OTAGO.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2165, 18 February 1875, Page 4

OTAGO.

(Otago Daily Times, Feb. 10 and 11.)

" We have racoivod the following letter from Mr Archibald Valentine, of Waikouaiti: —

"I am nofc aware whether fcho Acclimatisation Society over burned oufc any birds in this dis trict, bub 1 have distinctly heard the song oi tbo blackbird in tho Kitraog, Hawksburj, and Pukutapu bushes. 1 huvo also scon on several occasions starlings, and lunt week I counted fourteen goldflnchoa in a small field afc the back of Hawkubury bush. A friend of mine also found a partridge's neat with eggs when cutting a road through outs for tho reaping mttobino. lf all fche birds wero burned oufc in Dunrdin, as stated in an article in last week's Witness, ifc is evident, they are spreading very fast," All fcho birds referred to by Mr "Valentine were liberated in tho distriot by fcho Aooimutieafcion Society. Tho uppor part of tho Kaikorai Valley is the soono of muoh enterprise and industry. Wifchin a short distance are situate Mr Lambert's wooleoouring establishment, Mr Boonicko'o gluo and bone-duet factory, tbo Kaikorai Woollon Mills, and Mr Flexman's fellmongery. Mrßoeniok's gluo faotory has asaumod dimensions whioh are largo compared to what ifc was whon startod throo yoars ago. Boiling by stsamis the plan now followed, the result being that ono firo only is now used, while fivo were needed, whon thoro was leas to do, boforo tho introduction of fche now sysfcom. Worthy of notico also are the Kaikorai Woollen Millo of Messrs Williamson, Ure, and Booth. Operations woro commenced in thoso mills in December last. Up to tho present tho company has been engaged in manufacturing blankots, Soofcob. plaiding, and fino flannels, and tho domand for tho goods is, we aro informed, greafcor than what can bo produced. Tho company aro bo ploanod at the way thoir manufaoburos aro being taken in Dunedin that ordora havo beon sent for additional machinery. Tho company have now a sot of tho usual teasing, scribbling, and carding machinery, two sots of mules, and ton looms, besides finishing, washing, and wringing maohinory. Thoro is a powerful horizontal etoam engino, whioh oan bo worked up to 80'horeo power, and a tubular boiler. Grocn Island coal is consumed, and, it it. considered, vory economically, ten tons a wook boing nooded to supply steam for ten hours a day. A orook running through tho freehold givos a supply of water. Tho tenter-hooks on which the goods uro dried aro situato in a sheltered valley at tbo rear of tho buildings. Vhe main building, in whioh tho manufacturing is carried on, is 80 foet square, and is woll lighted from tho roof. Employment is givon to more than twenty hands, noarly all of whom are residents in fcho district, fchafc aro boing taught tho business. Wo are informed thab thoro aro a numbor of weavors hero who would get employment ab tbo factory, bufc who cannot tako ib, nob being ablo bo got houao accommodation in tho district. This is the second woollen mill in tho province, and we hopo that many moro will follow. At tho Port Chalmers Roeidonb Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, Fob. 9, Wm. M'Loughlin, landlord of tho George Hotol, was charged by G. Lumb, Rovenuo Offioor and Inupoebor under tho Aot, with having sold impuro liquor^ thoroby committing a breach of tho Adulteration of Food Act, 1866. Mr Joyco appeared for tho dofendant, and pleaded not guilty. The prosooutor prefaced his ovidonoo by remarking upon tho meagre effects produced by tho Aot sinco it had beon in operation. It had becomo noxb to a dead letter. He desoribed how tho publicans, in adultorab ing thoir liquors, doparted from the strict letter of thoir agroomont with tho Govornmont. Tho present oaso was laid within tho fourth oootion of tho Act, ond, roforring to tho interpretation clauoo, tho jproaooubor pointed out how : tho Aob inoluded not only olimontary artioles, but also drugs, &c, Tho Bonch asked if, supposing a publican buys spirit 40 or 50 ovor proof, would ho bo justified in reducing ib. Tho prosooutor roplied in tho affirmative, providing only innocuous mattor wo o used in tho reduction, and fchab duo notioo of tho eamo wero givon to purchaser, Ho thon deposed to having on tho 18th January, purchased two shillings' worth of rum at tho defendant's houso, and when ho recoived it, ho gavo duo notico to tho

flollor of bin yooafcion, and thai; tho spirit; would bo eubjootod fco analysis. Ho also notified tho dofondant, to attend at fcho analyst's. The rum was placed in a bottle, whioh was duly labollod and aoalod. Prosooutor book tho rum to Professor Blaok, Dunodin, and in a fow days after received a roporb of bho analysis, to wit — " Tho oamplo was 50 por confc. undor proof, Ifc contains 28 por confc. of aloohol by weight, or 28 por confc. by volume Ono hundrod moaauros of tho liquid contain 50 measuros of proof B pirif>, and 50 moaauroa of wator, in whioh is dißßolvod a small quantity of sugar and exfcraotivo mattor. The liquid also shows traoos of copper, and a small quanbiby of alumina and sulphuric acid— probably inbroducod as alum." The roporb was signed by Profosßor Blaok. Mr Joyce appliocl that tho caso bo quashed, becauso ib could not bo shown that Dr Blaok wan a duly appointed analyst. Suoh an appointment; had certainly nob boon gazobtod. His Worship, aftor roforring to tho Aot, ruled tho objection to bo fabal, and dismissed bho caso. Ho was sorry to havo fco do so on ouch grounds, but thoro was no option. Another oaao of a similar kind was withdrawn by Mr Lumb, who, howovor obtainod porrmssion to lay a fresh information.

Undor tho bending " Moro Immigration Muddle," tho LBruoe Herald publishes a letter from Wm. Henry Williams, who tolls his otory as follows :— " I, along with about 100 moro from Cornwall, engaged wibh tho agent there, Mr John Bonnot Nichols, to go by tho ship Moropo, bound for Cantorbury, as ho told us thab thoro wero no moro ships going to Otago that yoar (this was in March). Accordingly, wo woro sonb on fco Plymoubh, under tho impression thab wo woro to bo sonb by bho ship Merope 5 bufc to our dismay, on arriving thero wo wero told by tho agonb at Plymouth, a Mr Wiggs, that wo should have to go in another ship, the Helen Denny, bound for Napier. On remonstrating with him about sending us so far out of tho way, bo told us plainly thab ' wo should bavo to go whorovor tho Govern monfc had a mind to send us.' I wrofco baok fco Mr John Bonnot, Niohols, but Mr Wiggs intercepted hio letter to mo, and tore off fcho ono half, and wroto at, fcho bottom, ' that wo should bave to go on to Napior,' sealed and stamped the same, and sont, ifc to mo, Our luggago was then seizod and sont aboard, and wo had fco follow. Now, Mr Editor, boforo fchis happonod I had writfcen to my brofchor-in-law, Mr fc>amuol Bray, who was residing at Maungatua, Otago, thab I was to sail for Cantorbury. Ho accordingly wont up to Canterbury fco moot, mo (fchis I havo found out since I eamo down in soarch of hira). Bufc tho worst, of all has bo bo told. I had to leave my wifo and family ab Napior, as I bad nob sufficionb monns to tako thorn down. Now, air, I must work for six monbhs before I can earn enough monej bo bring ray wife and family down hero, fcho plaoo whore I wanted to como afc firsfc."

Tho Southland Times, of Fob. 10, says :— Novor ab any timo sinoo tho rutin to fcho Lakes has thoro beon such activity in the building trade as thoro is at bho prcsont moment in Invercargill. Shops and dwellings in course of orootion ovory whero confront üb, and bbo material of which bhoy are boing built is, in many instance;, briok, As a matter of course, most, of bho now businoss premises aro being orcobed in Doo and Tay sfcroobe, bub the number of private rosidonoos which are rising up in una about M'Master's fisfcabo, and othor suburbs, is somothing astonishing. Fifteen months ago there wero scarcely a dozen dwellings on tho south-oast verge of tho town bobwoon Puni Crook and Seaward Bush, and to-day ib is thick with inhabited houses, and othors in courso of ereebion, Ib is nofciccablo thab Doo sbreob north, whero a largo proportion of fcho proporty is in fcho hands of one person, remains in a fltato of oomparativo dormancy, and is making littlo if any advanoomonb in tho way of now buildings. Thoro aro also ono or two othor localitios similarly oiroumsbancod, and tboy boo aro characterised by a kindrod want of progress, 'lho edifices whioh begin to make tho most notioeablo appearance in Doo streot aro thooo which are being erootod for Mr Charles Frcoman, Mr Louis Rodgers, Mr George Ott, and, as abutting upon tho samo sfcroot, wo may mention tho now promises for tho Bank of Now South Wales, and tho Athenajum j and in Tay sfcroot those whioh aro boing constructed for Mr W. Barham and Mr J. Coutts. Tho material usod in all thoso structures io brick. Ib may bo stabod that Mr H. Mayo purposes erecting a theatre on tho spaoo bebweon Mr Barham 'a now promises and bho Bank of Now Zoaland. But ib would occupy too much space to parfcioulariso all bho now premises whioh aro building, and whioh aro talked of as going to be built, in and around tno town. Ib is nob, howovor, overstating things to say thab at bho prosent moment aboub £40,000 is being expended in tho construction of now buildings in Invorcargill and ito suburbs, and tho number of mon employed in tho work of oreotion may bo estimated as amounting to sovoral hundreds. In addition to works already mentioned, ono of fcho wings of tho now publio buildings will shortly bo undor fcho hands of fcho bricklayer?, tho tender of Mr John Ramsay having just boon accoptcd by fcho Gonoral Government. Tho sum is £(.QdQ, and tho work is bo bo finished by Novombor of tho ourrant y<ar. Tho lower floor will contain fcho Reaidont Magisfcrato'o Court, tho Customs Department, and bho Department of tho Harbour Master ; and tho upper floor, tho Publio Works Department, and bho Dopartmont of Roads and Works. This building will supply a pressing and long folfc publio want, and will alao, fco judgo from fcho designs of its oxfcorior, constitute ono of tho most ploasing arohitoo* bural features of tho town.