LATE TELEGRAPHIC.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLX, Issue 8166, 18 August 1887, Page 4

LATE TELEGRAPHIC.

(from our own correspondents.) Palmerston North, August 17. Longburn is becoming quite a little settle* ment of importance. A blacksmith’s shop is about to be opened there. The Longbnrn Dairy Factory paid away nearly £2OOO last season for milk. The factory is now owned by a private firm, Mr D. Buick, late of Wellington, being one of the principals. Cheese, butter, and hams and bacon are made there. This is one of the few instances in the Colony of such an establishment being a paying concern, which is chiefly owing to the good management of Mr Siggins. A public meeting of burgesses is to be held here on Friday next, to consider the proposal of the Racing Club to change the trust of the Racecourse Reserve from the Borough Coonoil to separate trustees. Two sawmillers are about to commence operations on the side of the Manawatu River, opposite to Longburn, near the rail£ way bridge. It is said Mr Hubbard, civil engineer, is willing to accept the Borough Council's premium of £IOO for a water scheme, and give up his plans to the Council. Grave complaints are made of the cruelty to stock in transit by rail. It is pointed out that proper provision is made for horses, and there is no reason why provision should not be the same for other stock. Greymouth, August 17. Some dissatisfaction is caused in the Hokitika district by the dismissal by the Govern* meat of eleven of the men who were recently employed by the Public Works Department in opening for traffic the damaged portion of the Christchnrch-Hokitika-road, The toad so far has only been cleared of the slips that actually occurred, and the road in many parts is still in a bad condition; and the first flood that comes will send several heavy boulders that are at present overhanging on to the road, to the possible danger of any passing vehicles. The Government have this day sent the Grey School of Mines the subsidy promised by the Minister of Mines for the new build* ing, which is now finished. Mr MoTymont, the Government lecturer, is busy fitting up the laboratory, preparatory to holding the chemical class lectures. The Inangahua roll is now complete,,and has on it 1950 names, about the same number as the last roll. The weather all along the coast is magnifi* cent, and the days are as warm as late spring, but the back ranges had a thick coating of snow, and the chanoes of another flood a little later on look real enough. (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Hokitika, August 17. The Kokatahi school scandal is likely to be permanently brought before the public again. Mr Meharry, the dismissed school teacher, having issued a writ on the proprietors of the West Coast Times for £ISOO for libel. Greymouth, August 17. It is understood from Home advices that Mr Martin Kennedy, of the firm of Kennedy Bros., Brunner Coal Company, is at present getting four iron steamers built at Home. Two are to trade between Greymouth and Melbourne, and two are for the East Coast of the Middle Island trade. They will be bnilt as large as the water accommodation of the port will allow. A new contract for the last extension of the sonth harbor works was commenced to-day. Christchurch, August 17. This afternoon a ten-roomed house at New Brighton, owned by John Dilloway, and occupied by the Rev William Radcliffe, was burned down. No one was in the house when the fire began. It is supposed to have been caused by embers falling from a grate. The Christchurch Tramway Company have declared a dividend of 7 per cent per anrmm for the last half-year. Auckland, August 17. It is reported that it is proposed to reduce the distance of the Auckland Cap race to two miles. The s,B. Maogregor was towed into Mann ’ kau Harbor this morning. Dunedin, August 17. At a meeting of the members of the Rifle Association to consider the matter of using the new Remington-Lee rifle at the next meeting, considerable diversity of opinion was found to exist, and finally consideration of the matter was postponed to allow country members to attend.