The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 345, 7 November 1879, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7.

What is the Committee of the Industrial Exhibition about ? If the affair is to become a success, it is time something was done to ensure it. We have not heard of any action being taken to let competitors know what prizes will be obtainable, nor what exhibits are desired. Surely so pleasing and useful an institution as this exhibition will not be suffered to fall from its hitherto high estate If so, it will be anything but creditable to Akaroa.

As a warning to local bodies to conduct their proceedings in a manner technically cbrrect and according to law, we may mention that the Waimate County Council has lately been suing some defaulting ratepayers. In the first case called on, it was decided that the rate was absolutely invalid, as the Act appeared to have been ignored altogether. After this decision, the solicitor for the Council withdrew the remaining cases. The Auckland Herald mentions as a rumor the probability of a strike among telegraph operators, in consequence of some new regulations by which they are required to work beyond their ordinary hours of duty without receiving any remuneration for so doing. It is stated that some operators lost from £40 to £50 a year by the new arrangement.

The Akaroa Mutual Association held a meeting on Tuesday evening. The chair was occupied by the Rev. President. Mr Nicholls opened a debate on the subject of "Land Tenure." The theory he maintained was that, as all wealth was derivable from land, the land should bear the burdens of the State. He would, achieve this end by levying a tax on land, and allowing every one to value his own property. If anyone was willing to give more for it than the occupier, let him have it, and pay the tax on the increased valuation. Mr Wiggins was afraid such a system would produce an insecurity of possession which would be detrimental to improvement. He would make the possession of land contingent on utilising it. The Rev. President instanced several cases in which persons who were well able to pay would escape taxation altogether under Mr Nicholls' system. Mr M'Gregor thought that the State should never entirely part with control over the land, which they held in trust for future generations. After a few remarks from Mr Nicholls in reply, the discussion clcsed without any formal resolution. It was then resolved that the meetings of the Association be adjourned till the first week in April, and after a cordial vote of thanks to the Rev. President, the meeting adjourned. The Association has no doubt acted wisely in discontinuing its meetings for the remainder of the summer. We hope that next season it will meet with a more continued success. One thing that will tend to the achieve-tj_ent.-*af this success wpuld be, we think; a programme for say threa months drawn np in advance. Another would, perhaps* be a greater infusion of the lighter element of readings, &c, and fewer disquisitions over heavy ' subjects. However, with all its little failures, we are convinced that the Association has done good work during this last session, and we wish it every succes.*! brt re-as-embling.

From the. annual report of the Marine Department recently presented to both Houses of the General Assembly, we obis anticipated that the light- • House'*at Akaroa Heads,will be lighted earljMu 1880. From the samp^ocument we'rtotice that tho ordinary .expenditure. fortha Akaroa Harbor for the .'financial* year-ending 30th June last;has.'been—r £25 ; contingencies, £38 lis 6di The'paper in question also shows that the Tight"now under erection is to be of the ■second order, of a white color, flashing every 10 seconds, and that the expendi- , tiife out' : o_ ImmigratlonCand Public Works Loan during the year 187&79 has been £3107 lis 6d.

v From the Gazette 'of the 30th ult., we observe that Monday, 10th Nov. current, and Monday, lst Dec. nest, aire proclaimed Bank holidays throughout the colony ; and also that Wednesday, 12tli inst., will be a Bank holiday ; and further, that Tuesday, 11th, Thursday, 13th; t and Friday, 14th insts, are to be- observed as Bank half* holidays in' Canterbury; It is jalso notified in the same Gazette that Monday, 10th Nov., is to. be observed as a Post Office holiday.

, : There is a little matter that we should like to see the Committee of the Public Library attend to. On Sundays uiore than.any other day of tbe week, large numbers of subscribers and the public use the reading room, and on that day, especially in the afternoon, the room in question seems to be a general resort of a number of little boys, who keep up a general chatter and cracking of nuts that makes it quite impossible for anyone to read. The books and papers are also pulled about in the most unceremonious manner, little, we should think to their general improvement. Of course we are far from being understood to discountenance the local youth in reading books and examining the illustrated papers, but this ought to be done under some sort of control that does not affect readers of more advanced years. It only requires the presence of a member of the Committe or their officer, for a few Sundays, to make the youngsters "understand they are under some sort of control.

The s.s. Akaroa will make excursion trips to Pigeon Bay on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during next week at single fares. We understand the proprietors have it in contemplation to give up the weekly trip to Little Akaloa, as, since the subsidy has been taken away, it does not pay.

The race for the Melbourne Cup was run on Tuesday last. The weather was grand, the racing excellent, and the assemblage brilliant. The result of the race was :— Darriwell, 1; Sweatmeat, 2 ; Suwarrow, 3. Secundus, who was such a hot favorite a short time ago, does not appear to have secured a place.

Frank Fudge, in the Saturday Advertiser, avers that the following note was sent by a believer in the near approach of the-End of the World to a debtor who had asked for grace :—" Dear Sir,—l am in receipt of your favor of the 15th, and am sorry that I cannot allow the amount of your account to lie over for three months as you request. Verily, we do not know at what moment the Lord may come, and therefore we should make proper use of our time, and set our houses, in order before the advent of the Kingdom.— Yours, &c, " A meeting is convened to be held at Bruce's Hotel, on Monday evening, to take steps to organize some sports in Akaroa during the coming holiday time; The members of the Regatta Committee are specialty invited to attend.

A man named Green, who has been working over at Wainui, met with a serious accident on Wednesday last. While engaged in cutting some wood, the axe came upon his foot, nearly severing come of the toe_. His companions bandaged the foot as well as they were able, and brought the sufferer over to the Akaroa Hospital, where he was attended by Dr Guthrie, who found it necessary at once to remove two of the toes. The patient L is going on well.

The Right Rev. Dr. Redwood, Roman Catholic Bishop of Wellington, arrived in Christchurch on Wednesday evening. The Bishop was received at the railway station by a procession numbering some 750 persons, containing representatives of the various societies connected with the Church. His Lordship received, what he was subsequently pleased to characterize as a " princely ovation." On Sunday the Bishop will preside at the opening of the new organ in, the church in.Barbadoes street, iniwhich'he will be assisted by Dr. Moran, Bishop of Dunedin, and the distinguished Jesuit, Father O'Malley.

The Cheesemakers will be pleased to see that Mr Blaok has for sale a new substance very much used in the manufacture of cheese. It is very highly spoken of by the English and American papers. It has been awarded eight first-class gold medals at different exhibition, sincluding — Paris* 1876, and Philidelphia, 1878. We have'na doubt if it turtis out to be as good as is represented, that there will be a large demand for it.

The Ashburtsn Borough Council recently invited tenders for the valuation of the Borough. The lowest tender was for £15, and two of the councillors spoke well of the capabilities of the tenderer. Nevertheless tiriß, and several other tenders were passed over, a/id Jhat of Mr Harry Fried-' lander at £40 was accepted. It is, no doubt, a purely accidental coincidence that the successful tenderer,is-a brother of one of the councillors.

In a speech delivered in New South Wales, our present Governor, Sir Hercules r .Robinson, speaking of horse-racingj says:—" I do not conceal from myself, that racing must sometimes lead to J -abuses, sport , must deplore. -' But I racing per ;se is innocent—that it always 1 wjll olio wed wherever there is a toleVably /srell- v to-do English community, and* I £ihihk. therefore, the true policy for persons 'of influence and "position is, not to turn their backs on the racecourse, but to give it the benefit of their presence and support, and try and;elevst'er'th© r a place to which' they can ; bring their wives and daughters, and so, by associating with the sport these civilizing influences "pre vent- a fine- ,old British 'institution from, degenerating into a mere instrument for gambling and speculation." On another occasion he thus compares the respective merits of English and Australian horses i\ •'I think it may be said o_'Australian horses generally, that they are a great deal better than they look. The mean average speed of the English Derby up to 1862 was, I find, 2min. 53£ sec, while that of the Sydney Derby was 2 mm. 48sec, and here the horses carried 51b more than they did in England. Since 1862 the weights had been revised and, like the distances, are the same in each case. The mean speed is also exactly the same, viz., 2min. 48sec. But there is this difference' that the Sydney horses, though legally three years old, are in fact not more than two years nine or ten months old when they run for the -Derby, whereas the English horses are generally three years and four months old. The comparison was thus greatly to the advantage of the Colonial thoroughbred." .•

An examination into the personation forgery case was held on Tuesday last at Timaru. Edward James was brought up on remand, charged with forging a deed for the conveyance of 100 acres of land in the Timaru district, by sighing tbe name of a certain _dward James, a miner. Albert Godfrey Saunders and Harry Daniel Manning were also charged with aiding and abetting the said forgery. Saunders and Manning appeared in answer to their bail. Mr Tosswill appeared for the prosecution. Mr Reid appeared for Manning, and Mr Joynt for Saunders. Mr Onnsby watched the case on behalf of the Public Trustee. The Prisoner James was undefended. After a lengthened bearing the three accused were committed for trial, the Bench remarking that there was© strong prima facie case against both James and Manning. The case against Saunders was not so strong, but as he had been mixed up so much in the whole transaction, it would be even better for himself that his case should go to a jury.

The Timaru Herald records the death of Dr Rayner in the following terms:— '■ It is with'sincere regret that we have to record the death of Dr T. 0. Raynor, which took-place at Temuka on Sunday. He had been ailing "for a good while past, and little hope of any permanent improvement in his health was felt. Dr Rayner was born in Worcestershire on March 16,1816; went to school at Bristol, and was articled to Dr Powell, of Russell square, London, in 1831 ; bound as an apprentice to the Apothecaries' Company in the same year/ and shortly afterwards unde'r.'Dr Fergusson, ,Her .Majesty's physician. . Dr Powell having died, he enteredjand matriculated as a student at King's College, ■ London, and after completing _ the curriculum of study there, graduated and qualified in London, being elected an honorary member of the Medical Society of that College, and delivered the inaugural address. He was then elected Vice-pro- > sident, and received two distinguished' diplomas (one in gold) from the students. Ho went to Herefordshire on account of ill health, and made the acquaintance of the Dean of Hereford) and promised him to write a lecture on the ' Science- of Life.' Ho fulfilled his promise; .ceived the Honorary Diploma of the Herefordshire Philosophical and -- Antiquarian Society. , He was appointed Professor of Comparative Anatomy :at "the Aldersgale street College of Medicine; was elected unanimously by the, Council; of King's College as an Associate, and a diploma was given him by the Archbishop before 2000 people. He came out to New Zealand in 1856, in the Edward Paget, and arrived in Temuka in 1857. He was instrumental in obtaining a Medical School in Christchurch; was 13 years Chairman of the Temuka Road Board, and was at various times Chairman of the Park Commission and all the Local Clubs. He was Assistant Surgeon of the Temuka Volunteers, and was Member for Geraldine in the Provincial Council with Mr Tancred and Mr James Hay. We are. indebted to Dr Rayner for speaking against time in the Provincial .Council to get the vote ,pf £100,000 passed for the Timaru Harbour" works. We understand his family are not in affluent circumstances, and it was his last dying hope that they >would not be forgotten, as he had never asked; anything for himself while he lived. His last words were, ' Long may Temuka prosper.'" ; , :

If Mr Sheehan has'been severely handled, he is able to give a Roland for an Oliver, and can be pretty caustic himself. Replying to a speech of Major Atkinson's during the period when the Government were keeping back the No-confidence motion by using the forms of the House, the late Native Minister says :— '* I have never heard my honorable friend speak so

sweetly as he has just done. His speech was like the sad ancf plaintive notes of the dying swan. He objects to the passing of JbV motion, and Be tejls, you that if you pass** it these. Bills; cannot be lifted up again. I reply atWcfc, ahd you, Sir, will correct me if I am wrong', that when we cbme into office we shall have control of the business,on Government days, and we will' bring these Bills, up to their proper place "at Jhe proper time. The honorable gentleman made use of one extraordinary and most significant phras.. Ho said tho Government would not. leave .office, „in jufetibe)ti> their par|y,/and| to the"'country. Note the order of these words: No 1, themselves,;. k party ; and No 3, in the background, the country. .The honorable gentleman never spoke truer words. No 1, themselves, a_ long way aheadl;' No 2, the party, as close! as you can keep it; and No 3, the country* a long, long way behind. My honorable; friend knows perfectly well that that is; exactly true. He spoke* earnestly, as" he| alwaysdoea ;he spoke'his mind ;he spoke: the truth, the whole truth, and nothing; but the truth. He knows that the sole' object is to keep himself and his friends on; the Government benches. We are told by; the Premier that this important measure can be passed in ten minutes; Let me, call attention to the motion of my honorable friend the member for. Port Chains©*--We will deal with that motion now, if you like, without any debate, within the ten minutes, after which these measures can be gone on with. Do they desire that ? Certainly not. For the 7 first : time in the history of parliamentary government, r we have a Ministry which'does hot possess the confidence of the House;" arid which dares not go to the vote." '.■•■■■> : ':

Cori O'Lanus, in the Geraldine County Chronicle, thus discourses on railways in the North Island :—" Colonel Fraser must be of a satirical turn of mind. lie recently brought forward a motion in his place in the Legislative Council, pointing out that trains travelled too fast on the Wellington and Hutt line. Now, many -of your readers, in all ~ probability, have not travelled on the above line, and consequently do not know how fast the trains travel on it. Trains in the North Island travel very slowly and at the place i indicated an athletic snail could run rings round them.. The; engineering /skill > displayed in the construction of the North Island lines is of an extraordinary kindThe country between Fielding and Foxton is almost leveh and yet there ;are as many curves, and twists and turns and kinks in the line as there are in a coil of 'ropeC The engineer who laid out this line must have had a squint of a very wide angle, or else he intended it as a puzzle to posterity to find out why he laid it out in such a meandering way. An occurrence took pl„ce on this line about three years ago which really amused me. There was a little engine employed on it yclept the Skunk —it may be there still-—and\qne morning it was moving—l wills npt: call it running—from Foxton to Palmerston, having one carriage attached to it. About a mile from Palmerston there is a triumph of the engineer's skill in the shape of an incline, and when tjhe Skunk arrived at^the ' footbf it, whistling tokeeplheline clear, it jibb_id|alfKl A ,reffiß_a ttrfclinJß i(. Afjie drivejr turne^on Stdker'heaved on "more a sigpU-- htgrriatf tb "no' purpi>s«j, ,the%ulky Skimfe remained . bbutfnajiely motionless!'' But jthVtwo men were equal to the' occasion, i Tbey jumped off, put their shoujder to the wheel/and pushed the Skunk"to the top.' Any one doubting t this can go to Palmerston, and ■ its truth wjili be affirmed! at any hotel'bar there." The guards on.this line are the most civil ; and obliging I ever met. . The line o|xo_te runs through bush inhabited by a large, number of Maoris, a fow bushmen, and myriad, .of birds and insects. ■ ALany .part of.the lijie that a tatooed savage, dressed in * 'airip/of red blanket, or a bushipan, puts u_h his finger, the guard at once whistles to the -driver, .ihe-tKun-is-brought to- „ - atandstrH, and. Ijhe owner of that finger, includingsthe ifihger, is taken ori bUrd.] The gukrd| £l|o acted as commission agents in a small way. ;If you lived in the bush, you had only, to meet the train, put up your finger as it approached you, tell the guard what you wanted, and he would bring it to you on his return. I have known a guard to bring so small a message as a plug of tobacco. Surely the Legislative Council must be hard np for something to do, to make a show for their £200, when they are driven to discuss the speed with which trains travel in the North Island.