PROVINCIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1640, 28 April 1883, Page 12

PROVINCIAL.

Several cases of stack-burning under suspicious circumstances have been reported to the police at Invercargiil. Mr Brown, manager of the Union Bank o Australia in Oamaru, goes to Australia shortly. He will be succeeded by Mr D'Emden, of Timaru. We have received £2 17s 6d from Mr F. L. Piller for the Webb relief fund ; also 7s 6d towards the Taravua memorial fund, from the Bendigo school-children. Mr Gordon, inspector of Mines, is to make an inspection shortly and report to the Government in connection with the Waikaia Bush road.

We are glad to know (writes the Bruce Herald) that a loan fund of not less than £100, which is being raised in order to enable a few of the working potters to resume operations upon their own account, is now in so advanced a state that success may be considered sure. A six-roomed cottage at Beaumont was totally destroyed by fire on Saturday morning;. It belonged to Mr Horace Bastings, of Dunedin, and was leased by Mr Coskery, of the Clifton Hotel. For the past 18 months no one had lived in the cottage, which was about to be repaired and occupied by Mr George Bennet next month. The house was insured for £50 in the Australian Alliance Company. Its value was estimated at £175.

Our Roxburgh correspondent telegraphs :— "Professor Ulrich, in company with Mr Manuel, chairman of the Mining Association, has been inspecting the gold workings in this district for the past three days, visiting all the claims on the Clutha River between Coal Creek and the Miller's Flat punt. He has, I understand, expressed his opinion that gold in considerable quantity exists in Anderson's Flat and the Hercules Flat, and has formed a favourable opinion of the district generally." ■Messrs Barr and Oliver, of Dunedin, have been chosen as engineers for the Queenstown waterworks. There were 11 applications. The terms (aays the Wakatip Mail) are stated to be £20 for survey, supply of plans, specifications, &c, and £50 for two inspections during the construction of the works — one inspection on completion, and another at the end of the maintenance period. Mr G. Foster, who recently purchased the Canada Farm, near Milton, has lost two stacks of oats, containing about 1400 bushels, by fire. The Bruce Herald states that Mr Foster ia of opinion that the fire was occasioned by the carelessness of the men in smoking their pipes in the vicinity of the stacks after dinner. Mr Foster (who is a recent arrival) had insured upon the Home principle of so mush premium for live and dead stock, but has only ascertained to his cost since the fire that dead stock does not include grain. The following tenders were received for the Windsor section, tunnel contract No. 2, Livingston branch of the Waitaki-Bluff railway : Accepted— G. T. Bain, £5389. Declined— Cuthbert and Stuart (Oamaru), £6525 ; Barkley and Hay (Oamaru), £6742; Hanson and Ware (Christchurch), £6845; J. Hutton (Oamaru), £7362; A. Watson (Oamaru), £8234; D. M'Kendry (Oamaru), £8573; J. Edwards (North Taieri), £9536 ; D. Wallace (Awamoa). informal. The Oamaru" Mail states that at about halfpast 6 o'clock on Saturday afternoon a large blast was fired in the quarry opposite the Normanby Wharf. The contractors had expected great results from the explosion, having expended some £400 infl powder and tunnelling. But unfortunately their hopes were not realised. Instead of bringing down a huge mass of rock, as was anticipated, the blast spent itself in the earth, going under the roadway and up through the hill, at the top of which it has left large fissures. The amount of spoil brought down was comparatively small, and, so far as the mole works are concerned, of little value. The contractors are heavy losers by the affair, which has proved the most unprofitable blast yet fired. We (Mat aura Ensign) are glad to learn that our predictions of the increased cjuantity of grain grown this season in the Waimea' Plains district are being fully borne out. The New Zealand Agricultural Company's settlers alone have now in stack, and including what has already been threshed — 300 stacks of wheat, containing 140,000 bushels ; 270 stacks of oats containing 180,000 bushels ; and 2000 bushels barley ; over 2000 bushels linseed, and about 6000 bushels grass seed. We have not been able to arrive at tho exact quantity of potatoes available for sale, but do not think it will be large. Thus fully 8000 tons of grain have been grown by these farmers, and when we add the amount grown by the deferred -payment settlers in the same district (of whom there are about 100), the total number of tons must be very large. The annual social meeting of the West Taieri Presbyterian Church was held on the evening of Friday last, when there was a large attendance. The Rev. James Kirkland, the minister, occupied the chair. The tables were generously provided- by the ladies. The report, submitted by Mr Gilbert Buchanan, treasurer, indicated continued prosperity. There are six Sabbath-schools in this large parish, with 21 teachers ; 10 collectors of the sustentation fund, who raised £247 during the year ; three services every Lord's Day, and three meetings during the week, and a quarterly dispensation of the communion. The income for the year was £564 ; minister's supplement, £150. Addresses were delivered by the pastor, Messrs Fulton, Hodges (Mosgiel), James Adam (Tokomairiro), and the Rev. John M. Sutherland (North Taieri). On Friday, 20th inst., the annual tea meeting was held in the Presbyterian Church, Anderson's Bay. The Rev. C. S. Ross, who occupied the chair, read apologies for absence from Drs Stuart and Macdonald. The reports of the Session and of the Committee of Management were presented by Messrs Wrn. Somerville and Pressly, and adopted by the congregation. They indicated financial prosperity, and progress on all the lines of congregational activity. The Revs. Messrs Cruden, Micbie, and Hall, and Mr W. S. Fitzgerald gave interesting addresses ; and the Chairman, on behalf of the choir, presented to Mr Fraser, the leader of psalmody in the church, a salver, suitably inscribed, in token of their appreciation of the efforts which he had made to improve the service of praise in the congregation ; also a teapot and cruet-stand to Mrs Fraser, The usual votes of thanks were given, and the benediction brought the meeting to a close.

We are informed that Mr J. A. Miller, who is an old resident and pioneer of the Wakatipu district, has nearly ready for the press a guidebook to Queenstown and neighbourhood, which will supply a long-felt want. The guide-book, besides the necessary information for tourists, will also contain a short history of the early gold-digging days and settlement of the district, a reference to its agricultural capabilities and its general resources, as well as detailed descriptions of the magnificent and romantic scenery of Lake Wakatipu and its surroundings. Several of these descriptions have appeared in our own columns, and have attracted favourable attention. The guide

will also contain all the necessary information for intending emigrants from Great Britain and elsewhere — such as an epitome of the different modes under which land may be acquired, the nature of the climate, statistics showing^the productiveness of the land as compared with other Colonies and America, &c, &c.

The annual meeting of the Waihola Presbyterian Church was celebrated on Wedneßday, the 18th inst., by a congregational woiree and public meeting. Several ladies of the congregation amply supplied the creature comforts of the largo assemblage, who came from far and near, overcrowding the church in such a manner that extra seating accommodation had to bo provided. The pastor of the congregation (Rev. G. Hall, 8.A.) presided at the public meeting, and in the course of his addresß referred to the peaceful and prosperous year which had passed away. There was an addition of 21 members, and £394 had been contributed. The Rev. Messrs Chiaholm, Borne, Menzies, Inglia, and Rosa with their practical interesting addresses, and the choir, under Mr Johnston's leadership, helped to make this one of the most successful gatherings held in the district for some time.

Mr John Irvine, who is well known (says the Timaru Herald) in the Temuka district, writes the following glowing account of the land in Southland to a friend at Timaru : — " Chatton Farm, Gore, Southland, April 9th, 1883. Dear Sir, — I would have written to you before, but waited until some of the farmers had threshed out their crops, as then I could give you a better opinion. I am of the belief the land here is equal to any in Canterbury ; it will grow wheat as well, and for oats it cannot be beaten. I know farmers here who have threshed 60 bushels of wheat and 70 of oats to the acre. We have had a fine harvest, and as it is not so hot, the wheat does not sprout so quickly if left out in the rain as it does in Canterbury. I believe the land here will grow more to the acre than in Canterbury if worked in the same way, but it is not so well farmed, and farmers are short of implements. There is more rain here than in the North as a rule, but the land wants more. There is as good land here as ever plough was put into, and a great deal more to be made than in the North, and I can assure you I am glad I left Temuka and came here."