TOWN & COUNTRY

Timaru Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 3625, 22 August 1901, Page 2

TOWN & COUNTRY

The Minister of Bailways has decided to issue regulations in favour of a maximum weight of 2001bs for sacks of grain. The effect of a flourishing butter business on the market value of cows is shown by a recent sale near Woodville, where springing heifers brought up to £l2 10s, and the average price was £8 2s. Tuesday was a springlike day, and so was the early morning of yesterday, but between ten and eleven the clerk of the weather sent along a sudden change, in a brisk southerly squall with' sleety showers. The showers continued' well into last night, which was very cold. Dr MacGregor, Inspector of Hospitals, in his report to Pi-lliinaut, says of ;be Timaru Hospital: "Vmi-'d 10th May. I found the drainage syitcm ui dergoing extensive and much l ■ eded repairs. The management has always been excellent. A new resident mediial -•iTcpi. l i 3 to be appointed." He says r.olhing of his. inspection of the Old Men's Home. The pretty red brick building in which the Christchurch City Council transacts its business seems to be unsound. • On Monday night a councillor drew attention to several cracks which could be seen in the Council Chamber, and to the fact that the eastern wall was bulging outward. He said that something should be done to prevent the wall going further in that direction. . The Council referred the subject to the Works Committee, to obtain a report on the condition of the wall. " The great need connected with all our Charitable Aid Board Homes in- New Zealand," says the Inspector, Dr MacGre<r>,r, "is for a central receiving home where the incurable, helpless, and bedridden men and be drafted and placed under the charge of hospital-trained nurses, and no longer Vt to the ignorant' arid oftontime cruel fendance of a fellowinmate. Probably one such institution in either island would lie sifficient for the presest, to incla-le all bedridden casas from the various [fines."

During a recent trip of the Union Company's inter-island steamer Kia Ora to the Fiji group, and while lying off Tuaomilla, on the .Vanau Levu coast, a\turtle was observed sleeping on the surface of the water. One of the crew slipped over the side of the '.steamer with a -view of capturing it. While in the water a shark darted at the man and took one of his legs off. Aid was sent from tfie steamer, and the unfortunate man -conveyed to the shore, where his leg was dressed.

A meeting of about thirty unemployed was held in the Napier Borough Council Chambers last week. The Mayor, who presided, said the Corporation had no work for them, and suggested that they should petition the Government. Mr Browett, Government labour agent, said he had authority for the employment of about thirty, but they could not all come from Napier, as he would have to consider those out of work in other parts of Hawkes Bay. It was agreed that the unemployed should wait on the labour agent, when he would make a selection. The men are required for road and railway work.

A return laid before Parliament on Tuesday shows that the number of blocks of land acquired under the Land for Settlements Act during the years ended March 31st, 1898, 1899, 1900,' and 1901, is 41. The principal blocks opened in South Canterbury are:—Albury, 19,502 acres 3 roods 20 perches, at £3 7s 6d per acre, 30 acres at £4 per acre, 6 acres 2 roods 4 perches at £4 16s 6d per acre; acres 12 perches at £6 15s per acre; 36a 2 roods, 22 perches at £lO per acre; Punoroa, 7029 acres 3 roods 5 perches at £4 10s per acre; Pareora No.- 2, 8132 acres 0 roods 31 perches at £8 15s per ?.cre; Takitu, 9713 acres 0 roods 37 perches at £2 7s per acre; Papaka, 1561 acres 2 at £2 7s 6d per acre.

A meeting of the South ■ Canterbury Engine-drivers' and Firemen's Union will be held in. the Barnard street Hall at 7.30 p.m. on Saturday. Great bargains in boots and snoes; every pair to be sold at less than cost price at Prosser's Timaru Boot Warehouse, late Mair and Co.—(Advt.) "All interested in the Albury creamery are to meet in the schoolroom on Saturday, at 7.30 p.m., to consider the question of selecting the best site for the. creamery.

Messrs Lister and Barrie, undertakers, have a disclaimer in another column. They wish it to be understood that they had nothing to do with the burial of the late Mrs Krenzel.

We remind the many interested in the work done by Bands of Hope that a united concert will be held in the Assembly Rooms this evening. A very fine programme has been arranged, and should result in a most enjoyable and interesting evening being spent.

The Port Guards fire a Morris tube match to-night for two prizes which are being given by Mr E. Pratt and Private Bryan. To-morrow night the Guards' team meet a team from the Temuka Rifles at the Timaru drill shed in a friendly match.

Messrs Stronach Bros, and Morris are to hold an important sale of dairy cows, draught and light horses, implements, etc., at Glenharn estate, near Wyndhatn, on the 12th and 13th September. The sale is one that should attract the close attention of dairy farmers. The hockey match North v. South Canterbury opens on the Athletic Grduhd this afternoon at half-past 2 o'clock sharp. 'All lovers of the "cleft ash" hope that the weather will be favourable, for the match .is the most important ever played here> and should be well worthy of seeing. Yesterday's "Lyttelton Times" says: —The South Canterbury Public Schools Athletic Association Challenge shield, which has been manufactured by Messrs Jones and Sons, High street, jewellers, and is on view in their windows, is a handsome piece of work. The background is a shield of oak, 18 inches by 12, and the centrepiece is a heavy solid silver medallion, with French scrolls, supported by. wreaths of laurel. . At the top are the figures " 1901" in silver, suppprted by a problem in algebra, also in silver, and around the centre-piece are ten silver shields, the first being inscribed " Timaru, Main School, , March 23, 1901." All admirers nad-well-wishers of the Pollard Opera Company will no doubt be pleased to learn \ that the company will play a season here of three nights, commencing oh Wednesday, the- 11th September. The company will produce the now world renowned " Floradora," and also the "Casino Girl." ■ The company are just now at Dunedin, where three weeks of a five weeks' season have been highly successful. The takings of the first night of " Florodora" at Dunedin constituted ft record, the house being packed' from footlights to dome. The representative of the company is due at Timaru in a few v days, to make the preliminary arrange--1 meats.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Court Southern Cross, A.0.F., was held in the lodge room, George street, on Tuesday evening. Bro., W.' Mcßride, C.8., presided, and there was a small attendance of members. Correspondence was dealt with, and "sick money' passed for payment. Three persons were initiated into .the Order, and one candidate nominated for membership. Being first nomination night, several brothers were proposed for various offices, and it is hoped. that next nomination night this number will be consideerbly augmented. The Social Committee reported progress, and a Decoration Committee was appointed. Themoon will be at its full, and given good weather, a most successful" evening's enjoyment can be expected nest Thursday. The secretary of ;he .'..ahour Department reports an increase of 306 in the number of registered factories over the previous year, and of 4522 m the number of factory workers, besides 1703 more employed in the Government workshops. The factory works on March Zist numbered 53,460, or nearly twice as :nn -y as in 1895. He complains of the largo amount of overtime worked; 7247 per.s-ms in the four cities working 216,725 ) urs of overtime last year, and this only counts wo men, girls, and lads. He recommends that in the interests of their phyical welt being, overtime should not I'O rjermittel to girls and boys unrter - sixtoe". The 1 Timaru Inspector of Factories, Mr R. Crawford, in his report, says the -unitary conditions of most of the factories are fairly good, but there is •\ CI »■ iom for considerable improvement. With few ex-. ; ceptions the Act i 3 well observed.

A meeting of the Rangitata Reception Committee was held in the schoolroom on Monday evening. There were present : Messrs Dorward (chairman), Haar, Bryan, Metcalf, Edgar.Conual (secretary and treasurer), and Irwin. The chairman said that the committee should feel grateful that everything had passed off so well. He asked Mr R. J. Conual to read the balance sheet. The total receipts amounted 'to £l9 17s 6d, and the expenditure to £ls 9s, leaving a credit balance of £4 8s 6d. It was decided that the surplus be disposed of in the following manner: That, a suitable glass case be purchased for the mementoes given by Trooper Aitken ; that £1 Is ba given to the Memorial Fund for fallen soldiers; and that the balance be divided equally between the school and the library. A comprehensive vote of thanks was passed to all those ladies and gentlemen who had in various ■ ways contributed to the success of the social,, and a similar compliment to the chairman terminated the meeting. The reference in it to Timaru should make the following letter in Tuesday's "Lyttelton Times" interesting to our readers :—Seeing the dilemma into which the City Council has got over the scheme for "harnessing the Waimakariri," it is high time that they took steps to look about for another source from which to derive power for lighting the city, etc. A' very practical, and to my mind, feasible proposal, was made in your columns some time back, that ah inexhaustible supply of water, and unlimited power in consequence, could be obtained if Lake Coleridge were tapped. Many people may think this scheme impossible, but any one knowing the locality can see the possibility oS a power being obtained from the lake which would be sufficient to light the whole countryside from Timaru to Kaiapoi, and supply many other branches of industry as well. The altitude at which the lake is (some 1600 ft above the level of the sea) would give unlimited power. That it is inexhaustible, is shown by the fact that sis good-sized rivers are ■, constantly feeding it; and as it has never been sounded to its bottom, and is surrounded by rock, there would, be ho possibility of it ever becoming blocked by j'.shirigie:"'":' According to Mr James Mackay, Chief I Clerk of the Labour Department, there is | great difficulty experienced in getting lads and young men for dairying, the objection being against the long hours which this branch of labour entails upon the employees, and because the sleeping accommodation is not always as good as it might be. In the cities work of all kinds I has been fairly plentiful, and very few complaints have been received. Boot manufacturers say that they cannot get girls as machinists. For some reason or other this branch of industry does not seem to be a favourite one with women, and yet good wages are earned. ClothJig manufacturers complain that they cannot get enough hands, while the servant girl difficulty is as pronounced as ever. Mrs Stavely, officer in charge of the Women's branch of the Labour Department, states in her annual report:—-"The procuring of girls for domestic work becomes more difficult every year, as nearly all young women prefer factory, or day work of any sort, to domestic service. A much higher wage is now offered than formerly, but even this does not prove sufficient inducement to alter their" disinclination ioi) domestic work. I hope thatsome means will yet be found to make domestic work more attractive to the rising generation, for there is surely not any knowledge more necessary than this, when a woman gets a home of her own, no matter what her station in life may be."

In our advertising columns will be found a list of places and dates that the delegates of the Canterbury Shearers' Union visit and address meetings. The delegates have so far held very successful meetings at Waimate and other places, and have enrolled large numbers of shearers throughout South Canterbury.

We wish to impress this :—That at our great general boot sale we arc offering good, clean reliable boots and shoes at very great reductions. The quality of the goods we stock creates no misgiving about buying at our cheap sale. All departments show heavy reductions alike. E. A. Irwin's Great Boot Sale, Theatre Buildings.—(Advt.) The Mounted Rifles aro making great preparations for their annual ball, which takes place this evening in St. Mary's schoolroom. A very strong committee is at work, and the decorations promise tobe something unique. The catering is in the hands of Mr Budd, which should be a guarantee that it will be well done. Given a flue evening the troopers and their friends should have a most pleasant time. The regular monthly meeting of the Waimate District High School Board should have been held on Tuesday last, but lapsed for want of a quorum. The only members who attended were the Rev. George Barclay and the Rev. Mr Gibson. Apologies for their absence were sent by Dr Barclay, Mr Howell, and Mr Sinclair. The chairman signed cheques in payment of a few accounts, for which action the sanction of the Board will be asked at next meeting.

At the Magistrates.Court, Waimate, on Monday last, before Messrs W. Petit, and C. V. Clark, J.Ps., an old.offender pleaded guilty to a charge of. being-drunk in a public place, and promised to abstain from the.drink if let off this time. He was convicted mid discharged, and a prohibition order was- issued by the Bench for twelve months. For allowing a chimney to be on fire in the borough, a resident was fined ss. On Tuesday last, before Messrs E. J. Atwill and Petit, J.Ps., a first offender was fined 5s for being drunk. A man named Harris pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing spring chocks to tho value of 20s, belonging to Mr McAlwee> at Otaio. He was sentenced to fourteen, days' imprisonment. It will be noticed by our advertisement, appearing on page 1 that Messrs % Chas. Begg and Co. have received a cable from Messrs John Brinsmep.d and Sons that they have been appointed by Royal warrant pianoforte manufacturers to both their Majesties,. the King and Queen. This is a mark of distinction well earned by the Messrs Brinsmead, who hove held the preI mier position as pianoforte makers during the past century.—(Advt.)

SYNOPSIS OF NEW ADVERTISEMENTS.

Stronach Bros, and Morris—lmportant sale of dairy cattle, horses, etc., at Glenham estate on the 12th and ,13th September.

New Zealand Loan and MercantileAgency Co.—Stock sale at Studhohne tomorrow.

Canterbury Fanners' Association.—Additional entries for Studhohne sale tomorrow.

National Mortgage and Agency Co. — Stock sale at Studhohne to-morrow. Guinness and LeCren—Sale of stock at. Pleasant Point on Monday; have hotel' property at Fairlie for sale. Davies and Murphy Ladies goodsr opened ex s.s. Rakaia. South Canterbury Band of Hope UnionGrand concert to-night. Union, Steam Ship Co.—Waipori for Sydney on Tuesday; Hawea north on Thursday. The Whakatane—Calls at Timaru on Wednesday next. The shearers delegates—List of meetings at which addresses will be delivered.

Albury schoolroom—Meeting to select site for creamery on Saturday.

S.C. Engine Drivers' and Firemen's Union—Meeting on Saturday evening next. Lister and Barrie—A disclaimer. Wanted—Two notices.