Untitled

Cromwell Argus, Volume VII, Issue 326, 8 February 1876, Page 5

We understand that the sitting of the District Court, appointed to be holden at Cromwell on 9bh, has been adjourned to the 17th inst. We notice that the various Cemetery Trustees have been publishing in the Provincial Gazelle statement of their financial position, but among them we do not see the Cromwell managers' report. No doubt the public would be glad to hear of the position of this trust. According to our telegrams, scarlet fever is spreading up-country, cases having occurred at the Taieri. We hear of one or two isolated cases of typhoid in this district. The local Board of Health should be alive to their duties, as the season is approaching when this insidious disease appears in its worst form. It is to be hoped the Municipal Council will see that its sanitary officer pavs particular attention tc his work, and that the bye-law relating to earth-closets is strictly enforced. Mr Haughton, the Under-Secretary for Goldfields, was to leave Wellington last Thursday for Duneiin on an official tour through the Middle Island'goldfields. It is to be hoped the visitation will result in some practical good for the Goldfields, and not partake merely of a pleasant trip for recreation and enjovment. Mr Haughton will find plenty of material to exercise his department if he really means business by the intended tour. The return cricket match between the married and single members of the local club takes place on Thursday afternoon. The first match resulted in an easv victory for the bachelors, the recollection of which will no doubt nerve our Benedict friends to increased exertion on this occasion. The cricket ground is not in the best order, the late dry weather having rendered it hard as stone almost; but no doubt an effort will be made to get as fair a wicket as possible under the circumstances. A favorable opportunity for securing a really valuable property will shortly be offered to the public bv Messrs W. J. Barry and Co., auctioneers. We refer to the business and premise ■•• of the late Adam Spence, Nevis Crossing, which was established some vears ago. and by him carried on most prosperously. At the same time and place. (\ r evis Crossing, 2lst and 22nd inst.) the late Mr Spenoe's well-known herd of cattle, horses, &c, will be submitted, and will no doubt attract a large attendance. At last week's meeting of the Waste Land Board, Mrs Goodall requested information as to whether the executors under the will of William Usher Goodall, deceased, could deal with property lately owned by him, namely, sections 9 and 10, Hock V, Lower Hawea district, taken on deferred payment. It was resolved to inform her that the Board would not like to advise her in the matter.—lt was resolved that Government be asked to suggest to the Board the name of a Banger for the Waikaia Bush, so as to prevent the destruction of H'he forest. V ;i Our Clyde contemporary last week displayed an unusual amount of vicious nastiness over the few words of friendly advice we offered. Its ordinary scandal-monger in Cromwell was entirely snuffed out bv a "Citizen of Cromwell" hailing from Lake Wakatip,—and held in the highest admiration by residents there, as shown by the recent election—to whom is commonlv attributed the senseless and ungrammat'cal stuff passed off on our contemporary's long-suffering readers as Leading Articles. We are not above doing a kindness even to our enr>mv. and were pleased to see we had been the means, by a single short paragraph, of filling up three columns of the Times with material so suited to its taste. We hear that the Bannockburn Miners' Association is a thing of the past—at least so it is inferred from the fact that the annual meeting lapsed from non-attendance. We are sorrv to note this, as the Association has done much good in the district which it represented, and there is yet many matters requiring a locally organised body to properly see after. If the miners become apathetic in their own interests the probability is that they will find their wants, even more neglected than thev have been in the past. We therefore advise them to be un and doing. Re-organise, and impart renewed vitality to the Association, and good results must accrue. The Australian Star Dramatic and Burlesque Company performed in the Athenaeum Hall to fair houses on Friday and Saturday evenings. Asa general rule two nights are sufficient to satisfy the public with the amusement provided by travelling companies ; but in the present instance we believe the general feeling was one of regret that the Australian Troupe's stav was necessarily limited. Unfortunately, a mistake prevented the usual publicity being given through the local Press, or the attendance would have been much larger. The programme set forth by the company for each evening was excellent, and faithfully carried out. The smging of Miss Power was, as it deserved to be. much appreciated. This lady has a powerful yet withal sweet voice, and it is not often that upcountrv communities have opportunity of listening to high-class ability such as is possessed by Miss Power. In comedy and burlesque the companv are exceptionally good, being free from that vulgarity which most of our professional visitors seem to think necessary to make their performances on the Goldfields a success. No one who can appreciate really good vocal music, or desires to enjoy a night's mirth without alloy, should miss seeing the Australian Troupe. Blondin has arrived in this Colony, and is now perfornr'ng at Auckland. 50U0 persons attende.l his first night perfo:mance.

An accident occurred to one of Mr Goodger's boys on Thursday evening last, whereby he had his shoulder dislocated. The lad was playing with his brothers, and missing his footing fell, sustaining the fracture of his shoulder. Dr vStirling at once set the injured limb, and the youngster is now progressing favorably. The usual fortnightly meeting of the Town Council was called for Friday evening, but only the Mayor and Councillors Arudt aid Brown put in an, appearance. The Mayor commented strongly on the neglect of members, who must be aware important public matters were calling for their atteution. Crs Talboys and Taylor were in town and had no excuse for absenting themselves. The other two members — Messrs Grant and Aitken—were out of town and had leave of absence. While we agree with the Mayor in his remarks, we would ask, in the interests of the public, whether it would not be well to call upon members to resign office who are unable to attend to Municipal business. For some months past Messrs Grant and Aiiken have practically ceased to be members of the Corporation so far as their presence at the meetings is concerned. These gentlemen are sensible enough to know that their absence hinders the public business, and knowing this, it is the more strange they, beiug practical and sensible men, should contiuue to act the part of dummies. The works in hand just now are heavy and entail great responsibility, and it is therefore the more desirable that each section of the ratepayers should be properly represented. We hope in future to see an amendment of past neglect ; otherwise the Mayor should put in force those powers the law entrusts to him. Another matter brought up at the meeting on Friday was the Corporation audit The Clerk stated he had called upon the auditors to do their duty, but no notice had been taken by those officers. The time fixed for making the usual financial statement to the ratepayers is past, and this according to the Clerk's statement, is entirely the fault of the auditors. What have they to say to this charge of negligence ? Before the proceedings of the Warden's Court on Friday were commenced, Mr 13. A. Drury, in his capacity as mining agent, entered into an elaborate expression of his opinion of a letter written by Mr C. Colclou<*h, mining agert, which appeared in last issue of this journal, and which Mr Drury considered an insult to himsel; and the Warden. Mr Warden Simpson, after vainly trying to stem the flow of eloquence, let the speaker go on to the end of his oration condemnatory of his " learned friend," and sympathisingly soft on the " Bench and myself." Mr Simpson then had his say, and its effect was rather startling, apparently not coming up to the anticipations of the injured agent. After stating that, in his official capacity, he (Mr Simpson) was* not cognizant of what appeared in the public prints, and that, privately, he took no notice of anything said concerning him unless it was libellous—in which case he set the machinery of the law in motion against the offender —the Warden went on to remark on the subject alluded to by Mr Drury. , He (the Warden) considered that when there was only one solicitor in the district, he was doing the public a service in allowing respectable and intelligent agents to appear in Court, and he had expected that it would facilitate the transaction of business. Therefore he had made the concession. But he found that the allowance had given rise to jealousies and bitterness among those privileged, and that instead of the Court business being assisted, it was really hindered, and he had made up his mind that in future he would allow no agents to practice in any Court within h : s jurisdiction. Regarding the persons who were privileged to have accommodation within the rails, complaints had been made recently, and more especially during Mr Baircl's time of office. It must in future be distinctly understood that only the Court officers, professional gentleman, and newspapers representatives, properly accredited, were allowed accommodation at the table. This would in future be strictly adhered to, and he (the Warden) hoped he would not again have to mention it.

We have not been favored with a copy of the recently-issued " New Zealand Magazine," and therefore cannot report on its merits from a personal perusal, but we should hope the review of the first number by the New Zealand Times is not a fair criticism, or it betokens no very prosperous or prolonged career for the work. In the course of a somewhat lengthy article, our contemporary says :—The idea was evidently the production of a journal which should give publication to thoughtfully written articles upon subjects of interest, and should so command the support of all who cared to vead such articles. Now, the writers in the " New Zealand Magazine" have evidently forgotten that their proper object in writing should have been to interest, for instead of either giving us something original in conception, or what might be interesting by a local application, they have contented themselves with producing a series of papers on matters which the readers of any high class Home reviews will find treated of ad nauseam. This has arisen, apparently, from an intense egotism possessing each writer, which caused him to think that it was impossible anyone in New Zealand could have read the books he had read, and hence in writing he simply produced a rechauffage of some work or article or essay, which would be very pleasant reading indeed, onlv that acquaintance with th.i original destroys all interest in it. .".... We may mention,

in conclusion, that the "New Zealand Magazine" contains some translations from Hornc<\ Juvenal, and Catullus, rafchev below the average work of an average sixth form hoy.