MISCELLANEOUS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume X, Issue 2803, 22 January 1873, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

A lodge of Good Templars is about to be established in Auckland by one of the members of the home society, who has the necessary authority vested in him for so doio». This gentleman, a Mr. Win. Hobbs, arrived by H.M.S. Dido, to which he belongs, and at once communicated to some of tho leaders in the Total Abstiuenco cause, to whom he explained the principles and objects of the society, and stated his deßire to establish a branch of this society in our community if it were practicable. Wo understand that the number required for the purpose of founding the lodge have expressed their willingness to become members of the society. Amongst these are three clergymen, so that there is now no obstacle in tho way of the " Good Templar's" movement receiving a footing in Auckland, lis success or otherwise is a matter which time alone will decide.

The manager of the South British Insurance Company bus sent a cireulur to the shareholders, in anticipation, we presume, of the ordinary half-yearly meeting, embodying oertaiu information respecting tho company. It appears from the circular that the business of the company is constantly increasing. The premiums far the first four months, to the end of December last, were nearly £9000 ; the losses, £2099 ; amount invested, £19,289. The shareholders now number 721, aud are distributed as follows ; —Auckland, 145 ; Wellington and Wauganui, 225 ; Canterbury, 175 ; Otago, 110 j and Nelson, 36. The circular points out that this large and widely distributed body of shareholders is of importance, both as regards increase of business and security to the insured. We lmve no doubt but that the South British will continue to have its fair share of insurance business, if prudently managed ; and trust that there is a prosperous future in store for this addition to our really local ioßtitutioua.

A rope of immense size, supposed to be the largest that has ever been manufactured in New Zealand, was made at Lloyd's Steam Rope Works 'recently, to be used as apstau rope for the United Pumping Association, (Thames). It was thirteen inches in circumference, and a little under ninety fathoms in length. Its weight was 1 ton 1 cwt. 1 qr., and the order was executed within 24 hours after being given. Mr. Willoughby Brassey was admitted recently to practice as a solicitor and barrister of the Supreme Court. His Honor, in referring to tho examination papers of Mr. Braseey, signed " Semper Idem," paid a high uomplimrnt to the candidate for admission.

The number of men employed by Messrs Brogden and Sons on tho various ruilway works of tho colony is over 2,000.

'The railway works along the Picton and Blenheim line are progressing rapidly, and the number of men employed is constantly ou tho increase. Tho number of labourers at work at the present time ia IG3, exclusive of gangers and artizans in other trades.

Mr. J. A. Smythe, Messrs. Brogden's representative in Otago, pays his navvies niuepence an hour instead of sixpence, as originally agreed uoon.

Wc are certain our readers take as great an interest as ourselves in the success of the experiments at Onehunga, which are being made in order to test the value of the titaniferous iron, sand of the west coast of this provinco and Taranaki. Recently, Mr. Gee, of the firm of Gee and Potter, smiths, &c, succeeded in drawing out with the hammer, and tempering, a portion of cast steel from tho Onehunga works, which was submitted to him for experiment. His surprise was very great indeed at his success. This piece of steel was afterwards shown to Mr. Carroll, working smith, who broke it to satisfy himself, from the texture of tho metal, that it was really what it was stated to be. On examining the fractured section, Mr. Carroll expressed himself as fully satisfied, and like Mr. Gee, declared that he had never before seen cast iron which could be drawn out in a smith's forge ; — that the quality of tho metal could not be excelled. Air. Gee subsequently drew out a bar of malleable steel, from one of the puddled balls made tho day before at Onehunga. The sample submitted to him was most unpromising looking, and weighed nearly three pounds. To non-practical eyi-s it looked like a pieco of " clinker," or rubbish. Mr. Gee, on looking at it, remarked that ho " feared he could make nothing of it, as it would go to pieces under the hammer." However he made the trial, and at the first heat welded a " porter," or iron bar, to tho mass, for convenience of working it. In a short time it was drawn out by sledge and hammer to a bar of about an inch square, weighing two and three-quarter pounds j and after having been finished, on the anvil, it was placed iu a vice, and one end twisted twice round, thereby turning the ceutro section into the formation of a screw auger, withwutshowing the slightest fracture. Mr. Gee threw it; on the floor of his workshop, with the remark, " There is no deception hero. If that iron was put through the regular process of hammering out and rolling from the furnace it would be superior to anything iu tho world. I have never seen anything like it." So fur, therefore, everything goes to prove that the experiment has been a great success. New Zealand may bo congratulated upon promising to become one of the largest iron producing countries on tho face of tho earth.

Some town sections in Taranaki have been sold aB high aB £12 10s. per foot. Taranaki is looking up and iron sand is the cause. Land jobbers are buying up allotments and holding for a rise. The whole talk now is "how much & foot for your lots ?" The formation of a New Zealand Titanic Steel and Iron Company is progressing favourably. The shares are being well taken up, and influential names placed on the directory.

A number of business men and mine speculators at Wellington aro desirous of forming a company to work the Brunner Coal

mine in the Grey—Nelson district. The object is to form a company to work it, with a capital of about a quarter of a million, to form a railway, if necessary, from the mine to the mouth of the river, and to construct a fleet of steam colliers to carry the coal. Application has been made for the terms of lease to the Superintendent. Those have, we understand, been supplied, and in ten days or a fortnight, after the Internal Communication Committee has reported, a definite reply will bo furnished to the Wellington projectors. There were imported into the colony last last year, 93,867 tons of coal, the total value of which was £121,151. There were exported 1696 tonß, valued at £1612. Now that coal has been discovered in every part of tho colony, some of inferior kind it is true, but abundance of a quality equal to the Newcastle, it seems almost needless to waste words in commenting on those figures. The sum sent abroad for tho purchase of one year's coal supply would be more than sufficient to develop mines in New Zealand which would supply the whole colony for an unlimited period. We are glad to learn that the working of the nowly-discovered coalfield at Awitu—on tho shores of the Manukau—is likely to be attended with the most unqualified success, and to add another rich industry to those already existing in this province. Mr. Featon, who has a lease of the ground for fortytwo years, is now living upon the spot and has a gang of men employed in sinking and driving for the coal. At one place there is a seam six feet thick, only thirty feet below the surface of tho ground, and from the outside specimens which have been shown to us, and which were found to be cropping out at the side of the bill, the coal in the seam, when it is comeatable, promises to be of a very superior character. In a few days' time it iB expected that the main body of the seam will be reached, when several tons will be taken out and sent on to Auckland for a fair test. Should this prove to be a permanent field of first-class coal at this place, so directly in the vicinity of the iron-sand, it will turn out a moat fortunate thing for tho province, and will do as much to advance our interests as a goldfield. Tho advertisement of the Nelson Superintendent offering a bonus for the discovery of a seam of good steam coal within a stated distance of the port of Nelson, is stimulating search. Specimens of what appears to bo truo coal from the Clarke river, a tributary of the Baton, have been lodged with the Superintendent, which are to be submitted to Dr. Hector for examination.

Our Waikato contemporary states that Hakopa to Kotuku brought a quantity of coal to the township of Raglan recently, which ho obtained from a large seam he has discovered in the range between Waipa and Waitetuua. The seam, he reports, is of great thickness where it crops out of the ground, and can bo traced for a considerable distance above and below where he obtained tho sample. Having no tools with him, Hakopa was unable to go to any depth, but was obliged to bo content with what he could pick up from tho ground. Mr. Galvan, the blacksmith, who has tried it in his forgo, pronounces the coal to bo very good, considering that it came from the face of tho seam.

Dr. Hector has arrived at Dunedin by the Luna, where bo had gone for the purpose of making scientific observations, and to inspect the coal deposits of Otago. After leaving Duucdin, tbo Luna proceeded to Preservation Inlet, where Dr. Hector will make as careful an examination of the coal deposits of that locality and neighbourhood as may be possible under the circumstances. An American whaler cruising off the coast of Southland ha 3 within some four weeks captured three whales, whose value is variously estimated at from £2500 to £3000. The Deep Sea Fishery Cempany lately established at Cbristehurob have purchased a suitable vessel to commence operations with. The company expect the vessel to be ready for sea in a few days. At a large meeting of the early settlers, held at Wellington, it was resolved to form an .Early Colonists' Association, which should be open to all who arrived from Colonel Wakefield's arrival, 17th August, 1839, to Edward Gibbon Wukefield's arrival in February, 1853. The object of the association is to be the collecting, recording, and publishing all interesting historic incidents and data connected with the early settlement of the colony, and to perpetuate a kindly feeling amongst the former settlers by periodical meetings, and to assist early ssttlers in distressed circumstances. Subscriptions to be not less than ss, the life membership to be £10. Sir George Grey will be asked to become President. The Vice-Presidents : Edward Eyre, Bishop Selwyu, Sir William Martin, Fitzherbert, FeatherBtou, Sir Charles Clifford, Governor Weld, Sir R. Hanson, Don Petre, C. W. Ligar, William Spain, Judge Chapman, Major Durie, Fox, Stafford, Hunter (Treasurer) ; Horvard Wallace (Secretary). It is proposed to inaugurate the association by a dinner on the anniversary of the province.

The land sold in the province of Auckland during the first half of the year 1872, amounted to 2a. 2r. 4p. (town); 17a. lr. 37p. (suburban) ; 160 a. 3r. 15p. (country) ; for which £47 18s 6d (cash) was received, and scrip representing £210. The lands disposed of to tbo natives through the Native Lands Court amounted to 32,973 a. 2r. 2p. What would Exeter Hall people say to this ? The nativeß have Burely the best consideration that an artificial value sot on land can give them. They reap the harvest which the colonist lowa.

The sum of £250 annually granted by the Provincial Council for the public libraries throughout the province, is, we understand, about to be laid out in a few days. The number of country libraries assisted last year was 32—the highest grant being £10, tho lowest £5. The largest number of books given to one library was 45, the lowest 10. The total number of books distributed was 813, at a cost of £249 17s. 6d. The books are selected under the authority of the Library Committeo of the Provincial Council from lists furnished by tho managing committees of the various libraries. The opinion of the Attorney-General as to tho power of the University of Otago to confer degrees possesses considerable interest. He lays it down: (1) That a University is but a lay corporation with certain powers, among others to grant degrees. (2) If a University is created by charter from the Crown, its degrees will be recognised, if so provided in tho charter, throughout tho wholo of the British Dominions. (3) If created by a local legislature its degrees will be recognised only within the territory over which the local legislature has jurisidation. I?or tho above reason the university of Melbourne obtained a charter from the Crown. The AttorneyGeneral does not think the Otairo ordinances limited, hut tho recognition of the local University will be limited by the province. It must be said that academic honors huve be come so degraded by successful imposition in the colonies that they do not count for much.

Mr. Bishop, photographist, has executed a series of photographic views of the Thames goldfield, to be forwarded to the Vienna Exhition. They are of extra large size, and said to be splendidly finished An episode of considerable interest took place in the Supreme Court recently. Mr. Alfred Beetham, prosecutor in the case of Anderson, for stealing quicksilver, upon presenting himself to be sworn, was objected to by Mr. Kees, the prisoner's counsel. The ground of objection was that Mr. Beetham had some speculative opinions respecting the doctrine of rewards and punishments and the penal sanction of an oath. Mr. Beetham said he was a professing Christian, believed in the obligation of an oath, but knew nothing of "rewards or punishments" —that is, he had no evidence to form an opinion. His Honor allowed Mr. Beetham to be sworn, MJerving the matter for the Court of Appeal, if necessary, as to tho validity of Mr. Beetham's evidence.