LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9913, 30 July 1910, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A sharpshock of earthquake was felt at Palinerston North about 2.15 o'clock this morning. Owing to the wet weather having de. layed tne preparation of the floor, th« new Olympia Skating Rink in Hereford Street will not be .until the end of next week. An. Assessment Court will sit in Christchurch. on Tuesday at 10 a.m. tu hear objections to the i revaluation oi the Christchurch drainage district. The sitting was fixed for this morning, but was adjourned owing to the absence of both Magistrates from the city. The old tramway sheds at the corner of Cathedral Square and Worcester Street, were sold to-day by Messrs Conway Matson and Co>. There was a small attendance of the public. The purchaser is Mr J. T. Woodfield, and the sum paid is £IOO. ■ '

The export returns of Napier liarhour for the year ended Juno 30 show a very substantial increase on last year's figures, being £1,893,655, as against £1,575,046. The chief increase was in wool the value of which was £1,242,160, as against £555,845 in the. preceding year. A meeting of old members of Nos. 1 and 2 Companies of Volunteers, Christchurch Artillery, and of the E Battery will be hold at the Orderly Room ou Monday night to receive the report of the committee in connection with the celebration of. the jubilee of voluntary military service in Canterbury on Sep- » tember 13. ''

A meeting of the Christchurch branch of the New Zealand Labour Party was called for last evening, but as there was some confusion iu .regard to the place of meeting, some members going to the Trades Hall and others to the Public Library in Sydenham, it was decided to postpone the meeting until Friday evening, next, when it will be held in the latter place.

A plan for the improvement of a portion of the river-bank in front of the Magistrate's Court and Supreme Court builclings was formulated to the Christchurch Beautifying Society by its curator, Mr H. J. C. Jekyll, a good many months ago, but various obstacles prevented tho- work from being, carried out. After a lengthy delay, permission. was obtained from the Department of Justice for the work,to be done, and mainly through the efforts of Mr H. G. Ell, M.P., the Department was induced to contribute £3O towards its cost. Mr Jekyll himself collected £BO, and it- is expected that the two sums will be sufficient. It is proposed to re-form the portion of the bank on the western side between the Armagn Street and the Victoria Street Bridges, and re-sow the area with grass. Two plane trees and an elder near the Armagh Street Bridge have been cub out in order to enable the other trees to make better growth, and the post and ohain fence has also been removed. A pathway will be formed, and flowering shrubs planted, and improvements will also be made to the lawns and ornamental plots in front of the Supreme Court Buildings.

The phenomenal success of " Bell Cycles in the late Timaru to Christchurch Road Race has resulted in large numbers of orders from all parts of New Zealand. Many of the machines thus ordered are required for the next great road race. The " Bell Cycle "is the only New Zealand-made machine to accomplish the fastest, time in the great Warrnambool and Melbourne Road Race. 1873

They a,dd much to the comfort of a home/and the opportunity of securing some of the newest shapes at reduced prices should be a great inducement to buy now. We refer to our Antique Copper, Brass, Black and Brass, Black and Copper Kerbs. Prices 'from 30s, complete with fireirons, etc. Coal Vasea in quaint shapes from 8s 6d. \Ve solicit a visit to our show rooms. W. Cougreve and Sons, Ltd., Colombo Street X 133

Are your diiiiy tasks becoming too strenuous —too much foi; you make you weak ? Thev needn't—Stearns' Wine of Cod Liver Extract'v. ill iill yor. with vim. ojk! vigour- . ■

1 The 'Annualball promoted by the railway employees at Ranyjoi a mill bo held on Friday, 'August.s.

Last night the minimum thcnv.o(mcter 011 the grass recorded lljdeg ol frost in Cliristchurch.

The men's meeting that was to have been hold at Avonside to-morrow has 'been postponed, owing to the illness of ith« Rev O. Fitzgerald.

Mr Paulin's prediction, telegraphed tails' afternoon, is as follows Squally north-west to south-west winds, and fine for twenty-four hours; barometer fall.

l>r P. Marshall, of Dunedm, will give an address on "The Geology ox the (Cook and Society Islands' before the [Canterbury Philosophical Instituto on "Wednesday evening.

' -The Heathcote Litrary and Debating Society held a 'Journal;' evening on [Monday, when Mr T C. Hatton piesided. A number of uiteresting and (instructive essays were read by the lady [editors, Mrs Grant and Miss A. \\ eir.

Brilliantly fine weather was reported very generally this morning, except on the West- Coast, where there werecloudv skies 3 jukl in. Southland. .oliiit reported a squally westerly wind, with rain. Tho barometer is still rising slowly.

Mr G. C. Smith, J.P., occupied the Bench at the Magistrate's Court, Lyttelton, this morning. Edward Smitherrrnah, a second offender, was charged with haying been drunk, and was convicted and fined 10s and costs. Samuel Bowden was also -fined 10s and costs, being convicted of haying been drunk [and disorderly.

I The clock in. the Jubilee Memorial (Tower, which for the past fortnight jhas remained' steadfastly at the hour (of twelve, was connected with the electrical synchronisation system ccntroljling the Post Office and. City Council /docks, at noon to-dav, and started, according to an expert, "a new era in Avhich it will tell tho truth, the whole {truth and nothing hub tho_ truth regarding the rate at which time flies. "What is considered a record price for SflsTi was reached yesterday at the >Veliington auction sales. A hapuka weighfing about 301b fetched 14s 6d. Other W, are correspondingly scarce, and rfi-eah fish are : nardly obtainable m {town. A well-known fish merchantasa'" Post' ? reporter that ,it was /the worst season for fish he had ever (known. What t-lie reason was he could W explain, but things had gone from bad to worse.

In 1904, at a bazaar'in aid of the Mission to Seamen in Wellington, when the honorary auctioneer was clearing an old salt purchased a jug for the Imodest sum of sixpence, and returned »t to the mission. This jug has been but up to auction several 1 times since, in .a'id of tho mission piano fund, and to such effect that a sum or £7 12s 6d lb as been, realised to date. In the temporary absence of the original receptacle a substitute was auctioned the other evening, and brought well over twenty shillings.