Untitled

Otago Witness, Issue 1179, 4 July 1874, Page 20

There was a fall in bread yesterday, but I not one that housekeepers are likely to benefit by. A baker was serving a customer from his cart yesterday afternoon, near the railway between Caversham and Green Island. The train came by at the moment, and frightened the horse, which started off towards Dunedin at a smart gallop. The tail board of the cart was down, and as the animal galloped over the rough road, the bread fell out into the mud loaf by loaf, much to the amusement of thoae in the train. Having galloped for a few hundred yards, the horse stopped without doing further mischief. A meeting of the Halfway Bush Road Board was held in the School-house, Wakari, on Thursday evening. There were present : Mr G. Hepburn (in the chair), and Messrs Campbell, Jollie, M'Kerrow, and Ross. Tenders were received for repairs' to the bridge at Whare Flat, and the lowest — that of Messrs Bain and Co. — was held over for consideration at the next meeting. The tender of Messrs Kennedy and Co., for spreading metal on the roads in the Wakari Sub-divi-sion, was accepted ; the amount was 6d per yard, which was considered very low. Some small works were ordered to be done in various parts of the district. * The Provincial Secretary announces in the Gazette that the Government, being desirous of encouraging the establishment of pottery works in Otago, is prepared to pay a bonus of £250 on the following conditions :— On the erection of buildings and plant to the value of at least £300— £75 ; on the production of pottery to a value of not less than £150 —£75 ; on the production of a further quantity of pottery to a value of not less than £200— £100. The potteryware in each case to be suitable for household or domestic purposes, to be produced in works permanently established in the Province, and to be manufactured either wholly or to a large extent from material obtained in the Province, When the Superintendent was at Riverton, on the occasion of turning the first sod of the Western railways, he was presented with an address by Miss Daniel on behalf of the Good Templars :•— " His Honour, in thanking Misa Daniel, said he believed he exercised true temperance in the exercise of moderation, and in the obeying of the apostolic injunction to 'take a little wine for the stomach's sake.' He nevertheless Bympathi&ed with the object which the Templars had in view, and regarded them as engaged in a good and great work, destined to produce very beneficial effects in the community in checking the spread of intemperance. Perhaps when he was older he might join the Order." There are many prescriptions in connection with the treating of sheep ; but, undoubtedly, the most practicable remedy, especially for killing vermin, is Mr Holmes's ointment, which is now largely and effectually used in the home country. Sheep enclosed in paddocks are very much afflicted with what they call caddis or ticks, for whit h this remedy would prove invaluable. By applyingthis ointment, sheep which generally lose the wool would be greatly benefited. _It ia well known that sheep under the complaint roll on their backs and die, if they are not lifted and attended to. In this Province, sheep foot ointment is very much required, and the best remedy, one of the most practical and successful rearers of sheep in the Province states, is Romes's sheep ointment. The revival preachers, Moody and Sankey, do not appear to be in great odour with the Rev. George Gilfillan, who has characterised them in a powerful letter to the Glasgow Herald as "itinerant mountebanks." Several eminent divines of the Free and Established Churches in Scotland have congratulated the author of the Bards of the Bible on what they term senseless rapsodies and stentorian vociferations instead of the pure and undefiled religion. A coterie of laymen and third-rate clergyman support the MoodySankey movement as b.eing from above, and have vehemently retorted on the opposition. Probably, however, they will have to seek pastures new. If they came to these Colonies, and converted dishonest traders to be more upright in their dealings, we would wish them God-speed. A most enthusiastic meeting of the friends and supporters of Mr Walter as a candidate for the Mayoralty, was held at the Empire Hotel en Wednesday. Upwards of 60 were present. ' Mr William Bolt occupied the chair. Mr Walter explained his views on matters affecting the ratepayers, which gave universal satisfaction. The usual vote of confidence was passed, and the gentlemen present were unanimous in the opinion that Mr Walter, from his long term of office as a Councillor, in which he had given every satisfaction, also from being two years the senior of his opponent, was the most fit and proper of the two candidates, and formed themselves into a Central Committee to secure his return. The Chairman mentioned that future meetings of Committee would be duly advertised, and held at the office of Mr Sydney James, in Princes street. Hb Honour Mr Justice Chapman does not appear to think that there is much in a name. In the Insolvency Court on Monday, a witness under examination deposed to hay ing sold a section of land to a man whose name he never knew, although he had previously known the person in question on the diggings here. Counsel commented on this statement, when His Honour remarked that he did not consider it at all extraordinaiy. He remarked that men in the Colonies occasionally went by such titles as "Black Jack" or "Red Bill/ and that in some in stances enquiry as to their real names might be unpleasant, His Honour then related a

story of a digger who went to get a marriage | license, and on being asked the name of the object of his affections, confessed that he did not know, and turning to his mate, said, " What's her name, Bill ? " The Rev. Dr Stuart opened the new Presbyterian Church at Havelock on Sunday last. There was a very large attendance, some having come all the way from Lawrence and Blue Spur to be present at the service. The new church is situated at the east end of the township, and is capable of accommodating about 200 people. When finished, it j will have a neat appearance, and will supply a much-felt want in the district. Dr Stuart preached also at Manuka Creek in the forenoon, and at the Waitahuua Gully in the evening. There, too, the attendance was very large. At the close of each of the three services there was a liberal collection in aid of the Church Building Fund. The ordination of the Rev. J. Skinner, M.A., to the pastorate of this charge, took place on Tuesday, and the event was celebrated by a soiree. A dead body supposed to be the remains of one of the four unfortunate men who were drowned on the 25th May, off Sawyers Bay, was found on Saturday morning at the extreme end of the Port Chalmers Peninsula, by a lad named Osborne. It was lying close to the shore, entangled among the rocks, and was so decomposed and mutilated by fishes an to be quite unrecognisable. The circumstance being reported to the Police, a boat was despatched to bring the remains in, and they were deposited in the Morgue in due course. An inquest was held upon them on Monday. Constable Carter deposed to finding it at the point of the Peninsula, and the Jury returned a verdict of accidentally drowned. After the Jury had viewed the body the friends of the deceased man took possession of it, and conveyed it to Dunedin tor burial. ' At a meeting of the North-east Valley School Committee, held on Monday evening, Miss Lee was elected schoolmistress in the place of Miss Turnbull, who has been appointed to the Linden School. Upon the occasion of the latter lady's departure from the North-east Valley on Friday week, the Chairman presented her, on behalf of the Committee and a few other friends, with a handsome brooch and pair of earrings The children attending the school likewise presented her with a work-box and writing-desk combined, of fine inlaid-work. Miss Turnbull was highly appreciated in the district in which for the last four years she has been engaged, and all of those present on the day of presentation — parentß, children, and Committee-men — bore testimony to the deep regret universally felt upon her leaving the district. The following appeirs in the Provincial Gazitte:— "A sum of £1500 having been voted by the Provincial Council to assist in providing buildings to be used as Athenaeums in localities where no such buildings have as yet been erected. It is hereby notified to thoße desirous of participating in the vote that in order to do so it will be necessary to forward a written application, stating the amount collected, and giving a general description of the approximate cost of the buildings proposed to be erected. The sum voted will be distributed pro rata to the contributors of the district, provided that in no case shall the contribution of the Government exceed the sum of £250 to any buildiug. Applications to be received on ,or before the Ist day of October proximo, after which date no further application for subsidy will be entertained during the current financial year." Some surprise has naturally been expressed that the Provincial Executive should have endeavoured to induce the City Council to relax the building regulations on the reclaimed land. It is generally thought that His Honour's letter, which, it was supposed, embodied the views of the Executive on the matter, could not have been very carefully considered. His Honour contends that a rigid enforcement of the regulations will cause the Province to lose a considerable sum in future sales of reclaimed land. It appears to us, however, that a knowledge on the part of possible purchasers that none but substantial buildings can be erected on the reclaimed land, would lead them to bid much higher than if the right to erect inferior buildings of wood and iron were conceded. It is only fair to the members of the Executive to say that rumour hath it that His Honour was alone responsible for the letter which was sent to the City Council. A fire that caused considerable damage tb property occurred onFriday evening, 26th ult, at about a quarter to six o'clock, at a stable next Mr Amos M'Kegg's White House Hotel, Taieri. Mr M'Kegg and hiß family were sitting down at tea at the hour mentioned above, when one of the grooms came in and stated that the loft of the stable was ou fire. M'Kegg immediately went out, and all available assistance was procured, but by this time the fire had obtained such a hold on the building that the only thing that could be done *vas to save the horses, of which there were seventeen in the stable. The horses were all rescued, but not without great difficulty, for when the last animal was got out of the burning building the flames were coming through the door. A quantity of harness was saved, but several sets were destroyed. In addition to the building and harnes», a large quantity of oats and hay was destroyed. The stables were Mr M'Kegg's property, and were rented by Oobb and Co. The joint loss will be about £300, and none of it is covered by insurance. The origin of the fire is not known.

The Wellington Tribune of the 23rd ult., in a leader, remarks :- -"The promoters of the Colonial Bank have been fortunate in their Wellington preliminary Committee. The names form quite an agreeable change to those that were wont to be considered necessary to the floating of any large commercial concern amongst us, and which, in this instance, are conspicuous by their absence. Instead of superannuated capitalists, who can have but small sympathy with ordinary commercial transactions, we have in this instance a number of gentlemen actively engaged in commercial pursuits — not merchant princes, but men for the most part of moderate means, who have daily experience of the chances and vicissitudes of trade in its varied branches, and who consequently understand the requirements of business men like themselves. Coming events cast their shadows before, and we hope this Committee may be accepted as an indication of the liberal principle on which the new Bank will carry on its transactions — a principle at once considerate and safe." Our Lawrence correspondent writes : — " The sickness which is at present prevailing amongst children here is quite unprecedented. Families of 6 or 7 have suffered. The malady is termed Colonial Fever, and after the fever a feeling of extreme debility is experienced. I understand a case of measles has occurred at the Police Camp ; in a mild form, however. A little child of Mr Cutler, Waitahuna, was received into the Hospital here, suffering from the arm being broken in three places, cans 3d by a fall from a haystack. The patient is progressing favourably. At the Police Camp, a man presented himself and stated that the • spirits ' had been watching him for several months, and that he knew they were now over Lawrence Gaol. He therefore asked for admission, which was kindly granted by the Police, It seemed he had walked here from Oamaru, and had been five days on the journey. At an examination before the Resident Magistrate, he was remanded for a week to admit of a medical examination being made as to his sanity. We understand that it has been decided by the Committee of Management of the Colonial Bank of New Zealand to name a uniform day throughout the Provinces for closing the lists of applications for shares. This decision has been arrived at in consequence of representations by the deputation to the Northern Provinces. The feeling appears general that the applications from each of the Provinces will be fully equal to the number to which, upon the basis of population, they would be entitled. Thus it would be unfair to allot to Otago the whole number applied for until it is definitely known what the requirements of the other Provinces amount to. The applications in Dunedin alone on Monday amounted to over 12,000 shares, making a grand total for this Province of over 100,000 shares applied for. The prospects so far, we hear, are most encouraging, and promise that the Bank will start with a very widely-spread proprietary, embracing eve*y clasb in the community. The day fixed for finally closing the share lists is Tuesday, the 20th jJuly. A meeting of the Roslyn Road Board was held on Saturday evening. The matter of the Kaikorai Toll-bar again came up for consideration. The Board had previously agreed to an offer made by the Kakorai Road Board to apportion one-sixth of ihe tolls collected to the Roslyn district, and this they had intimated in a note to the Chairman of the Kaikorai Board about the middle of May last, requesting, at the same time, "that the portion then due to the Roslyn district for the previous year should be paid. No answer had been received to the communication. Several of the members of the Board who were not present on the occasion when the former offer was accepted, now considered that the proportion was too small. It was moved that as no answer had been received to the letter, that a deputation wait upon His Honour the Superintendent, requesting him to abolish the toll. The motion was carried. It was reported to the Board that parties frequenting the cattle sale yards in the district persisted in driving cattle over the roads in prohibited hours. ~ It was resolved that the Clerk take steps to summon them. In accordance with a notice convening a meeting of journeymen carpenters, there was a large muster of the craft the other evening at the Royal George Hotel, Mr H. Owen being | called upon to preside. The Chairman said they had met to discuss the following circular, issued by certain masters of the trade :— "Dunedin, 12th June, 1874. We hereby give notice that after the 27th June the rate of carpenters' wages will be 12s per day for good workmen. — James Gore, Anderson and Godso, Bateman and Stait, M'Gill and Thomson, A. Hyslop, F. J. Serle, D. W. Woods, and R. Howlison." A show of hands was taken, from which it appeared that all present were earning 13s per diem, except five or six. An acrimonious debate ensued, suggestions being thrown out for the forming of a union similar to that of the masters, who could otherwise be arbitrary in their demands. The matter met with favour, and over sixty-five names of those in the room were recorded for the formation of a Society, and a shilling each was contributed to defray interim expenses. A proposition was agreed to that all who did not get 13s after last Saturday should strike. A Provisional Committee was appointed, consisting of Messrs Sundbury, Kerr, Owen, Moore, Fergusaon, Calvin, Watts, Allen, Alexander, Wyndhurst, Graspy, and Meek. Mr H. Owen was appointed Secretary, and Mr Kerr Treasurer.

The following letter has been addressed by the Rev. Mr Bannerman to the Editor of the Bruce Herald, and appears in its issue of Friday week : — " Sir— ln accordance with the deliverance of the Presbytery at its late meeting, and with the declaration I then made (which I observe has been omitted frem the reports given to the public), that I would cause a public statement to be made to the effect that anything in the report of my speech at Balclutha soiree capable of being understood as having a reference to Mr Robert Gillies as the author of an article in the Otago Daily Times commented on by me, should be considered as withdrawn, I hereby, through your columns, which contained said report, desire to make such statement. I beg, ' also, to express my regret that, in common with many others, I was, through current report, let to believe that the article was his, and that, acting under the influence of that belief, I made the allusion complained of — a belief shared in by most, if not by all the members of Presbytery, up till the moment Mr Gillies disclaimed the authorship, in answer to a question put to him at the meeting of Presbytery. While I express this regret, I at the same time repudiate, as my Presbytery has repudiated, that anything spoken by me, or reported to have been spoken by me. deserves to be characterised as Mr Gillies has alleged. While dissociating him from the authorship of the article referred to, I am not to be understood as in the least withdrawing the opinion I have expressed of that or of other articles that may have appeared in the columns of the Daily Times.— l am, &c, Wm, Banner. man. Puerua, 22nd June, 1874," The idea of holding a seaman's tea meeting, that originated in the Rev. Mr Izitt, of the Port Chalmers Wesleyan Church, was successfully carried out on Monday night. Although promoted by him, the movement was not strictly sectarian, the hearty support of the Congregational and Presbyterian Churches being accorded it. The Rev. Messrs Maxwell and Johnston, of those churches, lent their ready aid, and the leading members of the several congregations heartily responded to the novel call made upon their liberality. It was but to pro* vide a suitable repast, and to obtain the assent of the captains of the several ships in port to their crews attending. In fact, it was just asking permission for Jack to spend an evening on shore in a manner not usual to men of his cloth. The permission was, we are glad to say, ungrudgingly accorded by the' captains, and accordingly the seamen mustered in force, 250 of them assembling at the Wesleyan Church, where the tea was laid. The tea was composed of abundance of good things provided by the following ladies : — Mesdames Johnston, Izitt, Shadforth, Lane, Tompkins, M'Farlane, Falconer, Elder, A. Thomson, Maxwell, Misses Campbell, Alexander Brebner, Randall, Banbury, Ellis (2). The ladies presided, and the sitters having fully partaken of the capital spread before them, prayer of thanksgiving was offered up by the Rev. Mr I Maxwell, and the more serious part of the evening's proceedings commenced. By this time the church was crammed with people who were desirous of witnessing and talcing part in the novel soiree. An excellent address was delivered by Mr Izitt, and addresses were also delivered by other ministers and by several gentlemen. Hymns were sung by the choir, and joined in by the audience, and a very pleasant evening was spent.