The Dunstan Times FRIDAY, 15th JUNE, 1866

Dunstan Times, Issue 216, 15 June 1866, Page 2

The Dunstan Times

FRIDAY, 15th JUNE, 1866

'Beneath the rule of men f.ntiekly just, tht pen isMiaHTiEii than the sword!"

The Wakatip people, or rather their organ, the ' Wakatip Mail' on their behalf, have lately been dwelling upon the advantages that would accrue to their district by annexation to the Province of Southland. The same journal in question says, " As we have shown, " Invercargill is our commercial "capital, let it be the seat of " Government also. The interests "of its merchants and our popula- " tion are united, let them work " together for the common weal." The article evidently emanates from some writer enthusiastic about Southland and her affairs, and who, on the other hand, knows very little about those of Otago. This effusion is decidedly that of a new chum,, and considering that the Government of Otago are paying considerable attention to the requirements of the Wakatip district, it betrays a very ill-judged and ungenerous policy, and not at all calculated to benefit either the people or district ou whose behalf we will suppose it has been written. We are not astonished, therefore, to learn that the article in question has given umbrage on the spot, and that the financial views set forth were almost universally repudiated. The past position of Southland we are not going to comment upon, but taking it as granted that Southland is out of debt, what object would the uniting of the Wakatip district to that Province serve ? To Southland we can conceive it would be an evident gain. She is at present rapidly parting with her real wealth—her lands—to discharge outstanding liabilities. She is in fact what may figuratively be described us "working a dead horse." The process is an exhaustiveoneasmanyaspendthrift heir to a rich estate has discovered, when too late, to his loss, is merely paying for the extravagance indulged in during her feverish youth. She is soiling vast tracts of fine land to pay off her foolishly

contracted debts, and gains little beyond a mere passing relict'. Her powers to acquire and sustain that most valuable population, an agricultural yeomanry are rapidly passing away from her. Her broad acres are being purchased wholesale by the wool-grower, and sheep will graze upon a fair but lost inheritance, which otherwise should be maintaining a large and thriving community of tillers of the soil. Southland may figure as a large exporter of wool, but her Customs' revenue will ever be at a low ebb—the proportion of oneseventh will leave but very little to lay out in the construction of roads and opening up the country. The sale to capitalists of twenty and fifty - thousand - acre blocks doubtless promotes a temporary prosperity, but how is it to be maintained ? Will the capitalists who are buying up these tracts of land consent to be heavily taxed to prevent an unhealthy prosperity ? Will they not shirk the piying of as much as possible and make the best terms for themselves. Look what way we will we cannot understand how the people of Southland can be so jubilant over this alienation of their inheritance, and which is so rapidly passing away from them. We can readily understand Southland's desire to acquire possession of the wealthy Wakatip district with its large revenue and immense and almost untouched auriferous resources to fall back upon; but we must confess that we cannot understand the longings of any section of the AVakatip people for annexation to Southland it is positively beyond our comprehension. The arguments used by the " Mail" about Invercargill being the emporium from whence all the supplies for the Wakatip are derived are entirely m's conceived. Invercargill does little real trade with the Wakatip—the so-called merchants there merely act as forwarding agents. The greater portion of the goods consumed in the Wakatip district are cither direct importations from Melbourne via the Bluff, or have been purchased in Dunedin and sent by way of Invercargill, because the Provincial Government of Otago have shamefully neglected to make a comparatively inexpensive road to that important centre of trade and industry. We think that the people would have opened accounts with the much vaunted and convenieat market of I nvercargill long since had it suited their purposes to do so—it has even been tried and found not to answer. The wellknown axiom of " going further and faring worse," has in this instance beenentirely reversed. With this fact before us how comes it that the people of the Wakatip and the merchants of Invercargill can fraternise so amicably together for the common-weal as the "Wakatip Mail" puts it. It strikes us very forcibly that the fraternisation would certainly he for the •'weal" of Invercargill, but at the same time it would be at the expense of the Wakatip. What mineral products save gold can that district supply to Southland except potatoes, corn, and timber ? These can be produced cheaper in Southland, and should the railway to the foot of the Lake ever be an accomplished fact, the Wakatip will be supplied with those commodities cheaper than they can be produced on the spot. Southland has no mining population to keep up a high standard of wages, and the people of Wakatip. as the first fruits of annexation, would find to their cost that their most lastinglocal industries were being keenly competed for l We have not sufficient space to point out the other side of the picture, but as we do require many things the Wakatip district produces, and as there is a commonality of interests rapidly growing up with that district, and which promises to become of considerable value to both, we should judge that our neighbors are sufficiently wise

and prudent to prefer remaining an integral portion of this Province, and not like spoilt children, disturb the equanimity of their minds by j anxious longings after a thing "not worth the having." We notice by an advertisement in another column that a meeting of gentlemen desirous of forming a volunteer rifle corps for Clyde is called for Monday next, the 18th inst. Our Celestial population will shortly receive an addition to their numbers. Sixteen more Chinamen may be expected to arrive at Clyde within the next two days. We have been shown by Mr. Tyrrell, of this town, an improved iron suction pump, for mining purposes, which we think deserves to be brought into general use. The invention is his own, and its value consists in reducing the labor of pumping to a vast extent. Mr. Tyrrell has also applied a recent and valuable discovery, lately introduced in the mother country, in the manufacture of nozzles for hydraulic hose. It is made upon what is called the cycloid principle, and has the effect of relieving the hose from the great pressure it must otherwise bear, and gives a force of discharge which could never be obtained by the common pipe. It also concentrates the stream so as to ensure clear cutting in any ground on which it may be directed. This nozzle has already been extensively tried, and found to be most effectual in the principal sluicing claims throughout the district. Several may be seen at work at Black's, Dunstan Creek, and other places. The Pioneer Company have recently added one to their plant, and report its successful operation. The same ingenious mechanic has also invented a light portable stove, suitable for tents, huts, &c, which will enable the miner to improve his culinary operations, and at the same time save him a great amount of trouble and fuel, which latter is an object of great consideration in this part of the country. With this stove both boiling and baking can be car ried on simultaneously, without extra fuel. The slove is exceedingly light, and could be carried in a digger's swag. It requires no more firing than placing the pipe in position. The Superintendent has, by proclamation, extended the area of the Mount Ida Gold Fie'd ; the following are being added— " All that area situate in the northeastern District of the said Province of Ofcago, bounded by a line commencing at the summit of Kakanui Peak, and proceeding thence along the north-eastern boundaries of Runs, numbering respective ly 255 and 100, to Mount Fortune, thence along the south-eastern boundary of Run numbered 109 aforesaid to the Taieri Gold Field, thence by the eastern boundaries of the Taieri and present Mount Ida Gold Fields to the summit of Kakanui Peak, the starting point." The " Obago Daily Times" remarks : j " Improvements have been commenced in the Arcade which were much needed, and which will be continued until an end has been put to the once famous ' Farley's Arcade,' a wide thoroughfare being substituted. So great was the demand for shops in those early days in 18G2, when the Arcade was being erected, that many of them were let before they were built: and nearly all of them were sold on a four years' lease. This took control out of the hands of Mr Farley ; and the neglect of the lessees or their sub-tenants no doubt gave to the Arcade an unsavory reputation. If a shop became tenantless, those terrible lads who haunted the neighbourhood speedily smashed out every pane of glass ; and those who were not boys and ought to have known better, without the interference of the Nuisance Inspector, made a dirt-hole of the place. The four years' leases expired in March last; and since then great improvements have been made. The frightfully patched planking of the footway has been covered with good planks laid diagonally; and the whole of the shops on the easterly side have been repaired. They now look fresh and business-like. The shops on the westerly side have been reduced a' most to a screen ; and that screen will be eventually removed. Before that happens, however, a brick building will be erected on the line of the new arcade which was some time ago, but unsuccessfully, opened as a vegetable market. The brick shops will stretch through from High-street to Maclafgan-street : the Arcade Hotel, fronting High-street, will be pulled down; a new hotel will be erected at the Highstreet corner of the brick buildings, and what is now the westerly side of the Arcade being pulled down, there will be . a clear width of thirty-three feet between

the two lines of shops. Thw will be divided into two footpaths, each twelve feet ( wide, and a roadway between them, also ' of wood, but strong enough for the passage ' of vehicles. There will thus be effected a ( real 'city improvement;' and the uu- 1 doubtedly excellent business position of '• the property will, >t may be hoped, secure a profitable return for the outlay." 1 / n inquest was held on Tuesday last, the 12 th inst., at the Court House, Clyde, before H. W. Robinson, Esq., Coroner, on the body of Thomas Havahan, a miner, late of Conroy's Gully, and a native of Roscommon, Ireland, who was drowned in the Molyneux on the previous day. It appeared from the evidence that on Saturday last the deceased was locked up on a charge of lunacy. He was examined by Dr. Moiice on Monday, who stated that he could discover no symptoms of insanity, but knowing, from experience, the uncertainty of such cases arising from drink, the doctor advised a remand for a few days. About 4 o'clock in the afternoon of the same day Havahan requested the gaoler to allow him to go to the water closet. The gaoler consequently accompanied him to the door of the closet. A few moments afterwards the deceased rushed past, speed down the hill, and plunged into the Molyneux. The gaoler, being unable to swiu, raised an alarm, and Constable Carrol, who was engaged in the stable, near the spot, ran down to the river, plunged in without hesitation, and brought the deceased to shore. Dr. Morice, who was on his way to the Camp, was quickly in attendance, but although deceased had only been in the water about three minutes all attempts to restore animation proved unavailing. The jury returned a verdict that deceased committed suicide while in a state of temporary insanity ; also adding a rider that no blame could be attached to the gaoler, and that the highest praise was due to Constable Carrol for his bravery. The jury also recommended that the water-closet be removed to a place of greater safety. The Dunedin correspondent of the "Tuapeka Press" says :—" I have seen an old and respectable settler from Hampden this week. He tells me that the township is fast returning to its primitive state of waste. Formerly there were four stores, and now only one. The township of | Herbert, at Otepopo, contains just one hotel and a church, and no more signs of life or habitation. One of our poets lias said that wherever God plants a church | there the Devil puts his temple. The township of Palmerston, my informant tells me, contains about a dozen erections, j but nothing doing in the way of business. I Waikouati is fallen so low that it is now ;no longer a port of entry ; and, alas ! its ; very newspaper is printed in Dunedin. It is fast retrograding to decay." : The Auckland Chamber of Commerce | has agreed upon the following motion to ! address to the Postmaster-General : That, ; ill the opinion of this Chamber, the withj drawal of the allowance hitherto made to j branch post-offices and others on the post- | age stamps sold by them is detrimental to : the public convenience. The " Melbourne Herald" thus notices lan action arising out of the evasions of I the Land Act of Victoria :—" Mr. Edward | Henty, of Muntham, was sued yesterday ! by Mr. E. 11. Davenport, in the Supreme 1 Court, for the expenses of a number of mediums employed in selecting land at the first selections at Hamilton under the new Land Act. It transpired during the trial that months before the Amendment Act was passed, or even introduced, there was ! a considerable traffic in the land certificates, although it was doubtful whether the Legislature would consent to revive the right of selection which had lapsed through the non-enforcement of Mr. Duffy's Act. Mr. Henty purchased certificates for nearly nine thousand acres, and nearly thirty 'dummies'were taken to Hamilton to select for him. Some went by sea, via I Portland, but others were squeamish about venturing on the deep, prefering the journey overland, and they were exchanged for some belonging to other parties who were not so scrupulous. Arrived at Hamilton, however, they were not so sue cessful as bad been anticipated, onlv two hundred and eighty acres having been secured by these means. The number employed by Mr. Davenport was ei<dit, 1 uot one of whom had the luck to receive a ! chance of getting an allotment. Mr. Henty refused to pay for them, saying he had '< never engaged Mr. Davenport, but that Mr. Edward Klingender, the solicitor, managed the business for him, and refussd to pay Mr. Davenport's bill, which (mounted to nearly £l5O. The jury re- ' turned a verdict for £365 9s. lOd."

The Bachelors of the Dunstan having determined on giving a ball for the entertainment of their friends, a meeting was held at the Dunstan Hotel on Wednesday evening last, for the purpose of making the necessary arrangements, when it was agreed that the ball should take place on Wednesday, the 18th ef July next, and that Mr. W. Hull bo written'to, soliciting the use of the large room of the Victoria Hotel for that evening. From the number who have already subscribed, and the favor usually accorded to these assemblies, we may expect a very brilliant affair, and we are quite sure the bachelors of this district will omit nothing that may be conducive to the pleasure and comfort of their guests on this occasion. An inquest was held on the 28th ult., at the new Hospital, Hokitika, on the body of Patrick Connell, said to have met his death from blows inflicted on him by Mr. W. H. Bracgen and his brother, Mr. Christopher Bracken. A large number of witnesses were examined. The evidence most unmistakably showed that Bracken's house, the Que»ns!own"T o'e', v. a attacked by a drunken mob, who attempted to force open the doors after the house had been closed for the night. Not only the brothers Brachen, but the servants and lod"ers were compelled to defend the house, their lives being in jeopardy. The jury returned a verdict that the deceased, Patrick Cornell, came to his deatli from blows inflicted by 'sonic blunt instrument or instruments in the Queenstown Hotel, but by whom we have not sufficient evidence to prove. A correspondent to the "Wakatil Mail," writing from the Twelve-mile, Arrow, says :—" Winter now seems to have fairly set in here, although the weather has been remarkably fine up to the present dite. There is a fair average supply of wa'er, and sluicing is carried on night and day with remunerative proceeds. ITyam and party have had an excellent washingup, as well as several other parties. All the tunnels arc paying well, and there is not a man without employment ou the creek. A collection was made for the establishment of a Presbyterian Ministry for the district, and was responded to by the majority of our population. This is a step in the right direction, and will be a great boon to our community.''