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Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1743, 6 March 1874, Page 2

The Hokitika and overland mails from "hristchurch did not arrive as usual last aigbt per coach from Hokitika. We are :onaequently without our Hokitika, Christjhurch, and Dunedia files. The cause of /his is, we believe, that the Postmaster at Eokitika, thinking he could expedite the lelivery of the mail here, placed it on board ;he Waipara, which had given notice to sail f or Greymoutb, and allowed the coach to go, )ut afterwards the Waipara did not proceed in her voyage, so that we are without our nails. It would be far better if the P05t...1.. i— ct«i.:i..'i._ • j t-« i_« ti i

would stick to the ordinary route per coach, except under very extraordinary circumstances. The first San Francisco mail by tbe new steamship line arrived at Auckland per Tar bar on Wednesday. Tha American and European news brought by her was telegraphed to us so late as to prevent its publication until to day. Interesting details with regard to the new mail service will be found ii) another column. The mail brought by ths Tartar was to leave for the south by the Lady Bird yesterday morning, and may consequently be expected here in a few days. Mr Robert Alcorn, of Totara Plat, has met with anothor serious accident. While riding, on Wednesday afternoon, after a bullock, on the part of his land nearest tbe Grey River, the beast entered a belt of thick bush, and in endeavoring to follow it Mr Alcorn got staked in the leg by riding against a branch or stump of a dead sapling. The splinter entered the left leg just above the knee, tearing its way through the front part of the thigh, inflicting a frightful wound, and leaving a portion of the timber buried in the flesh. The wood has been extracted from the wound, and the sufferer is progressing as well as can be expected. There is much sympathy expressed for Mr Alcorn, who was only recovering from the effects of a previous accident in which his life was endangered by a horse kicking him. A conclave of the members of the Military and Masonic Order of the Knights of Rome and the Red Cross of Constantine assembled at Reefton on the 4th March. The conclave was convened by sir Knight G. VV. Harvey, M.P.S. of this, the only Commandery of the Order in the Middle Island of New Zealand. The duties of the conclave, which consisted of the ceremonies and installations were performed under the authority and by dispensation of the Imperial Grand Council of the Order in England. Thomas Sanderson Bulmer, Esq., M.D., Reefton, is Intendant-General of the Order for New Zealand. The consecration, dedication and oponing services in connection with the new Roman Catholic Church at Granville, Half-Ounce, will take place on Sunday, Sfch inst. The members of the Nelson Provincial Executive, now wsiting the Grey Valley, visited- Nelson Creek on Wednesday, and were to be at No Town on Thursday. As our readers will see in our advertising columns, a speculation, at a small cost, on the Jockey Club Handicap Race is open to j the public at the Railway Terminus Hotel. 1 A Derby Sweep, of four hundred subscribers at 10s, is started, with a certainty of ib coming off. The winner will take the handy sum off a hundred sovereigns, and the second and third horses will also win good money. We commend the avertisement to the attention of those who wish to take an interest in 1 the above race. In consequence of the recent insertion in our columns of the General Government sale of confiscated lands in the Patea district, severa,l of the principal residents hero aud in Hokitika are either about to proceed to Wanganui or have forwarded large orders to local agents to purchase land on their behalf. What is known as Good Templarisin has of late been making rapid strides throughout the Colony, and is about tr> arrive in Greymouth. The Rev. Mr M'Nicoll announces a lecture to-night, at the "Volunteer Hall, on total abstinence, and at it 3 close he will exism, no dbuvi^ifch tne v i ew fco the establishment of a local loci s * Mr Julius Anderson, who W recently returned to Ross from the Haast, reports that all hopes of that district turning out a goldfield .are vain. He was there three months, and with many others prospected the country well; It is too barren to yield gold, the bed rock being too near the surface. Mr Anderson and two others got eight ounces of gold for three months' works, and were considered lucky, as many other parties got nothing at all, A meeting of the directors of the Just-in-Time Gold-mining Company, was held at the registered office, Broadway, Reefton, on Saturday eveniug. Mr Clarke was appointed mining manager, and in consequence thereof retired from the directory of the company. Mr Richard. Reeves waß appointed in his stead. The receut improvement in the pro- " spects of Thompson's prospecting claim has led to the withdrawal of scrip in that lniue from the market, and this should have a tendency also to further increase confidence in the Just-in-l ime. A deputation of the Hokitika Hospital Committee waited upon his Honor the Superintendent on Tuesday to urge npon him the necessity of erecting new hospital buildings upoa the north side of the river. His Honor agreed with the deputation as to the necessity of carrying out the views expressed, but stated that he had no funds at bis disposal for the purpose indicated. The County Council had recommended the General Government to expend L3OOO in the erection of the new buildings, such sum to be taken from the Westland loan of L 50,000, but it was shown that no part of the money could be spent except in payment of debts already incurred when the Act was passed. The police in Southland are making a vigorous raid upon the sly grog-sellers. On the 16th ultimo, one Alexander M'Lennan Mas charged before Mr M'Cullock, R.M., with having sold liquor in his house at Mavis Bush without a license. The facts, approved in evidence, were these:— On the 11th ult. a laborer named Brinkwork obtained a glass of whisky, fir which he paid, from M'Lennan's wife, who took it from a cupboard. Later in the day Constable Boyd went into the house and found a mau named Halliday drunk in a bed-room, with a glass of whiskey in his hand, Halliday, who described himself in Court "as a Good Templar when he could not get it," said he brought the whisky into the house. The Magistrate considered th« case clearly proved, and imposed a fine of L3O and costs. Referring to the late fatal accident by which William M'llroy lost his life, the Bee/ton Courier advocates the appointment of an Inspector of Mines. It says :— " The untimely and melancholy fate of the unfortunate man M'Ulroy — who lost his life at the Wealth of Nations Company's works on Saturday last— though in this instance in no way reflecting upon the management of the claim, points very, clearly to the general necessity of the mining companies adopting the strictest possible precautions for tbe safety of human life. That the Inangahua dis riot,, with its extensive and hazardous workings, should have so long enjoyed an immunity from grisly casualties which are unhappily so largel} the portion of all mining communities, must be in a large way attributed to careful and experienced management j but as our field of labor is rapidly extending, and the risk to life is becoming greater each month as the mines deepen aud xtend, it is at least due to the large numbers of men employed, no less than to the hazardous nature of their employment, that the prevention of accidents should assume something of the character of a compulsory syctem. We have heard of the probable * appointment of an Inspector of Leases for I Keefton, and it might be possible to unite ] with the duties of the office that of Inspector of Mines and Machinery, who would have a the power of examining and reporting upon s the condition of the various worki gs, with a c view of compelling the adoption of every possible precaution for the safety of the lives of v tho workmen," 0 __ThjL-Melb_QUJiie_^tiVtif3._of .January 98. in «

its summary for Europe, says : — " The prin eipal feature in the labor market at present is tiie unprecedented dearth of female house servants. The rate of wages quoted is nominally the same as it has been for some months past ; but house servants are not to be obtained in sufficient number to satisfy the demand at any price that would be offered. Any servant girl on entering one of the registry offices, has at once the pick of a hundred situations, the employers being only to glad to obtain a servant of any description to be particular as to qualifications. The number of persons willing to undertake the duties of house servants is daily increasing, and as the native-born girls invariably prefer half the wages at any occupation whereby they would retain their liberty, the prospect for housekeepers is anything but a . hopeful one. The clothing factories are all in full work, and are likely to be so for several months to come. At this business young women can just earn enough to live on and dress, having their evening at disposal. The fascination of this Hfe is so great that it is no uncommon thing for house servants to leave comfortable situations where they were earning high wages, to work at a sewing-machine, at a rate of remuneration that would barely support them." Melbourne morality is thus talked of by a well known writer in Victorian journals : — "This is a wicked world, and Melbourne is a wicked city. I thought that a certain palatial hotel ia Bourke street was at least free from the degrading blot that makes so many hotels in Melbourne a curse. In company with one or two repectable friends from the country, I went there the other night to enjoy a cup of cocoa, when, of a sudden, a tremendous noise smote our ears, and in a minute we feared the house was about to fall. Down the stairs rushed a crowd of men and women — well, I suppose I ought to call them so. Then follewed a scene which I hope never to see in a house that claims to be respectable. A free fight took place j bookmaker sought to overthrow bookmaker ; pencils and hair flaw about ; frail Phrynes doing all they could to assist their favorite Lotbario3. Of course the proprietor at once rushed te secure the doors for fear the police would pass by, but of course they didn't. They never do. A pretty crowd these bookmakers were, and nice language the brutes used. I wish the gushing writers in the Melbourne papers who praise up these creatures had been there to see. But, perhaps, if the}' had been they would have been foremost in the tow. O ! delightful city, where sin sits in the high places, aad poor virtue goes slinking by in the mud ! " The distillers are stealing a march on the teetotallers in England. They are producing what they call "lioburor Tea-spirit," which is more therapeutic in its effects than whisky, brandy, gin, or rum, aud leaves no smell on the breath. For the manufacture of this spirit on a large scale a distillery lias been established at Uamden Town, near London, aud the patronage of the medical profession for tho ne^v compound is earnestly solicited, and warmly recommended by some of the profession.