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Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 168, 26 February 1878, Page 2

The efforts of the Catholic Body here to I secure adequate remuneration for the periodical visits of a priest to conduct the services of their church have resulted in the sum of £72 10s being promised as annual contributions. When here, Bishop Bed wood stated that if £60 per annum were raised a priest should visit Akaroa once a month. The result so far achieved has, we are pleased to see, exceeded the amount so named.

From the published report of the examination and classification of teachers which recently took place in s connection with the Board of Education, we observe that Mr Wykesmith, late master of the Akaroa School, passed in the third division of the first class ; that Mr A. S. Baker is placed in the second class, his status not being decided ; while Miss Boberts, and Mr Victor are both, with undecided places, in the third class. -

The carelessness of those entrusted with the safe keeping of infants in perambulators, will, unless they take warning, be, sooner or later; the cause of an accident. On the 22nd inst., while Mr Macfarline was driving along the beach road, on his return journey from Pigeon Bay, and when near Wood Bros, and Cos. store, the horses took fright at a perambulator, and it needed all the skill of the driver to prevent an accident happening. Had Mr Macfarline been less expert nothing could have prevented a runaway and smash up. For some inexplicable reason the girls who are supposed to see to the safety of their charges, prefer putting them in jeopardy by driving the perambulators containing them, in the centre of the road instead of at the sides or on the sidewalks, thus placing themselves right in the track of horsemen and vehicles. Parents of infants would do well to take heed of the warning which we now publish, and give instructions that may lead to more care being taken in the future.

We clip the following from the Hobart Town Mercury of the 21st ult:—•' A man named W. F. South, who arrived in Hobart Town early in December from New Zealand, has attached some attention by his persistent attempts to commit suicide. He was sent to gaol for a month, after an attempt to drown himself, as he was unable to find sureties for his good behaviour. Directly he was released he commenced to drink again, and being arrested by the New Town police, endeavoured to hang himself witli his scarf in the lock-up. For this he was allotted six months in gaol, but, again attempting to hang himself in his cell, he was sent to the hospital for medical examination. It is probable that he, will be sent to the New Norfolk Lunatic Asylum." The W. F. South thus spoken of is, we believe, the same person who was in Akaroa some years since, and who, during his short sojourn here, figured on more than one occasion before Mr Pilliet, our then R. M. Quite recently we read bis name, in a Christchurch contemporary as having been prosecuted by Mr Pilliet for having used threatening and abusive language toward him. Since we reported the sighting of what was supposed to be a wreck off Flea Bay, we have heard that the same body— whatever it may be—has been seen passing Pompey's pillar and drifting to the northward. We give this intimation in the hope that vessels, bound to and from this port, will keep a lookout for wreckage. There was but one case in the Akaroa R. Tvl. Court, on Friday last, when W. Cain, in default of paying a fine of fort3 T shillings was sentenced to one weeks imprisonment with hard labor, for threatening and abusive language. The Akaroa County Council will meet for the despatch of business on Tuesday, the sth pros., at " Garwood's House on the Hill Top." Doubtless, at this meeting, the question of adopting the Counties Act, in its entirety, will be again brought forward for consideration, and we venture to express a hope that no hurried action will be taken on determining this important matter. Our attention has been drawn to tho circumstance that, in the paper for both census returns and agricultural statistics, there is no column placed for statements of the yield of grass seeds. Considering that this article is the staple export crop of Banks Peninsula, this omission will cause our productions to appear of far less value" than they really are. It is impossible to determine how many tons of Cocksfoot grass seed wiy be sent from the Peninsula this season ejxcept by means such as are provided- in tho agricultural return paper of the Government; no private enquiry can elicit anything "like a close approximate, hence it is the more desirable that this valuable information should be collected through the medium of the proper department of the Government. As regards tho census papers it is now too late to have this omission corrected, but it may be in time to add this item of grass seed to the other paper to which we refei, and this is our principal reason for writing upon the subject.

We beg to remind those of our readers who take an interest in such matters, that the Peninsula Jockey Club. Races will take place on the course near Wascoe's Beach Arms Hotel, Lake Ellesmere, on Thursday, the 28th inst. From the acceptances made, we predict there will be a good cays racing which will not be marred by any failure in Plost Wascoe's commisariat departmentLast year the complaints-on this score were plentiful, but Mr Wascoe was not

then to the fore ; we hope on the present occasion to have the pleasure of chronicling the reverse of what we did a year since i so that the proverbial " merry as a marriage ! bell " may be the order of, and throughout ; the da} r . Through the kindness of Mr James Wood we shall be enabled to publish, in our next issue, the report of the races, which will be sent us by pigeon I express from the course.

During the present summer there has been more; Btealing of fruit, and injury done to orchards, than we ever remember to have heard of "in any previous season. The peculators are not satisfied with robbing the orchards, but, in the hurry and greed of thieving, break and damage valuable trees; and often destroy, in one night, what has taken years to grow. Poverty cannot be made an excuse for these thefts for surely fruit is cheap enough, and we are certain that orchardists would sooner give fruit away than Have their trees wantonly injured as they now are by fruit thieves. It is useless to say why do not the police catch the depredators, everyone knows it is simply irnposible for the sergeant and constable to be everywhere and to watch each garden and orchard. We do hope that some one will be caught in the act, and if he or she gets heavily punished, it may have the effect of deterring others from continuing this petty class of mean thievery and destructiveness. Mr Lee, the proprietor of Cobb and Co's coaches, informs us that the Saturday's coach to Pigeon Bay and the steamer to and from Lyttelton will discontinue running until further notice. The meeting, convened by the Board of Education, for the purpose of electing a school committee in Duvauchelle's Bay, and which was to have been held on the 18th inst., did not take place owing to there not being enough persons present to form a quorum This is the second meeting which has been called for this purpose and both have terminated alike. We suppose that a Commisioner will now be appointed to act in this school district; We have to congratulate Miss Isabella Bruce, pupil teacher of the Akaroa School, on having successfully passed her third year's exaination as a pupil teacher. This success classes Miss Bruce as a fourth year teacher. In the published list of passed candidates we. observe that Miss Rruce's name is bracketed with another, as being number eleven in order of merit.

In our advertising columns will be found the acceptances' for the different events of the Peninsula Jockey Club Races. From the number of horses who will compete in each race,- we are of opinion that some good and close finishes will result. With the •' clerk of the weather " in good temper, and other things being propitious, those attending the races should have an enjoyable day's sport.