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Star (Christchurch), Issue 4001, 15 February 1881, Page 2

Fbozbh Meat— An Embbpbibino Mav. —A Northern contemporary state* that Vr Gear, a well-known butcher and meat-pre-server of Wellington, lias lately been in treaty with tbe agentß of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency, and Meetrt Shaw, Sarill, and Co., with reference to the exporting of frozen meat from Wellington to the London market. If either of these com* ponies will provide a steamer fitted with the necessary freezing apparatus, Mr Gear will undertake to 611 her witb beef and mutton carcases within a week of the date of her arrival at Wellington. There is every probability of an agreement in this matter being come to, and Mr Gear expects that the first shipment will be dwutttched inside of twelve months. He consider, that 4|d perlb in London will pay handsomely. Tbb Latb Commiß_ionbb op Bailwayb. —The two prominent members of the Bailway Department, *av* the Otago Daily Times, bert kuown'in Dunedin, who lost their positions as the outcome of the Civil Service Commission's report Messrs Conyers and Armstrong— haro settled down in the same line of business in Dunedin and lnvercargi'l respectively. Mr Conyers has again gone into the foundry busiuess with Mr Davidson, with whom he was associated previous to actvjjting ofiioe on the railways under the Provincial Government of Otago ; and Mr Armo trong has become a partner in an old* established foundry buiinees in Invercargill, We liave little noubt that so far .* peace of mini is concerned the change of position will in both cas-« bo highly beneficial Uj b"U)ttw«* gentlemen.

A DivviSBKNOH ov OriNiON.—The AustraHauß are not likely to appreciate the oriticul loumen of their advanoe agent, Mr Pitiaan. Acoordiug to the Wanganui EeraM, he said (before Mb principals arrive'}, of course) that the wkkofc was as good as any they had yet played on in tho Cblony. lio could nob have eee-i th« Oamuru or Dunodin match—particularly Oamaru. Whbuk is tub Boabd oi' Health ?— The well at one of the Inveroargill public schools wub oleimed out lately, when among the unoonsidered trills that had accumulated were a number of full-grown rats in various efagei of decomposition, together with mice, woruis, and such lik-.t sinaU beer. 1b it to be wonderod at (the News mk*) that tho ohildren drinking such "broth" tire frequently attacked by obßOuw diseases ? What a gloriouß opportunity this would have been for Dr Nedwill ! Lighting London bx Blkotwoitx.— At a mooting of the London oommimonerfl of aewors, a' report was brought up from the Streets Committee on the subject of eleotrio lighting in the city. It was proposed 16 divide the streets into three districts, each of them including ono of the city bridges. On a rough calculution the cost, including plant, &c, would bo about four times tho price now paid for gas lighting ; but eliminating the expenses which would not recur, the cost would be only twice* thut of gas. The commission unanimously adopted the report of the Committee, and decided that the experiment ihould commence in February. A Fobxunk ibom DUBT.— The fortunes of tome rich men iv London are sometimes mysterious iv their origin, whatever publicity may subsequently be given to the method of their distribution. One of the most proble* matioal of all was la'ely submitted to arbitration ie the oourts of law, and excited the greatest interest among the lawyers. The Fortune iB in Consols, no investment whatever having been made by tho testator. The money, whioh has been accumulating until the last legatee bhould come of age, now yields £'10,000 per annum. It emanates from tho Golden Dustman immortalised by Dickens in "Our Mutual Friend." The wealth lias already passed through two generations; and this third coneistsof three girls and a boy, amongst whom the income will be equally divided. Nelson Hops.— The Colonist aaya the hop crop of this your bids fair to bo a magnificent one, although rain is beginning to be much wanted. Outsiders have very little idea of the importance of this industry, but we may, •tate that wo have learnt on reliable authority that the value of the crop in. the immediate neighbourhood of the town is estimated to be of the value of between £30,000 and £35,000. The expenditure upon the picking of this crop alone, without the expenses of cultivation, &0., is set down at from £1400 to £1600. As our Nelson hops have now been recognised as being tho best produced, there is no reason why this industry should not advance much further than at present, for as both at Sydney and Melbourne they have gained the highest places in competition open in the world, the demand for them is sure to increase very greatly. Oxago Ohntbah Line.— The Minister for Public Works returned to Dunedin from his inspection of the Otago oentral lino of railway late on Saturday evening, after a careful survey of the lino and tho adjacent country, from the cotnjnoncemont of the line to the end of the Strath- Taieri Plain. Mr Oliver was accompanied by Mr J. .Roberts (tho Chairman of the Tttieri County), Mr W. N. Blair, and Mr Usßhor. On Friday the party went by train to Outran), and then drove by the Lee Stream to Strath-Taieri, reaching Mr Roberts' Btation by three o'clock. The afternoon was spent in driving over the plain and seeing the portion of the line thero. Early on Saturday morning they f tarfced again, iwd drove from Mr Roberts 1 station to Barewood station, but deviated fiom the track, and saw the whole of the railway from Strath-Taieri to within three or four miles of Deep Stream. At Barewood the party got horses and rode across the country to Hindon township, and to the Railway oamp. Thence thoy rode along the line to North Taieri, inspecting the whole of the formed portion of the lino, whioh is finished to Deep stream, a distanoo of 20 milee, with the exception of the excavation of four small tunnels.