The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1888.

Thames Star, Volume XX, Issue 4715, 13 September 1888, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1888.

Ottb readers will observe that the Goverment hare, after considering the appeal of the Harbour Board, decided to revoke the existing limits of the Fort of Thames, and to revert them to what they were under tho Warrant of 1874. Although this does in a measure ex* ceed the limits laid down by the Marine Department, under instruction from His Excellency the Governor on May 26th, yet they are far within the very extended limits over which tho Board had previously jurisdio* tion under the proclamation issued by the Hon. Mr Larnach, then Minister of Marine. Reverting now to what, they were in 1874— s radius of 5 miles eeaward from Opani Point* which just inoludes Messrs Bagnall's mill— the up»country settlers have atill no reason to complain, and we trust that the action of the Board in the future will be such that ar within their jurisdiction may have no cauße for regretting the present decision of the Government.

A cobonbb's inquest on the body of Albert Ashby, who was killed yesterday by a fall of mullock under the circumstances detailed ia our last issue, ■wm held at the Hape Creek Hotel at 430 yesterday afternoon, before Mr C. flaeelden and a jury, of which Mr W Otter was chosen foreman. Evidence was given by George Henry Hicks, Thomas Me Collutn, Constable Stapleton, and Thomas Fogarty, after which the jury returned a verdict of " Accidentally killed by a fall of earth."

A KMHIi shareholder in the Thames Fore" shore Gold Recovery Co. has received a lette r from London, slating that it is proposed to amalgamate that Company with the New Zealand branch of the Newbery-Vautin Co. and that in the event of such being carried out, all arrears had been paid up to the end of last year, and the rgbts and interest of the former company will be handed over to the Newbery-Yautin Co at the Thameß.

Ik another column will be found the ad* yertisement of the Auckland Roller Milk, drawing attention to their four celebrated brands of flour, viz., the Premier,. Strand, Housewife's Pride, and Hinemoa. The find quality of their flour is so well established that it fatcbee the highest pripa in the Auokland market, and is faat superseding all other kind?. We feel sure that onoe these brands are fairly introduced into the Thames, and their merits reoognised, tbpy will be as popular here a* they are in all other places.

Tbnckbs are called by the Couoty Council for the c instruction of the balanoo of the road, mines to battery, Mats Creek, and will be receivable at the County Office, Mary street, until 4 p.m. on Wednesday, next, the 19th insfc. Flans and specifications can be seen at the County office.

This morning one of ofer leading grocers showed us what a very narrow escape be had just had from having his premises burned d^wn. At the back of bis store is a room in which he keeps, among other goods, a stock of kerosene and wax matches. The latter were inside a tin-lined case, apd having been partly used, it was covered over by a loose sheet of tin which did not fit very closely. Inside the case there was a email wooden box, also containing boxes of matches, and several of these had been gnawed through by rats. Some of of them were charred, and one box had evidently taken fire. The inside of the wooden box was also charred, showing that the matches bad beep ignited through the gnawing of the rats, but pwjng tp the fire Being in such a confined space and to haying the sheet of tin pn the top, it bad died put, Had the fire got a fair hold, and from the vicinity of the kerosene, there would no doubt bare been a serious conflagration. The moral to be drawn from this io that it is impossible to be too careful in keeping wax matches carefully covered up ia either tin or iron boxes. ■

Wb are requested to state that th> poßta f for newspapers to Australia is on 9 penny eac v I not a half-penny as some people suppoee wh ' | have lately posted papers for the neighboring colonies. These papers are of course detained } at the Chief Post Office. J

At a meeting of the Board of Works of the County Council the applications referred to i t at the last meeting of the Council were deal 6 with as follows: —" With respeot to the letter of Mr John Townaend, accusing the Council of* having misappropriated loan funds, the Board of Works beg to report: (1) That j if any loan monies have been charged to the wrong account, Mr Townsend, as the senior Councillor entrusted by the Council to sign cheques, must have greatly neglected his duty in not first seeing that the cheques which he signed were drawn on the proper fuad, and agreed with the vouchers passed by the Coutoil and placed before him and ticked off as oorrect, and that he signed cheques only for the purposes authorised by the Oouncil. The Board, however, recommend that the County Treasurer be diraoted to ascsrtain if any irregularity caused by cheques being drawn on the wrong account exists, and if co, to correct such irregularity, aod see that all the provisions of the Local Bodies Loan Act are strictly complied with. With respect to the second statement in Mr John Townsend's letter, it is unnecessary to refer to the insinuation therein shown, further than to state that the contract referred to was a work greatly needed, seeing that each month the high tides covered the road, stopping communication along the main County road to all but borae traffio during spring tides ; besides its extreme narrowness at such a low marshy place reudered this portion of the road extremely dangerous to men, women, and children, when necessary to get away from cattle while being driyen to Parawai slaughter-yards Mortev*r, it was not only a work authorised by and under a vote of the ratepayers, but its immediate undertaking was so strongly urged b i Mr Townsend that iti was on his motion tenders were invited and accepted forthework"; (2; that in the matter of MrS. Montgomery's application, the Surveyor make full enquiry to ascertain the best me.'tna of opening up the district for prospecting, and report thereon to | the Council; <3) that, the balance of £70 bo expended on the Te Matu road ; (4) that an additional man be employed upon the footpath in Sealey street; (5) that in the matter of the Orphamga bridge, the Couoty Clark and Surveyor confer with the Secretary of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards, to asce.tain the best method of carrying out the wishes of the contributors; (6) that £5 ba expended in clearing the slips from the Karaka road; (7) that the Surveyor estimate the aost of making the aloigh track into the Karaka creek road, required by G. Morrison, and the Mines Department be solicited for assistance; ("8) that Ludehope and party be notified that when ths tramway is disengaged, and the men agree to truck not less than 40 loads, the Surveyor shall be authorised to allow a rebate of 6d a truck, provided the dirt it sent down from the mullock tip only ; (9) that Joseph Leatham's contract on the Thames River to Wbungtimuta road be suspended until information has been obtained respecting the requirements of the upper portions ; (10) £6 be piid to T. Dunlop for work done on thu Otanui road, in JiUisfaction of all demands; (tl) that in the mattar of payment for fascines taknu from Mr W. Q. 3c3tt's land at Hikuraia, the Council should not acknowledge liability, as they were taken without its authority ; (12) that Mr W. 8. McOormiok's claim be referred to Crs Pitketbley end Walton, and tho Surveyor; (13) that the Surveyor bo instructed to tike such proceedings against Mr W. Biilings, for injury done to the water- ace by ploughing the reserve, as may be necessary; (14) that the Secretary's letter re removal of earth from the Fever Hospital grounds, be attached as an appendix to the Board of Works report; (15) that a dray and horses and two men be employed on the Xaraka road for a fortnight, the dray only to be employed if needed ; (16) that plan's and specifications be prepared for expending all the balances from the loan, on the sobednled works; (17} that the Surveyor report exhaustively on the whole question of laying down the 30-inch mains-

The San Francisco Bulletin, writing of New Zealand, says;—To grow strong, populous, and rich, has been the dream of the colony, as of nil other young 0 mmunities. To induce people to come there, and to provide railroads tor their accommodation, it bao run headlong into dobt. It is staggering to think that that little community of 587,4. *2 souls in 1886, in the prosecution of these two objects, had piled up a mountain of debt— £37,588,553, or £57 12s 5d per head- The population which wag to bear this crushing load is not double that of San Francisco. But then it has what may be called " great expectations." For wild extravagance nothing like this can be found in the history of any American State. The contrast between New Zealand and California, whioh does not owe 1.000.000d0i5., though it is equipped with all the necessaries of a great State, expensive capital, prisons, asylums, a university, and normal schools, and besides, expends annually vast sums in benevolence, is striking in the extreme. It exhibits the superior practical statesmanship of th« American people. It is true that New Zealand has 631 miles of railway operated by itself, against 83 miles of private companies. It does not appear, however, that fares and freights are low or reasonable, though the element of stockholders is eliminated.

In a lecture delivered afc the Ohristchurch Philoßopbical Institute recently. Professor Hutton referred to the deficiency of acienfcifio knowledge in regard to the occurrence of gold. He said that as reining had been going on for a very Jong period there was a ret 7 considerable collection of facts. But these fuctg h»d nob been collected and put into crder. It might be said that Sir R. Murohison pr-dieted that gold would be found in Australia, and that it was so. Nothing had done so much harm to scientific progress in the colonies ss regarded minerals as this predic'ion. Sir B. Murchieon's prediction was a mere fluke. H-i had seen the country in the Ural Mountains, and there saw gold found in elate. He was also shown fllato from Australia, aui then be said, "This is like what I saw at the Ural Mountains; there should ba gold found there." Th>t was, as he had said, a complete fluke. Let him first explain how little they know. In Cornwall there was exactly the same formation as in New Zealand—slate and granite; but whilst they only found gold here, they found copper and tin in Cornwall and no gold. This they could not explain. 80 far as gold in Canterbury was concerned, none would be found, in bis opinion, unt 1 the Alps it ere removed. Practically be might say every goldfield whs discovered by the prospeotor, because Government did not call in the help of the geologist uotil the gold was found. Thus, though the geologist was some kind of use, he was unable to prophesy where a gpldfield would bo found, as the prospeotor got in before him. This was what bad always taken place, and would continue to do bo.

The dance in the Volunteer H*!l last evening, iv connection with the Bangers' Band Society, was attended by about 20 couples, and proved a most enjoyable affair. The music was supplied by the Society's Band, under Bandmaster Smith, and left nothing to be desired, while the members of the committee did everything in their power to make the gathering a success. It has been deoided t& bold two more of these quadrille assemblies, while the Society also intend te give their honorary members a concert and dance, at a date yet to be fixed, and of which due noties wiU be given,

A JBITATE letter received from Broken Hi 11 states that Mr Peter Smith, who is in the hospital at that place suffering from typhoid fever, is now making satisfactory progress towards recovery. Messrs Heigh way and son, W. Lewis, and others are quite well.

The Silver Age of a recent dale pays that according to Pasteur and other medical experti, typhoid bacillus is in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred communicated through driakiog water.

Cabcb advices received by Messrs Stone Broe. yesterday from good authority state that t.he co-il miners* strike at Newcastle is now expected to last for three months' longsr.

Mb Bah?h D. Stewabd, schoolmaster at Onehunga, and formerly of the Thames, has applied for a patent for "a sohool orrery, which he, in conjunction with a Mr A. Grago, aleo of Ocehunga, has recently invented.

A CALti of 3d per share has been made in the Trenton G.M.Go.

A meeting of creditors in tho estate of B. Freece, bankrupt, was held at 11 a.m. to-day. There were eight creditors present, Mr James BoDshaw presiding. The bankrupt was .examined as to the position of his affairs, from which it appe.rs that the liabilities amount to £127, while the asgota were set down at nil. It was decided to adjourn tbe meeting for a month, so as to'give the debtor an opportunity of making an offar to the creditors. •