PASSING NOTES.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 224, 24 February 1874, Page 6

PASSING NOTES.

(BY A BANKOCKBURST CORRESPONDENT J It is a good thing to " learn the luxury of doing good," to give succour where it is needed, to befriend the distressed, and to hold out the hand of sympathy (I meaii with something in it) to the poor unfortunate who has been incurably maimed and crippled ; but it is possible to have too much of a good thing. The benevolently-disposed of this district have more opportunities presented to them for the display of their liberality than is quite pleasurable, for neither few nor far between are the appeals that are made to their generosity ; though the donations to subscription lists are not always, I fear, given in the same laudable spirit. The folio w-my-leader principle animates a goodly number of the donors. One man loses an eye, another an arm, a third has his leg broken, the house of another is razed to the ground by fire : on the occurrence of casualties of this kind, some considerate individual goes forth on his errand of mercy, supplicating in the first place some well-to-do persons, —a thriving publican, or lucky quartz reefer, maybe,—to head his list with" a decent sum ; his task is then comparatively easy,—Jack contributing, with but little show of reluctance, because he sees that Bill and Harry have done so. I dare say some v/ill consider these remarks too censorious ; but really, the affair is becoming so common now-a-days that I feel sometimes inclined to reply to such like solicitations after the manner of an acquaintance of mine. ' ' Can't I persuade you to give anything?" thus the importunate one. '' No," said the importuned, " you can't; but you can stay here and try if you like."

There is a probability that, if timber were cheaper, and mining managers a little more careful and competent, there would be fewer accidents to record. False economy on the part of working managers of our quartz mines is the cause of many a sad disaster that now and then occurs. To save a set of timber, a manager will, too often, place the lives of the men under him in considerable jeopardy. And where is the man, be the wages ever so good, who cares about working in constant fear and anxiety of mind, being aware at the same time that precautionary measures would avert such unpleasant feelings 1 Timber is dear, but human life is dearer, or should bo so considered by all sensible men. According to the provisions of an Act of Parliament passed in Victoria, the owners of mines arc held responsible for accidents, unless it can be proved that such did not occur through their neglect. Something of the wanted in this Province, I think. Our underground workings would then not only become safer for those employed, but the management, also, would be conducted in a much superior manner. For I think it will be generally acknowledged that, when our reefs were lirst commenced to be worked, men having but a slight and superficial knowledge of quartz mining, but making great professions, so imposed upon the credulity of shareholders that they were appointed to situations that should have been filled only by men of trained skill and much experience. Favou-

ritism, also, has been the caußo of a mine being left in such a ruinous state that abona fide quartz miner would pause and consider before before attempting the onerous and irksome task of Betting things in proper order. And that the frequency of mining accidents induces an indifference to human suffering could, perhaps, be unhappily demonstrated. Your readers,-Mr Editor, would appear incredulous were they told that assistance to help to convey a wounded man to the hospital was solicited from a mining manager, but was refused on the plea of want of time, &c.; the poor fellow's mates having to seek elsewhere for those means which could have been supplied by the unfeeling refuser.

We have but few local industries here, and those we have are not on a scale of any magnitude, though perhaps sufficiently extensive to meet our present requirements. Considering what an abundance of good coal there is in this locality, it is a wonder that it is not put to more uses. Lime-burning on a small scale is being successfully carried on, and the article manufactured is said to be of excellent quality ; and I can see no reason why, provided suitable clay could be found, brickmaking should not prove to be a profitable occupation. It might be alleged thai, the demand for bricks is so small and irregular as to offer no inducement for initiating such an industry ; but I think it is possible to create a demand by the production of any commodity that is to be had convenient and on reasonable terms. Folks sometimes don't discover theii wants until they become aware of the existence of the article that could supply them. In the South of France, limestone and bricks are burnt in the same kiln ; the limestone being placed 5 n the lower half of the cavity, whilst the upper is filled with bricks. An undertaking of this kind would not involve the experimenter in any great risk, either in time or outlay, and might be the means of introducing a style of architecture which would make "progression" be something more than a popular by-word.

Savants, desirous of obtaining relics of the departed Moa, could not come to a better field for prosecuting their researches than the district of Bannockburn. The extent of our ossiferous deposits must be totally unknown, I should imagine, to New Zealand men of science, for I hear, at odd times, of discoveries of Moa bones being made at different places, as if the. unearthing of the remains of the Dinoruis Elephantopus—(&axe the mark !) —was of but rare occurrence. Only for the fact that there are no traces left of defunct Maories, one would almost fancy that these colossal bipeds had been used as chargers in Maori warfare, and that this district had been the scene of many an encounter. It is not an idea that I would wish any one to cling to, still it is open for disquisition, and might prove an interesting subject for our learned ones to descant upon. But I had almost forgotten to state, for the information of skeleton hunters and others interested, that I would undertake to collect, and dispose of on reasonable terms, a ton or two of these, to some persons/ highly-prized specimens of departed greatness.