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Dunstan Times, Issue 889, 2 May 1879, Page 2

To-day and to morrow an absolute clearing out sale by auction ot the entire stock of Mr Wm. Auckland, is announced by Mr Fache. A glance at the advertisement will show the variety of articles to be disposed of, and as everything will be sold to the highest bidder, such a chance of obtaining bargains is not often to be met with. No dcfimte action has yet been taken to form a Committee in this district to collect exhibits for the Sydney Exhibition of grain, wool, wines, and other products. A very respectable selection could be made, and we hope that some action will be taken shortly. Mr Pyke received from his constituents in the Cromwell division of the Dnnstan district a vote of confidence. In acknowledging the S’me he said, he was happy to find that, whatever might have been his offences in his other capacity of County Councillor, yet, as their Parliamentary representative he retained their confidence. It would lie his study to establish more and more the bond of union between them so that his constituency would be as proud of their member as he was of his constituency. The land revenue of Vincent County for the quarter ending 31st March last was L4SI 18s. Next quarter the amount is likely to be increased, as daring it a number of land sales will be held.

A post office has been opened at the Upper Nevis. The general meeting of shareholders in the Tipperary Gold Mining Company, Macetown, was held in Dunedin on Thursday last, Mr James Hazlett presiding. The balance sheet since the registration of the Company was read and adopted It showed the revenue to be L 3404 17s I Id- the gold receipts being L 3254 17s lid, and the expenditure L 2719 4s Gd. The balance of profit, it was resolved, should be spent in machinery. The prospects of the mine were reported to he very encouraging, and there was every reason to believe that the receipts would be greatly increased during the next season.

We notice in another column that Mr M'Oonnochie, of St. Bathans, has received another shipment of gum boots. This gentleman has for many years made this particular article his study, and has from time to time suggested improvements in their make to the manufacturers which have been universally adopted. An extract from a letter from the manager of the North British Rubber Company, Edinburgh, to Mr M'Oonnochie, and which is published elsewhere, will clearly define the improvements alluded to.

An enquiry as to the fire at Ferguson’s premises, lapanni, was held there on Friday last. A deal of evidence was adduced, but eventually the Court ruled that the evidence against Ferguson was insufficient, and he was discharged. There was some applause when the verdict was given, but it was promptly suppressed. The Land Board, on the recommendation of Mr Logan, Inspector of Telegraphs, hits reserved sections in the town of Pembroke for a Telegraph .Station. We may now fairly assume that as the Department has moved in the direction of a station site, that they are convinced of the necessity of a telegraph line being carried to the Lake County, and that the day is not far distant when it will he made.

TheTimaru Herald says that Sir George Grey has determined to get rid of Mr Ballance from the Ministry as soon as possible.

The body of water in the Molyneux is materially decreasing ; the great height it maintains, however, is proof that the bed is silted up amazingly opposite Clyde Though in early winter the level is what in summer days was called summer level.

It is notified that from the 11th inst. a toll will be charged at Owens’s Morven Ferry across the Kawarau. This is decidedly a retrograde movement, and it is to be hoped the Lake County will be able to make an arrangement with the owner for free crossing. We should imagine, however, that the presidents of Arrow' and Queenstown having enjoyed the benefits of a free punt for so long, will not tamely submit to the toll being again imposed. The Morning Herald, in a leading article which on the whole speaks rather favourably on Mr Pyke’s address at Clyde, in its concluding paragraph asks that gentleman a rather pointed question. Referring to that portion of his address in which he says it is a puzzle how some members of the House got their seats there, and explaining that they obtained admission in much the same manner as the flees got into the Ark, namely, by climbing on the monkeys’ backs and being carried in by them, the paper in question concludes as follows “ From our observation of the habits of monkeys we think the flees would have been safer on the backs of some other animals, but no doubt Mr Pyke knows best; hut as he has made such a complimentary allusion to some of his fellow members—and particularly as it should seem to the members for our own city—we should be extremely much obliged to the eloquent gentleman if be would tell us who are the monkeys and who the flees.” With the completion by Messrs Tohill and M ‘Connochie of the last contract let, the road between Alexandra and the Tuapeka County boundary is all made with the exception of some few chains. As in winter, which season is fast approaching, this piece of road is none of the best, we hope the Vincent County authorities will see their way clear to get it done. Prom what we learn since the inauguaration of the Comity system the whole length of the road between Lawrence and Alexandra, with hut some few exceptional spots, is in excellent repair, and travelling is easy. What with good ro.v's and free passage across the Molyneux a benefit has beeu derived from the Comity system.

Mr Allan, of Princes street, Dunedin, recently exhibited a green-topped yellow Scotch turnip, weighing 201bs, and which was grown by Mr Copgrove, of Waihola. According to the Tuapeka Times, the lately discovered quartz reef on the range between Gabriel’s and Wetherstoue’s Gullies is looking well, it having opened out to a width of 27 feet.

Mr Falck, now Postmaster at Lawrence, anil who for many years occupied a similar position at Queenstown, is about to proceed homo for a trip, he Laving 'obtained nine months’ leave of absence.

A sporting wager for LlO a-side has been made between the Bannockburn Volunteer who distinguished himself as an athlete at Invercargill, and a well known athlete in the Hawea district. The event will come off at Cromwell on the 24th May. There will be three events—loo yards flat race, 2-0 yards hurdle race (four feet high), and running high jump. The winner of two events will he declared the winner.

AVe have received a pamphlet being a description and guide of the Waiwora Hot Springs, Auckland. Embodied is also a number of testimonials of people who have visited and been benefited by the Springs. Attached to the Springs is a commodious hotel, combining every convenience that the visitor can desire. AVe notice the property is in the market for sale. Advt.

In the AVairarapa district, says the local paper, people ? no longer ask “where do you bank ? ” hut “ where do you overdraw? ” The remains of the late Mr' George Duncan and of hi« son Frederick, both of whom died in California, and which have been brought to Otago, were interred in the Dunedin cemetery on Tuesday last. At the last meeting of the Land Board in Dunedin, the following items of loeal interest were brought forward It was resolved that sections C, 5, 112, and 83, block IX., Pembroke Township, he reserved temporarily for a telegraph station. In reply to the Corporation of Roxburgh, asking that Crown lands’situate bet veen block X , Teviot district, and Blanaholm street, Roxburgh, ho surveyed into five and tenacre sections, and offered for sale at 20s per acre, the Board replied that they had no power to grant the request, the land in question being a portion of the township. A lease of sections 32 and 33, block HI., Lauder, to George Naylor, was granted. AVo are very sorry to hear that the Brnce Herald has ;stopped publication. Milton, however, is not to he without a paper, as a Company is being formed to purchase the plant and re-start it.

A man in Masterton was summoned the other day for L 3, and great was his wrath. When his anger subsided (says the Wairarapa Daily), and reflection resumed its way ho took the summons round to e\ cry body who owed him money and sa’d : “ Look here, you must pay me, or 1 shall be sent up for 2S days. ” The creditors handed up their money, and before night our friend had collected L3O on the strength of the L 3 summons, and his last prayer before retiring to rest was for another summons to be served upon him.

The rumour that Sir Julius Vogel had resigned the Agent-Geuenlship, and that Mr Reed, the newly-appointed Immigration Agent for Ireland, is to take temporary charge of the office, is after all only a canard by the Auckland Evening Star, with the view of taking in the Press Association agent at Sydney, and which succeeded, as it was flashed by the Association agent in every direction. Whether the gentlemen whoso names are mentioned will when the news reaches them think it a joke, is very questionable.

At the last meeting of the Education Board, the application of the Naseby School Committee for the establishment of a Dis-

trict High School was refused. From the Thirtieth Annual Report of the Australian Mutual Provident Society we glean the following interesting figures :

Proposals accepted during the past year, 6209, assuring L 2,175,942 ; premiums, L 74, 81G Gs 3d ; claims arisen during the year by the death of 209 members amounted to LI 18,953 9s 7d ; on endowment assurances matured, L7SO7 18s was also paid. The accumulated fund is now L 2,019,187 17s 9J, and the total number of policies issued since the establishment of the Society to the 31st December, 1878, is 46,314, assuring LI7, 270,063. The facetious writer—“ On the Beat ” in the Mataura Ensign, says :--“You newspaper men frequently conclude the report of a meeting thus : —“ Left sitting.” I have never yet heard of the hatching. The United States Government, with the view of stopping Chinese Immigration, have, decided to request the Chinese Governmerff

to modify the Burlinghame treaty, in order to restrict the incoming of their subjects on the Pacific coast. It is thought that as the Chinese Government has no wish to see its subjects emigrate the demand from Washington will he acceded to.

The Post Office in England continues to be used as a means of transmitting articles of almost every variety from one part of the country to the other. The following articles amongst others, were observed during the year 1878 A dormouse, four white mice, two gold finches, aliza-d, and a blind worm, all alive ; cutlery, medicine, varnish, ointments, perfumery, articles of dress, a stoat, a squirrel, fish, leeches, frogs, beetles, caterpillars, and vegetables. Many of these being prohibited articles were sent to the Returned Letter Office. A snake about a yard in length, which had been committed to the post for transmission in a box, was observed to he at large on the floor of one of the night Imail sorting carriages in the London and North Western Railway. After much confusion and interruption to the work it was killed A small box which reached the returned Letter Office in Liverpool was found, on being opened, to contain eight living snakes. Regarding the affairs of the Oriental Bank, the Insurance and Banking Record writes:—“lt has been communicated by telegraph that the Oriental Bank Corporation will not pay a dividend for the half year ; that losses, owing to a depressed state of trade, had swept away L 124.000 earnings which were at credit in October last, with L 120,000 additional ; and that, after allowing for depreciation in the value of securities and losses on Eastern exchange, nearly the whole of the reserve fund (L 325,000) would be asorbed-

Le Moniteur Vinioole, a journal published at Paris in the interests of the winegrowing and winemaking industry, remarks in an article published on February Sth ; “ We thoroughly believe that at no distant date Australia will be able to compete with the wines of Europe. Australian wines are as pleasant to drink Tas ours. They aio clear, clean on the palate, line flavoured ; and they have, besides, a delicacy and richness far in advance of the wines of America, and exceeding the choicest vintages of California. Can it be that some day Australia will vie with France in her exportation of this staple ? ”