CHRISTCHURCH.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 99, 20 January 1908, Page 9

CHRISTCHURCH.

• The Conciliation Board have-discovered' a rara avis, a man who had had his wages raised by his employer five times'without asking, and the last riso 110 had refused beTh U « S M£Vc? u H , . lt 1,0 lvns gettin S to ° Tiio Next Election. Mr. George Sheat, a member of tho Conciliation Hoard Will be a candidate for parliamentary honours at next election. \lr hheat is a farmer owning some IUOO acrcs at Uunsaiulel. Culverdon Estate, Operatioiis in connection with tho rcsumption by the G'orcrnimiiit of tho Culverdt'n instate have begun. Valuers for tho Government have been inspecting tho various portions ot the estate in anticipation of tho Compensation Court proceedings. The property, which was lor many years owned by 1110 late Mr. llugh M'llwraith, and for over twenty years by t-ho lato Sir J. Cracroft' Wilson, has an area of upwards of 25,000 acies. lho quality of tile land, its situatibn, uccossilmitv, and'contiguity to the railuay toilYiuxusjf will cause much discussion as to its present value. In 1882, for property tax, it- was valued at £50,1.38. Now, with the improvements which have been mode under up-to-date management, the value should be much greater. At present the country is not seen at its best-, as the grass is very dry, but as there is a complete svstem ot water-races tho sheep aro 111 capital condition. Mr. A. liarron, Chairman of tho Land J urchase Commissioners, who lias be on. tho south on business connected with tlie Otokaiko estate, told a Press reporter that.'t- is probable that the cst-ato will bo subdivided into twenty sections. Mr T Himip.hnes, Surveyor-General, wont vesterday to Culmden m connection with tho acquisition of tho estate by the Government. Labour for Mines. According- to Mr. G. I ; . Tscon, of Grevinoutli,, who is 111 close touch with mining aftairs on the West Coast, labour for both coal and quartz mmmg is in very short supply at present. He told a pressman that tho Government in bringing out emigrants should endeavour to induco miners, especially coal-miners, to come to New Zealand Now mines are being opoued up, and at present there is a very serious shortage 0 f labour for the mines that aro being worked 'lho wages earned, by these miners and the conditions of life aro tho highest and best in tho world, and if this wore known in ICnghsh mining centres many men that tho Dominion could do with would como out "livery quartz mine at present being actively worked on tbo West Coast," ho added "is on more or Ics3 payable ore. Tho known production of alluvial gold from the West Coast runs iuto well over 20 million pounds in value, and there is no doubt that this gold has been- shed from tho reefs that e:tist in tho height to the cast. That the matrix or Kuurcß of this enormous yield, is quartil is proved by the amount of quartz found as sands adhering to and associated with alluvial gold won by miners, dredges, etc. The reefs found so far occur chiellv in slates mid traverse the entire West Coast almost without break from end to end, a stretch of almost 'il)0 miles. At only a few isolated spots, such as Lyoll, Caplcston, Reefton; and Illaclcwater, has this huge pinto belt been prospectcd, anil at all those points highly payable reofs havo boon found. The potentialities of (his stretch of country, wlu'cli is all comparatively accessible, are, tin I'ar as I havo been able In lnarn, uncijiiiillcd in any known mining country in the world. What is required is knowledge and tho honeit administration of capital. Now that the railway is going through, and will connect the ■Mast and West Coasts, Canterbury lias a cistiuct interest, in the development ol' the West Coast, as the trading community of Canterbury will reap the benefit of asj de< ,

velopmont tlint occurs on tlio Coast. Within the noxt year or two ,a considerable amount of prospecting on sound lines : will bo inaugurated as tho rosnlt of tlio sound position of the working mines. 1 ' . DUNEDIN. . ... . . January IS). £ Sir Joseph Ward is pleased with tho prot gross ■ made with the duplication of the Southern Railway to Mosaic], aiid 'is san- , guine that it will be available; \as l'ar as t- Green Island, by this tinio next year. As , to tho present Caversliani tunnel, tho Prej nuer. is favourable to ceding it to the City - Corporation, conditional 011. that body entering into an undertaking-that it shall onlr . be utilised for drainage, water, or gas mains. i outcome o ftlie visit of tho Minister , tor Hallways to JJunedin is tho practical sct- , Moment of the difference with tlio Otago , Harbour Board in regard to giving an ap- . proaoh to the Board's property l to tho oast- . ward of the Railway Uesorve. A suhwat, ' •F 0 i tr,c n 1 'to pedestrians; is to bb .construe- , tod. J Ins will bo good news to all who aro interested in tho welfare of Duncdin, as resi- ; "ents. on-the foreshore will now have direct .access-..t0 their properties. llto Vinccnt 1 County. Council claims tbhavo t_he:. strongest bridges in tho South: Island. V lp . V l -™ 0 wndgo is being repaired with steel joists. - • ■ NELSON. V- . , January V. \ cry hot weather continues, And Serious iinsh fires aro raging in many parts of the district ior days a hazo.of smbko has dulled tho skv and each evening,tlio sun has set liko a ball of ,firo. At Sherry, Woiiea-. pekft and Tadmor .ilanieo have swepu tlic country for miles. Tho sawmill niid dwelliiighmise ot Mr. Drew wero totally destroyed. I'ivo hundred sheei> belonging to, Mr. kos-J Kio, and 31)0 belonging to Air. Chandler perched. At Stanley Brook, Pigeon' Vallov, .uofcupeko, and Itainy River much damage has boon doiie. Maiiy miles of fencing have been destroyed, and homesteads have been seriously threatened. In one instance a.setwer was compelled to seek refiiEo iii the riyor. At Tadmor tho/firos extended for 10 miles in ono direction. For tho last day or two light breezes from a northerly direction have been blnwing. Tlieso brought some hopo of ram, but as yot nono has fallen. Latest information is to the effcct that the fires aro still raging. Oil Monday a fire broke out 'at a shop and. dwelling in Bridge Street, owiiod by Mr. •fljoyes, tailor. Beforo the arrival of. tli'o firo brigade soiuo stock, and. furnituro were saved, but the donse Volumes of smokb prevented much being done. Tho brigado wero soon oil the spot, and in spite of tho strong nukl blowing, tho lire was sooti got tinder* .J lio stock carried ilo insurance, and much sympathy is felt for the owner. At a mooting of tho Nelson Horticultural bocioty it was decided that the members' snow, arranged for the present week/should be postponed owing to the dry weather. It was resolved to hold a bulb show ill September, a spring show in November, and a sweet pea and carnation show in December. A certiiicato of merit was issued to Mr. TV S. Merrick for a new variety of gooseberry raised by him to whirh tho namo ''I'igarino' l has been given. The fruit is described as red, smooth, thin-skinned, and fin*} flavoured Knoll berry weighs about, an ounco. Tho' society seems to be very'much alive, and will givo a distinct impetus to flower and fruit culture in tho district., i "■ At tho annual meeting of tho St. Andrew's Orphanage, tho trustees reported that there were'at present 49 boys and 18 girls in the homes; During tlio. year 15 boys and 14 girls wero Withdrawn from tho Orphanage. Of these 18 obtained situations ami 11 re-turned-to their homes. Tho Rev. J. P, Kompthorno and Mr. W. T. Bond wero reelected triisteos. • : Mr. H. Eyre-Kenny, S.M., who has been absent for a timo on sick leavo, hits resumed lur, magisterial duties. ' ■ ' 1 .1 ..-Af tho"cam-as township of enlnpers in tho ' J.nitai valley, a "children's day" was held last 1 Saturday, when a loiig programme Of swimnmig' ftiul running ovfmts Was got through.-'- Tho youngsters enjoyed thenificJves thoroughly. Tho ;Maitni. .Valley he-

combs a nioro and more popular summer reSort, and the,tent.township,. ; i:nojvii as ''Tatu ionnllc, is a hardy annual.' 0 A vocal roeitnl by Mr. Leo. Buekorid.ee, i' who formerly resided in Nelson, is shortlv "to 3 be given in the School of. Music, Mr. Bu'oke--1 rwgo trill ho assisted by Hen 1 Tcm'mer and , local musicians. Shopkeepers complain that business has r beftn unusually dull eiiice the Ne.iv Year. , This is probably duo to t.ho fact that the. country is nfc present* uuusiially busy and that a larger number of residents aro holiday making than at the samo time in previous years. There aro still many visitors ill tho city.'