The Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. FRIDAY, JUNE 19,1885.

Inangahua Times, Volume X, Issue 1563, 19 June 1885, Page 2

The Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 1885.

On Sunday last, according to announcement, the Rev. E. O. Perry, of Westport, delivered two able and profitable sermons to large congregations, and in the afternoon addresses were given and prizes distributed to the children of the Sunday School. In each of the services much interest was taken by th% hearers. On Monday evening the Rev. E. O. Perry gave his popular and helpful lecture on "Memory," when the assembled auditors were treated to what they termed " some wonderful feats of memory." To show how bad memories may be made good and retentive, the lecturer placed on a black board about 200 figures without any apparent order which he gave off in quick time, as they stood on the board. There were also distributed a number of tickets, with a number on the top, and six figures below, and if any person would call out the top number he would immediately repeat the six numbers below. Another lot of tickets were distributed among the peeple with an event in English history on the top, and the dat« at the bottom. The hearer was askod to give the event, and he would at once give the date, this was .done with a promptitude simply astonishing. On Tuesday evening a tea meeting was held, when, despite the unfavourable weather, and the unfortunate slip at Black's Point, a large number sat down to partake of the rich things provided by the ladies of the congregation and others friendly to the cause. After the tea a public meeting was held when addresses were delivered by the Revs. Spencer, Gow and Penney and Mr Wills. This meeting was well presided over by Mr Andrew King, and was concluded by votes of thanks to speakers, ladies, and chairman, and the people went to their home well pleased with the evening's enjoyment. The Nelson coach reached the Lyell on Wednesday last, but the Buller river being then 17 feet above ordinary level, and there being every probability of a still greater flood, Mr G. W. Sampson postmaster, Reefton, seeing the impossibility of the coach getting through to Reefton, instructed the driver to return to Fern Flat. The overland mail will not therefore reach Reefton before this afternoon. The heavy rain of Wednesday last enabled the contractor to make great headway with the removal of the landslip. A good stream of water was brought to bear on the face, and a great clearance was effected by nightfall. It was expected that the road would be open sufficiently by this morning to enable horses to pass round, that dray traffic to Black's Point will nol be possible for some days yet. The Inangahua was in high flood on Wednesday evening, the water being again within a few inches of the top of the breastwork. The -rain however ceased tirtunately at about 10 p.m., and the

flood goon afcer began to subside. It seems that the Bullar river was also in an unusaally flooded state yesterday morning, so that as it would be high tide at Westport soon after midday yesterday, a big flood there would be the result. One or two rather awkward landslips have occurred on the Boatman's track, near the Welcome battery, and hands were sent out yesterday by the Councy Engineer to clear them away. Tenders are invited, to close on the 25th June, 1885, at noon, for the maintenance of the main Grey road, also for the supply of 10,000 ft sawn timber. The latter tenders close on the same date. The local footballers turned out for practice yesterday afteraoon. There was a good muster, and some fast and skilful play was shown. The return match with Greymouth will be played at Reefton during the first week of August. Owing to the prolonged wet weather the local club have had little or no play since the recent matches at Greymouth and Hokitika, but the intention is to keep the leather going pretty regularly up to the date of the forthcoming match. Each flood seems to carry an increasing volume of water down the south Hide of the Isangahua river, and in one or two places the current has eaten into the bank slightly. The time is coming when an extension of the stone work for about a couple of chains will be necessary. In the last flood a number of heavy logs were deposited against the southern foundation of the old suspension bridge, thus showing that a considerable body of water now finds its way on that side. We regret to learn that Dr. Thorpe has been very unwell for some days past, his condition yesterday being such as to cause sornn uneasiness to his friends. A 'shot was put into the newly found reef in the low level of the Globe mine yesterday, and showed very good gold. The reef must be of considerable thickness as there is yet no appearance of the opposite wall. As a consequence of this fact shares were in strong demand yesterday, but few sellers could be found at the present ruling price. It would appear from the cable news this morning that. Lord Salisbury, the Conservative leader in the House of Commons, is experiencing some difficulty in forming a Cabinet. On Thursday last it was reported that the Ministry bad been formed, now we have it that there is dissension in the Conservative camp, Lord Randolph Churchill and Sir Michael Hicks Beach being opposed to the inclusion of Sir Stafford Northcote in the administration. From t\% it may be presumed that both Sir Randolph Churchill and Sir M. Hicks- Beach will have seats in theJCabinet, should Lord Salisbury suoceed in his task. The monthly meeting of the State School Committee was held at the Secretary's office, last evening, at 8 o'clock. Present : Mr Shepherd, Chairman, and Messrs Bowman, Beech, Campbell, Pattersou and Hindmarsh. The minutes . of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Chairman reported that the repairs to the building were in progress,, and that the desks ordered would be delivered next Saturday. It was resolved tc apply to the Board for a special vote for gravelling the ground in front of the school. The appointment of a Truant Inspeotoa was considered, but the matter was left over to next meeting. It was resolved that the head master be requested to send in for each monthly meeting the attendances for the inspection of the Committee. Messrs Collinses and Patterson were appointed as the Visiting Committee for the ensuing month. At the meeting of the State School Committee last night the subject of the appointment of a local Truant Inspector was brought under consideration, and in the course of the discussion which ensued the opinion was expressed that there were a large number of children of school age in Reefton who do not attend any school. , The advisability of bringing into operation the compulsory clauses of the Act was also referred to, but after discussion the whole matter was left over for further consideration at the next monthly meeting. It does seem an anomaly that with the heavy burden the Colony is under in regard to Education there should be so much hesitation about using the machinery which the Act provides for making school attendance compulsory. In other parts of the Colony where the compulsory provisions of the Act are in wperation the Police are appointed Truant Inspectors, and the result in many places has been surprising, in some instances the attendance being increased thirty per cent. We believe it is a common practice for parents here to keep their children from school on Friday's, which is really the roost important school day of the week, the whole lessons of the week being reviewed on that day. The effect of this must necessarily be damaging to the status of the school, besides being a great injustice to the teaching staff. If oujy to correct this one evil the enforcement of the compulsory clauses would bewell warranted, and the Committee would do well, we think, to give effect to the provisions. The gale experienced here on Wednesday last, was felt in all its intensity round the sea coast, and a considerable amount of damage has been done to the telegraph lines on the West Coast The Westport line has been interrupted since Wednesday last, and up totthe time we write the locality of the break has not been ascertained. The electoral rolls for the Inangahua Electorate for the current year are now in the hands of the printer, and will be printed and available to the public on the 30th instant. It may be as well to point out that a supplementary roll ia now being compiled, and all new claims to vote should therefore be sent in to the Registrar forthwith. The supplementary roll will only be printed in tho event of a dissolution of Parliament, which by the way, does not at present seem very probable. Sir Stafford Northcote and his son have entered into the newspaper line of business. They have just registered themselves as proprietors of a smalt journal

which has been started in the West of England in the Conservative interest. An exchange Bays that the proprietors of the New Zealand Clothing Factoiy are having pictures of all their branches taken with a view of having the whole of them mounted on a shield for exhibit at thy Industrial Exhibition. The firm have 25 branches, and the shield will be enclosed in a frame 12ft square. They woald seem to be getting quite savage in England in their comments upon public meu. The following passage from Vanity Fair of the 21st of March smacks of the politics of the old days of Gilray and Rowlandson ; — "I am greatly disappointed to learn that the man Kimberley, who was hanged at Birmingham on Tuesday, was not a Cabinet Minister, after all. For a moment a bright hope dawned upon me that, at any rate, we had got rid of one of them. But it seems that the Secretary for India had nothing to do with the murder of the woman named Parker. He has hitherto only been convicted of complicity in the murder of the man named Gordon." Many miners and others in this dis trict wiil^hear with regret cf ihe death of Mr Joseph Hilldrup, which look place early on Friday morning at Hokitika. Mr Hilldrup was very much respected. Remember American Co.'s Hop Bitters never does harm but good, to the smallest child, always and .continually. See and read