MISCELLANEOUS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 72, 26 March 1891, Page 8

MISCELLANEOUS.

The report of the city valuer on the results of his assessments was read at the City Council meeting on March 19. The valuation of the last year's Courb was £292,386 ; ho had valued the property this year at £302,947, an increase of over £10,000. Tho Assessment Courb reduced his valuation by £8,336, so that the valuation for the current year is £294,611, an increase of £2,225 from lasb year. The heaviest reductions at the Court were caused by the evasure ot the Graving Dock and "the Harbour Board allotments in Freeman's Bay.

The annual report of the Bluff Harbour Board, adopted on March 19, showed the ordinary revenue, exclusive of rates and interest, to be £12,653, or £1,676 over that of the previous year; ordinary expenses, £5,488. The harbour rate struck this year was equal to Jd, or half that of last year, and it will produce £3,000. The Oamaru Board asked for co-operation in resisting the attack of the Railway Commissioners on the trado of both ports by special low rates, and this was promised. The trade returns for the year show an increase of over 100,000 tons.

Itisreportedab Whangarei thata discovery of gold has been made in the Alameda Licensed Holding. The first stone assayed

by Mr Peel yielded, it is asserted, 28oz of gold per ton. Tho gold was reported to be plainly visiblo all through the stone. At lirst it was thought to be a case of salting, and a party of persona went oub bo the field consisting of Messrs Peel, H. R. Cooke, James Harrison and others. They broke the reef down and say thoy found rich goldbearing stone, and thab on some of the stone the pold was in heavy flakes. The lode runs through an immense pyrites reef, the latter being 20 feeb wide. The quartz lode carrying the gold varies from li to 3 foot. A quantity of the loda was panned oil showing rich prospects, and the residue assayed yielded" a large prill of gold. Mr "feel estimates thab the dirt will run ben ounces of gold to tho ton. Shares in the Alameda jumped from £5 to £50. The claim is separated from bhe Prospectors by the Silver Fleece. Tho Alabama claim has been pegged olf to the south of it and tho Matilda to bho north. On the latter a good reef carrying bromide silver has been cut, and yielded 60oz of silver to the ton.

Captain Muir, of the ship Invercargill, summoned a sailor for insubordination, bub when the case was called on there was no appearance. Tho sailor, in his turn, served on Muir for £50, and allege;! he had been ill-used by tho captain. The latter chased bhe lawyer's clerk who served bhe writ overboard with a Ifottle and marlinspike, got up sail, and went off in such a hurry that two of his ollicors had only just time to scramble on board. The lawyers, however, discovered thab Muir had somo property in Dunedin which thoy forthwith attached.