CORPORATION ROAD-MAKING.

Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 125, 29 May 1888, Page 2

CORPORATION ROAD-MAKING.

A few days ago we drew attention to the waste of money in the so-called repair of Willis-street, predicting that the thin layer of metal being laid down would soon disappear, and the binding used, after a few days' rain, go to increase the mud. The rain has come, the metal is almost lost to view, and the mud is there thicker than erer. Willis-street is ljttJLe better than a quagmir^ after the rain, and one sot of Corporation labourers is now hard at work soraping off, in the form of slush and mud, what another set a few daya ago put down as binding gravel. The money spent has been almost absolutely wasted, beoanse tho work was not done thoroughly. The state of Willis-street and part of

Lambton-quay is a disgrace to the Corporation, and what the condition will be before the winter is over we are afraid to even think of. A thorough good coating of sound metal is required. No sprinkling of a few stones on the surface will Buffice. Undeterred, howpver, by thrc uWor fnilura of the Willisstreet attempt, v.o notice tint the au<o thing is being done along the end of Lamb-;on-quay, where the steam roller was hard at work last night preparing the blinding for conversion into mud as soon as the metal has sunk into the subsoil. What is the Corporation about to allow the principal streets of the city to fall into such a bad state, and in making such ridiculous, wasteful, and ineffective attempts at repair. The Pensions Bill introduced by Mr. Downie Stewart prevents persons whose homcß are in New Zealand from drawing more than half the amount of their pensions while absent from the colony, but entitles them to leave of absence without deduction for one year out of every five. Authority is given to the Governor-in-Conncil to extend the leave of absence on account of illhealth without payment of the pension being affected. The annual license fee for the digging of kauri gum in the northern forests has been fixed by Government at 10s, but within State forests digging will only be permitted between the M of May and the 30th of September. The Minister of Lands has promisod Mr. Hobbs that the original village settlers shall be allowed to dig f?um without payment of feeß, in accordance with an undertaking made by his predecessor. The Government have declined to grant permission for the bringing of the Changsha's Chinese passeneera from Sydney to New Zealand by the Wakatipu, and decided to adhere strictly to the arrangement already arrived at with the Union Steamship Company. The report of the Pnblio Petitions Committee upon the petition of ex-Inspector Shearman was presented to the House this afternoon. The committee state that they have fully gone into the petitioner's case, and consider that the Government have dealt very liberally with him, so that they cannot recommend that he should receive any further consideration. We are authorised to contradict the Btatement made by our morning contemporary, that it is probable that the principle of the Hare system, as embodied in the Electoral Bill, will be abandoned. Ministers intend to use their best endeavours to carry the measure through the House in its present form. Our Maaterton letter and several letters to the Editor will be found on our fourth page to-day. In the present state of city finances it is not at all astonishing that many footpaths have to go without the necessary renewal of gravel. The straits whioh people are placed in was instanced on Saturday last, when a property owner having sent a load of gravel to his place found, on arrival, that the most of it had been appropriated for street purposes. The owner was naturally very indignant, as the gravel was not left on the street for any length of time, and the respectability of the locality should have been a guarantee against any such proceeding. The gale which set in yesterday, and which continued during the whole of last night, has had the offoot of slightly damaging the railway line between here and Pot one, but in no instance are the injuries of a serious character, nor has any part of the line suffered so much as to prevent or impede the ordinary traffic. The masonry wall at about five and a half miles from Wellington has suffered to a slight extent, and at the quarry point, where the line is being straightened, a large portion of the new bank has been entirely demolished. In two or three other places the sea has encroached, and althoug none of the breaks exceed moro than a few feet in length, ope or two of the breaches are almost deep enough to impede, if not to stop, the traffic. Early this morning gangs of men wero put on at the damaged places, and the repairs were Roon completed, so that, unless the gale continues or increases by high water to-night— which will be at 7.13— n0 serious consequences to the line need be anticipated. Mr. Dawpon, the traffic manager, has taken all possible precautions with a view to avert a repetition of the wreckage of the line which caused so much inconvenience about two months since, and men were to-day told off to patrol the weak seotions of tho line now undergoing repair, in order to stop trains should such a course be deemed neoessary. It is gratifying to learn that the new retaining wall near Petone has withstood the action of the sea during last night's gale, and shows not the slightest sign of weakness at any point.

The statement of assets and liabilities in the bankrupt estate of Ivor James, farmer, of Karori, was filed before the Official Assignee yesterday afternoon. The assets of the debtor aro nil, while the liabilities amount to .8114 135. The whole of the oreditors are unsecured, the principal of whom are— Alex, Munro, ,£l3 12s 9d ; A. Bennett, .£lB 12s ; W. Tonks, £15 14s lid; Jas. Cole, £9135;Jamieson Bros., £21; G, Thom&s&Co.,£s; H. Southey, £1 10s. The date Sved for the first meeting of oreditors is noon on iViday next. A correspondent Bends the following :— The peculiar shark mentioned in Thursday's Post as exhibited in Mr. Smith's window is a specimen of the thresher, or fox-shark. Its tail is a powerful weapon, with which it attacks the largest animals in the sea, and its flail-like blows resound for a very long distance when it assails, as it often does, the defenceless whale. The Rev. Mr. Wood, the well-known naturalist, thus transcribes an account of an attack by threshers and swordfish on a whale, which gives an idea of the powor of the thresher's tremendous weapon :—": — " One morning during a calm, when near the Hebrides, all hands were called np at 3 a.m. to witness a battle between several of the fish called thresherß, or foi-sharks, and some swordfish, on the one side, and an enormous whale, on the other. It was in the middle of summer, and the weather being clear and the fish close to the vessel, we had a fine opportunity of,witnessing the contest. As soon as the whale's back appeared above water the thresherß, springing several yards into -the air, descended with great violence upon the object of their rancour, and inflicted upon him the most severe slaps with their long tails, the sounds of which resembled the reports of muskets fired at a distance. The swordfish in their turn attaoked the distressed whale, striking from below, and thus beset on all Bides, and wonnded, where tho poor creature appeared the water around him was dyed with blood. In this manner they continued tormenting and wounding him for many hours, until we lost sight of him, and I have no doubt that they in the end oompleted his destruction." The detectives are making active enquiry into the circumstances rsonneetod with the robbery from the premises of Mr. Byron Brown, draper, of Conrtenay-place, whioh ocourred some time on Thursday evening lost. ,Mr. Brown resides on the premises, and on the evening in question he was absent from home until a late hour. He is positive that the door was locked by him before leaving, bnt on his return it was found open and the contents of the cash-box were gone. The box contained 45 in notes, a couple of sovereigns, and some lose silver, amounting, perhaps, to £1. Unfortunately nothing identifiable was taken, whioh will make it a difficult matter to discover the thief. The new. boilers for the Government steamer Hinemoa have just been oompleted by Messrs. W. Cable & Co., of the Lion Foundry, and are now ready to be placed on board. Before shipping them, however, the Government intend to obtain an official report from the engineer of the Marine department and the chief engineer of the Union Steam Ship Co. 'a fleet as to the best means of improving the vessel's steaming capabilities and reducing her fuel consumption. It is understood that Ministers will rather sell the Hinemoa than again put her into commission, but that if not sold she will take the plaoe of the Stella in the lighthouse service. Mr. George Martin, the purser of the s.s. Grafton, met with an accident on Saturday last which will necessitate his lying up for a little while. Mr. Martin wag collecting the tickets from the fore-cabin passengers shortly after the steamer left Timaru for Lyttelton, when he fell down the lazarette and broke some of his ribs. The unfortunate man was landed at Lyttelton, and his place for a few trips will be taken by Mr. A. E. Hiohmough, of the Wellington office. John Goldsmith, alias Hart, and Duncan Cameron, alias Morris, who have to undergo three months' imprisonment in the Wellington Gaol for vagrancy, were brought down from Wanganui last night by Constable Mackle. By the same train, Constable Coffoy. of Palmorston North, arrived with a lunatic named William Jonos, who has been oommitted to the Mount View Asylum. A gentleman in Wellington, who Is fond of a " bit of blood," took it into his head a few weeks ago that he would purchase a horse for tho Wellington Steeplechase Club meeting, which is to come off on the 7th of July next. He aooordingly opened np negotiations with an owner at New Plymouth, which resulted in his becoming possessed of a horae named Black Prince, which won some jumping raoes in Taranaki a couple of years ago, but haß Binoe been in retirement. The gentleman's hopes of a grand coup were, however, we regret to say, out short in a most tragic manner a few days ago. Pending the selection of a trainer, the horse was kept in a paddock in the Tinakori-road. The owner, on going to look at him on Friday afternoon last, fonnd that the animal had jumped one of the boundary fences, and had fallen into a deep gully just outside, and broken bis back. The unfortunate animal was jammed so tightly where he had fallen, that the carcaso as it lav had to be cut up into eight pieces in order'to bury it. It is needless to say that the owner's disappointment is very great. One of tlje most elaborately got up lithographio plans whioh have yet been produced in this city has just bean turned out by Messrs. Lyon and Blair, showing the Flimmerton sections which will be offered for salp by augtion, on the ground, by Messrs. T. K. MaodqnalfJ'and Co., on behalf of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company, on Saturday next. The ordinary dull uniformity of similar productions has in this instance been relieved by means qf coloured inks, and the effeot is exceedingly striking and pretty. The idea of introducing colours is due to Mr. A. Falkner, draughtsman to the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company, on whom the plan reflects the greatest credit. Intending purchasers and others desirous of inspecting the land to be offered for sale may visit the spot eaoh day np to Saturday next by the 10.5 a.m. and the 1.40 p.m. trains, the return fare being Is. We remind our Ngahauranga readers of ;be mebtjng which is to be held at Mr. Putter's woolshed 'this, evening, to receive the report of the aommittee appointed to consider the question of building a Publio Hall in the distriot.

In the Magistrate's Cmirt to-day, before Mr. H. W. Robinson, R.M., judgment was given for tho plaintiffs, with costs, in tho following oivil cases :— Thoa. Bilby t. 6eo. Swanson, £W 5» 6d ; Dr. Cahill v. Otto f Haase, £7 10s 6d ; C. Stuart & Co. v. M. j Macdonald. £7 16s; P. Cooper v. J. Ayles, c £2 6s 2d • TT- n,>y Vnilpy Meat Co. v* W. H. Jj Wilton. JES 7s; C. Nees&Sons v. T B-n- t nett JB7 2s 3d ;C. Brown v. Alex. Bullock, n £1 10s. 0 Charles Gordon, an old man, who was yes- a terday brought in from the Hntt by Con- a stable Harnett on suspicion of his being a J lunatic, was examined durin? the afternoon 1 by Drs. Johnson and Cahill, who, howover, c were unable to discover any traces of in- t sanity. The man waB accordingly dis- 1 charged. ' The man Henry Wilson, who was arrested j yesterday by Detective Campbell upon a c warrant issued at New Plymouth, charging •, Mm with having, on the 22nd March, ob- j tamed board and lodging from Edinond j Newland by false representations, was ■[ brought (before Mr. H. W. Eobinson this { moraine. Chief Detective Brown, who \ appeared for the prosecution, intimated to ( the Court that he had received a telegram ] from Now Plymouth afking that as the , accused had pleaded Guilty, his case might ] be dealt with by the Court here, wbich , would save the expense of conveying him to i New Plymouth. His Worship agreed to this course. The accused having no defence j to make, he was sentenced to nine months' ; imprisonment with hard labour. > We would remind our readers of the tea . meeting in the Congregational Schoolroom, ■ Bowen-street, this evening at 6, and the i public meeting in the new church at half- . past 7. Mrs. Langtry, says the St. James' ' Gazette, has delivered her mind on the subject of dress-improvers to a New York journalist. She objects to them in toto — or we should rather say, in globo— and if she had her way would banish them altogether from the ladies' armoury. Their place is to be taken, it seems, and their elevating functions discharged by the ideal droBS of the future. Mr *. Langtry is clear as to the back of this dress, but is still in doubt as to its front. The ideal gown, or the back of it, should faintly Busiest and indicate the "Greek curve" of the spine, and in extreme oases—presumably when the curve is a good one — should boldly define it. Then as to the skirt. In Mrs. Langtry's own words : — "From the hips, the skirt of my ideal dress falls to the ground, not full enough to be clumsy nor yet scant enough to be round; but just full enough and round enough to follow tha wearer and not go with her." The precision of this utteranoe is admirable, but to the plain man, and even woman, its meaning is sadly obsoure. Not go with her! A skirt whioh does not go with the wearer must— but Mrs. Langtry cannot have meant that. However, whether the ideal Bkirt goes or stays, there will be no difference of opinion as to the expediency of the dres3-improver going, and going at once. The most meroiful mode of inflicting the death-penalty has been carefully studied by a State Commission in New York, who have now reported to the Legislature. Their report is a most ghastly record of the different methods of putting to death, from the days of Moses and the early Chinese down to the present time, when in civilised countries the sword and the guillotine are the most frequent means of execution. Beheading is almost general on the European Continent, the guillotine being used in France, Belgium, Denmark, and several German States, the sword in Prussia and Italy, both sword and guillotine in Switzerland, while shooting is generally reserved for military cases, exoept in somo parts of Germany and South America. Great Britain, the United States, Holland, and Portugal, prefer the gallows, which are also used in Russia as often as the sword, while Spain uses the garotte. The American Commissioners condemn all these .nodes of execution alike as barbarous and revolting, and recommend the infliotion of death by electricity. This method is certain, painless, and instantaneous, nor does its carrying out depend on the skill of the executioner. The condemned culprit is seated in a chair with a head-rest and a foot-rest. A button ia touched, and ho is dead immediately. The object of capital punishment is to remove the criminal, and electricity affords the means most in keeping with the civilisation and scientific achievements of to-day. We would remind our readers that the costly assortment of furs, advertised for sale by Messrs. George Thomas & Co., at the N.Z.L. & M.A. Company's warehouse on Thursday next, at 2 o'clock, are now on view. A large number of visitors were present ibis afternoon, and the general impression prevailed that this shipment is by far the most attractive that has yet been submitted by Mr. Clark in ■Wellington. Messrs. George Thomns & Co. will sell to-morrow, fruit, &c. Messrs. Freeman B. Jackson & Co. will sell'tomorrow, at Johnsonville, stock, &c. Messn. Laery & Campbell will sell to-morrow, fruit, produce, &c. It is worth any lady's while to inspeot, aye, and not only to inspect, but purchase; some of the useful, attractive, and charming dross fabrics we are now showing for the present season, at the Wholesale Family Drapery Warehouse, Te Aro House. We have winter dress materials of the newest shades and makes, in, the latest styles, at prices to suit everyone's means. We are now showing, and selling fast, a lot of useful and becoming flannellas, homespuns, &c, from 4s lid to 8s 9d per dress of 12yds ; Kimberloy and Angola stripes at la and Is 2d per yard ; and a large assortment of beautifnl soft woollen materials, in plain, stripes, and checks, from 1b (id to 2s 3d per yard, at Te Aro House. We have also a lot of very superior combination robes, in chevron and Frenoh twilled foule, with embroidered, plush, and striped trimmings, the handsomest robes to be found in this city, varying in price from 35s to five guineas ; with about 50 charming robes, in boxes, from 29s 6d, to 87s 6d, at the Whole, sale Family Drapery Warehouse, Te Aro House. Silk plushes, in all shades, from 2s 4Jd to 5s 6d per yard; and our celebrated 24in wide plush, 6s lid per yard, at Te Aro House. — Advt. Baxter's Lung Pbeseevek has gained great popularity in this district as a speedy and effectual remedy in the treatment of Coughs, Colds, Bronchitis, and other cheat and throat complaints. — Advt.