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Southland Times, Issue 2249, 29 December 1875, Page 2

TrtE I.M.\irG kants. — All the married people and young men who arrived by the Waitara wore brought to town by special train last night. The barncks are now open for their eu^agement. The single women will be conveyed <o town to-day. 11 ail w ay Accommodation.— Under the heading of " Railway Accommodation," a correspondent complains, and not without reason, of the difficulty of obtaining trucks on application at the railway station. The view which he takes of the mismanagement is a very natural one, the provincial authorities being alone to blame in the matter. Our newly-elected champion of Provincialism as it is, and withal a member of the Provincial Executive, ought to exert himself to remedy the crying evil. The employment of capital, either in the timber or any other trade, is a ruinous farce if the Government of the day refuse or neglect to make reasonable provision for an increasing traffic. Penny wise and pound foolish is a proverb that a Dunediu Executive has practised long, but has failed to see the application thereof. We commend the complaint to the Chamber of Commerce. Trout for Wyndham.— Mr Howard kindly gave us the opportunity last night of inspecting two batches of young fish, on their way to the Wyndham river. They consist of 250 brown trout, and the same number of sea trout. The fish are tiny things, we should say under an inch in length. The river Wyndham is a choice stream for trout, and a hold once established there by the strangers from Wallaeetown, there would soon be a large increase, and first-rate sport for the angler. We hope to hear that -Mr Howard has accomplished the tranef'er successfully. YTixtox Eaves.— The Hack liace, 10 soys., mile heats, was won by Mr F. 11. White's Young Leamington, Kaines's Welcome bung second. A scratch race was got Lp between Taffrail and Banjo, for £20, the former coming in the winner by two lengths. Christmas Presents.— A number of the boys, who for the last twelvemonths have atteuded the Grammar School, have presented the Janitor of the School, Sergeant Walsh, with Dr Russell's work on the " Last Great War" as a Christmas present, and as a token of respect for his general couduct towards them. Sergeant Walsh desires to express his thanks for the graceful gift. Waikiwi School.— At the closing of the Waikiwi School near Invercargill, on Friday, the 24th mat., for Christmas Holidays, the pupils presented Mr H. Hawsou with a most costly and magnificent inkstand, as a token of their very high appreciation of him as their teacher. Inventive Writing.— The " amenities of journalism" flourish in Wellington, and this is the way in which the Evening Post speaks of its morning contemporary, the New Zealand Times:— The Colonial Journal has so ready and universal powers of invention, that it can do anything in that line, big or little. This morning it informed its readers that " a meeting of the Philosophical Society was held in the lecture hall of the new museum last evening. This is the first meeting held in the new museum. There was a good attendance of members, and several papers were read." Now this isn't so bad considering that no such meeting was held at all, and that the whole thing is purely imaginary. But the Times might improve even upon this. A good lie, to be perfect, should be minutely circumstantial. Next time it tries this, let it inform its readers how the new Lecture Hall looked, how many members attended, and what were their names ; give a brief analysis of the papers read, and the discussion which followed. If the Times' man can invent a meeting which didn't take place, he might, with a little practice, give all the details we have specified. Let him persevere, and by and by he will not be far behind his great prototype, the renowned Muncbausen, and the illustrious Ferdinand Mendez You Kinto. Interesting Legal Reform- — His Honor Judge Grilles in his charge to the Grand Jury, at the last session of the Supreme Court held in Nelson, remarked as follows : — " Before he met them again an Act of Parliament would be id force by which persons accused of crimes would be allowed to give evidence in their own cases. This would be a great improvement on the existing law as it would frequently give those accused an opportunity of explaining what would otherwise be hidden, while at the same time the guilty would often be condemned out of their own mouth." Sugaii Planting; in Fiji —A gentleman recently arrived from Fiji informs a contemporary that the prospects of the group, as v sugar-producing country, are improving. From the Kewa Plantation Company's mill excellent samples of lightcolored counter sugar, with very large crystals, have been forwarded to this Colony, pother sm.ali mill in the same

spot is also doinsj well Mr Pillan?, of Savu Savu, has erected a large American mill, and recently brought to Levuka a very fine sample lot of about eight tons The best results, however, have been obtained in Taviuni. at the mill of Messrs Maitland Bros. They are turning out two tons a day, and expect to make 400 tons this season, the density of the cane running from 8 to dh and 10. The first shipment of 50 tons v to arrive per Emma in Auckland. The Thea.tke'. — Rob Roy was produced at the Theatre Koyal last night with a fair degree of success. The Gragarach was personated by Mr Kyers, Helen by Mrs Byers, and the Bailie by Mr VVarde, whose want of familiarity with ' the doric tongue of Scotland" rendered him incapable of doing full justice to the character. Miss Power made a tolerable Francis, and received enthusiastic applause for the fine manner in which she sang the songs which are usually associated with the part. To-night Blackeyed Susan will be produced