CASTLECLIKP TBLEPHONK BUREAU.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6116, 10 January 1887, Page 2

CASTLECLIKP TBLEPHONK BUREAU.

At the present season of the year when Oastleoliff is decidedly the attraction to a gre»t proportion of ronidents in the town and its vicinity, the blessings of telephonic communication aro undoubted. To those who are making a lengthened stay at the beach it is unquestionably a boon to bo able to converse with townspeople on matters of business &o, and for those of us who have to remain at home it is handy for sending messages of various sorts. But conveniences of this nature cannot be enjoyoi without putting someone or other to inconvenience and the use of the telephone is now so great every day that it has become a question whether ar not tho time has not arrived for a telephone bureau in connection perhaps with a post office At present the whole of the business transacted at CaatlecliJF is dono through Captain Irvine's telephone, placed thero originally by the Harbour Board for tho convonienco of shippers, and what was at first purely a means of communication for the marine seotion of tho community hat now come to bo used by all and sundry by the courtesy of Captain Irvine. Tho proent ttyle of things how.

ever cannot long continue, and a telephonic bureau should be opened without further delay, for it is not plea;ant for thoso who want to use the instrument to have to intrade on the privacy of the pilot, any moro than it can be for Captain Irvine and his family, though certainly the Utter are always most obliging and never oomplain. We would suggest to the department that tbe time has now arrived when a small building should bo ereoted, close to the pilot's residence, to servo as a bureau and a post office, for the latter is certainly needed now. We are not thoroughly acquainted with the method by which a telephone bureau is worked but we believe that a certain change is made per message, lower rates being charged to telephone exchange subscribers than outsiders, and of this tho person in charge of the bureau gets a, percentage. At pre Bout some hundred* of messages are sent to tho Ifeids daily, and the inconveuienco to Mr Irvine, or rather Mrs Irvine for it is she uhi does most of the work, is very prmfc E«"y one will see the justice of Home such arrangement as that buggoated to recompense thoso who serve the public iv this capacity, and the department, we trust, will acknowledge the necessity for something being done by appointing Mr Irvino post and bureau master.

The Wanganui portiou of fie 'Frisco mail is due here by the 5.40 train, and the Post Offica will be open this eve Ding from 7 till 8 for a counter delivery. In point of numbers the nominations for the Caledonian Sports this year are much below what they were hst year. The figures are respectively— looyds, 60 last year and 40 this; 220 yds, 51 and 35; 440 yds, 46 and 25 ; mile, 38 and 26 ; two miles walking, 19 and 7. A writer :'n the Nelson M»il complains of the amount of Sunday trading going on there, nnd says " a man who has the letters J.P. affixed to his mine, was seen to come out of one of our city hotels decidedly the worse for drink " cii Sunday. This festive Nelson JP. has been on the roll long enough, and ought to be struck off it. At tho parade of the Wniroa Light Horse on the 15th instant, it is tho intention of the members of tho Harmonic Society to present the troop with tho flag lately received from England, MajorGeneral Whitnore, Lieutenant • (Lionel Stapp md other stiff officers will be present on the occasion. The latest idea we have heard in the way of scarecrows is that adopted by a local fruit grower this season. He had for the last few years lost almost all his cherries through the minahs, but this season he begged, borowed or stole a lot of cats and kittens, put them in cages in his trees— »nd saved all tho cherries, so at least the story reaches us. It seems thejfate of English patties to be led by men who have been drivon from the oppoaitj camp Disraeli was an original member of the Reform Club. Mr Gladstone, tho eon of a slave-owner, and himself tho champion of his father's class, Ins migrated in npirit to separatist republicanism Sir William Harcourt comes of a Tory house j and even tho bumble Mr W. H, Smith, the Tory War Minister, only joined the Tory ranks on being black-balled at tho " Reform*" A correspondent writes complaining of the state of the St John's Hill road at the water trough, where a perfect quagmire has been allowed to form from the overflow. A few losds of gravel from the adjacent pit would put this matter right, Tho footpath down tho hill to Harriion Street is very bad just now, as the ralnt havo cut deep ruti in it, and made it very dangerous walking. Mr Gilmour might put both these matters right without drawing down on himself the ire of the captious 'section of the Council. At the prfssnfc time accomodation at Castlecliff is at a premium, and the hotel and private lodging-house keepers are reaping their harvest, The number of families now enjoying their annual outing at the beach is very great, and every year we trust will see an incre we in thia respect. At present tho arrangomenta for bathing &c. are romewhat primitive, but the demand for improvements of various sorts will coon bring about an improved state of things, and in Cmtlecliff we see the nucleus of a regular seaside watering place, Wh»t is regarded as a most important discovery has been made in New Soith Walea, The diamond drill which has been used for boaring for coil on the Holt Southland estate, 15 miles from Sydney, and three-quarters of a milo from the Illawarra railway line, struck a coal scam at a depth of 2227 ft. Tnis, together with the results of the bores put down for several years past, proves the continuity of tho main coal seam from the Wollongong district to Newcastle right undo: Sydnoy and suburbs. The discovery is regarded as of the highest value. Complaint has been made to us of a practice followed lately by tho fishermen of throwing away their uusold fish instead of burying them, the result being the muttering of rotten fish along tho sea beach at tho Heads. We hope the hint may be sufficient to induce them to discontinue the praotico, There is another hint they may have for nothiug,aud that is to try and catch something besides kawhai. We believe the Maoris now camped on the South Spit are catching any quantity of achnapper outside, but in (own nothing but kawhai is to bo had, and that nt a season of the year when this fiah is hardly worth oioking. A Bpecial cablegram to tho Melbourne D^ily Telepraph naya:— "ln an intorvicw with Mr Parnell in London, the Irish leader gave his views of the presont situation. He stated he was convinced that the portion of the Irish tenants was vrorae now than when he introduced his bill in the hst session of Parliament. The plun of dampaign designed by Mr Dillon had procured an abatement of rent when everything else had failed. Be thought it improbable that the Government would propose ;i Coorcion Bill, Tho entire absence of ciimo leavos no excuse for coorcior, and the suppression of the National League would inevitably result in tho establishment of secrot societies and tho revival of crime. Ho behoved it to bo Btrongly pro bable that the Government would he obliged to introduce a bill for reducing the judicial rents to the standard fixed by the recent dooisioasof the Laud Commissioners, and also admitting the leaseholders to the 6amo pnviloges as the ordinary tenants. Mr Parnell will lead a strong attack on the whole policy and aotion of tho Government in thecomiug session.

Among tho orchards within hindy reach of YVauganui wo know of none better worth visiting than Gordon Park, now leased by M. Provost. Thin is ono of the oldest, if not tho oldoat orchard ii tho district, and as many of our readers know is well stocked with fruit trees of all description?. M, Provost has the plaoe in exeollent order, aud it is a pleasure to walk through the ground* and see tho fruits. At present thero is not much ripe fruit but in a month or so there will be a splendid di«pl»y of app!e3, plums, &c, of varied descriptions. During a visit paid there lately we had an opportunity of tasting some cider and porry made by M. Provost last yoar from hrn surplus »pples and pears. Both ara excellent, and show that in this lino M. Provost has evidently had good experience. We believe he has ondoavourcd to plaoo it in the market to be retailed in shops, but tho police have interfered on the ground that a Now Zealand wino licensn is requirtd by those who would Bell it ; but for the family or wholesalo tiade M. Provost i« putting through a lot. At this season of the year thocc can bo no more wholesome and pjlatable drink than good cider, and wo feel sure that this local production has only to be known to gain for itsolf a wido sale, " A shocking state of offiirs is repjrted by the official visitors to the Auckland Lunatic Asylum who lnvo lately inspooted the place, Tho visitors expressed themselves very strongly about the inadequate proviaion for female patients in the asylum. Some of tho poor distracted women are obliged to sleep in solitary dark holes infested with rats, and ventilated only by knocking a brick out of tho wall. It the rats were not surfeitod with the refuse about t>ie place, they would ba positively dangerous to the we men. Tho kundry whero they do all the waahing for 3j9 inmate?, is ao inadequate that foul bedlinen has to bo washed in tho Bam a place and at tho same time us tho tablelinen. The visitors fay they are sure such a state of things could not have continued if Auckland people had really known the state of all'iirs, The womou's padded room is »aid to be one of the most miserable apologies for a padded room evor invented ; whilo for 20 males there is no padded room at all. There is no yard in which coovaleseent patients can enjoy relaxation away from the noisy ones. This and othor matters will form the substance of * report to the Colonial Secretary,