Interprovincial News.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 365, 8 February 1879, Page 7

Interprovincial News.

The Hon. John Hall and the Rev. W. J. Habens have resigned their seats on the Board of Governors of the Christchurch College. It is stated (says the West Coast Times) that within a few days tenders will be called for the first five miles of the Greymouth and Hokitika Railway. The first contract will be from Greymouth to Saltwater. A match for £5 aside took place on Thursday last at Wanganui between two butchers' men, as to which of them would dress ten sheep, fit for the shop, in the shortest space of time. Wilkins, we understand, accomplished his task in 34min. 27sec, Cass taking one hour and a quarter. The Dunedin Evening Star says:—"During a heavy thunderstorm at the Rakaia last week, accompanied by heavy lightning, the lightning split up twenty chains of fencing and shattered a gate in shreds, scattering it in all directions. This happened not many yards from a dwelling-house." In an account of the railway works at Addington, near Christchurch, we hear of a new labor-saving sort of saw-sharpener, which is made of a revolving plate of emery, and is said to be one of the most effective little instruments on the premises. It might prove worthy of introduction at large saw-mills generally throughout the country. One million white fish ova are to arrive from America by the next mail steamer at Auckland. Profiting by past experience, it is not proposed to expose the ova to the numerous risks incident to bringing them down the coast by the ordinary steamers, but the Hinemoa is to be employed- An ice house is now being built on her. A quantity will be left in Auckland, Canterbury, and Otago, to be placed in the principal lakes of those districts, but the greater number will be carried on to Southland, as it is believed they will there far the beet chance of getting on. The Otago Daily Times, of the 31st ult., says :—" It appear?, if our telegram is correct, that the wool export of the colony actually decreased in quantity as well as in value last year, and we know that gold has fallen off conderably, especially in Auckland. When the full details reach us we shall be better able to arrive at a conclusion as to where the chief causes of the reduction in the wool market lie. We may hazard the conjecture that the rabbit in Southland has to answer a good deal of it, and this year we fear the ravages of this pest, combined with the bad winter and spring, will tell still more heavily on that district." The two American engines which work the express between Dunedin and Christchurch have run about 40,000 miles during the last ten months. This appears to be favorable to their capacity for work, when it is considered that 17,600 is the average yearly mileage of locomotives in England. We understand that they have surpassed the expectations of them when imported, producing plenty of result for the amount of fuel consumed. Nearly all the coal they burn is obtained from the Malvern district of Canterbury. Yankee workmanship - has a name for being attentive to externals more than to solidity, but it may be mentioned that during the time these locomotives have been running not a spring has started. The Evening Echo (an Ashburton paper) says : we are all engaged in the insidious pursuit of the almighty dollar, a case of commercial liberality commends itself to our senses, not alone for its munificence but also for its sweet rarity. One of our landed aristocracy (aB I wish to do him unqualified honor I may perhaps reveal his name—Allen McLean) has, in consideration of the poor season, reduced the rents of his tenants from 50s. to 15s.

per acre. Mr. McLean has taken the initiative in a course which will be highly appreciated by those directly benefited, and which I hope to see largely imitated by wealthy landlords occupying similar, positions. The Marlborough Press, referring to Mr. Ballance's speech at the opening of the Invercargill railway, says:—To cease from moving forward would be to go back, and the Government, Mr. Ballance tells us, is not going to stand still. In this assurance there is a crumb of comfort to be picked up by Marlborough, for if the Government intended to go on and cover the country with a network of railways, there is room to hope that this district will not escape through the meshes of the net. Ic will not be possible for any Ministry to always ignore the claims Picton has to become the terminus of the South Island railways ; and as we expect Amberley to be the point from whence a start will be made in this direction, the connection of that point with a far distant southern terminus appears to bring the prospect nearer when we too shall be able to travel by rail to the extreme south of this island. The anniversary services of St. Andrew's Church, Waverley, were held on Sunday, January 19, when the ,Rev. James Paterson, of Wellington, delivered two excellent sermons. In the afternoon Mr. Paterson delivered a very interesting address to the children of the Sabbath school, which was much appreciated. The congregations on each occasion were large, and the collections in aid of the church funds good. On Tuesday, the 21st ult., the annual soiree was held, and in the evening the Rev. J. Paterson delivered his deservedly popular lecture on " Home Life," when he held his audience spell-bound from beginning to end. The Rev. J. Allsworth, the pastor of the congregation, presided, and in his opening remarks he congratulated the congregation on the progress made during the year, both spiritually and temporally. He alluded to the liberality of the young men, who had during the year presented to the congregation a beautiful American organ, and had secured a good bell, which they intend" to hang in its place without cost to the committee of management; also to the liberality of the ladies, who had presented the pastor with a very ornamental and costly pulpit chair. He expressed the hope that the Great Head of the Church would bless them still more abundantly during the ecclesiastical year they were now entering upon. The choir, under the leadership of the precentor, Mr. Swinburne, delighted the audience by singing at intervals some well selected anthems and Sankey's hymns, Miss Allsworth ably presiding at the organ. Votes of thanks to the lecturer, choir, &c, and the benediction, brought these successful anniversary services to a close, and the large audience dispersed greatly delighted with the whole proceedings.

The Christchurch Press of the Ist instant publishes the following account of a new sort of plough :—" A new addition to the labor saving machinery for agricultural use is to be seen at Messrs. George King and Co.'s business premises, Cashel-street, and as the implement completely upsets all preconceived ideas regarding breaking up the soil, a brief notice of it may not be out of place. In this plough the handles are entirely dispensed with, the two mould-boards are firmly attached to a moveable or side-swinging gang of two beams; it has a powerful lever, by means of. which the mould-boards are lifted from a working to a travelling position, or by the same means lowered again for work. When about to turn corners a slight upward jerk on the lever unlocks the joint, whilst a forward motion brings the ploughshares to the surface, and at the commencement of new furrows the lever is again thrown down, and the ploughshares enter the soil. This plough is drawn by two horses, driven from an elevated perch. The depth of the work is regulated by a simple device at the forward end of the beams, and as the draught is direct from the work the carriage receives no strain. It has a single straight axle, the off wheel running on the top of the first furrow, and is always in a level position either in work or transit. It is claimed for this plough that if the first two furrows are broken or crooked, either through the driver's iaattention or inexperience, those following will straighten themselves. Hitherto the tendency with other double-furrow ploughs has been for each succeeding furrow to increase the irregularity of its predecessor. As usual, with labor saving machines, this plough is an American invention, the makers being Messrs. Carr and Hobson, of New York, whose extensive agricultural machine factory at Clintonville, midway between New York and Boston, is well known." The following were the resolutions considered at a public meeting held at Christchurch on Wednesday night with reference to the Glasgow Bank calamity :—l. " That this meeting sympathises with the shareholders in consequence of the sad calamity which has befallen them through the failure of that institution ; and as many families are left without means of subsistence, this meeting resolves that a fund shall be raised to assist in the relief of those who may be left in destitute circumstances or in need of procuring help for their support." 2. "That a general committee, with power to add to their number, for the purpose of collecting subscriptions and to carry out the object of this meeting, be appointed." 3. " That the ministers and office-bearers of the various churches be asked to give a collection on Sunday, the 15th February, for the purposes of this fund." 4. " That the Mayor of Christchurch be requested to communicate with the Mayors of Lyttelton, Timar«, Kaiapoi, Akaroa, Sydenham, Rangiora, and Ashburton, together with chairmen of counties in the Canterbury provincial district, soliciting their co-operation in the collection of subscriptions to the general fund." 5. "That Mr. John Anderson and Mr. Duncan be requested to act as treasurer and secretary respectively." All were passed unanimously. There was a very small attendance. It is officially notified that communication with Port Darwin has been restored.