THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, MAY 28, 1878.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2896, 28 May 1878, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, MAY 28, 1878.

A gbeat deal of money has been frittered away in New Zealand on harbor improvements —in some places with worce results thau if the money hrd been literally cast into the sea. This Las bean the case in the large ports and the small. In some of the former the efforts to improve what Nature had done tave been so illdirestcd that much will require undoing; end in some of tue small ports a lar^e expenditure has be^n entered upon without a prospect of commensurate results. During the last few year& there has, indeed, been a mania for harbor boards and harbor works, and in one session some ten or a dozen liarI bor Bills w«re passed. If the evils had not been greater than the passing of some Bills, they would have been trifling; but in some instances there were valuable endowments, the administration of which was entrusted to men-who believed that their harbor only required making to secure for their town and district a largj dsjpree of prosperity^ Loans were contracted; elaborate plans and designs prepared, adopted, and then re-1 jected—sometimes altogether aid at other times in part. The Harbor Boards were like other corporations, subject to tt'3 infusion of new blood, and the. acts of one body were rescinded by its successors. It has bcon known, in fact, that a board would pass a resolution at 0r.3 meeting approving a particular scheme, and rescind it the next. It is no wonder, therefore, that mic'akes have been made, or that much useless expenditure has been indulged in, to the damage of some harbors, and the improvement of few. The Government displayed their wisdom in securing the services of Sir John Coode, but it is almost a pity that he could not have been retained for a month longer. He has, we hear, condemned the proposed works in one place, where it was intended to spend £100,000, and in another it is said he took the responsibili y of stopping works in .progress until the Government could bo communicated with. Sir/ John was ] not given to ta'.k; in fact these who came in contact with him siy that he was exceedingly uncommunicative. He must have been sirongly convinced of the mischievous character of the works in the two instances above referred to when he would openly condemn the one, and order the stoppage of the other. It was stated before be arrived in the Colony, when the question of cost was being discussed, that his visit would be the means of saving the Colony £1C3,000*; | we are now assured from what he has done already—perhaps in the instances above referred to where works contemplated and in progress were disapproved or conderjcned-i-7£200,00D will be saved, to say nothing of the saving which it is fair to expect will result if the eminent engineer's report and recommendations be r cted upon in undertaking future harbor works. Sir John Coode inspected twenty-two harbors in the. Colony, the Thames being the twenty-first, and Auckland next and last. We may assume that it will take some time to prepare reports on the different harbors, but it will be wise to refrain from any but the most necessary works until such reports have been received. The Government acted jud:ciously in procuring the services of Sir John Coode, and if the visit is to be made of real value they will do well to interdict any works proposed to be undertaken in defiance of his recommendations, unless good cause be shown.

Wb have be'jn rcquest3d to intimate that the p.s. Tonpariro leaves Ohinemuri foj.* the lhames on Wednesday at 7 o'clock morniug, and vti'l leuve the Thames for Auckland on tbe c^me day at seven o'clock evening.

Ms Deew announces in our advertising columns that he 1 s removed the Cafe I >yale I© the Provincial Hotel. At h Js old location Mr Drew was liberally patronised by lovers of gc od dinners, and as he has gone to considerable expense in fitting his new place, he may expect lo be weH patronised by ' both old and new friends. '

By our cdvertising columns we not:ce that Mr David Phjlp has recommenced business as a aharebroker and general commission agent, at his new offices, Brown street, Grahamstown. Mr Philp in the eaily days cairi d on the business of a sharebroker, and no doubt his old friends will rally round and give him a fair share of their patronpge.

The footpaths in Pollen street want looking after badly. The residents may not feel disposed to go in for asphalt as a general thing, but there are some spots which really require repairing. It is not pleasant to walk over cobble stones standing high oat of the ground, especially at night. A little mud would be preferable. Cannot the Borough Council do something?

The Coiomardel correspondent of the Auckland Star reports by tele~ram yesterday tr, follows:—There is a disastrous flood here with great destruction of prope:ty. .'I he mines, battcl.es, roads, water races, and tramways have all suffered considerably. bridges Lave bjn carried away, roads and tracks blocked up by landslips in every direction. Davis, a miner here, while as'cep last night, was awoke by a noise. He e.'caped with his wife on bis bask. The house end effects were immediately afterwards carried cl^an away by a landslip. The total amount of dama ;e to the district is not yet ascertained. It has been the heaviest storm experienced for the. last seven years. Noiju iLi st gale i. id heavy r :n still continues.

In our advertising columns appears the prospectus of the Colonial Insurance Company (fire a id marine), of which Mr G. S. Gralr. m has been appointed general manager. The share list will close on Tuesday, the ith Jir-_.'> and wo may remark that forms of application may be had at the Bank of .New Zealand. The success which has attended the floating of this company augurs well for its future prosperity. Jt has been well rec :ived everywhere, the applications for shares in Auckland being for a greater number than was originally apportioned. One prominent feature which has been kept in view by the projectors of this company, and will be, we ai-e assured, in the allotment of shares, is to 'nduce insurers to invest, in order that an ?nrr:diate business may be obtained, and that from persons interested in the company. The provision? 1 directors have oaen fortunate in securing the services of Mr G. 3. Graham as general manager, for his largo experience :n the insurance business cannot but condure to the succass of the company.

A man named Henry James Sorensen met with.a severe and painful accident at Perry's tailings mill last evening. He was engaged oiling the cog-wheels connect d with a be.dan, when his hand was caugLt in ."... icethand fV.~*fully mangled. Dr Payne was speedily in attendance, and as amputation was considered necessary the injured me 1 was removed to the doctor's surgery, and with Dr O'Elaherty's assistance the first and middle fingers were amputated, the man being under chloroform. He was doing as well as could be expected under the circumstances this morning.

It is notified in another column that Mr J. Nodder, stationer, Pollen street, has b:en apporrited Thames Agent for Coutts' acetic acid, which as a curative agency is rapidly coming into favor. Mr Nodder will supply pampHet' on the subject to applicants.

In the N. Z. Herald's reprint of the Eev. T. De Witt Talmage's sermon "Is there a Hell ?" the following passage occurs. It looks as if the pver.cber or the compositor had attempted a ioke: — "In another plac3 he says, ' The adulterers, the sorcerers, and p.H liars shaV. have their place in the lake that bumeth witb fire and brimstone.' And in another place he says, ' They shall both be east alive into the lake of file.' The lr.st book of the Bible closes \?ith a dark scroll on the sky. What is it ? Smoke. Where there is no fre there i" no stroke., ' The smoke of their torment ascerdeth for ever and ever.' 'But,' you s.y, 'were not these men whowro.'e this?' Yes, but they were insured n'en."

We give Dr Payne the benefit of this gratuitously; it is worthy of a place in " Jce MiL'er: " Dr Payne requests the author or authoress of a letter, beaiing the " assum: 1 name " of " Timothy Clark," Dot to write again, as he does not care to be the recipient of "anonymous" correspond nee. Thanes, May 25.1C78

It is notifhl in the Few Zealand Gazette of May 13 that the session of Parliament summoned to meet on tie 23rd day of May has been extended to the 15th day of June next.

, We learn that a Thames fisherman nanrd Bettis hps received a summons to attend *he Auckland Police Court for ?iav:ng committed a breach of the Fish Protection Act, 1877, by catching a fLuider mc»3uri.ig less than nine inches from the snout to the root cf the tail. As a warning to other fishermen we may state that the 10th Clause of the Be&ifai.'oJß under the Fish Protection Act, 78, made by the Governor m Council at AucLland on April Ist, 1878, provides that "flounders and soles measuring less than nine inches from the suout to the root of the tail are excluded from being taken at: any fishery, except during the month of July, in any year, and if any flounders or soles of a size less than heiain men-iced shall (except as aforesaid) be «i ?.? ;-/it pv taken by any person wiihin any iishery affected by these regalations, t'le pame shall forthwith be returned alive to the sea."

An incident in which it is hard to say whether ignorance or impudence pr "dominated (says the Lyitc'ton Times) occurred on Wednesday. A member of a northern contingent of the C.V.C., on his return from the encampment, waned a feed for his horse. He demanded it "in the Qu-:cn's naae," of a well-known livery stable-keeper in Kaiapol, and was supplied. The wil,; " man of straw," when caring for the animal in IMs charge, provided "or his own payment by removing the crbine f.om the holster and retaining it i i Men of coin of the realm. The youthiul cavalier, when prepared for a reia-n, missed the weapon, aid after calling in to his assis jance a sergeant and constable of police, he v as enabled to recover it upon payment of the customary fee for the feed. Tnen he left, threatening that he would report the incredulous stable keeper to head-quariers. So much fc:.' the experience he gained at the encampment.

Fuibhd, to get a good Watcb, Gold or Sliver, Geneva, English or American, go to WILKES, Shortland, for there you \».:H have the largest stock to seLst from; &W if you were thinking of purchasing a Brooc'a, or pair of Earin&a, .Gold Guard, or Sing'—for there you can seethe moat varied and boet selected stock on the Thames. Watches, Clocks, and Jewellery repaired at Aucklandprices, and guaranteed. Established 1837.— Ai>vt.