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Wairarapa Standard, Volume 9, Issue 809, 14 January 1879, Page 2

The sale of Black’s American Coach Factory Greytown, has been postponed till Friday the 17th inst. See advertisements and posters'. We have received from Alban & Co., of Melbourne, a splendid catalogue of vocal and instrumental music, which we learn from the preface has been eighteen months in preparation.

Tue chairman of the Carterton Local Board convenes a public meeting for Friday next to decide whether tho district shall bo brought under the Municipal Corporations Act. to decide under what nnmo it shall bo proclaimed and what should be its boundaries.

We are glad to learn that it is tbointontion of our old fellow-townsman, Mr Hammerich, to leave Hamburg, for New Zealand in the course of this or next month. He will find some changes and no little progress during his temporary absence from Greytown. We beg to call attention to the important auction sale which is to come off on Friday at Black’s American Coach Factory, South Greytown. The only reason why Mr Duncan has'been instructed to offer those premises for sale will be found in the fact that Mr Black’s Wellington business has grown too extensive to permit him to devote that attention to his growing Greytown branch as would be desirable. For particulars relative to this sale we beg to refer the reader to the advertisement in another column.

The following from our Carterton correspondent reached us too late for insertion in our last issue A bush fire, originating on the ground being cleared for the railway station, has been burning since Thursday morning at Carterton. In the evening the fire freshened up with the wind, and having got a hold of some dry standing trees opposite the Pest Office, the sparks and burning chips were blown about in all directions. The Police Station and Post and Telegraph Offices were botli ignited but were put out before any damage was done. Other buildings iu this vicinity were in danger for a while, but have so far escaped without injury.

The Hon Mr Waterhouse corrects some statements made by our contemporaries relative to the sale of the Huaugarua property to the Hon Mr Martin. He says“ The property, although bought during the great depression of 1860, had, with additions to the original purchase, cost over £42,000 prior to its sale. I never wrote from England authorising the sale of the property for £OO,OOO. Ou the contrary, when in England I was negociating its sale for £IOO,OOO, a price that, had I been in the colony at the time, I think I could readily have obtained. The property was finally soldior £85,000.” The members of the Wahabi County Council are indignant at being deprived of their free passes on tbe railway, and there appears every prospect of tbeir making up for the loss sustained by voting themselves some remuneration for tbeir loss of time. At a recent meeting Mr Thomson gave notice that at next meeting ho would move that members residing over ten miles from tbe town should receive travelling allowance to the extent of Gd per mile, and that members should receive an attendance fee of one guinea for each meeting, There is every prospect, therefore, of the ratepayers being the losers by the withdrawal of County Councillors’ free passes. The Oamaru Mail tells the following remarkable story in connection witu Waimate fire:—“ In one of the houses destroyed was a tin of kerosene, which, though exposed togreat heat, was not consumed, although every thing else around it was destroyed, including some tubs containing water. The top of the tin was unsoldered by the heat of the fire, and the kerosene must actually have boiled, but not a drop of it was burned. It was afterwards tried and found to be still good, though it had been robbed of some of its gaseous properties.” -Our kerosene testers would be disposed to ask for evidence cf these statements.

We are authorised to state that it is the intention of tho Hon Mr Martin to cut up the whole of the Huangaroa estate, which he has purchased from the Hon Mr Waterhouse, consisting of some 33,000 acres, into small farm sections, varying from 50 to 100 asres eacji. The terms will be such that will enable a working settler with a small capital to purchase a freehold farm and secure an independency for life. The terms will be 26 per Cent cash, the balance to remain on mortgage at the low interest of 6 per cent. We consider this one of tbe most important announcements we have made since we have been connected with public journalism. It certainly is so, so far as the interests of Greytown and Featherston are concerned,

The resignation of Mr John Sharp of his seat for the electoral district of Nelson "City, is gazetted. There was a short but sharp shock of earthquake a few minutes before seven o'clock at Wellington on Sunday evening. The captain of the ship St. Leonards offers a reward of £ls for the apprehension of the ship’s carpenter. On Saturday last, Mr D. M. Luckie, editor of the livening Post, accepted the office of Commissioner of Annuities, at a salary of £BOO a year. The superintendent collectors under the Census Act have been appointed with power to frank letters fur four months, on business of agricultural statistics only. A grand trial of reapers and binders in con nection with the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association will take place some time in January. We beg to refer those interested to the advertisment re Government grant in aid of libraries, which will be found in another column.

Mr Bock ,chairman of the Greytown school Committee, has requested us to acknowledge the donation of two suineas from the Mayoress towards the treat to be given to the children of the Greytown school. A man named Charles Mills, supposed to be from Canterbury) has been arrested at Masterton for passing valueless cheques. He represented himself as J. Steel, of Greytown, signing that name. In our reports of the proceedings of the Borough Council we shall not adopt the fomal style of designating each member by the name of Councillor, seeing that they are all Councillors, which is not the case in Municipal Corporations, which consist of Aldermen as well as Councillors.

A meeting of the Committee of the Greytown School was held in the school house on Friday evening. Present—Messrs Bock (chairman) Cowper, and Wakelin. A letter was read from the Secretary to the Board of Education with reference to the teaching staff, and inviting suggestions from the Committee as to the plans of the teacher’s residence. After discussion, the following resolutions were passed;— That the Board be advised that the old building is not fit to he utilised in the new building, and that a residence of not less than sis rooms with necessary passages, porch atthe back, verandah in the front be constructed. That a recommendation be made to the Board that tenders he called for the purchase and removal of the old building, and tuat the proceeds be added to the amount (300) to be expended on new building.

Our old friend Dr Hodgkir.son addressed his Riverton constituents last week. He complained of the centralists tendency of the legislation, ancLgave it as his reason for Ills opposition to the Sheep Bill. He said that the length of the sessions was driving the best men out of Parliament; and unless means could be devised to relieve Parliament of petty local legislation, the representation would have to pass into the hands of the moneyed class or of paid professional politicians. Per this reason he would support any Ministry that tried to establish a federal system of government like that of [Switzerland. He spoke till 11 o'clock when a vote of thanks and confidence was passed unanimously.The blew Zealand Shipping Company have received telegraphic advices to the effect that the ship Piako, which put into Pernambuco on fire, had left Pernambuco on the 119 th nit. to continue her voyage to Lyttelton. It was ascertained that the fire had been confined to the cargo in the forchold, and the hull of the ship was uninjured. It was found necessary to scnttlq her, but she was raised in three days witnout having sustained any damage in the process, her passengers meanwhile being put on hoard the Loch Boon. It is not known positively whether or not they were subsequently returned to the Piako, or whether the Loch Boon took them on, but it is believed that they are again on board the Piako, and that she is bringing them to New Zealand. Referring to Mr Luckie’s appointment the E citing Chronicle says : —The Evening Post will lose an editor, and the Civil Service will gain a new member. It is noteworthy how nearly all the best men hitherto on the Press of New Zealnad are leaving the profession of journalism to take up some other avocation. Sir Julius Vogel, once an editor, is now AgentGeneral, Mr J. E. Fitzgerald is a Civil Servant, Mr Ballance is a Cabinet Minister, Mr G. M. Reed an Immigration Agent, Mr Gillon a Telegraphic Agent. Where are the newspapers to obtain editors? At the present moment there are not more than half-a-dozen —if. indeed, there are so many —first-class and experienced editors in New Zealand. No wonder good men go out of the business! Proportionately to the brain wasting and hard work which editing a paperinvolves, the pay is far too low.

A meeting of the House Committee of the Wairarapa Working Men’s Club was held yesterday evening. Treasurer reported balance in Bank of £4B 5s 9d. Accounts passed for payment amounted to £32 10s XOd, It was proposed that some new sets of cues and billiard balls he provided. At a general meeting of the above Mr Bock was requested to withdraw his resignation of the secretaryship. A letter was read from the secretary of the Wellington Working Men’s Club setting forth the advisability of members of either club be admitted as visitors on the presentation of a card signed by the secretary and Paesidant, -There were five new members admitted to the club, which concluded the business of the meeting.