LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7728, 11 June 1903, Page 3

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

_ — -• ' The annual meeting of the Canterbury Fruitgrowers' ; Association, which was to have been held last evening t was adjourned till June 20. . Messrs Mason, Struthers and Coi are the successful tenderers for oils, hardware and cement to the Greater Cbristchurch Council for the ensuing year. / Details^ of the holiday traffic on the Government railways throughout the colony during the Easter period show that 25,519 more passengers were carried than during the corresponding period of 1902. The barricade erected across the Glad- j itowe Pier to prevent access- to the cargo from the s.s. Gracchus, was removed today. Mr Munro, District Sanitary Inspector, visited Lyttelton during the morning, for the purpose of settling matters in connection 'with the removal of the quarantine restrictions. Mr Bell was reported to be doing wejl to-day. It is intended to replace the old Presbyterian Sunday Schoolroom at Lyttelton, with a larger and more convenient building, and steps will shortly be taken to provide the necessary funds. The old schoolroom bus somewhat of a historic character, having been erected over forty years ago for educational purposes. It was for several years used as a Presbyterian High School, under bhe control of the late Mr John Ross. Messrs Hollis and Brown; the contractors for the repairs to the Canterbury Kilwinning Masonic HiU£ Lyttelton, recently damaged by fire, have begun operations. It is intended to erect aa upper storey of wood, extending the whole length, of the building, in place of the former one, which only covered the front part c)f the hall. The Lodge-room will be on the npper floor, and the structure, when completed, will be one of the best appointed Masonic balls in the \ colony. In the report published yesterday of the adjourned meeting of the Ohristchurch Licensing Committee it was made to ap--1 pear that the license of the Oxford Hotel was granted oh Mr Hoban's undertaking that the sanitary improvements required would be effected. As a matter of fact the license was. granted without the imposition of any conditions on the licensee, Mr Hoban having stated that it was generally left to the municipal authorities to see thai suoh work as that required was done. On a meeting of the Canterbury Fruitgrowers' Association lapsing for want of a quorum la«t evening, Mr E. Wilkinson renarked? that the apathy of members regarding "their own interest* was surprising. Unless member* took a live interest in the Association it would have to collapse. In these d»y» of Unionism and co-operation it was highly necessary to work in unison to Sain the best results. Hitherto each grower *d be«n slaving »w»y singly, and he urged that they thould actopfc the opposite courier and work together. ].- »

The social gathering which was to have been tendered by the residents of New Brighton to • the ex-mayor, Mr George M'lntyre, has been postponed owing to the death of Mr W. Blake_ the town clerk of the borough. A telegram from Wellington states that over three thousand live sheep are to be forwardied to South f, Africa to-morrow^ by the Essex. It is believed that this vessel's cargo will be the largest that has ever left Wellington. The Diinedin correspondent of this paper wires : — Private advices state that the Chief Justice has refused to dial single-handed with the Newtown licensing matter, and that arrangements have been made for it to come before the full court of six judges some time this month. The following are the yields of wheat at the Lincoln College this year:— Tuscan wheat, 58 bushels to the acre ; Talavera, 52 bushels; Ward's white, 45 bushels; bard Duluth, 46 bushels on limed. land, and 42 on unlimed, lime used at the rate of two tons per acre, just previous to sowing. A charge against a boy of having stolen a couple of oars, was to have beera heard j at the Lyttelton Police Court this morning, but a witness named George Graham, who had been subpoenaed, did not appear, and a warrant for his arrest was issued ,by Mr S. R. Webb and Captain Marciel, the Justices in attendance. The annual report of the Canterbury Fruitgrowers! Association states that the Association has forty-eight members, and that there is evidence that this number will be largely augmented dtiring the coming year. The treasurer reports the receipts for the year at £47 13s, and expenditure at £16 5s 9d, leaving a credit balance at date of £31 7s 3d. , To-day Mr and* Mrs D. Lumsden celebrate their silver wedding, having been married by the late Rev H. C. M. Watson, at <Sfc John's Church, on June 11, 1878. j Mr Lumsden came to .the colony in' lß6l, from Victoria, and has been, engaged in the printing business since 1862. tFor the past thirty years he has been engaged at the "Lyttelton Times" office; he is well known in, connection with educational matters in the coipny. At the Collingwood Court, to-day, a miner : employed in the Puponga coalmine, was fined £10 '• on two charges of sly grog-selling, in default twenty-eight days' imprisonment. The police stated that the trade was carried on in a large way. . The accused was evidently befriended by someone at his back. A large quantity of beer, bearing a Nelson label, was found on his premises. The mineowners discharged the accused in consequence of his action. They have a prosperous Commercial Travellers' Association in Victoria. At the half-yearly meeting held last month, it was reported that the* surplus for the half-year was £5120, against £3606 for the corresponding period of last year. The whole of .the remaining -indebtedness (£3280) on the debentures issued in respect of the club premises had been, paid off, and the land, building, furniture and stock*, valued at over £31,000, were the property of the Association unencumbered. . The roll showed 781 associates and 1108 club members, an increase of 148. The mortuary dividends during the period amounted to £814, or £155 per death.' .To-day's weather foreca-st is as follows : — Wind moderate from the westward at all places northward of Napier and New Plymouth, and moderate to strong from- tho Westward elsewhere. The barometer will rise slowly at all places northward of Napier and New Plymouth and fall at other places. The K-a will be considerable on all the west coast and moderate on all the east coast. The tides will be good on the west coast of the South Island, high on west coast of the South Island, moderate on the east coast northward of Napier and good thence southward. A warning signal for we3terlay gales- is exhibited at Nugget Point Lighthouse. During the last twentyfour hours there has been very little movement of the barometer generally, with moderate westerly winds and gloomy weather. _ - Speaking at 'the unveiling of the Westland war memorial last week, the Premier said: — "From first to. last the net cost of the war to New Zealand was £239,886. The amount expended by the Government for the despatch of men was £26,000. The patriotic funds subscribed by the people of New Zealand amounted to £60,000. In all, the war had cost the colony £350,000, , exclusive of memorials since erected in various parts of the colony. The number of officers, non-commissioned officers and men sent to South Africa was 6513, exclusive of those who went from New Zealand to South Africa and joined there. He did not quote these figures to disparage any of the other colonies, but to equal the number sent from New Zealand, ■- Great Britain would need to; have sent 340,000, Canada 44,000, and Australia 30,984. Speaking now of the sacrifice of life, Nelson and West Coast Volunteer district* suffered most heavily. The casualties for the whole colony 'had been as follows :— Killed in action 60, died of wound's 20, accidental deaths 25, deaths from disease 131 ; total, 256." .