TOWN & COUNTRY.

Timaru Herald, Volume L, Issue 4738, 8 January 1890, Page 2

TOWN & COUNTRY.

Mr Cox, surgeon dentist, leavea thia afternoon for Dunodin to attend tho Conference of Dentista which takea placo m that city thia week. The fees for oflieial inspection of boilers and machinery haa-e been roduced : Boilers under 5 h.p., 15a ; 5 to 10 h.p., 30a ; over 10 h.p., £2 5s ; any machine 15a. A special rate has been fixed for the railage of crude eulphur from Oxford to Auckland, frem which it may be inferred that aomo one iB going into tbo brimstone trade. A meeting of members of tbo Timaru branch of the Wharf Labourers' Federated Labour Union is to bo bold m the Sophia street hall at eight o'clock this evening. The Canterbury and Otago Almanac for 1890 ia now published, and can bo obtained from all booksellera ond agents for the Tr_A_u Eeeald m South Canterbury. The book aB uaual contains a mass of useful information, aud ia an oxcellent shilling'a worth. Tauranga has now a Bteam threshing machine, imported at groat cost, started at a trial witb muoh ceremony and toast and (strong) water. The ownor'a rates aro 3d per bushel for oate and 31d for wheat, crop ownera to shift tbe machine, find wood and water, and all hands but two. Writing to the Melbourne Argus, Mr R. T. Smythe, " tho princo of advanco agents." rominds Australiana that H. M. Stanloy m 1886 promised to mako a lecturing tour of Australia, and he repealod it when he waa ordered off on his Emm Bey expedition. Stanloy's word, cays Smytlie, m his brand, and ho has no doubt that ho will keep hia promise. Among recent applications for Now Zealand patenta aro the following : — For a cold water proccas for aeouring wool, by T. Collierr of Mastertoa ; for an improved sheaf-carrier, (Amorican) ; for a butter powder, " specially adapted for keeping butter firm and Bolid m hot weather," by J. F. Campbell, of Dunedin; for a firokiadlcr and a washing fluid, by A. Graham, Auckland ; for a flax-mucilage Boparator, by E. H. Potter, Auckland 5 for a flax dreasor, by G. Fisher, Auckland ; for a compressed unburned brick and tile, by J. Britton, Auckland; for improvomonts m butter making apparatus, by a Queonslander. The annual meeting of the Waimate County Harrier Club waa held at the Waimate Hotol on Saturday- last. Thero wero present — Mr J. 0. Thierns (m. the chair) , and Messrs Smith, O'Brien, Medlicot, Beckett, Hamilton, and D _ )_ idon. Tbe balanco-sbeet was road and showed tho auiounta collected for aubacriptiona to bo £140 13n Gd, ond tho amount realised from tho ball £10 13a Od. Tho balanco from luct year \v»b £14 4s 2d. After all aceounta had boon paid, a balanco of £19 2s 9d remained m tho Union Bauk to tho orcdit of tho club. Tlio balanco aheet waa considered vory satisfactory, and waa adoptpd. Tho .icl lowing mombers wore appointed to canvass for subscriptions : — Waimato — Mcßsrs Studholme, L. H. Bico,rW. H. Beckott, J. Dooloy, W. Jt. Hamilton, J. S. D'fimdcn ; Tho Hook— Measra Medlicot and M. O'Brion ; Makikihi— Measra W. G. Smith, and J. Wright j Otnio — Moasra F. W. Burnloy and J. 0. Thiorna ; St. Andrewa— Mossrs A. Dutson, C. Wedoroll, andD. Zander. The committeo wero requested to report progress to a meeting to bo hold on tho 25th mat. A letter was road from tho huntsman, Mr 0. Cornolius, rosigning his position. It was resolved to accept tbo resignation with rogvefc, aa Mr Cornoliua had always givon the club overy satisfaction. Tho meoting then terminated.

" Tclom'nchus," m The Argus, urgea tho Now Zoaland Govornmont to provide facilities for Australians visiting their unrivalled scenery. Ho eaya : — " Subsidise steamships, out down railway faroß, mako tracks to overy lake and to evory mountain, and overy nest of glory amongst thceo hills (Wakatipu). I would sriy with all earnestness, and nut without eomo practical knowledgo— This is your exhibition; hero is your bold and porraanon'. advertisement to tbe world. This will aomo day givo to you all that tho Alps nnd tbe lakes havo givon to Switzerland and tho Tyrol. Melbourno will by-and-by haro moro noed of tho tonic of nn Alpine tour than London or Paris. Molbourno m this year, did sho know of your glory nnd of tho easy moans by which it might be reached, would flood your land with tourists. And heraolf would greatly gain thereby. And bore ia n noto for thoae who manage tho lnrgor affairs of Now Zealand. It is quoted from Tka Argus of 23rJ December. ' Luet wook upwards of 000 passengers loft Molbourno for tbo Tasmanian ports.' And Tasmania ia not quilo liko Now Zealand. But then wo should want you to land its at tho Bluff m three days and a half, to run ub on to Wnkntipu m another foar hours, aud to havo a fow littlo matters prepared for our arrival." Tlio Argus follows this up with a lending articlo urging tbo enine viowe.

Mr D. McGuinness, of the Railway Refreshment Roams, has made arrangements for a daily Bupply of ice. Ho will promptly fulfil ordors Bent to him by letter or wire for ice m any quantity, and will supply all kinds of iced drinks.

Mr Fredoriok Smith was tho only candidate nominated to tho extraordinary vacancy m tbe Waimato Borough Council, caused by the olcction of Councillor Sinclair as Mayor. Ho was therefore declared duly elected by tho returning officer.

Wo remind our readers that Maccabo ia to givo hia popular and unique performance m the Theatre Royal this evening. This is possibly tho farewoll tour of tho veteran entertainer. His new programme ha 3 been a great success at Chriatchurch.

McArthur and Co., boot manufacturers, of Auckland, have received an order from Launceaton, Tasmania, through somo Tasmaninn visitors having eeen their aamples at the Dunedin Exhibition. This is practical result No. 1, ao far as wa have beard.

A young man named Andrews, a baker, went shooting m the Waimato busb on Thursday last, with a pea rifle. In going over some rough ground ho tripped and fell, his rifle went off, and the bullet onterod ono side pf his noso and lodged somewhere hear the eye.

Tho many frionds of Miss Johnstone met at tlio Railway Refreshment Rooms on Monday last previous to her departuro for hor home at Springaton, and presented her with a handsome gold brooch inlaid with pearls and rubies ao a slight recognition of tho esteem m which thoy had held her during the two years she has-been with Mr McGuinness.

The final meeting of tbo committeo elected to woicome the Irish delegates to Timaru was held m the Sophia streot ball last night nnd was well attonded. The treasurer reported that the total amount of subscriptions received was —263 7a 6d. It waa resolved to send a draft Homo at once for £250, and to publish a list of tho subscribers. Hearty votea of tbanka wero passed to tho treasurer, to tbo secretary, aud to all those who had assisted to make tho mission bo great a success iv Timaru, after which the meeting closed.

The majority of the members of the Timaru Fire Brigade have arranged to go down to Dunedin to take part m the parade on Saturday and partako of tho Governor's supper afterwards. Mr R. Orwin, the late secretary, bas consented to act as captain unlil the roturn of Lieutenant Tubb, and tho following ei-membera have volunteered to turn out m case of a fire occurring : Me?3ra Bloomfield, Melton, Rice junr.,Tutton, Lough junr., Wataon, Hill, Shopberd, Murdoch, Ellis, W. Clark, Martin, and Gilchrist. Somo of tho men go down to-day, others on Friday. We hope they will enjoy themselves, on tbo way, m £he exhibition, at the parade, and at Lord Onalow'e Bupper.

A scratch match will take place on tho Timaru cricket ground to-morrow afternoon, commencing at 2.30, when no doubt a good muster both of playera and the public will be seen. We look forward to witnessing better play than usual aa most of the team that visited Dunedin will be playing m the match. The game will bo Bankers and Lawyers v. The World. The banks and lawyers will be represented by Porry (2), Paul, Matheson, Eaymond (2), Smithson, Malcolmson, Knubley, Hay, Mathias, Mueller, Hassoll, and Morrieon. Tho clvb — Lawrenson, G. Jones, Robertaon, Jefferson, Hughe3, Cameron, Campbell, Johnson, Rice, Christian, Fraser, Archer, Anderson, Wood, Bussell, Millar, Dr Beid. Any members inadvertently omitted from either team are requested to attend.

Tho Now Zealand Dairy Association's fourth shipment of butter for tbis season went forward by Iho mail steamer Tongariro on the 28th ult from Auckland. It consiated of 1350 boxes, of a großa weight of 44 tona. The whole of tho butter waa manufactured at tbo Association's works at Pukekohe, and is probably the largest lot of " one make" of butter wbich bas ever been sent from this colony to tho British market. The ebipmont just forwarded by the Tongariro should roach London early m February, ju6t m timo to meet the best market of tho season. Special care wnß taken to obtain freezing, not cool, spaoe for this largo shipment of butter. Mr Bpragg has contended for years that butter will keop beat at a temperature below freezing point. Ho pays he haa never met with a statement of any authority to tbe contrary, and that the guessoa pf tho irroaponaible peoplo who havo established tho current bolief that injury does result from freezing butter has bcou mieleading. In confirmation of this, important English houses are now inatructing ahippera to forward butter m frcesing chambers ; the reason givon being that on arrival iv London the advantage has beon on tbo aide of that so carried-

Wo tako the following from tho Insurance Guardian, London, November Ist, 1880 : — " Xho insurance world ia watching with great interest, the eiperimont that is being made m Now Zealand to provide Government life assurance for tho peoplo of the colony. Tho roaulte, bb just reported, are vory romarkablo. It appeara that tho Government Insurance Department ahowa an increase m funds, income (both from premium and interest), new business, and m tho averngo amount of the policy. It Bhowa a decrease m tho ratio of expenses, m the amount of buainess discontinued, and m tho average of policy discontinued. It has a number of poworful competitors — tbo United StatCß Equitable, tlio Now York Lifo, tho Australian Mutual Provident, tho Colonial Mutual, and three others of great, if not equal, wealth and magnitude. But it outstrips thorn all. Tho seven officoa paid to policy-holders 35 per' cent of thoir total income, tho New Zealand Government oflice paid 30 per cent. Tho aeven offices spent S3 por cont of tbeir total income ; the Now Zealand Government office 16 per cent, and added to their funds 43 por cont, as compared with 39 por cent on tho part of the soven ofiicoa. Here, then, ia » Government Department, not twenty years old, boating all competitors out of tho field— ovon the oldest, wealthiest and most respected institutions m tbo world. II this can be dono m a poriod of depression, what may we not expect now that tho waves of prosperity again roll over iho colony, and infuse now lifo and vigor into ovory branch of commerce and manufaoturo P "

D. McGuiness— Has iced drinks at Railway Refreshment Rooms. Banks' Peninsula — Leaves for Dunedin to-day. Wharf Labourers' Union — Mooting of members, to-night. W. Armstrong— Calls for tenders for harvesting. D. Rae, Waitohi— Has found a pony. N.Z. Loan Co— Hold important salo of properties on 17fch mat. Friendly Societies' Dispensary purest drugs and chemicals on sale. Wanteds— Two notices.