Local & General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6847, 8 May 1890, Page 3

Local & General.

Working Men's Club. — The entertainment to be given by the W.M.C. Dramatic Class will tako place this evening. St. Alb.vns School Committee. — A meeting of the Conituittee v?as held last night, when Mr 111.1.I 1 . Wayinouth was elected Chairman. Address to Bishop Harper. — The address from the laity of this diocese to the Right Rev Bishop Harper, on his resignation, was presented at the Provincial Council Chamber at 2 p.m. to-day. Amalgamation of City axd Subuubs. — The adjourned conference of representatives of local bodies, to consider the ' question of the amalgamation of the city of Ckristohurch and the suburbs, took ] place at the City Council Chambers i at 3 p.m. to-day. { Lectore.— Last night Mr E. J. Collins delivered the first of a aeries of lectures on " Astronomy," at hie night school in J Tuatn street. There was a fair attendance i of pupils, with their parents and friends, ' and all Eeemed to eujoy and to tuke great ' interest in the lecture. j Raxqiora. Literary Institute. — The ! Committee of the above institution met ! on Tuesday, Mr G. Buekham in the chair. The Treasurer's statement showed a credit balance of £■> 9s Gd. The President stated I that the Rangiora Glee Club had kindly J offered to give a concert in aid of tho ] Institute funds on Tuesday evening next, I and he had accepted the offer. | Theatke Royal. — The play of Lillle ' Lord Fauntleroy was repeated last night, j before a numerous audience. On thia \ occasion, Mita Olive Berkley took the title j r6le. Thiß was her first appearance in the j character in Christchurch, and she gave a i most admirable interpretation of the part | of the little lord, fully sustaining the j opinions expressed of her acting elsewhere. Miss Berkley won the repeated plaudits of j tho audience, who recalled her after each j act. Mrs Louise M. Berkley, who has I been a victim to "la grippe " for several days, made her re*at)pearanco in the part of the adventuress, "Minna, to advantage ; j and the other characters were sustained j with equal excellence. The play will be i repeated during the next three nights, ! MiEB Gracie Hopkins and Miss Berkley ' alternating the part of the little lord. A ; matinfe will also be given on Saturday afternoon. Dunsandel. — ■ At the annual general meeting in connection with tho library j and hall; Mr P. Westenra occupied the chair. The report Btated that in the early spring a heavy gale of wind demonstrated the necessity of more strength m the roof. This wa3 attended to. Shortly j after taking office the Committee lost one , of their moat energetic members by the sudden death of Mr Edwin "Wright. During the year the Committee exchanged fifty volumes with the Greendale Library. There wa3 a credit balance of .£5 9s lid. A donation of M 4s was given to Mr Robins, the Librarian, for past services. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:— Messrs P. Wfistenra, P. Lill, G. F. Wright, R. Burgess, J. S. Robins, S. Shervard, G. Stapleton, J. Lockhoad, and D. P. Cameron. A vote of thanks was accorded to the outgoing Committee. At a meeting of the new Committee Mr P. Westenra was re-elected Chairman and Treasurer, Mr F. Lill Secretary, re-elected, and Mr J. Robins, Librarian, re-elected. Resolved— "That fifty volumes be exchanged with the Greendale Library, and thab Messrs J. S. Robinß, Gr. F.Wright, [ and F. Lill be the selectors.". The meeting cjhen adjourned. Still Losing. — The Wangcmm Herald ' says:— Tie disastrous departure of popu--1 lation freni our shores is still going on. ! The number of persons who arrived in ; this Colony during the month of March ' was 1352, and departures 1581. These arrivals were— from the United Kingdom 338, from New South Wales 235, from Victoria 557, from Tasmania 147, from > other places 75. The departures were— • to the United Kingdom 243, to New South f Wales 894, to Victoria 652, to Tasmania 5 56, to other places 136. No Chinese > arrived during the month, but three de- ' parted. The loss is at the average rate 1 of about 7500 a year, which, reckoning * each emigrant who is able to pay his J passage at £ 150. shows an annual loss to the 8 Colony of no less than .£1,125,000. This '» is what is impoverishing the country and '• intensifying the depression. With the c unfortunato fall of prices in the flax '" industry, the hope of finding constant a employment is getting dimmer to vast a numbers of people.