The Western Star. (PUBLISHED BI-WEEKLY.) WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1891.

Western Star, Issue 1541, 4 March 1891, Page 2

The Western Star. (PUBLISHED 81-WEEKLY.) WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1891.

Perhaps the best example extant of the absurdities resulting from " hastylegislation " is the act intituled " The Gold Duty Abolition and Mining Property Rating Act, 1890," Without doubt the abolition of the Gold Duty was desirable, but the same might be said of any other duty which is at present levied and collected, and this much can be said in favour of the duty on gold that it was paid only by those who bad gold to sell, and like the Property Tax only affected those who were in a position to pay, differing, however, from the Property Tax inasmuch that it was not inquisitoriil. It appeared, however, necessary that the miner should be taxed and in place of the simple and selfcollecting Gold Duty, mining property is to be valued and rated "in order to recoup to local authorities in mining districts tho loss of revenue sustained by the operation of this Act in abolishing the export duty on gold." We get a definition of rateable value and would here ask where are we to find the talented individuals whose opinions as to the values aforesaid will bear the test of a few weeks' work in the claims so valued. The powers given to the valuers to enable them to obtain particulars respecting mining properties are great and perhaps necessary, but when we picture to ourselves a valuer exercising these powers on a goldfield like Round Hill and endeavoring to persuade a Chinaman to blow out a match before answering a question, to which his only reply is "No savee," we doubt if even these powers will help the valuation to any great extent. Besides all this we know that a digging population is somewhat nomadic—that claims are worked out, fresh ones taken up and found to be either " on the gutter," or to be duffers in far less time than twelve months, so that between two valuations fortunes might b 3 made without one penny being paid to the local authorities. The collection of the rates will, we fancy, be a somewhat difficult task and altogether beyond the ordinary power of County machinery. The increase of the fee for miners' rights is fair enough and hardly any digger would object to the old charge of one pound. With this one exception we cannot help endorsing the opinion of a contemporary "That it is a fool of an Act." n ~ „

At tlio last meeting of (he Borough Council mention was made that the father of an infant, th >t recontly died at Round Hill, had made the usual application to the Town Clerk for ai allotment in the cemetery for the interment of his child, but that on discovering tint it was not compulsory to have the body taken to Rivortou, countermanded the order, and statod his intention of interring th" body at the Round Hill. The Act states tint there shall not be a cemetery or burial ground within five miles, bodies may be interrel upon land not being a cometery or burial ground, but notice of ererv nnoh interment and the place of interment shall be given by tho person interring same to the nearest R.M. or J. P. within three days after such interment shall havo taken place. It will at ones be seen that there is a loophole for the Act to be abused, and the Bnrongb authorities wisoly determined to draw the attention of the Government to the wording of soveral of the clauses. The intnntion of tho Act was undoubtedly that leave should be given to persons liviug remote fiom a cemetery to inter tho holies of frionds in other hinds, bn, not to make it permissible to a'l and sundry living outside the specified limit to abide by tho exact wording of the sections. There is this, however, to bo said thai so heavy is the railway charges for the cimage of a corpse that poor people who ,voukl have ro ta'<o tlrw moans of convoying their dead to a cemetery, are sometimes pre-vent-d, from want of money, from doing as they would wish, m "nut. At 8.3 J on S iti'i'diy evening a fire was seen in tho direction of tho cometery, and on a fe.v persons going to tho scone it wae found that a house on Mr Mo Williams' property wai on Mm. Of course it was useless t-i try ami etay the flames which had a good ' hold on tho building hut Messrs Hudson, : Armstrong and McCarthy were the moans of j saving a reaper and binder which occupied an .

adjoining building, and to which the fire was fast making its way by the fenoe. There is no knowing how to account for the fire which originated inside tho building, aa it wia untenanted at the time. The Stan lard Insurance Company held a risk of £9O on the h|)ikling.

The Secretary of the Rirerton Raoinp;Club has been in oommunicat on with the Railway authorities re concessions on the line for the Easter Monday races. The department show no disposition to favor the plaoe by running cheap trains, but ic is to bo bo:>ed before finally deciding ihey will for once see the wisdom of giving those wishing to attend the gathering some adequate roitiction in the fires.

The Mayor has convenod a mooting of citizens to, bo held in the Town Hall tomorrow evening, to take stops to ruiso a Western District contribution to the fund Hint is being raised for tho relief of the widows and others dependent on those who lsft by the Kakatiui for tho Macqiiarios, and who, almost without doubt, cum i by a w?itcry grave. There is no ooo.nsion to coalmen 1 the object to our renders. Tho Kakanui was a regular trader to this port, and consequently her loss comes homo to us with greater significance than to most communities. It has been suggosted that a g.iooial collection might be made iu the looal churches. Already some £125 has been collected in Invercargill. It is notifiod that His Lordship Bishop Moran will visit Wrey's Bush on Sunday, tho 15th inst.

Farmers are reminded of tho Eoaper and Binder trial taking plaoe at Thornhury toduy, when the Buckeye maohine will show whit it can do in a crop of oats. On Friday, t')o, there will be a trial in the same paddock whoa the Mercer machino will be set to work. The Mercer also gives an exhibition at Otautau on Monday. Excellent entrios have boen received for tho M mdeville races. No fewer than 16 have bjen nominated for the Trot while 10 are in tho SteepV'hase. The Cup has received 7 o'itries.

sir E. Ward, one of tho brothers Ward of Fairfax, has commenc cl practice as a Solicitor in Gore. In confirmation of what has beon written about the destructive qualities of the opossum, Mr Pankhurst, of Longwood, brought to our office yesterday, a couple of apples that had half nibbled away by the marsupials. Ho states that his garden is strewn with hundredweights of fruit which has been similarly treated by the little animals. Mr Pankhurst, who lives within a mile of the Longwood railway station, says opossums abound near his place, and he thinks it hard lines he is nob allowed to destroy them as they are doing him no end of mischief.

The last Government Gazette publishes tho list of successful tenderers for tho carriage of mails throughout the colony. The Western District cervices a:u tho annual subsidies paid are as follows:—Lumsden-Te Anan, twice weekly, J. McKenzie, £75; Mararoa P. 0 -Te Anau Coach, twice weekly, G. Bench, £ls ; Nightcaps-Annandalo and Nightcaps-Opio, twice weekly, J. Harvey, £l4 14s Gd and £10; Otautau-Blackmount and Otautau-Scott'a Gap, weekly,D. Stewart, £53 and £2 12s; Riverton-Groper's Bush, twice weekly, T. Borland, £l6; Rivertm P. 0.-Railway station, T. Borland, £l9 ; South llillend-Heddon Bush, twico weekly, F. Saunders, £l2; Thornbury-Hoddon Bush, twice weekly, P. Daly, £46.

The proceeds from tho ball recently held in the Scott's Gap sohoolroom reaohed the respectable sum of £9 15s, which gees to the school funds. The room was crowdod on tho oocasion and the ball n complete success.

Ths heavy rain and srale of Sunday played havoc with tho hoavy crops all over tho district. Thoy nro now so laid that the work of harvesting will be very much increased.

The first match betweon the newly-formed Thornbury Cricket Club and the Aparima Club took place on Saturday last at Thornbury, resulting in a win for the latter by 44 runs. Messrs Collins and Eyes captained the Thornbury and Aparima teams respectively. Aparima's first innings produced 46 run', Robertson 8, J. R. Mills 9, and byes 16 heing the principal contributions. Iu the second innings 50 was scored, the player making- tho greatest number of runs being Pattison, with 19 to his credit. Tho Thorn bury players were all out for 17 in their first innings one bye inly bsinjf registered. The second innings produce! 315, McKenzio 11, and Black 7, being highest scorers. The local peoplo seemed to take great interest in tho game and quito a number of ladies graced tho ground with their presence. After the match wa3 ovor both teams sat down to a very good tho visitors being tho guests on tho occasion. It is to be hoped the Thornbury Club will be abla to send a team to Riverton to play tho return match before the present season closes.

Tho muttoa bird ssasou is agaia at hand, :nl the Natives are preparing for tho expedition to the haunts of the bir '. Those who havo decide 1 to go havo not yt made arrangements to get to the islam! ••.• :f 11: TCeith Ramsay, who as before sf i«f n the 'oak out for a steamer to ivt<i. ■-' tod

Xakanui, procures one lhl oma, enloavor will be made to secu.-y her scmoes

for the trip. If a steamer is not available, a oouplo of the local cuttors will l>e engaged to go to the islands. One and all of thoso who iu years past have been conveyed to the hunting grounds by the Kakanui, deplore that they will not have honost old Boat and his considerate crew to travel with. About the same number of Natives as went last year have signified their intention of going to tho islands this season. Tho 20bb is about the date tho Natives would like to start. The monotony of the Court proceedings I yesterday were somewhat relieved by the fencing of some of tho witnesses with counsel. Great stora was set on the length of time certain pegs had been in the ground, an J one witness to show that a peg had been imbedded for a considerable time said that there were cobwebs on it. Then followed a most interesting discussion on what cobwebs are composed of, and the length of time it takes to construct them. The witness at last owned ho knew little about tho matter, but was at the same time quite sura the cobwebs on the particular peg »9 referred to could not have been strung together in one nightThe transfer of the rights from the promoters of the Round Hill Sludge Channel to the Round Hill Syndicato of Loudon has now been completed. Tha apparent delay in the t-iking over of the rights was in consequence of it being thought desirable to obtain an additional expert opiuion, from an outside sf>nnrcp. .-is to the feasibility of tho whole

undertaking. Mr John Ewiug, of St B.kthatis, probably the first authority in the land, was selected to make a report, and this was received last week. Mr Ewing entirely concurs in the conclusions arrived at by the other authorities who hive gone into tho matter, and pronounces that it only requires good management for the concern to pay handsomely. After reoeiving this report the transfer to the Syndicate was at once proceeded with. Mr Bullion, the London director, accompanied by the Secretary are at present in Dunedin on business of tho Company. At the Dunedin Autumn races no less a sum than £35,847 was put through the totalisators on the three days. This is the largest amount ever invested in the machines at a moo moating in the colony except at the Exhibition meeting, which, however, lasted four days. Sportsmen toll us, too, that a much greater sum would have been operated with had backers more confidence in the horses being despatched on even term 3 by the starter. " Walking" totalisators, that is bookmakers of the spieler class, diverted a goodly sum from the legalise 1 betting mac ;ine.

A petition for tho reprieve of Sarah Jane Flanagan and her mother, both of whom wore oondemned to death at tho last sitting of the Supreme Court atChristchnroh U boing signed in that city.

The Hon. John McKenzie, Minister of Lands, will, we understand, shortly visit Southland and include the Western district in his tour.

Three stacks of ryegrass, tho property of Mr Thomas Power, Wrey's Bush, wero destroyed by fire on Friday morning. They wore insured in favour of the Otago and Southland Investment Company for £l5O with the New Zealand Insurance Company, and Mr Power estimates the loss at £SO over that amount.

Speaking at the banquet given to the Premier at Wanganui, and in alluding to the Legislative Council, Mr G. Hutchison said the offort to found an avistooraoy in the colony by Act of Parliament had proved an enormous failure. Insteal of an aristocracy we had only created a museum. Most pjoplo will agroe with the speaker. Members of tho Riverton Choral Society aro rominded that their subscriptions for the season (10s 6d) are now due, and that Mr Burton will be at the Aoadoray on Saturday evening next from 7 till 9 to receive the Fops for all classes aro payable in advance. As the society now numbers over 10 voicos, all persons intending to join are requested to leave their names at the Academy on orboforo next Monday, as after that time all new-comers will be required to pass a preliminary musical examination. Tho season dates sis months from the first rohoarsal. The Lake County Press says that according to current report, David McNiddor, who was killed last Thursday on tho Frankton Beach dredge was heard to remark that the 19th of Februaiy was an important day in hi-3 lice. It was on that day of the month that ho was married, that his first child was born, that (a year later) it died, that ho was shipwrecked, and that finally he met his death. On thd miming of tho day of his death ho said "ho wondered what would happen that day." MoNidder is said to have been cireless of the welfare of his wife and family, resident in Dundee, but the fact that his lifo was insured for £503 with tho Government Insuranca Asoociation seems toindicato the reverse.

Mrs Itoskrnge has a card re singing class. Joseph Butler, Orepuki, is applying for an occupation license.

Messrs J. R. Mills and Co. advertise Burlington farm for .sale by public auction on the lGth inst. ■Messrs J. It, Mills and Co. will sell on the lltu inst. Stock at Tliorubury Mrs Lambert announces she has piiroUuseJ the Commercial Hotel.