LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6935, 26 October 1900, Page 3

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

» — Ab eight o'clock to-morrow evening a specif edition, of the " Star " will be miblished. It will contain the latest cablegrams respecting the war and affairs in China, and reports of events occurring in the colony during the afternoon. . To-morrow's "Star," which, as is customary with Saturday's issue, will consist of eight pages, will contain the following Bpecial features:— Tales and Sketches — The Mystery of the Golden, Tooth, Igjorrcte Runners, The Phantom Pinto, Paris, The Savages of Europe. In the Shadow of Arayat, Methods of Men of Genius. Ladies' Page — He Kept His Promise, Prills *of Fashion, Elderly Ladies with Young Husbands, Women's Theatre Parties, To Utilise Dried Fruits, Household' Hints. Readim? for Everybody— The Week, Bandsmen's Column, Brief Mention, Fun and Fancy, and the latest telegraphic and general news. The s.s. Rdfcoiti, with the San Francisco mail, arrived from Wellington at 7.35 a.m. to-day. . The "Tapanui Courier" says that fully fifty persons sell alcoholic liquors in the prohibition district of Clutha. The Waikare, from Melbourne and Hobart, arrived at the Bluff this morning: Her mails should reach Christchurch to-morrow evening. The sharpest shock of earthquake experienced in Napier for several yeans, occurred to-day, at 12.20 p.m. The direction was from east to west. The Mapourika is shipping 8000 packages of butter and 700 packages of cheese from New Plymouth to-day for transhipment to the Kumara for Londbn. The recent heavy rains and rough weather have somewhat checked supplies. Our Magistrate's Court report yesterday made it appear that judgment was given for the plaintiff in the claim by John O'Neill against Mary and Frederick Kepler for money lent. As a matter of fact, a verdict in favour of the defendant was returned. An applicant for old. age pension at the Lytteltdn Magistrate's Courb on Wednesday found, to her sorrow, that the amending Act was in force, by which no pension is granted to a husband or wife where their combined income exceeds £78 per annum. Under the original Act, in this case tha applicant would have received a pension of £12,. her income being assessed at half that of her husband, whose income was stated to be £80 per annum. The following subscriptions have been received for the fund in aid- of the widow and family of the late Engineer W. It. Abbott, who died suddenly at the fire at Sydenham on Oct. 6:— G-. T. W., £1; H. Holland, £1 ; A. F., ss; H. J. Sluaw, £2 2s; C. A. Seager (Turtibull and Jones), £1 Is ; A. W. S., ss ; W. E. Sorrell, £1 ; H. 8., 2s ; J. Martini, 5s ; H. Matson and Co. , £1 Is ; Dr Russell, 10s ; W. Johnston and Sons, 10s ; P. M. Johnston, 10s ; T. and 0., 5s ; Mi' and Mrs Cockayne, 10s ; R. Purvis, 5s ; M. Kavanagh, 10s ; H. Henry, ss ; W. Moore, 2s; other amounts, 4s 6d. A sailing boat capsized yesterday afternoon in the estuary, but the crew, three young men, gob ashore in safety. A telegram from Wellington, states that the City Council last night resolved to borrofa £45,000 by special order for street widenino.

A series of " Wild' WeSfc" exhibitions \rill be given in Chri«tohurch shortly by a per•former styling himself "Broncho George." The Mayor desires to acknowledge the receipt of a donation, of £50 from' Mr Allan MTLeari, towards the cost of the Jubilee cele'bratione. Mr C. M. Gray, chairman of the Fire Brigade Committee, this morning received a letter from Superintendent Smith, who was then in London, having) returned from the ?aris Exhibition. Mr Smith and other New Zealanders had called on the Agent-General (the Hdn W. P. Reeves), who received them very cordially. There had been a largenumber of fires during the time the Superintendent had been in London, and, from_whab he saw, Christchurch had little to learn from the Metropolitan. Brigade in the matter of coping with fires. He considered the • work' done i was" noti very smart when the very fine equipment was taken into consideration. Mr Smith, had intended to return to tfie colony by the Brindisr route, but all the boats were full, and' he found it impossible to get passage' by any one of them which would land him in the colony before the middle of December. He has therefore arranged to return by way of America, and was to ieave London on Sept. 27, to catch the first of. the new linfe of mail boats at San Francisco on Oct. 22, and should arrive hete about Nov.- 22. The Government has offered the services . of a contingent as a guard of honoiir at the inauguration of the Australian Commonwealth. The site of (he City Council's old yard is now being fenced in with an iron post ana chain fence of similar design to those surrounding the other city reserves. On each of the posts is the inscription in raised letters : " Province founded Dec. 16, 1850." A Waikato trooper now in South Africa says that whenever a farm or a store was met with the Bedford men would eet enough to last them a day, but the New Zealanders would be carrying fowls for a week— -in fact, their, camp was" like a little farmyard, and whenever the Beers heard the cocks crowing in the morning on the veldt they knew the New Zealanders were about, and it was time to cleari A sale of work was opened in the Druids' Hall, Sydenhanj, yesterday afternoon, in aid of the funds of- the Sydenhain Presbyterian Church. The sale was organised by the ladies of the Sewing Guild, and the stalls were under their charge. In addition, there was a refreshment stall, presided. over by Mesdames M'Kay and Richards. In the evening selections were played by Mr W. F. M'Lean's String Band. The sale will be open again torday fromi 2 till 5, and froni 6 to 10 p.nt. ( Some months ago it. was announced tiiat an Association had been formed amongst the principal makers and importers of agricultural implements and machinery in. New Zealand, with the object of restricting the number of shows at which exhibits would be made, and fixing a scale of prices and uniform conditions of sale. The agreement, however, fell through, and at Leeston yesterday, which was one of the shows on the black list, implements and machinery were exhibited as usual. There was a large attendance at the Syderiham Wesleyan Church last evening at the tea and public meeting held in. connection with the anniversary of the Sunday School. The church had been prettily decorated, and the children, who were seated on an improvised staging, sang anniversary hymns at the opening of the meeting. The total number of scholars on the roll is 342, with, an average attendance of 232. Addresses were delivered by line Rev 9R. Taylor, C. H. Lawes, and H. Bull, and vocal items were given by lady members of the congregation. . The Engineers' Band will play the fellow-' ing programme at the Rotunda to-morrow evening, commencing at eight o'clock, when a collection will be taken up by members of "the .Kre Brigade for the benefit of the widow of the late Fireman Abbott:— » March, " The Viking" ; .selection, " Auber" ; waltz, " Beautiful Switzerland "; trombone solo, "Le Grand"; selection, "Lurline"; cornet polka, " Take It Easy " } cornet solo, " Dreams of My Own/Land " ; " Danse . Antique." As a result of the performance given at the Rotunda on Wednesday evening by the Woolston Band, the sum of £2 Is Id has been handed to the Fire Brigade for Mrs Abbott. The Ohristchurch Tramway Company entertained its employees and their friends, numbering over one hundred, at a social gathering in the Caledonian Rooms last evening. Mr R. M. Macdonald, managing director, presided, and a very pleasant evening was passed with toast and song. The proposer of the toast of "The Christchurch Tramway Company" spoke of the very handsome manner in which the company treated its employees. Mr Macdonald, in responding, said that he was gratified at the good feeling which always prevailed between, the men and their employers. He afterwards proposed the health of " The Employees," which was duly responded to. A very pleasant evening was brought to a close by the singing of the National Anthem. The new railway passes which are being issued to members of both Houses of the Legislature are now just about completed by Messrs Rash and Gooder, jewellers, of Willis Street, Wellington. The design is (says the "Post") in the form of a Maori mere — the emblem of chieftainship— done in gold, to the handle of which is attached a miniature crown. On the one side appear the words " Members of Parliament," and on the other "Free Pass," the monogram " N.Z.R." and the name of the constituency which the member to whom- the pass is issued represents. The mere was struck in two halves, afterwards soldered together, so that it makes a neat and not too cumbersome pendant for the watch chain, and a distinct novelty in the way of jewellery. A meeting of the committee of the Progressive Liberal Association was held on Monday evening, in the rooms, Gloucester Street. There was a good attendance. 'Tie Bills Committee reported on the 'Gycle Boards Bill, and urged that the measure .should: be carefully considered before the next session, as the. powers delegated to Cycle Boards were considered second only to those of local bodies. One new member was elected. A sub - committee was appointed to deal with the Representation Act r and to report to a future meeting. A lengthy discussion took place on the Work of the session just ended, and considerable dissatisfaotion was expressed at the continued shelving of important measures, which should be placed upon the Statute Book, in. order to accomplish, urgent political and social reforms. It "was ultimately decided that the next meeting should be entirely devoted to reviewing th& work of the session. A warrant has just been issued by the Belgian Court for" the re-arrest of Sipido, the would-be assassin of the Prince of Wales, and instructions ha<ve >heem> given to the police to keep a careful wajWh. at all the railway station®. This piece of comedy is all the more ridiculous since the Court knows full well that Sipido 'has been careful to cross the frontier and take shelter from all inquiries, even if- they should b& seriously made. It is generally believed 1 tihat these measures have been 'taken by the magistrates in order to give some sort of satisfaction to England. A Peterborough man made a bet that he would hang himself, and he did so, life bt> ing'extinct when he was discovered. Hanging Lamps from 5s 9d to 555. We guarantee to give better value in hanging and table lamps, chimneys, shades, wicks, etc., than any lamp-seller in New Zealand. Fletcher Bros., direct importers of lamps, chimneys, etc., High Street, Christchurch. Candles reduced Id per lb. Keroseme 2s per tin. Kincaid's G.I.C. X2547 Tariff reduction at Kincaid's G.I.C. X2547 Ceylindo Tea reduced 2d per lb at Kincaid's G.I.C. X2547