DESTRUCTION OF OYSTER BEDS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXX, Issue 5275, 21 July 1874, Page 2

DESTRUCTION OF OYSTER BEDS.

We are, in iome reppeot«, a very improvident peoplu. Tho good things provided by Nature for (18 m this new country appear to act as a temptation to waste, and one which meets with but little resistance from us. A day or two ago we inci leutally called attention to the frightful waste of timber which is daily taking place far and wide throughout this 2)rovinco. We then pointed out that the timber which 13 month by month recklessly destroyed by the people of Auckland can never bo replaced. And that which is true of our kauri timber is equally true of many other natural products. Only to inatauce one of these : The coast of tho province of Auckland has been plentifully supplied with shell fish. All along this part of the coast the rocks are covered with oysters cf unusually fine quality, and easily procured. The value of this peculiar shell fish is too well known to require any remaiks from us, and yob it is the case that this natural product of our waters is being treated in the same way as that other natural production of our forests by being recklessly destroyed. Not only is the Auckland market supplied at all times, in seasoi, and out of season, with oysters, not only are young and small oysters taken with full grown ones iust .19 they come to hand ; but not content with these blun do is, we actually send away month by month to the other colonies tons of oysters to supply tho placo in the Australian market of thn shellhsh which our neighbours are too wise to destroy wholesale on their own coasts. It is a well ascertained fact that already the oyster9,like the kauri trees of the provinee,are growing scarcer and more difficult to get at, and if we only carry on the trade as we have been doing for a few years longer we may have the satisfaction of making oysters as rare a delicacy here as they are in many countries not naturally possessed of oyster beds. When such a state of things cornea about no doubt much will be said about tho folly that lost us so important an adrantage, but it will then bo too late to do anything, except at very gieat expense, to replace what we are now destroying. The matter is one which should be taken up by the Assembly. There 13 already an Act providing for the conservation of oyster beds, bui there is no provision for rock oysters ; and that which is necessary for the preservation of the one, has been proved by experience to be quite as essential for the contined existence of the othnr. The matter may Beem a small one amongst the ereat matters engaging the attention of our legislators, but if the protection of imported animals and birds (often a doubtful benefit to the settlers) is worthy cf so much attention as it has received, we cannot suppose the preservation of so useful and so desirable a luxury as that of oyster-s can ha really unworthy of their notice aud attention.

We are greatly pleased to learn that the '■ rumour so generally prevalent on Sunday I last", and which we mentioned in yesterday's Ckoss, as to tho death of Mr. Beveridge, was | not founded in truth. Mr. Beveridge is iv>w reported to be veiy satisfactorily piogressinEf towards convalescence under fie unremitting euro of his medical advisers. The case of Donnelly v. Burnside, an action for vpi'nctinn, \\ <is h">arl in tlv- Supieme (Jonrfc ye-ti-rday. The jury after a nhoit ddiheiation icttirnfd a verdict foi th" pkuutifl, whom they awaided £230 d images. At the meeting of the City Council vesterdiy, Mr. H. banes was unanimously elecled Mayor for thi> uuuxpire 1 term of about six months A largo amount (if other business , was transacted, a summary of which appctra iu another column. Wo would direct attention to the lovers of , amusement to the announcement which appoais in another column of the performances of the Loyal Troupe who will appear at the O.Id Fellows' Hall, ia Lome street, for six niyhti This troupe have gunnd n well earned reputation in the Australian colonies for their gymnastic performances. At the Polico Court yesterday Dr. Home and W. A. Giaham, Esq , wito the presid- I ing magistrates. 'I'he only business disposed of was thiee charges of drunkenness, and i thiee breaches of the Merchant Shipping Act. An amusing little episode occurred at the Police Couit yesterday. One of the delinquents who hid l>c n paying his vov.s at the shrine of Bacchus on being called to an. swer to the charge, stepped briskly forward into tho witness box Sergeant-major Tardy, with an ill concealed smile on his usually btern face, motioned him to the locality generally occupied by those who appear in Court against their will. The little mail stoppeil down in no wiso abashed, and said " guilty" with ai much glibness as if he had been used to that sort of thing all his lifo. It seemed quit« a pleasure to him to pay fis. to the public treasury, or else undergo the puns and penalties of his offence by 24 hours' hard labor. Tempora imitantur, et nos mutamur in ill is A meeting of tho supporteis of Mr. W. L. Kks, in hi3 candidatmo for the vacint seat in tho rfou-c of Kepiesentahves, rendered vacant by the retirement of Tlunnns Hinderson, Vsq , wis hold yestoulay evfiimg. The meeting was strictly a private on», and of inteie^t only to Mr. Kees and tho mombois of his committee. State of Ker Majesty's Gaol, Auckland, for tho weekending July IS, 1S74: — On lemaud, 1 male, 0 females ; awaiting trial, 1 male ; ponal servitude, .T7 males, 0 female ; h ml labour, 79 males, 19 females ; default of bail, 2 niali-s ; debtors, 2 males ; received dm in^ tin week, 11 males, 2 female ; disch ngi>d, 13 males, 4 female ; total in gaol, 122 males, 19 females. The half-yearly meeting of the Union Steam Saw Moulding, Sash, and Door Company (Limited), was held yesterday afternoon at the office of Mr. F. A. White, Shortland street. Mr. J. Howard occupied the chair. The directors' report »nd balance sheet having been read, a dividend at the rate of 10 per cent was declared payable at the office of the Company on and aftor Wednesday next, the 22nd instant. Met-sri. Fendolow and Hughet were elected directois, and Mr. J. T. Garlick auditor. By some enquiries recently made by the War Office it transpires that no loas than 400 old soltiiers are still alive who served in th>' Peninsular war or at Waterloo, though the las' mentioned battle was fought nearly iifty-nine years ago. As most of these veterans aie in want of pecuniary help, it is pleasant to think that, under a reoent warrant, thoy will icoeive pensions of half a guinea a week each. In tho new building which tho pronrietor* of the Times are putting up there will be a waiting-room, m which servants advertising for places, and persons ri quiring t-eivants, will have an opportunity of mooting. We are pleased to leavn that our spirited folio w-set tli r, Mr. llobert Grulmin, has set usido a piece of gronnd at Elleraho station suitable as a permanent Pito tor holding oui minimi cuttle show. This will i^ive stability to our shews, as tho site is a most convenient one, having a good watev supply and all the necessary requirements for holding the shows.

Up to «a lat<- linur last night there wai no frc^h occupant of the Police cells. it is with great regret vre learn of the dangerous lllni-sa of Mr. William Rattray, draper, of Qaren-street. It is to be hoped that, notwithst»nding tho unfavourable reports »f his medical attendants, Mr. Rattray will shortly be able to resume his ordiuary avocations. Mr. McLean, in his paper on the Native ra^o in the New Zealand Hand-book, estimates 'liat the native* have de creased from, about 40I>.<>00 8011I3 in 1,820 to 40,000 now, of whom 37,000 arc on tho North Island. I Auckland is by no means deficient in artistic tali nt. Mr. W.iyte has on view now some very well-executed landscape paintings which do much credit to the pencil of tho artist who produced them. Amongst them we may enumerate as being worthy of notice a scene below the falls of the IVairau river, ne°»r Lake Takapuna, by Mr. A. Sharpe, which is very correctly depicted, a very happy blending of light with the water and foliage having been effected A view from Mount Eden on the houses below, by the same artist, is not quite so good as the last named picture, the foreground falling rather I short. The colouring also is if anything too vivid, but the picture shows considerable vigour and talent. We understand that he is at present following the trade of a carpenter, and that the^e pictures have been executed by him during his sparo time, a fact which reflects no small credit on his abilities as a draughtsman. Several pictures by Mr. 0. H. YVatkin are also on view, chiefly views of the Bay of Islands : " Sunrise id the Bay," which well portrays those gorgeous sunrises and sunsets for which New Zealand is deservedly famed. A iew of Wangaroa harbour, and one of Tikitiki, are well executed. The colouring is brilliant, b;it not too much bo, and the lights and shades are well preserved. A study of ferns in a gully in the Bay of Islands is also worthy of notice, as being Tory life like. The Poverty Bay Standard and People's Advocate relates the following singular circumstance : — " A cask of beef came to light on 'I hursday l»9t under rather unusual circumstances. A prisoner was engaged in cleaning up the yard of the lock-up, when he came across a hard substance buried some inches below the surfac3, which proved to be a cask of salt beef. Ou being exposed to the light of day, the cask was found to be in an advanced state of decay, but the meat was in a far better atate of preservation, considering that it baa remained hidden upwards of five years, ever since the eventful \ over f .y Bay massacre, when it was ' planted ' in case of a siege taking place. Although far from being decomposed, the beef was not exactly eatable, and it was again buried by the police." Scarlatina is now prevalent in Wanganui. Until lately the disease has not been known in that district for the last eight years. The youth Gottlieb Eichborn, barely 17 years of ago, seutenced to death for rape upon an old woman was hanged on June 23. The culprit was attended by the Rev. F. Tait, Wesleyan minister. On the ! parents hearing from the prisoner's own lips 1 that he had confessed to his crime, they both poured forth a torrent of abuse upon the unfortunate lad's head. In fact, so great was their abuse that the governor of tho gaol had to interfere to stop it, on which the unnatural parents merely shook hands with I their child, said, " Good-bye," and left, and. have never been near him since, nor when asked to claim the body would they have anything to do with it. The Tasmania Tribune of June 19bh says .*— Mr. Superintendent Propsting appeared at the Police Court this morning in support of two informations which charged the Professor with having illegally practised as a medical man in Hobart Town, but as Mr. Propsting was not iu a position to say whether the summons had readied Dr. Rosenthal, the case would not bo proceeded with ex parte and it was therefore adjourned for a fortnight in order that tha medico on hit return from Melbourne (?), after having cured " his brother " for whose restoration to health it wag indispensably nece=>-aiy tint h« sliou'd proceed " with .ill possible despatch " to Victoria, might have an opportunity of defending hitnaelt. The Porfree correspondent of a home paper writes: — "Great numbers ot people — the \ei^ bone and sinew of Skye — ave leaving for New Zealand next month. Tins is not to be wondered at, for this island is gradiull) becoming an intolerable place for human beings to live 111. Owing to the frightful gloomy and stormy weather that prevails continually during summer and winter, spring and autumn, the very wealthiest can have no earthly pleasure 111 living in (Skye. But it is the common people that have tne most miserable time of it, having enoimous rents to pay lor their wretched holdings, upon which they endure life, but never enjoy it ; nud oil" which they can hardly secure any corn crops but 111 a half rotten condition, owing to tho rainy state ot the harvests ; then they cannot but with the greatest diificulty .get their peats dry 'with the wetness of summer. At present heather 13 the only fuel thai people in many districts have to burn All kinds of fish h.ivo deserted the seas and lochs, and no workmen can get employment I 111 the place. Next census oi Sk\e will undoubtedly show a figure several thousands under that of last census."

Mr. Tl j eq announces by advertisement that he will svlrtwss tho doctors of Waitemata at the Hohoolhou^o at the Lake on Fiiday. Tlio half - yearly mooting of the shareholders of the Auckland Whaling Company is announced to be held in the company's office on the 2Sth inst. at II o'clock, to receive the balruioe-aheot and to eleot directors. Tlie annual meeting of the shareholders in tho All Nations Gold Mining Company is advertised to be hold on the 29th instant. The annual meeting of ratepayers 111 the Karangahape Highway District isannounojd to be held on the 27th instant, at seven o'clock, in the Newton Academy. The annual meeting of shareholders in the Red Queen Goldmming Company will be held at Vaile's Buildings on tUe 27th inst , at half past 2 o'clock. A notico appears in our advertising columns respecting the forfeituro of sh ires in the Red Queen (ioldminnig Company The annual mectine of tho shareholders of the 'Ihaines Gold Mimug Compiny is an nounced to be held in the Now Zealand Insurance Compiny's buildings', on the 2{)th mat, at 2 o'clock, to receive the directors report. Tender*? are invited by Captain Burgess for tho hnildiugof a boat for the pilot service at Tauranga Creditors in the estate of John Laurie, f!fix<!resser, Karaka, are requested by Mr. Mr. Mac(T.»rlane to prove their debts on or before the 27th in*t , when a first and final dividend will bo pud. A meeting of the shareholders of the Tookey Quart/. Mining Company is announced to bo held at < raig's Koyal Hotel, Halhirat, at 4 o'clock in the afternoon of the 3rd August, for tho disposal of business set forth m onr advertising oolumns.