LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume X, Issue 2315, 25 February 1891, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ladies are now eligible for membership of tho Canterbury Caledonian Society. Upwards of twenty tons of frozen fish were shipped from New Zealand to Sydney by the Wairarapa last week. In South Canterbury a great deal of grain is still m the fields, and has suffered much damage from the rain. The great Russian steprea are to be irrigated by a company formed by authority of the Government. A large parcel (f j jwellery which arrived at Adelaide recently from Melbourne 1 y express without being declared, has bern forfeited by the Customs Department. The clearing sale of Mr Albert Roberts furniture and effects at Koromiko, Wakanui Road, takes place to-morrow at twelve o'clock. Mr F. M- Rickman is the auctioneer. The Governors of Canterbury College have appointed Mr G. F. Tendall, Mus. Bac, Oxon, lecturer m music, at a salary of £150 per annum, Mr J, H. Kuipe, a Melbourne authority on real estate matters, computes that there are at present 7000 houses m Melbourne and suburbs standing empty. The Upper Ashburton Road Board have unanimously adopted a resolution counter to Mr E. G. Wright's proposal to devote the " thirds " of the moneys; derived from Crown Lands to providing water for the small settlers. Mr G. A. McLean Buckley, of Laghmor, second son of Mr George Buckley, was married at Slough, England, on December 13, to Miss Mabel Gertrude Warren, second daughter of Mr Jb\ R. Warren, of Upton Park, Slough. The weather for the past three weeks m Southland has been exceptionally favorable for the harvest, only one day's rain having been experienced, and this had a beneficial effect on the root crops. Cutting operations have just commenced, and heavy yields are anticipated. Mr Hodgson, fche Nelson school inspector, says that the system of examining for individual passes is vicious m the extreme, and productive of disastrous results. It sets up a paradise of dunces, on whom is now bestowed with little profit the inordinate attention paid formerly to cjgvei? children. By command of the Queen, the Duke o Edinburgh hag just unveiled a brass tablet and lectern which have been placed m the gariisou chapel, at Devonport, as memorials of the late Major General Sir Howard Elphinstone, V.C., Mho was washed overboard from the 1 ongarj.ro and drowned off Ushaut, m March last, while proceeding to Teneriffe. As a proof of the superiority of totara over all other timbers, whether imported or not, it may be stated (says .the " Napier News ") that jn a culvert taken up at Woodvillc after being down fourteen years, the pencil marks even were distinguishable on the timber, which was as sound as when | put m. { Writing on January 6, the London correspondent of the Auckland " Herald" says :— •'? Rumours have again been current that Sir Francis lielj. \yould sail for the colony either m April or September j>;ext. He certainly will not start m the first named mqjith, and it is quite uncertain whether the latter will see' Him depart from these shores. Still, the impilcs«j.<Vit.lcs«j.<Vit. is becoming a fixed one on this side of the work) th.^t this js likely to be his ■ last year of office. He wiil be deeply regretted when he docs retire. Considerable dissatisfaction was expressed (says Ll\u Wellington " Post") at the last j meeting of the Federated Seamen's Union | with reference to the action r»f J-he Trades Council m corresponding with the Union Steam Ship Company relative to the employment of the men who had gone out on strike. Several speakers considered that the Trades Council had exceeded their functions, as the Union is not affiliated to that body, and it was resolved to communicate with the council expressing dissatisfaefctyn a,t jtfi interference. At the hearing of a o^s,? jn Mie R. M. Court, Lumsden, on the J.9th instant ((says the 1' Southland Times ") a point was raised that a per&oii appointed by a school committee as secretary had no lucus slandi to conduct proceedings, the Education &£,\ l) m clause 73, stating that such proceedings imiafe h& fc&ken by the "clerk, chairman, or solictor," and sfche iiiformttti,??,! was dismissed oh this; point. The charge v/a* flsc against a woman I of insulting the female teaebcf at the schco!; m the hearing of the pupils, and the residents felt so strongly over tho' matter'that the j costs were subscribed, a»;<J the school committee are to be asked to lay a fresh jiifor.Witiou, " •

Mr H. W. Perryman has been elected chairman of the Lyttelton Harbor Board. The Canterbury Amateur Athletic Club' 3 Committee met on Tuesday evening ami considered the asssooiation's suggestion to send a team to England. The motion approving of the proposal was carried by three votes to two. Mr John Henry, of the Commercial Hotel, has been good enough to present to the Ashburton Swimming Club a handsome silver cup, to be competed for at the great swimming meeting on the 11th March. The Committee of the Club have decided to award Mr Henry's cup to the winner of the fifty yards handicap, A very interesting meeting will take place on Thursday eveuing m the Presbyterian Church, when the Rev W. Watt, a missionary of over twenty years' residence m the "New Hebrides, wilt give an address illustrated with lime light views and scenes* Mrs Watt will also be present and sing m the native language. The Government has offered to obtain for the Selwyn County Council any information it may desire from India, America, or Austailia on the latest irrigation schemes. The Council has accepted the offer, and has asked for detailed reports of the systems m vogue, and the coat of surface irrigating of small or large areas of la7id, especially as applied to plains. The Ashburton County Council should take advantage of this opportunity of obtaining the required information on the subject. One of the recent acts of the Brazilian Government has been to cut off the church authorities m the State of San Pauso from the income of the Brazilian lottery, which has been applied under the Empire to the building of a great cathedral. This diversion of the lottery money does not indicate opposition to the lottery on the p-vrfr of the Government, inasmuch as the revenue now will be applied to the erection of a state Normal School. The church people lose their money because under the new Constitution there is no longer any union of Church and State. Mr James Porter, Allenton Nursery, has brought to our office some very choice specimens of flowers and fruit. These include some fifteen varieties of Phlox Drwnmondi, pure white, scarlet, deep crimson, and cerise and very choice varegations, also some very handsome spikes of gladiolus, one new seedling variety being especially fine. The fruit comprises a dish of cri-nson plums (Pond's Seedling), six of which turn the scale at lib soz (these will be on view this evening m the window of Mr Brooke, chemist), and a basket of yellow magnum bonwns of prime quality. On Monday evening a sad accident hap- i pene'd at Mr Doig's farm, Chertsey, all the more to be regretted that it was the result of a foolish lark. While one of Mr Doig's men —named Shepherd—was, with others, sitting m the kitchen after tea, a man named Smith came behind Shepherd and jumped, leapfrog fashion, upon his back, inflicting injuries , to his spine so severe that fatal consequences ' are feared. The serious nature of the injury was so apparent that Dr Anderson was telegraphed for, and has been attending Shepherd since, but last night the patientwas not expected to live till morning. Shepherd was a tall, strongly built man, m the flush ot robust health. The annual school treat at Penclarves was held m the school/paddock last Friday, During the afternoon the children indulged m their usual games "*nd foot races, at the conclusion of which they retired to the school to feast on the excellent tea provided by Mesdames Thomas, Hampton, Vucetich, Sprott, and Smith. After ample justice had been done to the good things, the master presented the prizes, some of which were costly. The room was then cleared, and under the supervision of the chairman, acting as musician, all enjoyed a real good dance, even the little ones of five years old were to be seen lightly stepping lo the excellent music. Every one seemed to thoroughly enjoy their afternoon and evening's amusement, and went home with the impression that it was the best day ever spent. The following message to the citizens of Auckland was spoken into the phonograph by Sir George Grey :—" Auckland, February 24th, 1891.—Citizens of Auckland—You are among the heralds who introduced and the rulers who must guide and direct a new age, and who must establish an as yet unknown nation. Back upon you will have to look a new race and millions of people. The duty devolving on you is a great one. With humility, yet with fortitude, pursue your task, falter not, inarch resolutely on with truth and justice upon either hand of you, with the love of mankind as your guiding star, your duty to your Maker as the staff on which you lean, then will God bless you and render you a blessing to the ages yet to come. —Geo. Grey." The phonogram recording this message has been placed m the free library. The prospects of the annual meeting of the Ashburton Amateur Swimming Club are uncommonly encouraging. The tradesmen and others m the town and district have been liberal m their subscriptions and gifts of trophies to the prize list, and members of Club, fully appreciating the spirit m which their appeal has been received, are doing their very best to make the events on the card worth witnessing. About two dozen swimmers are every eveuing to be seen at hard practice m the bath, and the progress made m swift swimming by many who have only acquired the art since the Club started is wonderful indeed. More especially is this noticeable m those who have been practising the overhand stroke. What with the large entry of local swimmers, and the strong contingent expected from Christchurch, the Club ought to provide the Ashburton public with an excellent afternoon's sport. The Victorian Customs Department is continually becoming involved m peculiar difficulties with regard to the classification of articles which the Customs officials have not previously dealt with. An amusing case of this kind was referred to m a recent issue of the "Age," which states that the question whether an electric calculator should be classed as a " machine " or a scion title instrument is now engaging the attention f)f the Customs authorities. One of these instruments has been imported from America by a city firm for the Government Statist, who will use it m connection with the taking of tlje census m April next, and j;he experts of the Customs Departments are jn doubt whether to charge 35 per cent. du£y on it by deciding that it is a piece of machinery, op to allow it m free as a scientific instrument. The instrument was used m America when the last census was taken there, and it is estimated that £100,000 was saved the country by its use m that work alone. It is intended to use the instrument freely m this colony m the work of enumeration when the census returns are being made up. So far as is known it is the only one of its kind m Australia, hence there are no precedents m which reference can be made as tp the class undei* whicn the contrivance shpuld be placed m relation to the tariff. No'decision has yet been arrived at, biit it appears probable that the-' scientific instrument" theory will be adopted.