LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Press, Volume XX, Issue 1173, 6 June 1879, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The steamer Oreti left Picton yesterday with a quanty of grain for Dunedin. The sitting of the Supreme Court is postponed from Monday until Wednesday next. Up to the present time there is only one criminal case down for trial. The English Mail, via San Francisco, arrived at Auckland on Wednesday, and. the. Marlborough portion would probably be in Picton before this paper is in the hands of our readers. A sale of Town sections for non-payment of rates will be held at the Borough Council Chamber at noon this day. Land is rising in value in this district, and speculators may make a lucky hit by attending the sale. More machinery is arriving at Golden Point’ and very shortly all things, necessary for the thorough testing of the quality of the stone at the mine will be on the ground. If the test is equal to expectation the Golden Point mine will he the means of directing a large amount of attention towards this district, At a meeting of the shareholders in the West Wanganui Coal Company in Wellington, on Monday, it was resolved, after a long and animated discussion, to stop all operations forthwith. J R. George, who had been asked to report upon the mine, calculated the coal they had sold at 328 per ton cost 655, and showed that the Company’s operations generally were futile, and mismanagement great.

On Saturday last, as a son of Mr A. P. Seymour was indulging in the luxury of running about barefooted, he stepped on some glass and cut the little toe of the left foot completely off. The cut was as complete as possible, but unfortunately a portion of the bone was exposed, and this had to be removed. Since this was done the little fellow has progressed very well. All the plant and machinery, required for starting the new saw mill at Anikiwa has now arrived, and the owner, Mr Hornby, expects that, should no unforeseen delay occur, the mill will be ready for cutting timber in about a month. The enterprise displayed in the speculation deserves reward, and when the present temporary depression in the timber trade is removed there is but little doubt that Mr Hornby will be well repaid for his outlay.

Meetings of the Education and Waste Lands Boards were held in Blenheim this week, but nothing of public importance was transacted, the business being chiefly routine. At the Education Board the following tenders were accepted : —G. A. Smith & Co., £216, for tlie erection of a teacher’s residence at Waitohi Valley ; Venimore, Schoolmaster’s residence, Canvas Town, £ll2 ; R. Jones, repairs and painting, Havelock, £32 10s.

There was no opposition at the election for a Mayor for the Borough of Picton ou Saturday last, Mr T. Williams being the only candidate, and he has been declared duly elected. Had the burgesses a choice of candidates they could not have selected a more suitable Mayor, as Mr Williams possesses all the qualifications necessary for the office, and his past experience will enable him to tide over difficulties that would have appeared very formidable to one new to the position.

A proclamation in the Gazettee notifies that the Assembly is to meet on the 11th of July for the despatch of business. This date is sufficiently far off for native and other matters to put on a different aspect to that they now wear, and the delay can hardly help being favorable to the Government. If the Assembly were to meet next week the troubles of the present Ministry would soon be over ; as it is, they have a respite for a month, and how much longer time only can reveal.

A sitting of the Resident Magistrate’s Court was held before J. Allen, Esq., R.M. on Wednesday. The cases heard were not important. Edward Thomas sued James Thomas for £4B for wages. Mr Conolly appeared for defendant, and elicited that plaintiff had been overpaid. Judgment was given, non-suiting plaintiff, and allowing defendant £3 2s. Humphries v. Scott. This was a claim for £9 on an 1,0. U. Judgment was given by default with £1 19s costs against defendant.

The annual sitting of the Licensing Bench was held on Tuesday before J. Allen, Esq., Chairman, and Messrs Seymour and Chaytor Commissioners, In accordance with the requirements of tlie Act the police reported on the character and accommodation of every house in the district. In all cases the report was favorable. Under these circumstances the business was only formal, and licenses were granted to the following Hotels :—Terminus, James ; Pier, Pugh ; Ship, Robertson ; George, Lambert ; Clarendon, Nicholls ; Picton, Thomas ; and Tua Marina, Davis. On Saturday the 14th instant, Mr W. Syms will submit to public competition a valuable section of land, with house, &c., thereon, situated in Broadway, Picton. Land being limited in this locality, and constantly rising in value, capitalists may find this a good investment. It is expected that the property known as the Old Parsonage, situated on the Wairau Road, will be offered for sale on the same date. Details of this latter sale cannot be given, as certain preliminaries have to be arranged ; but particulars may be looked for in our next issue, It is rare to find two such properties as these in tlie market at the same time, and those wishing to found homes for themselves should remember the date of Bale.

The mission Capt. Kenny went on, as mentioned last week, proved successful, and he obtained a distinct promise from the Ministry that the vote of last session should be spent in tlie Pelorus in the direction first intended. In addition to this Capt. Kenny succeeded in obtaining a promise that a bridge should be erected over the Wakamarina. A little gentle suasion is good sometimes, and the people who will benefit from Capt. Kenny’s exertions will be able to appreciate the value of his labors. Tlie sum voted for roads in the district is to be spent under tiie supervision of the local body, so there is every probability that tlie money will be used for making substantial improvements by those who best know what is wanting to be done. Late on Saturday evening a robbery of some magnitude was reported to the Police. For obvious reasons a considerable amount of reticence is displayed over the affair, but the following we believe to be correct. On Friday evening a small Chinese work-box was seen safe at the owner’s residence, Mr Cullen’s, Mahakipawa. On Saturday it was discovered the box was missing and with it £72 in cash, a copy of the late Mr Cullen’s Will, and some other articles of no great intrinsic value. The money consisted of notes, gold and silver, amongst the latter being a quantity of three-penny pieces. The police both here and at Havelock were quickiy on the alert, but in the absence of suspicion they have some difficulty in forming an opinion by whom the robbery was likely to have been committed. Such an occurrence is rare hereabouts, and it is possible that a little delay may take place in the apprehension of the offenders.

It is almost hopeless to expect that any Government Department will care to move itself out of the narrow grove it has been accustomed to move in ; but despite this knowledge, we will make another effort to show the stupidity and blundering-of the postal authorities in Wellington. On Thursday, May the 29th, a steamer, as usual, came direct from Wellington to Picton, and brought only a very small mail, but did bring sundry goods to consignees who received no advices from the shippers. Four days after, on June 2nd, consignees received shipping notes, &c., dated May 26th, and bearing the Wellington post mark of that date, and the Blenheim mark of a later date, from which it was easy to gather that the mail for Picton had been sent by way of Blenheim, causing the loss of four days to those naturally anxious to obtain advices of goods shipped. If this blunder were merely an error of judgment, and had happened only once, it might be passed over without further comment ; but when we find that, notwithstanding repeated remonstance, the same stupidity is shown, it is time that direct representations were made to those who have the power to prevent a repetition of such proceeding. It is not difficult to fathom the origin of the periodical delay that takes place with respect to the arrival of certain of the mails from Wellington. They are placed on board the Napier for Blenheim a few hours before the steamer leaves for Picton the Napier starts, and finds when she gets to the mouth of the Wairau river that it is impassable, and there she remains for a longer or shorter period as chance may determine, and there also the mails remain. Meanwhile the direct steamer arrives here, leaves her cargo, and is bark in Wellington again before the unfortunate mails are released from the Napier. This style of thing may suit the people in Blenheim, but it is far from satisfactory to those resident in this and the surrounding districts, and if a gleam of intelligence can be caused to penetrate the brains of those having the despatch of our mails from Wellington, we shall not again have to complain about such a needless delay in the distribution of our correspondence.