COLONIAL NEWS.

Press, Volume XL, Issue 5830, 21 May 1884, Page 3

COLONIAL NEWS.

INTERPHOVINCIAL ITEMS. AUCKLAND. His Excellency the Governor, iiecompanied by Mr Dargaville, M.U.I: , Dr. Campbell, and a dozen prominent settlers, proceeded in the Fcpuru steamer to the Ofceria bush, and witnessed the felling of a kauri tree, a giant of the forest, measuring twenty-four feet in circumference. The party had to travel four miles of tramway, and the tram cars were appropriately fitted up to contain the party. On the return, his Excellency having previously minutely inspected part of the line of railway in dispute, interviewed Paore at his whare. He told him it would be futile to further obstruct the formation of the railway, as it was being carried as far as possible from his house, and his interference in its construction would be fruitless. His only remedy for the few acree of land the railway would take was to claim compensation which the law would allow, and he was quite sure the railway company would pay. iiefore leaving another old chief fell into the same vien.% and advised Paore similarly, saying, " What the Governor said was good and right, and Paore should take payment for the few acres, and not further obstruct the railway, but be satisfied, as they (the other chiefs) were,_as the railway would benefit the Maori and the European alike." Paore presented the Governor with a handsome kiwi mat, and placed it on his shoulders with his ownj hands; and Mr Dargaville ! presented his Exceliency with Home fine specimens of kauri gum iv the rough state. His Excellency said these would serve to remind him of the three pleasant dayr of his visit to the pretty town of Dargaville and the magoincent Noithem Wairoa Biveu. At an extraordinary general meeting of Ihe shareholders of the Kotorua Railway Company the following resolution was carried—"That the capital be reduced from .£400,000 to £300,01.0, by cancelling 100,000 shares of £1 each, which are unallotted." The Chairman remarked the Premier and the Minister for Public Works would be in Auckland shortly, and he had no doubt the Directors would take the opportunity of meeting them, with a view to arranging for the second section of the line. A large shipment of New Zealand timber, specially selected as samples, is being forwarded to New York by the brigantine Peerless, now ready for sea. The collection was ordered by a gentleman now a resident of New York. The Western Springs estate, which was the city water supply, wa offered at auction April 28. The Town Clerk bid £9500, but the property was withdrawn at £10,000, £12,000 to £13,000 being demanded. The half-yearly meeting of the New Zealand Sugar Company was held. Sir F. Whitaker occupied the chair. The busineES was of a formal character. Mr D. L. Murdoch, the retiring Director, was reelected. The New Zealand Tobacco and Cigar Manufacturing Company commenced operations recently. Accommodation is provided for forty hands. When machinery arrives by the British King the ninmber will be made up to fifty The new steamer, Thomas Eussell, arrived from London on May 3rd. The vessel is for the Waikato Coal and Steam Navigation Company, and will be employed carrying coal on the West Coast. ■J'he passage from London took 127 days. The steamer left on December the 28th. The Society of Arts exhibition closed. The profits over expenses were £100 and JB4OO worth, of pictures was sold. The foundation stone of the new St. Patrick's Cathedral was laid by Bishop Luck on May 4th, with imposing ceremonies, in the presence of the clergy of the diocese and 3000 people. The collection in cash and promises amounted to £630. Bishop Luck gave £50, and Bishop Bedwood, of Wellington, £20. The Garrison Band attended, and played sacred selections. An old man named Alfred Hawley was found on Monday, May 5, in the railway station at Woodside, Wairarapa, ia an unconscious state. On examination it was found that one of his wrists was severely cut, and that he was also stabbed in the left side. On regaining consciousness Hawley said he had committed the deed himself with a sheath knife, which was lying at his side. No reason for the rash act is assigned. The Masonic Hotel at Coromandel wa? totally destroyed by fire on the morning of May 7th. Nothing was saved. The Oddfellows lost their regalia, worth £50. The insurance on the building is £900, furniture £200, in the Norwich Union. The Crown land sales realised £4565. The new premises of the Auckland Savings Bank were formally opened by his Excellency the Governor, in the piesence of a large assemblage of influential citizens. The cost of the building is £9000. In the Board room there has been placed portraits of the Vice-presidents and Directors since the foundation, also those of the Governor and Queen. It is stated that when the division of the Costley estate is made the share of each of the bodies participating in the legacy will be about £12,000. A large portion of money is at present on fixed deposit drawing interest. The consignment of Auckland flounders was taken over in the Wairarapa refrigerator on last trip of the steamer caused quite sensation in Sydney. The ;lot was bought by the manager of the Coffee Palace, and were found to be of such good quality that they were sold as soles from England. Some frozen mutton cant over in the same steamer was placed on market, and parties who dined on it at the Sydney Club pronounced it of excellent quality. Messrs Barry and Macdonnell, who had been prospecting for gold at Tuhua, and were arrested by the Natives, have arrived here. They state that after their capture by the Natives their specimens were taken away from them. The Nativee then brought the prospectors over to the Valley of the Waipa, where, after a conference with Waihanui, they were allowed to depart, and came on to Auckland. They state there is no doubt a rich reef district exists at Tuhua. The new plans for the Auckland dock are completed. The estimated cost is under £120,000. There is to be no alteration in the size, but it will be taken two feet further in shore than was proposed by the former plans. The Harbor Board ha 3 decided to obtain a large dredge at a cost of £16,000. This is part of an extensive dredging system at the wharves. WANGANUI. The question of the dis-establishment of the District High Schools, which has been creating considerable discussion in Wanganui, and has been the subject of a public meeting of householders, was brought before the meeting of the Education Board to-day. The Board, however, after discuss- ) ing the subject for about four hours, resolved to adhere to its original decision, I and passed a resolution calling on the Wanganui School Committee to formulate charges against the Head Master of the High School, whose dismissal was recommended by them without any reason being given. Letters from the prospecting party at present up the Wanganui river, state that they have reached Taimoranui, but as yet the country gone through ia not of a goldbeaTing character. They are now in the territory in which the gold i 3 supposed to be, and they had heard good news. When writing it is tumored that Barry, a private prospector, has sent gold, a specimen in a bottle, to Mr Bryce. The letters state that he has been taken prisoner and sent to Alexandra. Major Nixon, an old resident, died on the morning of May 7. He arrived in Wellington by the ship London in 1840, holding an order for the sale of land from the New Zealand Company. He came here in February, 1841, and took an active part in the war, being made captain at the outbreak. He was made a J.P. by Governor Hobeon. He leaves three sons and four daughters, all grown up. GISBOBNE. j It is proposed to ask Sir J. Vogel to contest the vacant seat for the East Coast. Sir Qeo. Grey will spend a week here before the session, and will deliver an address. Mr Eee3 will also be a candidate for the vacant seat. Major Atkinson is to be requested to speak here on his way to or from Auckland. Major Bopata was recently presented with a numerously signed letter, expressing the feelings of the residents for his past services, and the injustice done him by the Government in reducing his allowance by two-thirds, also hoping that [Parliament would rectify the matter. The old chief in a brief reply quoted the Maori proverb of a dog being fed by its master as long as it could limp, but being knocked on the head

when no longer of use. Hβ said he had for years expected to be sent to arrest Te Kooti, but whatever the Government might do he and those under his influence would remain steadfast and loyal. He was received with great enthusiasm, and was visibly affected. NAPIEB. Mrs Wallace, aged 73, was, on April 25th, standing by the kitchen fire at her residence, Petane, when her dress caught fire. She ran ont&ide enveloped in flames. Her screams brought assistance, but not before her clothes were burnt off. fc'he died today from the effects of her injuries. NEW PLYMOUTH. The strong north-east wind blowing caused a very rough sea on May 14, and as the steamer Hawea kept well out the boatmen had a difficulty in tendering her. On returning with passengers a small stream of oil was allowed to flow from a can, which prevented the sea from breaking over the boat, and ifc came ashore in almost calm water. This is the first time oil has been tried in subduing the sea here. WELLINGTON. The number of nominations of adult immigrants at different parts of the colony this month has been as folljws:—Auckland, 17; Hawke's Bay, 13; Wellington, 9; CanterQLigo.U; Southland, 8; making ■a total of S3 a.iults. Of these are 79 single women and 1 single man. The nationalities are as follows:—English, 34; Irish, 38; Scotch, 10; foreign, 1. The amount of the Property Tax remaining unpaid for the year ending March 31st is only .£4OOO, and for the recovery of this, summonses against defaulters are now being prepared for issuo. In addition to the 9000 carcases which the Gear Meat Company are freeing for the steamer British King, they will freeze 4000 for the steamer Aorangi, which leaves here direct for London. The Customs revenue for the last month was £ 109,819 43 5d ; the amount collected at the four principal centres being—AucklanJ, .£23,582 2s 2d ; Wellington, £16,292 16s Id ; Lyttelton and Christchurch, 1 £17,540 0s 8d ; Dunedin, .£29.420 Is 9d. For March last the total was .£115,799 03 3d; and for April, 1883, it was ,£121,086. The beer duty for last month wa3 £4980 10s. The principal amounts being—Auckland, £lOSB 133 2d; Wellington, £385 12s 6d; Christchurch, £1056 10s 10d ; Dunedin, .£1166 15s 9d. For March last it was £4G42 13s 4d; and for April, 1833, £5052 7s Bd. The " Post" of May 7 says it is understooi that Mr George Thome, junior, the superintendent of agents ii the Government Insurance Department, has been suspended from duty, in consequence, it is believed, of certain matters which came to light in connection with the recent prosecution of Joseph Mackay, one of the travelling agents. It is not yet known what fu'ther steps will be taken ; nthe matter. The cake of gold exhibited in Wellington as having been obtained from the Queen of Beauty mine, Makara, was sent to the Melbourne mint, through the Colonial Bank. The result of the assay has just been received from the mint authorities by the Manager of the mine, and is a.s follows: —Weight before melting, 15oz; weight after melting, 14oz 9dwt 4gr; standard, 10.496; value at £317s 10id per oz, £40 l?s 5d ; fine silver at 4s 6d per oz, JEI 0s Gd ; total value, £41 17s lid. GEEYMOTJTH A preliminary inquiry into the stranding of the Oreti was held on May Ist before the Collector of Customs, Air Woon. and the evidence of Captain Tfob rtson, the Harbor Master and Chief Officer, wa* taken. According to the evidence of Captain Robertson, when steaming in dead slow, the lowest cast of the lead j?ave thirteen feet. He did not take in a full load of coal in order that he might have no difficulty in getting into Hokitika, but as he was anxious to get there by a certain time, and though* there was an abundance of water on the bar, he went out about two hours before high -water, which resulted in the vessel striking on the ridge, and in another quarter of an hour the roll set her on the north beach, where she still remains but little the worse for her mishap. Tenders have bpen called for floating the vessel, and one will be accepted this evening. May 2. The inquiry into tbe stranding of the Oreti was resumed (May 2) and additional evidence was taken, but without eliciting any feature worthy of special mention. The decision of the Collector of Customs was that the stranding waa purely the result of accident, and that neither officers nor crew were to blame. He accordingly returned all the Certificates EOSS. Intense excitement prevails here in consequence of a party bringing to town on April 24th gold-bearing quartz. Two pieces of the size of turkeys' eggs, on being: crushed, yielded a very fair prospect. Since then parties are leaving daily to take up leases. The quartz excitement continues and parties are out in all directions pegging off leases. Some stone was brought to town on Saturday showing specks of gold, some of the size of pins' heads. Samp!e3 of the same stone were crushed by pestle and mortar in the presence of a score of miners, who unanimously agreed that the result was very payable. The reef is etated to be well defined, and from 2ft to sft thick. Several of the leading business men visited the reefs yesterday, and crushed stone there, obtaining payable gold. They brought a parcel to town and crushed it in the presence of over forty people with the same result. Fifteen leases are pegged out, and twenty-fourth interests are changing hands to-day at £15. DUNEDIN. Another sf riou3 accident happened at the powder mill at O wake in Clutb a County. At fa've o'clock on Wednesday, April23rd, Wm. Mold, the mill keeper, lifted the work charged, and laid a " green one" down. Hβ was in the net of removing the ■work charged to the charge house wheu the green charge exploded, and the charge he was carrying ignited at the same time. His clothes took fire, but he had the presence of mind to jump into the water race, and so extinguished the flames. The upper part of his body, principally the chest and arms, were severely burned, and his collar bone was broken by some timber falling on him. The mill building was completely shattered by the explosion. Work was only resumed at the mill three weeks ago after effecting the repairs necessitated by a previous explosion. Mold was brought to Dunedin Hospital. Final arrangements have been made in connection with the removal of the Public Works Department to Wellington. On 28th April the office furniture was packed away for transmission to that city. The following have been adopted as the planks of the Trades and Labor Council's political platform:—l, Land nationalisation, (as a means to this) that in future Crown lands be disposed of by lease only; 2, the abolition of pensions; 3, cessation of assisted immigration; 4, legalisation of the eight hours system; 5, extension of hours of polling to 8 p.m.; 6, a progressive land tax and a tax on large incomes; 7, local government reform; 8, reform of the jury law by payment of all subpoenaed jurors; 9, Government regulation of workshops; 10, reform of the Factory Act; 11, encouragement of local industries; 12, local option; 13, elective Upper House; 14, seamen's franchise; 15, abolition of plural voting. The Council appointed a Committee to consider the adI viability of running a newspaperin the interests of the working men, and have decided to again call the attention of the Minister of Justice to the continuance of the evil of Justices of the Peace interested in shipping deciding cases brought before the Port Chalmers Bench in which seamen I are concerned. - At the Harbor Board (May 8) the HarborMaster reported that the Tongariro, when passing in on the 17th ult. was drawing 22ft 3ia ait and 20ft forward, which was the heaviest draught that ever crossed the bar. The Board accepted the offer of the Accident Insurance Association to insure the workmen, who will receive a month's notice of its coming into effect. At the annual nveeting of the Benevolent Institution on May 12, Archdeacon Edwards (Episcopalian) spoke of the meagre support given by the Soman Catholic body to the institution. He said he did not notice the names of more than three Roman Catholics who subscribed. He learnt by this morning's paper that they had given hundreds of pounds towards the building of the cathedral. This was a work they deserved all praise for, but surely the relief of the poor was of more consequence than the building of a gorgeous edifice. He was sorry to have had co speak in. this way, but he had often been prompted to do so, and he thought it was time an influential body like the Roman Catholics should show more sympathy than they did. Other speakers agreed, and Mr Carroll, a Catholic, said he would endeavor to get something done. DTTEBCABGILXr The agricultural statistics for the Taieri county show a total estimated yield of wheat of 2,141,200 bushels, being an average of very nearly 35i bushels to the acre; and of oats of 286,732 bushels, being an average of 37} bushels to the acre. A moderately attended public meeting was held on May 6, convened by the Committee of the new Constitutional Beform Association. The principal epeakere were the Hon. Reynolds, Mr Stout, and Mr

Bastintrs in favor of the Association, and MrM. W. Green against it. A resolution, _ 1 hat the Constitutional Reform Association deserves hearty support " was carried. On May 13th the presentation of an illuminated address and a purse ot 200 boys was made to Mr W. N. Bl&ir, formerly Chief Engineer for the Middle Island, now removed to Wellington as Assiotant Engineer-in- Chief.