North Otago Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 1903.

North Otago Times, 6 August 1903, Page 2

North Otago Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 1903.

THE PASSING OP TIIE RAKAIA. It was a foregone conclusion that the steamer Rakaia would not come to Oamaru, and this would be formed from a previously . expressed opinion oi the Harbormaster .that the wharf was inadequate for the . accommodation of vessels of such a length. The circumstance is a misfortune for the place, inasmuch as it compels it to look to ■ some other market than London for the disposal of its surplus oats, and this in a year when tlioro i;s an oversupply. in tiie colony is of serious consequenco to ourselves. The Shipping Companies have .reduced freights "to 15s a. ton, a figure that does little moro than cover the cost of haudlirig, and this, the lowest price that has ever been quoted for tho carriage of grain to the Old Country, wo are deprived of accepting because the wlmrf at the port is unsuited for the berthago of vessels such as would coflie to the place to carry away our, produce, We understand that there was more freight ready for tho Rakai? than would have put her down to her | limit of safety in leaving the port, The Board now know the exact position, and it is within their power to commence almost immediately the work of carrying out such improvements to the wlmrf as will fit it for the accommodation of vessels twenty 'or thirty feet longer than tho Rakaia without impinging on the space necessary for swinging. Tho wliarf requires to be straightened up to the foreshore, und strengthened, ftntl if this were done it would give an increased length of from 130 feet to 150 feet, It is not dredging (unless at the shore end of the wharf) that is required, for the vessels that would come here are flat-bottomed, and if they arrive light they can be oasily swung at high water. We are not advancing a lay opinion on the subject, for when the Board meets again it will possibly be found that it is also the opinion of the Board's engineer, who is in a better position to know the requirements , and necessities of the port than anyone pise, The cost would be a trifle compared with the direct benefit to the producers of the district, who by the expenditure would be put in a position of equality with the producers of other districts, instead of being shut out, as at present, from the sale of their produce in the best markets of tho world, whether they are in Great Britain or South Africa, Tho matter is one of urgency, and a decision cannot bo dallied over. We have already pointed out how the. necessary funds can be obtained, but whethor from the breakwater' repairs account or from other sources the work is of such importance to the people of the district that .the Board might reasonably be depended'' upon to do its best to sou that ■ no obstacle Stands in the- wa;. 4 ' of thework being proceeded with at as.early a date as possible, Tho. loss'; iii-a single year to our producers would be infinitely more than tho : whole cost of the work, and it would therefore be suicidal to continue longer with practically a coastal harbor when it can be . fitted .fat 1 '; greater work at a cost of between £2OOO and £3OOO. The intelligence of tho'Board will, we feel siu'e/sur-j mount the imaginary difficulties; thai, present themselves, and what now stands in the way oi our doing nearly all the oversea trade. of' tho port will be removed. The failure of the New Zealand Shipping. .Company to secure the entry of the Rakaia to the port will lrave proved of some value if it only emphasises tho necessity for adequate wharfage accommodation.

The Pacific Cable Company advises that tho cablo Capo St. James-Hai-phong is interrupted. Mails for Continent of Europe and United Kingdom, via LasPalmas, per Indralema, closo at Lyttelton at noon on 'jlhursday, 6th inst. Mails for Tasmania, Coyloni India. China and Straits Settlements, also South Africa, Cpnineut of Europe and United Kingdom per s.s. Mokoia, at Bluff on Monday, the lOtli inst, at 3.45 p.m. . Tho following will representOamai'u against Excelsior to-day: Ongley, Keddell, Roberts,' Allan, Too-, hey, Sutton, Sutherland, Morrison, O'Brien, Taylor (2), Appfcby, Forsyth, Kear and Mollison. SecondTaylor, Smith (2), Wilson, Reid, Rule, Grawshaw (2), Smythe, Mollison, Manton, Kennedy, Pratt and Aitkenhead. A drag leaves at 1.4.5 for- the second fifteen and 2.30 for th'q first fifteen

The local Chinese residents entertained, about 150 Europeans in the ■Eden Street Hall 011 Tuesday night. [The social was in connection .with tho 'Sunday afternoon Chinese class, and was of af very pleasant character.' After .tea an .address was given ill Chinese hy Miss Sinclair (who .is on the eve of leaving for Canton), while the' Rev, Mr Don addressed those present. in' Chinese and- English. . The Chinese, who Were responsible for the gathering showed the utmost hospitality to their guests, and desired to show their appreciation for tho efforts being made on their behalf.' ■" ■ ;The special meeting of the Council held yesterday, considered, among other things,.: the ; position of tho lease of the Phortiix bowling green. Jt appeared that when tlie Railway Department landed the land back to the Council It did so 'for ;; the original puvijose-'of- and; the difficulty now was that the. Council could not give' a lease for the section.'} Mr. Milligan aslced if then anyone might not go on to. the green and he threatened to oven eo and walk- on in ordinary shoos; .Mr- Taylor . drew himself, into. a threatening attitude, and invited Mr Milligan to como and try it on; Eventually .it was,decided to consider this matterat- the special mooting to be called for Tuesday fligM noxt.. . '

THo men's 'first-aid lecf'tui#: was cOnclmipfl last cvefting/ /VVhltton ga,ve nri address on Hip. uviou? of fOTfflfy, t|\»

subject being illustrated by means of j laiiteifii slides. Tha members . were I also InstiiuKtied in the •• practical-| methods.of lifting and' conveying injured persons on improvised stretchers, etc. At the Conclusion of tho lecture a vote of thanks was accorded Dr ( Whitton for his assistance during the session, a similar, compliment being paid to Mir C,. W. Cooke for the use oi his lantorn, and also to Messrs D. Sinclair and 11, Grenf.ell for manipulating the slides, etc, The. Equitable Life Assurance Society is advertising for agents to secure business in the Oamaru district. This .gigantic Society, which has a world-wi.de organisation, is established in New Zc'aland, the headquarters being at" Wellington-, where Mr H, Dillon Bell is chairman of directors, arid Mr E. Trevor Gould resident secretary, The immense character of ibis Society's operations ig indicated by tho fact that its assets exceed 73 million' pounds sterling, while its surplus of assets over all liabilities is more than fifteen million pounds sterlin,?}~a sufficient : iguar-ainteo . of [strength and solidity. All descriptions of assurance investments are transacted' by tho .Equitable, and its guaranteed cash valuo policies are in high favor with the assuring* public. The Equitable is about to open an office in Thames street (next the Post office), under tho local management of Mr 'l\ Brownell Handlsy, who will bo pleased to impart all information Con coring the Society and. its operations.

At; a special meeting of the Council yesterday afternoon the Mayor mentioned V matter that had toecVi brought under his notice during- |ho past few days. A number of tenants in block 95 had recclatly discovered that no provision had been made in their leases for valuation for tho party walls which th'ey ,had been periu ttdd to b/uild when they :wero pus ting up their buildings. The vacant .sections in the block were to : be put up to auction presently, and the tenants now; wanted to ensure that they would get valuation fi'om any persons who. took them up. Mr, Newton attended on behalf of the tenants of tho block, and explained thecircuinstancos and then proposed that tho Council should have the party walls valued, and the sections offered subject to that valuation, which should ill the meantifiio he paid to the Borough Council, who could afterwards determine to whom the valuation should ' belong. At present the half' of the party walls which stood oil 'the vacant sections belonged to some olio, either to the tenants, who had not received valuation for them in the Past, or to the Council, on whose property they were, undi it wad only fair, that tho incoming tenants ,(if any) should pay the value thereof. The question of whether the Council should keep the valuation so paid or hand it over to tho tenants was a complicated one, and would- have to bo fought out afterwards. Councillors thought it m ght affect tho sale of the sections at auction, but several of-them thought th.at in equity the tenants were entitled to consideration, and though no motion could be minuted the understanding was arrived'at that this way of dealing with the immediate difficulty would be a'dopted,

Messrs J. Eulleid and Co, begin their Annual Clearing Sale on Saturday, the Bth instant, when the reductions tlmt have hereto Tore made themselves remarkable for their completeness will be in force in all departments. ■ •

We are doing things daily that have no parallel in the past. You may be losing shillings and pounds by not keeping watch on this store's movements, It's our constant f aini to leave not a stone unturned in our efforts to give you the best tho. market affords at the smallest possible price, not once a' week or month, but every day. We are now doing all-wool Colonial Blankets, f-bed size, that wero 17s 6d, now 12s Gd; full double : bed size and extra heavy, were 22s 6d, now 15s; largest size made and extra heavy, usual price 30s, to be cleared out at 19s 6d. Wo are determined not to carry any of Jhese blankets over till next winter, and have marked them down at low prices to clear. Dates of future sales will be duly advertised. In the meantime all goods will bo sold over the counter at auction prices.—PENßOSE' S Drapery Establishment. The other day we read abqut a man who after taking enough to pay expenses and wages for himself each each day, sold for the rest of that day without profit. We do not go : quite so far as that, but at the end of each season we do sell without profit, and some lines wo sell at a loss. Now is your chance to buy, We have some rare bargains to offer, A few dozen white Turkish towels, very large size and good quality, were Is lid each, wo are selling the pair at 2s 6d; unbleached sheeting was is Id per yard, now 9-Jd; pink, :white and grey flannel, was Is, now 9}d, other qualities equally reduced; colonial blankets were £ size 15s Gd, full size 19s 6d, extra large size 27s 6d, are now 12s lid, 15s lid, and ,20s; a superior colonial blanket, was lGs Gd, 23s 6d, .and 32s 6d, now selling at 13s (3d, 17s 6d, and 26s 6d, at London House,-L, IL TEMPERO.