Untitled

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 161, 10 August 1877, Page 5

A telegraph office has been opened at the Waitahuna railway station., A British lark was seen and heard for the first time in the Owake Flat during the last week by Messrs J. Esler and G. Logan while out in the field ploughing. Mr fc. R. Jones has been returned unopposed as Councillor for West Ward, Milton, to fill the vacancy caused by the Mayor resigning his seat as Councillor for that Ward. It has been arranged shortly to givo a concert in Milton in aid of the funds of the Church of Eugland congregation. Another concert is to be given in aid of tho funds of the Bruce Cricket Club. The arrangements for the concert in aid of the Clutha Cricket Club are progressing satisfactorily. We understand a considerable number of ladies and geutlemeu who have not before appeared before a Baiclutha audience are expected to render efficient assistance. The North Otago Times mentions that thero is some talk of an independent party being formed, with either Mr Macaudrow or Mr Ballance as leader. They will eschew the questions of Separation, Land Fund, etc, tln3 session, aud merely go in for administrative reform. A special meeting of the Dunedin School Committee was held on Tuesday night, for the purpose of considering the new Education Bill. The various clauses were discussed seriatim, and a number of suggestions made, which are to bo put in the form of resolutions, and forwarded to the Government. Thero was no discussion on the religious clauses. Mr Wheatly, member of the Waitaki County Council, appeared before the Oamaru Justices on Wednesday, on information for using a free pass on the railway, not being bona fido travelling to or from a meeting of the Board. The information was dismissed, the prosecution failing to fix the date. A fresh information for a similar offence has been laid, and will be heard on the 20th. A telegram from Nelson says: —The ship Queen Bee, from London, struck on the Farewell Spit at midnight on Monday. A boat in charge of the second mate arrived at Motueka and telegraphed to the agent for assistance. As far as is known yet no lives were lost. —" Passengers were on board when the boat left, it being too dax'k to find a landing place. There appears to be no chance of saving the vessel, her back being broken, and she is bumping heavily."' At the' Usual meeting of the Undaunted Lodge, 1.0. G.T., held in the Owake schoolhouse on Wednesday last, the following officers were installed :—W.C.T., Brother Osborne ; W.V.T., Brother Wratten ; W.S., Brother Macandrew; W.F.b., Brother Wilson ; W.T., Brother Bryan ; W. 0., Brother Button: W.M., Brother M' Lean; W.1.G., Brother Trader; W.0.G., Brother Latta; W.R.H.S., Brother Logan; W.L.H.S., Brother Bees ; W.A.S., Brother Stevenson; D.M., Brother M. Latta. A Kaitangata correspondent refers to. the fact the Bruce County Council has £1400 to its' credit at the Bank. He consideis it a great absurdity that it should remain there while there are so many roads requiring- attention, especially the Kaitangata river bank road, which should liave been taken over by the Council, as there is twice as much jtraffic on it as there ,is on the main roads, the keeping up of which, he says, seems to be the only object of a Council in Bruce. We have to call attention to the important sale at the Crown Hotel here on Tuesday and Wednesday next. The sale will positively be a bona fide one. Everyone knows the superior class of horses,, buggies, &c., kept by Mr Stanbrook. These, with other stock outside, will bo sold on Tuesday. The furniture, in. eluding beds and bedding, will be disposed of on Wednesday. These articles are of the best and most substantial description, and have been kept-in f rst-class order. This is undoubtedly the largest sale of the kind that has ever been held in the Clutha district, and we expect to see a large attendance and keen eompeti- ■ tion,

A new Friendly Societies' hall is being erected at Outram. The Lawrence new grammar school will be finished in a few days. The branch railway between Mosgiel and Outram has been completed, but it is not yet open for traffic. The Victorian Government intend to introduce a bill to permit ministers of religion to sit in Parliament, but, while members, not to officiate. There was a partial eclipse of the sun on , the Sth inst. , and there will be a total eclipse of the moon on the 23rd inst, both invisiblo in New Zealand. . The tender of Messrs Millar, Murray, and Walker has been accepted for the Wallacetown to Junction portion of the railway. The amount of tho tender is £11,356. It is reported that the Deborah tunnel will be finished by the end of the present month, and that communication by rail between Dunedin and Christchurch will be opened in March or April next«yoar. The usual monthly meeting of the Bal- _ clutha School Committee was held on Monday evening. Beyond the passing of a few accounts thero was no other business of any importance before the meeting. A meeting of Auckland clergymen of all denominations, to consider the Education Bill, has generally approved of the Bill, and adopted a petition in favour of the religious clauses as introduced. A Mr James Ure, a well-known resident at Waimate, was wandering in that disfcr-ict last week a raving lunatic. After a search by a mounted constable and a number of the inhabitants, he was found on Friday lying in a stato of nudity iv a flax bush. Considerable differences are said to exist between Ministers upon various points of policy, Ministers were in cabinet all day on Sunday, endeavouring to adjust these differences, but an opinion prevails that the prosont Government must shortly break up. A football match, Dunodin v. Christchurch, was played at tho latter city on Wednesday, in presence of several thousands of spectators. The game was played in four spells of half-an-hour each, and was a desperate struggle throughout. It ended in a victory for Dunedin, by two touch-downs to nothing. A meeting was held in the White Horse Hotel, Milton, on Friday night, Mr F. Bastings in the chair, when it was resolved to form a Club, to be called " The Bruce Coursing Club." It waa agreed that tho membership fee be one guinea per annum. Mr F. Bastings was elected President, and Mr J". M'Donald Vice- President. It is generally believed that the " unemployed," for whom work is found by the Government in railway formation, are only paid at a very low rate. We have been informed of two " new chums" who make 10s 3d per day each at the Government rate on the Baiclutha and Clinton section. We do not suppose that all make so good wages. The only item of business before the Waste Land Board on Vv f ednesday of interest to the inhabitants in these parts, was an application by Mr Dunn, Kaitangata. for a licenso under the lfilst section of tho Act, for part of the roadline opposite section 1, black IV., North Molyneux. Mr 11. M. Sewell objected to the application, and the Chairman of the Kaitangata Lake Drainage Committee recommended that it should be granted. Consideration of the matter was adjourned until tho Board got further information on the subject. A fire occurred in the house of a blacksmith, at Hokitika, on Sunday morning. The family consisted of husband, wiEe, and five children. The wife and two children were severely burned. The two children have since died. Tho mother is not yet out of danger. The two boys burned to death were aged seven and five. The ages of the girls are ten and three, wi'uh an infant of four months. Every stitch of clothing was burned off all seven. Delay was occasioned in opening the door by the handle being off. The eldest girl had the presence of mind to get under . the bed with her- sister, and thus escaped the flames for a few minutes. The bridgo over the .Waipahi Hiver, on the road from Clinton to Tapanui, is in a very bad state, tho railing being so rotten that a largi portion on the western .end has fallen into the rirer, and the rest wili soon follow if not repairet!. Tho beams, which are arched, and - formed oi laminated planks of Baltic pine, ought also to be looked to, as should one of them givo way the wholo bridgo would collapse. The road from Clinton to Tapanui is very bad at present ; we trust, now that the Clutha Council hsve agreed to accept the Act, that this road will »s---ceive seme attention. It was sorely neglected ty . the late Provincial Government, who sold land :!1 along tho route, but ignored the fact that pu~ chasers required roads to, obtain access to thei; purchases, and to send. their produce to market so now that there is no land to sell, the free-: holders must bo taxed to make the main road, which ia more favoured districts has been done by the Government out of the money obtained for the land sold in that district. We have had several complaints of late of the doings of a few midnight prowlers and larrikius in Baiclutha. 0£ course the petty depredations will by a good many be put down as the work of some of the recent arrivals amongst us. It is, however, no such thing. It is the work of a few young lads of Baiclutha. Five of them are well known, and much surprise is felt that their parents, who are in respectable positions, should allow them to wander the streets at all hours of the night, committing petty depredations. As an example of their work, we may mention that when Dr Smith was returning home at eleven o'clsck on Monday night he found a few of them, in the act of removing his gate. Seeing him approach they ran off.. They are, however, known, and, seeing that their parents seem to take no charge of them, the police have been informed, and it may be a consolation to such parents to know that for the future 'ittigir; sons'will be nightly watched by the officers pffcße; peace. Petty thefts have also been corhmWfdJ 5 Of course each parent will say, " My boy=rfra^^ out late at nights, but lie does not - steal." |ffsjSst£ so— but we could name boys in Balcluthi^|BQrc>,> have committed thefts ; and unless their. ppe||§] look better after them, we have ho doubtfi^p will shortly be amongst the class, of con-^^^ thieves. Some sympathy, may then- be fesy|||s|{ I the lads, but sure we are very little will berfxiit' for their careless pareuts. lj|*%?

A monthly Temperance journal is projected at Timaru. ■ The farmers in the Gorge district of Tokomairiro have commenced in oarnest to sow the wheat crop. A large quantity of wheat will be sown in the Gorge this season. The South Canterbury Times positively asserts, and offers tb provo, if necessary, that tho offer of the appointment of A gent- General has been made to Mr Stafford by the Government. A coloured man named William Dixon, while trespassing upon tho railway line about a mile upon this side of Mosgiel, on Wednesday evening, was knocked down hy the train from Dunedin, and had his arm and several of his ribs broken. He was walking against the strong wind which then prevailed, and thus did not hear the approaching train. Tt being dark at the time, the engine driver did not notico him in time to pull up the train. Messrs Begg and Sheddan, Warepa, having purchased the farm whioh belonged to Mr Archbald, and which they leased a short time ago, have "received the compliment of a few days' ploughing from the district. There were 19 ploughs (8 double-furrows and 11 single), and a largo quantity of ground was turned over. An abundant supply of refreshments was provided,' and a " wee drappie o' the crater" considerably enlivened the operations. We frequently hear reports of the general insecurity of the masonry work in the culverts and bridges on the Gore-Clinton railway. Mr Whitaker had to re-build one of the piers of the Waikaka bridge before he could cross with his ballast trucks, and the culvert at 56 miles 44$ chains also fell in, and now Dame Rumour says the piers of the bridge over tho Waipahi are showing signs of bad masonry. We should really like to know what the Government pays all the engineers and inspectors for doing, and why they pass such exceedingly bad workmanship. On the evening of. Monday last Mr Heath, manager of the National. Bank, Baiclutha, opened- a Glee Club, in the Newmarket Hall. There was a good attendance of ladies, but the gentlemen were not so numerous as might have been expected. We understand, however, there were exceptional reasons for their absence that ovening, and that a larger attendance is expected for tlie future. We trust this expectation will be l-ealised. A better, moro efficient and pleasant instructor has not been in Balelutha, aud we heartily wish that Mr Heath's efforts may bo appreciated and supported. Captain Hayward, Harbour Master , Catlins Biver, reports under date August 2, 1877 . — The number of vessels inward for the past month were 23, equal to 824 tons register, and 14 outward, equal to 547 tons register. Nine were sent to Dunedin, one to Wellington, two to Timaru, one to Moeraki, and ono (the Ino) to the Molyneux. Seven vessels, equal to 307 tons register, loaded at the New Mill; six vessels, equal to 211 tons, register, loaded afc the Owake Mill ; and one (the Mary Ellen, 29 tons) with produce. The Jane and Fanny aro waiting to get out. The Jessie, Lloyd's Herald, Janet llarasay, and Owako Belle aro loading at the Jvew Mill, the Luna, Harriet, and Alp^a at tho Owake Mill, and the Mary Ellen at the landing, loading produce. The Jane Hannah, for Lyttelton, tho Good Templar and Isabella, for .Dunedin, sailed this morning oarly. I very nearly had a case of stranding to report, the Isabella having grounded upon the sandspit, and remained there sometime; but, very fortunately, tho breeze keeping up, she was enabled to get off again without- (so the master signalled to me)— damage. Tho weather has been remarkably fine for the last ton days— in fact, as fine as any one could desire. We have heard on very good authority, that one of the hares taken during the last day's coursing, on the upper part of Mr Pilliaus' land, bore evident marks of being shot some time previous, and indeed several shots wero actually picked out of the animal. This is scarcely creditable to tho settlers in the neighbourhood, who either do ifc themselves, or wink afc such destruction on the part of others. Nobody can blame a man for shooting a hare which come 3 into his garden, and eates his cabbages and the bark off his fruit trees, but in such a case he ought to try and make sure of killing tho individual offender. There was a good day's coursing had at the beginning of the season in that locality by somo sportsmen from a neighbouring district, and it is well-known that one of them carried a gun. Perhaps they thought their dogs were not good enough, and thoy probably called it " coursing with tho gun," but we are inclined to believe that this is equivalent to shooting hares, which is at present contrary to law. It has, we regret to say, been practised a great deal during the lato season. It is to ho hoped that tho day is not far distant when hares will be numerous enough to be opened foi* shooting, but in the meantime this wholesale destruction of them means extermination, or the next thing to . it, and puts off the time when they may be legally killed with the gun. '.-,.'- --, A valedictory public dinner was given to Mr Poynter, at Simmonds' Commercial Hotel, on Tuesday evening,, the 24th July, which was admitted to be the most successful . event of its kind yet seen in Tapanui. , Captain Mackenzie mado a most efficient chairman, and Dr Douglas, . as croupier, was the right man in the right placo. Everybody of consequeuce in the township, and many from the distiict were present.. The toast .of tho evening, "The Health of our guest, Mr G. \l?. B. Poynter," was received as it deserved to be ; i rand was suitably responded to Mr Poynter, who said ho hoped that was not to be his final greeting if his Tapanui . friends, it being his intention to : come back and reside amongst them after a few i years. The local toasts, "The Mercantile, SawniUingj Agricultural and Pastoral Interests," ' f SES^iSrfe'My 611 an(^ res P one l e( l to, an d, of course, cmfdiHg T^o; time-honoured usage, the talk was ifw^^l^'.vocalism, which, aa every report of ; dinner says, was capital. The en- > t^pfim^f i the evening, however, quite bubbled i o^i^gpiilr R. C. Ferguson sang, to the air of -'■'Bc^lueXliarlie's noo awa'," a song written for ' anc^ touching upon Mr Poynter's s <hffig^Jro m the district, and " Will he no Ho,m'ha^ilgain, , ' was vociferously reiterated in ■< |l|a%ghj6ma ; ) by every man present. This song & |w &&jjSb|j|xcellent in tone and rendering. The of " The Host and Hostess," Mill inlon( ls, was received a3 it deserved K^o#'ihfcda*rtQ .who had partaken of a magnificent )3®e'^^OTliSh , included every creature comfort,. ft P-^^^-W' atl<^ we ed* soothing. - Mr -Poynter §^°^otS^ with their household goods, left; for Tasmania via Waipahi and InMonday, the 30fch July, having gj®i :^wwi§) a couvoyance one of Mr Galloway's W§C'&*voH

The saw-mill of Messrs Begg and Sheddan, Warepa, is busily employed afc present, and no doubt the* demand for timber will be greater as the roads get harder. On Wednesday Mr Fox obtained leave to introduce his new Licensing Bill. The same was read a first time. The second reading was fixed for Wednesday next week. The Chief Justice has decided tbat when an objection is raised to the claim of anyone to be placed on tho electoral roll, the burden of proof lies with the person objected to, not with the objector. A J. P. is much wanted in the Warepa district. Certainly offences aro very rare in that quarter, but papers require to be signed sometimes, and this causes an inconvenient trip to the nearest town. We understand that Sergeant Hughes has been transferred from Clinton to Kingston, his place, being occupied by Constable Mulholland, who has been stationed in Baiclutha for a short time, although not too short to gain him the respect of the whole community. The following seems a new feature in the railway management. There have been four travelling stationmasters sot on the lino between Waipahi and Bluff —principally for the side stations, where no tickets are sold, and from all accounts they are doing a good stroke of busiuess. The lambing is now about over on Mr Christie's farm, Warepa. Very little loss has as yet occurred. The frosts at night have been very severe, but the weather throughout the day has been warm, and favourable for the lambs. The Warepa School Committee seem determined to make everything as pleasant and comfortable as possible for. the pupils. Men have been employed gravelling and levelling tho school-yard. The whole improvements havo been carried out under Mr Christie's superintendeuce, aud he deserves much credit for his work. The day of election for Gore Riding was the 6fch inst., but it appears that tho Mataura district is excluded from tho roll of electors , through some mistako of the officials of Invercargill, and therefore the electors had no vote this year. They have, however, one consolation to think they will not be taxed, which will be a los 3 to tho revenue of somewhere about; a thousand pounds. " Ichabod, thy glory hath departed." There was a large attendance at the weekly meeting of the Loilge Hope of Baiclutha, 1.0.G.T,, on Friday evening. Tho chief business was the installation of officers elected for the ensuing quarter, as follows :— Bro. It. Hogg, W.C.T.; Bro. G. Kaynes, W.V.T.; Bro. P. Thomson, W.S.j Bro. G. Thomson, W.T.; Bro. John Mitchell, W.F.S.; Sis. Thomson, W.C; Bro. Charles Hogg, W.M. ; Bro. C. M'Kenzie, W.1.G.; Bro. W. Currie, W.0.G.; Bro. James M'Neil, R.H.S.; Sis. C. Hislop, L.H.S. A special meeting of the Milton Town Council was held on Monday night for the purpose of receiving the report of the members who had beon appointed to ascertain the conditions under which tho municipal reserves at Kaitangata and Waihola were granted as such. 1 1 was found that those lands (among others) wero granted as municipal reserves in 1857, and vested for the benefit of the Dunediu Corporation, consequently all idea of Milton Obtaining a sharo of the rents accruing from them has been abandoned. We have had several enquiries as to tho operations of the Biver Bank Protection Committee. All wo know is that at the close of the Town Council meeting of the Slst ult., the then Major, Mr Mason, montioned that ho had got from Mr Duncan, C. E., a plan of works, whicli that gentleman considered necessary for the protection of the river bank above tho township. We understood the Mayor to say that tho plan would be laid before a public meeting. We would point out that tlie Assembly is now sitting, and if any steps are intended to be taken in tho matter they should be adopted at once.

A school teacher in this neighbourhood writes : — The new Education Bill seems to please pretty well, but I don't think the payment by average daily attendance at all suitable to country districts. •In more than a third of the schools in Otago the teacher's income won't be equal to a labouring man's. For example, take the averago attendance of a few schools iv the Clutha for tho last year :— Hillend and Ahuriri each averago 16, Te Houka, Clinton, and Catlins each 21. jtfow the former two schools will have about £56 from Government, add £10 capitation, total salary, £66, At present these schools receive at least £75 from Government with school fees added, which are expected to amount to about twojthirds of the Government grant. There are 165 schools in Otago ; 66 out of that number averago from 12 up to 30, so that you can easily see teachors will bo very poorly paid, where the atteudance is small. The proposed compulsion won't make much difference on the average in the country, , for children are only to be compelled to attend six. months in tho year. Again, the income of town schools will be greatly increased. For example, North Dunedin School average is 453, Between Government grant and capitation, the school income will amount; to £1950. At present they pay in salaries £1005.

Our Waitepeka correspondent writes : : — We have had a fine open v inter, and farmers havetakon advantage of ifc to get their ploughing done in good time. Owing to the high price of grain more ground has been broken up than

usual, and settlers aie now busy sowing* Mr W. Morton has already sown over a hundred acres of wheat. I suppose the Czar of Russia will be getting the credit of the great rise in the price of grain, present and prospective. It is a fact that during the Crimean war, when the fanners iv Scotland met on market days, they drank the health of the Emperor of Russia. Grain rose to famino prices, and horses sold proportionately high. They never thought of the many starviug poor in largo cities.— Considering tho season of the year, our roads arc in a pretty good sfcabo of repair, thauk3 to the Boad Board, or rather to the energetic which wo have lataly returned to • represent us in tho Board.— Amongst a crop of very large earrofca grown at the Waitepeka Schoolhouse, one measured 22 inches in circumference, and was long in proportion.— Within the last few years a great change has been made in the appearance of this district ; flax has almost disappeared, and the ground is nearly 'all under cultivation. The settlers are industrious and content, and their labours seem to be crowned with prosperity. The greater part of them are rearing up families of sturdy sons and daughters which would be a oredit to any community.

The Dunedin City Council has again fixed the Mayor's salary at L4OO a year. A strong desire is expressed by many in the Warepa district for a more frequent postal service. At present it is ouly bi-weekly, which leaves too long intervals. We presume, however, tho . proper time to make application fcb the authorities upon the subject would bo afc the expiry of the present mail contract. We call attention to an alteration of the date of the sale of Mr Fraser's stock, &c., at ' Springfield, South Tokomairiro, from Wednesday to Thursday next week. Tho alteration is in consequence of the District Cciirt being held in Tokomairiro that day, and also in consequence of Wednesday being the annual meeting of the various Boad Boards. The following resolution was passed at a moeting of the Tuapeka "County Council, on Friday — " That this Council believes the system of road boards should be encouraged, and that when road boards are performing their functions the County should not have the power to raise any rate, and that the clerk be instructed to write to Messrs Bastings and Brown, desiring them to use their influence in that direction." A meeting of the unemployed has been held in Christchurch. It was resolved to memorialise the Government, poihtiug out that the labour market in New Zealand is overstocked, and requesting 'them to withdraw from all contracts entered into for the introduction of more immigrants. A deputation waa also appointed to wait on the Mayor, to ascertain if tho City Council can offer any employment fdr men put of work. As several complaints have reached us from the Otaria and Waipahi districts in reference to the inconvenience experienced through tho receipt of only one mail per week, we would suggest to the farmers in these localities to call a meeting, and receive tenders for delivering a mail twice a week — say Tuesdays aud Fridays— between Clinton and Otaria. Thero are several houses on the road side at which mails could be left. We are sure that many of tho farmors who havo sons and horses would tender, and tho cost, when spread over all the settlors in the district, would not amount to many shillings per year. Tho abovo suggestion -will apply to One or two other districts — notably,. Waikaka, Hillend, and. Crookston. In August, 1876, a petition signed by settlers in blocks K. and XI., Waipahi, and adjoining blocks, was sent to the Minister' of Public Works, asking for a station and siding on tho railway near the crossing of tho district road; a little west of where the line crosses the Waipahi river. In reply, the Minister stated that attention would be given to the matter as soon as the railway was completed. We observe that some of the material and the points are placed on tho ground, but no further steps have been taken in the matfcor. Tho settlors, who have no roads, are'gettiug anxious to have a station there, as HQveral?have considerable produce to send away, i and require fencing, building timber, wire, and other goods, which, if delivered there, would savo thorn the great expense and loss of time in carting long distances, aud bo a source of revenue to the Government. Our Otaria correspondent writes : — The building of the Waipahi school is now completed, but will uot bo opened until tho one at Wakaka is built, as thoy will bo both side schools. The erection of the Waikaka school has been postponed till the spring, as the timber was not all carted before tho roads got bad. —The Bey. Mr Connor will preach in the new schoolhouso at Waipahi on Sunday, August 19, at half-past 2 o'clock p.m. — Farming operations have come to a complete stand still this last week, owing to the severity of the frosts. — The people iv this district are thoroughly disgusted with the way the mails are being delivered. Novr, in place of our getting the Dunediu papers the saroo weok as they are published, we do not get them till the end of the following weok, which of course makes tho news a fortnight old. — A great many of the settlers would like to see a store in connection with a post-otneo started at Taylor's Creek, beside tho railway, as they would get then- mails a littlo more regular then than at prosent.

Our Wairuna correspondent writes : — Since I wrote last, many improvements have been effected in the district. One of great need has been supplied, viz., the addition of a stablo to the school property, which improves the appearance Of ifc greatly, and is of great benefit to the teacher. Tho School Committee have likewise secured an addition of 10 acres to the former glebe (in lieu of three as appeared in one of your columns lately). Thoy deserve praise for the energy and interest they tako in their work, and in trying to make the school a very attractive as well as instructive institution. — Wo have now got tho iron horse steaming past us, whicli gives the locality a very homely appearance, and confers a great benefit upon the settlers. Tho rails are laid within three miles of Clinton. Thero has been no little excitement and discussion amongst the settlers as to the most suitable place for a siding, each one wanting ifc in his own locality. The question is settled now, it being at Mr Irvine's crossing, as central .and convenient a place as could be desired for most of the settlers. — Ploughing is going on at a rapid i-ato, and every thing seems black in' tHe vicinity. Some people havo commenced to pub in their wheat.

It will he observed from pur advertising columns that tenders are now called for the construction of the section of the railway between Baiclutha and Clinton— the last of the main trunk line to Invercargill. The tenders must be lodged by the 29th insfc., and we trust that the work 'will fall t6 be executed by some of our local contractors. The work has to be finished within twelve months from date of contract under the penalty of LIOO a week for every ■Week the contractor m&y be behind time. Tho contract commences at the crossing of the main road, Clinton township, and terminates in the Toiro Valley, about half a mile north of the farm of Mr Sandilands, Warepa, a. little over four miles from Baiclutha. The intermediate distance, called the Toh-6 section, is the one on which the unemployed are being set to work, The contract is 16' miles 31 chains long, and includes everything required for putting the line into completo working order. The Government provides the rails. AU the works on the line are very light, and the steepesb gradient is 1 in 60, and the sharpest curve is 15 chains radius. The cuttings are light, but few exceeding 6 chains in lengfch and 10ffc.'to lift, in depth. There are nine bridges upon this contract, these b^ing of either pile or stone, with timber supeistiucfcilio. The spans range from 15ft. to 3<Jffe,

Several of .the mining claims at, the Blu6 Spur are hotv said to be paying handsortioly-. Messrs Hales a'hd Hinds' claim there, during thfe last two months ; has paid L 550 perMrionth.

It is currently • reported .in. >Vollingtoh that Mr G.E. Barton, barrister^has intimated t6 the Government his ihtolition to apply for & Parliamentary ''enquiry into tlio 'conduct of Chief Justice Prendergast, ttlioin lib hciSuse's of great hostility towards him as a practitioner, and of going out of his way to injure ; aiid insult' himsolf and his partner, Mr ■Fitzherbert. . Somo of the charges made aro of a very serious nature.

We observe that the carpenters have arrived at the Waipahi station, to commence build*ing the station and goods shed, both of which are very much required. Tho successful 'tenderora for these works aro Messrs M'Allisfcor and Turn*bull, the favourite carpenters ancl builders of Tapanui. Their names are sufficient guarantee that the buildings will be erected iha worktiiauliko and satisfactory manner. . Tho price is rather under £51.0.