FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10,1869.

Dunstan Times, Issue 386, 10 September 1869, Page 2

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10,1869.

A very interesting compilation of facts and figures has just reached us from the Government printer at Wellington. It is the tenth report of the Postal Service of New Zealand, by the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Mr. Julius Vogel. The report contains an elaborately detailed account of the cost of the postal service of the colony for the year ending the 31st of December, 1868. It also supplies a comparative statement of the transactions of each separate province for the past seven years. Statistics are usually dry and uninteresting, but we have an exception in this instance, as the information conveyed gives us such a good idea of the social progress of the colony, that we aie constrained to furnish our readers with a synopsis of this really valuable record of our epistolary correspondence. The report also contains the number and amount of transactions in the Money-order and Saving Bank Departments, including that of the Telegraph. The depressed state of affairs during the last three years appears to have very little affected the business of the Postoffice, while we find that the accommodation to ’ the public has been increased, notwithstanding that there has been a reduced expenditure in the working staff and for the conveyance of mails. The business done in the Post-office Savings Bank is particularly inter* sting, and is a most convincing and reliable proof of the increasing prosperity of the working classes. The deposits on the 3let of

May, 1868, ware 167,157/. 12s. 6i1., but on the 30th of April, 1869, we find them amount to 378,663/. Bs. lOd. Otago appears to be the largest investor, the total deposits due to this province amounting to the large sura of 23,790/. 3s. -7d. The items set against the various goldfields are : Clyde, 2,401/. Bs.; Arrow, 1,927/. 14s ; Queenstown, 1,609/. 10s.; Lawrence, 1,364/. 14s, 9d.; Mount Ida. 864/. 2s. 6d.j Hamilton’s, 611/. 6s. 6d.; Manuherikia (Alexandra), 187/.; Kawarau (Cromwell), 139/. 13s. How that Cromwell and Alexandra rank so low upon the list it is difficult to divine, especially when we consider that both localities have large mining populations. The smallness of the amounts can only be accounted for by the fact that at each of these places the necessary facilities have not been offered to depositors, as has been the case where the amounts stand high. The transactions of the Money Order Department show : Order- issued in New Zealand on offices in the colony during the ye«r, 54,342/. ; issued on the United Kingdom, 40,580/. ; Australasian Colonies, 16,000/. It will be thus scon that the system of money orders is much resorted to for making remittances in small sums, a considerable portion of the total amounts being doubtless, for immigration purposes, in the shape of assistance supplied by persons who have been fortunate here to such of their friends as they desire should come and join them. The proceedings of the Dead Letter office furnishes some curious facts, the business done during the year being as follows: Letters received at the office, 33,072 ; opened, 17,884 ; despatched, 30,184 ; delivered, 90 ; destroyed, 2,732 ; value of property contained in letters, 4,271/. 2s. 2d. Of this sum 3,640/. 18s was in bills of exchange, and only 6/. 12s. 4d. in coin. Out of the total amount only 808/ Is. 2d. was claimed. The expenditure of the Postal Department for the year was- 58,362/. 16s. lOd. ; revenue received, 57,107/. 14:?. ; number of letters received and delivered, 4,977,199; newspapers, 3,283,615. The working of the department appears by the report to be highly saiisfacrory; there have been no complaints of the conduct of officers, and there seems no reason why we should not take it for granted that the Post-office is a well-regulated and efficient ai m of the public service.

The Escort on Monday last took clown the following quantities of gold;— Cromwell 5050z. Oclwt. Clyde 3020z. Oclwt. Alexandra 4750z. 13dwt. Black’s 21J20z. Oclwt. Dunstan Creek 50oz. Sdwt. , Mount Ida D24oz. Odwt. Total ... 2,45-9oz. Idwt. Tlie Treasurer of the Dunstan Dis trict Hospital has requested us to acknowledge the receipt of the sum of ID. 2s. 6d.. per Mr. Preslmw, the proceeds of a race, lor the benefit of the funds nf the Institution, competed for at the late race meeting at CromweU, and which was won by Mr. K. M’.Morran’s horse Wallaby, also from the Dunstan Spring Race Committee of the sum of 11 1. 10s., being amount won by Mr. Sherwood’s Roderick, and also from the Alexandra Spring Race Committee, the sum of 107. won by Dr. Shaw’s Idlehoy. We beg to remind the subscribers to the Dunstan District Hospital that Tuesday next, the 14th inst., is the clay appointed for the election of a gentleman to fill the office of Resident Surgeon to the Institution. The late polling, as our read rs are aware, resulted in a tie between Drs. Shaw and Burrows, and no provision for the Returning Officer giving a casting vote under such circumstances is made in the Hospitals Ordinance, We trust that the result of the voting on Tuesday will he to place a permanent Resident Surgeon in charge of the Hospital, and one who, acting in unity with tie Committee of Management, will maintain the high reputation which that institution has so deservedly held Our Alexandra correspondent in- ■ forms us that on Tuesday last, there were no candidates nominated to fill i the vacancy in the Town Council crcv atodjjhy the resignation of Councillor IJock.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Clyde Town Council, adjourned from the Ist inst., was held in the Council Chamber’s on Monday evening last, the 6th inst. The Mayor and full Council “were present. After the minutes of the previous meeting had been confirmed, 'the inward correspondence, consisting of eight letters, ’was read and received, and the outward correspondence (six letters) was read and adopted. The Public Works Committee’s report recommending the erecting of a coping and all iron railing and gate in front of Town Hall, and also that they had inspected and passed the Town Hall as being completed according to plans and specifications was read and received. Messrs Grindley and Cambridge were appointed valuators for the ensuing year. It was resolved, that the Mayor be empowered to offer to the Government the use of the Town Hall for the purpose oi holding Courts of Law and Justice. A vote of thanks to the Chair concluded the meeting. The Tuapeka Mail, through an accident happening to the mailman did not reach Cljde till after midnight on Wednesday, consequently was not delivered till Thursday morning. Mr Foote, Cobb’s Agent, informs us that about 11 p.m. he received a telegram from Alexandra to the effect that the M ail had arrived there, but that the man would not proceed further with it; he at once went to Alexandra and brought up the Mail, and again at 5 o’clock the following morning took down the Mail and handed it over to the man, who had brought it that ffir.

At the last usual weekly meeting of the Waste Laud Board, the follow ing business was transacted ;- G. M‘ Kay’s letter in reference to sale of section 2, Block VI, Roxburgh, was read; also, Jlr. Fache’s explanation. Resolved, that the letter and Mr. Livingston’s statement in reference thereto, be forwarded to the Government, with the view of obtaining the Provincial Solicitor’s opinion as to the validity of the sale of Section 2, Block Yi, and Section 5, Block 111, Roxburgh. E. T. George's letter, referring to sale of Naseby township, was read. Resolved that the receipt of the same be acknowledged, the subject having been several times under consideration by the Board. The plan of Messrs Pearce and Washer, for a coal lease, and another of Block 1, Green vale, were approved of, the latter to be notified to the Government, E. de Carle applied on behalf of E. T. George, to purchase sections 13 and 14, Block I, Yaseby. Resolved that surveyor be instructed to survey sections, 63, 64, 65, and 68 to 74, to be in accordance with the descriptions of Crown grants ; at the same time, to leave the present buildings, excepting only where they impinge on Brown street survey. With respect to sections 7 to 14, that the Warden be requested to report as to the effect on the mining operations and interests were they sold, especially in the silting. Paget and Milne’s application for a lease of a lignite area, Alexandra, was granted on the usual terms. Rent, 1 01. per annum , fourteen years’term from Ist September, 1869.

We are happy to learn that Mr. Knight, of the Galatea dredge, who met with a very severe accident last week through the breaking of a spar, is rapidly recovering. The injury was fortunately not so great as was at first feared, and Mr. Knight purposes, in a very few days, to resume his position on board the dredge The Wellington Independent says:— “ Messrs. C. 0 Neill and B. Smith, Civil Engineers, have made an application for a patent for extracting gold among other metals from quartz. We understand that the invention is very peculiar, while its action will be marvellous and the cost trifling. The diamond mania appears to he spreading in the Australian colonies. A gentleman at Sydney offered 5(101. for the supposed diamond found at Armidale. This stone has at lenght been tested, and proves to bo a white topaz. The result has caused a great deal of dissatisfaction. Other discoveries are reported. Some year and a half ago, a miner working in the neighborhood of Guntawang, picked up what he conceived to be merely a curious pebble. When the “ fever” broke out he showed it to au agent; who at once made him an offer of 501. for it. This sum tho owner declined to accept, and forwarded tho stone to Melbourne, where it waa very readily eold for 1007.

By telegraph despatch we are informed that Mr. Whotter was yesterday - nominated to fill the office of Mayor of Cromwell, ‘and Mr. Badger ■for Councillor, and that both gentlemen were declared duly elected.