LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9918, 5 August 1910, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho anniversary services in connection with, the Wesleyan Methodist Sunday School were held in the church, Belfast, on Sunday. The service in. tho morning was conducted by the Rev J. Pattrick, and in the evening .by the Rev S. La wry. In the afternoon the choir and children gave a service of song entitled " The River Singers." Tho connective readings were given by Miss J. Lowe, and the singing was conducted by Mr Lome. On Thursday evening a concert aiid distribution of prizes were held.

The possession of a letter-carrier was an unobtainable luxury in Auckland in 1841. In that year, according to the historical sketch given by Sir Joseph Ward when, laying the foundation-stone of the new Chief Post Office in Auckland, the postmaster (Mr S. E. Grimstone) called attention to the ",urgent necessity'"' for the appointment of a messenger at Cs a day for Ins office, and stated that if such an addition to his staff wero appointed ho would be able to arrange for tho delivery of town letters twice daily. His application was, however, declined, and it was not until, fourteen years later that a delivery was established in Auckland and in three other towns, Nelson, Lyttelton and Christ-church. Tho delivery in Auckland was performed by the post office messenger, when he could bo spared from his other duties. Some disclosures of, the composition of the butters that many people are eating fire mado by M. Jules Garcon in "Cosmos." A new range of vegetable butters is arising to meet tho composite demands of commerce and the vegetarians. The chief of them is that derived from coco-anut oil, sterilised and deodorised. Well made cocoanut butter, observes ~M. Garcon with enthusiasm, is white, and has a crystalline texture, and it will keep for months if means are taken to preserve it from light and changes of uir and temperature. It is rather hard, and attempts to modify its consistency have been mado by adding a small quantity of fluid oil, which makes it malleable, and a littlo yolk of egg, which gives it the agreeable property _ of browning and sputtering in tho fryingpan as it it were real butter. Some 60.000 tons of cocoanut butter are now eaten overv year by people who digest it under the' name of paluriu in Ger- j many, cooose and vegetalin in France, and nucolii.) or butter in England. But cottonseed, which has had a long, if rather a notorious career as salad oil, is now adapting itself to the new commerce, and is Secerning butter or ; lard, and M. Garcon observes that there is a future- also l'o M palm oil in this capaeiti.

Six Societies for tho Prevention of Cruelty to Animals having announce their intention to be represented at '• conference, it has been decided to hold a dominion conference in Wellington «n August 31. Tho chief subjects for dw> cussion will be the proposed Bill for the prevention of cruelty and. tho niatl^ 1 ' oi a , ; Government subsidv for socieThe Christchurcli Society will appoint tiro delegates to the conference.

It is stated that Mr George SheatJ who stood ior the RiccartW seat in 1 the Conservative interest at the last 1 general election, and who was defeated' by Mr George Witty by 1600 votes, will be a candidate for the same elec-' torate at tho coming general election*! Tt is also rumoured that Mr George W.I Leadiey, of Wakamii, will be* a candi.' date for the Sclwyn seat, at present held by Mr C. A. C. Hardy, the Conservative Whip.

The monthly meeting of the Sj*Lea> ham Primitive Methodist Band 'of Hope was held on Monday, when an enjoyable programme was presented. Songs were sung by Miss Gray, Mm Napier, Messrs Rodda and Griffiths: a, duet by Misses Linda and Bertha Cle-' ment; recitations were given by Misses Gundy, Marsden- and dement, and Master Frank Fitzsimmons; and an address by Mr Rosoveare. Mr W. Dobbs gave an address on "Phrenology-" . | The initial practice of Haydn's ■ Creation," by tho Methodist choirs of Christchurcli and surrounding districts, was held in the Durham ■ Street Church ou Wednesday night. Mr B.' Firth, tho conductor, took tho chartta of between seventy and eighty voices through a considerable portion of the oratorio in a very painstaking manner. Ihe oratorio will be sung in. connection with the Methodist Conference, 1 to bo held in Christchurcli in March, 1911. Practices wsll be hehf "monthly. A somewhat disparaging statement about husbands was made at the Magistrate's Court this morning by a bachelor lawyer in a, summary separation case. He was appearing for the defendant in the action, and speaking of his client to the' complainant's woman friend he said: "But as husbands go he is very good isn't ho? The general average of husbands, of mankind, is not very high, is itP" The opposing lawyer,.and the .other husbands in tho. Court looked aghast until the benedict' solicitor retorted with: "Anyhow, you'll break the average when they get you." • - . .-! When a woman was before the Magistrate's Court this morning on a charge of drunkenness some considerable surprise was caused by her husband, who entered itfie witness-box, and. said to • v i r T-A %, Baile y' M - : " Wliat about itf She has been drunk before and she got a prohibition order against mo. . I can't get any drink and she can get drank. What about it?"i Mr Bailey suggested that he might get' an order against the wife.. ":Bnt inv order wouldn't do for her," replied tho husband. Finally the order, was made, and the parties went home to live under-similar conditions again. | When the Wairoa Geyser was soaped on Wednesday morning, on the occasion of the Northern Onion football' team's visit to Whakarewarewa, the ceremony was performed by Miss May Addison Pudney, of Paris, who is on a. brief visit to her native land, says the "New Zealand Herald." It was a glorious, sunny morning, and Wairoa gave a magnificent eruption. The visitors expressed their pleasure at Wai- ; roa's performance by loud applause, i borne very excellent photographs were! secured- of a rather remarkable shot' from the geyser, which shows its power 3 as even greater than ever in its thermal display. Miss Pudney is a Christchurch girl who went to Europe to study singing. j A Press Association message from) Auckland states that Mr Burgess, S.M.,' gave judgment at Paeroa in the case! in which Albert Burcher and Mrs Bur-' cher sued Alexander Mackay and 'J.j Culpan for dissolution of partnership in connection with the- Joseoh Chamberlain claim at.Owharoa. 'Mrs Bur-' cher also asked for the return, of £69 10s. for which she purchased a shara in the claim, alleging that Mackay, induced her to do so by misrepresenta-i' tion. Mr Burgess said he had not jurisdiction to hear the latter claim,! as the representations had not been made in Auckland. Ho" made an order for a dissolution of the partner-} ship and tho taking of the accounts' between the parties. He said the conduct of Mackay in circulating the re- 1 port about tho claim, which he knew to bo grossly untrue, was most repre- 1 hcnsible. Mackay was ordered to pay £7 Is, the costs of the action. I Mr Pierpont Mergan has bought, 1 through M. Jacques Seligmann, of Paris, eighty-six of the most wonderful little watches in tho world. He paid £60,000 for. them, or an average of nearly £7OO a watch. They formed tho Marfels collection, and came to Paris from Berlin f the Paris correspond dent of tho "Daily Express" states. All of them dato from' tho sixteenth to the eighteenth century. As will be remembered, the first little watches were made in the sixteenth century in Nuremberg, and Paris, and in Italy* The Marfels watches are very tiny, and very beautiful. " One is eggs shaped, made of Limoges enamel, and is no bigger than a canary's egg.' There are only two of these in tie.' world, and both are in Mr PierponiJ Morgan's possession. Many of tha watches are in the form of crosses, and , can be worn as pendants. The smallest of them might bo worn as a cravati Pin- i

Mr Hugo Gorlitz writes to the "New Zealand Times" that Inspector Drew, who arrested. Crippen, has been one of the. most successful detectives in London for years past. Ho knows everybody, lie is a gentleman, and one of the* most pleasant companions. Mr Gorlitz was present at his • wedding some years ago, and during the time when Detective' Drew had charge of tho Walsingha-m robbery, he often eat in Mr Gorlitz'3 _ private office -in Bond Street watching for people who were suspected. One day a'"daylight theft took place in Mr Gorlitz's office. On discovering tho theft Mr Gorlitz telephoned to Detective Drew, and in lesa than two days the goods were returned. Detective Drew looks anything but his calling. He always appears in the regulation frock coat, bell-topper and kidi gloves, while his other garments are iii the height of fashion. He speaks French and German, fluently, ■ and, if itwere not for his natural modesty he would be one of the most famous men in England. His qualifications as a.detective place him hi tho front rank of his profession. j In support of a theory advanced by, Mr G. M. Thomson, M.P.,.that the practice of fish was to follow the food supply, says the "New Zealand Times,". he mentioned a curious case which 00-' curred in 1908. The bays on the east coast of Otago' were full of large flat fish —soles rind flounders,. The fishermen said tho fish were spawning, bub experts knew, tho season was two months too early. The curator from tho hatcheries found on going out withi tho trawlers that the whole sea- bottom 1 was covered with a sitaall species of, shrimp-—the nets and lines being white with them. The fish, the largest seen, when caught were gorged Vifch shrimpa. After a week or two the shrimps disappeared, and soon after very few flat lis]i wore to be obtained. With some fish—lino fish particularly—many of them took the bottom a month before, and. sometimes after the spawning period. This might account for their apparent absence. Another curious' fact was also noted in Otago. Recently' enormous red cod had been taken, 1 mostly male mm. All the fish which came into the market were immature. They did not have a roe amona; them.' Experts knew nothing about the eggs of the red cod, whon they spawned W the .kind of eggs produced. When in need of a throat relief Zymolo Trokeys. They are the incfet improved form of medication for an, irritated throat or a tight, cough. j\! vial u-.Lll cmirinctt jsrou. \lfi* i

I r- *- The weather generally took a'turn for the- worse in New Zealand last Jiight, and-this morning rain was retorted from many North Island, sta- ■ lions, and from the West Coast of the South leland. Rough westerly weather is now threatening. ' The Christchureh letter-carriers entertained the mail room staff at « euchre match on Tuesday evening. Ihe -match was won by the letter-earners l>y 84 games to 04. Light refreshments ■ were handed round, and a very enjoy- ' able evening was concluded with a lew musical items. Mademoiselle Bel Sorrel, of the Williamson Grand Opera Company, said when.she got back to Australia that she liked the audiences, >■"* not weather, of New Zealand. Axaa Am> Castles, too. said that the pecpie oi New Zealand were very hospitable, but ihe weather was otherwise. I A. Association telegram frem tfelson states that William Stanley, a bankrupt soap manufacturer., railed to appear at a meeting of his creditors yesterday, and it was decided to consult the 'Attorney-General as to further proceedings. Some time ago Stanlev alleged that ho had lost £295 from a, bag on .a seat on Haven Road. ' The fourth annual meeting of the Waimatc Gas Company was held last night. The profit- and loss account showed that the year had b.een commenced with a credit of £6oo and had .ended with a balance of £707. A dividend at the rate of S per cent was declared. The borough of Waimate has an option to purchase the gasworks in three years from now at twenty times tho last dividend. The paid-up capital is £7500. ' A large number of ratepayers residing on Stanmor© Road assembled at Mr E. C. Brown's residence last svoning for the purpose of taking steps to have the road widened. The meet-ing-'unanimously agreed that the road as at prwient constructed was unsaie for traffic, especially now that an electric tram servico is about to be inaugurated. At the request of the meeting Mr Brown agreed to call a public meeting to he held in the Richmond schoolroom on Tuesday, August 16, to consider the question.

i Commercial travellers have reported to a Gisborne journal that business, is fairly good up and down '• the "West Coast, though there is a general ngroo- . tnent that trado up tlio Main Trunk lino is on the slack side. " The railway is through the middle of the Island," said a commercial man, ,; the boom is past, and the Main Trunk towns have now to stand on their own frock-bottom and start again." Another business man endorsed the opinion, saying, however, that the resources of the inland country were such that there need be no approhension for its future. A prosecution for furious driving terminated very suddenly; at the Lyttelton Magistrate's Court ' this morning. Prank Gallagher was charged with having committed, the offence on August 1,. when about 6 p.m. ho ran into a trap driven by \V. G. Carson, who forthwith laid an information. The informant and two others who wero with him stated In their evidenco that the trap which struck theirs was driven round a bend in the Governor's Bay Road at about fifteen miles an hour. Carson pulled right to the side of the aoad, but the vehicles collided, arid considerable damage was done. No one of the, three witnesses was propared to ewear that Gallagher was driving the vehicle, alloged to bo his. Carson stated that he suspected Gallagher to be the driver, from the way the cart ■was travelling; but it was getting dark, and ihe vehicle which caused the accident did not stop. Sergeant Ryan said it was most remarkable that Carson should have come at once to lay an information against Gallagher, and then that all three witnesses should be unable to identify the driver. He would withdraw the charge. The defendant said he had been put to somo expense, in attending Court, but had to ' content: himself with the cold comfort that.no expenses ware recoverable when the police took up a case. Messrs C. Terrier, J.P., and J. Garrard, J.P., occupied the Bench.

I Mr W. H. Zouch, inspector of tho. Society for the' Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, .attended the coursing; at !Hornby yesterday, and states that as ifar as he could see all precautions jwero taken to prevent cruelty. Some of tho hares were in very poor condi-tion,-hut the dogs were nob sent after them." Only the strong hares were allowed to- be coursed, a feature of the 'aneetiDg which, he says, was very satisfactory." About twenty hares, as they waro being ■ removed to tho enclosure after the first coursing, dropped dead. It was thought that they " had been poisoned. . Two of these "hares, which are fine robust specimens, were- given to Mr -Zouch, who took them to town, and is having tho bodies examined. He states that if coursing is carried on ihe conditions would bo improved if only absolutely wild hares are used. At present the hares are trained and kept ',for some.weeks, and he feels that tho jtraining must bo accompanied by jcruelty. Yesterday tlie judge gave tho-hares a really good start and they Jjad- every" opportunity to get away. 'He expresses an opinion that, although the counting meeting held,this week was conducted with credit to tho promotors, tho best way of dealing with •the sport is to abolish it altogether. "It is a relic of a barbaric sport," he says, " and is only one step bettor than cock-fighting." As it is legal, however, lie found nothing that would siav© - justified his interference yesterday. In most cases, where the dogs dia effect a kill, death came quickly, and with as little pain as possible. He 'suggests that'the bbokmakmg element, which .was very strong on the course [yesterday," should be eliminated, and Sith it the practice of "doping" tho ogs, which he thinks is very objecjtionablo. He sees! no possible use in jcoursing, as theie is no" object in im(proving the- breed of greyhounds, and 'he does not think that it should come (into the list of genuine modern sports.