LATEST.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XXVII, Issue 1360, 14 May 1895, Page 4

LATEST.

The tlire# men charged with felonious assault ou a woman iu Stafford Street, wore remanded. Tho police to day unearthed, iu the section occupied by the Deans, iu VVintun, another body, being that of a boy about three years old. It was much decomposed. The man Patrick, the victim of the fire in Wellington, died iu the hospital this morning. A two year old child, named Elizabeth M‘Sweeney, vvas scalded to death at Christchurch this morning, by falling into a bath of boiling water. The Enterprise dredge, Alexandra, obtained 240z SJwt for last week.

The largest nugget ever found on the Bannockburn, where the gold is always uniformly small, was obtained by Mr J. Halliday in his claim last week. It weighed loz 17dwt. Many of our readers will be glad to hear tho Cadzow Neill Company had a packed house at Queenstown ou Sunday evening, the occasion of a sacred concert given by them. Mr C. Richards, who left here about three wei-ks ago for Dunedin, has been transferred to Ophir, where lie will take up the position of acting-accountant in the Colonial Bank there. We congratulate him on his promotion. This week will see poisoning in full swing on Morven Hills, Kawarau, and Northburn Stations. We hear that the price of skins has been considerably reduced this year. On the high country on Morven Hills tho old price (16s Sd per 100) will be retained, but on the low country 12s 6d is to be the ruling price. There is also to be a reduction in last year’s price on Kawarau and Northburn Stations—viz., from 14s to 13s per 100 We notice that Mr David Goodger has been transfeired from J Milton to Masterton. The Brace Herald , in noticing the change, says : Om readers will regret to learn that Mr D. S. Goodger, of the local postal department, has been removed to Masterton. During the two years in which he has acted as cadet at Milton, Mr Goodger has made a host of friends, both iu his public duties and in bis private life. His unfailing courtesy to all cannot fail to have been observed, and together with his cheery manner has made him a deservedly popular officer. The shift was rather sudden. Word cf it first cune on Saturday 4th inat., and Mr Goodger left fur his new sphere of labors, being accompanied to the station by a few of his friends. We wish Mr Goodger every success in his future life, wherever he may be stationed,

Miss Masters has been appointed to the Nevis School. Recently at Fairlie Creek (Canterbury) full, fresh mouthed merino sheep were sold at 4s 6d per dozen. The Lawrence Borough Council has appointed a committee to inquire into the feasibility of lighting the borough with the electric light, Mr William Doolan, on the Nevis, is reported to have unearthed a nugget weighing between 9or 10 ounces. The find was the subject of current, talk on the Nevis on Saturday, thougu no one seemed to know the exact weight. Before D. A. Jolly aud J. L. Scott, Esq’s., J’s.P., on Thursday last, Mr D. Dawson was charged with hawking spectacles. The case of the police, who were the prosecutors, broke down completely, aud the case was dismissed. Mi’ Fraser met with good receptions both at Arrow and Queenstown. At Arrow Mr J, A. Miller moved and Mr Stanford seconded a vote of thanks and confidence, which was carried. At Queenstown Mr Hotop moved a similar motion, and Mr D. M'Bride seconded, the result being the same as at Arrow. The following clause appears in the monthly list of a leading firm of Sydney stockbrokers;—“ It is to be hoped that the disastrous results of the wild-eat legislation in New Zealand aud Victoria, driving away capital and discouraging euteiprise, will be sulficiont warning to prevent this colony following a similar course.” Another sewer accident (says a Melbourne telegram of May 7 th) has happened at the Port Melbourne section of the sewerage works, where the shaft is down 50ft. Three men, named William Young, James Phillips, and James Conray, were driving the shaft in the sand, when the ground collapsed. Young just barely escaped. Phillips was crushed to death, but Couray was entombed, and only rescued after throe hours’ work. He was badly injured. The following, taken from the Melbourne Age, is interesting as showing the length to which hero worship will go in the colonies:—“No departure of a distinguished citizen has attracted so large a crowd to the Port Melbourne Railway Pier as that which assembled recently, chiefly with the view of taking a last look at the Australian equine favorite, Carbine. From such crushing and squeezing, such indiscriminate elbowing, one might reasonably have inferred it was another departing Governor on the steamship Orizaba that induced over 2000 people to endeavor to get on board at one and the same time. It was not a Governor, however, or even an Agent General, or an alderman, whose hands the crowd were anxious to shake ; it was only a racehorse they wished to see and pat and stroke ere he was taken out of the colony for ever. The following business of local interest was transacted at the last sitting of the Land Board :—Mr S. H. Turton applied, on behalf of Mr James Johnston, to have section 35, block 111, Cromwell district, and also the adjoining area of 640 acres, opened for application.—Referred to the warden to report as to whether there was any objection to the land being dealt with. Mr Robert Gray applied for an occupation lease over 100 acres of Run 236f, block I, Lower Hawea district.—Consideration of the application was adjourned for a week Ranger Mackenzie forwarded a valuation of improvements upon forfeited deferred payment section 5, block IX, Tarras district, lately held by Mr George Mill.—Recom mended for notification at the capital value of 12s 6d per acre, with valuation for improvements £142 15s, subject to the Governor’s approval. Wo have had much pleasure in inspecting two scenes which were painted by Mr C, B. Morris for the Cromwell Musical Society, to mount the opera, “ Pirates of Penzance.” The sceue for Act I. is a splendid realistic view of a Cornwall sea coast, with a most piratical looking schooner lying at anchor. The soene for Act II represents the interior of a ruined abbey, and is even more meritorious thau the former, inasmuch, as Mr Morris had to rely solely on his own taste and conception for the painting of this scene. His idea of both Corinthian and Gothic Architecture is admirably displayed, the perspective effect being excellent. The mechanical effects to be used in connection with the scene will be well worth seeing. We must congratulate Mr Morris in possessing such a splendid natural ability, combined with such taste and conception, and would suggest to our hall committee, as well as others in this aud neighboring districts, the advisability of get ting this gentleman to paint new scenes, or renovate their old ones. The Timaru Herald referring to the three per cent, loan, says : “ The Advances to settlers loan came on in due course aud was promised a good reception. Immediately, the Colonial Treasurer was credited with being the happy cause of the success. It was poiuted out by a Wellington paper that the Agent-General aud the Bank of England could have done the business perfectly well if Mr Ward had remained in the colony, and that the Agent-General ought not to have been interfered with in his business. Immediately afterwards it was officially announced that the AgentGeneral had not been interfered with, and that the Colonial Treasurer had had nothing to do with the arrangements for the loan. It is indeed a long chapter of contradictions, and if it were worth while we could make it much longer. Sometimes the Colonial Treasurer has contradicted himself; sometimes the Premier in the colony has contradicted his colleague in London. It strikes us that when Parliament meets there will have to be a chapter of explanations equally long ; and it is absolutely brainworryiug to attempt to forecast how the reconciliation of one set of statements with the other is to be accomplished.” There is pretty general dissatisfaction and growling over the new Income Tax forms, which have to be filled up this year. In connection with which, we notice that a telegram has been despatched by the committee of the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce on May 7th to the Hon. the Premier Chamber respectfully protests against wholesale inspection of tradesmen’s books by subordinate accountants such as is understood is in progress, and feels confident that Parliament when giving the commissioner power to make tradesmen produce books where there was any reason to doubt the accuracy of his returns never intended that a wholesale inspection of books of the trading community should be made ; aud the chamber feels such a course is inflicting needless aud exasperating indignity on traders. The Chamber further respectfully urges the Commissioner of Taxes to permit traders and others to make returns of incomes in a similar form to last year, as it is practically impossible for the great majority to furnish the analysed details demanded in the new returns, which, moreover, is felt to involve a more complete exposure of the private working of traders' businesses than the Government is warranted iu demaucUng,”

We beg to acknowledge receipt from Mr C. W. Rattray, Dunedin of £1 as a donation to the Cromwell Hospital. We have handed tlie amount to the institution. it is understood (says the Wellington correspondent of the Daily Times) that advices have been received from the Hon. Mr Ward which point to the successful floating by him of the various companies in which he is concerned on the Loudon market. If ho has succeeded on the lines that have been indicated to me, Southland especially will benefit by a considerable access of British capita), while other districts will share in the advantage in a less degree. The hon. gentleman’s star would also seem to be in the ascendant in yet another direction for it is whispered Lord Ripou will name the Treasurer to her gracious Majesty as a worthy recipient of a distinguished Birthday honor, and chat it is even possible that Mr Ward will not leave English ground until ha shall have knelt ad the feet of her Majesty and arisen Sir Joseph Ward, K.C. M.G. The j Daily Telegraph, referring to the Advances to Settlers Act of New Zealand, says it hardly thinks so much gilt-edged securities will go to the Government lending office as the Courier imagines. Id is quite possible to place first-class mortgages at 6 per cent, or even below that at the present tinia, and therefore it is probable that the more doubtful securities will be transferred to the State lending office. The effect will be to level down ali rates to the official rate, and the lending companies will only take the best properties on such terms. Rates are slowly coming down already, and they would be lower eveu than they are now if it were not that the reconstructed institutions have to pay 4J{ per cent. The banking aud mortgage companies will be conducted more economically and on a different basis in the future, but still it is quite likely that the Government department will supplant a good deal of the capital now employed. Still, in the Advances to Settlers’ Act of New Zealand the political aspect of the whole proceeding is very serious, aud the result of the experiment can only be tested by time. A strictly non-political and capable administration is essential to its success.