The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, APRIL 29.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 290, 29 April 1879, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, APRIL 29.

No business was transacted at the Magistrate's Court on Friday. One civil case was called on, but adjourned till next this day. We have,received a copy.of the apnual report of the Australian Mutual Provident Society which was presented at the 30th annual" meeting of the Society held at Sydney on the 23rd inst. The report furnishes all the information usual in such documents, and as far aa can be judged .from the. figures therein supplied r the society is in a most flourishing condition. The two • features by which < the general public can best judge of the prosperity of an institution of this kind are (1) the amount of new business done, and (2) the proportion of expenses of management to preminhi income. These two particulars stand as follows in the report before us :-— 6209 new policies have been issued during the year, assuring £2,175,942, and producing a new premium income of £73,131; This is stated to be a larger amount of business than has been obtained during the same period by any other office in Great Britain or the Colonies. The premium income for the year is £433,018, and the expenses of management amount to £65,558, being only a shade over 15 per cent. This is a highly favorable rate. There are two features in the report that would indicate a state of affairs which is decidedly susceptible of improvement. One is the statement that while 6209 proposals were completed, there were 8864 proposals received, of which 2655 were declined or not completed. Thus about 30 per cent. of the proposals never came to anything. This involves a heavy loss to the office, both pecuniarily and morally. The medical fees alone on these fruitless proposals amount to nearly £3000, and besides there iB their share of other expenses; Another unfortunate circumstance is that 937 policies, representing an annual income of £10,226, have been discontinued by " forfeiture." As this number is outside the number surrendered, and as a policy acquires a.surrender value in three years, it may fairly be presumed that the great bulk of these policies are forfeited by nonpayment of premium within a very short time of their completion. In fact, that probably only the first premium has been paid on them... On the whole,'however, the society is to be congratulated on transacting a sound business, and being engaged in fighting for the alleviation of human suffering, and against the evils wrought chiefly by selfishness.

By the Hawea, which arrived last night there Srrived forty brace of Californian quail, which have been procured through the exertions of Mr Justin Aylmer. They will shortly be liberated in places to be determined on. It is hoped that all and sundry will assist in protecting the birds, which have been introduced, at considerable trouble and expense.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Akaroa and Wainui Road Board was held in the offices of the Board, last evening, and did not adjourn until a late hour. A large quantity of business was transacted, a report of which will appear in our next issue. The deputation epidemic, was more than usually severe, and has now]evieenily spread to all parts of the district,

Our valued contributor Mr John Sundowner has returned to his allegiance, and a contribution from him will be found in another column. is "evidently not a smart%manj says/the/Rangiora {Standard.; Here JwaV'f golden*' jchane'e.\q*£.,'holding' an induesi Dr Cowafd, ofr„ Christchurch, would certaijnly> have jumped; at it. The' sole of an-'old boot-was .found in "the stomach of a shark caught' off *Tararu. v The man to whom the boot belonged is supposed to have been easily digested long ago. Tho usual iqquest'was dispensed with for lack of-' sufficient indentification. Why, we well remember the old Timaru kroner, hot many years "ago hearing t|jat a man's leg-bone had been washed, ashore on the coast, proceeded in great pomp to hold the usual enquiry " into the cause which led, to death of the person whose body the jury had dulj viewed." We are here quoting the exact wording of the. records which Coroners have to follow when engaged in their ghoulish - business.. Of course, the line must be drawn somewhere. The southern official in question drew it at a leg. Some of his compeers might draw it at a toe. There is nothing in the law bearing upon Coroners' duties to,tell them what constitutes a legal body. And common-sense is not always one of the gifts in the possession of officials. Says the Sun :—" Can a man belong to a brass band and be a Christian ?" asks an exchange. We see no impediment-in the way. f But" if he is a member of a brass band and is given to practising on his cornet or trombone at home, it is an utter impossibility for the man living next door to be a Christian. _. ' This is the season "when the journalist hard up for sensational incidents, hails with delight the abnormally developed gooseberry or the reptile of miraculous longevity. .While we were in despair for locals, when even our devil had been unable to discover any thing fresh, a kind friend came to the rescue with a gigantic potato.. .This overgrown- tuber has been produced by Mr J. Glynan of the Kainga, and weighs three pounds two ounces. It appears to be perfectly Bound, but as we intend cooking a portion of it daily for the next week or so we shall then be in a better position to speak as to its quality. We have heard of the Port of Akaroa at a possible rival to Lyttelton, but it l appears that Waikerakikari, or Hickery, as.it is more generally called, is about to contest the palm with both of them, if the information we have received be correct. It appears that on one day last week.no. less than three vessels wero unloading there, viz., the p.s. Tongariro, the _. _.U. Cameron, and the Volunteer. We understand that they all managed to discharge their cargoes with perfect safety, in spite of the " kicking water," which is said to be the translation of the native name for the place.

Mr C. W. Bridge will holdi two important sales this' week. To*morrow he will offer some casks of Australian wine, and a variety of sundries just imported from Melbourne. On the following day he will sell the stock-in-trade of. Mr C. Alger, the latest addition to the noble "army of insolvents, for which Akaroa has of late become unfortunately noted, . The Governor having " done " the Lake district and Invercargill, arrived at Dunedin by special train about 4 p.m. on Saturday) His Excellency, was received by the Hon. R. Stout, the Mayor and Councillors, members of the Reception Committee,]and a number 'of citizens. A procession was formed to conduct His Excellency to the Garrison Hall, where an address was presented, to which the Governor replied, afterwards declaring the Hall open. The procession consisted of the various Volunteer Corps, Friendly Societies, and the Fire Brigade. A magnificent triumphal arch had been erected across Princes Btreet, and in the evening the town was illuminated. The number of citizens who turned out on this occasion is said to have been larger than on any previous occasion in Dunedin.