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Thames Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 7071, 31 December 1891, Page 2

To-mobrow, being New. Year's Day, there will be no issue of the Star. . This evening we present our readers with the customary almanac. <

Four excursions will take place to-morrow and one on Saturday next, so that those desirous of spending the holiday away from town have ample opportunities afforded them of doing so. The annual picnics in connection with the Fire Brigade have always been thoroughly successful, and the, excursion to Netherton to-morrow in the s.s. Ohinemuri promises to be equally as pleasant and enjoyable as its predecessors. A more suitable place could 'not hare been selected than Mr Moore's farm at Netberton, and as the steamer leaves Goods wharf promptly at 6.30 a.m., intending excursionists will be able to have a lengthy outing. The fare for adolts is 3s, and children Is 6d, for which tea is also provided. A band will be in attendance. —A trip to Omaha will take place in the s.s. Ghelmsford in connection with the Primitive Methodist Church. There is excellent shelter and fine paddocks for games, &c, while a landing can be effected at any tide. The price of tickets'is 2s. We would remind those interested that the steamer will put off from Goods Wharf at 7 a.m. —The s.s. Argyle, which has been chartered by the Salvation Army, will leave Goods Wharf at 6 a.m. for Coromandel, and will leave on the return journey at 4 p.m. Everything possible has been done to make the excursion a success, and asthe tickets are only 3s, it is anticipated that there will be a large number of people on board.—Those desirous of witnessing the Auckland races to-morrow are reminded that the s.s. Rotoroabana will leave Goods wharf at 6.30 a.m., and return from Auckland at midnight, . the.return fare being only 5s. —On Saturday next, the s.s. Ohinemuri, under charter to the Wesleyan Sunday School, will make an excursion to Mr Townsend's farm, at the junction of the Thames and Ohinemuri rivers. The price of return* tickets is 2s, and the proceeds are to be devoted to the festival fund; The steamer will leave Goods Wharf at 7 a.m.

As a proof (says the Te Aroha News) of the amount of work that is going on in Te Aroha and the neighboring districts, we may mention the fact that last Wednesday Mr Rhodes, the local manager of the Bank of New Zealand, on his weekly visit to this place, cashed cheques presented for payment to the extent of £1000, and all within the few hours he remained here.

The Union Insurance Co. have declared the usual half-yearly dividend at the rate of ten per cent, per annum.

In a recent issue we stated that Mr Vickerman, Railway Engineer, had written to say he hoped to commence operations on the railway between Te Aroha and Paeroa from the former end the first week in January, and therefore he may bo expected to arrive any day. We learn that several parties, or gangs, are in course of formation in the Thames and Te Aroha districts to take up work on the line, and the following account of the manner in which similar railway work was started last week at Hikurangi will, we feel sure, be of interest to them, as well as to our readers generally. Immediately after his arrival Mf Vickerman proceeded to the camp, where in response to a previous notification he found about 130 men assembled on tbe ground ready , for work. He took down the names of all the | agent* or head men of the different gangs, and I then divided amongst them the whole section, 8 miles long. The prices fixed by the Government for the work were—Bd a yard for shifting earth; Is a yard for loose rock, and 2s 6d a yard for solid rock, at which rates, Mr Vickerman stated, men working on the Helensville railway extension made from 10s to 12s a day. The Government find all the materials used in the work, except spades, axes, and shovels, and also provide tents for the men. Sir Vickerman's instructions were to give the work to local men, and to,givs the preference to the marriei men, the desive of the Goverument being not to disturb the labor market, and only to provide work for tbo3e in needof it. Among the 130 men who were put to work on the Hikurangi line there were some wlig had not much acquaintance with the pick and shovel, but as the different gangs have the privilege of arranging amoug themselves how the gross earnings of each gang shall be apportioned individually, those who earn most will get most, and those who earn least will get least, or have to go, providing the Engineer in charge agrees as to the inability of such men to wopk wjfch theothor3. It was expected that after a few weeks' work some of the weaker men would be weeded out. The work was given to the gangs on a Wednesday, on the next day some of the men bad commenced pitching their tents, and on the following Monday the work was to be atarted in earnest. There ape two features in this co-operative system which will commend themselves, namely, that there is no time lost in calling for tenders, and a large gang of men are got together and started to work in a much quicker time than a contractor coald bring about the same state of affairs. The system has worked well in Otago, and in Australia a somewhat similar method has proved very successful.

A good deal of interest was evinced yesterday afternoon in the rowing of the final heat for tbe trial fives competition in connection with the Hauraki Rowing Club. The course was from the Good's Wharf around buoys placed near the Skortland lamp post and back to the wharf. The following were the crews :—Hauraki:' M. Schiedler (No. 5), J. Fitzpatrick (No. 4), J. Mclntyre (No. 3), T. Johnston (No. 2), and F. Brown (No. 1), with T. Ganley coxswain. Total j C. Rolton (Mo. 5), E. Twohill (No. 4), A. Otter (No. 3), S. Fisher (No. 2), Thompson (No. 1), witb T. Rolton coxswain. The latter I won somewhat easily. A successful social ! and. dance was held in the evening in St. George's Hall, when a very pleasant time 1 was spent. In the courae of the evening Mr Jas. MoAndrew, Commodore of the Club, assisted by Mrs Humphreys, presented the caps, medals, and trophies to the following successful crews:—Mauried Men (Trophies): T. Johnston, S. Fisher, H. Thompson, W. Brown, T. Rolton, and T. Ganley, coxswain. lOst Crew. (Medals and Caps): M. Waull, H. Thompson, J. C. Burrow, B, McCormick, W. Cropp, and T. Rolton, coxswain, Tbiaj. Fives : The silver cup^presented by Sir W; J. Constant, in addition To. the Club's caps and medals, was also presented to the winning crew in the first competition yesterday, while the second boat's crew received the Club's caps. The Club is to be congratulated upon the success that Ma attended tUc awpotitiou.

The adjourned meeting of the creditors of Mr W. J. Olaxton was held in Auckland yesterday at the office of the Official Assignee. There were present the debtor and his solicitor (MrJ. P. Campbell), Messrs Tewsley (Sargood), McCnllough, Hooton. The debtor's son offered £500 for the unrealised estate, the mortgages and encumbrances being met out of the said £500. This would leave £250 altogether available. Out of this the debtor's son and daughter would have to be paid, also bailiff's and other costs, leaving some £200 clear to pay £370, meaning rather less than 10s in the pound. It wan subsequeutly agreed to accept an offer of £210 for the assets over securities. The offer was made by the debtor on his son's behalf, the son to take over the liabilities under the mortgages. One half is to be cash, and the other half secured in suoh manner as may be approved by the Official Assignee.

All that has beea finally arranged as yet in reference to the English mails is that the Federal service of the Australian colonies shall be the service to alternate with the San Francisco in keeping up the fortnightly despatch and receipt of mails decided upon by Parliament. Negotiations as to how the arrangement shall be ca-ried out are still unfinished, but the delay seems to be beyond the control of the New Zealand Postal ■ department. The chief point of difficulty is that the new system will entail extensive alterations in the time-table for the Union Steamship Co.'s services between Melbourne and Bluff, in order to connect with the steamers of the federal service either way, and the company has not yet signified what it is prepared to do in the matter. The London Post Office is also slow in completing its share of the arrangements.