Local & General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4855, 21 November 1883, Page 3

Local & General.

♦ Meetings of the General .and Executive <Jommitte«flof the Exhibition were hold last eight, wboa.a good deal of business was trannoted, ai reported elsewhere. Intending exhibitors •hould bear in mind that all entries must be made before Doo.l. The forthcoming publio performance ,of the Christines .oratorio "The .Messiah," prosuies to be Tery successful, judging from tho capital praotioe oi tha Sooiety last .night. The conductor is .anxious that all members should be present at the few remaning rebewapb, the concert being definite!; fixed for Thursday, Deo. £0. A noting of tho Saloaim School Committee took place on Not. 19; all the members present, Mr A. Sfc J. White in the choir. The Chairman reported that , the proceeds from the concert and ball, jo aid of the children's prizes and treat, ■mounted to £13. •Votes of thanks ware passed to those who helped, to this end, and it was decided to give £3 for sohool prizes ; sportF, £3; and £3 towards (he girls' lawn tannin fond. We have reeeired the first, number of the; Volunteer and j&rmed Cotutaibulery &azettf,\ which is intended to be published monthly in j the interest of the service of New Zealand. The current cumber consists of 20 pages, filled with information, local and genera], bearing on Wolnnleer matters. Borne of the articles contain orittoisms of parades and reriews held here which point oat bloto that these interested would do well fio read.carecfully. The pnbliuhers Are Menu Ford and .Co., of Ohriatohutoh. A meeting of the members of the Executive Branoh of the New Zealand Hibernian Catholio Benefit Sooiety was held at their room, corner of Madras and Inchfield streets, last evening. Mr Frederick M'Sherry occupied the chair. The meeting had been called more especially £or the purpose of considering the advisability of amalgamating with the St Joseph's Branch of tho tiooiety, and it was unanimously decided that the proposed amalgamation should take place. Correspondence was read from various branches of the Society, whiph showed that considerable progress was being made, especially in the North Island. After dealing with several matters of routine the meeting >djouraed.

The usual monthly meeting of the Kaiapoi Farmers' Club lapsed from non-attendance of members. The members of the Temperance Sooiety in oonneotion with the Oxford Terrace Baptist Ohuroh purpose giving an entertainment of a varied character to-morrow evening. At a meeting of tradesmen in Ktmpoi, at whioh Mt William Eraser presided, i\ was resolved to arrange a pionio to Akaroa on Dao. 17. The Chairman undertook to see the manager of the Union Shipping Company, to treit for a steamer. The following items will be found on our fourth page :— Tale— " The Boundary ftider" (to be continued), Induttrial Exhibition, Drainage Board, Agricultural and Pastoral Association, Town Boards, St Luke's New Organ, A Human Cannon Ball, Ao. A doputation, consisting of Messrs John Ollivier, Fleeher and Hobden, waited upon the Drainage Board yesterday for the purpose of ascertaining whether or not the Board intended to strike the new rate under tho provisions of the Bating Act, 1882. The Chairman informed the deputation that the Board intended to follow the provisions of the Bating Act. Mr Ollivier assured the Boird that the legality of the rate so struck would be tested in the Supremo Court. There was a fair attendance of members at the meeting of the Ohristohurch Bioyole Club yesterday, when the now badges were distributed. The design, whioh was muoh approved, was taken from the Oyelist, an English work on bicycling, and the badges were made by Mr Horton. The runs are :— Nov. 24, Kaiapoi;; Nov. 31, Harewood road ; Doc 6, Sumner ; Deo. 13, Halswell. The Secretary was instructed to apply for particulars, re 100 mile road race, from Pioneer Club. The privileges in oonneotion with tho Ohoka Races were sold afc the Bongiora Market Yards yesterday by Mr W. Buss, the result being as follows :— Gate money, £38, N. Kidd ; grand sUnd and saddling paddock, £12, N. Kidd ; publican's booth, £31, P. Gillon; oonfeotionerV booth, £5 10», W. Robinson ; raoe cards, £5 se, F. White; rights of sports, £3, W. Bump; right of horse yards, £2 10a, F. White ; total, £95 ss. An accident, terminating fatally, ocowed on Friday. A man named John M'llrenny was employed driving some diso harrows far Mr James Little on the Allandale estate, and it is supposed the horses i must have been frightened at a passing \ thunderstorm and bolted, as M'ilrenny was found dead, evidently having been thrown from Mb seat with violence. An inquest was held the following day, Mr J. D. Lance, foreman. A verdiot was returned of " Accidental death:" J The annual inspection of arms and accoutrements (Government property) of the various Volunteer corps in the Ohriatchuroh district is being held during the present week. The liyttelton Naval i Artillery and tho City Guards assembled on muster parade for the above purpose on Monday evening, and last night the B Battery of Artillory was inspeoted by Colonel Lean at the Drill Shed. Thirty-six members of the company were present under the command of Lieutenant Hill, and after the inspection the Artillery went through gun drill, at the conclusion of whioh the Colonel expressed him solf well satisfied with the result of his inspection. The Christ's Oollege and Sydenham Bifles will be inspeoted this evening. The annual and invariably suooesßful race meeting at Amberley takes place J on Anniversary Day, Deo. 17, and promises to be as popular as its predecessors. Speoial train arrangements are to be mode. Messrs Bobbs and Goodwin will have one of their totalisators in the spacious saddling paddook, and several improvements to the course will , be made. The jookeys who hitherto have j been obliged to submit to very poor accommodation will bave no cause to complain this year, as a wooden building will be at their servioe in the saddling paddook. A very good and liberal programme has been issued, and owners are reminded that the nominations for the Handicap Hurdles, Amberley Cup, and Nsrthorn Handicap close on Saturday next, a'i 8 p.m. The annual general meeting of the Sydenham Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Sooiety was held in the Oddfellows' Hall, Sydenham, on Monday evening last. There was a medium attendance of members, and Mr J. J. Parker was voted to the ohair. The balance-sheet having been read and confirmed, the following gentlemen were eleoted as officers for the ensuing year : — Patron, Mr B. Beeoe ; President, Mr J. Joyoe; "Vice-Presidents, Messrs O. Olark, H. W. Packer, W. White, and J. I. Fisher; Hon Treasurer, Mr Ambrose Johnatone; Hon Seoretary, Mr J. Bailey; Managing Committee, Messrs A. Rowland, Lester, Richie, Musohamp, Beattie, A. John- j stone, Markham, W. 0. Williams, Beeoe, J. J. 'Parker, W. Skinner, and J. Scott; Finance Committee, Messrs Rowland, Scott, and Williams. A vote of thanks to the retiring officers having been proposed and carried uneni* monsly the meeting adjourned. On Sunday last a speoial service was held in Killinohy schoolroom, at whioh a oolleotion was taken up in ad of the Presbyterian Sabbath School. The RevJ. Krill, Wosleyan minister of the Leeston Circuit, preached to a orowded audienoe. On the following day a treat was given to the children and their friends by Mrs Lowery, and although the weather was rather unsettled, it did not interfere materially with the general enjoyment. Before separating the c .ildren were assembled in the schoolroom, and examined on a portion of Soripmre and iho shorter oateohisin by the Rev R. Johnston, after whmh, awards for atteHdanoe, conduct and proficiency were distributed by the Rev W. West, of Southbridge. Totes of thanks were passed to Mr and Mrs Lowery for their kindness in providing the treat, and to Mr and Mrs Nixon for their unceasing attention in carrying on the Sabbath aohool from its commencement. The Benediction brought the meeting to a close. Some short time ago the Ohristohuroh Linseed Oil and Fibre Co. imported two sets ef retting and soutohing machinery from Belfast, and since then two similar machine! have been made by Messrs Booth and M'Donald. All the maohiaes worked satisfactorily, and it is gratifying to note that those locally made, while procurable at as low a cost as the imported machines, ate equal to them in construction and utility. One of the machines was erected at Southbridge, and a considerable quantity ef flax has been Boutohed and sent to England as a trial shipment. The Company's agent is at present at Flemington, .preparing retting ponds and seeing to the ereotion of a mill. The two other machines are intended for ereotion at Lincoln and Brookside respectively:; but one of them will probably be detained in Ohristohurcb, to be shown at the Industrial Exhibition. It is to be hoped «thab the farmers of Canterbury will <see their way to. give a hearty- support to the development of an industry that mußfc tend very materially to their advantage. " Romeo and Juliet " was again presented by the Pomeroy Treupe last evening. The cost, with one exception, was identical with that on the last occasion, Mr Dillon taking the part of the fiery Tybalt vice Mr Page. Miss Pomeroy's Juliet we have noticed before. Last night Bhe was again successful in showing the extent to which ehe oan command the powers an actress must have at call to play the part with full effect. The balcony scene, the final one of all, and that in her own home when she has deoided on making aso of Friar Laurence's phial, were perhaps the best During the latter scene-unseemly interruptions occurred in the pit. At the close of the scene Miss Pomeroy was called before the .curtain, and apologised to the audienoe for what had happened, saying that for her own part what had taken place woe beneath the contempt of an artist, but that sho felt it was only right to her audienoe to apologise to them for the rudeness to whioh they bod been subjected. These few words of quiet rebuke had a stimulating effect on some individual in tho pit, presumably the same who had caused them, and he renewed his olamour, but was promptly turned out of the theatre by those around him, amid much applause. Mr Elliott's Borneo is a muoh quieter, smoother and more taking performance than any of his other olassioal parts; he looks it thoroughly and acts it well. Meroutio, especially in the quarrel with Tybalt, was well cared for at the hands of Mr Appleton, who acted with more point and freshness than is usually the case with him. The Friar Laurence of Mr Hall wan also a very meritorious performance, a foot his audience were not slow to recognise. The remaining characters were as well played as before. To-night the company appear in " London Assurance."

A Oommittes meeting of the Kaiapoi Institute was held on Monday evening last ; Mr J. L. Wilson, President, in the chair. Accounts were passed amounting to £10 9j, aod the balaaoe in hand was reported to be £19 10b sd. A little girl, between fotnr and five years old, wao found wandering— and apparently lost — on the Lincoln road, near Selwyn street, about 1 p.m., by Mr Gates. She was unable to say wh«re her parent* lived, or to give her name ; and Mr Gates, after making every possible enquiry in the neighbourhood, brought the little wanderer to the Polioe Depdt. She wears a white hood, blue and white striped •frook, with white pinafore bound with red braid, and is evidently suffering from whooping cough. A grand Blue Ribbon Demonstration is advertised for to-morrow evening in the Durham Street Church. Mr J. Broughton will preside, and the addresses will be delivered by the Bey 0. Worboys (who has just arrived from London in the lonic), the Rev J. S. Smalley (who has come up from Dunedm speoially for thii purpose), the Beys H. 0. M. Watson, J. Blmslie, and J D. Gilmore, and other gentlemen. The Durham Street Church Ohoir nave kindly undertaken to render some antt>ems. A large meeting is expected. Some time ago the Kaiapoi Borough Council called for competitive designs for a bridge aoroaß the Waimakariri, and limited the cost for Bame to £4000. A design was aooepted and tenders have been called whioh result in the cost being estimated at over £5000. A olaim has been made on the Counoil for the bonus of £60, on the ground that the estimated price was not adhered to. The letter conveying this claim is understood to be the withheld correspondence on which a peculiar and noisy debate took place at the last meet* ing of the Council. The regular monthly meeting cf the Bobert Buruß Lodge, 604, 8.0., wan held last evening, in the St Augustine Masonio Hall, at whioh there was a very large attendance of members and visitors. The following officers were duly elected for the forthcoming year: — Bros F. W. Francis, R.W.M.; S. Buohanan, W.S.W. ; J. T. Park, W.J.W. ; P. Duncan, Treasurer (re-elected) j B. W. 8. Eastwood, Seoretary (re-elected); George Maule, Chaplain; A. 0. Somidt, 8.D.; H. Tuck, J.D.j W. Jaokson, 1.G.; W. Toms Tyler (re-elected) ; and F. Williams and P. Hill, Steward?. The nexb meeting of this Lodge will be held in the Canterbury Masonio Hall, Manchester street. The meeting the Kaiapoi Borough Counoil held last evening was another flagrant example of the incapaoity of its members to oonfine themselves to the business of the town. One Councillor, in a highly melodramatic speeoh, introduced a topio of town gossip, implicating one of his colleagues, and charging him with attempting to influence by base calumny the Mayoral eleotion, in whioh he (the speaker) was interested. One or two of the Councillors took the matter up rather warmly, and the dissuasion ended in a Babel of tongues, for whioh this Council is remarkable. An important question of proprietorship of papers wbb brought forward, namely, whether certain correspondence addressed to the Mayor was Counoil property, or whether it should bo first sent to a Committee to get its sanction for publication. It was decided that the Counoil had no olaim. When Messrs Eraser, Matthews, and May, on the question of finance, held baok a report, the deoision was the other way abouti Some figures from the " Comparative Statistioß of Mortality," published in the Colognt Gazette, show the death-rate in various countries. From these it appeared that while the average death-rate in towns in England and Sootland is 210 per 1000, in Paris it is 23 5, in Copenhagen 23 8, in Brussels 256, in Holland 25*8, in Germany 308, in Bucharest 32 3, and in Austria-Hungary 34 6 per 1000. Berlin has the highest death-rate of all, towns inoluded— namely, 563, while London, with three times the number of inhabitants, has only 21-8 per 1000.