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Western Star, Issue 282, 1 February 1879, Page 5

The wisdom of persistent kno King at the official door and apolying to the head of a department instead of under-offioia's received an illustration this week When it became known some months ago that it was intended to erect a fifth class passenger station at Riverton, representations were made by the Town Council that, the accommodation of such a building was totally inadequate to the requirements of the place. These representations did not meet with much attention from the officials to whom they were made, and considerable annoyance was felt when the plans sent down showed that only a fifth, class station was to be erected. At the meeting of Town Council on Tuesday evening, Cr Mills brought the matter before the Council, and in doing so stated that he thought one more effort should be made to get the class of station altered; if such an appeal was not successful, it would at least show that tho people if the town were fully impressed with the unsuitability of such a building. He therefore moved that the Mayor telegraph to the Hon. Minister for Public Works witn regard to the matter. The result was a reply from Mr Macandrew yesterday morning, ns follows : —“ Dunedin, 31st Jan., 11.7 a.m. The Mayor Riverton. I have given instructions to provide a more commodious station.” The action of Mr Macandrew in this matter will be duly appreciated. Public feeling upon the question ran very high, it was felt that an indignity was about to be cast upon the town by the erection of a station only one remove from a platform. A meeting of the Mutual Improvement Society was held in the County Council Chambers on Thursday evening. There was a fair attendance of members present, and a number of new members were proposed. The President (Mr George Reid) delivered an inaugural address, the subject being the value of Mutual Improvement associations as an educational agent. At the conclusion of the address, several members commented favorably thereon, and a vote of thanks was accorded the President for the address. At the next, meeting the following question will be debated:—Whether the reduction of the number of public houses would tend to lessen the evils of the liquor traffic or not.” The' subject is in good hands —the leaders on the affirmative and negative sides being Messrs S. G. Instone and James Ireland senr. respectively ; so that the debate will doubtless be both instructive and entertaining. The association bids fair to become a success; its advantages are such as. properly conducted, should ensure a large membership. At the meeting of the Waste Lands Board held on Thursday, a letter was read from the Minister of Lauds, enclosing a request from A. Lvons, to give 20 acres for the Presbyterian Oliurch at Limestone Plains. It being pointed out that the land had been reserved, the Chief Commissioner recommended purchasing t he necessary land, and the Ranger was instructed to report on the value of the section for quarrying and other purposes. The various sections in the township of Pourakino, Flint’s Bush, and Eastern Hush were offered by the District Land officer for sale by auction at the Land Office, Riverton, on Thursday, as advertised. Evidently there was no demand for sections in these townships, as there were no purchasers. The price, £3O per acre, of the sections in Elint’s Bush and Pouraaino townships is to high; but it is a stat utory one consequently the Waste Lands Board had no option in the matter.

Tiiere being some hope that the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. J. Maoandrevv, would shortly visit the district, a telegram from the lion, gentleman was placed in our hands yesterday stating that he was going North next week and would not be able to visit the district until two months hence.

On Thursday last Messrs P. Grant and Co., sold by auction the Caledonian Hotel, Riverton, to Mr M. Hayes for the sum of £665. The furniture, &c., brought satisfactory prices. The building formerly known as the Temperance Hotel, situate in Paddock street, has recently undergone extensive alterations at the hands of Mr Riddell, late of Orepuki. The rooms on the ground floor have been entirely re-arranged, in accordance with plans furnished by Mr Burwell. A very handsome piazza and balcony has been added' to the front of the building, from which a most extensive and beautiful view of the ocean and surrounding country can be had. The proprietor having secured a section of land at the rear of the hotel intends erecting stabling and other necessary outhouses. The building is now capable of affording first-class accommodation, and from its contiguity to the railway station will doubtless supply a want on completion of the railway.

Touching the Chinese question, wb have received a pamphlet written by three Chinese merchants in 'Melbourne, setting forth the right from a Chinese point of view, of the Sons of the Flowery Land to settle in British possessions. From a cursory glance, we should say “ John” in defence has made out a good case. As the question has lately been creating some interest, we propose publishing short passages from the pamphlet to give our readers an idea of the light in winch the subject is viewed by intelligent Chinamen ; in the meantime any one so desiring can procure the loan of the work for perusal on application at our office. The Rev. C. S. Ross will conduct divine service in the Riverton Presbyterian Church tomorrow, morning and evening; afternoon at Flint’s Bush. Mr Daniel has been nominated by the Government a member of the Riverton Harbor Board. The first meeting of the new Board takes place on Thursday next, in the Town Council Chambers at 3 p.m. F. Locke will remove into his new hotel im South Riverton next week. /

The first meeting of the newly-elected School Committee was held last evening. Mr James Keid was re-elected Chairman, and Mr J. Tall Secretary and Treasurer. A meeting of the Comity Council t|kes place at the Council Chambers on Monday next. The monthly meeting of the Hospital Committee takes place at the Hospital at 2 p.m. to-day. The following tenders were accepted by the County Council on Saturday last: —Contract No. 27, bridge, culvert, and ditching, Hamilton Burn, J. P. Young, £69 8s ; No. 28, metalling Merriyale, A. M‘Naughton, £l6O 17s 6d; No, 29, ro-k cutting New diver, J. P. Young, £150; No. 31, side cutting, culverts, and gravelling, Burwood to Mararoa, W. H. Smith, £474 13s 91; -No. 32. culverts, .cutting, and gravelling, between Plains Station and Mararoa Post-ollice, J. P. Young, £433 Is 3d. The business at the E. M.’s Court during the week has been very light. On Wednesday several cases were set down for hearing, but were settled out of court. A. Trail and Sun were fined*for allowing bullocks and horses to trespass within the town bouudary. We have to call attention to an advertisement in another column by T. Kowatt and Sons, intimating that great improvev.ents have been made in their new amicapnio lamp. Their new patent double wick burner gives 35 candle light and the patent single wick burner can bo had in five sizes, from five to twenty candle light. The lamps can be had retail from all ironmongers. R-jv. W. P. Wohlers accompanied by Mr T. Daniel paid a visit to the Riverton Native School recently. Mr Wohlers was highly gratified at the efficiency of the scholars, and expressed a hope that parents would not keep back their children from attending school regularly for trivial causes. He complimented the teacher, Mr Ireland, on the state of the school. Mr Wohlers was also pleased at the condition of the buildings, and stated that the Q-overnn ent had sent down artizans to repair the buildings at Ruapuke. The valuation for the Town of Riverton for this year shows an increase of over £4OO over that of the proceeding year. The respective amounts were—lß7B, £5584 ; 1879, £6OOO.

Tlie coramony of turning the first sod of the Waimea Plains railway was performed by the Colonial Treasurer, Hon. J. Ballance, on Monday last. This line starts from Gore, and joins the northern railway at Lumsden. The line is 36£ miles long, and will te the first railway constructed under the District Railways Act, Oh a recent visit to Wellington Mr T. Daniel had an interview with the Hon. Native Minister and Mr Commissioner Clark with regard to carrying out a promise of the late Sir D. Maclean’s te give a subsidy to the local hospital of £IOO per annum in consideration that sick natives receive the benefits of the institution. The Native Minister recognised the justice of the claim and ordered that Sir D. Maclean’s proposal be given effect to as from July last on condition that Mr Daniel represent the Government on the Hospital Committee. Mr O. Port brought down from the Longwood on Wednesday about twenty-fire, pounds weight of very promising stone taken out of a drive in Douglas, Port and Co’s claim near the Invercargill (Jo’s ground. The stone was taken from the solid reef, and gold is plainly visible The prospectors are very sanguine that they have at lasi made a very valuable discovery. On Thursday, the case of Solomon v. Solomon was called, but plaintiff did not put in an appearance. The parties to the suite are well known and plaintiff charged her husband with assault. The Magistrate (J. N. Wood Esq. It. M.) cautioned defendant against ill-treating his wife. Defendant told a harrowing tale of the misery of his domestic life. His wife was frequently drunk, and sometimes stayed out all night. He locked her in the house, to prevent her going out and she broke everything in it. He chained her up to prevent her doing damage, aud it was for doing so that, the charge or assault was laid. Defendant concluded his piieous tale with the remark i hat if it was not for the “ waipero ” plaintiff would be a “ fine wife.”

Mr W. G. Mackay will lecture in the Oddfellows Hall’ to-morrow (Sunday) evening at six o’clock. Subject: “ The restitution of all things.” There will be no collection and all hible believers are invited to attend. Mr W. Johnston, member for Aparima Riding in Wallace County Council, 1 writes as follows : In your last issue, I observed a mistake your re* porter made, in bis "report of the meeting held at Mr Foster’s Junction Hotel. lam reported as having said the bridge at Collie’s Ford would bring the settlers of the Oreti Hundred eight miles nearer the railway than via Otautau. What I did say was that the bridge at Collie’s Ford was almost wholly for the benefit of the Otautau Riding. The settlers in the Oreti plain would be nearer the station by Collie’s Ford, and they would save eight miles of railway carriage.

“ Atlas ”in the ‘ World 1 says:—Miss Maggie de Rothschild is preparing to turn Christian with a view to her marriage with the Due de Guiche. The budding duchess receives regular religious instructions from a Roman Catholic Priest at Frankfort. The De Grummonts I believe are very strict Catholics; and little as they objected to the lady’s money-bags, they did very much indeed—almost to the extent of forbidding the banns ; and a French parent can forbid the banns in a most efficient manner to her religion. The more orthodox Jews are, I am told, very angry about the affair; and adding up the many Christian marriages made by the members of the great financial house, declaring they are undeserving to belong to the “ nation of any more.” It is indeed evident that, if the Jews and Christians keep on intermarrying, the latter, as the more numerous, will in time absorb the former. That is one way of getting rid of the Jews, certainly, but one which will take time. “ A discovery of considerable interest and importance to all who take an interest in natural history was accidently made about a week ago on the banks of the Mararoa River. A rabbiter in that locality finding the carcise of a bird peculiar in appearance such as he had never seen before, gave it to Mr Connor, manager for Captain Hankinaon. It turns out that this bird is a great curiosity, inasmuch as their are only two other specimens known to the scientific world. It is described in Dr. Buller’s work on the ornithology of Now Zealand, as Notornis, the Maori word by which if is traditionally known ''(for the bird was supposad to have become exHinot) being Takalie. In appearance it slightly resembles the Maori swamp hen, bu‘ is much larger and heavier male. We have no doubt that the discovery is one that will claim a great deal of interest among students of natural history as it is a well-known fact that search has continually been made for this bird, but in vain, since the two specimens above referred to were obtained bv the Hon. Mr Manteli, who sent tdiein to England. There, we learn from Dr Buller’s work, they were carefully mounted by Mr Barlett, | and now stand side oy cide in the British : Museum, and like the remains of Dodo in the a! joining case, daily attract the attention of thousands of eager visitors. It is worthy of remark that Dr Hector found traces of this bird not far from the spot at which the discovery was made, as above recorded. We may also slate that the body of the specimen in Question was in a good state of preservation, and that the skin lias been taken off and the skeleton preserved intact. ——t