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Timaru Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 1479, 18 June 1879, Page 2

Building Trades. — A meeting of contractors and -tub-contractors connected with the building trades will be held m the Queen's Hotel ut seven o'c'ock this evening. Education Boabd. — A special meeting of thc Education Board will be (held to-day, for the purpose of electing members and transacting other business. Municipal Reserves. — Thc following reserves m the town of Timaru have been vested m the Borough Council: — No. 715, containing 2 roods 10 perches ; No. 761, containing 2 roods ; No. 7-1-7, containing 2 roods 8 perches; and No. 751, containing 3 roods 3 perches. Timauu Railway Station. — Thc tworoomed cottage, which was formerly used by the pointsman, has been shifted from behind the Custom House to the south end of the Bailway Station, and fitted up as a parcel ofllce. The platform is also being extended nbout 30 feet m front of it, so as to give more room for passenger traffic. Temtka and Geraldine Agricultural and Pastoral Association. — Ten acres of section No. 283, containing 77 acres, reserved for a railway station at Winchester, have been granted for the use of the Temuka and Geraldine Agricultural and Pastoral Association as a show ground ; while 30 acres of the same reserve have been set apart as a public recreation ground. TnEATUE Royal. — Tliere was a very good attendance at tho Theatre JRoyal again last night, when Professor Baldwin gave his finnl performance. The entertainment consisted principally of explanations of the various tricks performed by him on previous evenings, nnd evidently gave great satisfaction to the audience. The great feats which appeared so difficult of accomplishment on first sight;, turned oufc to bo very simple. The Katio King Mystery was fully explained, but wo were not so well satisfied with tho pillory and hand-cuff tricks cxplnnntions. Professor Baldwin, however, has explained so much during his stay here, that we have no hesitation m pronouncing his entertainment as a crushing exposure of spiritulism, and we arc certain that no one coidd believo m such a delusion after having attended the entertainment. The Bailway Viaducts. — In our Monday's issue a correspondent drew attention to thc wholesale destruction of tho beach m thc vicinity of the railway viaducts, at the foot of Lo Cren'sf gully. On paying a visit to the spot yesterday, we found that the sea was rapidly washing away tho formation, and at the same time undermining the cliffs afc each side, and encroaching on the land. Though, owing to tho great depth tho piles of the viaducts nre driven, thero is actually no immediate danger of tho structures giving way, yet beforo many weeks have passed they will be greatly weakened, and it is therefore incumbent on tho Bailway Department to take precautionary measures without delay. Temuka Mechanics' Institute. — Tlie regular monthly meeting of tho Temuka Meclianics' Institute was held m the reading room on Friday, Juno 13th, Present — Messrs Fildes (Chairman) , Mendelson, Hayes, Storey, and Gray. The Librarian's report was read and considered. Tlie following accounts woro passed for payment : — Otago Witness, £1 2s 6d; Librarian's salary, £5 15s; Temuka Eoad JBoard rates, 7s 6d. The President announced that a number of books had been received m exchauge from tho Geraldine Institute, and also read a letter requesting that the books might be returned to the Geraldine Institute m six months. Besolved — "That the Secretary be requested to write to the Geraldine Institute enclosing them a copy of the following resolution : — " That the timo for which the books bo received by cither Library be one ■ year, and thafc two months' notice of recall bo given by cither side." Besolved - " That the sub-Committee on binding bo requested to examine the books received from Geraldine, m order that thoso unfit for issue may be returned." Proposed by Dr Hayes, seconded by Mr Gray, nnd carried — " That the complete numbers of the Pum-h and Chambers 1 Journal be bound." Proposed by JMr Storey, seconded by Mr Mendelson, and carried unanimously — " That a most cordial vote of thanks is due to Mr JF. Guinness, for his handsome present to the Institute of chessmen and draught boards." The usual compliment to the chair terminated the proceedings. Pleasant Valley School. — A meeting of the Committee "of the above school was held on Saturday evening last. Members present : Messrs Hardcastle (Chairman), W. Guildford, J. Gregan, D. Gregon, A. Lysnght, and JK. Bropby. Aiter the minutes of the last meeting waro read and confirmed, correspondence was read from the Board of Education, as follows : — (1) Re additions to school building, asking the Committee to obtain an offer of the land on the north side of the road on to wliich to shift tho school buildings. (2) In reply to a letter from the Committee stating that the land m question was not to he obtained, and asking tho Committee to obtain other offers of land, and lo recommend one, Btating price, &c. (3) Enclosing sundry forms re compulsory attendance (4) JEequesting thc Committee to nominate two gentlemen to fill the vacancies on tho Board of Education, caused by the resignations of Messrs Jlnwood and Tancred. (5) Forwarding a copy of the first annual report of the Board. With regard to a school situ it was explained that, owing to the length of time that had elapsed since the offer was made of the land on the north side of the road, it had been sold, and that the present owner declined to part with any of it. Two offers of land having been received, tho Committee decided to recommend the purchase of five (5) acres from Mr D. Gregon, nofc only on account of its suitability but also on account of its central situation. Messrs Melville Gray and Thomas Hardcastle were nominated as members of the Board of Education. The average attendance at the school during the month was 56, and and the highest number present m one day was 71. After passing accounts amounting to £9 13s 3d the meeting adjourned. A Work op Art. — The cabinet manufactured by Messrs Guthrie and Larnach's Woodware Company was on view m Dunedin on Saturday night, and attracted a good many interested sightseers. According to the Otago Daily Times, the different New Zealand woods m it are red pine, totara, fig-tree, peppermint, silver pine, honeysuckle, ribbonwood, broadlcaf, goai, manuka, mottled kauri, and pukaka. The height of the articlo is lift., with a width of 6ft. 9in. The design on the top of the cabinet is a very appropriate ono, including a Maori and his whare on one side, with an Englishman and a railway train, ship, kc, on the other. The framework m which the inscription is placed is remarkably debeate and beautiful. The hangings are very elegant and rich, being of blue and crimson velvet, with goid fringe ; and taken altogether the cabinet is athoroughly creditable specimen of New Zealand industry upon New Zealand material. A Warning to Publicans.— At the Licensing Court at Clyde, on the 12th instaut, we learn from the Duns tan Times that the Chairman of the Licensing Bench (W.L.Simpson, Esq., E.M.) made remarks to the following effect : — " Complaints were being made throughout the district, m no one particular place but very generally, upon the system holders of licenses were gradually drifting into m the conducting of their houses. The system was that of sacrificing the legitimate hotel business for the liquor traffic only. It must be nnderstood that the time had arrived when the travelling public would not submit to this sort of thing j and it must be further understood that the Licensing Bench — the same question, he noticed, had been touched upon by the Dunedin Bench — had fully made up their mind hot to be a party to it ; and furtber, that -when it camo under its notice that any house for wliich a licence waa applied -for was not m good repair, and

had not comfortable accommodation, tho licence vould be refused. It was simply thafc grog-shanties, into which many houses were degenerating, would not be licensed ; and if holders of houses tould not see their way clear to keep them m good and substantial repair, and to provide the requisite and necessary accommodation, the applications would be refused. Tlie Bench, nofc desiring to suddenly depreciate the valuo of property, would this year grant all applications, but the remarks made should be borne m mind, ns the Bench resolved not to perpetuate the system that had been so slowly but surely growing." Tue Eill'lKE Cur. — Tho Nelson Mail, thus exp-.-csscs an opinion : — " The Evening Post, which is fully convinced thnt m the whole universe there is not another town like Wellington — and m the matter of vile smells, bad water, bankruptcies, and a broken-down College, perhaps it is right — has of late been sorely exercised because the peoplo of Wellington were kept waiting for a few hours for tlieir English letters, m order thafc tho large number of colonists m Taranaki, Nelsin, Westland, nnd slarlborough might not be deprived of . theirs for tho considerable time that they would have to wait if the steamer went direct from Manukau to Port Nie. without delivering the mails nt these places ns it passed. Theso ' littlo villages,' your contemporary thinks, ought to be completely ignored, rather than Wellington should bo exposed to even tho most trilling inconvenience. Was it wise, Oh Post, thus to endeavor to create ill-feeling between your magnificent kite-llying city nnd tho ' littlo villages,' when at the timo you wroto you knew that tho representatives of these hamlets were likely to be nsked to givo you a few thousand pounds to keep alivo that unfortunate institution known as the WeUington Collego ? A beggar when he is going to nsk alms, does not open his pleadings by unnecessarily insulting those upon whoso charity he is dependent for his daily bread."