West Coast Times. FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 1878.

West Coast Times, Issue 2787, 8 March 1878, Page 2

West Coast Times. FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 1878.

jln several paits of the Colony the relations of County Councils to Road Boards are getting so mixed, that affairs in many instances are becoming most confused, and solicitors to these local bodies have great difficulty in arriving at the exact state of the law as regards particular questions. This confusion is due to the rapid way iv which, the Counties Act was pushed through Parliament at the last moment, and to the multiplicity of the Acts of Parliament dealing with questions affecting local government, and disagreeing- .with each other. A case heard at the Assessment Court at Goldsborough on Wednesday last, affords auother example of the incongruous jumble in which certain questioas are left by recent legislation. The Westland Council some months ago, seeing that before a rate was struck, steps would have been taken to abolish Road Boards, determined on making a valuation of (he rateable property in the County, as they were directed by law to' do. The lists were made, and in some instances the Courts of Assessments have revised the valuation, and the rolls are signed. The list for the Arabuia riding, however, was objected to by Mr H. Sandle, a rnernb2r of the Arahura Road Board, on the ground that the valuation was illegal, and that the property for which he was rated was already valued by the Arahura Road Board. Mr Button for tho County Council contended that as Mr Sandle did not represent the Arahura Road Board in the matter, and as he only objected as an individual, it did not lie within his province to object to the whole valuation of any district, and that in fact, he had no locus standi at all. This objection was allowed so far as the first objection went, but was not allowed as regards the second objection, which of course, involved the first. The grounds of Sandle's objection were investigated when the second objection was allowed. These grounds were, that the 65th section of the Rating Act gave the Arahura Road Board, and that body only, power to make a valuation. The 65th section of the Rating Act says that, " unless it is otherwise expressly provided, where two or more local bodies are empowered to make and levy rates in the same district, the term ' local body ' in ao much of this Act as relates to the making of the valuation roll, shall mean the Municipal Council, Road Board, or other body having the control and management of the roads of the district." The question then turned on the point, which was the " body" having the control and management of the roads in the Arahura district ? On this point Mr Button called H. R, Rae, Clerk to the Council, who deposed that the County Council had taken over all the main roads in April last, and had, altogether, the " control and management" of 48£ miles of highway in the Arahura district, including all the important roads, as the Christchurch road, the Greenstone road, the Loopline road, the road from Kumara to Dillman's Town, and several minor roads. He believed that, with the exception of a few tracks, all the roads in the Arahura district were under the " control and management " of the Council. It was held, however, that the Arahura Road Board were the " local body " in charge of the roads of the district according to the Acts, and that the question of fact was not one that arose. On these grounds the whole roll was disallowed at the instance of one objecting ratepayer. The effect of this decision is that in tlip Arnhura

district the County valuation is put aside, although the Council, iv that district is the body having ihe control and management of the road?, whilo in other districts the County valuation lias been allowed although many of the roads in those districts are under the control and management of the Road Boards. We observe that a similar question has arisen in Canterbury.

His Honor Judge Weston left for Gveyraouth by the s.s. Murray yesterday. Hewill open, a sittings of the District Court there to-day.

Mr W. Todd aud family were passengers by the Murray yesterday, en route for Wellington. We wish him success in his new location.

On Weduesday morning a fatal accident occurred at Ross to a miner named Robert Gunn, who was working in Donnelly's Creek, when a fall of earth buried him, and, it is supposed, instantly killed him. At the inquest a verdict of accidental death was returned.

The Yen. Archdeacon Harper has written informing the Church of England Vestry at Kumara, that the Bishop has been able to make arrangements to send the Rev. J. A. Scott to take charge of that district shortly before Easter. Further information will be to hand shortly, when the exact date of the clergyman's arrival may be fixed.

Mr W. M. Purkiss has been appointed legal adviser to the Ross Borough Council. The Bank of New Zealand is appointed Bank to the Borough.

Messrs F. A. Learmouth and Co. received a telegram yesterday from the munagei of the Welcome Quartz Mining Company, Reefton, stating that the crushing just finished turne 1 out 25670zs gold f rnm 725 tons of ore.

We are requested by the auctioned s, Messrs F. A. Learmontli and Co., to state that the auction sale of water-race and gold mining property at Stafford, announced for to-day, is postponed till next Wednesday, March 13 th.

The Wellington Argus states that it has been already semi-ofScially intimated ihat the Crown will enter a nolle proseqid in Geo. Jones's case, and wonders what the four Government clerks have been kept hard at work gathering evidence for.

Yesterday the local members of the Prospecting Association canvassed the town for subscriptions in aid of the object which they wish to attain — the opening up of a new goldfield. They were tolerably successful, and obtained mauy signatures for suuib varying from sixpence to two shillings and sixpence per week. It will be iv the reach of nearly every one therefore to contribute in aid of the work, as uo large sum is required from any individual. Il is sought rather to get small subscriptions such as we have mentioned from the many. It is proposed to find the prospectors with tools mid tents, and allow £1 to each man per week for provisions. The country to he prospected is between the Totara and Arahura rivers, aud none but experienced miners will bo employed. Some of the country members of the association have undertaken to see that the work is not neglected. Wo trust that the townspeople of Hokitika will afford as much encouragement as possible to Ihe undertaking.

The Public Works Committee of the Borough Council, yesterday inspected the slaughter yards, and X7ere, as may naturally be imagined, very much disgusted with the (ilthy state in which the place is kept. Subsequently the two reserves, for a manure depot, and for abattoirs, were examined by the committee, but neither Bite was considered adapted for slaughter yards. An offer was made to sell an acre and a-lialf of cleared land to the Council at a reasonable price, and the expediency or otherwise of accepting it will be discussed this evening.

The ordinary meeting of the Borough Council will take place at half-past seven this evening, at the Town Hall.

The Hokitika prize winners in Tonka's rfweep on the Dunedin Cap, will receive their winnings on application to Mr S. Harris, of the Cafe de Paris Hotel, on Saturday evenine.

Mr Cameron, of Dunedin, announces that he may be consulted with reference to the Great Autumn Handicap to be run on the Christchurch race course, on the 22nd of April. He wants 2000 persons to consult him, aud requires the sum of £1 from each. The following nominations have been received for the event :—Danebury, Templeton, Titania, Bide a-wee, Mufti, Ngaro, Chancellor, Ratcatcher, Trump Card, Bribery, Ariel, Puriri, Longlands, Orange Lightning, Pinfire, Mata, Wai Iti, Izaak Walton, Hippocampus, Songster, Venua Transit, Nectar, Luna, Satirist, Oberon, Pungawerewerc, Mireille, Standard Bearer, Colleen, Maritana, Ranolf, Jangler, Eoul Play, Undiue. s

•Tames Gordon Bennett is about to establish a branch of the New York Herald in London. His plan will bo that the two papers interchange their American and English uews so aB to be free, if possible, of other journals on both sides of the water. As the New York Herald now finds its cablegrams expensive, an interchange, it is thought, would greatly cheapen them in the way of charges, correspondents' salaries, &c, while it is the opinion or Mr Bennett that lie could make the London Herald a success besides.

The Australian cricketers, who behaved so badly in Christchurch, seem to have cooled down somewhat before their return home. A Sydney telegram in the Melbourne Argus says:— "The Australian team, who returned to-day, express themselves delighted with their New Zealand trip." Perhaps the fuss that was made of them in Auckland did something towards reconciling them to their thrashing in Christchurch.

A novelty in the shape of a fount of Hebrew type has lately been imported into Dunedin, The Otago Daily Times believes this is the first that has been brought into New Zealand. The type is in the possession of the Rev. Mr Lichenslein.

The New Zealand Times of the 2nd March says: — A little excitement was created on the Queen's wharf yesterday afternoon, just previous to the sailing of the steamer Hawea for the Southern ports. About three o'clock a mob of twenty horses were driven down the wharf for the purpose of being shipped for Canterbury. Detectivf 1 Fare! l was also

on the wharf about this time, and it was soon observed that tho officer was scanning the horses in what appeared to be a very inquisitive manner. It soon transpired that something was wrong, as the detective picked out several horses, one winch had actually been shipped, and others which were on the wharf. The affair ended in the captain declining to receive any more of these horses on board, and ordering those that were on board to be sent ashore again. Wo believe that a regularly organised system ot horse-stealing bis been carried on for some time in the western districts of this island between Wanganui and Otaki. We would advise the settlers iv those districts to muster their Horses without delay, and communicate with the police should they find any missing.— (Since the above was written we have been informed that a mail named Bill Neil was arrested last evening at Greytown by Constable Byrn on instructions received from head quarters at Wellington.)

Colonial children are wonderful creatures (says the Timaru Herald). If they do not grow up iuto a race of giants, mental and physical, it will not be the fault of their digestive organs. Some philosopher has said that a good reliable stomach is worth all the brains in the world ; and, inasmuch as dyspepsia interferes more with one's comfort than stupidity, we believe him. On the theory that the swnmum honum is more a gastric than a moral essence, and that the scat of happiness lies somewhere near the middle button of his waistcoat, the youth of New Zealand ought certainly to have a blissful time of it. The statistics of St. Mary's parish festival lately show what the Anglo-Saxon can do when transplanted to a favorable clime. Besides bread, meat, and milk, the babes and sucklings disposed of 900 buus, 400lbs of cake, 400 gallons of tea, 50 dozen of: lemonade, a barrel of giugerbeer, and a hogshead of raspberry ayrup. Think of that, ye pampered Sybarites ! aud then long for the lungs which after all could give three cheers for the Archdeacou, which were heard nearly to the Washdyke I The Caucasian is not played out in these parts yet.

The llobarton Mercury, of February 9, reports -—"Yesterday afternoon Miss F. O, Peacock, one of the governesses of the Girls' Industrial School, Ban a-ck-smiare, conveyed to the General Hospital in a car uo less than six of the inmates of the school who hud beeu following up the example of their mother Ere by touching ' forbidden fruit,' aud were sufferiug the unpleasant consequences. It appears that one of the girls, who arc all between nine and eleven years of age, picked up some imitation fruit in the street, aud not only partook of it herself, but freely distributed it an.ong her companions, all of whom iv a very short time were in a state of sincere repertanee. They were taken to the hospital, where an emetic was administered to the sult'erers all round, and they were t.ikeu back to the institution, little, if any, the worse for their indiscretion."

Mr Fraser's Tiump Card walked over for the Dunedin Derby.

The man who was arrested by the local police of Reefton in the early part of 1-ist week on suspicion of being Powell, an absconder from Nelson, has been liberated, it having been showu conclusively that be was nofc the Simou Ptirc.

In his report to the Licensing Court upon the licensed houses in the Grey mouth district the Inspector of Police says: — "1 also wish to draw the attention of the Bench to the number of licensed houses iv Greymoutli which afford little or no accommodation for the public, aud which are nothing but miserable shanties and have no pretence to the mime of hotels, and some of them are iv such a dirty dilapidated state that they are almost untenantable. These remarks will also apply to some of the houses at Brunnerton."

Yet another vacancy is likely to occur in the Ilou'-c of Representatives before next session, Mr 11. 11. Lusk told the electors of Franklyn last week that lie thought of resigning, as he did not see how, iv justice to his famiiy and profession, lie could absent himself for five mouths, which was the length of last session, lie tlioiiglit constituents would soon have to pay their members a salary instead of an allowance for fclieir expenses.