Untitled

Western Star, Issue 452, 11 June 1881, Page 2

Parliament was opened by the Governor on Thursday at 2 o’clock. Eighteen, members of the Legislative Council and twenty-four of the House of Representatives ware present. The business of the House was purely formal, and after the opening- adjourned till yesterday. "/ Mr H. Hirst, member for Wallace, left Riverton on . Thursday 'morning. -The only Southland member present at opening of Parliament was the district representative, Mr M'Caugban. ‘ , An adjourned meeting of (he Harbor Board will take place on Monday at 1.30 p.m. | Plans 'for new'barn and wbolshed for Mr 3T. JJutftfiij'Thbrnbury/have bestr banded to us. l|hd bu ; ilfting-- which measures 70ft by 32ft, is of tbe mosfiqsubstantial - description, and is ferorv convenience for' storing grain, sheep shearing, &c.- The preparing of plans and carrying out of the work has been entru'sie'd'tb Mr John Reid, of the firm of' Reid Bros, of this town. Tt is a pleasure to note the erection in the distnVt of homesteads of a substantial and permanent (diameter. It not only proves'that- the "long-'period of depression in the farming industry has come to an end, but that the farmers have every confidence in the Western District. As an evidence of the value of the land in (he valley of Jacob’s River, it may be mentioned that Mr Flack took 60 bushels oats per acre off a piece of ground this season, that has been cropped successively for ten years with out artificial manure of any description having been applied during that time. Even at Is 8d per bushel —the price ho obtained for 'the oats—the return will leave a fair margin of profit. - : ■ . . A man named Dunlop, employed at Wal-l lingr.on and Cockmll’s sawmill, PourakinoA was yesterday admitted into the hospital suffering from a severe wonnd on the foot inflict d by an axe. Dr Young (who we are dad to say, has so far recovered from his llness as to be able tn resume practice) attended to the injuries. . ‘ We have been requested to state that the petiiion against the influx of Chinese has now been drawn out, and ia lying-at tho oflico of the Town Clerk for si nature.

It it in v be taken ns a sign of the times that the “ News” of Thursday devotes a column leader to the consideration of a potty squabble between one member of the Orepufei School Committee and the whole of the others who

differ from him, and in accordance with its so-called “ Liberal” instincts, considers, after a perusal of I lire© or four letters —each having the savqe origin—on one side of the question only, that the one member was right and the whole of the others wrong."’ Average human nature would waive an opinion contrary To that held „by. live or six others, but then on this occasion itJs in arms against the opinion of the majority. If the mind is the standard of measurement, thfen undoubtedly the balance is in favor of the solitary individual who stands, Daniel-like, alone, and against the remaining members of committee, who (inferentiully) are nonentities. Tile squabble arose on an application to admit to the school a boy over fifteen years of age, the limit fixed by the Apt. Committees have power, however? to admit pupils •over that age, finder special circumstances, and in exercise of that-power the committee all but. unanimously agreed to admit the boy iniqnestipn.i;!Tile; Act vety leaves to 'copnnittees a discretionary, power in this matter, os from their local knowledge they are best able to judge of-the fitness of, and special circumstances entitling hoys hr girls over fifteen, years to be admitted to school. It is granted that the character and disposition of the dad in question are. excellent, and it is well known that opportunities of attending school when younger were denied bjm. Clearly then the case is one -which- the Committee did , well; fin favorably;;;considering. The other issues raised are ah flimsy as to render them unworthy of notice ; the broad facts are as we' liave : stßt.edjthem.and the public verdict cannot, be other than ihat the Committee acted wifely,—viewed- either from a legal, moral, jot discretionary standpoint;

The destitute condition of an old woman nqmed Mrs Siie/idefs, an diet resident of the town,- whose husband • was drowned in the river ; some .two years ago, having ' become known, Mrs'l/oclfe,' with 'fiomnienciiible' spirit, has, taken up hand iJiC cirgauisat ionjof a -eon-, cert and dramatic performance in her behalf, and witlOthat object'.a number of local anidlears have readily-consepted to assist.- Hie performances’ will take plade ifi the Oddfellows’ Hall on the evening -of' Friday 17th and , it. .is <-1b ' be-, hoped Ghat .the; ipnblie will” show their apprecution of the charitable nature of the performance by roll* ing up in large numbers.

; The frequent late arrival of, the evening ( fain from Invercargill- has been the cause of much .anpoynnee of late —In .fact so frequent bps been the occurrence, that the arrival of the train at the appointed hour has now become'the except ion, not the rule. : 1 lie cause of the delay is on account of the Winton train being? frequently 3n. hour behind time in arriving at Makarewa Junction, and it is none the less annoying to find, after the Riverton .train has Waited, iif ! nine leases out of ten, there are no passengers tb/‘.change.” Surely there is a “ screw loose ” some irhcre.

A meeting of the promoters of the Frozen Meat Export;Company was held at Invercargill on Wednesday. The prospectus was laid upon the table proposing that., the capital should be £IO,OOO, in 2000 shares of £5 each, and a motibli was passed 'adopting the prospectus;! ■ '.•OU-f .- 'l:.' ;p pi■. . j One of the most distressing and. sudden fatal acc/iftfnU ihat it,has been our duty to chronicle formnanj? ivears, ‘happened to Mr Joseph Allan, of the-Oreiit Western Hotel, at Thornfaury about 7.30 p.m. Deceased accompanied as far as Thornbury a relative 'who was proceeding to Invercargill by the afternoon train,'intending to return in the evening. Ho .was standing. oM the platform at Thornbury when the train arrived from Invercargill, engaged conversing with some acquaintance?, when the usual warning was given and the train moved off. He then made a rush to get on board a carriage, canght hold of the .stanchion and .made a spring to get on to the footboard, but missed, and he swung round between two carriages. Mr GL Howell, who was immediately belaud Allan, and wailing to. follow him on board, immediately caught him round the waist with the left arm, holding on to the stanchion by the right, and iu that position walked along the platform and kept up - with the train for a few paces. Immediately - Howell caught Allan, the latter let go his hold of the stanchion, and his whole weight was thrown upon Howell, who, as the train gathered speed, was in great danger of being dragged down, and to save himself had to let poor Joe drop. Mr .Bateman, ,the guard, immediately showed (he red light, and the engine was stopped—nor, however, until three carriages had passed over Allan’s body ; and to make matters worse, as is not infrequently the mase, the pudden stoppage caused the train to travel backwards a short distance again over lhe body. When picked up andlplaced on. board the train, the unfortunate man was found;, to be fearfully mutilated, although still living, and as it was known that Dr Young of Riverton was unable from sickness to attend sneh a patient, it was at once decided to run the-drain back to 'lnvercargill with the sufferer, but lie succumbed to his injuries shortly after reaching the hospital. Allan became landlord of the Great Western about twelve months ago. where he was esteemed for his amiable and -straightforward qualities. He was quite a young man, not exceeding twenty-three years of age, and was only married some three months ago. An inquest was held at Invercargill yesterday, and a verdict of accidental death was returned. The body was brought hack to Riverton last evening, and.will be interred in the cemetery there on Sunday. The C Tuoop of "H ssars will parade for mounted drill at 3 p.m. on Mondiy, and for sword exersise and foot drill in the evening at seven o’clock.

Mrs Hatripson concluded her series of evangelistic services at Invercargill on Wed* nesday. •. .. ; , i; It:is stated that a company will he formed te> work rhe..Forest Hill tramway on .completion of the work.

We gave the'names of the team selected to do bottle for Riverton in the football match with the Invercargill Club, which takes place on the highlands to-day, at 3 p.m. The following are the names of the Invercargill players:—Brodrick, Galbraith, Hawk, Hodge, Miller, Morgan (A..), Morgan (M.)., M'Gregor, M'Kellar, Robertson, Stead, Watson (Geo ), Watson (John), Watson (J.), Willcox, and Binnie.

A man who in the early days of the field amassed a fortune of about £-10,000 by “striking it heavy ” in one of the Tookey Flat mines, and succeeded in spending every penny of i! within eight years, is now working as a labourer in the Bay of Islands coal mine, at 8a per diem. Such is life ! —“Thames Advertiser.”

The following is a list of the books received for Groper’s Rush Library ;—Roswell s ‘ Life of Johnston,’ ‘ Runyan’s Life,’ * Stories of Old Families,’ ‘Faraday's Life,’ by Gladstone, ‘Havelock’s Memoirs,’ ‘Life of John Knox/ ‘My Schools and Schoolmasters,’ ‘Essays by Hugh Miller/ Scott’s ‘Life of Napoleon,’ Alison’s ‘Epitome of European’ History/ ‘ American War of Independence/ ‘Traditions of Edinburgh/ ‘ History :of Re-, hellion 1745-46/ '“ History of France/ Greasy’s ‘ Fifteeli Decisive Battles/ Creasy’fi ‘ History ' of the Ottoman Turks/ Defoe’s ‘History of (he Plague/ ‘Deeds of Naval Daring/ ‘History of the Saracens/ ‘ Constitution and Teaching of the Jesuits/ Kitto’s ‘ History of Palestine/ Macaulay’s ‘ History of England/ Prescott’s ‘ Ferdinand and Isabella/ ‘Conquest of Mexico/ ‘ Conquest of Peru/ ‘ Life of Hilaries V./ ‘History of Russia/ ‘Josephus/ ‘Kile Tributaries/ ‘Lion Hunter/ Trollope’s ‘ Australia and New Zealand/ ‘St. Paul at Athens/ Candlish’s ‘Discourses/ ‘ Eeilson and Revelation/ Colenso’s ‘lPentateuch/ ‘Fall of Man/ * Witness of History to Christ/ ‘ Our Lord’s Three Raisings from the Dead/ Rothschild’s ‘ History of the Israelites/ ‘ Saint and his Saviour/ ‘ Tulloch’s Lectures/ ‘Anecdotes of Animals/ ‘More Worlds than One/ ‘Various Forces of Nature/ ‘ Meteorology/ * Practical Physiology/ ‘ Other Worlds than Ours/ Roscoe’s Chemistry/ ‘ Ten Laws of Health/ * Workshop Receipts/ ‘ Modern Farming/ * Longfellow’s Poems/ ‘ Milton/ ‘Moore/ ‘Scott/ ‘Shakespeare/ ‘Defoe’s Select Works/ ‘Johnston and Hastings/ ‘ Demonology/ ‘ Professor Wilson’s Tales/ ‘ Mark Twain’s choice works/ 4 Swift’s works/ Talcs by Hogg,’ ‘Ettrick Shepherd’ (6 vole), ‘ Tower of London/ ‘ Lancashire "Witches/ ‘Traits of Irish Peasantry/ ‘Spy/ ‘Deerslayer/ ‘ Pathfinder/ ‘ American Notes/ ‘Great Expectations/ ‘Piekwick/ ‘Sketches by Boz, ‘ Oliver Twist/ ‘ Monte Christo/ ‘ Black Watch/ ‘Frank Hilton/ ‘Old Judge/ ‘[Attache/‘ Clockmaker/ ‘Gentlemen of the Old School/ ‘Charles D’Malley/ ‘Last. Days of .Pompeii/ ‘ Peter Simple/ 4 Japhet/ ‘ Privateersman/ ‘ Pirate/ 1 Perpetual Curate/ ‘ Wild Huntress/ ‘ Guerilla Ghief/ ‘ Caesar Borgia/ ?Sir Walter Scott’s novels (26 vols), ‘ Uncle Tom’s Cabin/ ‘ Vanity Fair/ ‘ Book of Snobs/ ‘ East Lynne/ ‘ Diary of a Late Physician.’ ‘ Bashful/ ‘ Irishman/ ‘ Mansio Waugh,’ ‘Valentine Vox/ ‘Triumph over Midian/ ‘ Shepherd of Bethlehem/ * The Red Erie/ ‘Wild Man of"! he West/ ‘ Rome and Early Christians/ ‘ Cook’s Voyages/ ‘ Sand ford and Merton/ ‘ William Ford/ ‘ Soldier and Patriot/ ‘Life of Napoleon/ ‘Life of Nelson/ ‘ Vicar of Wakefield/ ‘ Tom Brown’s Schooldays/ .<■ ~■ 0 ~ j fj tj “ Are we to stay here ?” is the rather suggestive title of a pamphlet just to hand. At first sight it appeared like a polemical, i|is: quisition, and in accordance with an established rule with works treating of'such subjects, it had already been conveyed., half way to the waste paper basket "when ’ the words ‘‘Public Works Policy” saved it from that fate in the On a more minute examination, it proved to be “ A Paper oh the New Zealand Public Works pylicy of 1870, considered) speeially with reference to the question of the Settlement of the Crown Lands and the Incidence of Taxation.” The author (Mr H. J. Sealy, of Timaru) attempts o prove the following propositions, (Those who may read the phamphlet will be able to judge whether or not he succeeds) ; —lst. - That the Public Works Scheme of 1870, known as Sir Julius Vagel’s Policy, contained in its original form all the elements of success, if only it had been carried out in its integrity. 2nd. —Tint in the original scheme the tota fide settlement of the land by farmers on sma;l blocks was one of the essential features. 3rd. —That such settlement was frustrated, owing to the prior occupation of the country hy the runholclers, and the great power possessed by them as a class. 4th.—That the comparative fail.ire of the Public Worse Policy, and the present stagnation of the colony, are due in a great measure to the monopoly of so much of the best land in large estates. sth.—That no permanent improvement in the affairs of the colony can be looked for until the majority of the large estates are broken up and settled upon by a numerous population. Gth.—That in order to hasten the above process it is desirable to abolish the Property lux, and impose in place of it, a Land Tax on a sliding seale, increasing the amount per acre in proportion to the extent of the estate. 7th.—That no reforms in the taxation or system of land tenure can be expected, unless the Hall Ministry, representing as they do the largo land proprietors, are supplanted in office by a Liberal Ministry, representing the people at large. Bth. —That unless reforms of the above nature are speedily carried out, the colony will retrograde by reason of large numbers of those wbo have immigrated hote, having to leave again in consequence of being unable to obtain a ’livelihood—this process -has already commenced, to'tho serious detriment both of the Customs Revenue, and- of ths Railway Traffic Returns.

I ■ A "Wellington correspondent furnishes ns with the following interesting tit-bit, which', we are assured, is genuine in every particular: —“ A; few days ago the manager of .one of the Wellington banks was requested by His txcellency to call on him re Government matters, and forthwith proceeded to Government House. The banker in question,being no small beer in his own estimation, stood not upon formalities, but, having dolivered‘hia card, walked in without waiting to be announced. His Excellency was at the moment busily writing in bis study, and, as he paid not the slightest attention to bis visitor, the banker coughed several; times, y At.?last His Excellency looked up, and, sternly surveying the intruder, asked 1 Why were you not intror duced ?’ * Oh,’ said the banker, ‘l,gave my card.’ ‘ But you were not introduced,’ retorted His Excellency. The banker wiped his spectacles, and in a vexed tone rejoined, ‘ For the future, your Excellency, any banking business had better be conducted at the bank. ;;His Excellency did not care to continue the dialogue, and the interview is said to have terminated somewhat abruptly.”—‘Wanganui Herald.’