The Oamaru Mail. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1880.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 22 October 1880, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1880.

-"The Vnrque Lnrline, 1000 tons register, arrived at the breakwater from Dunedin tins a; eri>o- n,'having been tugged lather by the Koouta:. >he is*co-s. : gned to ihe New ZSclaud Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, who are the agents, and will be loaded bv Mr. .Tames Hassell with oats lor tne Lnited Kinir-lom, foe* which place it is expected she will sail m about ten days. This is the largest vessel that has ever been under the shelter of the Breakwater, and, although a stiff nor'-easter—the wind to which the port is yet more exposed than to any other—is blowing, she seems to ha as perfectly at ease as she would be m a laud-locked harbor. 'ihe uiauncr in which she was brought in was greatly admired by those who had the pleas;:re of witnessing the sight. ine st amor left her, when she had been placed in a favorable position for enterins, to her own devices, and, with a-A'ittle ado as we have seen shown by any vessel similarly situated, she glided m and took up her desired position. The addition to the breakwater has effected a very decided improvement in the accommodation for such vessels. Inspector Thompson has, we believe, bowed to the inevitable, and consented to remain in the police force in the rednced rank of Serjeant-Major, and will remain in Oamani. While we cannot avoid coming to the conclusion that a very great injustice has been done to an old and respected member of the force, we are pleased to .learn tjiafc the Colony is still to retain the benefit o£ the j services of one of its best police officers., in-1 spector Moore will also take the rank of , Serjeant-Major, while inspectors Mallard, and"Fox will retire altogether. Reductions will, we believe, be made in the lower grades of the force, but the extent of these is not known. Captain Edwin telegraphs to-day j—lndications are for strong winds between northcast and north-west. The giaaa will fall again very soon. Tjie'Lurline has on board a large quantity of cement for the Oamaru Breakwater. This is the first direct shipment of this material to this port. The fame of Professor Proctor as a lecturer upon astronomy lias caused quite a rush for tickets, and there is therefore every prospect of the hall being crowded. Those who purpose attending the lecture this evening may rest assured that they will obtain a rare treat of an intellectual order.

The people of Kakanui are determined to continue their annual sports, and a meeting of the Caledonian Society was held in the Devonshire Hotel on Wednesday night, Mr. W. J. Cossar occupying the chair. Mr. D. W. Davis (treasurer) read the balance-sheet, which showed the Society to have a balance to its credit of L2 3s. A councittee for the ensuing year was appointed, and the Jjieetinf adjourned pntil Monday, the 25th insi., when office-bearers will be elected and the date fixed upon which to hold the annual gathering. Mails for the Australian Colonies, per Hero, close at Hokitika on Saturday, :23rd inst., at 11.30 a.m. Telegrams will be accepted at the Oamaru office accordingly. The Rev. A. B. Todd, occasionally assisted by other clergymen, has for some time past held a Bible "class in the High School. _ As the rev. gentlemen is on the eve of a holiday triD, the present session of biblical instruction ended yesterday. On this occasion a prize presentation took place, a written examination on St. Luke's Gospel being the subject for competition. The rev. Mr. Todd, previous to awarding the prizes, delivered a short congratulatory address to the children on the merit of their papers and on the regular attendance during the session. The papers were very satisfactory, several obtaining above 90 per cent, of the possible marks. The sucessful competitors, in their ordw qI merit were : Boys : Andrew Hedley, Arthur David Todd, and Alexander Morrison ; Girls : Catherine Campbell, Ada Cr.nninghame, Heleji Church, and Eva M'Gregor. In taking !<?ave of the class, Mr. Todd said he hoped tiiac l r hey might all meet acrain the next session, and wn-y on the work in which they had been engaged. The Rector, who, with some of the school teachers, was present, called upon the children to exprers their gratitude to Mr. Todd, for the kindness and energy he had displayed in thus coming forward to supply the great want of oar "educational system biblical instruction. A ringing cheer was the re.sponse. Mr. Peattie then, in the name of the pupils, wished Mr. Todd a pleasant and healthful holiday.

The Upward and Onward Lodge of Teane» raki, No. 154, held an open meeting on Thursday evening, on which occasion the doors were open at S p.m. There were upwards of 70 persons present. The chair was taken by Bro. Elder, D.D., supported by several members of the Pride of Maheno and Weston Lodges. A number of songs, ciecs, and readings, were creditably gone through by the members of the Order, the accompaniments being plaj'ed Mr. J. Common. The meeting was brought to a close with praver by the Chairman ami the usual votes of thanks to the chair, performers, and visitors.

| The Rev, James Buller, so well known as one of the pioneer missionaries of this Colony, is about to return to us, and finally settle down, asd was expected to take passage in the Waimafo which sailed this month. He has a handbook on New Zealand in course of preparation, as a guide to intending colonists, and, judging from the rev. gentlemen's knowledge and probity, we shonfd think that it will prove a valuable and trustworthy handbook. He is said to be in robosfc health, and contemplates reentering upon active service as a minister of the Wc3leyan Methodist Connexion on his arrival in the Colony.

The Daily Times' Home correspondent says that two steamers are to arrive here ' direct within the next two months. Money Wigranvs steamers having been beaten oat of the Australian trade by the Orient and P. and O. lines, are going to try New Zea- • ]and. The Durham, Captain Babot, sailed 1 on the 25th September, and the Northumberland was to sail a month later. | The "Wellington Chronicle says :—" Ifc is ' understood, in connection with late and impending dismissals in the Constabulary Force, that anv officers who are discharged will be paid one month's pay for every year they have served in the up to 12 years ; but ' nothing beyond one year's pay, so that if a man were dismissed after serving 40 years he would receive no more compensation than if he had only served 12 years. To the Morning Heraid we are indebted for the following item of good flesrs " We hear that 'the unemployed' are rapidly leaving the work provided for them by the Government. About 200 have voluntarily left the Hindon section of the Otago Central Railway during the past month." To this we cannot refrain from adding that we hope the Government, having been relieved of such a burden, will not be unmindful of any who may be unemployed in various parts of the Colony. We know that to them the temptation is great to conserve as much as possible of the vote of L 75.000 which was passed last session to give employment to the legitimate "unemployed," in order that they may add it to what will remain of the L 1,200,000 or thereabouts voted by the Grey Government for native land purchases, and still held available for that purpose by the present Government, although it is not their intention to expend more than a small portion of that amount. By means of that financial jugglery of which "the Major" is thorough master, all these " sayings" will be made to add diadems to the escutcheon of his Ministry. But he must have a care that he does not go too far in the exercise of such bogus economics. "A private letter from St. Petersburg states that although the present felicitous state of matters is attributed by ' own correspondents' to the foresight of General Louis Melikoff, it is, happily, our own Duke of Edinburgh who is primarily to be thanked for the temporary inactivity of the Nihilists and theii? absence from the Czar's residence. During" his sojourn at the Winter Palace the Duke played the violin every nigbV' We have many times had the pleasure of playing second Hiddle to His jjoyal Highness. He is a most enthusiastic «msi<rian, and his love and devotion to .the divine science cover* a multitude of sins. JEIe does not allow apy feeling of social superiority to interfere with Jiis free intercourse Wft&'mngicians, and, fhan that,

he, on several occasions, delighted -arge audiences at the grand Choral ila ), Auckland, during his prolonged stay in taa j, cuy several years ago. We are not surprised that the royal sounds ivhic}>. he from his royal fiddle have bad a salutary effect upon the Nihilists. The "own correspondent"'to the VTansanui Herald, writing from the Waiicate Plains, remarks that on the 12th instant the natives smashed the drain pipe lying on the road between ibis camp and W aiv. eranui. They also threw the wheelbarrows oelongmg to the A.C. working parties into the streara This, of course, was done in the absence df: the Constabulary, significant of the spirit with which the Native Minister s letter is received. ! An enterprising American patentee fro• poses to control the rainfall in any locality by means of explosives and detonating compounds, raised to the cloud levels by means of single balloons or parachutes, or in some cases by fleets of small balloons, the charges being simultaneously exploded by means ot an electric connection. Another inventor, Mr. G. H. Bell, goes so far as to send a plan of a rain tower to the Scientific Amei'ican, by which he promises not only to produce rain when it is needed, but to prevent it from falling when it is not desired. In the .course of a lecture on "Farmers' Co-operation" was delivered onVVed-nesda-v last b.y Mr. ooodwyn at Fairlie Creek; in the Timary district, that gentleman made some pertinent reias.rk3 .on £lpa subject. Every other class of business men, he pointed out, combined together for ti/e futherine of their interests, while farmers did nothing of the kind, and suffered very much in consequence. In selling his grain, for instance, the fanner placed himself at the mercy of the .buyers by dealing with his produce without reference to his neighbors, obtaining piost or the whole of his information as to the s&te.of the markets from those whose interest it waa tQ rppi'.eseijt the selling prices to bo as low as possible. .Combination would assist the fanner to obtain a fair price for his produce. It would also be found o: great assistance to those purchasing farms. Farmers could and should combine for the protection of their interests in fair and legitimate ways as other business men did.

Ml\ Talbot, who presided at the lecture i on " Co-operation " delivered by Mr. Bate- ' man, at Temuka, last evening (says the South Canterbury Times} made an excellent • hit. Attention having been ££ll§.4 to the : fact that LSIOO had been netted by a spec», ' lator who purchased 65.000 bushels of oats ■ on the Seadown estate for Is per bushel and ' netted 2s o.'d per bushel by exporting them : to Great Britain, Mr. Talbot brought the matter home with felling fprce to farmers ) ond laborers alike by remarking 11 thftt .jf r the oats in question Jjq.d b.een shippeg by : the producers through a co-operative asso- . ciation the large profit of over LSQOO would, . instead of going into the pocket of the nonP producer, have gone to those who worked s for it, and who might have employed ; working men, many of whom are now idle T> - in bringing more land under cultivation. , Apother speaker cited how an artisan rent--5 ing & Jtouse from a landiord at 4s per week, L by j[oinjpg & P t Q*pperative association paid only 4s 6d per weeji for his house, the . difference beincr that at fh.e 15 years [ the house was his own. ; jhe Wanganui Herald, referring to the retirement of Sir Julius Vogel, says it is [ believe.d by ft great many that the Ministry t had made a promise pf the Agent-Generalship i to Sir f dward :• tafford, p.r.d that this was r one of the reasons why tftere se.eiried to be so . earnest 3, desire on the part of fcfre Qoyeroi ment to get rid of Sir Julius, There is i evidence to show that some kind of promise » had been given to Sir Edward as long ago as 1577. Two influences of another kind were [ at work. The owners of big estates were . jealous of Sir Julius Vogel's connection with » the Agricultural Company, believing that > he would use his official position to advance ! the interests of the Company of which he was a director, to the prejudice of the great : number of "specs" in which the big estate fallows were so deeply interested. • But a jiclitical influence, strongly tinged by L a spirit of "vindiotjvpness, produced perhaps L the greatest effect, 'fhi? person who most exerted this influence was Mr, Reader Wood, [ who, in virture of his saving the Ministry in , 1579, has since claimed to guide their uncertain footsteps. I Lee C-uy, the Chinaman, who was acquitted - on the .charge pf the murder of Mrs. Young , at Kyeburn, did not Lave a happy time -when I he returned to the neighborhw.d of the ; murder. According to the Mount Ida I Chronicle, there happened to be a number • oi people around the office when the coach " arrived ; and when it was made known that i Lee Guy had come back, quite a crowd collected in a minute .Qr two." He was followed up the street to the Chinese houses, one of [ which he entered. He was immediately . turned out by the Chinaman owning the ! place, and he then wont down Derwent- . street. Just after crossing the footbridge [ some one in the crowd, which still followed , him, threw a clod at him, and struck him on the head. More dirt and stones quickly , followed, striking him about the head and ! body, and the crowd commenced to close in ' on him. Two gentlemen at this stage inter- , fered, and it was fortunate for Lee Guy that they did so, for there is no telling what might have happened, as the crowd was netting excited. The police were sent for, and .Sprgeant M'Nally quickly appeared and took Lee Guy to the camp, where he was allowed to remain for an hour or two till the crowd had dispersed. It is to bo hoped that he will have sense enough to leaye'the dis : | trict, for if he is not seriously maltreated it is possible that some innocent though excitable person, may get himself into trouble through coming in contact with him. The Home correspondent of the Otago Daily Times says : —The fear is lest Sir Arthur's inexperience of a felony *yith Constitutional Government, with nis well: known autocratic proclivities, should bring him iqto unpleasant relations wifh the New Zealand Government. I hope better things. A man who is young pnough, and has brains enough, should alway.s get cr.edit for the undeveloped possibilities which nev/ pir* eunjstanees ipay bring out. MorAQyep, it must be better in the long run for any Colony to have in gpeh a gositiop a man wlio has opinions, and who is able to express them, rather than the indiarubber personage who in some people's estimation makes a model Governor. Sir Arthur (-.'ordon, by the way, is a really first-rate speaker, I once heard him in Exeter, at a missionary anniversary meeting, deliver one of the most telling speeches that it has ever been my privilege to listen to. It was a Methodist May meeting gathering, with some of the best speakers that the church could muster on the platform; but Sir Arthur's speech carried the day. In an article on the necessity 'for co-opera-tion amongst farmers, the Timaru Herald says : —W.e wish it to be clearly understood that, as was properly pointed out by Mr. Bat em an in his lecture at Geraldine, no blame is attributable to the Mercantile community for the existence of such a state of affairs. Farmers complain bitterly, we know, of the hard treatment they receive at the hands of the merchants and traders, who, they declare, get all the profit of their Industry. But they have really no just cause of complaint. The merchants and traders piake what they can out of the farmers, and quite right too. But for them, as far as we can see, the farmers would not be able to live at all, for the simple reason that they would not know how' to provide themselves with necessaries, or dispose of their products. The merchants and traders are the medium of communication between the farmers and the markets of the world; and, in the earlier stages of' the development of a country, they are an indispensable and invaluable mediqm- Bat they are, or ought to be, only the pioneers of a different organi r sation. The time has already aifived in New Zealand when the farmers are quite strong enough, both in numbers and in subgfcanpe, to do fop themselves the business which has hitherto-been done for them by the import and export dealers, Ther.; is no reason in the world why all the intermediate profits which are made out of the farmers 1 industry, j both on what they buy and on what they 1 sell, should not go into the pockets of the ■ farmers themselves,