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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5610, 22 March 1879, Page 2

The sub-committee appointed to make arrangements for the reception of Sir Hercules Robinson held a meeting yesterday afternoon. The hon. secretary, Mr. C. C. Graham, reported that he had in the morning had an interview with the Ministry on the subject, and they had promised to give every assistance in their power. A guard of honor composed of volunteers would be provided at the landing-place, and it was suggested that after the presentation of addresses there should be a procession to Government House, where the new Governor would be publicly sworn in on the lawn, the Armed Constabulary there providing a guard of honor. Also, that the school children should be in attendance there, and should before the ceremony commenced sing the National Anthem, and after the conclusion of the ceremony the New Zealand Anthem. The committee fell in with these ideas, and some discussion took place as to how large a platform shoald be constructed. The Mayor thought there should be accommodation for at least a hundred persons; also that the heads of the various friendly societies should be communicated with, the members of such bodies being invited to attend, dressed in full regalia, and join in the procession from the landing place to Government House, and take part in the ceremony there. It was stated the Governor was expected to arrive on Wednesday. Some other details were arranged, subscription collectors appointed, and the meeting then adjourned. A meeting of the chairmen of the various school committees in town was also held yesterday. Present—Archdeacon Stock, Messrs. Woodward, Field, and Mclntyre. The meeting was called to arrange a programme for the children’s doings, but unfortunately at the outset a difference of opinion arose which could not be got rid of. The two latter gentlemen objected to the children taking any formal part in the proceedings, on the ground that it would destroy the pleasure of the children and inconvenience the teachers; while Messrs. Stock and Woodward thought the success of the demonstration should be the chief object in view, and that the difficulties brought forward by the other gentlemen should not be allowed to stand in the way of the children taking part. After a long discussion, it became apparent no decision could be come to, and practically each school committee is to do as it pleases. We understand that the Government have been altogether unsuccessful in their endeavors to purchase the native land on the proposed West Coast railway route. The land has been proclaimed under the Act, so that no private purchaser can step in ; but although it is possible to prevent the natives selling to other parties, it is impossible to make them sell.to the Government. They seem to know that the land is urgently required, and therefore they are all the more determined that a long price shall be paid them if they sell. The agitation against Mr. Clark’s drainage scheme seems to be dying out, except among the agitators, who by their rabid advocacy of Mr. Climie and his scheme are injuring rather than benefiting that gentleman. People are beginning to see that although Mr. Climie may be a very able man, and may have excellent claims for compensation at the hands of the Corporation, still he is not exclusively the possessor of all drainage engineering ability. In fact, the moderate men who are open to reason can see that on very many of the points in Mr. Clark’s scheme disputed by Mr. Climie Mr. Clark is supported by unexceptionable authority. For instance, on the rising main question Mr, Climie has been shown to be quite wrong. He contends, in so many words, that Mr. Clark’s proposal to have a main rising 37 feet in a mile, is preposterous, inasmuch as the main must become choked up unless extraordinary and very expensive pumping power is employed. Mr. Rawlingson, on the other hand, names a dozen places where there are rising mains working satisfactorily, and particularly mentions the case of Leamington, in England, where sewage is pumped a height of 130 feet without inconvenience. But as to the power required to pump there is to be found very close to home a complete refutation of Mr. Olimie’s assertion. In connection with the Auckland Waterworks 2750 gallons of water per hour are pumped a height of 230 ft. through a rising main three miles long, yet we hear very little of the great expense, or of the pipe becoming choked. Water and sewage, be it remembered, may be treated as one and the same for this purpose. Mr. Rawlingson also pronounces very strongly in favor of contour sewage, arguing that the interception of the sewage at higher levels is more economical as reducing the volume to be pumped. So with charcoal ventilation and other matters. Mr. Rawlingson’a authority cannot be doubted, and his writings are all the more valuable just now because they come from a man who has probably never heard of the quarrel between Messrs. Climie and Clark. Some difficulty has arisen between Captain Roberts, of the Hermione, and the Customs authorities, with regard to two sailors who arrived in the Hermione, but who subsequently were removed to the Hospital in consequence of illness, and still remain in that institution. The Hermione is about leaving on her homeward trip, and as the men are so thoroughly ill as to be useless on the ship the captain wishes to have them legally discharged. The Collector of Customs, whose consent is indispensable under the Merchant Shipping Act (adopted in New Zealand), declines to consent to such discharge, on the ground that they are permanent invalids, and if left must remain a . burden upon the colony so long as they live. The fact that they are in so. bad a condition of health is certified to by the Hospital authorities. The captain has taken legal advice, and seeks to compel the authorities to give way, but they are obdurate in insisting that, he shall take the men home with him irrespective of their state of health. There the matter stands at present. The Commission on Higher Education resume their sittings oh Monday next at the Parliamentary Buildings, if a quorum can be obtained, and there is every probability that it will be. Professors Sale and Shand, of Otago, and Mr. O’Borke and Rev. Mr. Mulgan, of Auckland, have promised to come, and as the session of the University Synod is at an end, the Hon. W. Gisborne and Dr. Hector presumably will be free. So far the plan of work for the future has not been settled. The commissioners find they have none too much time at their disposal, and in view of the large amount of work to be done in the South, it is probable that they will forego visiting Wanganui and Napier, if sufficiently full information can be obtained otherwise. The secretary is in receipt of a good deal of documentary information, and it is hoped to be able to do away with the necessity for visiting those towns. Wellington has yet to be dealt with, and Christchurch and Dunedin and smaller places en route will have to be visited.

At the District Court yesterday Mr. Bell informed his Honor that there was a case, Johnston v. Pollock and Young, which should have been set down on the list for hearing, but had not been owing to gross carelessness on the part of the officers of the Wanganui Court. The summons had been taken out in the Court here on the 20th February, and had been sent away on the 21st. It would probably have reached Wanganui on the 23rd, but yet it had not been served until the 4th of the present month. The plaintiffs, Mr. Bell said, had suffered considerably through the gross carelessness or something worse on the part of the Clerk of the Court at Wanganui. He hoped that bis Honor would help him (Mr. Bell) in pointing out some means whereby the clerk who had been so negligent should be cautioned. His Honor thought that Mr. Bell had better write him a letter of complaint, which should be sent to the District Judge at Wanganui, requesting an explanation ; and failing such explanation that the matter should be brought under the notice of the Minister of Justice. The balance-sheet of the Auckland Savings Bank was published in yesterday’s Gazclit. The assets are put down at £149,363, the liabilities, £133,325; the balance in favor of the bank being £16,033. The cash in the hands of the Bank of Australasia to the credit of the trustees is £36,979. It will be seen by our telegrams that the money market has begun to ease in Dunedin. Money, it is announced, which could not obtained a little while ago for 12 per cent., is now to be had for 10 per cent. This is reassuring . so far, and no doubt its effect will quickly bo felt on trade. The change is attributed to the successful floating of the Vic. toriah loan.

The District Court will sit this morning at half-past 10 o’clock. Mr. D. Walton has been appointed deputyregistrar of marriages, &0., at Masterton. Mr. Goldie’s election to the House of Representatives for Auckland City West is gazetted. A sum of £293 16s. 7d. was received for Crown land sold in Wellington District during the months of January and February, 1879. The return match between the married and single of Thnrndon will be played this afternoon at Thorndon. It was reported in town last night that the train coming in from the Hutt ran off the line close to O’Malley’s crossing, a place about a mile from the Wellington station. We learn by a telegram from Blenheim that the D’fJrville Island Copper Company intend to send over five tons of ore from the 110 feet level to be smelted in Wellington. All the big guns that arrived by the Lorraine have been removed temporarily to the reclaimed land. A quantity of shell and other ammunition was landed on the wharf yesterday. At a meeting of the creditors of James Moran, shoemaker, of Carterton, held yesterday, Mr. Berry was elected trustee. The assets are set down at £217, and the liabilities at £IOO. Cannot the Government put up a new flagstaff on the Post Office? Part of the old one was blown down in a gale some time ago, but it has never been replaced. If the Treasury is too poor to afford a new one, at any rate the unsightly old stump might be removed. Mr. Henry Jackson’s dismissal is gazetted. The following appointments have been made: —Mr. J. W. A. Marchant is to be Deputy-In-spector of Surveys, Mr. N. W. Werry as Undersecretary for the Raihvay Department, and Mr. H. S. Lyall, Chief Clerk Government Insurance Department. The Inspector of Schools yesterday examined the Mount Cook infant school, and twentythree pupils passed in the first standard. This examination is extraordinary, being held in order that proficient pupils may be drafted off to the older schools, in order to give additional room at the infant school. The best test of the dulness now existing in the land speculating business iu Wellington is the state of affairs at the Lands Registry Office. For the past three years the work has always been mouths iu arrear, aud it was an unusual thing to get deeds registered quickly. However, this has all changed within the past few months. Arrears have all been caught up, and if a deed is left for registration one day it can generally be obtained next day all complete. This is a fact that speaks for itself. A most peculiar accident occurred in Willisstreet yesterday afternoon, and a number of men narrowly escaped fatal injury thereby. As the public no doubt are pretty generally aware, the Corporation has just completed reducing the levels of Upper Willis-street by four or five feet, one result being that shops and dwelling-houses are now perched up a considerable distance above the footway, and are badly provided with means of access. To remedy this some of the owners of property are endeavoring to bring their houses down to the level of the footpath. Captain Williams, who is the proprietor of some valuable property in the street, is among those who are so acting, and Mr. Ransom is now carrying out a contract to lower two extensive two-storey shops and dwelling-houses for Captain Williams. The modus operandi is to excavate the earth from under the floor and insert piles from time to time to support the building. The excavation finished, the building would entirely stand on temporary piles, and the next work would be to lower it to the ground gradually by means of screwjaoks. In the case under notice the work of lowering had been commenced, and yesterday afternoon the building was partly lowered, when some mistake was made, and it rolled off the jacks on to the ground. There were nine men at work at the time, and at first it was feared that some had been crushed to death ; but strangely all were clear except one, and he was standing in a clear space iu the floor of a few feet square, which had been rendered vacant by the brick chimney having been removed preparatory to any work being done. Another workman was thrown down, but fortunately he rolled underneath the adjoining building. The house is occupied by a restau-rant-keeper, and a number of persons were at tea at the time of the occurrence. The crockery, &0., flew off the table, and the persons sitting around were shaken roughly and pretty well frightened. A servant who was upstairs performing some household work was greatly surprised at finding herself pitched violently across the room, and at first attributed the occurrence to an earthquake. The building was a good deal shaken, and is slightly out of the square, but is not materially damaged. Had it fallen a little earlier probably it would have toppled right over into the street.

The vital statistics for the year appeared in yesterday’s Gazette. We published the chief table some days ago. The Registrar-General says : —The number of births registered in the boroughs of Auckland, Thames, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Hokitika, in 1878, amounted to 3622, equal to 43T3 per 1000 of the aggregate mean population of the boroughs, against 3618, or 45'0 per 1009 of the population in 1877. The .births in .1876 amounted to 3652. There has thus been a gradual decrease in the birth-rate per 1000 of the population. It may be of interest to compare this birth-rate ■with the birth-rate in England. In 1875 the birth-rate in England and Wales was 35'5 per 1000 persons living ; but in the county of Durham (this county having the highest birth-rate in the kingdom), the birth-rate was 45'5 per 1000, In Durham the married women comprised 60 per cent, of all the women at the ages 15—45. In the New Zealand boroughs stated the married women amounted-to 55'8 per cent. of all the women at the ages 15—45, the total number of females in the boroughs being in the proportion of 9563 to every 100 males. The deaths in 1878 amounted to 1232, against 1329 in 1877; a decrease in 1878 of 97'0 deaths. Allowing for the difference in population, these numbers represent a death-rate in 1878 of 14'68 per 1000 of population, and in 1877 of 16‘53 per 1000. There was a reduction in the death-rates in each of the boroughs except Christchurch. In that borough the death-rate was 15'50 in 1877, and 16'23 in 1878. The deaths in the boroughs of children under ons year amounted in 1878 to 426, or H - 76 per cent, of the births, against 11'25 per cent, in 1877, and 13 - 77 per cent, in 1876. The deaths under one year amounted to 3T98 per cent, of the total deaths, against 30 62 in 1877, and 33'8 iu 1876.

Three little children, named Lillian Hill, aged six, Herbert Hill, aged five, and Florence Hill, aged two, were charged yesterday with being neglected children. It appears that the father of the children is a billiard marker, and left here some three months ago for Sydney. The children, who appeared to be half starved, and had scarcely any clothing to cover them, were sent to the Burnham Industrial School for two years. A match will be played this afternoon between the Wanderers and the United Cricket Clubs, on the Basin Reserve ; play to commence at half-past one o’clock. The following is the Wanderers’ team : Speed, Hickson, Leokie Thos., Leckie A. W., France C., Blacklock, Page, Morrab, Mansford, Macdermott, and Mapleaden ; emergency, France H., Hall B. United team : Crowther, Astill, Wylie, Doyle, Read, McG-irr, Kutohen, Sunley, Keefe, Dryden, and Howe ; emergency, Stewart.

In the Wellington education district there are, according to the last census returns, 8291 children of a school age. According to the Education Board returns, the number on the school books during the December quarter was 4645, while the average attendance was but 3374. The fact is thus brought out that notwithstanding that the State provides free education, and commands the attendance of all children, considerably less than half the number of children within the school age are in average daily attendance. In Wellington City there are 4408 children within the school age, but the average daily attendance is only 1817. In the city there are of course a few private educational establishments, but including the attendants at these not more than half the children who ought to attend school are doing so. There are absolutely over 1000 children in this city within school age who are receiving no education. Such facts afford matter for serious consideration, and it is to be hoped that during the ensuing educational year some active steps will be taken to remedy such a sad state of things. At a meeting of the Victorian Cabinet, a letter was received from the Associated Banks inquiring whether the Minister of Public Works was correctly reported in his statements regarding a conspiracy between . the banks and the Argus to damage the loan ; and whether the Ministry endorsed such statements, A letter jn reply was adopted. With

regard to the first query, the banka are referred to the journals which published Mr. Patterson’s speech for information aa to the correctness of their reports. IVith regard to the second point, the Cabinet deny the right of any body outable of Parliament to call Minister to account for bia utterances. No direct answer is, therefore, given to either of the requests made by the banks, and these institutions are left under a groundless imputation. Irrespective of the letter addressed by the banks to the Government in regard to the charge against them uttered at Footsoray by the Minister of Public Works, we learn from the Insurance and Banking Record “that a telegram of similar purport to the letter has been transmitted to the Hon. Graham Berry in London. The London representative of the banks has also been made acquainted by telegraph with the facts, and it will be for them to obtain from Mr. Berry either an endorsement of, or a repudiation of “ acquiescence in, Mr. Patterson’s statement.” By telegraph we hear that Mr. Berry repudiates his colleague’s utterances.