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Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 193, 22 July 1873, Page 4

No date has yet been fixed for the election of Mayor of Cromwell. Ifc appears there is some uncertainly as to the proper mode of procedure in holding a fresh election. The first sale of the recently surveyed allotments in this township took place in the Town-hall on the 17th inst., and considering that no publicity had been given to its announcement beyond the usual notice in the Gazette, there was a tolerable muster of the " gentle public" on the important occasion. Mr J. 0. Chappie, Government Auctioneer for district, conducted the sale; and Mr Warden Simpson, in his capacity of District Land Officer, was also present, A considerable number of the sections put up for sale had been built upon and otherwise improve.! previous to the survey, and in each case the land was offered at an upset price of £3 per quarter-acre, in addition to a fixed valuation for improvements. The pre-emptive right was in no instance violated, the occupiers being allowed to take at the upset price all the ground they required. For several of the mo=;t eligible corner lots there was keen competition, the highest figure given for one section being £ll. Sections fronting Melm >re-street were put up at £5 each, and one or two fetched nearlv double the upset price. A well-known resident of Alexandra invested somewhat extensively, and will no doubt reap the reward of his enterprise when the railway comes along. The proceeds of the sale—assuming that all the land sold will bo taken up by the buyers when the balance of the purchase-money becomes due—will be something near £7OO. The amateur entertainment to be given next Thursday evening with the object of supplementing the Atbenseum Building Fund, promises to be one of the most attractive—so far as can be judged from the programme—that h-is yet been organised in our midst. The vocalists who are to take part in the entertainment have spared neither time nor trouble in the endeavour to attain the highest degree of proficiency ; the Brass Band—a most valuable addition to our musical resources—have been assiduously practising the concerted pieces they are announced to p'ay ; and the ladies and gentlemen comprised in the cast of "Turn Him Out" are making such efforts in the way of study and rehearsal that we shall be greatly surprised if they do not act the piece with credit to themselves and satisfaction to the audience. Mrs Rhind has kindly undertaken to perform the onerous duty of playing the accompaniments. Thursday next, the 24th inst., is the date fixed for the nomination of Councillors and Auditors for the Municipality of Cromwell. Four Councillors will have to be elected—viz., one for Bridge Ward, in room of Cr. Wright; one for Kawarau Ward, in room of Cr. Marsh; and two for Macandrew Ward. In the Resident Magistrate's Court, on Thursday, the following cases were disposed of:— W. H. Whetter v. Charles Webb, £1 125.: judgment by default for amount, with costs of Court. R, E. Dagg v. C. Webb, £4 : judgment by default. Owen Pierce v. James Kennedv, £3O: defendant admitted the liability, and judgment was given accordingly. Sin You obtained a renewal of his slaughter-house license.—On the 15th, J. O'Connor, for drunkenness, was fined 10s.—On the ISth, Jtdes La Fontaine was fined ss. for drunkenness.—On the 19th, Patrick Kenna was fined ss. for drunkenness.—On the 21st, IT. Ward was fined 10s. for drunkenness. Messrs Eames and Stanbrook quitted at auction, on Thursday, at the Clutha Hotel, twenty-three cases kerosene at. a shade m» er market rates.

For some months past negotiations have been pending between the Provincial Government and Mr M'Cormick in regard to the erection of a bridge across the Kawarau at Nevis Ferry. We are glad to be able to state that the Government have agreed to accept Mr M'Cormick's offer to erect a bridge, on the understanding that no other person shall have the right to build one in the *same locality ; also, that the rates of toll to be charged shall not exceed 100 per cent, above the ordinary tolls, and that foot passengers shall be allowed to cross free. The contract and conditions, together with the plans of the bridge, (which is to be constructed on the girder principle), are now being prepared, and will be sent up for the contractor's signature in about ten days. Mr M'Cormick expests to have the bridge completed within twelve months.—lt may be mentioned that Mr M'Cormick has ceased connection with the Kawarau (Bannockburn) Bridge Company, having disposed of his interest to the remaining partners, Messrs Grant and Richards. The Plashetts Coalpit, (situate on the east bank of the Kawarau, about three miles from Cromwell), was submitted to auction by Messrs Eames and Stanbrook on Thursday last, and was bought in by Mr T)agg—one of the former owners—at a nominal figure. The Kawarau Gorge Coalpit, lately owned by Messrs John Robertson and James Kennedy, was sold by the same auctioneers, on Saturday, to Mr James Robertson. The lease of the pit, together with a pair of draught horses, a dray, and two sets of harness, realised £152 10s. A meeting of the Local Committee of the Dunstan District Hospital was held in the Town-hall on Saturday evening, 19th inst. Present: Messrs Baird (in the chair), Preshaw, Jolly, Tait, Taylor, and Colclough (hon. secretary). The minutes of previous meeting were read and confirmed. It was proposed by Mr Jolly, seconded by Mr Tait, and carried- " That the Secretary communicate with the Dunstan Hospital Committee, asking that this Committee may be authorised to provide an ambulance waggon for the conveyance of patients to the Hospital—the cost to be paid by the Committee of Management out of funds to be collected in this district, and the ambulance to be under the control of the Cromwell Committee." On the motion of Mr Preshaw, the Secretary was requested to furnish subscription-lists to the following persons, viz.: —Cromwell, Messrs Taylor and Preshaw; Gorge, Mr Tait; Morven Hills, Mr J. M. M'Lean ; Ardgour, Mr A. M'Lean; Albertown and Pembroke, Mr Worsop ; Makarora, Mr J. D. Ross ; Quartz Beef Point, Mr Jolly ; Cardrona, Mr Pierce ; Bannockburn, Messrs Marshall and Bennett, and Mr Fenwick as Secretary to the Miners' Association; Luggate, Mrs Maidman ; Wanaka West, Mr H. S. Thomson; Kawarau Station, Mr Cowan ; Nevis Ferry, Mr Edwards ; Mount Pisa Station, Mr Loughnan ; Bendigo, Mr Reekie. The Secretary was also instructed to write to the Dunstan Committee asking them to communicate with those persons in the Cromwell district who received lists from Mr Fache, and request such persons to forward their lists to this Committee. The next meeting was fixed for the 19th of August. Frequent complaints are made of the impossibility of Mr Bews exercising the necessary amount of supervision over the roads and tracks in this district, owing to the large extent of country which he is required to oversee. The following, from the letter of a Southland correspondent of a down-country paper, shows that in Southland the same difficulty exists. This correspondent says:—" It is absolutely necessary that an assistant should be granted to the road surveyor (Mr Bews), as from the length of road he has under his supervision it is unreasonable to expect that he can give prompt attention to necessities that arise, and the result is that bad becomes worse." The Government are now advertising for a District Engineer for the Interior —we presume with the intention of dividing the very extensive district at present under Mr Bews' charge. The Mayoral elections are now taking place throughout the Province. Clyde has returned Mr Naylor without opposition ; and Alexandra Mr Beresford. Lawrence has done likewise as regards Mr Herbert. Three are in the field for Tokomairiro—Messrs G oodall, Capstick, and Cunningham. Messrs Busch and George stand for the honour in Naseby. Balcluthahas returned Mr Johu M'Neil without opposition for the fourth time. At Queenstown, Mr Malaghan polled 153 votes to 94 polled by his opponent, Mr Bridge. The General Assembly was opened on Tuesday last, July 15, by his Excellency Sir James Fergusson. In his speech, in reference to the murder of Sullivan, he said the Government had decided to leave the criminals to the operation of the ordinary law. Measures will be laid before the Assembly to initiate the reconstruction of the constitution of the Legislative Council; to amend the laws relating to the Gold-fields ; to provide for education ; to consolidate the laws relating to prisons ; to amend and consolidate the electoral laws ; to establish a silver and copper mint ; to amend the insolvency laws, and abolish imprisonment for debt; to provide for the election of a"Native District Council; to amend the law relatiug to Native Lands; and to give increased security to perbobs insuring their lives.

The Christchurch Jockey Club, at a recent mooting, decided to submit all the facts in re the Peeres case, similar to those sent to the Australasian, to Admiral Rous. From a paper read before the Wellington Philosophical Institute by C. D. Whitcombe, Esq., on the subject of reclaiming land devastatated by the encroachment of sand, we take the following extract :—" I may add that the poplar is found very valuable, both for sowing, planting,- and multiplying by cuttings. In some places, where the, sand was very deep and dry, Mr Adam [a gentleman engaged in reclaiming sandy land on a large scale] found that instead of sowing it was preferable to take large cuttings of poplar, set them one yard deep in the sand and two yards apart every way ; these almost invariably struck, even on the highest sandhills, and in the most exposed situations where nothing else would grow." A fatal accident occurred on the Port Chalmers railway line on Wednesday evening last. A mm named Angus M'Pherson, a labourer, having a wife and child, who lived close to the line, and about 100 yards from the spot where he was killed, was found horribly mutilated lying on the rai's after a train had passed. The circumstances were to be elicited at an inquest on the following day. The proposed alteration in the constitution of the Legislative Council, referred to in the Governor's Speech, will probably be to make the Council elective, under a modification of the Australian plans ; each member of the Council to represent a district including a group of districts returning members to the House of Representatives. There will be no special qualification beyond those tequired by members of the Lower House. The term of election to be seven years, instead of five, and the adoption of the system to date from next dissolution. The North Otaga Times opposes the proposal of the Government to continue the " block sales," and asks who is to determine what " land cannot be used for ether than pastoral purposes?" It says the Marewhenua block was : sold as " pastoral land," and unless the Councd at once determinedly set its face against such sales as the new Executive contemplates, half the waste land of the Province may before the end of the year have been purchased by the pastoral tenants of the Crown, and the Marewhenua blunder repeate 1 in evesy district in the ' Province. This is a questbn of great public import, and it is to be hoped that the Council will definitely and positively condemn the policy of allowing the Government tha power to sell land otherwise thm by public competition. The following simple mles, if attended to, will prove serviceable to persons who may have occasion to cross dangerous streams or rivers on horseback. We clip the paragraph from a West Coast paper, the Imnqahua Herald: —The rider should take up his stirrups as short as possible, and cros3 them on the top of the saddle, miking them fast so as to prevent the horse from entangling himself in snags, and leave the horse's mouth and head as free from the rise of the bridle as possible ; any attempts to guide him with it should be with the slightest touch. When the horse is swimming the nder should •lean over the horse's wither as well as he can, throwing the weight forward and kolding the mane. So as to prevent the rash of vater from carrying him backwards, should the hcrse appear distressed and the rider cannot swiir,, he may with safety hold the inane and let hiiuself into the water (holding on by the mane), on die other side of the horse from which the wa'ei is-joining, but on no account tie anything round the horse's neck. This will relieve the horse of the rider's weight, and he will seldom fail to make laid. A case similar to the following one occurred at the Hutt, Wellington, recently. The Melbourne Arc/us of June 2lst states:—"We direct the attention of the Anti-Sabbatar'an League to a case recently brought before the magistrates at Kiama. A man was charged under the 29, Charles 11., with driving i team of bullocks through the town about twr. o'clock on Sunday morning. The brazen-faced ruffian pleaded guilty to this diabolical crime, and the Bench, having no discretion in the matter, fined the hardened villain the lowest amount allowed by law, viz., £4. Could absurdity or injustice go further ?"