Cromwell Argus AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1872.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 148, 10 September 1872, Page 4

Cromwell Argus AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1872.

Recently, in the Assembly, an attein]>t was rnado by the honourable member for Nelson, Mr Curtis, to introduce a reformation in the manner of drafting Bills, by rendering their phraseology less cumbersome and loss full of technicalities, onlv to bo understood by those “ learned in the law,” and presenting them in terms clear and concise, tit and apt to bo understood by all of common intelligence. Ho selected the “ Larceny Act ” for this attempt,—a

rather bold selection. The change was thought a desirable one by manv members of the House, both legal and lav; and on its second reading, the Rill which Mr Curtis had drawn up was referred to a j Select Committee for consideration and report. Wo heartily concur with Mr’ | Curtis in this matter ; and hope that his | measure will bo carried, avid that his first I step will be but a beginning of better 1 tilings in this direction. Of all the Acts upon the New Zealand I Statute Rook, that which seems to be most full of contradictious, and least easy of interpretation, is the “Municipal Corporations Act”; there seems to bo no end to the number of constructions capable of being screwed out of it, or to the variety of < readings it may bear. Perhaps one reason for this lies in the fact that it has, more frequently than most other Acts, to be studied by persons who possess no knowledge of legal terms or of technicalities of language. This may account to some extent for many of the numberless mistakes which occur in connection with its work- | ing. Rut examples have not been wanting to show that even lawyers themselves have the greatest difficulty in coming to a (locision upon points of doubtful meaning [in this Act; and Provincial Solicitors have

repeatedly had to be consulted by Corpora, tion.s in a quandary, generally with the result of landing the consultees a trifle jbehind the point they started from. From a case of dispute which occurred at the last Tokomairiro election, it would seem that the Attorney-General even is unable to decide whether an alien, although pay. ing rates, and holding the right, which he exercises, of voting, can be elected to any municipal position of honour. As regards the carrying-out of details in the conduct of elections, in every Municipality different ideas are held, and different practices are in operation: each Town Clerk, if he trouble the Act at all, reads it to suit himself, and acts accordingly. At the last annual elections, mistakes and contradictory methods of action were rife, and occasioned some little stir. For an instance one Corporation appointed, by their own act, two auditors; while in every other these officers were elected by the ratepayers. Perhaps mistakes such as this are the outcome occasionally of ignorance on the part of those to whom the workiim of the Act is entrusted; but their frequency certainly serves to show that there exists a necessity for the use of language more generally understood, and less liable to varied interpretation. We hope that Mr I Curtis’ attempt in this direction will he successsful; and that, in such case, one of the first statutes to undergo revision will bo this unsatisfactory and cloudy measure, —or, rather, sackful of measures, —relatin'' to Municipal Corporations. There are one or two alterations, also, which we would gladly see effected if H new Bill were framed : indeed, whether or no. One most peculiar provision is that, for the election of a Mayor in any town one single ratepayer may have as many separate votes as there are Wards, by simply paying rates upon any description of property in each. In Dunedin, a ratepayer may thus have four votes ;—-not necessarily by reason of the fact that he possesses more property or more “stake” in the town than another who holds one vote only; but because he happens to own, or at least to pay rates for, property in each Ward, —it matters not how little. Carry the same principle into the election of a ►Superintendent for the Province, and one single individual may have something over thirty votes : allow the principle in the one case, and we see no reason whv it should not be so carried. A wide door is thus opened for the practice of roll-stulHair, of which Dunedin recently contributed so disgraceful an example.

We think, also, it would be well that the honour conferred on Mayors of sitting on the Bench during their term of otiioe were retracted ; in so far, at least, as regards the Mayors of country Municipalities, The “ chosen of the people” to till I this office are frequently quite unfit, eithcll | by education or any other quality requisite iin the individual who shall “sit in judgI mont” upon his fellows, to aid in the dis--1 pensation of justice, to say nothing of the j interpretation of the law. Connnonlv, al- ! though they sit on the Bench, they take | little part in the business ; and their presence there is only a vain and empty (show, which ought to bo discouraged Fining a drunkard'now and then is very well ; and perhaps, in the interests of the drunkard when a Magistrate or a J.P. is not handy, the power to do this is necessary. But anything beyond this, in the i shape of sitting—like Edgar Poe’s raven I—in the B.M.’s Court beside the Magisi trate, tends but to bring the law and its I ma jesty into contempt. Much reform, taking it in all, is needed in the existing Acts and Amended Acts | relating to Municipalities; and wo hope 1 that action to that end will soon be taken, either by some private member who, like Mr Curtis, wishes to try his hand at lawmaking in plain English, or by the GoI vornmont itself.

Last week, we commented at some length upon the probability during the sunnnerof an increased prosperity for the quartz-reef-ing interest throughout the district, hi connection with the sime subject, we desire, to advance a few considerations which deserve the serious attention of managers of quartz claims, and. indeed, of all interested in quartz mining, tSeeresy regarding tlio amount and nature of work executed in the claims and the returns of crushings, is looked upon by most mining managers as rather to bo courted than shunned. There can be little doubt that tins is a false and suicidal policy, —e s l lC ‘ daily in the case of public companies, hi the case of private companies, perhaps tb’ district alone suffers ; hut in public companies this secrosy operates not only to the disadvantage of the district, but to that of the immediate share holders and the whole of the share-dealing public. Now that

I some dozen registered companies exist in the district, it seems time that this practice of secrecy was abandoned. At present, all transactions in shares are conducted to a certain extent in the dark. Nothing, or I but little, is known as to the amount of I work already accomplished in claims, or -i the prospects of further successful developi nient. Information conveyed through the 1 public press, has to be obtained often at second-hand, and therefore carries with it t little stamp of reliability. In older es--4 tablished quastz-lields, it is the custom of ; working managers to furnish weekly or ' fortnightly reports of the progress of the work in the mine, which are communicated

to the press for publication. By this f method the public are reliably informed of the actual amount of work done, and by acquiring knowledge of the appearance of I the stone, &c., become possessed of some data j to guide them in buying or selling shares. • We hope these remarks will weigh with i those connected with quartz claims in the district, and that, instead of endeavouring to choke publicity, every effort will be I made to promote it. The Elizabeth Com- - pany have set a good example in this direction; and we hope soon to see that H example universally followed.

We understand that the Garrick Range Water Supply Company are determined to com- | mence their race in about seven days’ time. Mr ; James Marshall, the working manager, has bell gun his duties, and is at present employed in | obtaining general information about the line of ! race, with the view of being enabled to put men on to work to the best advantage. The Company have deposited £IOO with the Receiver; ami are therefore now entitled to apply for £100!) from the General Government. | At a special meeting of the School Committee held on Wednesday evening, Mrs Rhind . was appointed to the charge of the Cromwell Public School during the temporary absence of , Mr Maclvell ir.—Another meeting of the same j Committee was held on Friday evening, when j it was resolved to advertise for applications for i the Mastership of the School, the salary remaini iug. as heretofore, at £2OO a year. It was also 1 agree I to engage the services of Mrs Rhind, in the capacity of assistant teacher, for a period of ! throe months from the 20th inst., at a salary of £1 per week. To-day, at noon, was the latest time for receiving tenders to form the approach to the north end of the bridge in course of erection over ;i the Kaw'araU. The main pier (on the south side) |j hj all but completed, and it is to be hoped, no unnecessary delay will occur to retard the furI tber progress of the work undertaken by the | pro] ctors of the bridge. We understand that the postal authorities have invited tenders for the conveyance of a | meMjf mail between Cromwell and the Nevis. This concession, though so long withheld, will I l |e none the less welcome to those most interested. The amenities of a more frequent postal communication will doubtless help to make the i A’evis less of a terra incognita than it has been hitherto. At a meeting of the Popular Entertainment Committee held in the School-house on the ! evening of the 3rd inst., a communication from the School Committee was received and considered ; and it was unanimously agreed to meet the wishes of that Committee by allowing the proceeds of next popular entertainment to go towards the funds of the school.

A very full and attractive programme has been prepared by the Committee of the Ka"arau Gorge Town Hall; and Mr M'Minn, the indefatigable Secretary, has spared no trouble in pushing the sale of tickets for admission to the concert announced for Friday evening. A host of amateurs, including the Kawarau Nightingales, "ill appear on the occasion ; and we may safely predict that every seat will be occupied long before the concert begins.

At the Wanaka Saw-mills, on Tuesday last, Mr J. Isbel—one of the proprietors--met "’ith an unfortunate accident whilst engaged in Working one of the circular saws. The teeth of the saw ripped up the little finger of his right hand, lacerating the llesh in a most painful manner - Luckily, the wind chanced to favour a ril pid passage by sailing-boat to Pembroke, —a distance of about forty miles ; and from thence Mr Isbel reached Cromwell early on Wednesday, a light conveyance having been kindly placed at Ms disposal by Mr H. Campbell, of Wanaka Station. On arrival here, the sufferer was attended by Dr Lake, who removed the remaining portion of the linger, and dressed the wound.

The Honorary Treasurer of the Hutton Kelmf Fund draws the attention, by advertisement, of gentlemen having subscription lists for the Fund to endeavour to collect the promised moneys as soon as possible, as he is desirous of a . vi ng a statement before the subscribers at an oarly date.

At the adjourned quarterly Licensing Meeting of Justices held in the Court-house on hursday last, the Magistrates granted an applimfficn for absolute transfer of general night mense of Kawarau Hotel from W. Smith am' to hj Bastings.

Mr Thomas Logan’s new quartz battery has, we understand, been delivered at the claim of the Robert Burns Q. M. Company, in the right-hand branch of Smith’s Gully, where it will shortly be available for public crushing.

We have to report the occurrence on Tuesday last of the first serious mining accident which has happened in the quartz-workings on the Garrick Range. The sufferer, whose name is William Jones, was at work in the bottom of a shaft on the claim held by Evan Jones and party, -—the shaft being down about fifty feet. While the man was working in a stooping posture with a shovel, a mass of mullocky rock, estimated to weigh half a ton. suddenly fell in from the side of the shaft, about 30 feet over bead, striking him severely on the skull, crushing the third and fourth fingers of the right hand, and jamming his body into a comer of the shaft in such a way as to leave only his head above the surface of the debris. His mate, who was at work at the mouth of the shaft, quickly gave the alarm, but it was half-au-hour before the unfortunate man could be extricated. He was conveyed as soon as possible to an adjacent hut, where he was visited the same evening by Dr Lake. It was found on examination, that the sufferer had sustained several very severe scalp wounds, which caused concussion of the brain, and from the effects of which ho still lies in a very precarious condition. On the following day it was found necessary to amputate the injured lingers, and a portion of the hand, the operation being skillfully performed by the surgeon above mentioned. Jones was formerly resident at Bendigo, but had been working in Bipeclay Gully for several months during the past winter. He bad only been about three weeks employed at the reefs when the mishap occurred, and it is understood that his pecuniary position is such as to require prompt amelioration at the hands of the benevolently disposed. We are glad to hear that Messrs S. Williams, W. M. Grilliths, and others have interested themselves in Jones’s behalf, and have circulated subscription-lists for his benefit throughout the Garrick and Bendigo districts.

Regarding the new rush in Queensland, the following sensational telegram from Townsville appears in the Melbourne Argun of the 28th ult : —“ A new alluvial rush lias been opened at Charters Towers, where the sinking is from 10ft to 40ft, and the return (jm to the load. The lead has been taken up to the extent of a mile long, but the water is a mile away. Good reefs have been deserted for the alluvial ground, and wages average from £4 to £5 per week. 1000 men are engaged at alluvial mining, and 2000 on the reefs. A dispute occurred over one claim, in which one man was killed during a light. Intense excitement prevails, and the place is said to be second only to Ballarat. The escort takes 10,000 ounces. Provisions are plentiful. The distance of the goldfield from Townsville is 90 miles, ”

The Baihj Times understands that Air Shapter, assisted by some of the Roman Catholics of Dunedin, is taking active stops for the formation of a company having for its object the issue of a weekly paper in the Roman Catholic interest, to be entitled the JS r ew Zealand Tablet.

The Mon. Captain Feasor, speaking in the Legislative Council in the adjourned debate on Ministerial Otlices, sail:—“ They had noweight gentlemen on the Government benches, with a regular army of 900 paid officers of the General Government, and an irregular army of 000 Provinci d officers, besides the Constabulary colonels, captains, and other officers. Ho thought they had stopped short of field-mar-shals, but they would have them ; and what had all of them to do? To govern 230,01)0 people, a population equal to that of a fourth or fifth rate town in Great Britain. That was perfectly preposterous.”