The Evening Mail. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1879.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 896, 28 February 1879, Page 2

The Evening Mail. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1879.

The valuation, of the up-country properties of Che Waita&i CWnty U now completed. and the amount that will be realised. SO' far as eaa be at present ascertained. wilt reach between four and fh> thousand pounds. This- does not include tf:e town valuation, and may therefore be considered a targe amount to tar drrived from any one County.' It may appear at a Rrst glance, indeed, that the amount is snftteicntty targw to make thtr tas oppressive. It should. however, be remembered that the object of ths ta.-s is not to raise revenue, but to somewhat equalise the burthens of taxation. TTie Urge- tanrfhotder. and not the snuitt farmer. will feet its pressure : and it will have the effect of creating a numerous landed proprietary by compettiug the- bursting up of targe sheep-runs, some of whit-h have been worked at a minimum of profit amounting to- scarcely more than the- half-penny per atru tax. It should also be remembered that the struggling' settler b exempt from Cue operation of the Act. and that he am. his more prosperous neighbors are now enjoying the heneftt of a redntctton on several articles of food.

Tile Waste Lands Board of Otago is evidencing tamtabte anxiety to secure the legitimate settlement of the fowls with which they are from time to time, as leases expire, called upon to deaf. The report which appears in another column affords proof of this. Et will tie observed that the land which was the subject of last WtedneJday's discussion,. and will be the subject of diseusaiott a week lience. is that which has been selected by the Board from the New Zealand and Australian Land Company's Kurow Estate, consisting of several thousand acres. It is magnificent agricultural land, and its settlement by men instead of sheep wilt be of vast advantage to this district, it would appear that a portion of it at least wilt E>e disposed of under the deferred payment system., which will afford agriculturists or' small means an opportunity of making a start in life. The system of settling practical farmers upon the soil wilt have an effect upon this Colony that will be seen tni its additional substantial prosperity.

?lir ♦ teorge * 'trey has consented to tti» appointment of Mr. (>. M. Luefeie. at the salary originally agreed upon. vi>:.. LoOO a y.r.r. As we have previously hinted, the* luomy could have been better expended, but the I'remier has acteit wisely in giving way to the pledge of an overwhelming majority '<■-' his Cabinet.

The " nrgent" telegram announcing the result of tlie Punedin »Jup race was handed in at the fhinedin office at 3.3-">. and arrived at our office, two or three minutes' walk from- the Telegraph Office, at rt..-{*> yesterday, occupying in transmission only .* minutes. This is the most rapid telegraphic feat that has come under our fcno-wtedge. The onty regret is that the information did not arrive five minutes earlier,, so that we might have given our country- readers: the benefit of tt last evening. We have been informed, by the postal authorities that a supplementary English mail will be made up to-morrow morning, to catch the steamer at Lyttetton.

We need scarcely remind our reiders that the meeting called- by his Worship the Mayor for the purpose of raising funds for the relief of the sufferers hy the Kaitangata catastrophe wilt be held at .S-o.'cloclc this evening in the lecture-room of the Mechanics' Institute. We hope to see the meeting welt attended. tind trust that it wilt lead to substantial relief being obtained for the unfortunate widows and Orphans of th<- poor fellows who met their deaths in so sudden and so awful a manner.

The Rev. T. .K Kvans. agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society, will conduct a service for children from the Sabbath Schools of Oamarw in St.. Faut's Fi-esby-teriau«'hrireh on Sunday first, at S o'clock p.fu. lie w ill also address a public meeting in the same ptace on Monday evening, at T.oft. On both occasions the young people and friends wilt have an opportunity i»f contributing to the funds of the Society.

We have to apologise, to one readers £*>r not providing them with an awouut of the Dunediu, Cup Ran; yesterday. We had. as we thought* made every passible arrangement for getting a report of the raees in time for publication lev oar last issue. i>at wete disappointed. Though aa urgent tele* Urani, giving Che bare result of the * 'up Ka«e. reached us *hortty after owe country edition went to press,, the detailed ae'-ount of the two first items oii the programme did nut ntw to hand imtd five o'etocL, white it was nearly sis before the full report of the Cup Kftia? reached era,' office., the result being that it was too tate for insertion in our last issue.. W*» bait hoped that the formation of the Press Telegram Association would have ted to a mors satisfactory state of affairs being established in the supplying of information to journals ; but it would appear that the new Association is rapidly falling into< the s<wy-going groove of the old Press Agency. The pubtk will be pleased to- fcnew that the Ottnuwre Philharmonic Hociety wilt give » grand miscellaneous concert on Monday tOth March, at the Volunteer Halt, the funds resulting from which ace to. hi devoted to the KaitangataWidows-''and Orphans" Fund. The orogramme lias not yet been compiled, but we believe that it will be both varied and excellent. The pianoforte solos and accompaniments wdl be played upon the Society's

newly-acnwireif grand p«an»„ It is highly satisfactory that the natives of the -Raglan district approve of the making of roads through their lands. Four or rive years ago' their antagonism to the construction of the roads over the completion of which they ara being s<> demonstrative. toauessitattsd numerous meetings with them. For a long time they were unyielding. Th» «Eie& of tha important interior tribes intetsstesi were *««■ ptineipal op-

poncots. But time has worked an important change, and lauds that arc now almost useless on account of imperfect communication, will be brought into cultivation. Little by little the opening of the remote lands of the Colony by roads -will dissipate the native difficulty. Under the present Native Minister's diplomatic and intelligent conduct of native afikdrs, -we may hope before losg *o see and enjoy the garden of Kflcrt. which is saidto exist in Maoriland proper. The service of song entitled "The Old, Old Story," which met with so much public approval when given by the Young Men's Christian Association on the occasion of their annual conversazione, will be again rendered about the 10th or 12th of March, for the benefit of the Kaitangata Widows' and Orphans' Relief Fund. There will be no necessity to say nnjihin? in praise of the ■service, or the motives that have actuated the Voting Men's Association in giving it. There will surely be a liberal response to this appeal under any circumstances. There was only a smalt muster at the inspection parade of the Hampden Volunteers on Wednesday evening, owing to many of the men being engaged in harvest work. Several newmembers were afterwards elected, and efforts are being made to increase the strength of the Company. After parade, a meeting wa3 held for the pnqmse of considering matters in connection with tinreview to be held at Invercargill. Three bikers and 24 men derided to attend tinreview, and the .Secretary was instructed to communicate the fact to Major Steward, and to Major Maerorie, commanding the Invercargill district. It was also decided to hold extra parades three times a week. The return cricket match between eleven of the Qamartt Club and fifteen of the Excel - ■nor Club will take place on the new Cricket I.round to-morrow. The following play-rs will represent the Oamam Club :—Castelli. Creagh. J. Miliiugtoii, I'u IV-, F. Fcuwick. Lowe. M'Donald. (». Millington, Itice, •S'umpter. and Walls. Kmergency—Booth and MtUingtoii. Tho.se chosen to play for the Kxeefstor are—Atherton, Church, Cooke. [Vtttvitk. Finch, A. O. Hardy. Hartley, K. Hewat, T. Hewat, Kett, Little, Marshall. Snow. Tarawhiti. and W. Todd. Emerg'eney—Kerens, Robinson, I}. Todd, and f>,vvi.-t. The wickets will be pitched at 1.45, play to continence at 2 o'clock, ami punctuality on the part of the above player.-* is re<-[nested.