CHRISTCHURCH. June 2.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2212, 3 June 1879, Page 2

CHRISTCHURCH. June 2.

Mr March, Immigration Offioer.has received a communication from tho Hon. the Minuter for Immigration, informing him that the Hon. Miniiter of Public Works hns instructed Mr Blair, Engineer-in-Chttrge of Middle Island, to lay off a small Motion of railway work at a rate of wages not to exceed 6s per day. Tho men are to be conveyed free not more than once to Amberley. Mr March placed himself in communication this morning with the Engineer-in-Charge, and negotiations aro now proceeding, but it will take a few days to settle the preliminaries. Mr March has also been instructed to confer with the Mayors of Christ church and Sydenhatn with the view of taking the necessary steps to secure thtt none but really destitnto persons, or those who ronlly cannot find employment elsewhere, shall be put on at this work. The Selwyn County Council, Lyttolton Harbor Board, and the Drainage Board aro to commence certain work, which will employ a good number of men. Tho City Council hare put on about 50 men at stone breaking. The estimates of the Borough of Sydenham for tho ensuing year are : Income L 5185 5a ; balance in hand, L 1374 13s 7d. This will be exhausted by liabilities, L 1320 Is lid; wages, L42824s 8d ; and a fow small items. Among those who escaped from tho massacre at Isandula was the son of an old Akaroa colonist, Captain Greaves. He joined the third Natal Contingent as a private, together with a young man who is related to people living here. Both became lieutenants in a short time, and Greaves was in the battle when he displayed so much courage that he was promoted, after his escape, to the rank of captain. The young New Zealander is extremely highly spoken of, and regarded by his comrades asja rising man. The charge against Lewis, of anon in Cathedral Square, was remandedt after taking a quantity of evidence. One of tho witnessos appeared in court hopelessly drunk, and was locked up. The brick sewers north of the Avon have now boon completed, at a cost of about LBOOO. These sewers, which form a part of Mr Clarks scheme, have been finished for Ll5OO less than that gentleman's estimate. The cases of infectious diseases reported in the district between April 28 and May 16 have been classified as follows : Typhoid fever, 9 ; scarlet fever, 1 ; diphtheria, 2. A boy named Ford, living on Kaiapoi Island, was playing with an old flint lock gun ou Saturday afternoon, and met with a serious accident He loaded the weapon and allowed the muzzle to get filled with clay. When the boy fired the gun it burst, and the breech was driven clean through his thigh, carrying away a piece of the bone. Amputation will probably bo necessary. E. Buxon, who was implicated in a number of destructive " larks " in the furry, and who was captured at the Waiou a few days ago, was charged on ten informations with injury to property. < He was fined one shilling iv each case, with costs, which made the amount L8 lls — rather costly sport, as the Magistrate informed him. The damage done was not particularly heavy. The Customs dues colleoted last month at Lyttelton were : Spirits, L5850 12s 7d ; tobacco, LI 107 ; ad valorem, L3UO 0s 3d —total, L 15419 8s 3d.