Local and General.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 63, 11 February 1884, Page 2

Local and General.

Fire Brigade.—The members of the Fire Brigade will meet for practice this evening at seven o’clock. Borough Council, — The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Borough Council will be held to-morrow evening. Harbor Board.—A special meeting of the Harbor Board will be held on Tuesday night, for the purpose of discussing the question of wharf extras and making the final payment for the same. Harbor Improvement.—The first meeting of the committee appointed to consider the re-construction of the Harbor Board and harbor improvements will take place on Wednesday evening. South Pacific Petroleum Company.—Mr. David Isles, manager of this Company, has kindly furnished us with the following;— “ Mr. Price, in a letter of this date (February 9th), advises me that everything is going on very well at the springs. The ground is firm and reliable, and the strata through which we are passing is now of a more sandy nature, and oil keeps working up all the time. The depth reached this morning was 435 feet, and the tools are working with a nice even movement.

Completion of the New Wharves.—On Saturday afternoon, at 3 p.m., the Public Works Committee, consisting of Members Townley, Hepburn, and Tutchen, proceeded down to the new wharves, with a view of thoroughly inspecting the same prior to taking them over from the contractors Messrs. Wells and Gardiner. The Committee, accompanied by the Harbor Board Engineer and contractors, made a minute overhaul of the whole surface work, and then, by the assistance of a boat, proceeded underneath, where everything was pronounced satisfactory and complete. They then passed to the stock-yard, where Mr. Ewen Cameron was in attendance for the purpose of pointing out a few necessary alterations which were required to be made before the same could be considered practically complete. The proposed alteration consisted of a lengthening of the pannels of the race, placing an additional rail round the yard, boarding up a portion of the side next the wharf, substituting a gate for the slip-rails at the entrance, and placing two posts in each corner in order to afford refuge to those engaged in working the cattle. When this is done the new stockyard will leave little to be desired. The whole of the work has been performed in a thoroughly efficient manner, and reflects every credit upon the constructors, The next thing which engaged the attention of the committee was the approaches to the wharf. The contractor for this portion of the work was Mr. S. Doleman, who has been thoroughly successful in his endeavours to give every satisfaction, After two hours were spent in inspecting the most minute details throughout, the Public Works Committee declared themselves perfectly satisfied, and the wharves were formally taken over. There remains but one other question to be dealt with; and that is the matter of extras, but there is every probability that an amicable arrangement will be arrived at on Tuesday evening, when the question of the final payment will come before the Board.

Disease in Victoria.—“ Typhoid fever is on the increase in Victoria. Dr. Barrett, one of the resident physicians of the Melbourne Hospital, who has devoted much attention to the subject, declares that it is a preventible disease. He points out that typhoid cases are mildest during the wet seasons, and suggests that artificial wet days may be produced by deluging the drains and sewers with water. He sums up his conclusions as follows :—‘ (1) That typhoid fever in Victoria attacks between 18,000 and 20,000 persons yearly. (2) That it is quite preventible. (3) That so far no systematic efforts have been made to stamp it out. (4) That until such efforts are made it will continue to flourish, but that if remedial measure are adopted there is no doubt it will be unknown in a few years.”

Auckland Gas Company.—At the meeting of this company on Monday last “ the directors resolved to reduce the price from Bs. to 7s. 6d. per thousand feet. This has been done (says the N. Z. Herald) without any pressure, and simply in pursuance of the policy of the directors to extend the consumption as far as possible in the city and suburbs. In 1881 the consumption of gas in Auckland was forty millions of feet; now it is seventy-eight millions. The increase arises in part from the progress of the city, and in pp,rt also from the reduction of rate, and the efforts of the directors of the company to supply gas to the rising localities in the outskirts of the town. This, however, involves a large expenditure in plant, and to meet this the directors propose to increase the capital of the company. The affairs of the company are evidently in a satisfactory position, as they have continued for many years past.”

Floral Gifts to Te Kooti.—From the Auckland Herald we find that “Te Kooti and his followers, on their way to Bowentown, passed Captain H. Stewart’s residence, Katikati, and Te Kooti asked, the Captain for some tea, which was given him. His followers then asked Mrs. Stewart to allow them to pick some flowers, which request was granted, provided that only two or three went in at a time. Captain Stewart asked Te Kooti to come into the house, which he did, but was closely followed by his body-guard. Te Kooti thought the drawing-room kapai. He and his followers shortly left with flowers in their hats, all their horses being decorated in the same manner.”

The Harvest in Waikato.—A telegram to the A’ew Zealand Herald on Monday last says that “ harvesting about Hamilton is now in full swing, and some of the wheat is already in and stacked, Generally the crops are good, though the wheat is more or less destroyed by the small birds, and in some instances the oats have suffered by shelling, the intermittent rains having prevented their being harvested as early as they should have been. Mr. Isaac Coates had a magnificent crop of oates of thirty acres, and has lost some 10 bushels to the acre from this cause; Seven acres of these were sown with Oregon oats, obtained by Mr. Tees from America direct, and grown by him last season at Hukanui. Mr. Coates estimates his crop this year from the seven acres of Oregon oats at 560 bushels, or 80 bushels to the acre. The straw is some 7 feet in height, and the oats will weigh 501bs. to the bushel, an enormous yield. On the other 23 acres black oats were sown, and, though the land is all of the same quality, the yield of the black oats is not estimated at more than from 30 to 40 bushels per acre, On Mr, Seddon’s farm cf Knighton, adjoining Mr. Coates’, there is one of the heaviest crops of oats ever gtown in the district.” “ Too Thin,”—The Tarawi&i News is responsible for the following,;—“ The recent story about the Fenians sending clothes infected with small pox to their Engiish enemies of high degree now turns out to be a shameless hoax, played by Mr. O’Rafferty, of Dublin, on the Premier and several other high government officials. Mr, O. R. early last week sent little notes, worded somewhat as follows, to Mr. Gladstone and others :— ‘ Private and Confidential.—Dear Sir ; The clean underclothes which you put on last Sunday morning were all infected with malignant small-pox. Your washerwoman is a Fenian. Take them off at once is the advice of A Friend.’ Mr. Gladstone immediately rushed upstairs, took a hot bath, fifteen grains of blue mass, sent for all the family physicians, and had Mrs. Gladstone and all the household vaccinated. The other Government officials all took similar precautions, and were equally frightened, with the exception of the Prince of Wales, who, when his Secretary rushed to him with O’Rafferty’s missive, merely smiled, shut one eye, and remarked : ‘ Too thin, they can’t play me, I haven’t changed my underclothes for three weeks.’ ”

A Sharp Lady.—“ Some of the Hawke’s Bay ladies seem to be ‘ deep’ in the extreme. The other day, on the Napier line (says the Hawke's Bay Herald), nearly the whole of one side of a fiist-class carriage was taken up by one of the gentler sex. She lay extended at full length, the lower part of her body being covered with wraps and shawls. The train was crowded, and many sought entrance to the carriage, but on seeing the wraps of the lady, and her pale and stricken countenance, they retired. But as soon as the train had stopped for the last time before she reached her destination, this daughter of Eve, with a laugh, threw off her wraps, stretched herself, and, when the station was reached, walked blithely away.”

Opening up Trade.— The British Mail states that “ in view of the existing commercial treaty between the United States and the Sandwich Islands, which established absolute free trade between the two countries, the Hawaiian Government is said to be looking with considerable favor towards a possible commercial arrangement with Canada. A Consul to represent Hawaiian interests is now resident at Ottawa, and it is thought that upon the opening of the Canadian Pacific Railway to the Pacific Ocean—when a line of steamships is contemplated to run from the terminus of the railway to the Asiatic Coast, Australia, and New Zealand, calling at the Sandwich Islands—a considerable market might be found in the islands for Dominion products, while Canada would receive in exchange the sugar now largely exported from the islands to the refineries of San Francisco,”

Antique Rome and Modern London.—The Nuova Antoluyia contains an interesting comparison, by Professor Lanciani, founded on history and recent excavations, between the above-named two cities. After describing their similar situation on a river, and the respective height of the soil, the author goes on to compare the superficies of ancient Rome with that of London. When Augustus re-ordered the administration of the city—• for ancient Rome had also her “city"—the buildings had so much exceeded the circle made by Servius Tullius, that four of the fourteen regions into which the city was divided were entirely extra-mural. Nevertheless, the names of the old gates remained, and just as the heart of London contains its Aldersgade, Bishopsgate, etc., so Imperial Rome had its vici portie Collinar, Najviie, Rudusculanoj, &c., typographical records of a very remote time. Little by Little the buildings occupied, more or less, a space the size of modern London. Professor Lanciani has arrived at this conclusion by a careful examination of the remains of the ancient city walls. Large Sunflowers.—The Sydney Mail ot the 26th ult. states that “ there was recently exhibited at Messrs. Campbell Brothers’ furnishing arcade an enormous sunflower 13in. in diameter, weighing 4jib., grown by Mr. W. B. Campbell, at the Flushcombe Orangery, near Blacktown. A prize of £1 being offered by the firm for a larger and heavier flowers, a number of competitors came forward as follows:—Mr. Samuel Cheetham brought three specimens with diameter 13, 15, and 16 inches respectively; Mr. Rodd, of Drummoyne Park, sent a handsome ‘ head ’ 13in. round; and Mr. R. M. Pearson, of Gladesville, sent a flower measuring 14jin., perfectly round, and weighing 51b., taken from a plant over lift. high. All records were, however, beaten by a lady at Waverley, who sent a ‘ champion sunflower ’ to the Furnishing Arcade, which measures 18in. in diameter, and weighs s|lb. Although the prize has been awarded, another one of the same amount is to be gained by anyone who can legitimately claim it.”

Suez Canal.—The British Mail reports that “ two hundred and twenty-three steamers passed through the Suez Canal in the month of October, an average of seven a day. Of these, only three passed in ballast, thus proving that the proposed reduction of dues on ships in ballast is an infinitesimal boon to commerce.”

Curing Bacon.—“ The following capital recipe for curing bacon and ham is from the Rural New Yorker, It would be hardly possible to improve upon the process For J-OOlbs. of meat use seven pounds of fine salt, two quarts of molasses, and four ounces of saltpetre. Pack closely with this mixture between the layers of meat; add sufficient water to cover the meat. Let it remain thus six weeks and then smoke. After smoking, sew the pieces up in bags made of cotton cloth, first wrapping a piece of paper around each piece and hang it up in a dry, cool place. This is for summer use. For immediate use, use six pounds of salt and put the meat in pickle for four weeks, or rub the mixture of salt, molasses, and saltpetre on the fleshy side, and pile the meat up one piece upon another, dividing the mixture into three parts, and rubbing it on with three days intervening, letting it remain in the pile until the salt is absorbed, Then smoke.’’ Westport Colliery. — The Marlborouyh Times of the 31st ult. has the following :— “ Instructions have been received to cease all working at the Westport Colliery Company’s mine at Wallsend, where four fifteen-ton boilers are on the ground, two seventy-five horse-power engines, and about fifty men employed. It is understood a deadlock has occurred between the miners at Taylorville and the Government. On Saturday Commissioner Greenfield for the second time offered by auction the leases of a number of sections on the Railway Reserve on which the coalminers have been squatted for years, but the miners were combined; and not a single bid was made* The rent of the sections would average about Is. per week each, which the miners say is too much. They want to purchase the freehold, but Government declines to sell,”