Town News.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 365, 8 February 1879, Page 17

Town News.

The Hon. P. A. Buckley has resigned his seat on the Board of College-Governors. Charles Beibey Buckland, schoolmaster of Wellington, and Edward Calter, bootmaker, of Porirua, have filed declarations of insolvency. The Commissioners on Higher Education left for Auckland in the Hinemoa on Thursday evening. Seven new valuers under the Land Tax Act have been appointed; one, Mr. W. Bussell, has resigned. Altogether about 218 have been gazetted. The state of Lady Normanby's health Avill not permit her to hold a reception before leaving the colony, but the Governor Avill hold an undress fareAvell levee at Government House, probably on the 15th instant. The amount of revenue received at the Custom House on Tuesday Avas again unusually large, being £3114 3s. 4d., occasioned by the arrival of three Home ships almost together. The following is the return of patients in the Wellington Hospital during the month of January, 1879:—Admitted, 33 ; discharged, 17; died, 3. Remaining in the Hospital, 63. In the Bankruptcy Court, on Tuesday, Mr. Henry Travers moved for an order declaring completely executed a deed of assignment made by Enoch Walker, a debtor. The order was made as prayed. The scholarship offered by thegovenorsof the Wellington College, to be competed for by boys attending the public schools of the Wellington country districts and Wairarapa for 1878, Avas Avon by Samuel Ivnight, from the Lower Hutt school. A young man Avas given in charge to the police on Monday night, on suspicion of stealing from Smith's oyster saloon 28s. in money ; and a girl named Eliza Kennedy was locked up for stealing 1 9s. and a gold Avatch, the property of Mrs. Keon. A number of appointments haA r e teen made in the postal service. "Wellington readers may be interested in the following :—Mr. G. D. Cameron to be acting-postmaster at the Te Aro branch ; Fred. Bills, to be postmaster at Pahautanui ; and Hannah Erskine at Waikanae. The first prize in North's sweep fell to a company consisting of Messrs. A. Young, J. Maginnity, J. Saunders, J. B. Brown, and W. Fife. They took twenty-five chances, and drew three horses —Maritana, Mufti, and Laertes, and by Maribana's Avin get £l9O each. Owing to the indisposition of Lady Normanby, it has been decided, on medical advice, that it Avould not be prudent for her ladyship to leave per Arawata on the 11th. The final departure of his Excellency from Wellington has therefore been postponed until the 17th, Avhen the vice-regal party avIH embark in the Bingarooma, and go direct to Melbourne Avithout stopping in the Middle Island as originally intended, or going overland from Christchurch to Dunedin and the Bluff. The neAv term at the Wellington College commenced this week. So far twelve new scholars have been entered on the books, but a number of the old ones have left, most among them going into counting-houses, or assuming other occupations for gaining a livelihood. Some of the scholars have not yet returned from the country, but when all have again mustered it is not expected the roll AAdll shoAV any increase on that of the last term. There is every reason to believe NeAv Zealand will be creditably represented at the Sydney Exhibition, considering the time there is at disposal. The commissioners are receiving promises of support on every side, and many persons are enquiring Avhether if they go to the expense of getting up specified collections of various articles the exhibits Avill be accepted and sent to Sydney. Of course pending further information as to the amount of space to be granted to New Zealand it is not possible to reply definitely to such enquiries, but it may pretty Avell be taken for granted that nothing Avorth exhibiting will be left behind. A % r ery narroAv escape from a serious conflagration occurred on Wednesday in Willis-street. About 7 a.m. Mr. Bobert Meech and a friend were proceeding along Willis-street when they observed smoke issuing from the windows of Mr. Ballinger's shop. Believing that the place Avas on fire in the inside, Mr. Meech, who is a member of the Wellington Fire Brigade, immediately jumped over the gate, and getting into the yard burst open the back door. He found the building full of smoke, and by this time Messrs. Bishop and Smith had arrived, and Avith their assistance and the application of a few buckets of water the fire Avas extinguished. It is extremely fortunate that the fire was observed as early as it was, for there was a high wind bloAving at the time. The annual district meeting of the Independent Oi der of Odd FelloAvs was held at Johnsonville on Thursday. The auditors' report was as follows :—The district auditors have examined the accounts and books of the district, and have found them to be correct. The HaAvke's Bay District having been at length established, the Wellington District is now reduced to 11 lodges, Avith 841 members. Three deaths have been reported during the past half-year. A levy of Is. per member has therefore been charged on account of the funeral fund, and a farther chargre of Sd. per member has been made on account of the management expenses fund. Your auditors are glad to observe that 70 members have been initiated during the past half-year, and there are noAvß4l members good upon the books of the several lodges. The auditors have still to call attention to the fact that a few of the lodges have comparatively large sums in hand, particularly the Kainapoura Lodge, which they recommend should be placed in the bank as soon as possible. The total funds at the end of the year is set doA\m at £8586.

We are assured that the Government wi call for tenders for the erection of the Railway Wharf on the reclaimed land before the 18th instant, and that this important public wcrk Avill be completed Avithin the shortest possible time. The Tramway Company have announce that trains ruu before 8 a.m., and after 8 p.m., are special trains, and passengers by those after 8 p.m. will be charged 6d., the fare of 3d. by morning trains being adhered to in order that working men may have the advantage of cheap rides. The Education Commission, at their sitting on Saturday last, examined Mr. Tancred, the Chancellor of the New Zealand University. As by a resolution previously passed the Commission excluded Press reporters, and decline to give information as to the evidence they take,, we are unable to do more than state the bare fact that Mr. Tancred Avas examined. At the annual meeting of the Wellington Trust and Loan Company, on Monday, there Avas a little stormy discussion. The Rev. C. S. Ogg descended into the arena of pounds shillings and pence, and commenced hitting hard all round. The rev. gentleman seems to have been seriously affected by the GlasgoAv Bank failure, and is anxious to have commercial matters here above suspicion. The Board of Education schools in town are thoroughly crowded, and the want of further accommodation is being severely felt. At the infant school, Mount Cook, fully forty applications this week have been refused admission. It is proposed to commence the Te Aro infant school at once, so that that may relieve the pressure a little. But there is also want of accommodation in some of the country schools. The Carterton school-house cannot holdall the scholars, and it has been necessary to put some of the classes in the Odd FelloAvs' Hall. The chairman of the Sydney Exhibition Commission received, per the Wakatipu a bundle or- two of copies of the Sydney Mail containing a sketch of the elevation of the Exhibition Buildings. The expected information as to the exhibition itself, however, did not arrive, so that for the present the commissioners are powerless to act, and inquiries from various parts of the colony cannot just yet be answered. Full particulars are, however, expected by the next mail. The Catholic Girls' neAv Schools, Dixonstreet are now finished and opened. They comprise Infant School, Common School, and Special School. In the tAvo senior schools singing by note and drawing are taught free. Every effort is made to ensure the progress of the children, and to induce their regular attendance. Six Sisters of Mercy are daily employed teaching in the Dixon-street schools. Business with parents and guardians is done every Monday betAveen the hours of 9 and 11 a.m. A question has arisen as to the right of the Tramway Company to charge more than 3d. per passenger at any time. One gentleman has consistently objected to the charge of 6d. at night, and on several occasions something approaching a scene has occurred. On Thursday evening he protested, and the company last evening did not charge more than 3d. till S o'clock, Avhen the 6d. Avas dem.xnded. Mr. Marchant, the gentleman referred to, still insisted on giving only the one ticket, and though the guard threatened to turn him out of the carriage the menace Avas not carried into execution. Mr. Marchant has fortified himself by a legal opinion, which he attaches to a letter of his own in another column. The "Wellington Monthly Price Current" publishes the following table, shoAving the increase of the Customs revenue at the four principal ports during the past seven years : Increase 1871, IS7B. per cent. Dunedin ..£194,522 £371,357 90"9 Lyttelton .. 80,741 240,461 177'2 Auckland .. 148,403 224,957 51 6 AVellington 50,933 200,810 2527 We notice that the " Wellington Price Current" corroborates the figures given in our contemporary as to the imports and exports of the colony. It says:—" The official returns of imports and exports for 1878 are not yet published. We have reason to believe that the totals Avill be found to be as folloAvs, as against the totals for 1877, viz. : IS7B. 1877. Imports.. .. £5,755.663 £6,973,418 Exports .. .. 0,015,525 6,327.472 The amount of imports exceeds considerably that of any previous year, even the high totals of 1874 and 1875, which Avere years of overtrading in some branches of business. The exports are rather beloAV those of last year. We reserve further comment until the full returns shall have been verified and published. We believe Ave are correct in stating that Mr. Fearnley, the gentleman appointed to the head mastership of the Wanganui High School, is a Tasmanian scholar. A feature of the Tasmanian system of education is that it provides a ladder of scholarships by Avhich a child starting in a primary school may reach Oxford or Cambridge, wto English exhibition being granted every year, tenable at any University chosen. We are not certain Avhether Mr. Fearnley commenced his course in a primary school, but at any rate he took several exhibitions in the colony, and then gained the highest prize an appreciative public could bestOAV. We understand that Mr. Henry T. Clarke, who occupies the position of Under-Secretary for Native Affairs, severs his connection with the Civil Service at the end of the present month. Who his successor is to be is not yet stated, but it is pretty Avell known that for some time the Government have been endeavoring to induce Mr. James Mackay, jun., to take the position. Mr. Clarke is a very old officer of the Government, and has been employed in many capacities in connection Avith native affairs. In all he has given great satisfaction. His knoAvledge of the native character and the history of the native question, as it is called, is unsurpassed by that of any man in the colony, and the name of Henare Karaka, amongst the natives themselves, is associated with kindness, firmness, and honesty.

The Australia, with the Lmdon mails of 2nd January, left San Francisco on 21st Januaryone dav late. The City of New York, with the January colonial mails, arrived at ban Francisco on 29th January—one day m advance of contract time.

A correspondent writesas follows:— "Passing alone Petoni beach some time ago I came across three Maori war canoes. lo me they were objects of great interest ; I was surprised at not having seen or heard of them before. About 26 years ago I was wmdbouud up the Waiwetu Kiver, and I don't remember having seen them at that time. Probably they were tabooed, enclosed, or covered in. I should think they would carry about 40 or 50 warriors each, that is whenthey were Al at Lloyd's. No doubt they must have figured in some stirring scenes in times past. They are near the resting place of that gentlemanly old chieftian (I remember him as such) Henare Te Apani." If our correspondent is correct one of these canoes might be worth sending to the Sydney Exhibition.

Several skeleton keys and files were found by the police on Tuesday in a bag belonging to the man Brown, who was locked up for stealing 28s. from Frederick Fames. The prisoner was brought before Mr. Mansford yesterday, and denied that the bag was his, although the police found it under the bed which he slept in A key found in the prisoner's possession unlocked the bag, so there is very little doubt but that he is the owner of it. As an important witness could not be found, the prisoner was remanded for a week. He is known to frequent racecourses and such places, and to do a little with the three-card trick and other innocent little pastimes. No doubt he had made up his mind to grace the Hutt Racecourse with his presence to-morrow. He will be disappointed. The annual meeting of the Wellington Teachers' Association was held in the Thorndon school on Saturday last. The chair was occupied by Mr. Mowbray. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. Mr Holmes, the treasurer, read the report and balance-sheet, which showed that the expenditure for the past year amounted to £l4 145., and there was a small balance in the hands of the treasurer, showing that the income had exceeded the expenditure. The report _ was adopted The following officers were appointed for the ensuing year:—Mr. Young (president), Mr. Holmes (treasurer), and Mr. Watson Secretary). It was decided that the standing committee should consist of the head-masters of the city schools and the first assistant masters. Notice was given of a motion to memorialise the Board against handing over teachers' salaries to the local committees. It was resolved that this motion be discussed at the next monthly meeting, when it was agreed to invite a full attendance of members. It was also resolved that one of the head teachers be requested to read a.paper at each meeting, on some subject relating to the art of teaching and school management, for the benefit of the junior members of the profession, and for discussion thereon. The president was requested to open the subject by reading the first paper at the next monthly meeting. A conversational discussion took place on this motion, and it was generally admitted that while the association had been instrumental m improving the position of teacher?, both in town and country, and in doing much for the cause of education generally, but little attention had been paid to the mutual instruction of members. The general opinion of the meeting was that all teachers should be invited to attend and hear the papers and the discussions thereon, whether they belonged to the association or not.

A meeting of the Waste Lands Board was held on Wednesday instead of Thursday, in consequence, we presume, of their being a partial holiday. The officers, however, gave no notice to this paper of the intended change. It is hardly too much to expect such courtesy, especially seeing that the transactions of the Board are very interesting to country people. We are indebted to an evening contemporary, whose reporter happened to drop in to the Board meeting promiscuously for the following report:—Messrs. Holdsworth (in the chair), Bunny, and Mason were present—a communication from the Government was read, intimating their intention to apportion the £IOBO due to the Wellington District out of the £lO 000 to be expended on roads in deferred payment blocks, on two blocks only—£soo on the Palmerston Block, and £SBO on the Kiwitea Block. Mr. Bunny strongly protested against the Board sanctioning the apportionment. Mr. Holdsworth thought that the Board had no option, as the Government had so decided. Mr. Bunny: Who is the Government ?—some clerk of course. I don't suppose the Government knows the various blocks in the district ! Mr. Bunny continued: He thought the Government had gone out of their° way in so apportioning the money. The £IO,OOO, though considered at the time a foolish small sum, was voted by Parliament to be divided fairly, and if there was only half-a-crown it should be distributed equitably —not that any particular block should be selected to have nearly the whole sum spent on it. He thought the Government should have asked the Board how the £IOBO should be expended. He would wait upon the Government and point out the injustice of the procedure. The matter was then allowed to stand over until the next meeting of the Board. It was resolved that the sale by auction of the township of Richardson, and of the Waitotara extension township, should be fixed for the 11th March. This was all the business.

Extract from letter of Private Ward, of the Frontier Mounted Police, Cape Colony August 1878 : " I should just like you to see tlie real farm Iwuse Bread that I bake ! The oven is one dug in the ground, and is just large enough to hold our daily quantum of two loaves We use flour, water, salt, and Borwick s Baking Powder. My bread often suprises me, it is so light, and white as snow. Some of our men wil insist that I have been ' in the trade,' and nothing I can say will convince them to the contrary !, jsf 33 This invaluable article may be obtained of allO rocers and Storekeepers in Id. and 2d packets, and Gd. and Is. patent boxes.

When the list of nominated immigrants for transmission by this mail closed, 113 statute adults had been named, but as several camein immediately afterwards, the Immigration Officer, Mr. Redwood, made up a supplementary list. The total for the month will be about 130. Forms of application to be filled in by candates for the Civil Service of India examinations are published in the Gazette. The subjects are not numerous, and none of them obligatory, but the examinations are generally regarded among the stiff est of those open to eeneral competition. They are only open to candidates between 17 and 19 years old, and applications must be sent in before the Ist of April, 1879. The Commissioners on Higher Education continue hard at work. A number of committees during the greater part of last week were sitting, "arranging interrogatories to be put to governors of affiliated institutions and head masters of grammar schools in various parts of the colony. Mr. Tailored, Chancellor of the New Zealand University, was under examination during the greater part of Saturday and Monday. °lt was anticipated that his evidence would close on Tuesday, and that Mr. MaskelJ, the registrar, would be examined on Wednesday. °The Commissioners propose to go to Auckland for the purpose of obtaining information in all departments of the subjects remitted to them. They will leave not later than the 10th instant. Mr. Gully, the well known artist, whose paintings and sketches have earned for him so hio-h a reputation, has recently been at work inand around Wellington. He has got some capital sketches of the suburbs of the city, and some spots further out. Especially may be mentioned one looking from a point known as Stilling's (between Petone and the Hutt) up the Hutt Valley, and another from the same point of the harbor, taking in Somes Island and the Heads in the distance. He has also got the material for a good picture from a spot on a very high hill at the rear of Wadestown, known as Mount Lebanon, and from whi.ch some exceedingly pretty spots may be viewed. Paikakariki and the Wairarapa were also visited. Mr. Gully left for his home, Nelson, on Friday. The gold cup which formed the trophy for the principal event at the Wellington Kacing Club's meeting, and won by Mr. B. Bay, was manufactured by Messrs. Kohn & Co., the wellknown goldsmiths of Lambton-quay, and certainly they have produced an article which is at once a credit to themselves and to the colony. The cup is manufactured of 18 carat gold, weighs seventeen ounces, and is valued at £IOO. It is mounted on a very handsome ebony stand ornamented with gold, and stands fifteeen inches high. There are on the cup some very beautiful specimens of chasing and ornamentation, intermingled with frosting. On one side there is engraved a sketch of the Hutt course, with an exciting finish before a crowded grand stand. The scene is brought out capitally, and is surrounded by the following inscription—" Wellington Bacing Club, 1878." On the reverse side there is a medallion in which may be engraved the name of the winner, its owner, &c, and other particulars. The cup is fitted with a cover, and this is surmounted by the figure of a racehorse and jockey. The design for the trophy was, we believe, furnished by the stewards of the club, and it must be admitted that Messrs. Kohn and Co. have admirably carried out the design. It is a trophy well worth winning, not only for its intrinsic value but as a work of art, and for the historical value that must inevitably attach to it, being the first gold cup yet offered by any racing club in New Zealand. We hear a proposal is on foot to establish a school of art and design in Wellington. It is pretty well known that a number of ladies and gentlemen oE this provincial district might be named who are artists of no mean order, for amateurs. Indeed, there are to be found in many of our drawing-rooms sketches and paintings, the results of recreative studies, which would be accorded high praise in art galleries in more advanced countries. Very few of these ladies and gentlemen are in a position to give the rising generation the benefit of their studies and experience, most of them being busily occcupied with the more practical duties of life. Hence the proposal. One element of success is assured, should such an institution be started, by the fact that there is just now in the city a lady thoroughly qualified to direct the studies of the school, and who moreover is willing to take such a position. She herself studied in the halls of South Kensington, the home of English art, under the auspices of the Department of Science and Art, a branch of the Council of Edocation of Great Britain. From an autograph letter of Norman McLeod's, dated Bth October, IS7B, shown us, we learn she "as a student obtained the following distinctions : —Prizes for designs, for drawing from the figure and from ornament, in the year 1347; medals in two stages of instruction in 1852; and a prize for design in' 1853." In 1852, the lady referred to, the same authority states, was appointed assistant teacher in the female school of art, and was mentioned very favorably by the head mistress, Mrs. Mclan, in her reports to the department in 1853 and 1854, leaving of her own accord in 1855. By an autograph letter of Mr Bichardßedgrave's, late Inspector-Gene-ral of Art, South Kensington, we learn that " she took prizes for drawing, designing, painting in tempera, and in oil." With such qualifications in a directress, a school of art would have excellent chances of success, if the necessary public support could be relied upon. It is "to be feared, however, that attempts at organising such an institution would meet with plenty of difficulty at first, because cultivated men and women form a very small minority in these colonies, and the general public require educating up to admiration of art. Therefore, if a school of art be established it would require nurture for a time. Cannot the Board of Education or the Education Department do something in the matter?

The following is an abstract of the vital statictics for January in the borough of Wellington: Number of births registered, 108; number of deaths registered, 58. Of the total number of deaths 37 are female; 1 adult female (cause of death English cholera) ; out of the total of deaths 39 are children, of whom 1 was under ten year, 5 under 2 years, 22 under 1 year, died of diarrhoea. The marriage certificates issued during the month numbered 34, of which 11 were performed in the registrar's office. The total number of births occurring in the district of Wellington, registered during the month was 130, and of deaths 66. The annual conversazione in connection with the Wellington Philosophical Society took place in the Colonial Museum on Friday evening. There was a very large attendance, but wisely enough, in order to preserve the comfort of those 5 invited, the invitations this year were restricted to a certain number, and no admitted except on production of ticket. The affair was an entire success. Dr. Hector, with his assistant, Mr. R B. Gore, are to be congratulated upon the arrangements they made for the comfort and entertainment of the company. The Museum certainly looked at its best, brushed up especially for the occasion, brilliantly illuminated, and filled by a gay and happy assemblage. Objects of interest were present on every hand, and the splendid collection of New Zealand shells, birds, minerals, &c, came in for a large share of attention. Chief among the specialties were the microscopes and the revelations they made. A powerful binocular, exhibited by Dr. Hector, was much in request, chief amongst the interesting objects shown by it being a specimen of eozoon canadense, the most ancient form of animal life known. Five microscopes were shown from the Wellington College, and were remarkable for their simplicity and effectiveness. By means of these were shown specimens of water from the reservoir containing numerous minute crustaceans. At other microscopes were exhibited numerous specimens of animal and vegetable tissues, and low classes of organisms. In the lecture hall there was a great display of interesting exhibits from the Government Printing Office, including a railway ticket printing machine, the process of marbling of paper, bookbinding, gilding, goldlettering, &c. There were a number of telephones and microphones, and the Electric Telegraph Department was well represented, thanks to the kindness and energy of Dr. Lemon. Amongst the items we noticed an. immense induction coil, constructed by Mr. Smith, of the department. This attracted a good deal of attention. In the Maori House a copious series of photographic views, especially of New Zealand scenery, was exhibited. There was an excellent band in,attendance, and refreshments were served on a liberal scale in one of the outer courts, temporarily covered in for the occasion. Among the guests was his Excellency the Governor, and he appeared to take great interest in the exhibition. There were also present Professors Cook, Brown, Shand, and TJlrich, of Otago and Canterbury colleges. Mr. Tancred, Chancellor of the New Zealand University, and other visitors to Wellington.