LEASING PUNT AT MURPHY'S LANDING.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 291, 18 August 1888, Page 2

LEASING PUNT AT MURPHY'S LANDING.

Some extraordinary revelations arc being made in connection with the leasing of the Punt at Murphy's Landing. The correspondence published in our issue of Wednesday last on this subject, and the letter we publish to-day from Messrs Lloyd and Jnvin ; road together, will open the eyes of the County Council and the public generally to what has been going- on. Cr Murphy at the last meeting of Pinko County Council referred to Mr James Stewart as a very decent young fellow, who lived at Waiorongomai, and as having been employed by his son, Mr C. Murphy, to run the punt for some months pnsf . And now it appears that this Mr James Stewart is only a mere lad of "about fifteon years, and small For his age at that. But more ! It is stated by Messrs Lloyd and Irwinin their letter (and several others hnve told us the same), that Mr James Stewart is Cr Murphy's own nephew, and, we undei stand, has lived at his uncle's for years past. Possibly Cr Murphy forgot this fact at the timo. Be that as it m .y, he certainly referred to this Mr James Stewart as if innocent of any relationship existing. h\ Messrs Lloyd and Invin's letter to the Council (published in our issue of Wednesday last), they referred to Cr Murphy's kindness in keeping his son running the punt until date of Council's meeting: We believe subsequent revelations hnvo caused Messrs Lloyd and Irwin to view this kindness on Cr Murphy's part in a slightly different light. What right had Mr James Stewart to send in a tender at all when he did, seeing that July 13th had been fixed by Council as the last day for receiving tenders, and that a tender had been already accepted ? And by whose advice did the lad Stewart offer such special inducements for his tender to be accepted ? There is no evidence to prove that Cr Murphy knew his nephew had moved in the matter at all, much less that he was aware of the contents of his letter to the Council. Of course not. We certainly think il Cr Murphy desired the punt subsidy to be retained in the family, it would have been much better for his son to have tendered in astraightj forward manner for it, and no doubt ho would have got it. Why all tbjs benting round the bush, and why is- it necessary young Stewart should appear on the scene ? Was it fair of Cr Murphy not to inform the Council (if he was aware of the fact), that Stewart was a minor 7 Was ifc fair, or right, knowingly to allow them to accept the tender of a mere boy to take charge of a punt on a deep and rapid rivor? Who would be responsible in case of an accident through negligence, the lad, or the Council who placed him in charge ? Messrs Lloyd and Irwin, so far as wo can see never refused to carry out their contract — they certainly asked for some alterations and concessions to be made, buc did not refuse to go on with Che \ contract in the event of Council declining |to grant the concessions asked for. Cr I Murphy may consider the matter already f veiy satisfactorily fixed up, bu + we have I reason to believe the genera,! public do I not think so.

The 'Fi\ht:r, mail steamer is signalled at Auckland «« wo go to press. v Tho To Arobn portion of her mails should roach hero by this 1 afternoon's train. On our fifth page will bo found a detailed account of! the lamentable mmmg 1 disaster at Kitnbcrloy on tho 13th July last, in which 700 woikors were oniombed, and ovei a hundred killed. A report of a meeting held in the Auckland Chamber of Commerce* on Wednesday last for the purpose of securing exhibits of tho" mining industry for the Melbourne Exhibition will be found on our fouith page. "With a view to increasing- popularity of the Electric Skating Rink, the management contemplate introducing vocal and instrumental musical selections at future rink meetings. To-morrow special services will bo held at St Mr.ik's to commemorate the second anniversary of the Church. Service in the morning will be at eleven, and in the evening at seven. Tho offertories will be devoted towards tho liquidation of the Chinch debt. We have more marriages to note. On Wednesday last, at Ilikutaia, the Hey Mr Lawry united in the bonds of matrimony Mr Andrew Gibb to Mi.ss Crawford ; and ho also performed the pleasing ceremony tho same day at Karangaliakc, the happy couple being Mr G. S, Brown and Miss Pcnnell. Mr Baker, who was recently staying in To Aroha for the benefit of his health, has gono to join his father in Tonga. He passed through the Thames district on his way to Auckland. We direct the special attention of our readers to the report of a most interesting and instructive lecture on " The Chemistry of: Agriculture," Mr by J. A. Pond, which will be found on our sixth page. The annual congregational re-union in connection with St Mark's Church will take place in the Public Hall on Wednesday evening next. Tea will bo served at half-past six. An easteily gale accompanied with heavy rain set in on Thursday evening last, and continued to rage throughout Friday. Tho wind at times was very high, doing no small amount of damage in the way of blowing down fences and displacing roofing, etc. The downpour of rain has cassed tho Waihou river to rise considerably. Mr C. E. Balcke notifies in our advertising columns that ho has a number of violins and shoot music for sale. An extraordinary vacancy having occurred in Piako County Council owing to the resignation of Cr F. Dibble as member for Matnmata Riding, an election will be held on September Ist to fill the vacancy ; and nominations will be received by the Returning Officer, Mr D. Scelly, up to noon on Saturday next, 25th inst. Some three hundred horses, purchased during the past threo months for the Indian Government, -were recently inspected in Auckland prior to being shipped direct to their destination, Bombay. The mob as a whole were a really first class lot of horses, very few indeed being rejected. Tho following were the judges who parsed them : Messrs Thos. Bradley (our wellknov.n 'local coach proprietor), John Stevens (of Rangitikoi), and Major Walmsley. On Wednesday last, at tho Te Aroha Police Court, befsre Mi J. Ilott. J.P., W. Curnow was changed with being drunk and disorder!}' at Waiorongomai. Accused pleaded guilty, and was fined £1, and 7s costs, or in default 48 hours' imprisonment. On ThuisTay Anne Curnow was brought up bffore the same magistrate, and fined 5s and 2s coßts, or to bo imprisoned until tho rising of the Court, for drunkenness. (Accused had been in tho lock-up'since the previous day). Ab will bo seen by ft report in another column, Mr E. Y. Cox has written the Tanranga Count}' Council, stating that as the proposed new lino of road to connect To Aroha and Tauranga, Tin Katikati, would pass through soveial of his paddocks he should requiie compensation before he would permit the road to bo made. We think the reply the Council resolved to send Mr Cox a very reasonable one, viz., that i£ he and others raised these difficulties and objections, all idea of having this very desirable woik carried out would be abandoned. Indeed, no other course would bo open to the Council, who have worked so hard to oven get sufficient mor.cy placed on the Ebtimates to fonu a road along the proposed louto. Certain it is there is no source whatever available from wnich money could be voted for compensation ; and, in our opinion, Mr Cox, or any of the settlers in tho distiict, will not only stand in their own light by throwing obstacles in tho way of the proposed work being carried out, but also retard tho the general progress of tho district veiy materially. We hooe Mr Cox or any of his neighbours will not be the means of the formation of Thompson's Track having to be abandoned. T)r A. Schiedel, tho manager of the New Zealand Gold Extraction Co., Limited (Newberry-Vaulin process), and the managing director, Mr Spratt, have been collecting samples of ores in the Thames district for treatment at their works, now in the course of erection, and which it is expected will be completed in about a month's time, DrScheide],boin<jdesirious that the samples should fairly represent the quality of tho oro in the mine from j which it was obtained, visited the various mines personally. On Monday samples I were taken from Wai hi, on Tuesday from Karnngahake, and on Wednesday. Waiorongomni, and after several of the mines there had been visited, the party returned to Te Aroha. Dr Seheidel and Mr Spratt left again for the Thames on Thursday morning.