LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 4079, 28 February 1894, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

Rabbitskins are in poor demand in London at a decline of from Id to 2d per pound.

A large number of Sydney miners are leaving for the Coolgardiegoldfieldsin Western Australia.

Mr J. G. Cross, of Livingstone, at one time a resident of Lawrence, has been recommended for the position of headmaster of the Alexandra school.

A rich gold discovery has been made near Wank*ringa, South Australia, 226 miles inland. Portions of the lode submitted to assay yielded 70oz per ton.

MrH. H. Hayter, the Government sta'ist, has estimated the population of Victoria at the end of the year at 1,174,000, and that of New South Wales at 1,223,000.

It ia {notified in the last issue of the Government "Gazette" that telephone offices have been opened at Island Block and Raes Junction. Mrs Rae has b«en appointed telephonist at the last named place.

The Dunedin Jockey Club have paid away £3,148 6s in stakes in connection with their autumn meeting last week. Mr R. Cotton, through Wolseley's win in the Flying Handicap, draws £95, and Mr N. O. Potts £9 10j, second money in the Maiden Plate.

The best thing to do.— We notice that W. Talboys, drapery Importer, finding that his new goods will arrive before there is room for them, has decided to clear balance of the summer stock at cost. This sacrifice should draw a big crowd around the Town Hall — (Advt).

The gold returns of the following mining .companies are to band : — Jutland Flat Gold Dredging Co., 270z 15dwt for 144 hours' wagestime ; Upper Waipori Alluvial Gold Dredging Co., 250z for five days sixteen hours' dredging ; Waipori Amalgamated Deep Lead Co , 21oz sdwt 12gr.

It is reported that very rich gold-bearing stone has been discovered by Henry and Purser at Cuttle Cove, Preservation Inlet. Three claims of thirty acres each have already been taken up. The reef is supposed to extend a great distance throagh country which is unbroken, in which case it is believed a new goldfield will be opened up.

At a meeting of the Otago Acclimatisation Society, held in Dunedin on Friday last a letter was received from Mr Robert Cockburn Roxburgh, stating that he bad proceeded against two men for poaching by shooting ducks on Like Onslow. One of them was convicted and fined £2 and costs— lt was resolved to thank Mr Copkburn heartily for the efforts he had made in the interests of the s ciety.

Mr Judge Ward is, as is well known, a most sarcastic party. Becently, at the Westport District Court, a witness said that his party "employed twenty men, including a ho " c -" . Then » SBid hJa Honor, with that really brilliant wit for which he is so notorious. "I have often heard of a man beinp called an ass, but never a horse before." The Court was, in duty bound, convulsed with hysterical laughter at this scintillation.

An estimate of the total wheat yield of Austra'asia for 1893 is made ont by the "Miller" at 40,000,000 bnsbels. "Austral aaian wbe-it culture," this journal remarks "has made no appreciable advance since ten years ago,but the clear million quarters, which, in a good year, Australasia has ever since 1883 been able to ahip; exercises especial influence, by reason of its arriving between Easter and harvest, when other supplies flag,"

MR T. J. Collins, dental surgeon, will visit Lawrence on Wednesday, 7th March.

OUR report of the Lawrence Magistrate's and Warden's Courts, held before Mr Hawkins yesterday,' has been held over till next issue.

A MEETING of delegates of 111 1 c local Friendly Societies was held at Lawrence last evening, at which it was decided to hold a monster picnic at Glenomaru on Thursday, Bth March.

Messrs Murray (Victorian mining expert), Gordon (Inspector of Mines, N. Z.), Mackay (assistant geologist), accompanied by Mr W. Fraaer, M.H.B. for Wakatipn, arrived in Lawrence last evening. They will visit Waipori to-day, Blue Spur to-morrow, and will leave Lawrence for Roxburgh on Friday, visiting the Island Block en tvute, reaching Cromwell on Saturday.

HONESTY still flourishes in Lawrence. On yesterday afternoon a purse was picked up in Boss Place, which contained a dozen ten pound notes, a Cape diamond, valued by the owner at two hundred guineas and other valuables. The finder of these " unconsidered trifles," on discovering the owner handed him over his property refusing anything in the shape of a reward, beyond the profuse thanks he received.

A very sad accident, resulting in the drowning of five young men, took place in Bluff Harbour on Sunday. The party went for a sail on Sunday, but as they did not return a search party went out on Monday and found the boat washed up on the beach with the must broken. From its appearance the boat had evidently capsized and gone nnder, only the body of one of the men, most of whom were known to be powerful swimmers, has been found. There is little doubt that all on board have been drowned.

A PUBLIC meeting to consider what steps should be taken to give effect to the Licensing Act will be held in the Borough Council Chambers to-morrow (Thursday) evening. The object of the meeting is one worthy of both discussion and consideration from varying standpoints. The question is one that intimately concerns all classes of the public, and it is, therefore, proper and should conduce to a wise and prtctical end that there should be a large attendance and a free expression of opinion from more than one standpoint of the question.

In view of the approaching licensing elections^ is highly desirable that every man and woman qualified to vote should have his or her name on the roll, so that each one may at the same time exercise a privilege and per form a duty. All, who are at present qualified, whether or not they voted at the general election, may now register, and we hope that steps will be taken generally to have a complete roll, so that, whatever the decision may be in regard to licensing, it may not be said tnat the decision is against the desires of the people, so far as its provisions permit.

At the Dunedin Jockey Club's race meeting on Saturday, Bebel won the Hurdle Bace, Vanilla the Hopeful Stakes, An Bevoir and Beadonwell ran a dead heat in the Forbury Handicap, Forbury won the Marshall Memorial Stakes, Wolseley the Flying Handicap, Barraby the Maiden Two-year-old Handicap, and Remembrance the Consolation Handicap. The inside totalisator paid i' 3on Wolseley 's win in the Flying Handicap and the outside one £4 Is. The sum of £7799 was passed through the totalisator daring the the total investments for the meeting being £24,475.

At a social given in the Presbyterian schoolroom, Lawrence, on Friday evening, by the members of the choir and teachers of the Sabbath school, Mr Bobert Stenhouse was presented with a very handsome Oxford teacher's Bible and a bymn-book from the choir and Sabbath school, and Mr William Smith with a beautifully-bound " Church Praise " from the choir. The Bey. Mr Jolly, in making the presentation, referred to the services of Messrs Stenhouse and Smith, and gave them, at the same time, some valuable words of advice for their future guidance, as they are both about to leave Lawrence in order to prosecute their studies at the Normal School and University, Dunedin.

The Minister for Lands has wired to the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Dunedin, correcting some wrong impressions that have been formed in connection -with the purchase of tho Potnahaka estate. The Government, he says, paid 50s per acre for the estate, but 7463 acres were paid for, whereas only 7265 acres could be pat in the market, the balance being taken up by extra roads, schools reserve, lignite reserve, and quarry. The price, therefore, which the Government paid for the 7266 acres is actually £2 11s 4d per acre. The average cash price npon which the rentals are based is £3 6s 3d, a difference of 14s lid. Of this 14s lid, 2s an acre is required for surveys and administration. Interest to date of commencement of rent amounts to Is 9d per acre, and cost ot making 17 miles of road 8s per acre, leaving a capital, value to the credit of the Government for contingencies of 3s 2d per acre.

The mayor of Dunedin (Mr H. S. Fish) has announced himself as a candidate for the licensing bench, the election for which is to be held in March. He promises, if elected, to vote for a redaction in the number of licensed houses in Dunedin by 25 per cent. The electors, be thinks, will not be satisfied with less than this ; and be thinks that; the legitimate demands of the public could be met by 75 per cent, of 'the houses now licensed. Such a reform, he holds, is in the interests of all those engaged in the trade who have good houses with complete accommodation, and who desire only to do a legitimate trade and conform to the l»w. The first licenses he would refuse would be those bearing endorsement of convictions, and would then give notice to onethird of the 25 per cent, that their licenses would not be renewed the second year, and to the other two-thirds that taeirs would not be renewed the third year.

DBAIHTG with the varieties of wheat grown daring tne past year in South Australia, Parple Straw and Steinwedel share the honours of being first favourites. These two sorts are extensively grown, despite the prejudice in some quarters against the Steinwedel wheat, because it ripens too quickly and is easily shaken ont by the wind. It yields well, and, like Purple {Straw, gives a fine quality grain very suitable for milling purposes. Ward's Prolißc, Bed Straw and Battling Jack come next in favonr, whilst each district seems to have a variety which finds especial favour. At the northern limit of the wheat country the Velvet Pearl quality, producing a very fine plump and heavy weighing grain, is extensively grown, whilst in the lower north where a good deal of hay is cut, the Tuscan variety is. looked upon with favour. The great aim of the farmer seems to be to experiment with supposed rust-resisting wheats, and in some quarters a fair amount of success has been achieved. In the later districts Early Para and Leak's Bust Proof are largely grown, and a good deal of hybridising is done. " The wisest course to pursue," remarirs the " Observer " in connection with the low prices, "is by every means possible to improve methods of farming with the object of getting increased returns."

THE Premier, in his address at Shannon on Satardaf evening, disclaimed any personal friendship In the appointment of Mr Ronayne a« Railway Commissioner, Paring his recent visit to liawrence, we were assured by Mr Ronayne that his personal acquaintance with Mr Seddoo was of tbc most distant and limited kind, Mid that he never bad concerned himself with politics or political parties, »od wu not even* registered elector in the colony. All this was specifically confirmed in his Address *t Shannon by the Premier, add? ins that Mr Bonayne bad been appointed solely on bi» merits as an expert. We might add that Mr Bonayne farther informed us that his promotion in the service had been prerented by official jealousy and unfairness, and that he had to submit to it with the best grace he could. This in itself shows that he could have had no "friends at court," ofc^rr wise his claims for preferment would have been before inquired into and rewarded. For it mast be remembered that Mr Seddon was a capable hand in regulating little matters of this kind lonjr before he appropriated the i late Mr Ballance's mantle. Nobody will deny that the Premier would not strain a point or two to work his will on Mr Maxwell, ex-rail-«ar Commissioner; bat there is nothing Uneibto to warrant the assumption that the appointment of Mr Bonayne was made on any other ground fchao because of hia fitness for the portion.