The Otago Daily Times. FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 1881.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5948, 4 March 1881, Page 2

The Otago Daily Times. FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 1881.

During the time that Mr H. S. Fish, " jun., was enjoying his well-earned holiday in Melbourne everything seemed to go "merry asa niwi^ e bell" in the various public bodies of which he is so distinguished an ornament. Lithe City Council there was peace, and even Councillor Carroll, in the absence of his chief, was mild as any "sucking dove." No sooner, however, had Mr Fish returned than the fact became patent in the general wakiDg-up of the Council—a meeting of which he attended within an hour or two of his landing from the steamer—and we had soon to note his presence at the meeting of the Harbour Board on Monday, the 21st, when the grounding of the Jasper was under consideration ; and there, as at the meeting yesterday, he conducted himself in a thoroughly characteristic manner. Holding, as we do, that it is the distinct right—nay, the positive duty, of members of local governing bodies to speak out plainly with regard to the conduct of the officials when circumstances demand reprehension, we at the same time consider that great discretion should be used, and that charges of general incapacity unsupported by specific facts should never be made. Such accusations may seriously affect character, professional or otherwise, whilst the persons accused are practically defenceless, having nothing positive to reply to or explain, whilst from their position they are unable to resent the attempt to do them injury, nor, against expressions of opinion which are privileged, have they any remedy whatever. Active and energetic aa Mr Fish must be admitted to be, he is evidently a man of strong prejudices, and one of his particular betes noire is Captain Thomson, the harbourmaster, whom he never loses an opportunity of girding at whenever ouch oppor tunity offers itselt. The grounding of the Jasper gave one of. these chances, which, as may have been seen by our. reports of the proceedings of the Board, was not allowed to slip by Mr Fish. It would seem that a great deal too much has been made of this accident The report of the Harbourmaster upon the accident was very plain and circumstantial. / He distinctly stated that the pilot in charge did not make due allowance for the strength of the ebb setting the vessel into Deborah Bay, the consequence being that her forefoot caught the ground, and the tide falling rapidly she hung there until the flood made, when she floated off without damage. " The casualty," he says, "was the result of an error in judgment, consequently Pilot Moore has laid himself open to censure. At the same time he is a careful pilot, and has given long and meritorious service as sucb." The accident was in no respect serious, but of a character which frequently happens in tidal rivers and harbours, with narrow navigable channels, where there is a strong tideway. Captain Thomson could hardly, therefore, in the exercise of sound judgment, have said much more or less, and was certainly quite justified in pointing out to the Board that the error of judgment committed by the pilot was altogether exceptional in a long course of meritorious service. Mr Fish however, actually boiled over with indig-' nation, and talked about as much nonsense as he conveniently could within the limits of the speech he delivered himself of. "Avessel in charge of a pilot had actually grounded in safe water,"—as if such an occurrence were a startling novelty, and the Jasper was the first vessel which, losing steerage-way from one cause or another, has shoved her nose on a mud-bank. When the matter was reported we stated our opinion that there should be a proper inquiry, which is in all such cases desirable in the interests of the port, in order to present the circulation of extravagant misrepresentations ; and the very fact that the grounding was represented to be much more serious than appears fromCapt. Thomson's report proves that we were right in the views we expressed. There is no reason, therefore, to find fault with Mr Fish for desiring a special inquiry, but he might

have done that without abusing the privileges of his position as a member of the Board by the gross attack made and twice repeated upon the Harbourmaster. First Mr Fish implied that thiß officer had not acted on the square in this particular instance. "He felt bound," he said, " to give utterance to the opinion that had any other pilot been connected with it quite a different report would have been before the Board," and subsequently he committed himself to the statement that "this report would form another link in the chain which was forging round the Harbourmaster to prove that he was unfit to occupy the position he held." We conceive that by this public assertion Mr Fish has as- : sumed the very Berious responsibility of justifying his words, presuming that he is able to do so ; the only other alternative left him is, we "should say, to retire ■forthwith from the Board, as it is evident that under such circumstances he could no longer command the consideration of his colleagues. It is clearly the duty of Mr Fish, both in regard to the Harbour Board of which he is a member and the City Council which he especially represents thereat, to either prove what he has affirmed, or acknowledge himself to be in a very undesirable position of error. Their conduct yesterday shows that while they have not the moral courage to restrain the abusiveness of Mr Fish, they do not sympathise in the least with his views about the Harbourmaster.

We publish in our commercial columns a very interesting letter from Messrs Cargills, Gibbs, and Go. on the subject of meat-preserving, from which we learn that at least one important financial compmy at Home connected with the Australian and New Zealand trade is (taking active steps-towards establishing the meat trade.: The patent—or rather the invention, for it does not appear to be a patent.which isf avqured by this Company— i 3 the Giffakd or "Notus" machine, the same as that adopted by the charterers of the Protoa. The proprietors of the BellColeman machine have been demanding very large sums for patent rights—as much as £10,000 for each of the Australian Colonies, besides a heavy percentage of profit on the coat of each machine. It is quite evident that the machinery on board the Protos was fully equal to the task of preserving the meat sent by that vessel in sound condition; and although we are told in a letter from Port Said, quoted by Messrs Cargills, Gibbs, and Co., that the refrigerating apparatus got out of order for about 24 hours, the meat kept in a fully frozen state. The result of experiment proves that even with the machinery at rest, the temperature in a room once reduced to 20 degrees below freezing does not rise even in a hot climate above 1 degree per diem. All this goes to prove that itwould be perfectly safe to rely upon sailing-ships for the early cargoes, even if they did remain a month on the equator, as Mr Holmes suggested they might. As a matter of fact, so successful has modern nautical Bcience been in avoiding the calms of the tropics that it is now the rarest thing for a vessel to be detained many days in them. A voyage of from 80 to 90 days Home may safely be calculated on; and it is not unfrequently accomplished under 70 days, of which a large portion are spent in cold latitudes. If the information supplied in the letter to which we have referred is in all respects absolutely reliable, we may conclude that a freezing-room at the port of shipment is an absolute necessity, and further, that once the meat is well frozen it takes very little expenditure of machine power to keep it in that state. It is this part of the business to which the Provisional Committee should specially direct themselves. Shipowners will be found, we may be quite sure, who will do their part by fitting up vessels when a certain quantity of meat can be guaranteed for two or three voyages. The storage of the meat in London for sale will be taken up by another set of persons. The point more Immediately to be investigated is whether the Giffard machine is thoroughly efficient. It is undoubtedly the cheapest, but those interested in the Bell-Colbman apparatus of course condemn it. We have no doubt that tolerably accurate data on this point will be procurable in Melbourne. We believe one of these machines is already in London, awaiting shipment on receipt of a telegram ; and if the Committee can satisfy themselves that it is in all respects what is required, the telegram should be sent, and arrangements should be made for erecting it and experimenting with it on arrival. Two points are clearly brought out in Messrs Cargills, Gibbs, and Co.'s letter—viz., that the climate of New Zealand is favourable to the operating on large quantities of meat with a minimum expenditure of machinepower ; and secondly, that the discolouration complained of in some of the meat is due, not to the freezing process, but to bad killing. One quarter of beef is described as having been in the freezing-room four years and jive months, and still remaining as perfect in colour as when it went in. Definite information like this cannot be otherwise than of great value, and we are indebted to the firm which has supplied it for making it public, and promhing further information as it comes to hand. We hope in the meantime the labours of the Committee will be assisted by liberal contributions to the expenses fund, which ought to be raised to not less than £500.

We are not sorry to find that we, in common with the Tuapeka people and Mr Stout, have misapprehended the intention of the Land Board in regard to opening the land on Run 106. it seems that in placing it under Part II of the Land Act they merely desired to classify it as land eventually to be sold, without declaring on what terms and conditions it should be sold. There can be no doubt that under Part 111 of the Act the Governor can proclaim the whole or any part of it deferred-payment land, and that this course will be taken with at least a considerable proportion of it we have also no doubt. The silence of the Board as to any intention to open the whole or a part on deferred payment confirmed the misapprehension, which has ;■■■:_ now been removed by the discussion on Wednesday. As twelve months must elapse before the lease will expire and the land can be surveyed, there can be no object in discussing at present what proportion of the land or whether the whole should be opened on deferred payments. We have no doubt the Tuapeka people will now keep this promised land "steadily in view." The agitation has resulted in preventing the re-leasing for pastoral purposes of a fine block ©f land, which the Board were disposing of most carelessly, in disregard of the claims of settlement. With this for the present we must be satisfied.

A petition, Bigned by over 500 citizens, is to be presented to the Mayor to-day askiDg the City Council to take immediate steps to provide public baths.

The matter of providing for the reception of his Excellency the Governor, Sir Arthur Gordon, upon his arrival will be brought before the City Council at its ordinary meeting on Tuesday next. A telegram from a member of the Ministry was received in town this morning to the following effect:—"The programme adopted by the Governor is as follows :He leaves Wellington on the 9th inst. for Christchurch ; loaves Christchuroh, calling at Timaru and Oamaru, for Dunedin on the 14th; leaves Dunedin for Invercargill on the 17th; returns to Dunedin on the' 19 th ; leaves Dunedin for Chriatchurch on the 21st." The Mayor of Dunedin telegraphed to the Premier asking if his Excellency will stay here during the whole of the 17th inst., which will be a public holiday. If the reply had been in the affirmative the Caledonian Society intended to get up a sports gathering in his honour. It has been intimated, however, that

the arrangements cannot be altered, so that an attempt will probably be made to arrange for a sports meeting on the 23rd inst., if his Excellency can be persuaded to remain until that date. : i:

The mm Martin Brennan, who fell from his cab on Tuesday last and received some bruises on his head, was discharged from the Hospital on Wednesday, but was yesterday returned to that institution, as it appeared that his brain was affected, and he was incapable of taking care of himself.

Mails for the Australian Colonies, pera.B. Rotorua, will close at the Bluff at 11.30 a.m. to-morrow.

Miss R. Stewart ha? been appointed third assistant teacher at the George Btreet School.

In our report of the remarks of Dr Stuart on the resignation of Dr Copland we omitted the words " on the goldfields," in alluding to the field in which Dr Copland began his ministry. " Deluded Pressman" sends us a long letter about nothing, without appending his name; we therefore do not insert it. " J.," while professedly defending Mr Stout, writes us a bitter tirade against Christianity, which is not suit, able for onr columns.

We hear that there is every probability of an Orchestral Association being formed in Dunlin,, under the conductorship of Herr Benno Scherek. ..".....■

We are informed that a tall, able-bodied man, wita one eye, lately arrived, as he alleges, from Tinaru, has been applying for relief to the Benevolent Asylum, and on investigating his case strong evidence was discovered that he is an incpostor. He produces certificates as a teacher, but they are in a different name from that which he gave as hia own. The public are waned against imposture in this case. There lave been not a few instances of late of fraudufent mendicancy, and the police ought to takeactiva measures to put it down.

Three children named Johnston—John (12) Mary (9), and George (7)— were committed to the * Industrial School yesterday by Messrs Eliott and Eosb, J.P'a. Their mother is at present; in the Hoepital, suffering from the effects of drink; and the police, whose attention was called to the matter, found the children in a house in Filleul street in a neglected state, and without food. ..."

At a meeting of the Paltnerston Racing Club, held last evening, for the purpose of receiving nominations for the several handicaps, Mr W. Afß^ckin the chair, it was resolved— " That on account of the insufficient number of entries received for the several events no races be held this year, and the Secretary was instructed to notify in the Otago Daily Times and Palmerston Times that no entries for the Maiden Plate and other events as advertised will be received by the Club." The entries handed in last evming comprised the miserable total of two for the Cup, two for S.V. Handicap, and one for District Handicap. After the meeting the gentlemen present discussed the advisability of gettinj up a day's sport, to consist of races for local iorses, and other races for hacks, &c, It waa decided to leave final -arrangements until matters in connectien with the present contemplated meeting were fully WoU nd up. We caiaot offer the slightest reason for the paucity of entries. It cannot surely be the reductio> of the added money, because that only represents the paltry sum of L 5 on the two principal races, and then the Committee had .provided for that by reducing the nomination and acceptance money.

A house at Roslyn, occupied by Mr Green was cestroyed by fire yesterday afternoon. Only a small portion of the household effects were raved.

A case came bafore the Police Court yesterday which well exemplifies how careless people are in passing over railway crossings, and how easilyaccidents may occur. Peter Mitchell, a drayman, was charged with driving over the Jetty street level crossing while a train was approaching. The man admitted his offence and il transpired that although a signalman stood on the crossing, waved his flag, and called out to draw the man's attention, and also that although the train was within 20 yards Mitclell never saw either train or signalman until his horse's fore-feet were on the rail. Then it was easier and quicker for him to go on tl&n pull back, and he got across Bafely. The Bench fined him in the Bum of 40s with COStß.'.v- ■ " . ," . ..

We hear that Mr Angus Macgregor, of Dunedin, has received the appointment of Parliamentary librarian.

Richard Bacon Wilson,'who a Bhort time ago was discharged from the eituation of High School janitor, was yesterday arrested by the police on a charge of breaking" and entering into the High Bchool with intent to commit a felony. The alleged offence was committed on the night of the Ist inst. He was brought before Mr Watt yesteiday afternoon, and remanded till to-day.

Mr Thomas Spurgeon conducted an evangelistic service last night in the Hanover street Baptist Church, wliioh was crowded to the door. The address which Mr Spurgeon delivered was of an ordinary kind, without any remarkable characteristics. It was listened to with much apparent interest.

At a meeting of the South Dunedin Borough Council last evening, Mr Andrew Rankin was appointed Borough clerk at a salary of LlO5 per annum.

Two charges against cabdrivers were heard before the Police Bench yesterday. The first waß against Thomas Barron, who, in defiance of a refusal by the Corporation to grant him a driving license, drove all one afternoon during the race-time. Ho was fined LI and costs. James Mnir was the other defendant. His offence consisted in plying for hire off the stand, and as it was not his first offenca the Bench fined him also in the sum of LI and costs.

The Clarke's Flat Committee have voted for Messrs Shand, Elder, and Begg as members of the Education Board.

The brethren of the Manchester Unity, 1.0.0. F., met on Wednesday evening at the Loyal Albion Lodgeroonij Glasgow Pie house, for the purpose of paying an official visit to the Albion Lodge-and receiving visitors from the Loyal Prince of Wales, Mosgiel, and Outram Lodges. An adjournment was afterwards made to the Odd-Fellows' Hall, George street, where Boms 120 persons sat down to an excellent supper provided by Bro. Donaldson. The chair was taken by Bro. A, Sligo, P.D.G.M. who was supported on the right by his Worship the Mayor, and on the left by Mr James Robin, P.P.G.M. The vice-shair was occupied by Bro. Harrep, D.P.G. M. After the usual loyal toasts had been proposed and duly honoured the following toasts were proposed and responded to:—" The Mayor and Corporation of the City, of Dunedin," "Prosperity to the Manchester Unity of the Independent Order of Odd-Fellows," "Our visitors," "The health and happiness of the officers and brethren of the Dunedin Lodges," "Kindred societies, 1' " Absent brethren," "The medical attendants'," "The ladies," and "The host and hostess." During the evening a neatly engrossed and framed certificate was presented to P.G-.M. Bro. Sherwin, N.G. of the Loyal Dunedin Lodge, for the valuable services rendered by him to the Order during the past 18 years.

A correspondent writes us as follows: Colonial-bred telegraphists make wild alterations of the names of places. The name of the scene of the recent disaster to the British troops in the Transvaal, and of the death of Sir George Colley, is clearly " Spitzkop," or pointed hill, not the Bnssianised Spitscof of the telegraphist. "Kop "and "koppie"—head, meaning an igjlated hill, are common terms in South Africa. The strength of the position held by the British force is indicated by the same, which; shows it to have been a steep, isolated hill.; The courage of the Boers in storming suet a strong position, although in greater numbers, also becomes evident.

A man namjd Robert Hamilton, a miner at Lower Pomalaka (says the Mount Benger Mail), came into Roxburgh recently, and after remaining heis for some days he * left, with the intention of returning to his work. He reached the Pomahaka, but in such a state that his mate, W. Saager, thinking Hamilton out of his mind, came into Roxburgh for assistance, and on his return with Thomas Featherstone found that Hanilton was not there. He had been seen by ore of the Government surveyors and by a party pf Chinese minere, who describe him running dp and down the hill "all one cranky." Seagw and If eatherßtone returned to Roxburgh withmt finding any trace of Hamil.

ton. A Becond party was then formed, consisting of Messrs Seager, Williams, London, and others, and went out on Sunday to White and party, at Upper Pomahaka, to make inquiry, but got no information whatever. With horses, kindly lent by Messrs Heron, Mervyn, Steele, Higgs, and others, another party was organised, and started in search of traces of the missing man early on Monday morning. The party consisted of Messrs Quayle, R. Green, Mi Gordon, Featheratone, Whelan, and W. Weatherall. The man was found after he had been five days without food. He stated that he had slept under a rock.

At Stuttgart a student in love with a very pretty girl had repeatedly written to her parents for their consent to a marriage. Receiving no reply, he poisoned himself at the girl's lodgings. Next day came a letter with the parents' consent. At the funeral the girl swallowed poison and fell lifeless into the arms of one of the choristers singing over the grave. A singular though very American experiment (says the Pall Mall Gaz-tte) has just been tried at Philadelphia, reminding us somewhat of Jules Verne's famous expedient of firing his exploring party to the moon by means of a monster projectile. So many accidents have happened through the faulty construction of elevators from the breakage of ropes and other mischances, that an inventor named Ellithorpe has introduced a safety air-cushion to break the fall should an accident occur, the cushion consisting of the elevator shaft being made airtight for a space of 20 feefc from the bottom. To test the invention it was arranged that, the elevator of a certain dry-goods store should be made to fall from the fourth to the first floor, a height of about 75 feet So satisfied was Mr Ellithorpe, or rather his son, that the cnshion would do its work properly, that he consented to be shut up in the cage daring the fpil, and in this experiment the inevitable reporter was bold enough to share. A box half filled with naila was placed upon the floor of the chamber and four eggs laid upon the nails, while several tumblers of water, brimful, were also carefully deposited. The two men then entered the chamber, the door of which was then closed, completing the air-tightness at the bottom of the ehaft, and it was then drawn np to the fourth floor. At a given signal the rope was cat, and the whole thing fell to the bottom like a flash of lightning; but before the lookers on could make up their minds to seek for what they dreaded the door was opened and the occupants stepped briskly out, having never felt the shock in the least. Tae egua were not cracked, neither was a drop of water spilt. So successful was the experiment that we may expect this new kind of " tobogging" to become the latest form of sensational amnsement.

The New York papers state that.many personfunthe States are very anxious to discover the real name and history of a person who calls himself " Lord Ogilvy," and who is described as undoubtedly a gentleman in the sense that he has the manners and tone of persons in the higher rank of society. Some of our contemporaries (the New York Times says) have produced statements absolutely devoid of fact about the families with which he alleges himself to be connected. A: person who says that he was postmaster at Newton Abbot i 3 brought forward as an authority on the subject, and Btatesthathe knows Lard Devon; that Lord Devon has four sons, and that the eldest, " Lord Reginald Courtenay," was wild. This gentleman from Devonshire ha? a queer memory. Lord Devon has but one son, Lord Courtenay, who went through the bankruptcy court with debts stated at 3,500,0001ol; but this fraud is not Lord Courtenay. It will interest a large circle scattered over at least three-quarters of the globe to know who te is, but we seem no nearer the knowledge than when he was arrested. " Lord Ogilvy " passed himself off in New York as Montres3or, and became a contributor of dramatic criticism to the World, when he explicitly denied that he had ever pretended to be "Lord Ogilvy.'> Subsequently h6 was arrested in Boston, but,J we believe, managed somehow to escape the penalty of his crimes. :

: Signor Da Vivo announces in Melbourne the formation of the Boema Operatic Concert Combination, including Madame Gabriella Boama, soprano; Signora Agnes Palma, contralto ; Signor^Leandro Coy, tenor; Signor R. Steffani, violinist; and Herr Benno Scherek, pianist! This combination ia intended for a tour of the Australian Colonies and New Zealand. On the termination of the tonr, Madame Boema will go to America, with Signor Da Vivo as manager.

A pistol duel at 15 paces was fought on January 10th, in the neighbourhood of Frankfort, between two German noblemen of high rank—Herr yon Franklanberg Proachlitz Knight of the Royal Houashold and Master of Ceremonies at Wiesbaden, and Freiherr yon Froelich, Gentleman of the Chamber of Berlin, resulting in the death of the former, who received his antagonist's ball in his throat, his own pißtol mi3Bing fire. The causes which led to the dud were family matters. Herr yon Froelich had challenged his opponent, »,,d had persisted in hi 3 challenge in spite uf-t'u- miter's protests that he had no intention of insulting him.

. An'extraordinary general meeting of shareholders in the Invincible Quartz-mining Company will be held at Queenstown on the 20th inst. ■

A battalion order, published elsewhere, states that Sub-heut. J. H. Patrick, No. 1 City Guards Rite, will S hr* a t')-1F an* mff tha month of March, 18S1, w The township of Kingston, Green Island, will be offered for sale by Mr .Montagu Pym at 2pm tomorrow, at his rooms.

A duly-qualified surgeon is wanted for the Kawa-

Mrs Currie, widow of the late Captain Currie acknowledges with thanka the amounts subscribed TLar U %f^ttelton? r Ute * D<">

•it ur hardly necessary to remind the charitablydisposed that an entertainment will be given at the Princess Theatre this evening in aid of the widow of the late^Henry Mayo. ■ A number of well-known professionals and amateurs have promised to take part in the entertainment, which will include cornedv burlesque, and a musical interlude.

_ The Knapdale Road Board are inviting tenders for debentures. Particulars will be found in our advertising columns. . "*AVCI'"D

o The monthly meeting of (he Permanent Building Society will be held between 7 and 8 o'clock tins evening. - ■-■■ - ■

At'noon on the 7th, at Ashley House, Rattray street, Mr Montagu Pyci will hold a sale of household furniture. ; ..'{.■

The Secretary of the Imperial Building Society will receive monthly payments between 4 and 6.30 this: afternoon. , , ,

The Sons of Temperance, Ravensbourne, want a medical officer.

r wu ,°2' Wlnner of the prize for Cornish wrest-' X ng a* r the late sports, is requested to call on Sir Geo. Watson, secretary of the Caledonian Society of Otago. . .

The Assessment Court for the Borough of West Harbour will be held on the 17th inst., in Jackman's Hall, Bothesay. Mr Sydney James has removed to Union Chambers.

At 2 p.m. on the 9th inst. Messrs Bastings Learv and Co. will offer for sale a number of draught horses' carts, and harness, by order of the liquidators of the Green Island Coal Company ■