OHINEMURI. FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2119, 6 February 1886, Page 2

OHINEMURI. FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

• Paeuoa, Thursday. Thk political horizon is clouded. The panacea for all evils connected with Ideal politics was toha\ebeen separation. The battle cry some six months ago, was '• di\ ided we fitaud, united we fall " and by dint of much perseverance, worthy of a better cause, the Ohiuemuri riding was sawn off. " Now you fehall see said Ohinemuii triumphant when Home Rule was obtained at last, and now wo are seeing. During the three months our County Council has been sultry. The a\ erage has bean two out of a possible three mistakes and illegal actions and when the Council have gone right, they have doncbo empirically and not rationally, having tried all possible ways of going wrong before. They arc now in rather a deliemuiii about their clerkship. Some three months ago they advertised for a clerk, treasurer, foreman of woiks, and collector, " four single gentlemen rolled into one." Twenty-four Admirable Crichtons made applications, rushing in where angels might fear to tread. The application of Mr Thus. Lawless, came, was read and, conquered. He received tho billet and was foithwith congratulated by the whole community : Waste/l bweetntss, however, for next day it was announced that the election, having been,, made' in committee instead of in open conncil in direct contravention to " The Counties Act 1876," sec. 75 ; was therefore null and void. A month elapses, Mr Lawless is again appointed, this time, strange to say, legally. A clause however, was inseited'ji iri the resolution appointing hiin J "wliTch">j*id, "On a probation of thfec months." Mr Lawless didn't fapo the point and so refused the' position. This piesenl week Mr Peter Austin, J.P., was requesed to accept the position. In consequence, however, of something that Mrs Grundy said Mr Austin wired that day that he could not accept. It was then at ari extraordinary special meeting of the committee offered to a Mr Robert Simms of Kati Jvati. It now remains to see what Mr Simms will do in the matter, as the proviso re three month's probation is again inserted. The Council is m a similar position to a yonng lady who ha\ ing wantonly refused good men and ti ue, and wondering whom she will have, now wonders who will have her. > - A meeting of the Board of Works was holden during the week, for the purpose of; opening the -tendeis for the Karangahake road contract, They were .as ..follows :—: — (Jamison and Pearce,'- O section only, £128 12s Gd ; Coiner and Regan, 3 sections, £199 10s ; B.iin, 3 sections, £197 10* ; Birmingham, 3 sections, £387 35.; Quinn, A section, £C 3; Marsh and Wilson, >B section, £99 3s ; Jno. Kelly, 3 sections, £20!) Gd ; Ritchie, £259 14s " 7d. The engineer's estimate was , £331 Da Bd. The accepted tenderers were : ICclly, section a, £tiO ; Marsh and Cb.'i sectioti 8,£99 3s; Bain, ' nection c, £47 10s, Total, £206 13s, being £134 IGb 8d under the estimate, and even then the lowest tenders were not accepted. This 'is only what is to be expected, seeing that there are some 70 men' at present unemployed at Karangahuke. This, however, will be changed so soon as the smelter starts. A miraculous escape was experienced by a man named Donnelly at Waihi, His party v^ad just charged two holes wiph;d,xnamite, and the two charges were to be fired simultaneously. Only one, however, exploded, and Donnelly went back to re-light the other fuse. Just as he reached it, the charge exploded, lifting over a ton of sandstone. His mates rushed in and dragged the man out, and it was thought that he was killed, he being unconscious and still. Stranee to say,, however, he only received a. few burns about his face, and in a few days will be able to get to work again. Miners will understand what a narrow squeak the man had. , • i

Waihi Silvkuton.— The manager of this olaim is about extending the old proipec-; tors low level along the hanging wall in order to meet the winze when it has been Bunk 50ft. This will leave a blook-100 x -50 available for stoping. The win^e is now down about 25ft., and the lode is about 14ft. wide. ' ■

, Mabtha Extended. — During a conversation with Mr J. H. Moore, manager, he stated that the last rain had nearly all soaked into the thirsts' land, and that unless 'soinp more quickly came the stampers would have to be hung up again. At the time of writing the welcome drops are pattering down, . .

RosEHQjfT.— The proprietors have started ' a 500 ft. drive to the reef. This is a long distance, but as the country is soft can be done pretty cheaply, averaging about Gs per foot. About five tons of tip-top dirt are bagged for transport. This company have 100 tons lying at the Rnielting works, Thames, which they purpose ending to far experimenting pn, • -