CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XX, Issue 42, 5 August 1892, Page 18

CHRISTCHURCH.

(From our own Correspondent.)

A COMPANY, it seems, is about to be formed, to establish a dairy factory and a creamery at Addington, and another at Leeston. Mr M. Murphy, promoter, and Mr F. M. Meadows, secretary of the proposed Addington factory, attended a recent meeting at Spring's Hotel, Leeston, to explain the company's proposals and to gain support. Mr John Rennie, who was fully in favour of the movement, and had twelve years ago advocated the establishment of a factory in the district, occupied tbe chair. About thirty farmers were present, and great interest was shown in the matter. Mr P. Bainey, chairman of of the Tai Tapui factory company, gave interesting particulars of the Tai Tapui factory.whicb, JJhe said, had attained from a small beginning to a very satisfactory position, and was a great advantage to the farmers, who supplied milk at a profitable price. He urged strongly tbe Leeston farmers to start in their own interest a factory on cooperative principles. The Tai Tapui factory, he said, receives the milk of one thousand cows. Mr Jameson showed from statistics that there are in the Ellesmere district very con derably over three thousand cowa. Mr Murphy, who said that he was aided by a large ec&le plan, which Mr W. P. England had prepared, made some proposals with regard to factories in country districts. VAV A representative

local committee was formed to further the interest of a factory in tbe locality, and it was arranged that Mr Meadows Bhould next week visit the district to enroll shareholders.

Mr W. B. Scott, the well-kaowa buildar and contractor, has re-* turned to this city after a stay of twelve months in the Australian colonies. He ha 9 been through a portion of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania with an eye to business, but the building trade, he says, is practically at a standstill in the places which he has visited. Several large freezing works have, however, lately been erected, for some of wbich he tendered. But there were a large number of persons in for these workg, and he did not secure a contract. The freezing works at Townsville are reported to have cost £35,000, those at Eagle Farm £30,000, and at Aberdeen £17,000. He conaiders that Queensland will never be able to freeza as cheaply as New Zealand, ai the natural air cannot be used to cool the carcases before they are frozen as at Belfast and at other places in the Colony. On account of thn warmth of the climate, a cool chamber, wherein the ammonia process ia used, bas to be provided. Living in Brisbane is very cheap. The best joints of beef are, for instance, 2d per pound, and for inferior Id. He found in Sydney some Chrißtchurch citizens who are doing remarkably well, but others as badly, and many New Zealanders in Sydney and Melbourne are anxious to return, but are unable to earn money enough wherewith to get back. Mr Scott speaks most abont Melbourne, where wages are generally down, and where carpenters work for 3s a day. He says that without seeing the present poverty and misery no one could in any form estimate them. Hundreds of dressmakers, milliners, and factory-girls are oat of work, and servant girls are in some cases glad to take situations for their board only. He visited the silver-mines, which are just now at a standstill, at Zeehan, in Tasmania. He agrees with tbt man who said that Zeehan was the last place made in tbe world, and was never quite finished. The whole country, to the hilltop, is a swamp, and it rains every day. As ladies are unable to go anywhere in Zeehan without getting over shoetop in mud, they wear gaiters, and have cat their dresses so that they do not come lower than half-way below the knee. This new fashion, he thinkg, would in this city at the present time be better than long trains.

The Rev Father Ginaty's sermon on St Mary Magdalen on Sunday night last at St Mary's was a most excellent discourse, He 9howed that thin remarkable penitent, as well as being one of the most beautiful women of her age, was of nobl* birtb, and her people were rich and owned, besides possessions in tbe city of Jerusalem, at Magdala or Magdalum, a town in Galilee, large estates, and on a mount and near the lak«, termed the sea of Galilee, a fortress known as Magdala Castle, after which the institution on the Lincoln Road is called. Ha spoke at some length of her early life and education, of her wonderful conversion, and of her subsequent glorious career and of her most happy death. He combatted the statements made by several early Greek writers who confound the saint with St Mary the sister of Lazarus, and related the popular tradition of the inhabitants of Provence in France. According to this legend the saint and several holy women and some disciples o£ our Lord, beiDg expelled from Judea by the Jews, took ship and landed finally at Marseilles, where they founded a church. Their relics were discovered in a subterraneous chapel iv the thirteenth century and were removed with great pomp and solemnity to the cathedral at Aix. But the saint's head, set in a golden casket encased with diamonds and surmounted with the royal crown of Charles 11, styled King of Sicily and Naples, remains still iv the underground chapel. Among other things the Rev Father described was a grotto called La Ste Banme or Holy Cave, which is situated upwards of three thousand feet above the sea level and among some rocky mountains and about three leagues from Marseilles. St Mary Magdalen is said to have spent many of the last years of ncr life in the strictest penance in this grotto, wherein are a statue of the saint and a small chapel, and the place was a favourite resort for pilgrims and penitents during the middle ages.— l hear that the collections for the poor at the proCathedral on Sunday last amounted to £12. Mrs H. Clifford of Springfield contributed £2 towards this sum and her donation was accompanied with a letter wherein she expressed her regret at not being able to attend the special service at the pro-Cathedral. His Lordship acknowledged with thanks, previous to commencing his sermon and from tbe pulpit, her donation and read her letter.

The half-yearly meeting of St Patrick's branch of the Hibernian Society, which was largely attended, took place during the past week in tbe Hibernian Hall. A fresh committee was appointed to manage the hall, and the branch decided to comply with His Lordship's request, which is, in future not to let the hall for dancing purposes. At present there are 96 members on the roll, and the following gentlemen were elected officers for the ensuing year. Mr Luke Haughey, president. Mr G. E. Dobbs was re-elected vice-president, and 3fr W. O'Shaughnessy, secretary. Mr J. R. Courtney was elected treasurer, and Messrs J. Cronin, Gauntive, and J. Finnerty were appointed wardens; and Messrs P. O'Rorke and E. McQuillan, sick visitors. Brother Reidy, auditor, read the past qrarter'B balance sheet, which showed that the funds were steadily increasing, more especially tho sick fund, The amount

of money received for the past quarter for the sick fund is £40, and the sum paid out to sick members amounts to £20. This leaves a balance of £20, and the total amount of the sick fund is £820. What is termed the management fund has increased to £10, and the benevolent fund to £7, and the Society's funds amount in the aggregate to £855. The friendly societies in this city held recently a general meeting in the Forester's Hall. Representatives from each society were present, and Mr Sellers attended the meeting on behalf of the Hibernians. Many matters were discussed and arranged, and the outcome of the conference is likely to result in several important reforms, which must prove of great advantage to the friendly societies generally. One is an interchange of medical men— a regulation which will be advantageous to smaller and weaker societies. Another is the establishment of a common dispensary for medicines. These two reforms will, among other things, tend to promote a friendly and a mutual intercourse between all the benefit societies. A third matter arranged was, that when a member of any friendly society is in some distant town, he can, on the production of a letter from the secretary of his own lodge, have his name placed on the medical list of any local benefit society which may exist in the place where he remains. All the societies have signified their willingness to adopt this latter regulation, and the matter may be now considered unjait accompli. His Gracß Archbishop Redwood and the Rev Dr Bgan, 0.5.8., called at the presbytery on Thursday last on their way to Dunedin to attend a meeting which is to take place in that city of all the Catholic bishops in the Colony.— The Rsv Father Foley, of Timaru, is now at the presbytery, and the guest of the Rev Father Cummings, V.G. Father Aubrey has gone to Timaru, where he will remain until tbe return of the Rev Father Foley.