Local & General

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6518, 10 April 1889, Page 3

Local & General

<9 Easter Encasipment. — Tlso tents for use by the Volunteers during the forthcoming Easter Encampment arrived at Lyttelton yesterday by the steamer Stella from Wellington. The Waimakariri Rates.— The South Waimakariri River Board have levied a rate of seven sixty-fourths oi a penny in the £ on land comprised in Class 1, and or five sixty-fourths of a penny in the £ on laud comprised in Class 2, for tho ensuing year. Ellessiere Water-Races. — A public meeting of the ratepayers of the Ellesmore district will be held at Southbridge on Tuesday, May 21, to consider the proposal oi: tho Selwyn County Council to raise a loau of JJSOO for the completion and extension of tho water-raee3 in the district. Football Clue, Woolston. — The menibera of this Club, which waa set .on foot only a few weeks ago, have, so far, reason to congratulate themselves on their success. The use of a suitable ground has been obtained, goals erected and play commenced. School Committee Elections. — We are requested to draw the attention of householders to the fact that the date fixed for the election of all the School Committees this year is Tuesday, April 23. This is in consequence of the date prescribed by the Act falling on a general holiday, viz., Easter Monday. The Midland Railway. — Tho news that the financial difficulty in connection with the long-desired Midland Railway had been overcome, spread rapidly last evening, and was the cause of much handshaking and pleasurable excitement. On all hands it seemed to be recognised that Canterbury and New Zealand had secured an advance of many years. Noj&tu Bjeiit Pjreseyterian Chtjsch:. — It will be seen, by reference to our adver« rising columns that the Sev Rutherford Wftddoll, of Dunedin, is to deliver a lecture on " The Coining Aristocracy," iv the North Belt Preabytoriau Church tomorrow evening. Tho rev gentleman delivered, a coerce of lectures in his own church last wintei, on the groat social problems with which this lecture ia connected, and we are certain that those who may attend havo before them an intellectual treat. TuiAitu Borough Council. — The principal business dona at. the meeting of tha Timaru Borough Council on Monday j eveuiug was tho consideration of the estimates tor 18S9-90, which were presented by the Works Committee. The totals wore — Receipts, .£3233 6s 8d ; expenditure, •£81:20 IGs sd. Consideration of th 3 estimates was not completed, a motion being tabled and adjourned that the Foreman of Works take over the duties of Waterworks Inspector, thus saving the salary of the latter officer. A Very Persistent Member. — Mr J. H. Hopkins, a member of tho Drainage Board, was severely taken to task a,t the ordinary meeting of the Board yinsterdsy for publicly writing and otherwise 'making false statements respecting the finances of tho Board. Tho Chairman made a statement in which ho totally re ufced Mr Hopkins' remarks, and a resolution waa adopted calling on him to specify his charges in. writing, apologise for making them, and withdraw them. A report appears eleewhere. Eangioha Linseed Oil Company. — A meetiwg of shareholders in the above Company, to receive the liquidator's statement;, was held at the Municipal Council Chambers, Eangiora, on Monday afternoon. Mr J. Johnston, Chairman oi Direetors,presided. The liquidator's statement was passed, and a vote of thanks was passed to Messrs M. Amy and D. C. JM'Douald for the able manner in which they had wound up the affairs of tho Company. An undivisable balance of £2 "was ordered to be handed over to the Northern Agricultural and Pastoral Association, to be offered as a special prize at their next exhibition for the best dreesed Native flax. The meeting then terminated. V.M.C.A. — The V.M.C.A. Literary Society hold & meeting on Monday evening last, when a large number of members wore present. The businesßof the evening was to hear a paper given by Mr T. H. Smeaton on "A passing look at Capo Town." Tho paper was freely criticised by most of the members present, and the evening wa3 brought to a close in the usual manner. A social meeting will be held to-morrow evening. A varied and interesting programme has been arranged, and advantage will be taken of the opportunity to take leave of Mr T. H. Smeaton, the General Secretary, who has resigned his office. The respect in which Mr Smeaton is generally held should ensure a very large attendance. Inquest. — Mr R. Beethaui, Coroner, conducted an inquest at Lyttelton yesterday on tho body o£ an infant child which expired a few minutes after being born. No medical man attended at the confinement, and consequently an inquest had to be held. The verdict of the jury was "Accidental death." It appears that the mother oi! the child was not in a position to secure the services of a doctor. An experienced nurse was present, but all her efforts failed to keep the infant alive. The mother was so poor as to be unable to provide funds for the burial of the child, and the police had to take the matter in hand. Her husband is a sailor engaged on one of the coastal vessels. Baptist Church.— lt will be interesting to the many friends o£ the Rev Lewis Shackleford to learn that he is about to sever his connection with the Baptist Churches of this Colony, aa he has just accepted a call to Norwood Church, Adelaide. The rev gentleman has been stationed for upwards of two years and a half at Greendale. The Baptist Union recognised his scholarly attainments by appointing him Editor of the New Zealand Baptist, a position which, he still holds. Besides ranking high as a biblical scholar, he ia also proficient in such subjects as chemistry and geology. In him the Baptist Churches of this Colony as well as the Union, will lose the services of a gentleman, who, by his scholarly abilities and by a consistent Christian life, has won the esteem not only of the members of his own church, bufc also of Christians of other denominations.. Wheat. — A fair amount of business has been doing recently in grain at Ashburton, and some farmers have been showing more readiness to sell than they have done of late. Many are adopting the plan suggested iv leading articles in these columns of selling a portion of their crop now, a portion three months hence, and the remainder later still, the idea being not to glut the market by a rush into it of the whole crop at once. Sales of Tuscan wheat have been made at 3s Sd to 3s 9d, and as high as 3s lOd for special lines, and 3s Gd has been taken for pearl and Hunter's white, bnt for f.a.q. wheat 3s 8d iB not difficult to get. Oats are in strong demand, and 2s 9d is tho price for best sorts. The season's crop of grain is not yet by any means all threshed, but work goes on when the weather permits, and that good work is being done by the machines the quantity of grain coming into the township every day fully proves. A Sensational Incident. — The Southland News reports that while the cutter Bravo was at one of the mutton-bird islands, a sensational incident occurred. A number of birds had been secured, and the crew having returned to the cutter, a start was made for home. One of the crew— Fred Amett, of Riverton— was struck by the boom and knocked overboard. The accident was not noticed by his mates, and Amett was not missed till the vessel had gone some distance. When the alarm was given, Axnett was ceen in the water a good way off. He was apparently about as much at home there as on the deck of the cutter, diving occasionally to get out of the way of the heavy seas. A boat was promptly lowered, and one of the. crew pulled off and rescued Arnett from what most men would consider a dangerous position. He, however, was in no wise concerned about his own safety — his anxiety taking the form of fear le3t the boat would be swamped, or the cutter — only one man having been left on boardcome to grief.

Supreme Couj&t. — After sitting in Bankruptcy and iv Chambers yesterday torenoon, Hia Honor Mr Justice Denniston resumed tho civil sittings, trying two of the causes set down. To-day he will take Ditfort and another v. Booth, a cause to ba tried before tho Judge and a special Jury of four. The Court opens at 11 a.m. Palace Rink.— The skating surface at the Palace was last night comfortably filled with followers of the pastime. A large number of those present proved themselve3 adept-3 in fancy skating. Me Donnolly leaves to-day for Nelson, to re-open his rink in that centre, but will return in time to superintend the numerous entertainments he '\s organising for the Easter holidays. Draughts. — A meeting of the members of the Canterbury Draughts Club was held yesterday evening in. tbe rooniß of the Caledonian Society, to consider a challenge received from the players of North Canterbury. Mr H. Kay wjis voted to the chair. It was decided to accept the challenge, and to play either ten or twelve men a aide, at Rangiora, on tho evening of Thursday, April 18. The Upper Avon-. — A deputation o° residents interested in tho improvement of the Upper Avon, waited on the Drainage Board and offered to guarantee the money for the construction of a small dam below the Hospital if the Board would erect one. Tho Board agreed to take a legal opinion on tho subject, and the deputation to proeuro tliß signatures of the owners of property adjacent agreeing to the work being done. Stdenkak Presbyterian Band of Hope. — This Band of Hope, which, was inaugurated two years ego, held its opening meeting for 18S9 on Monday evening at the Presbyterian Church. The chair was occupied by the Eev P. R. Monio, who delivered a stirring ackhecs to the young people, after which n. most attractive programme waa gofe through, consisting of conga by Messrs Haig and Brow, and radiations by Misses Mitchell, Forrester and Martin, and Master Pi elfin. Office-bearers i'or the session vrers elected as follows : — President, Rev P. It. Mouro; Vice-Pre-sidents, Messrs A. Campbell and W. H. Ivieifcleliaui ; Secretary, Mr James Haig ; Treasurer, Miss R. Campbell; Registrar, Mr Donaldson ; Conductor, Miss Ferguson ; Committee — Messrs Bcew, Haijr, Hickson, Brown, Brugess, Misses Mason and M'lntosh, and the Sunday school teachers. Gas in Omnibuses. — A new departure ha 3 just taken placo in the lighting of public conveyances in London. Several of the new omnibuses belonging to the Metropolitan Railway Company, now running batween Baker street station and Piccadilly circus, are lighted by gas instead of oil. The gas is ooutnined in a small reservoir, similar to tbose in use in the railway carriages of tho Metropolitan District Railways, and is carried underneath the vehicle. Tho light given is greatly superior to oil, and enables the passengers to read a paper with comfort. Death-hate of Tkoops in the French Colonies. — Some very interesting statistics respecting the death-rate of the French troopa stationed in the different Colonies have just been supplied to the Academy of Science by Br Lagneau. The mortality of the soldiers in the mother country averages from 9to 11 per 1000. In Algeria ib ranges from 11 to 12 per 1000, and in Tunis it is merely a fraction higher. In Cochin. China, however, the death-rate doubles, and at Pondicherry it trebles tha normal rate in France ; while in Toiiquin ia ISJS it attained the figure of 96 per 1000; nor is this all, for many soldiers sent homo invalided either die on the journey or after France has been reached. Senegal and G alarm, are eztreuiely unhealthy Colonies. In tbe former the mortality among the troops Rveragea 73 per 1000, while in the latter in bad years it has attained the terrible figure of 237 per ICOO. Iv Reunion, where the me&n death-rate is 29 per 1000, it rose during the " Madagascar Expedition" to 113 per 1000. On the othor hand Otaheito and New Caledonia are even more healthy than the Mother Country, the mortality being estimated at only 8 to 9 per 1000. A New Bank for AtjbtisAla3ia.— Tho European Mail of Feb. 1 says that among the numerous joint' stock enterprises in .process of formation in London, is a big financial concern in connection with the Australian Colonies. In the opinion of many the time has arrived when there should bo a thoroughly representative Bank of our Antipodean Colonies, and, accordingly, it is intended to float, at an early date, the Bank of England and Australia, Limited, with a capital of £4,000,000 in shares of .£lO each. The head office -will be located in a prominent position in the City of London, an d branches are to be opened forthwith in Melbourne and Sydney, and later on all over the Colonies. It is upwards of thirty years since an Australian Bank was placed in the London market, and, judging from the present high prices of the shares o£ the existing kindred institutions, it is believed that the shares will be readily taken up at par. Already, the Mail hears, a very large number have been subscribed for privately. Ten thousand shares are to be reserved for Melbourne, and a like number for Sydney, and the remainder will be offered here by one of the leading London Banks. No promotion money will be paid, and the institution will be launched entirely on its merits.