LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1813, 18 July 1891, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

PLENTY of carpenters and bricklayers are said to be working in Melbourne for 7s a day. There was no business of local interest transacted at the Land Board meeting on Wednesday. DURING the year ended the 31st of May 304,474 bulfs of wool were shipped from New Zealand, an increase of 29,879 bales on the previous year. IT is reported t!iat a bill is t> be Untight in this session prr>vidiiii£ for an increase of the honorarium paid to member*. T'io Uuour party are said to favour this proposal. THE Education Board has accepted the resignation of Mm Milue as teacher of the Clarks Flat school, and confirmed Miss Kinder's appointment as mistress of the Table Hill school. Thebe were ten patients in the Taapeka Hospital last evening— seven mile and three fomile. One patient was admitted into the institution during the week and three were discharged. The Masterton licensing election has been declared void on the ground that the words " elector " <»nd "candidate " respectively were omitted from the nomination forms after the names of the proposer and seconder. The Government have been urged by Mr Fergus to take steps to encourage fruit growing in New Zealand. He suggested that a sum of money should be given as a bonm for the growing of fruit, just as other industries are protected. The Salvation Array have lcasp-i the Congregational Church building in \Vhiteh-»ven-street, and will open out and hold service there to-morrow afternoon ami evetiiug. This is a most creditable and enterprisiujj move on the part of the local contingent of the Army, and shows what may be done where the rhht spirit prevails. AT a meeting of the Mt. Stuart School Committee on Thursday evening, attended by Messrs J. R>berfcson (chairman), W. Crozier, G. Bartlett, T. H. Batennn, and M. M'Corkindalc, the resignation of Mr Geo. Kerr as a member of tho committee was received and accepted. Two small accounts were passed for payment. The other business transacted was of a routine character. A TEHRIFYING spectacle was witnessed on the plateau of tho Daudenong Ranges Victoria, a few days ago. An avalanche of earth 50 acres in extent swept down the side of the mountain with a fearful roar, and engulfed one residence, the occupants of which escaped with difficulty. Oue lady was buried in the debris, but was eventually rescued. She, however, had a leg broken, besides sustaining other injuries. AcoORDIi-TO to the " Argus," the deficit shown by the Victorian Budget will be fnlly a million. In couuectiou with the railways there has been an nnlooked for expenditure of £271,450, the revenue returns are short by £45,000, and there has been a loss in other ways of £245,000. These items make up a sum of £561,450, and, with. £600,000 whic'.i has to be provided for " reooups," a total deficiency of £1,161,450 is shown. WE are advised by cablegram that in the Sydney market milling wueatvbrings 4s 9.1 to 5s (none offering) and chick wheat from 3a 9d to is. Oats : Feeding sorts, Is 10.1 to 2s ; seed, 2*. The Melbourne wheat market shows no improvement, milling wheat bringing 4s lid to ss. Oats : Algerian, 2s 2£d ; stout, 2s 6d. In the Adelaide market, milling wheat is quoted nominally at 4s 9d to 4s lOd. Oats : New Zealand (in bond), 2s 2d to 2s 4d. The annual report of the directors of the Dunedin Gold Dredging Company (Limited) states that the gold obtained during the 12 mouths amounted in value to £6531 6s 6d, out of which has been paid in dividends a sum of 12S80, equal to fully 46 per cent, on the paid up capital of the company. During the last six months the river has been very high — retarding dredging operations— but has now gone down, and is likely to keep so for some time ; so that regular -dividends may be expected. The dredgemaster reports that che dredge is in good working order. The balance sheet shows that £1589 were paid as wages, £711 for furnishings for the dredge, £372 for coal, and £60 as a bonus to the dredgemaster. A balance of £473 is to be carried forward. As influenza is very active amongstall ages of society, it may not be out of place to be on the safe side, especially where infants and a little older children are concerned. la addition to the medical preparations prescribed by the "family doctor," another important matter (says an exchange) should be attended to by the heads of the family, namely, the eradication of germs from any water or milk partaken of or administered to the patients. It is the steaming of the water or milk for | two hours (not boiled in water) iv screw capsuled preserving bottles. Whilst the steaming proceeds the germs die, aud when the bottle is opened it should be done very quickly, and closed again to prevent floating germs and dust in the air accumulating in it as much as possible. Oa this fluid diet sickness will fly away rapidly, and the patients improve wonderfully. Either milk or water thus treated makes the value of each incalculable. The R?v. Mr Jolly delivered a lecture on " John Knox " in the Good Templars' Hall, Waitahuna, on Monday evening; the Rev. Mr Skinner occupying the chair. There was a very good attendance, and the lecture was listened to throughout with the closest attention. The lecturer divide! his subject into two parts, and at the conclusion of the first part the choir enlivened the proceedings by a very sweet rendering of "Angels' Voices." Mr Jolly then devoted himself to the second part of his discourse, dealing with John Knox as a statesman, bringing out the various incidents in the career of the great reformer in the clearest and most forcible manner. Mr M'Caw proposed a vote of thanks to Mr Jolly in suitable terms, after which the choir again contributed another item. After a vote of thanks had been tendered to Mr Patrick and his choir, the benediction was pronounced by Mr Jolly, and the meeting dispersed. THE Tuapeka Poultry Society's annual show oa Thursday next promises to be the biggest success that has yet fallen to the lot of the Society. The entries closed on Wednesday last, and we understand they are larger and more varied than on any previous occasion. The different classes right through are all well represented, and there is in consequence likely to be some very lively competition. There is also this year an unusually strong incentive to competition in the form of a number of special prizes, double the number, in fact, of those offered at previous shows. There are in addition two valuable silver cups for the best Leghorns and golden Hamburgs ; and as there are some choice specimens of this class of fowls in the district, the rivalry is sure to be keen. The show is now regarded as one of i the best in Otago outside of Dunedin, and some of our local exhibitors are even able to enter the competitive arena in the metropolitan show and carry off first prizes for some of the best classes of fowla. With fine weather, there should be a large attendance of visitors and satisfactory financial results. Latest cablegrams. — The Irish Land Purchase Bill has been read a third time in the House of Lords. — The Paris Figaro alleges that commercial travellers are refused passports in Alsace. -Mr Spurgeon is worae. The delirium and prostration are increasing. — Dr Joseph Kenny, M.P., for the South Division of Cork, has* received an appointment at Dublin, and will resign his seat. — It is rumoured a conference will be held in Lon don shortly between the Marquis Rudini (Italian Premier), Count Kalnoky (Premier of Austria-Hungary), General Von Caprivi (Chancellor of Germany), and Lord Salisbury (Premierof Great Britain).— ln view of the impending famine in Russia all speculation lin grain has been forbidden. At the convention of Parnellites at Tralee a gentleman named M'Carthy, who was in the chair, said that he preferred Balfour and coercion to the priests. — The Austrian frontier guards drove refugee Jews back at the point of the bayonet, and compelled them to return to Poland. —The cholera is raging at Massowah, Abyssinia. The heat is terrific. — At a meeting of the New Zealand Antimony Company the directors were authorised to arrange with the New Zealand shareholders for carrying on the work at the mine at Endeavour Inlet. — The families of the Sioiliaus who were lynched at New Orleans are claiming damages from the city.

1 The date for receiving tenders, to bo lodge { ( with Mr John Thompson, for two miles of I fencing at T uapelca West, has been extended from theSObh to the 23rd instant. The Dunedin Garrison Band, assisted by the Orpheus Bellringers, will appear in tl.e Town Hall this evening ; and from the spleu li 1 reputation wh ; ch the Band has mile f'>r itself, *vo shonl'l have no hesitation in prediutin^ * jrood lioiue and a very enjoyable evening for those who decide on patronising the ciitin^iinment. Thr Band is not only the largest and most complete in the colony, I mfc is a 'so famed ns bcinjj the best trained and most accomplished. Its triumphs during the Ethiuicioa competition have fully established that fact. To-morrow afternoon there will bo a church parade of the local volunteer corps, at which the band will attend, and will perform a number of sacred musical selections in the Volunteer Hall. A collision between a passenger train and a portion of a goods train occurred near Burnside late on Tuesday night. The engine of the latter was shunting on a siding at the cattle yards, having left on the main line a dozen trucks and the guard's van. In some unaccountable manuer these started off towards Burnside on the down grade. The passenger train was stationary at Burnside, but the driver having his attention drawn to the moving trucks immediately backed his engine, but before he could go any distance the van collided with the engine with terrific force. The passenger train being in motion minimised the force of the collision. The engine buffers were broken and the van much damaged. No one. was hurt. On Wednesday, before Juige Williams, a motion was agreed asking that a writ of mandamus should be issued commanding Mr Carew, R. M , to heir ths action brought by the toll collector at Henley against Joseph Williams, a teamster, for refusing to pay tolls. When the case was brought before the R.M. in Dunedin, he dismissed it on the grounds that he had no jurisdiction. Judge Williams has now reversed this decision, being of opinion that the proceedings taken before the magistrate to recover the toll charge was a proper one, and that the magistrate ought to hear the action. He made an order accord* ingly, compelling the magistrate to hear the case, with costs (t'6 6s) and disbursements. As indicating the " temper " of the railway employes in New South Wales, it may be mentioned that some 1,200 of them from the various workshops took, without leave, half a holiday on the occasion of the metropolitan nominations. Such a breach of discipline could not, said the Commissioners, be allowed to pass unpunished. A circular censuring the men and stopping pay for the time was issued' Hid a smaller number of men absented themselves without leave dismissal would hare resulted, but to dismiss 1,200 was a gigantic effort the Commissioners wonld not undertake. The men, however, protest strongly against |having their pay stopped, and the matter will, it is threatened, be ventilated in the new Parliament on the first opportunity. The day was proclaimed a public holiday, all the Civil servants participating in it. The railway men under the Act are looked upon, not as Civil servants, but as the servants of the Commissioners, and the latter denied their right to claim the holiday. A Sydney paper adds that the Labour party express their determination to curtail the powers of Mr Eddy and his colleagues with the least possible delay. Some interesting information has just been submitted to Parliament in reference to the administration of the Babbit Nuisance Act. From a return furnished, it appears that since the beginning of the present year, there have been 39 prosecutions in different parts of the colony for neglecting to destroy rabbits. Of these nine have taken place at Masterton, and six at Oaniaru. The heaviest fines inflicted have been by Captain Wray, at Timaru (£ls), and Mr Stratford, O-imaru, £10. The total fines amounted to £82, the costs amounting to about £25. Two cases at Masterton against W. B. Buick, were dismissed on technical grounds ; one information against the Scottish Investment Company at Gore, was dismissed because the wrong person had been sued, and another Information against the same company was withdrawn by the Inspector. Two informations against the Dunedin Corporation were withdrawn because satisfactory steps to destroy had been taken ; and two cases against settlers in the Tuapeka district were withdrawn on receipt of telegram from the Chief Inspector, who considered it expedient not to prosecute o«i account of the near approach of the poisoning season. The aristocratic abortiou known as Lord -Wortley appears to hive struck a snag, in the shape of an anvil-fisted farmer somewhere in the neighbourhood of the Taieri Plains, and got a most unmerciful mauling. After tearing Tdpanui he made his way to La«rrenoe, and put up atone of the local boarding houses, where he stayed for a week, passing uader the homely name of John Smith, keeping himself remarkably quiet, aud behaving in a very unobtrusive manner. We had a look at him in the Athenamin once or twice, and a greasier or more mildewed-looking specimen of brokendown humanity we haven't seen for many a day. The " huppcr sucles " around Tapanui must be in a bad way for the society of a •• lord " when they allowed themselves to be imposed on by such a scarecrow as Lord Wortley. After leaving here, he worked his passage as far as the Taieri, where, according to the " Advocate," he entered into negotations with a farmer about the salo of some stock and a quantity of laud . " What did you say your name was," asked the farmer. " Lord Wortley," was the reply, uttered without the slightest symptom of pride at the possession of a title. The next minute he was hit on the nose, and rolled over and received such a bad quarter of an hour as no sprig of the aristocracy ever received before. A wkll- attended meeting of the members of the Lawrence Wesleyan Bazaar Committee was held in the church on Wednesday evening. The balance-sheet in connection with the late bazaar was read, favourably commented on, and unanimously adopted. The gross takings, including donations, amounted to £97, and after deducting expenses, and paying for goods bought for the bazaar, the committee were able to hand over to the trustees of the church the sum of £76 towards liquidating the debt on the cßnrch and parsonage. For the information of the meeting the secretary of the trust fund reported that, apart from the bazaar, subscriptions to the quilt and donations to the amount of £45, had been received ; and after paying loan fund instalments due, interest on loan, rates, insurance, and sundry other accounts only a small balance remained. Votes of thanks were accorded to the chairman (Rev. B. F. Rothwell) and the secretary and treasurer of the Bazaar Committee (Mr F. Vivian) for their zealous labours in connection with the movement from start to finish, similar compliments having been accorded at a previous meeting to the ladies and others who had assisted in any way in bringing the bazaar to such a successful issue. A few poods still remain unsold, but these were left for the ladies connected with the sewing meeting to deal with. THE arrivals in the colony during the month of June totalled 559, while the departures amounted to 1,371. This is a suggestive though a sad commentary on the condition of the colony. How is such a state of things to be accounted for in the face of all the gush we are accustomed to hear about our magnificent soil and clinnte and our inexhaustible resources of all kinds ? What is the good of talking about our increasing exports, about the marvellous growth of our frozen mutton industry, or the enormous increase in our grain and wool productions, while the people continue to flee the country as if it were plague-stricken ? At the most the population is only a handful — scarcely enough to set the machinery of a third class town running at Home; and yet in this young country they arc unable to find either sustenance or a home. This is a question that might very worthily employ the thonuhts of every intelligent manwho is solicitous for the welfare of the colony and its people. Until this exhausting drain in the national life completely ceases, there can be no real prosperity, no matter what either statisticians or politicians say to the contrary. The outflow was incessant during the administration of the late Government, and it is now, since the advent of the present Ministry, become still more alarming. Where is the remedy so much talked about by Mr Ballance and his party? But, perhaps, it's intended that the leakage should be allowed to continue until there is no one left but pettifogging, squabbling politicians and civil servants—and, of course, the rabbits.

r Thb iftanager of the Roxburgh Amalgamated Mining and Sluicing Company reports that he washed up No. 1 elevator on Wednesday, and obtained 81oz 14dwt of gold, the result of 128 honrs' working. He proposes to wash up No. 2 line of boxes on Monday or Tuesday next. OUR report of the Warden's Court, which aat till seven o clock last evening, and will be resumed this morning, is unavoidably held over. We may mention that Mr P. Friis's application for an occupation license in block v., Tuapeka East, which objected to by Mr D. Stevenson and a number of miners at Waitahuna, was granted. The so-called ladies' football team, which was in course of formation at Auckland, is said to have fallen through The spectacle of a number of women attired in football costume, mauling and scratching each other and kicking their heels up in the middle of a paddock, to the accompaniment of such commendatory remarks as would be sure to reward the liveliest members of the team, would be something of a novelty, though a decidedly filthy one, in the region of athletics. The failure of the enterprise, we understand, was not owing to the difficulty in getting females with a sufficient contempt for decency, as the members of the team were engaged, some in Wellington and the remainder in Auckland, the wages, agreed upon being 10s a-week and expenses. It is hardly necessary to specify the class who could be willing to accept so much depredation at so modest a figure ; ami it is at all events satisfactory to think that public opinion and the hostility of the Press were strong enough to kill the abominable conception before it took practical shape. SAYS " Puff "in the Wellington " Press !; : j — A nice little afternoon's game yesterday (Thursday) ! Ballance forgot bis roU of the ! tuanter in modol Went off at poor Clutha like gunpowder ! Qot so jolly red and puffy about the gills. I thought here's another bij; gun going to burst ! What was it all about? Simple enough ! If a man is bard up in the country and not an " unemployed " in the city, he can't get a Government job ! Tho work may be next door to him, but unless he gets into a city and makes a big howl about being a Liberal and unemployed he gets no show ! Clutha M'Keuzie merely asked why this was thus with regard to men at C.itlin's River! And Ballance the Gentle said he ought to be ashamed of himself for asking tho questiou ! That little remark proved the waste of a whole afternoon ! Members on both sides went at it ! Duthie spoke of a similar case, where a man had to tramp down from Masterton in order to get a job at Pahiatua ! W. C. Smith opened fire on him ! That ought to have silenced any decent man ! The editor of the Tapanui " Courier " is seriously discomposed because the County Council have been requested by a number of ratepayers to spend a few pounds on tbe improvement of the Bungtown road. Had the decision related to any of the roads within tbe Tapanui district, it would, as a matter of course, have been applauded ; but because it happens to be elsewhere, it is regarded as a most objectionable proceeding, and astonishment is expressed that the members for the *' up country " districts do not protest against money being spent on roads that are seldom used for wheel traffic. The "up country" members, to their credit be it said, are above such pettiness as this ; and, besides, they have too correct a knowledge of the County and of the traffic that passes over the different roads tocommit themselves to such ignorance. There is at the present day a considerable amount of on the Bungtown road, and the County Council are perfectly justified in spending a few pounds in keeping it in decent repair. There are few mining districts in Otago where greater activity prevails than in the country approached by this road ; and the members of the Council are quite well aware of this fact. The traffic from Lawrence to Waipori, always pretty regular and at times heavy, has largely increased of late ; and considering the present dangerous character of the road in one or two places, there was no other alternative for the Council but to adopt the course they did.