Local and General intelligence.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1218, 30 January 1886, Page 2

Local and General intelligence.

Miss M, F. Donald, at presentin charge of the Raes Junction school, has received the ap~ pointmeot of mistress of the Highcliff school. The revised contract for the sale of wheat, brought into operation in London on January 15, permits sellers to supervise the weighing. The Manuka Creek and Waitahuna School Committees have nominated Messrs M'Keozie and Clark for the vacancies on the Education Board. There were fifteen patients in the Tuapeka Hospital last evening — viz., twelve male and three female. During the past week two male patients were discharged and five admitted. The defeat of the Marquis of Salisbury's Government ia said to be generally regretted on the Continent. , It is regarded as doubtful whether Mr Gladstone will succeed in forming a Cabinet. A cablecuiam to the " Age " says that on the day after Mr Stead's release from prison a great meeting was held in London to welcome him, and that the proceedings thereat were characterised by great enthusiasm. Farmers in the Waitahuna district interested, in the formation of a dairy factory are remindedof the, meeting of the Farmers' Club, which will be held in the Good Templars' Hall, Havelock, this evening at eight o'clock, to take the matter into consideration.

A aoN of Mr Allan M'lutosh, of Blue Spur, aged six years, met with an accident on Thursday last while playing with some other children, through a fall of earth, which fractured his thigh. He is now ia the Hospital, and is .doing well under the skilful treatment of Dr Withers and the Hospital staff.

We learn that- Field's Hotel at Butchers Gully was destroyed by fire on Wednesday morning. The building, the walls of which were of stone and the roof of iron, was erected many years ago. and contained either eight or nine rooms. Mr Field's loss is said to have hem covered by insurance to the extent of £600. -

We have bean reliably informed that a petition will shortly be prepared and circulated in this district praying the Government to resume possession of certain large landed estates adjacent to the Tuapeka district with the view of the same being subdivided into conveniently sized sections and thrown ope,a;,foi< by farmers of small means* , Moris will be heard of the matter in thtfißoufaaof a few- weeks. The Dunedin Chamber of Commerce strongly disapproves of the supposed borrowing policy , of the Government. At a meeting beldjlast Tuesday evening, it was resolved, on the motion' of Mr D. Reid— " T,hat, in the opinion of this Chamber it would in the present circumstances of the Colony be inexpedient to rindertake any new railways, but' that the lines now in progress should be completed." Only two hands ware held up against the motion.

A correspondent, writing to the " Daily Times" in favor 'of railway extension from Lawrence to Roxburgh, says :— " I feel perfectly justified in stating that nine-tenths of the population of the Mount Benger disttict would prefer the Lawrence route. I could point out many reasons in favor of the Lawrence route, both on the points of public convenience aud public economy ; but as the decision of the matter was left by public resolution in the hands of the Government engineers, I prefer learning their views on the subject first." A nasty accident happened to Mr Jr\ Ritchie, a well-known resident of Waipori, on Wednesday last. While engaged in assisting to put in a rise in the ABC quartz-mine, a piece of stone suddenly became detached from the roof of the tunnel and struck him a severe blow on the right arm, making a nasty gash, and causing the blood to flow freely. After the bleeding had been checked, Mr Ritchie came into Lawrence, and on Dr Withers' recommendation became a patient in the Hospital. Under the Doctor's skilful treatment, Mr Ritchie is now making fair progress towards recovery.

The Hon. Mr Ballauce is expected to arrive iv Dunedin next Tuesday evening, and will remain there for a few days, We understand that he will be interviewed by one or two deputations while in Dunedin. One will represent a aumber of paatoral tenants of the Crown, who, finding times hard and prices ruling for wool rather low, intend to ask for a reduction iv their rents. The other deputation will likely represent some parties who desire that certain lands in Otago be thrown open under the special settlements regulations Mr JKJ X C> Brown expects that the Hon. 3&r.Ba(lance<wilL visit Lawrence towards the end of 'next week or the beginning of the following week. ' Tasmania, small as ahe ia, has been devoting herself so long aud under such favorable circumstances to the jam iudastry that she has now, after supplying her own wants, the enormous . surplus for export of 4,500,0001 b weight of jam every year.- New. Sw.li Wales has hitherto been taking about' 2,500,0001 b of' that jam. — Could not an. effort be made" to establish a jam. factory in Lawrenca? F,or the growth of various kinds of fruit this district cannot be excelled, tbJETclimate and soil being unequalled. Everyone ia (trying out •fee I ' the establishment of local industries in out midst. A start on a small scale with a jam factory might possibly lead to something more extensive and more in keeping with our resources. Is there no one in our midst sufficiently public* spirited to uiovo iv the ujfttyyr 'i

THE Rev. James Gibb, formerly of Melbourne, was inducted to the charge of the First Church, Dunedin, on Wednesday last. I

Mr M. W, Gkben (" Conscience '*oreenjexM.H.R., has drifted to Adelaide, where he, is giving a course of lectures on Spiritism. . ,' r -, The only business of local interest vgjuch came before the Land Board on Wednesday was the application of James Smith, jufar., to cipitalise section 18, block v, Waitahuna West district. The application was approved.

The "Australasian," writing on the proposal of Sir Julius Yogel to borrow another LIO.OOO 000, says the present New Z 'aland debt is, per capita, four times that of Egypt, five *tto*e»>ttafc*of*TttlMiyrdi^ Spain, and double the incidence of the debt of the whole of tho Australian colonies.

We would call attention to the magic-lantern .which. iato be showtrin the-Wesleyatf churches at Lawrence and Blue Spur on the evenings (f Tuesday and Wednesday next. The Rev, W. Tinsley haß shown these viewa in many parts of the North Island with very great success. The entertainment should furnish a very pleasant and instructive hour for young and old.

Referring to what Mr Ballauce said at Wanganui about a probable early dissolution of Parliament, the /* Chronicle" says:— An "almost inevitable "^.dissolution, though not officially announced by; Mr Ballaoce on the authority o,f the Cabinet, may be reckoned on as a certainty, and it nrould be difficult for the Government to go back upon it, even although it has only been indited upou the authority of a single Minister.

Oub Tuapeka West correspondent writes: —At a congregational mesting of the Churchmission Committee held last week, for the purpose of electing a new committee for the year, the following were appointed — viz., Messrs Mackay, Smith, Osborne, Redpath, Drain, Dalziel, and M'Duff. -The School Committee have nominated Messrs M'Kenzie and Dick as members of the Education Board.— The recent rainfalls have done immense good to the crops.

The first meeting of the newly-appointed Vestry of Trinity Church, Lawrence, was held in the Sunday-schoolroom on Tuesday evening ; Archdeacon Beaumont presiding. Messrs Herbert, Revel!, Thompson, and Fraer were appointed parochial nominators. Permission was granted to- the Ladies' Guild to erect an additional room to the- Sunday-school. It was decided to present Master Wootton with a Buitable book for his services in assisting the organist (Mr Towsey.) Collectors were appointed for the year, and several necessary matters were also ordered to be done. It was decided to invite applications for the position of verger, on account of the resignation of Mr Tuckey.

The following is taken from the " Evening Herald." It is almost needless to say that the sentiments therein contained meet with our hearty commendation :— The sect of the Pharisees is by means extinct. There are very many who strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. We read a great deal in the press of the iniquity of appointing Messrs M'Kenzie and J. C Brown to seats at the Waste Land Board. The objectors should have pointed out where the impropriety of such appointments exists, Some one must be nominated to the vacant chairs, and it is surely better that gentlemen who are known to be zealous for the proper settlement of the waste lands, and who both of them have taken active steps against dummyism, should sit there, than that jobbers and land accumulators should have been selected.

According to a Christchurch telegram, the Public Works Department have interfered with the Christchurch firm of founders whose tender was accepted for the construction of locomotives, as it is said that a large quantity of material used in constructing has, contrary to specifications, been imported from England. The specifications state that the whole of the material required in the construction of locomotives must be worked in the Colony, and that, with a view to encourage local industries, nothing, except in a crude state, must be imported. The price paid for these locomo tives is about 27 per cent above those imported from England, and it is understood that notice has been served on the contractors to the effect that a large quantity of imported material has been condemned, as it bears marks of foreign workmanship.

At the last meeting of. the Waihemo County Council, a motion was moved that the balance of the general rate of onneighth of a penny be not collected this year. The reason advanced in favor of the proposition was that times were hard and money scarce, and, as a consequence, it was not desirable to tanduly press the ratepayers at the present tim>». Before the motion was put, one of the Councillors inquired if the IrCouncil could do without; the money, as the "'answer would influence fans vote. The Chairman replied : " Yes ; we can do without the money. Some two cart-loads of gravel is all tha increased expenditure: we have sanctioned during the last six months." These remarks, it is reported, provoked a good deal of laughter. 1 It haa occurred to us that the day is yet far off when the Tuapeka County Council will be in a pbsition to forego the collection 1 of its general rate for a twelvemonth, or the Chairman be enabled to make a boast -that ".some two cartloads of gravel is all tha increase d expenditure we have sanctioned during the latitsix months." The Waihemo County Council is fortunate in not having nearly two-thirdß oif its revenues swallowed up in the maintenan< :e of between fifty and sixty miles of an uuinetalled main arterial road.

In a previous issue -ye mentioned that some well-known Victorians as the forerunners of an influential syndicate were making arrangements for the purchase or leasing for goldmining purposes of the Island Block near Moa Flat. Yesterday Mr Gordon (who is in the service of the Victorian. Government as a hydraulic engineer) and Mr Scarr (one of the representatives of the syndicate previously referred to) were in Lawrence on their way to ihe Island Block. In company with Mr J. C, Brown, M.H.R., they visited the Gabriels Tailings .Co. 'B and the Great Extended Co. 'a claims for the purpose of inspecting the hydraulic appliances in operation at these claims to ascertain whether they would be suitable for working the Island Block. Unfortunately, neither of the claims were at work, hut both gentlemen', under Mr Brown's guidance, inspected the appliances, which were regarded as very suitable for hydraulic sluicing. Later in the day Mr Gordon and Mr Scarr J&eft for the Island Block, where they intend to remain for eight or ten days to carry on boring- operations and to ascertain whether there is water available in sufficient quantities at a proper altitude for carrying on mining; operations systematically on an extensive scale. It is their intention, we believe, to make full inquiries, and to report the result of their observations to the syndicate in Melbourne. There cannot be the least d oubt that the Island Block, which is about five miles iv length, contains gold in highly paya ble quantities, and that when properly developed it will be a goldmining property o£ immense value. Good gold has been, obtained Above and below the Island, which ia unquestionably an old river-bed of the Molynciux. It is to be hoped that the syndicate will see their way clear to embark in the undertaking.

The result of Inspectors being fixed luminaries is not simpfy disastrous to the hopes of young, clever und aspiring' teachers. It has its influence on ■schools, aud we- think it imposes drawbacks on education. Each Inspector has his own methods and crotchets, . and these are studied by the teacher, and enforced on the pupil. Children, we believe, are not prepared for their examinations with a due regard for general instruction in their standards. The teacher- kndWs tihe " weak ipoints" in the Inspector," generally Better than ithe Inspector under^ands'the " weak points " iv the. teacher. TAie natural consequence is that tho teaches, if he possesses ordinary . shrewdness, .will 'specially cram tbie immatu' • juvenile mind bo as to meet the. specific demands of the Inspector. Heuce a certain amount of dunning and shrewdness on the part of the teacher is of more importance than competency, and this remark applies to the pupil as well. Eesults are consequently very often misleading, for the pupil who passes in one of the higher standards is not necessarily Well educated. This «vil might, T»f» consider, be remedied, and a vast improvement in our present system of education would be effected, if the inspector-general was something more than ideal, and the 1 inspectors, like Wesleyan clergymen, had to f travel arouud the circuit. — " Wairar&na Star."

Am extraordinary general meeting of tha shareholders of the Tuapeka Milling Company (Hiaited), convened by circular, was held in the Town Hall last evening for the purpose of considering an extraordinary resolution iv fjivor of .winding up tha company voluntarily. *Ehere wis 5 fair attendance, v The chair was oijcuDie&gy Mr D. M'lntosh (Chairman of the Cokn{rtrpy), who. explained 1 the object of the meeting. After considerable discussion, it was rFSilyed to wind up the Company under the jirovisif n8 of the Companies' Act, 1882.

•T^he novel case of an offender against the law being rejoiced at the appearance of tha police, was brought to light at Invercargill a ■f«w»d»jt ago. An individual on whoftrfße*" sun had exerted undue influence lost his. way and sought admittance into the house' of • respectable citizen. This being refused, he relieved his feelings by breaking one BftW v windows and otherwise disporting himself in ; an eccentric fashion. For this he was severely ■ rebuked with a slick, which brought him to • the ground, and to further quieten him ha, was tightly bound with a rope. On the arrival ot the police on the scene he ejaculated in tones of profound relief : "Thank God, you're come," thinking his energetic enter* tamers might adopt still more vigorous I measures.

Won» Chin Foo, tbe Chinese-American journalist, writing on the subject of inter* marriage of Caucasian and Cefcsi ial, says :—: — '* The Chinese, as a race, are affectionate and, domestic, making good husbands and fathers. They express these things in funny ways. For example, Fan Lan, a well-known caterer,,: one day lately put the following notice .upon a Mott-street bulletin board : ' I am 35 years old, have 4200d015. saved up, and have a good bu sin ess ; am good-natured, healthy, and popular ; very lonely, and want a first-class . 1 American wife. Any such marrying me can, I have the 4200d015. to put in the bank in her own name, and can do alee samee 'Melicsn wife, only must be home after 7 o'clock in tha evening. I speak very little English, andjo publish this notice. Anyone procuring such a wife will receive my thanks and a large brokerage,' "

A CASE of some interest to members of local governing bodies came before Mr J. N. Wood, ' R.M., at Naseby on Wednesday last. Proceedings were taken against .Samuel M'Cullough, Chairman of Maniototo County Council, under section 96 of the Counties Act, to show causa why he should not be ou9ted from his office on the ground of his having received payment • for certain goods supplied by him to thsCouncil while acting as a councillor. Some preliminary objections having been raised, the case for informant was gone into and evidenca given to Bhow that defendant had supplied certain material and had received payment for the same. On behalf of defendant it was contended (1) that sufficient proof had not been given of defendant's election, consequently it would be absurd to oust him from an office which the Court had go proof that ho held ; (2) that the supposed contracts had not been entered into with the formal requisites rendered necessary by the Counties Act; and (3) that no proof had been given, as required by section 62 of the Counties Act, thet defendant was a member of a partnership which had contracted with the Council. The Bench held there was a case to answer, and the case for the defence was then gone on with. The Magistrate, in delivering judgment, said he thought the case had been proved, but there were extenuating circumstances connected with the offence which he> . must take into consideration. He did sot suppose defendant sold the goods and did tho work with the object of sub-letting it, and 'he appeared to have acted- thoughtlessly . throughout tbc affair. He did not, there, fore, think it advisable to put the County to v the expense of an election, and would not, make an order for ouster, bat gave an order for costs for £6 17s.