The Otago Daily Times. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1882.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6232, 1 February 1882, Page 2

The Otago Daily Times. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1882.

The opening of Jetty street is a question about which it is impossible to feel anygreat degree of enthusiasm. It has been well worked up by a few individuals, but the public generally are very indifferent on the matter. There is, we believe, a very general feeling that a bridge to accommodate the goods traffic would be a mistake, a3, owing to the necessarily stee? gradients, the drays would nearly all be brought round by Eat tray street in preference. The extra distance to be traversed by drays from the southern end of the town, as a result of closing Jetty street, will be just 20 chains,' and we cannot help thinking that Rattray street, as it is proposed to widen it, will be quite equal to all the.traffic for many years to come, even if 100 drays an hour were passing each way. If it is determined to open Jetty street, then, it is evident there must be a total- change of plan ; or jf the main outlines of the pro sent plan are adhered to, the goods slieda must be shifted several chains farther south. The Chief Engineer and Mr Blackett agree.in saying that the necessary distance to which the lines would have to be moved to clear Jetty street from the shunting-engine altogether ia 12 chains, and after a careful inspection of the plans we believe they are quite right, as there must be room for a long train between Jetty street and the points to the south', which connect with the "gridiron" or network of lines on which goodstrucks will be allowed to stand, or placed for sorting out. For dray traffic to cross the four shunting - line 3 continually is, wo believe, out of the question. It iB iuconveninent enough to have to croaa two trafSc-lineß on which trains are periodically passing, but the shunting-engines are constantly at work, and would render it intolerably inconvenient as well a3 dangerous for a large dray traffic to be crossing their path. If the peopleof the northend do not object to the goodsrstation being shifted 12 chains farther south, that would be a simple solution of the difficulty; but as yet those in the immediate neighbourhood of Jetty street, or to the south of it, have had .nos't to say in the matter. The Chambar of Commerce ha 3 committed itself to a general resolution affirming the necessity of some access being affi.rded to the st am^ra' basin not farther south than Police street; but we doubt if this modification will meet the difficulty. The whole question is to be discussed with the Hon. ftfr Oliver to-day, and we trust that common sense and moderation will prevail over petty local feeling, and that some clear understanding of the matter will at least be arrived at-.

On our fourth page this morning are printed reports of the Coffee Palace meeting yesterday, the Police Court, Port Chalmers Town Council, and letters to the editor. We regret having to holdover leading and other matter this morning. '

Very sultry weather was experienced in Dunedin yesterday, with a hot nor'-west wind. In the evening, however; there was a sudden change, the wind veering rapidly to southwest, and about 11 p.m. rain set in and continued heavily for some hours.

Two questions of considerable importance were raised at the half-yearly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce yesterday, but no definite resolutions regarding them were passed. The opening of Jetty street was discussed, but it was resolved to adjourn the debate for a fortnight, and a committee was appointed to interview the General Manager of Railways to see if modifications that would, permit of the opening of. the. street to the steamers' basin were possible. Another question of' interest, that of the harbour dues, evoked some discussion, and a committee was m wur«(r-to- -coHsraCT'-Tmr-qnesnonr me Chairman of the Harbour Board intimated that the Finance Committee of the Board ■svere considering a scheme for collecting the dues in a manner loss troublesome than the present, and for abandoning the present rates in favour of a charge on the value of foreign imports and exports, which, if adopted, would increase the revenue of the Board and release the coastal trade from what was represented as an unequal and oppressive burden.

Up to date the several candidates for election to the Education Board have received nominations as follows:—Mr Fraer by 61 committees ; Mr Green by 50 ; Mr Ramsay by 42; Mr Robin by 11; Mr Rutherford by 11; and the Rev. R. L. Stanford by five committees. The election takes place during February, and the retiring members are Messrs Fraer, Green,. and Ramsay.

At the Gasworks on Monday the new holder, of a capacity of 200,000, cubic feet, was inflated with air, with a view to testing it prior; to its being taken over from the contractors ; and Mr Genever, gas engineer, expressed himself highly satisfied with its working. AH that now remains to be done is the adjustment of the carriages and the painting1, so that in the course of a week it will be completed and ready for use.

We leavnthat delegates from 17 fire brigades will attend the next annual conference of the United Fire Brigades' Association, to be held at Timaru on the 20th inst. The Government, as usual, have granted free railway-passes to the delegates.

The New Zealand Drug Company recently suspended operations for a short time at their Sulphuric Acid Works at Kaikorai Valloy, in order to effect some slight alterations in the plant, but work has again been actively resumed, and, as over 50 tons of acid has now been produced, the Company have fulfilled the conditions required by the Colonial Secretary for the award of the bonus of £500. The manufacture of a similar quantity for the next two years entitles the Company to au additional bonus of £500 per year, or £1500 in all.

The vital statistics registered at Dunedin for the month ended January 31st ware:— Births, 170; deaths, 54; marriages, 35. For the corresponding: period of last year the returns were:—Births, 148; deaths, 38; marriages, 46.

In token of the esteem in which he is held by his congregation, the ladies have presented the Rev. J. Ryley, of Port Chalmers, with a splendid pulpit-gown, hymn and psalm book, Bible, and chair.

Mr A. H. Gossett, from Nelson, will succeed Mr Brett as manager of the Colonial Bank at Gore.

At the ordinary meeting of the Labourers' Union, held last night in the Working Men's Club, three new members were enrolled, and Messrs J. W. Edwards and H. .Mockford were ai^pointed delegates to the- Trades and Labour Council. A vote of thanks to the retiring delegates terminated the proceedings.

Our Gore correspondent writes: —"Messrs Haxton and Beattie still continue to be kept very busily employed in supplying a constantly increasing demand for their now famous ' flexible harrow.' A large number of sets—3ome 30 or 40—are being constructed for export to the adjacent Colonies. Mr Beattie informs me that the import duty on implements charged in Victoria (20 per cent.) is well-nigh a prohibitive one, and that he has in consequence sold the right to use the patent in that Colony. The patentees intend to introduce steel into the construction—in fact they contemplate making the implement entirely of steel. This improvement will doubtless be much appreciated by their customers, especially so when, as I am informed, the cost will even then compare favourably with that of other makers. Mr Eeattie, the travelling partner, lias just' returned from a tour of the Australian Colonies, and will shortly proceed to the United States and Great Britain for the purpose of introducing the patent into those countries."

The guard oi the Northern express train, on arriving at Palmerston yesterday, reported that a man was lying, apparently covered with blood, somewhere about Seacliff. Dr Brown and Sergeant Moore, on receipt of the news, immediately proceeded thither by the 10.30 a.m. train. They found that a settler named William Gould, a resident at Seacliff, had been badly gored by a bull which was his own property. The brute had driven one horn through the man's' chest, and the other through the lower part of the jaw, breaking the jawbone. The sufferer was also badly gored about the hip, and it was only by managing to crawl to the' fence, and ultimately through it, that he [escaped with his life. Dr Neill, from the Sea-

cliff Asylum, attended to the man's injuries, and Dr Brown on his arrival took charge of the case. Although Gould had a very narrow escape for his life, the doctor thinks, at present, no serious result is likely to eventuate. The bull will be at once destroyed. It is an Ayrshire bull, and Gould was shifting it from one paddock to another.

We are informed that a petitipn is being signed by all residonts and settlers between Waitati and Waikouaiti asking the railway management to rev.srt to the old time-table, as being most suitable to every person in the district. It is expected to be very numerously signed. Palmerston and Shag Valley are likely:to adopt a similar course.

A peculiar case of drowning occurred at Crookston on Monday last. The infant son of 0. G. Johnston, fanner, while crawling ab6ut the kitchen floor, by some means or another managed to fall into a bucket of water which had been left within its reach. Mrs Johnston was- in another room at the time.of the occurrence, and on entering the kitchen found the child to be quite dead.

The gold escort arrived in town last night from the goldfields with an unusually large amount of the precious metal, including several cakes from the Macetown and Skippers reefs. Three cakes from Macetown themselves represent £5000 worth.

The usual meeting of the Lily of the Valley Lodge, 1.0. G.T., was held last evening in the Albany street' Hall. There was a large attendance, and after the usual routine business had been disposed of, the following officers were" elected for the ensuing quarter :— W.C.T., J. G. Robertson-; W.V.T., Sister Rentori; W.S., Bro. M'Kenzie; W.F.S., Bro. Morrison; W.T., Sister Pettigrew; W. 0., Bro. Rendall; W.M., Bro. Malcolm; 1.G., Bro. Pettigrew ; 0.G., • Bro. Deans. During the evening a number of candidates were initiated into the mysteries of the Order, and several others were, proposed for membership. : The new cemetery at Port Chalmers, when planted with shrubs and trees, will lend an attractive addition to the appearance of that pretty little town. The cemetery occupies one of the ridges on the Town Belt, facing the sea. An excellent road of an easy gradient, and 20 feet in width, passes through it from either side of the town. The" grounds are excellently laid out, and divided into two oval and two rectangular blocks. One oval is at the east end, and the other facing the bay. Ample space has been left for the erection of a mortuary chapel and a gardener's house. The grounds will be planted in the latter part of this year, and with ordinary care will become extremely ornamental. The whole of the work in connection with the cemetery has been carried out under the superintendence of Mr F. Smith,. C.E.

Tenders have, been called by the Government for the erection of sheep-dip and quarantine buildings at Mussel .Bay, near Port Chalmers. The whole will be enclosed by a covered shed, 95 feet 6 inches in length, and 15 feet in width, situated adjacent to the Port Chalmers rail-way-line, with which it will be connected by a loop-line. At one end there is to be a loadingbank, also stalls, looseboxes, and open shed, by which capital accommodation will be provided for all kinds of stock, while at the other end will be the sheep-dip and draining-stage. The dip is to be made of concrete, and will be of a length of 15 feet, by three feet in width. Along one side of the. building yards will be arranged for the accommodation of stock arriving from the shipping, with ■ conveniences for drafting or dipping ; while there will be free access to the open shed, by which abundant shelter will be provided.

Breads is now being sold in Oamaru at 4d the 41b loaf.

On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, January 19th, 20th, and 21st, 13 persons died from the effects of the heat in Adelaide and suburbs.

Up to the present time (says the Melbourne Age of January 23rd) nothing is known as to the fate of the Eurynome, which sailed from Geelong in May last with a large cargo of wheat for the United Kingdom. There is some reason for supposing that she was destroyed by fire, arising from spontaneous combustion. In this case the hull may be met with, or the crew may have escaped to some uninhabited island in the Pacific, and may yet be heard of. Captain Potter has left a wife and five children in London, and the steward was a married man with a large family. Captain Potter was greatly beloved by his crew for nis gentTenes3~ancnngnTirincipiDi —xxo-um^--brother and sister in this Colony, and was very anxious for the latter to accompany him on-his ill-fated voyage.

A shepherd died on an out-station in the back country of New South Wales, and the police found the body in a fearful state. The shepherd's dog would not allow the police to approach, and had to be shot before the body could be buried. '

The Melbourne Heemskirk Association has secured an immense area of rich alluvial tin in Tasmania, which promises to rival the celebrated Mount Bischoff Company's claim.

In the Roslyn Council Hall last eveninga most enjoyable social entertainment was held under the auspices of St. John's Temperance Society. It comprised pianoforte solos, songs, and readings by amateurs, together with a number of good selections by the drum and fife band recently formed in connection with the choir. The Rev. R. A. Kerkham occupied the chair, and the building was crowded, a great many persons having to remain outside. The price of admission was merely nominal, and although an entertainment of its particular kind was tried as an experiment, it was a thorough success, and will doubtless be repeated shortly.

"Virginius" was repeated at the Princess Theatre by the Harkins Company last evening. To-night " The Colonel" will be given, and as this aesthetic play has not been previously seen here it ought to draw a large house. •

Messrs Gillies, Street, and Hislop will 801 l extension of Koaljn on Saturday.

The Gaelic Society meets this evening. Messrs Connell and Moodio will sell freeholds in I Dunedin on 11th February, in Watson'a Hotel.

" Mr James Campbell will sell household furniture to-day ia Moray place ; also crockeryware.

Mr Montagu Pym will sell Chinese fancy matting on Thursday.

Mr Andrew Campbell will sell furcituro at corner of Union and Castle streets on Friday.

A medical man is required at Kangiora by the Friendly Societies.

The prospectus of the New Zealand Grain Agency and Mercantile Company, formed to take over the business of Cunningham and Co. and Royse, Stead, and Co , in Chriutchurch and elsewho.-o, is advertised this morning.

The annual meeting of shareholders in the Walton Park Company will be held on Friday, the 3rd iost., at Watson's Hotel.

Look over your accounts, and when you find them unusually swollen come to me and I will rectify them. There ia wisdom in it. lam now killing Henley beef, and bet er quality no one need de3ire. , It ia sold very cheap, and makes the best of sausafjej. Mutton and beef 'from IJd per Ib. Be pie ised to loave your orders with A. Dorxvfbll. -[Advt.]

John Harborow, Professed Shirtcutter, Manse street, Dunedin, and Hereford street, ChrUtchurch.— A Sample Shirt, to measure, in 24 hour* if required. Shirts re-fronted, &c; iUnnel drawers, pants, and nightshirts made to order. Jackets, pygamas, or sleeping suits iv any material. Collars and cuffs, newest shapes and styles. N.B. Gentlemon waited upon at their private residences if required.—[Advt.]