West Coast Times. MONDAY, MAY 20, 1878.

West Coast Times, Issue 2848, 20 May 1878, Page 2

West Coast Times. MONDAY, MAY 20, 1878.

Among the works which have been delayed for various reasons by the County Council, i 9 the clearing and making fit for traffic of the track from Waitaha to Rangitoto, a distance of some eleven or twelve miles. This work has been repeatedly pressed on the, Qounpi!' by .Messrs Hirter and Nielsen, and one j of , those gentlemen stated, we believe, that, an offer bad been made to keep the track in repair for a mere nominal sum. This offer, howevfir/was made' some time ago, and since then the track tias become in such a doplpra,ble-state that were invited for its repair. Several tenders were sent inj"bat- none were accepted on the ground that they were all above the engineer's e'tsimate. It is probable that after the severe weather we have experienced^ the work will become still more expensive, many trees having been blo^rn down , across the track. We understand t^tat tp travel along it with provisions recently, occupied some of the men employed in the Rangitoto mine about an hour a mile. It is a pity that tor the sake of a small sum the clearing: was not undertaken months ago, when it con Id have been done cheaply^ and besides kept in repair for twelvemonths. It will be judicious on the part, of the Council not to neglect this work any longer, and we trust some of the members will urpe it on. At present we cannot afford to despise any means of improving the prospects of the district, and the Rangitoto mine is certainly showing better than ever. A battery is now ready in town for the mine, but it is impossible to get it up to Rangitoto until there is a road for it to be taken along. The directors of the company have made arrangements for shipping a large quantity of ore ; the manager of the mine is sanguine of success ; the numerous shareholders on the Coast are eager for the test to be made, but until the small work we refer to is undertaken matters must remain at a standstill. Under such circumstances we trust that there will be no more delay. A successful result of the testing of a large quantity of ore will do much to revive the drooping energies of the place, and recoup the County for any expenditure they may have undertaken, in order to render a mine accessible, in which a considerable quantity of capital has been invested, and which bids fair to become a highly payable venture.

The Charles Edward, with tho inward San Francisco mails, reached Greyraouth at ten o'clock yesterday morning. The Westland portion of the mail wj}l arrive to-day, most likely by coach from Greymouth. After such a long detention at Westport, the Post Office authorities might have forwarded at least the letters yesterday. But in this part of New Zealand, the expenditure of a few pounds outweighs any consideration for the public benefit.

Mr Stringer, head of tho Telegraph Department, sends a memorandum to t|ie effect, that a Press message received on the 16th inst, should read, "He (Reeves) strongly supports," not " opposes," the Grey Ministry. The error seem 9to have been made at Reeftoni the lines working so badly, that it cannot be ascertained how it occurred. We have referred to this mistake and its consequences elsewhere.

A coach from Reefton arrived at Greymputh about nine p.m. on Friday evening last, being the first that had succeeded in gettiug through for six days.

Messrs Kenny and Malfroy have been nominated as candidates for the seat on the Harbor Board, vacant by the resignation of Mr John Hall. The poll will take place on the 30th mat.

The sale by auction of Mr Fitzgerald's property, Gibson's Quay, will take place this day. Messrs Pollock and Bevan will commence to sell at 11 o'clock sharp.

The Returning Officer for the Arahura Riding has called for fresh nominations to fill a vacancy in the County Council. It seems that on Friday whilst on the way to Stafford, Mr Ethoridge was caught in the fearful hail storm which came down soon after 11 o'clock, aud was fairly stuck up at Mr Atkinson's dairy, and despite all efforts arrived at the Court House 9 minutes after noon. To avoid possible diflerenccs hereafter, it is deemed advisable to hold another nomination on the 29th inst., and the election if necessary on June Bth.

The creditors of tlie late Mr T. K. Christian are requested to meet at tho Court House this evening, with a view to making tho best arrangements practicable for the settlement of their claims. In consequence of Mrs Christian's bad health, which necessitates her leaving the West Coast aa soon as possible, creditors are particularly required to attend.

The nomination of candidates for the representation of the Aruhura riding in tho County Council were received on Friday last at a little after noon, wheu Mr Matthew Griffiths, Chairmtiu of the Arahura Road Board, was nominated by the Secretary of the Board and by Mr Cribbin; aud Mr Sinclair George was nominated by Messrs M'Whirter and Scddou. It was said thai the Arahura Road Board put in a nominat ion iv order to try and get in a member to oppose Mr Seddon's resolution for the dissolving of the Board. The nominations were posted up in due course. It is now certain that the proceedings are uull and void, as no nomination was received up to a few miuutes after twelve .

In another column is published a telegraphic summary of Mr Donald Reid's speech to his Taieri constituents. In some respects, especially in their estimation of Sir George Grey, Mr Reid and Mr Button hold identical views.

We learn that Mr D. W. Virtue is to be asked to become a candidate for the seat in Parliament which Mr Button is about to vacate.

In our advertising columns it will be seen that Mr H. Sharp of the Diggers' Arms Hotel, has engaged the services for a few nights only, of Mr and Mrs Fred Wilton, who will give a series of entertainments at the above hotel, consisting of songs, duets, solos, step dancing &c.

The Christchurch coach arrived about eight o'clock last evening, having been detained at the gorge by the recent inclement weather. The mail was, by the courtesy of the Post Office officials, sorted laßt evening.

Mr Richard Reeves, one of the candidates for the Grey Valley seat, was reported by telegram to be an opponent of the Grey Ministry. This telegram was published both in the West Coast Times and the Grey Argus. Mr Reeves lias denied the truth of the statement thus: — '' This is not true us 1 am a strong supporter of the Grey party. I havo seen original telegram, so that telegram in the Argus has been falsified. — Ricjiaud Reeves." The Argus defends this uufounded imputation as follows:— "Everyone who knows Mr Reeves must he impressed with a profound sense of that gentleman's ingenuity j but even that faculty, splendidly developed as it is in Mr Reeves, will not enable him to wriggle out of the unpleasantly responsible position of having imputed to this journal the serious charge of falsifying a telegram. Unfortunately there are in every community persons foolish enough unquestionably to swallow any statement, howover, propos* terous; and it is therefore perhaps well that we are in a position to prove the utter untruthfulncss of the churgo. We have in our possession the original Idugrutn iva delivered to and published by us, currying the endorsement — "This is the mcuHago m delivered to the Argus. W. L. Mountfort, telegraphist." Moreover, as on Thuraday night the direct line bctweon Groymouth ami Iteeftou was down, the message hud to hu sent round via Nelson, ChriHtchurch, and Hokitika, and we are in a position to otiito that it was received in Christuhurch au published by us and tho Wkst Coabt Timkb. It is satisfactory to be able to prove thai tho falsification of the message did not take place at this end of the line."

It is rather a curious coincidence that just now, when the time honored principlo of free trade is beginning to be shaken, wo should read in city articles of " the failure of Messrs Gladstone, Peel, & Co., with liubilitioH amounting to about £1,000,000."

Club gossip is busy, of course, with the names of the generals who may be expected to come to the front if we aro drawn into war. For a long time (says the World) Lord Napier of Magdala stood high in tho betting; but a strong favorite now for the chief command is Sir Lintorn Simmons. Sir Charles Ellice under him might get an army corps, so might Sir John Garvoch, but he is unfortunately senior to Simmons, and his chances are thus reduced to a minimum, evqn if he waived his rank. Another probable corps commander is Sir Thomas Steele. Sir Garnet Wolseley can hardly expect more than a division ; he is still ouly

a major-general, although high up the list. Perhaps he would prefer the onerous and deeply important role of chief of the staff. Other probable divisional generals aro Sir Daniel Lysons, Generals Somerset, Stephenson, aud Shipley ; Generals Oakea, or Drysclale to command the cavalry ; Collingwood, Dickson, D'Aguilar, and Adye the artillery ; Col. Galwey, Sir John Stokes, Lennox, and Home filling the most prominent posts with the engineers. There would he a great rush for brigades. Among the generals are Anderson, Leicester, Smythe, Peyton, Pakenham, who would probably go bodily with the brigades they actually command. Other brigadiers may be Lord Alexander liussel, Percy Fielding, Haraley (the military writer), Hawley, aud Sir John M'Leod. There is very little doubt to whom some at least of tho principal Btaff appointments would be given. Cols. Greaveß M'Neil, and T. D. Baker would go as n matter of course, and with them many of the juniors from the Horse Gnards. Of the rest of the staff it may fairly be assumed generally that the best men would be selected.

The Lancet gives publicity to what it calls an offensive and insulting appeal to the medical profession. It seema that the Lancet has received copies of a circular

which it justly styles a remarkable oue, sent by an undertaker to the doctors in his neighborhood. The undertaker addresses his medical neighbors in a most friendly and grateful style, thanking them for past favors in the form of recommendations, promising them quarterly instead of half yearly cheques and warning them against any mistake in the name, ou the score that there is " another establishment" within a few doors, with which the writer has no connection whatever. This (says the Pall Mall Gazette) is certainly carrying friendly co-operation a little too far.

Tho under graduates of the Melbourne University have not been long in copying the conduct of their elder brothors of Oxford and Cambridge. At tho conferring of degrees a few days ago the proceedings were characterised by unusual boisterousness which drew a rebuke from tho Chancellor. The uudcr graduates entered the library in the first instance in a manner more befittiug a mob of young larrikins than a band of alumni of n university, and wheu, after the usual custom, the prize essayists, iv accordance with the request of the Chancellor, attempted to read a few extracts from their productions, the interruptions were so noisy and continuous as to prevent a complete bciiteuce being hearl.

The iucrcasing longevity of life with tin; races of mankind coining under the blessed influences of civilization, show the superiority of the eulighteucd age we live in, and keeping puce with the advancement of all otho 1 sciences, we have the wonder working art of tho chemist. The certainty of cure of the most formidable diseases, is oue of the triumphs of the present day. " Gxiollmi's Great Indian Cores," pronounced by the. voice of the people to be the Wonder of the Nineteenth Century, stand out as the preeminently successful remedies for Eheumatism, Gout, Liver Complaints, &c. They can be had of G. Mcc, Chemist, Revell-Btreet. See testimonials.