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Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 293, 9 May 1879, Page 2

i^y^u-.^ '""CrJMeech at the late meetingveompkineo , jjfjiraaving been misrepresented in the columns of the Mail, and added that he may reiterate the sentiment with regard to like it." We are glad to learn from Or" Meech'a own statement that in the discus-! sion at-the last Council meeting he did not. intend tQ,C/qj>yje.y: that the - Works Committee the ultimate tribunal wftli work-be ! ing-p< : o"lJerly carried "out as against the iSng'ineer, but he certaipl,y ,convgj'ed "tliat r impression, not three of ; his brother councillors;. / If Cr Meech will for 1 state what 'he means in unambiguous language, we cah'assure him he 1 sijkll; have no- just cause of complaint of being ." ~ ' • ' .-; if:-) "fj :t--:,l\' ..■■•;.• ." ■ . ' < ' " i On. Monday next the nomination of candidatestakes place for the vacanc}' in the Borough Council, As yet none have dejclaired themselves, but at the appointed time we shall probably find that " the hour is gome and the man." We haye r received a copy of a pamphlet by Mr M.'. A. Black, actuary to the Australia Mutual, Provident, entitled, "The progressive policy of the Australian Mutual Provident Society reviewed." The work appears to us a most able - one. The author sets himself the task of answering various questions N which: are ,011: important to assurers whether actual or prospective. Tbej questions have .relation, to,, what, we pointed oiit.in a former' number to bl a icardinal,point for consideration in estimating the prosperity of an Assurance Company.; viz.; the ratio, of expenses to premium income, and the expenses incurred in acquiring,:new .business. The writer's j arguments'are fortified by copious tables, showing comparative results from the Bt^i^tjcaff,.^i a number, of ,companies. fjniaiadife ieeue we proposetfe-viewing the publication at greater length. * ~ ;Th& •railway.traffic .returns for the four weeks ending Bth March, as published' in the Gazette (says the Post); exhibit a very reumrkabje feature. rT-he total , length of New Zealand railways open for traffic is giveii;as. only 1111 miles, , while for; the previous four"weeks the length was* given as 1115, there being therefore a decrease of four miles I A comparison of the detailed returns shows that the decrease has taken jrjlace irf the tOhrakciforch-ftunedinilfiVer-cargill section, which has diminished from 720 to 7idmHe'B. ; 'in vie- absence of any .explanation as to t]ie cause of .this.singular shbVten'irig" Various ,1 hj'potheses suggested themselves, one 1 being that as ! the 'absence in length is'cbniine ! d to the lines in the extreme South, it'may be occasioned by a shrinking of the rails due to the colder weather now setting -in... We do not put this forward as a'pTobable.explauationj but none other is supplied by the railwa}' authorities. The average pfop'ortion of •Wwkfrigi expenses to r , receipts. • for the whole polony has decreased to 69 per cent. This is very gratifying, but still we shoud like to know what has become of those four miles of railway in the South. If they have been • stolen, the Government ought at once to offer a reward for their recovery, and for the apprehension of the robber." The loss is equal to one mile per week. At that rate the colony would lose 52 miles and a fraction per annum The matter demands instant investigation. . Mr C. L. Wiggins, • of Sumner, kindly gave an antertainment to the children of the Lβ Bon's Bay school on Friday last, and although nominally for the juveniles, their elders seemed to appreciate the views exhibited with the sciopticon quite as heartily. The lecturer began by showing scenes in "Jack the Giant Killer," and other amusing pictures; then, for the more staid, views in the Isle of Wight, London and England generally, Switzerland and the Tyrol, Italy, including different scenes in the Vatican, and some beautiful views of Venice. The falls of Niagara, from a number of stand points, was very effective, and duly appreciated. The inhabitants of Le"Bon's owe Mr Wiggins a treat thtef all thoroughly and all the liibreValueiMor the spirit-in-which it was given. The Annual Parish Meeting in connection with the Church at Okain's Bay was held on Thursday, evening, the Ist inst. The proceedings were opened by singing a hymns after which several recitations and spngswere nicely rendered, by the school children, Mr Hutt accompanying the songs upon tfte harmohiuin. Mrllutt addressed the meeting at some length oh church matters, and then read .the statement of .accounts for the past, year, showing' that the'debt recent; repairs to Ithe church .had- been liquidated.' After a committee had been chosen for the ensuing year,-the meeting closed,,by singing the Doxology," a , vote of thanks being passed to Mr Hutt for his voluntary services; ; •' '"'•'•' •■>■■■•'.■"■■' ; J The adjourned annual meeting^of tlje Akaroa Library, which was to have been held last evening; was: further adjourned till Tuesday at the same hour and place. ■

The annual meeting o± subscribers to ie Little Akaioa Library was held in the choolroom on Saturday evening, May 3. Ir J. Hunter was voted to the chair. The eport was read and agreed to. The Jjjfc) accounts j 1100 Lnl|fl £14.J|flhe f(M»wj^ : tmlc minitjteQ ersuipg v 'tfoJuV I Gr. Xix (Treasurer), Bobert Willis Librarian), D. Waghorn, George Bennett, md George Ashton. A vote of to Jβ I An accident Happened at JLittle Akaioa Qaplnin Arthur, setch Margaret, which might have resulted 3erjoui»Ty/= >It apgeaVs'Ga^fifnf' Rutfeif was 3ho.oting.j3ea birds with a. muzzle-loading some" cause_ unknown, the gun burst, blowing the lock and breach clean away, and one of the pieces Kit Butter on the left hand, causing a severe 61tit"bpabe*uti«tBr6e inches irMdeTtne" hand. .Another :piece hit his mate, causing a slight wound on the chin. r f The Port Lyttelton Herald thus complains of delays in the administration of justice in the Jqcal Court:—"The Ser-geant-Major arid police employ much of their time now in hunting up J's.P. to try and get't>ack business off their charge-sheet;-Aaunfortunate man has now-been remanded over and over again on a charge of lunacy, and the fear now is that he will be mad by .being constantly brought up andfsent back to gaol. The Mayor is generally pounced upon, as he considers attendance as part of-the duty, of his office. But as the matter would require two Justices, in default o? a Besident Magistrate, he can do nothing But remand till all's blue." ~■;- - Mr Wj Penlington is the successful tenderer for the erection of the new Court House in Akaroa. The contract price is £636 ; 14^.T.h>'w;ork, will/be commenced in a very short time, and the new building will no dpiiTat' prove both a useful and ornamental addition to the town. While on this subject, perhaps it may not be out of place to allude to the question of a town clock. That such an institution would be a public convenience there can be no doubt. Now it appears that there is a clock in existence which belongs to the town- ,o£ [Akarqav 7 At .the : time ;it was purchased by subscription it was placed in the church tower, that: being Cpti* sidered the place where" 'it ' wouldbe of imopt'psqrvijce./ jTt was; founds however, tliat tlie ringing of the church beil'tsatiseTllitsoTgarjfeati'on iri'ttie" economy of the clock, and it was accordingly removed. For some years the clock has been lying perdu, bnt it has at length turned up in the establishment of a watchmaker in Christchurch. We would suggest that the Borough Council take steps to possess themselves of the clock, and think that arrangements could probably be make to have itferected up ihelnew Courthouse* whfch" wduld |c | |ejh.tr|l sfte, and-wjie/e it would certainly be a public convenience. We make our civic fathers/ p/ejsejit 'of the hint. * ■ '* ' v "' ' '' The business :done [Resident Magißtrate'_s.pourt, Akaroa, _since our last issue, possesses no#ubliqinterest.' ' ,