THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1873.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1630, 25 October 1873, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1873.

There was a meeting of the Borough Council last evening. The members of Council present were Messrs Dupre, Kerr, Moore, Saiith, and Dr Acheson. Mr Kenwas elected chairman. The Town Clerk read a letter which had been received from the Mayor, Mr Masters, resigning his seat in the Council — a letter the contents of which have already been published. Mr Kerr moved — "That this Council accept the resignation by Mr E. Masters of his seat as a representative of the Upper Ward, and tender him their thanks for his indefatigable exprtions in the interest of the Borough generally as a Councillor, and for the untiring zeal and energy with which he has at all times fulfilled the functions of Mayor of Greymouth " The motion was seconded by Mr Moore, and unanimously carried Ln speaking to the resolution, both the mover and seconder spoke warmly in support of the sentiments which it conveyed. Subsequently tenders for the alteration and repair of the Town Hall were opened And read. The tenders were for roofing the Hall either with shingles or galvanised iron. Th'-y were four innumber,audthefollowingwere the amounts according to the different styles of roofing — a>>d Richards. LlB9 and L 217 ; T Hughes, L 203 and L 25 5; C. Seabrook LH4 10s and LI (58 ; C. Humphries, L 153 10s and L 164. M • Moore, seconded by Dr Acheson. moved the acceptance of Mr Seabrook's tender of L 144 10s. Mr Smith urged the propriety of adjourning the decision until there was a full meeting of Council, and stated that, in the «vent of the matter being pressed, his alternative would be to retire, when there would be no quorum. Mr Vloore and Mr Dupre dep-ecated delay. Mr Kerr having seconded the amendment pro forma, it was put after a pause. For the ameudment Vlr Smith and Mr Kerr voted, and Mr miih was in the act of retiring when the vote for the motion was taken. Messrs Moore, Dupre, and Dr Acheson voted for it, and, as The Chairman declared it carried, the Tow^i Clerk intimated that there was no quorum. This concluded the meeting, but there was other business, including the acceptance of tenders, for the disposal of which a meeting will be held this afternoon. The appointment of Mr John Lazar, Town Clerk of Hokitika, to the County Treasurership, vacant by Mr Horton's resignation, is the subject of several paragraphs in the Hokitika papers. The "Times" says :— ;< Mr John Lazar, at present Town Clerk of Hokibiha, Jm been appointed County Treasurer, and will enter upon the duties of that office afc the close of the present monbb. The selection of Mr Lazar for the position of Treasurer will, we are sure, give general satisfaction ; iiuLeJ, we may say that from the moment Mr tforton sent in his resignation Mr Lazar was publicly mentioned as the inevitable successor to the office. The Borough Council will feel the I ss of the services of their Town Clerk, but they will no doubt join with other of Mr Lazar's friends in rejoicing that he is a gainer by the removal, and that bis qualifications have met with due recognition." The "Star" remarks : — " We are sure that there is no one in the town but will rejoice at Mr Lazar's appointment, and will wish him most heartily every buccess in it. His public career for a long series of years has earned him deserved respect in this and other colonies, and the promotion, for such it must be considered, is more than well won. As Town Cl rk in this town he has aecured golden opinions, and in his new sphere will, we are sure, be equally fortunate. The only people who have cause to regret the transference are the Borough Councillors, to whom, for years past, he has I been more than ' a guide, philosopher, and friend.' They will not satisfactorily fill his place in a hurry, though there are already a host of Richmonds in the field ready to supply the vacancy his resignation will occasion." And the "Register" comments thus : — " Mr Lazar is to be congratulated, as is the Borough Council, the members of which are his good friends and well-wishers. Whether the County will have equal reason to be pleased at the appointment is a matter which time alone must show. We presume that the work of the Treasury will prove | slightly different bofcb in quantity and quality to that of the Town Clerk's office, and Mr Lazar exhibits the consciousness of extreme juvenility in undertaking such extra and doubly important duties at a time or J life when most officials are looking forward to the enjoyment of pleasant days of superannuation as the reward of a life of labor. I It muat not be forgotten that the changes which are imminent in the Government imply important changes also in the business of the departments, and whether these will not demand physical and mental vigor as well as experience, is a question which might have well engaged the attention of all parties before Mr Lazar was induced to consent to leave the indolent comfort of the Town Hall for the hard work and onerous duties of the Treasury. Since, however, it is to be so, we wish the new Treasurer well through it, with the proviso that the County or Province shall be not mulcted very heavily for extra clerical assistance."

The appointment of Mr La Nauze to office at Okarito is not the only change in the General Government service on the West Coast. It involves, of course, the removal of Mr Tizard, and "Westport may congratulate itself upon the fact that it is to be his future location. It was stated that Mr Tizard was to be removed to some other part of ti\e Colony, without proper recognition of the discharge of his duties in Westlaud, but the following paragraph from the "West Coast Times" indicates that the arrangements of the Customs Department are not so extraordinary as they were expected to be : — " We understand that several changes are about to be made in the Customs Department here. Mr Bowen is to take charge of the Customs afWesfcpork, pending Mr Tizard's coming up from down South, when the latter will enter upon his appointment of Oollector of Customs at Westporc, Mr Bowen then going to Dun,edin. Here Mr Gunn will take Mrßowen's place, and Mr Gallop, who has been appointed a Customs' locker, will succeed Mr Gunn." As to the appointment of Mr La Nauze, it can only be said that his seclusion in the Chatham Islands has probably fitted him particularly for the banishment which he will necessarily undergo by residence at Okarito, but it does not follow that he is eminently the man for the situation. The General Government, no doubt, require a Resident Magistrate and Custom- House officer there, but the County also wants a Warden, and, as the duties of a Warden are

•nore important to the district than those of - -ifcber of the other offices, it would have 'ieeu but right that the interests of the County should have been consulted. Mr La Nauze, it is said, is a very good officer and a gentleman, but, without injustice to him, •nore justice might misrht be done than has oeen to gentlemen who have been equally <ervants of the County and of the Colony. The first number of the " Exhibition tfews," a demy folio sheet, deroted to the interests of the Hokitika Exhibition, has been published. It contains a Synopsis of the past exertions of the Committee, and their results, and an explanation of what is inbended in future ; also, a special prize list ; a notice referriug to the carriage of exhibits ; a notification that the Committee propose tc secure a room in which ladies' exhibits Avil! be placed ; and an acknowledgment of subscriptions to the amount of fourteen guineas. Amongst the "special prizes" are some peculiarly apropos to the exhibits for which they aie to be given, as, for instance, a patent churn, given by Mr W. 0 Johnston, for the best butter ; and a squaring axe, steel square, and line, giver, by Cowlishaw and Plaisted, for the best log of hewn pine. In addition to these, the County Council of Westland gives LIO 10s for the best collection of indigenous timber ; and the County Chairman personally gives a second prize of L 5 5s for the same. TL" Mayor gives a silver medal for the bessample of oats grown on the Coast; Mr Bonar gives the same for the best sample oi woodware ; Mr James Rea another melal for the best saddle and bridle made on tht Coast ; Mr Klein, the " West Coast Times" free for a year, for the best collection of ferns and mosses ; the 'Westland Register Com pany, the " Register" for a year, for the best cheffionier made of native wood ; Messrs W. R. and IS. Jones give a year's "Star" for the best pair of riding boots ; Mr R. Campbell, a silver medal, for the best side of bacon reared on the Coast ; Mr W. Perry, a case of wive, for $he best dish, of desert fruit ; and Mr P. L. Clarke, a ton of coals, for an object not yet determined. Of the work at the drainage shaft, Ross, the locil paper of the 23rd instant states that 65ft of pipes were drawn up on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, while a column of 95ft in length was being brought up, one of the links in the chain broke, and the pipes went down the shaft again by the run. M r Watson descended in the afternoon, and found the column about 60ft under water. Mr Watson expected to have been finished by the end of the week, but this accident will delay him some time longer. The Tender and Contract Committee is reported by the Hokittka "Star" to .have held a long meeting on Tuesday. The chief business discussed related to the purchase of the Arahura bridge. It was resolved that the sum to be given for it should be decided by arbitration, Mr Thompson appointing one arbitrator, and the County Government* another, and in case of this being agreed on, that the matter should be dealt Avith without delay. The Westland Register believes that the electoral divisions of the new Province of Westland will be those of the County, with a member added to each, with the exception of Okarito. The Council will thus consist of sixteen members, viz., fifteen .elected to represent the different constituencies, and the Superintendent. The Hokitika Star states that the piano recently purchased for the inmates of the Asylum wa* yesterday paid for by the public subscriptions raised for the purpose. More than that, L3O haa been obtained by the same means towards the purchase of a billiard-table, and Mr Gribben fully expects to c illect the necessary balance on a tour he is about to make to Greymouth and district. Within a week or so, two of the ladies belonging to the dramatic company performing at the Hobart Town Theatre have met with painful accidents on the stage. On Saturday week Miss Juno slipped through a trap-door, and injured her leg to such an extent that she was not able to take her place on the stage for a week. On the evening of her re-appearance, an extraordinary and very painful accident happened to Mrs Alfred Phillips. The Hobart own Mercury thus describes the occurrence :— " After dressing for the part of Ladj Sowerby Creamly, which had been allotted to her, she was coing up the stairs at the rear of the theatre when she injured her ancle and fell forward, her forehead striking the edge of one of the steps. The result was that the entire scalp was removed, and turned back almost to the naoe of the neck. The assistance of Drs. Turnley and Bright was obtained, and after sewing on the scalp, Mrs Phillips was removed to her residence in Macquarie street." Readers of n ewspapers think that editors should be replete with information an.i able on the shortest notice to answer all their questions. A correspondent-writes to a contemporary to enquire if he can tell him the longest word known in any language. After much trouble the paper answers the question, but the editor declines to pronounce it, not wishing to suffer from lock jaw. The longest word extant, he says, is to be found in Aristophanes "Ekk.<esiazousa.i,"v. 116'}, which is 1 1 risteralektruonoptegkephalokigklopeleiolagoosiraiobapbetraganopterugon." Tt consists of 169 Greek letters, and 77 syllables. The word "Honorificabditudinitatibus," although not to be found in the modern dictionaries, is said to be the longest word in the English language. Shakespeare uses it in Act 5, Scene 1, of "Love's Labour Lost," when Costard, the clown, says to the page of Armado, "Thou art not so long in the head as honorificabilitudiDitatibus." A pamphlet is at present in course of publication by the Provincial Government of Canterbury, containing a variety of iaformation with regard to that province. It is being published for circulation in the old couutry, so that intending immigrants will be supplied with information of an authoritative character, showing the resources of the province and the inducements it affords to those desirous of immigrating. In addition to the exhaustive information it will contain, the book will be illustrated, which is a new and commendable feature in publications of this kind. To effect this very desirable end, the Government have engaged the services of Mr Gaul, the well-Known photographer, who is now busily employed in finishing a number of views which he has already taken for the book. Amongst others, there is an exceedingly comprehensive view of Lyttelton, its harbor and shipping, the Government Buildings, Christchurch (including an interior view of the Council hamber), the Provincial Hospital, the Railway Station, besides a number of views taken in Kaiapoi anfi other districts in the province, It will bo remembered that some time ago a quantity of the bones of the moa and of some other bird were discovered in a cave in the Dunstan district. Some of these were forwarded to Wellington by the Hon. Capt. Eraser, and one or two of an unknown bird wore sent to Professor Owen. The learned professor, who built up the sketch of tho dinornis from a single bone, was puzzled with the bones he received, but Dr Hector, who probably had in his possession more bones of the bird in questiou than had been ' sent to Mr Owen, has been enabled to present what he believes to be an accurate de- ; seription of this former inhabitant of New Zealand. The bird is described as belonging '■ to th c Anserinm or goose tribe. Of thi a <

family, the only living representative in New Zealand is the A user Novae Zealandiaz or Paradise Duck. The specimen which has been obtained from the Dunstan cave is, we are informed, much larger than the latter bird, and is of greater size than the common goose. This palteontological stranger, curiously enough, was unable to swim, and being possessed of only rudimentary wings, ike so many of the extinct birds of New Zealand, it could not fly.

Will Dunedin lose her trade? A corre ■spondenfc of the Bruce Herald tries to answer, this question. He says : — What will be known in history as the Mussel Bay storm, has been the cause of drawing the .attention of the corner, no the effect our railways will have on the capital, By some ig is maintained that lnvercargill will "rob" us of the lakes and southern trade ; Oamaru, if the breakwater answers, of the northern ; and that the exports from other parts will only pass through Dunedin for shipment at the Port. One ot our keenest politicians has, however, discovered a remedy ; he is preparing a bill making it compulsory to store all the imports and exports in Dunedin for one calendar month.

At the Opera-house, Melbourne, a young French lady, Mademoiselle Jenny Claus, has made her first appearance hv Victoria as a solo violinist. Her talents are of the very Highest order.

Berlin, which about two years ago became famous in this Colony on account of the large nuggets of gold which were found in its alluvium, has again yielded several nuggets of respectable size. The Inglewood Advertiser of a recent date says in reference o one of these :—" Another of the large lumps of gold which have made the Berlin digging so well knewn throughout the Uolony, was br^ughc to light on Monday by Barnett and M'eigret, two men working on Tyler's Flat, opposite the Post-office.. The rfugget weighs 119oz, or loz short of 101 b, and was bought by Mr R. N Williams, of the Post-office store, being valued at close upon L 500." Referring to the recent exceptional heat in Sydney, the Herald says :— " The excessive heat of the sun, so soon after what were comparatively cold days— indicative of the near approach of an Australian summer— has made its effects' already felt in instances of sunstroke, some of which have been fatal. A remarkable and peculiar feature in the cases that have come under notice since tife advent of the warm season, has been the circumstance that those attacked by the fearful coup de soleil have been children of about 12 years of age." The Argus of a recent date reports that a new glass-cutter has been invented and patented by Mr George Watts, late of Sandhurst, and the cutting capabilities of the new tool were exhibited at Messrs M'Lean and Rigg's ironmongery store, Elizabeth street. The difference between the usual glass-cutter and the new o ie is that the cutting part, instead of being a diamond, consists of a little revolving disc made of tempered steel. The cost of one of these cutters is about half a-crown at the wholesale rate, and consequently they are very much cheaper than the diamond cutter. It is also claimed for them that any person can use them, whereas it requires some skill and practice to be able to use a diamond. The inventor believes that one cutter will last many years. The result of the trial was that the steel cutter made as much impression upon glass as a diamond cutter does with the same amount of pressure, and some ordinary window glass was cut in various shapes with ease and certainty. The invention is likely to prove a useful one. The article is manufactured in the colony, though the steel is imported. Preparations are being made for the erec? tion of permanent buildings on some of the allotments* abutting od Queen street, Auckland; lately awept by fire, ror several days past workmen have been employed in clearing away the debris of the late Central Hotel, and it is the intension of the Messrs Wm'tson and Sons to erect a splendid building on that allotment without delay.

Efforts are beiug made to erect a woollen manufactory in the vicinity of Auckland. The Croni says that the site chosen for future operations is that section of land abutting on the Great North Road, embracing the creek aud large stream of water, a short distance beyond the Lunatic Asylum, about 4h miles from Auckland. It is reported that an allotment of about 30 acres in extent has been purchased by a gentleman in town, for a sum of LI 100, and that it is his intention to erect, not only a woollen manufactory there, but soap and candle works, aud in a short time also a tannery. The erection of the first two establishments will be proceeded with at. once, and workmen are now employed iv clearing the ground for the propo-'pd buildiugs.

Iv connection with the Aucklaud fire the foil-wing paragraph from the Southern Crons of the 27th ult is not without interest : — The insurance agents doing business in Auckland were somewhat busily engaged yesterday in ascertaining the localities where the damaged cotton and wool from the Lady Bowen had been stored, and in arranging for extra insurances or refusing risks altogether. One agent, we are informed, although made acquainted with theintention to storedamaged wool in a warehouse in Queen street, did nos 'lemand an extra rate. Such a case of selfabnegation deserves making a note of. The project of a coal-mine under the waters of Hobson's Bay is the latest idea. One of its promoters, Mr Gresham, of Sandridge, thus explains the reasons for the establishment of a sub-marine coal company : — " Mr Lee, a diver of Sandridge, about seven or eight years since was engaged in searching the bay by means of grapnels, for lost anchors and chains. The heavy grapnel used frequently canght in a solid reef, necessitating the descent of a diver to clear it. This reef proved to be coal ; several lumps were brought to the surface from it. From frequent contact with the reef, the marks an shore are well known. It is intended to have specimens of the coal brought up for analysis." In 1842 the Income-tax was established in Great Britain in its present form, and fixed at 7d in the pound, which rate was maintained until 1853. In that year it was doubled to meet the expenses of the 1 Crimean war, and in 1855 it was further raised to 15d. In 1857 the rate was reduced to 7d, and in 1858 to 5d ; 1859, when we were afraid of Napoleon, saw it again 9d, and in 1860 lOd, while in 1861 it was again diminished to 9d, in 1863 6d, in 1864 to 6d, and in 1865 to 4d. The expense of the war with Abyssinia raised the tax again to 5d in 1867, and to 6d in 1868. In the first of Mr Lowe's budgets it was reduced to sd, in the second to 4d. In 1871, as a consequence 'of the German war and re-organisation of the army, it again rose to Bd, bnt last year it fell to 4d, and is now dropped to 3d, the lowest point it lias ever reached. For fifteen years the tax was 7d; for three years, 6d ; Is 4s, 9d, 6d, and 4d, each have had two years' tenure; lOd and 3s 2d, one year ; and sd, three years. Since her great fire, Chicago has borrowed no less than fifty millions of dollars, thus mortgaging her reality to non-residents for about seventy millions, according to one of her local journals. New York, Hartford, and Boston have furnished this money mainly, and one of the moneyed institutions of Hartford has nearly ten millions of Chicago mortgages drawing an average of nine per cent.