OAMARU NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2685, 30 August 1905, Page 48

OAMARU NEWS NOTES.

(From Our Owjt Cobbespoxdeot.)

OAMARU, August 21. The Oamaru Presbytery was occupied for a, considerable time to-day with the affairs of the Weston, Tota-ra, and Ardgowan charge, which is at present vacant, having been erected into a fully sanctioned charge as from July 1. An application was presented by the session for moderation in a call, but left it to the Presb.,-«ery to say whether it should be a close or open caJl. the members of the ohai'ge having expressed a wish by a majority for a c-lose call. The Rev. J. G. M'Leod intimated at this stage thai he would not be a candidate for tho vacancy, and a committee was appointed to prepare a minute on the subject of Mr M'l^eod's work during his residence in the district. Correspondence from the Rev. D. Borrio, as secretary to the Church Extension Fund Committee) was read pointing out an error on the pa.rt of the managers of thi-s charge in the management of their funds, and the treasurer and representatives of ihe charge explained that £44 had been spent out of ordinary revenue in the improvement of the manse and glebe. Ifc was agreed to consider the matter further at next meeting-. The Rev. J. R. Shore was appointed interim moderator, in the stead of the R<jv. 'W. Wright (resigned), and the matter of the call was allowed to lapse. The North Otago Times says that it is the intention of the managers of nearly ail 1 the sheds shearing- in the Waitaki to pay 16s 8d per 100 for shearing this year, or Is 8d more than the figure fixed by the Arbitration Court last year Mr S. Boreham is credited with having negotiated this advance.

The licensee of an hotel in a country district not a great way from Oamaru, who was supposed to have transferred his interest in the house, now objeots to leave, and the place has been reduced to a, kind of siege. — one side barricading and adopting various methods of intimating- their intention to remain in possession, and the other knocking resultlessly at the doors. The present inhabitant is understood to haro adopted precautions against a state of sieg©, and the idea of starving him out seems io promise at least protracted proceedings. The Oamaru Chamber of Commerce id protesting against the excessive charges imposed by the Unilway Department for th« very short distance between the wharf and the goodshed at Oamaru. The charges are Is for haulage and 6d for unloading-, and th« committee of the chamber suggests that 63 for haulage and 3d for unloading would be| sufficient.

August 23. The Waitaki County Council is not without its humorous members. Evidence of that was given a t the meeting- to-day when Mr W. W. Wylie, tho member for the Olepopo Riding, solemnly proposed that those ridings having unexpended balances at the end of each financial year should forfeit the said balances in favour of the move necessitous ridings, of which latter Mr Wylic's is one. '"How are you going to get over the Counties Act? " asked on© councillor. "Easily," was. the reply;' "we'll drive round that corner all right." The Chairman thought it would take good* driving, but Mr Wylie went on to tell ill eloquent terms how his riding, and others near the seaboard, had to maintain roadtf for the benefit of the settlers in up-country ridings when thsy came to town. "WeS cavry the traffio of the world on our roads," said Mr Wylie. "So do I," was the reply of the chairman, who represents Ahuriri, and he pointed to the tourist traffic to and from Mount Cook. The motion found a, seconder, pro forma, but on being put only one hand went up in favour, and (truth td tel!) only one against it, but the chairmaa