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Thames Advertiser, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8614, 18 December 1896, Page 2

The continued dry weather threatens Coromandel with a water famine, and the position is becoming serious.

The young man Walter Farmer, who was ] injured while working at the tui mine, Wairongomai, is reported to be progressing favorably. Of the liinepersons charged at the Dunedin Criminal sessions of the Supreme Court seven were natives of New Zealand. Never before in Dunedin has there been anything like such a representation by the cobny in this ttndesirablo councction.

Invcrcargilt has been chosen as the centre for the annual mecUng of Rcelmbites, which is to be held on the 16th February next, when tehc question of old age pensions wilt bo discussed, and suggestions made with regard to alterations of the present laws of the society.

Tho Alfred Woods' Dramatic Company should arrive from Auckland by the s,.s. Tormnora, they having concluded their season late last night: The season at the Academy of Music commences this evening with '• Hands Across the .Sea." To-morrow night "Tho Broad Arrow" will bo produced.

Tho p.s. Whakatero did not arrive at the Thames until nearly five o'clock last evening, a mishap having occurred to her machinery ou tho journey. She anchored in much tho same spot in the harbour as on tho previous day and waji tendered by the s.s. Chelmsford which, with tho heavy gale, did not find the work altogether easy. Instead of leaving here at 4.30 p.m. for Auckland, it : was after 0.30 when the. vessel got awav.

Tho annual meeting of tho Thames Drainage Board is to bo held on Wednesday, 13th January, 1897, and tho annual election of members ou Saturday, tho 16th

January. > It -will be necessary for tho Borough Council to elect a member as a representative on the now Board, the first meeting of which will bo hold on or about tho 20 th prox.

Messrs West and Co, roport that at tho Thames markot on Wednesday last fat cattlo wero in avcrago supply. . Primo medium weight steors mado 17s 6d to 193 pot lOplbl: hoiferg, of very choioe quality, 17s to IBs j steers ranging from $5 10s to. :£1 2s G,d; heifers, <£4 17s 6d to .£5 15s. Good young owes (65lbs) 8s Gd to 9s Gd; Lambs very plentiful, alid good throughout, 7s to fjs S)d. ' Mr Page, of Waihi, was burnt out of house ana home at 1 a.m. yesterday. A fire originated in his kitchen at that hour and utterly demolished the place, By good luck most of the furniture was saved. Mrs Page hrd to escape by the window which her brother-in-law (wf.o was staying in the house) smashed with his fist * There was great excitement in Waihi about the oe- : currcnce.

; An (unfortuuato accident befel Mr E, M. Corbctt, the well known mining engineer of Waitekauri, last : week in Crosby's Hotel, Paeroa. By sonic means ho tripped and fell backwards, striking against the edge of the doorway, aud when raised was found to have injured his back and shoulders, He had to be carried to his room and the doctor sent for. Mr; Corbett is very weak and in considerable pain, and not likely to be about for Eomb time.

A misunderstanding having arisen between tho Borough Council and Mr Deeble with referenco to the water supply to the property known as the Parawfti Gardens, letters have recently pas»cd, and at last ovening'smeoting of the Council communication containing both points of view wcro read. Nr Deeble was under tho impression that lie was entitled to free water, but by a report presented by the Town Clerk tho matter was fully explained, and it was resolved that after January 18th Mr Deoble bo charged for the water.

At tho Policc Court yesterday, before J, Frater and J, Renshaw, Esqs., Js.P. Horatio

Martin was fined 10s and costs for drunkenness. Ho wa3 also charged, in conjunction with Joseph Vincent, with using threatening language in a public place, whereby a breach of the peaco was occasioned, aiid ho and Vinccnt were fined- 10s each and costs. An-

other charge, of breaking a window value 17s (id, tho property of Thomas Johnstone, was also preferred against Martin and Vincent, and tlioy wero ordered to cach pay half the amount of the damage. The defendants were allowed until noon to-day to find the monoy, in default of payment seven days imprisonment. A meeting was held in Wellington a few evenings ago of persons who wero under fire in tho New Zealand war, Mr Trcgc'ar took tho chair, and explained the object of the meeting. It was desirable, he said, that an association should bo formed to allow those who had shared the dangers and excitements of warfare in New Zealand, 30 and more years ago, to moot together once a year to icncw old friendships, and keep alive the spirit of comradeship, Tho formation of tho association was then resolved on and a temporary committee was set up to consider the practical carrying out of the idea, and to report to a future general meeting. It is hoped hat similar societies will be formed in other centres of the North Island, and federate with the veterans in "Wellington. Our Waihi correspondent writes s—The recent rise in the price of bread here has aroused some of the community into action. A movement is on foot, emanating from the miners of the Martha, to forma co-opera-tive bakery and butchery and bring about a lower ratio of living expenses. On Tuesday night last there were 70 names down for £1 shares in tire proposed association, and judging from the strenuous efforts being made by the initiators of the scheme, we ! shall soon have our co-operative store. We ore at present paying 9d for our 41b loaf, and this is a considerable item where a family is concerned, and where the consumption tots up to about 10a a week for bread alone. The butchers and bakers here have a grand opportunity now of lowering their prices again. If they don't take it they inay be a little worse off than if they do. At all events it is certain that the Association once formed, will prove a powerful and cutting antagonist.