast. Very Htllo was done by tho Tcuiuka Rides on Thursday evening beyond completing their arrangements for leaving for Oamaru. Soon aftor six o'clock yeßlerday morning the notes of the buglo resounded through the streets of Teuiuka, and it was not long before the Bides with the Temuka Brass Band had assembled at their hall. About soren o'clock all who intended going to tho encampment fell m and, headed by the band, which played somo stirring music, marched through the town to tho railway station where they embarked m tho special train that wns to take them to Oamaru. About 38 men, under tho command of Captain Hayhurst, went to Oamaru. The Goraldino Kiflo Volunteers had a very pleasant timo of it at tbeir camp oa Wednesday night. The men assoinbled a littlo after six o'clock m tho orening, and after being put through about an hour's hard drill by Lieutenant Word, they were dismissed for the night. A roaring camp firo was then lit, and all the Voluntoers having assembled around it, various sorts of games and merrymaking were indulged m by all till it wast timo to go to bed. A most pleasant evening was spent, and all scomod to have thoroughly enjoyed themselves. On Thursday evening tho men were again put through their drill. A few minutes after three o'clock yeiiterday morning the thrilling tones of tho bugle resounded throughout the camp, and m a few minutes every man was up and stirring as tents had then to be struck and everything got ready to bo taken away. The men breakfasted at Mr D. Mcllwraith's Bubli Hotel, and having nil their fixings packed on Mr Or. Fox's expresses they, to tho number of about thirty, junipod up themselves and were soon on their way to the Orari where they caught tho Bpeoiul train with other Volunteers on board, and proceeded to Oamaru,

The Geraldine detachment of tho Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry left Geraldino on Thursday afternoon, for tho purpose of attending the volunteer encampment at Oamaru. They went by way of Mr Poßtlethwaite's to the Orari, and there caught the train. Two special trains passed through Timaru early yesterday morning. The one from Chrißtchurch to Dunedin arrived at Timaru at twenty minuteß to one, and was well filled with passengers. It left at 1 o'clock, a goodly number of Timaru people being passengers by it. At 3 a.m. the Dunedin to Christchurch train arrived, and this also was well filled. A short stay was made, and after taking on a number of passengers it proceeded North. The men who have been engaged forming and shingling Wilson street, m Geraldine, have now nearly finished their work. It will whon completed add considerably to the general appearance of the township, and what is more, will be of great publio benefit, inasmuoh as a gully which, ran across the street, and was always a nuisance m wet weather, has now been filled up, and rendered passable for traffic and footpassengers at all seasons of the year. At the Waimate Police Court on Thursday, before Dr Stacpoole and Mr F. Slee, Justices, Charles Henry Maher pleaded guilty to the larceny of a pair of trousers and a shirt, valued at 255, the property of Thomas Porter. From tho evidence it appeared that on Tuesday night, Porter and Maher were stopping at the same boardinghouse. Before leaving on Wednesday morning, Maher went to Porter's trunk and abstracted the articles m question replacing them with hU own rather dilapidated habiliments. Information having been given to the police, Maher was apprehended about four or five miles from town, swogging it down towards Oamaru. He was sentenced to one month's hard labour. Wo were pleased to hear last evening that 210 tickets had been sold m connection with the excursion train that proceeds to Oamaru this morning. Should the weather be at all fine hundreds more should secure tickets before the train leaves. This it will do at eight o'clock sharp, and will leave Oamaru on the return journey at 4.45 p.m. The fares are — first class 5s 6d, second class 4s, m both cases return tickets being issued for the amounts earned. As tho naval engagement does not take place till two o'clock all visitors will have every opportunity of witnessing it and be able to catch the trains without any unseemly haste. Lovers of music, instrumental and vocal and of elocution, will notice with pleasuro that a splendid concert, m aid of the Roman Catholic school fund, is to be held on Easter Monday evening. Songs are to be contributed by Mrs Filmer, Misses McKenna, and Haigh, and by Messrs J. D. Kett, Duval, Kowe, Pitt, and our old friend T. J. Kennedy ; a choice recitation by Mr O. C. McCarthy, and instrumental music by Messrs Haigh's orchestra. Should the evening be a nice, fine one, we expect to Bee the schoolhonse once more crowded, as these concerts are always very popular. Peaman Deneen, of the Timaru Narals, met with a nasty and painful accident at the Timaru railway station yesterday morning. He had taken his seat m a covored m wagon attached to the special train that was to convey tho volunteers to Oamaru, and had placed his left hand against the side of the doorway, when some individual endowed by nature with the smallest of brains, came along, and " for a lark," shut the door to. Tho result was poor Deneen got the second fingor of tho loft hand almost cut clean off at tho first joint, and tho first and third seriously injured. Tho hand was attended to at once, and with it m a sling, Denoon proceeded to Oamaru by the express train. His trip to Oamaru, however, which m tho early morning wns looked forward to with delight, was thus grievously marred by a "yob," who ought to have been "kcel-bauled." Mr James Morgan, the advance agent of Leon's Koyal Palace Circus, hippodrome, and menagerie of wild performing animals, arrived m town yesterday, and is making most com pie to arrangements for tho circus appearing here. The nights chosen are Thursday and Friday of next week, and as a really first-class circus such as Leon's is, has not visited us for many yoar3, the attendance is sure to be enormous. Juet now the circus is performing m our sistor town (Oamaru), having opened there on Thursday night to such a crowded audience as was nover before seen m Oamaru, and their performance gave the greatest satisfaction. To give an idea of what an immenso circuß it, is it may bo stated that over 60 persona are m one way or another connected with it, among them being some of the best circus artistes that have so far visited this colony. We have inspected the exhibits of the Bocond Industrial Exhibition of the United Bands of Hope, which is to be opened m tho Assembly Booms m this town on Monday next, and closed on Tuesday evening. The tables on which tho articles for competition are laid are methodically arranged nround the rooms, tho exhibits being shown to tho best advantage to visitors. The value of the exhibits is at once apparent to suoh as have visited last year's exhibition. The exhibits are not only more numerous, but there is a decided improvement m their style, which shows that what has been originally aimed at has been achieved this year, and the presontl exhibition may therefore be characterised as superior m crery respect to laet year's. A spirit of emulation has been kindled amongst the young people, and success m that direction is tho result. Tho exhibition will doubtless prove a very satisfactory one to al the exhibitors os well as to visitors. The catalogue of exhibits numbers 92 articles, of a very miscellaneous character, tho whole being well worthy of inspection. Tho exhibits are arranged under four classes, namely, for members of any age, for all members under 21, for all members under 14, and for all members under 10 years of ago. Amongst the exhibits is a model of what is termed "The Mechanical Paradox," which was originally constructed by the great Scottish astronomer and mechanician, Sir Jamcß Ferguson. It is a contrivance of no email ingenuity and requires to bo seen to be understood. A lengthened description of it is given that is well worthy of perusal. In tho " paradox " there aro throe wooden cogwheels which revolvo between two narrow pieces of board upwards of a foot m length. The wheels are arranged laterally, and when the revolution gear is touched the upper and lower whoels revolve, but the centre one remains stationary, and this constitutes the " paradox." What led to the construction of this invention was tho result of a discussion been Sir James Ferguson and a sceptical watchmaker, who inveighed against a trinity of persons m tho Godhead, but who, after tho astronomer's lucid argument, based upon the principle of the " paradox," became convinced of his error.

The members of the Timaru City Band left for Oatrmru by the express train yesterday to take part m the bands contest this evening at* Oamaru. The Sydenham Sand, and the Addington workshops band were also passengers by the express. The date of holding a meeting of householders at Mr Shaw's house, Totara Valley, has been altered to Tuesday next the 27th iust., when we hope to see a good attendance and the educational affairs of the district fully discussed. An addresß was to have been delivered by Mr Le»smith m tho Oddfellows' Hall, Temuka, on Wednesday, but hod to be postponed sine die, owing to the very small attendance, only about half a dozen farmers turning up. It had been advertised m one paper, but the farmers evidently did not seem to know anything about it. Mr Thomas Leatree, a lecturer of some note, has just completed a series of three lectures m the Good Templar Hall, Geraldine. The subjects he chose to lecture on being interesting ones ho drew togetbor eomo very good audiences. On Tuesday night the subject was " London by day," on Wednesday night "Some of the ineri we have met, or History teaching experience," and on Thursday night " London by night." The lectures have throughout been listened to with pleasure and have given satisfaction. We have to thank Mr E. W. Oole, of tho Book Arcade, Melbourne, for forwarding us a copy of the new edition of a large volume called, and very appropriately too, the Fun Doctor. Mr Cole says: —" I printed an edition of 10,000 some time ago, and sold them m ten weeks; after a period of. lire months I printed another edition of 10,000, and sold them m twenty weeks. This is the third edition of 10,000 within a year. It has had a sale, considering our limited population, unexampled m the world for a boqk of the kind." The book contains a very choice collection of fun, and from a cursory glance at it, we quite agree with the author that " it is the funniest book m the world." The South Canterbury troop of the Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry loft Timaru at 4 o'clock on Wednesday afternoon by special train for the review at Oamaru. A company of the Chrißtchurch infantry, some members of the 0 Battery, several guns, ambulance carts, etc., also went down by the same train The Christchurch volunteers numbering m all about 600 officers and men, passed through by special train at 3 o'clock yesterday morning. At 8 o'clock another special arrived, bringing the Ashburton Guards and Bines, and the Geraldine and Temuka Bines. At Timaru, the Navals, 0 Battery and Timaru Bifles joined the train, also the South Canterbury Garrison Band. The number of local officers and men was very large indeed, and whon the train steamed off there must have been fully 300 volunteers aboard. Tho morning was beautiful and fine, and large numbers of townspeople and others assembled at tho station to give the volunteers a good tend off. A meeting, sparsely attended, was held at the Library, Waimate, on Thursday ovening last, to hear Mr Leesmith express his views on the land question from a farmer's point of view. His Worship the Mayor occupied the chair, and briefly introduced the lecture^ Mr Leesmith spoke for some time, bis address being mainly a repetition of that delivered m Timaru about a fortnight ago, and then fully reported m our columns. He advocated the naturalisation of land and the granting of perpetual leases as the only means of relieving the farmer from the extorsions of mortgage companies. At the conclusion of Mb lecture, which was 1 attentively listened to, the chairman commented favourably upon the address, drawing a graphic picture of the miseries of farmers ground down under the heel of oppressive absentee companies. He urged his hearers to make sure that their next member of the House of Bepreßcntatives was sound npon the land question, and animadverted strongly upon the apathy they had hitherto shown m borough and county elections. Finally, on the motion of Mr Coohrane, seconded by Mr Boyce, it was unanimously resolved to form a branch of the Farmers' League for Waimate County, and Messrs Wiggs, Bremner, Cochraue, and Wilson were appointed a committee, with power to add to their number, together with the Mayor, who will act as convener of subsequent meetings. The meeting terminated with the customary votes of thanks.

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