GREYMOUTH LEITER.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7871, 23 May 1891, Page 2

GREYMOUTH LEITER.

[waom oust coßs«B_ , o*_oi**rr].

May IS. Captain Connor, harbor master, who was appointed weather observer here by Sir James Hector, in February last, & npw in a position to verify tho assertion so frequently made as to the moisture of our West Coast climate., that is, if we take the records for March and April as our example. The rainfall In' March was 8.02 inches, with eighteen wet days, thus taking almost the same rank as Inverea. gill with thirteen wet .days, and 8.75 inches of rain; last mouth thers*. was almost a similar number of w»t days, With 8,43 inches of raf v. Cop. paring .his with other stations, they are nowhere, Last year was an exceptionally dry one, but we are making up for it this, and although a little unpleasant sometimes to the majority Of people, the go! 4 mineri. glory in it, as it provides them with plenty of water for sluicing purposes. The weather this month so far has been very fine, with coI4 easterly winds.

Mr isormingpoq, of Christchurch, gave an organ recital In Trinity Church on Monday evening, Mrs Uonayne, que of the beat lady vocalists we have eyer had 8a the West Coast, sang one of the polos i her usual flinched ityle, her appearance, after an absence of four years. from Greymouth, being a source of great pleasure to her many friends. Indeed, I may say that tha announcement was sufficient to attract a large Mr Chamberlin also contributed a'solo, his fine voice being heard to greas ad vantage in the large and lofty building. Of the execution of the organist, jt would be superfluous to speak, as his abilities are so well known in the city, though of course he could not do himself full justice on a small and indifferent Instrument; nevertheless he made the best of ft. . •Mr Arnett Is making good -progress with his carpentry class at '.** State school. He finds the majority of the boys wiling, and in many in-_anc_., apt pupils. In fact, so satisfied is he with the success of the undertaking-, so far as it has gone, that he predict. moat favorable results therefrom. We read with pleasure the remarks in the Weekly Press qa th. subject pf teaching girls the art of ojookery. This is a matter which is likely to engage the attention of our local School

Committee before long, and I 8 hope, now they have started tha bn» , n .l trade, they will experience no difl_M_»-p forming a class among the gi r .* %§ means of Imparting to them that .P important domestic art of cooking nicely aud weU-4 «v • many of us have good reason tok. large number of women and girl. »v_ °* #■-_ deficient in, thereby leading apt? ""F and extravagance, impaired unhappy homes. Anything, th__.si that may be 4one to remedy a -.P. 1 existing evil should ba welcomed &n<r__ ceive the active assistance and 9ur__ •'*. all classes, rich and poor alike. r ! .t a fit subject for the press to take m! _. by its powerful influence many D e _,._' km may affect a kind of indifferent tn. 1 led to see the matter in a reasonahu '*! nroper light. It is | have already said, to find that tho \R_!_ t I Press, at any rate, is devoting Bt _f- lt $ tention to it, an example which n,.* I well be followed by its contemDoran. <• -* The Hon. Mr {.eddon's J» ralstSSft. I obstruction in the matter of allowing i Midland Railway Company i«. _?B«,f with their work Is causing a and angry feeling throughout thedlSv*! all the protestations of o >»r r* D .__?>_ tlve, publio meetings. <&.., havinc k2+l effect whatever, his determination h?*! apparently, to submit tho matter toP_!. i ment on the most shallow pretexts _._j. I the meantime a most importantund_? _ I ing l* hungup to the great det»l ment r 7 1 only of the district, and the 1 itself, but of the colony _,s a whole i__ 1 hundreds of men who had been __j- I on ,in the hope of procuring work d_ * l I the wiuter months, have been cHm_?. i disappointed. The whole buslnoilT? 1 not reflect credit ou the MiaiaS. . I Publio Works, for aa our wpwfiLS. § pointed out to him la one I munioatlons, It would bo better to au? I the work to proceed, and if thoobH* I raised were of such vital important* ,_• I mitthem to Parliament afterwnrS _. I no doubt a means would be fonr_T 1 : overcome the difficulty. But no thahJ? I gentleman, who has proved himsalf __ 1 adept in railway obstruction, *_ X 3 1 the Grey _iokltfea line,.* det-sfflS I toglvaway, but rather to fovqeßj J upon the majority who are totally «_LSS 1 to him in this matter, It is very bK? 1 ing to us to see that the OWfiES I Railway League, assisted by Mr PcX? I M.H.R. has oome to our assistance »»_ 1 we would fain hope that preset «___? I atina from that quarter may havo Mta _I i sirea effect. We await the resoltWi_ I keen interest, and in the meant! .eba_ I that Mr Wilson, who has our entire _vm pathy, will bear with the ob_trnetlon, while longer, and.not divert the operation, of the Company to the ea.tero «{(le of t_» island. The local papars have taken __ matter up warmly on our behalf, and »« believe tnat tho power.ul orKing of m M\l opioiou in Canterbury Vill do lib. Wise—i The Press has done boHEe. W p \ as the prosecution of this great nafta .at I work is of as great interestto Canterbury I as it is to ihe West Coast;'the neat object wo have in view is theesi&BUsh. ment of railway communication betweea the East and West Coasts, followed up bj the settlement of the land and tbe devj lopment of our vast mineral resources. The Harmonic Society, which w« started under such promising auspices some eighteen loonthe ago, is on It. last legs, so to speak. The attendance at t_ practices has fallen away," and beeom. so irregular that tho conductor has fo. elded to resign his position. It i 3 the old, old story, and no surprise is expressed thM it is about to share the fate of its pre.?cesaors. JTortunately, however, throug. the foresight of Messrs Chambertin and Oxley, we are not to be deprived altoget__ of a Musical Society, as they have for some time past been engaged organisina a private one—a singing party, whlcfi in Maori, is termed a"llui*ga walate," and by this name It waa decided it «ho_li be known, the number ot p.rfa.mw belutf limited. They stipulate at tha outset thac It should noc be allowed to clash with the llarmonio or act lv ant way detrimental to its interest*". Indeed, so careful wero they in this respect, that they arranged different- evening .io. tits practices, thus they cannot in any wayfe. held responsible for the failure of th. Harmonic. Their labors have bee. crowned with succeßfl,.au6\ they hwp t _ satUfaction of p __-.•_ in.-; a very pro_p_ous llicle Society whose progress has been so marked that they essayed to give a "Concert social" in Engbert's Hallos Wednesday evening last. Their title being' Maori, the cards, of Invitation were issued in Maori, which I need hardly _| cauaed a good deal of fan and ama_ ment, some of the recipients the compliment by replying in c.: same language, though a few. of t_s attempts were very laughable, leas, they answered the purpose admirably ; some of the writers seemed to thia. they would " corner " the Secretary, _i Oxley, but in this tbey were mistakea, for he took care to provide himself _l_ translations, and when requested produced them, much to their surprise, Of the concert itself I cannot speak in to. high terms of praise, it was a great success, the orchestra was full and well trained, while the several vocal performers acquitted themselves really v/eIL Purine the interval light refrcshm._,* were handed round, in face everything was carried out in first-class style,, .c* fiecting the greatest credit, both oa Mr Chamberlin and Mr Oxley who spsßi neither pains or expense to uiako th. affair a hucccs**. lb will t liv-- bo mea .thst the first app. ..ranee of the "Ha»|. Waiata" beforo their pa rong and f..efil| was all that could be desired ; in foe. 1 have no hesitation in saying it was one of the. best, entertainments ever givea is Greymouth. I must not omit to mealies one novel feature in the proceedings. Mi' John Greenwood, who ia a Maori linguiS(|i returned thanks in Maori, on behaix>f all present, for the pleasurable eveaiags amuaecaeut—a very appropriate way.pt bringing it to a conclusion. 1% gen-fclemaa present translated the speech Into lagliw' for the benefit of the pakehas present.