Local & General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6033, 15 September 1887, Page 3

Local & General.

South Canterbury Jockey Club.— At a special meeting last night Mr J. G. Macpherson wa3 appointed paid Secretary at —50 per annum.

The Smuggling Cases. — Mr J. Ollivier was engaged the whole of yesterday at the Lyttelton R.M. Court hearing two charges of smuggling against E. E. Cornish and T. Cooper. The former was fined £35 and the latter —25 and coats.

Evangelical.— The evangelistic service in Sydenham Presbyterian Church was well attended on Tuesday night, and a powerful address was delivered by the Rev D. M-_e_aan. Much good work is being done. The meeting will be continued every night this week at half-past seven o'clock.

Presentation.-— Miss Mulcock, who for the past nine years has acted as organist and Sunday School teacher at Flaxton in such a manner as to win the good feeling and hearty good wishes of everyone in the district, has lately changed her abode to South Canterbury. Before going, her friends presented her with the <•' British Poets," and expressed their hope that her stay in South Canterbury might be ag nseful to Christian training as it has been at Flaxton.

South Canterbury Hospital and Charitable Aid Board.— At the usual meeting yesterday the Auditor-General wrote disallowing members' travelling expenses, and those of the Chairman's visit to Wellington. It was resolved that the Chairman should make a declaration as to his actual expenses. Mr H. W. Robinson, R.M., Oamarn, forwarded the Commissioners' report re tho Board v. the Waimate County Council. Accounts were passed for payment and the Board rose.

Canterbury Catholic Litebary So-ciety.-—The quarterly meeting of thia Society took place oh Tuesday evening, Sept. 13. The attendance was large, and the President, Mr R. Lonargau, presided. A letter was read from the Secretary of the Dunedin Catholic Literary Society, suggesting the advisableness cf a union ot' all the Catholic Literary Societies throughout the Colony. The programme consisted of extempore speeches. A number of interesting subjects was selected, such as capital punishment, tlie cause of the present depression, John Milton the poet, the policy of the German Government with regard to the Samoan Islands, and many more. On these matters, some excellent speeches were made, five minutes being allowed to each speaker to arrange and the same amount of time to deliver hiß speech. The speech-making concluded, tho customary prayers were ssid, and tho meeting terminated as usual.

Kaiapoi Unemployed. — Mr March met the Mayor of Kaiapoi yesterday to consult ■with him as to what measures could be adopted to find work for tho unemployed at Kaiapoi. Some thirty people attended at the Council Chambers, whose names were taken down by Mr March, and we understand that in the course of a few days works will be put in hand which will provide for the exigencies of the occasion. Concert. — A concert was given in the Oddfellows' Hall, Lyttelton, on Tuesday evening by the niemberß of the Lyttelton Amateur Dramatic (31 ub, the proceeds of which were to be handed to the Lyttelton Rowing Club. There was a very poor house, owing probably to the inclemency of the weather. The programme consisted of Craven's three-act drama, "Coals of Fire," in which the characters were *. — Miss S. Porteous, Mr 3 C. E. Harvey, and Messrs Collins (2), Sinclair, Arbuckle, Ingleson, Taylor, Sad--I—-, and Haden. The pieca was very well put on, and all the performers showed that thoy had made a study of the various parts allotted to them. This was especially the case with Miss Porteous and Mrs Harvey, who ran each other very close indeed for first place in the female characters. Mr J. Collins was entrusted with the comic part, and was not found wanting. Mr Ingleson made a very good old man, and was frequently applauded. Mr Arbuckle was a great success as Wentwortli Parmesan. Messrs G. Collins, Sinclair, Sadler, Taylor, and Haden also did well, the first-named especially being very good. Altogether the piece went very well, and certainly deserved a better house.

Lord Aberdeen's estates in Aberdeenshire, which extend to 63,000 acres, have just been re-valued, with the result that there is to be au average reduction of rent of 30 per cent. It is no wonder that Scotch farmers have been complaining that they were too highly rented, as ene always hears that a re-valuation has resulted in a large reduction.