West Coast Times. MONDAY, APRIL 16. 1877.

West Coast Times, Issue 2509, 16 April 1877, Page 2

West Coast Times. MONDAY, APRIL 16. 1877.

A letter from the Secretary of the Hokitika Hospital bub'lished in another column^ clearly explains the relative positions which the Kumara and Hokitika Committees have taken up: There is, we believe, evidence to confirm all that the writer states, aud such being- the case, it is difficult to conceive that any public Body c^P £p dcccive 1 itself as to imagine that its interests afe best Vo be advanced by. repudiating a just debt. Morally and equitably, the Kuraara Committee are liable for every penny which the Hokitika Committee claim from them, and, we believe that the bulk of tlie fcdthara subscribers, would iF canvassed; be .found tb c'oiri'ci'de in that dpintoh. It HaS alfea'dy b'ee'h suggested that a public rrie'etiiiji; slißulil be called at Kumara, to be attended by members bf the Hokitika Committee, who could fully explain the circumstance snrrounding aud causing this unfortunate dispute. At the sahie time an expression of opinion could be obtained fro v the meeting as to whether it would be better to have one or two hospitals. On both subjects we are inclined to believe the good Mti'se of the public would lead them to be in accord substantially with the views held by the Hokitika Committee. We do not believe that a public meeting -would favor repudiation, or that they would advocate the estabiishmentof another hospital at tho expense of impairing the, efficiency of the iustitution in Hokitika. £ractically, however, the County Council have already decided that it would be injudicious 'to divide the hospital subsidy at 'their disposal. True the matter is not yet definitely settled, but if councillors adhere to their already expressed opinions^ the matter is not in doubt. And most people will, feel inclined to agree with their decision. It is utterly impossible for the Council to subsidize more th'n one hospital in this Council, that is to say, an efficiently conducted hospital, where sick or injured persons could be properly treated. The funds at the disposal of the County Council utterly preclude the idea. If unfortunately the County do xlecide to divide the subsidy, the result will be disastrous. The efficiency of 'tTie Hokitika Hospital will be much impaired, and not only the people in town, but the residents in the country 'districts 'would soon find cause to regret the change. We cannot believe that the bulk of the miners at Kumara liave any sympathy with the views of the Kumara Hospital Committee. Up to tlie present time they have, in cases of accident or sickness, found proper medical treatment and: careful attendance at the Hokitika institution. By endorsing the action of their committee they run the risk of losing tlh'ese benefits, for it is utterly ■<jub' di~ the (jdestioh to expe6t tlie 'feslderits Kei^e to pay any longer for fche- treatment of patients coming fuoni Kumara.

"We'are aiga'iri'cleluged^V'fth correspondence respecting the 'recent art union of jewellery. The matter has now "been pretty well ventilated,' arid unless £ome fresh evidence transpires, or some new facts 'elicited, we must decline to allow ttie correspondence to continue in these columns.

His Honor Judge Weston will sit in chambers this morning.

The public school will be opened in the new building, Hampden-street, on Thursday morning next.

The Waste Lands Board will hold their bi-weekly sitting on Wednesday next, at 2 p.m.

In another column are published the winning numbers in Tonks's sweep on the Christchurch Autumn Handicap. Only four horses have fallen to Hokitika subscribers, namely, Kingfisher, Blue Peter, Amanda, andTitania. Of these the last-named is the only one that seems to have a show to bring the first money.

The bridge over the Kapitea Creek, on the Kumara road, was opened for traffic on Saturday.

We are pleased to learn that the Okuku and Prospectors Amalgamated Water Race and Gold Mining Company lias been successfully floated. The share list closed on Saturday last when all the shares were allotted. This race will no doubt help in a great measure to develope the already well- : proved ground in the Kumara. where the want bf 'water hS3 been so serious. a drawback, arid "will, ire hope, prove not only a source of profit to! the ' 'shareholders, but also a positive boon to the field. In proof of the high estimntion'in which the future of the company is viewed, we are in a position to state that between 70 and 80 shares* were applied for on the last day on which

The £100,0*00 voted by the' General -As'sem'.b'ly fßr tile' Tiriiarti breakwater, has ! been remitted to the Timaru Sar'Bor Board .

„ Miss Kate Edgar, of Auckland, has attained the incongruous title df Bachelor of Arts.

Tlie Mayor of Aucklarid lids' been' p'fesented' with a lizard measuring tw6 feet from the nose to tlie tip of the tiiil. He" got rid of this singular gift by handing it immediately to a'ii Acclimatisatitin Society.

A man named PetelSen shot himself recently at Wellington, after a Revere drinking b*6iit.

Messrs • Keogh; Clinton? and Poo|e have opened the Queen's Theatre, Dunedin .

The clericSl charge of Picibu is vacant. The Eev. Mr Miles was offered it; but declined. .

The export of tin ore from Tasmania in 1877, is expected to reach in value £100,000.

A Wellington co-respondent of the Otago Times says that "the late Provincial Government officers have had their claims for c'driiperfsatioh tilt down tin all sorts of frivolous technical grounds. One claim of £150 was cut down to £10 10s, and another of £140 to £59."

It is reported by the Eeefton Herald that the Boatman's Creek Company's stone continues) to" show very good gold. The reef is also getting wider.

It is believed that Separation will again be the Parliamentary programme of tlie Opposition.

At Aucldaiid recently Judge Gillies sentenced a brutal wife beater, a riewlyarrivcl immigrant, to three years' penal servitude.

applications were received. We understand j the company have' §veryfching ready for the immediate cominenceulfc'fit of the works, and are in hopes of liavirig tile rafe'B completed in .4nree mdnths 1 from ttic ddte of Starting. The ribmiiiation of candidate's for election ib tiie 1 Moude' of Kepreseh'tatives for the itobi district* will take place at the lioss Court House at noon today. The County Council will meet 7 o'clock tomorrow evening. The queatiou of Hospital, subsidies has not yet been settled, but will ■ probably be discussed afc once: The receHt ' ac'clcienfc in F'iizherbert street which resulted iii a woniaii breaking her leg through' a fall into a drain, should lead the Borbtigh Cbtinc'ii lH take 1 stems' either to close the drains or liijllt the town in a more 1 tlibf bd^H mariHer". The helghbbr'hobd df the CnUirgli •til-fch'gian'ci is dsjje'claiiy tijtiigertfus on dark nights. One bf tlie latest occupants of ;the !i Fiizfterb^rt-^£reet drain wis 1 Mf J. Collyer, M.C.C., who after crossing about thirty rivers, and braving the periis of an overland trip from Jackson's Bay, nearly came to grief on his way td cHurch one ■e'vfealog; It issbmewtiat tb be" regretted that this 1 experience was Hdt uhiiefgone by a Borough instead of a County Councillor. The £100,0*00 voted by the' General As'sem'.bly fßr tile' Tiriiarti breakwater, has ! been remitted to the Timaru Sar'Bor Board . „ Miss Kate Edgar, of Auckland, has attained the incongruous title df Bachelor of Arts. Tlie Mayor df Aucklarid lids' been' p'fesented' with a lizard measuring tw6 feet from the nose to tlie tip of the tail. He" got rid of this singular gift by handing it immediately to an Acclimatisatitin Society. A man named PetelSen shot himself recently at Wellington, after a Revere drinking b*6iit. Messrs Keogh; Clinton? and Poo|e have opened the Queen's Theatre, Dunedin . The clericSl charge of Picibu is vacant. The Eev. Mr Miles was offered it; but declined. . The export of tin ore from Tasmania in 1877, is expected to reach in value £100,000. A Wellington co-respondent of the Otago Times says that "the late Provincial Government officers have had their claims for c'driiperfsatioh tilt down tin all sorts of frivolous technical grounds. One claim of £150 was cut down to £10 10s, and another of £140 t0. £59." It is reported by the Eeefton Herald that the Boatman's Creek Company's stone continues) to" show very good gold. The reef is also getting wider. It is believed that Separation will again be the Parliamentary programme of tlie Opposition. At Aucldaiid recently Judge Gillies sentenced a brutal wife beater, a uewlyarrivcl immigrant, to three years' penal servitude. The London, correspondent of the New Zealand Herald writes- — " General satisfaction is expressed at the intimation made by the Agent-Gcnenil, on behalf of the Government of New Zealaudj that no further loans are likely to be required for the colony this year. The Christchuuch Six per cent Loan of £100,000 was subscribed for fourfold, and nine tenths o£ the amount was allotted afc above ar." A Chrisfccliuf eh corresp'oridcufc of the Now Zealand Times writes to say that its information regarding the winner oi tlie Dunedin Cup is incorrect, aud states thfit the racehorse Fishhook, late Lough Neagh, was bred by Mi 1 Johu Ballauce; of Wangaum and after winning the Maiden Plate in Wellington some two yaars ago, was sold to Mr O'Brien for £300. The Timaru Herald is canditl. It says :—: — i{ The number of disorderly houses which have sprung up iv and ou the outskirts of Timaru during the past year or two is surprising." It also asserts, Speaking for Timaru, of course i :— '< The present harvest season has brought 1 with' it a greater aniouut of drunkenness, a'ft'd all its' att'eh^aiit miseries tiiaii perhaps any previons oue. The crimiual statistics of the current quarter iviil be something terrible to contemplate ; aud all because the great mass of the laboring class are over paid a'iid terribly dissolute. 5 ' Tlie furtu'er improvement of tlie racacourse at Fortiury, Dunedin, (s:\ys the Guardian),, is b.o(uef carried out as rapidly as time and weather will permit. The saddling paddock has been raised to a height of 18 inches with SWd and loam; c6vered with sous, and the result is & well-drained, level, and comfortable enclosure. The Dunedin GuardiuU has been informed by several well-known agriculturists' that the Government estimate of the yield bf grain this season will not be Home out by actual results. It aTJp'ears that after the estimate was made a certain percentage was deducted to allow for fche damage done by the late floods and heavy rains, but the allowance made for damage" was not large enough. Nearly ail the wheat that was cut early was injured, and; the actual yield of sound marketable wheat, even on dry, high-lying lands, will not' reach the^ estimate by afc least 20 or 25 per cent. Mr Allan of the Waitaha, has applied for a.lease of ten acres of auriferous land at the foot of German and Sailors' Gullies. A singular case, wherein legal erudition, and that especially affecting bank matters would be of considerable use, occurred in Christchurch the other day. A well known medical practitioner who had lately attended a patient up to'hia last moments presented'a few days after, at the bank where deceased had kept his fuiids, a cheque for payment for the sum of £600. THe official who received the document having examined it, declined to honor the cheque on' the ground that the signature was somewhat unlike the' signmahual of the drawer. It was therefore endorsed at the back . " refer to drawer," and returned, Now the drawer being no longer in the land of the living, it might be supposed that the cheque would be honored, if proofs necessary to relieve the Bank's conscience be forthcoming: But the hitch is

Tlie London correspondent of the New Zealand Herald writes- — " General satisfaction is expressed at the intimation made by the Agent-Gcnenil, on behalf of the Government of New Zealand; that no further loans are likely to be required for the colony this year. The Christchuuch Six per cent Loan of £100,000 was subscribed for fourfold, and nine tenths o£ the amount was allotted afc above ar."

A Chrisfccliuf eh corresp'oridcufc of the Now Zealand Times writes to say that its information regarding the winner oi the Dunedin Clip is incorrect, aud states that the racehorse Fishhook, late Lough Neagh, was bred by Mi 1 Johu Ballauce; of Wangaum and after winning the Maiden Plate in Wellington sonic two yaars ago, was sold to Mr O'Brien for £300.

The Tiuiaru Herald is candid. It says :—: — i{ The number of disorderly houses which have sprung- up in and ou the outskirts of Timarti during the past year or two is surprising." It also -asserts, Speaking for Timaru, of course i :— '< The present harvest season has brought with' it a greater aniouut of drunkenness, arid all its' attendant miseries tiiaii perhaps any previons one. The cr-imiual statistics of the current quarter iviil be something terrible to contemplate ; aud all because the great mass of the laboring class are over paid a'iid teMibly dissolute. 5 '

Tlie further improvement of tlie racscourse at Forbur'y, Dunedin, (s:\ys the Guardian),, is bo(uef carried out as rapidly as time and weather will permit. The saddling paddock has been raised to a height of 18 inches with sand and loam; cbvered with sous, and the result is & well-drained, level, and comfortable enclosure.

The Dunedin Guardiuri has been informed by several well-known agriculturists' that the Government estimate of the yield of grain this season will not be Uor'ne" out by actual results. It aTJp'ears that after the estimate was made a certain percentage was deducted to allow for the damage done by the late floods and heavy rains, but the allowance made for damage" was not large enough. Nearly ail the wheat that was cut early was injured, and; the actual yield of sound marketable wheat, even on dry, high-lying lands, will not' reach the' estimate by at least 20 or 25 per cent.

Mr Allan of the Waitaha, has applied for a.lease of ten acres of auriferous land at the foot of German and Sailors' Gullies.

A singular case, wherein legal erudition, and that especially affecting bank matters would be of considerable use, occurred in Ghristchurch the other day. A well known medical practitioner who had lately attended a patient up to'hia last moments presented'a few days after, at the bank where deceased had kept his funds, a cheque for payment for the sum of £600. THe official who received the document having examined it, declined to honor the cheque on' the ground that the signature was somewhat unlike the' signinahual of the drawer. It was therefore endorsed at the back . " refer to drawer," and returned, Now the drawer being no longer in the land of the living, it might be supposed that the cheque would be honored, if proofs necessary to relieve the Bank's conscience be forthcoming.' But the hitch is what kind of proofs? And, so far, tlie cheque has has not been presented a second time.

Under the heading.-" Extraordinary Death" the following telegram appears in last Tuesday's Oamaru Mail front the Duriedin correspondent:— George'Smith, a gardener, died on Sunday under extraordinary circumstances . La9t Tuesday, while at work lifting the coffin of Dr Hulme, for the purpose of

depositing it in a vault, he received a slight scratch from the point of H fellow workman's spade/ w"Hich was" wet witii a'eeay'e& riititter e'iudiug f rojfi the c6ffib. Nb atte'ntjba wad paia id tiie kitii&e dfc first o'iit od TUtirsdaj*syoiptdms 6$ liitidtj t/bls-ofiing exiiimtea tneiiisfelv&3, afid after aiifferitlg iiiaescribabie dgoiijf lie died o'ri SuriiJay. Deeoriipdgitidri set iti rapidly- the body of deceased becoming immediately black.

A vote of want of confidence in the Mayor of .Afearo'il Having lately been put to vdtes 1 bt the members of the Mayoralty Court, they were found even. — " As tho numbers are equal," exclaimed that redoubtable functionary, " I shall tote for myself like a rnari ! " and he declared the motion lost.

The long taik'ed of experimental shipmerit to Englittia bf Mrirt'3 frozen hielit is to be made by the ship Norfolkj to sail oii tlie 25th April; The firm purcliiiseu" 500 bullocks, a £10 each, for the experiment:

tile. Uliigb QuWaia'h siiys :— Tlie closing of tlie Fever Hospital, is already beginning to lead to very serious results. A deputation waited on his Worship the Mayor with a inemoriai asking tHafc a public me'fe'ting should be CoiiVene'd bn 1 tHe subject. Ifc was liie'nfcib'nedtHat had beeutufriecl against, the admission of fresh patient^, scarlet fever had been travelling like wildfire among the families of tlie poor,' arid that nb fewer than 150 cards' we're now reported. Councilldr BaSe'S presented a letter f rom ah urifdrtiinSte w'ib'b'w'e'r,- who liaQ a feverstfidkeh chiid arddrig lii^ fauiliy; without the means either to ridrse it or keep' it from contact with the rest. Tlie Mayor admitted tlie hardship of the case, but said he could afford nd relief in the face cif tho Council's resrilutidn to close the institution; The craeffcy of the step 1 that has been taken iiis [ reiidefe'd 1 in this iH^afic'e— probably no | is'biiitel Biie— Ve'ry Hlariifeit, and ib is to be Hoped that' at tlie riieetih'g about io be convened there will be a loud and determined delnaud to unlock the institution to the [ afflicted, and especially to the families of the poof of the' city.

A little girl, nine years of age, recently entered a broker's office in Auckland,' and desired to invest £2 in Red Queen scrip. The. amused broker cdmplied with tho little lafly'a wish. An erntrid boy of the sriine age hag alsti been speculating iv " Red Qiteeh's," arid haa made money by his venture.