OUR DUNEDIN LETTER.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1174, 26 August 1885, Page 5

OUR DUNEDIN LETTER.

(From our own Correspondent.) The Dunedin Pigeoa, Poultry, Cagebird, Canary, and Dog Society (the name is rather long) held their first show on Friday and Saturday last. The. number of entries was exceedingly satisfactory, as was alao the attendance uf the public. The collection of poultiy on view in the Garrison Hall was very fine, including some really valuable birds. There was also a fair number of dogs, but somehow or other the judges' decisions in this department were considered very unsatisfactory. There always is and always will be grumbling over poultry and dog show judging, but in this instance there seems to be good grounds for complaint. In the fox-terrier class, Mr R. E. N. Twopenny had entered a dog named " Belvoir Tom," which had carried off first and second prizes in Melbourne, Sydney, and Wellington. This dog, which is valued at £100, did not receive a prize at all, but was only commended. To make matters worse, Captain Cotton (one of the judges) wrote a note to the Secretary of the Society regretting that the owner of the dog was not there to lead it and show its poiota, otherwise it would have gained a prize. Considering none of the owners of the dogs were present when the judges went round, this was rather a lame excuse. In the St. Bernard class, it is alleged that the prize was given to a young dog that did not possess many good points, whilst known well-bred dogs were passed over. The poultry judges seem to have done their work better.^ There was, however, some dissatisfaction, but the general impression seems to be that the judges followed their own notions and ranked some birds points higher than others, which they had every right to do. The show will give a great impetus to poultry and canary-breeding, and it is to be hoped it will become an annual fixture. Mr H. S. Brownlie (the Secretary) deserves a heap of credit for the way in which the arrangements were carried out.

A case was heard before Mr Justice Williams last week, which is not only interesting to all Good Templars, Rechabites, .etc., but will form a valuable precedent. The facts cf the case briefly are as follow :— Two men — Dyson and Onseby — were members of the same Good Templars' Lodge, Dyson being Secretary. Onseby was working for Dyson, receiving for his labor the handsome remuneration of 2s 6d per week and his board. Dyson suggested to Onseby that it would be a good thing if they were to start in business as commission agents, and Onseby gave Dyson a cheque for £8 or £10 as his contribution towards paying tne preliminary expenses of starting. Some squabble arose, and Onseby demanded his money back ; Dyson refused to return it, and Onseby (who says he was set upon by Dyson and his wife) either accidentally or purposely struck Dyson on the head with an iron-last, inflicting rather a nasty wound. Onseby was arrested, charged with assault and battery, and fined £2 and costs. At a meeting of the Good Templars' Lodge some time afterwards, Dyson brought down a digest of the Good Templars' laws, and showed that any brother who assaulted another brother was guilty of flagrant misconduct and liable to be expelled. In due course Onseby, at Dyson's instigation, was expelled from the Order. Dyson, as Secretary, inserted an advertisement in the " Evening Star," signed by himself and two officers of the Lodge, intimating that Bro. Onseby had been expelled from the Order, underlining the word " expelled." Onseby, deeming himself aggrieved, consulted his solicitors, and brought an action against Dyson for £50 damages for libel. After hearing the case, Mr Justice Williams ruled (1) that Onseby was not lawfully expelled from the Order, and (2) that Dyson had committed a libel by inserting the advertisement, His Honor awarding the plaintiff | £10 damages and costs. Public opinion is with Onseby in the matter, the general impression being that Dyson's malice had led him a step too far, and that the verdict served him right. Mr J. W. Jago was called as an authority on Good Templar law, and his evidence showed that Dyson had exceeded his powers, and further, that publishing a notice of the expulsion of a member was outside the customs or laws of GoodTemplarism.

The Burns Statue Committee are again in want of money, and correspondents to the papers are suggesting all manners of means to raise the necessary

funds to bring out the statue of Scotland's poet and hare it erected in the Octagon. In due time the statue will no doubt arrive, and it is to be hoped that it will give more satisfaction to the subscribers than the one of the late Mr William Sef ton Moorehouse has to the good people of Ohristchuroh. There will be, however, one great difference regarding the statues : whereas everyone in Canterbury who knew Mr Moorehouse by sight is able to judge whether the statue is lifelike or not, very few persons in this city have a very definite idea of what was the appearance of Burns. Joking apart, after all the subscription-lists that have been sent round, concerts and performances given by the Kennedy Family, Mr Lingard, and others, it is nearly time we were permitted to gaze upon the statue of Scotland's greatest bard.

Notwithstanding the opposition of the member for Roslyn, the Otago Dock Trust Bill has been safely piloted through the Legislative seas, and is now an accomplished fact. Mr Donald Reid's section of the Harbor Board and part of the Chamber of Commerce, backed up by the "Star" and "Times," have done all in their power to prevent the bill passing, and now Messrs Elder and Allen and the "Evening Herald" have the laugh at them. My own opinion coincides with that of the " Herald," and is to the effect that a good dock at Port Chalmers will not only soon pay but will help to further the interests of the whole of Otago. There are some people who want to wait until a good dock can be built in the Dunedin Harbor, and the best that I wish these gentry is that they be compelled to live in Dunedin until such a scheme is possible. Time soon slips around, and in another short week the question of closing the hotels at ten or eleven o'clock will be discussed at all the street corners and in the columns of the dailies. A new feature has already been added to the subject in the shape of a petition signed by all holders of eleven o'clock licenses, praying that their less fortunate brethren may have the same privilege extended to them. The petition also states " except in special cases where you may see strong reasons against it." It seems to me that by their action the Licensing Committee have special reasons in the majority of cases for not granting eleven o'clock licenses, and therefore this saving clause rather mars the effect of the whole petition. It is not very likely that the prayer of the petition will be given effect to, as (he police report that owing to the early closing drunkenness has greatly diminished in the city, and the streets are far quieter after ten o'clock than they used to be. Another thing is that now the public have become accustomed to the closing of the majority of hotels at the early hour, there would be quite an outcry if eleven o'clock and midnight licenses were again granted.