Local and General.

Dunstan Times, Issue 990, 8 April 1881, Page 2

Local and General.

During the past week the district has been visited by a most copious rain-fall. For a season previous the weather having been very dry, moisture was much needed to renovate the flying herbage, and to )•• plenish the sources of water supply, which were beginning to run short. In every direction it will do an incalculable amount of good. The usual monthly meeting of the Dunstan District Hospital Committee, to have been held on Monday evening last, lapsed for want of a quorum. As it is desirable, in consequence of the quarter closing, to pass the last month’s accounts, a meeting will be held on Monday evening next the 11th instant.

In directing the attention of those interested to the advertisement of Mr Beatty, Dog Registrar, we would also remind our friends in Clyde and the surrounding districts that they are subject to heavy penalties (L 5 is the maximum fine) for having Unregistered dogs in their possession. This fact iswortbyof the attention of our readers, espeoyi.V'y as there is no chance of appealing from the Bench’s decision, which is generally in favor of the informer. Surely it is better to.expend 10s on a dog-collar than have to pay L2 and costs to the general revenue simply because the offender was too lafcy to pay a visit to the Registrar’s office and register his “peddle." “ A stitch in time saves nine.” We learn that a presentation was made to Mr George Clark, on March 25, by the members of the Court Star of the Dunstan, A.O.F. The presentation, which consisted of a P.C.R.’a certificate (framed) and sash, Was made in recognition of the efficient manner in which the donor had fulfilled the duties of the office of Chief Ranger to the Court during the past two years. Wb particularly call attention to the meetings announced by advertisement to consider the question of dealing with the runs in this County. To-night Mr Fyke will address a public meeting at Clyde, on Saturday at Alexandra, on Monday at Blacks, and on Tuesday at Tinkers. We hope to see a good attendance, as the subject is one of very great importance to the District. The Cromwell Argus will persist in libel- , ling Cr. Stronach by charging him with making use of improper language at the Council table. But our contemporary contradicts itself. First it was sai.l that the Chairman not voting for the .erection of a chair at the Luggate was “ scandalous,” and this week it sets forth that Cr Stronach stated that he considered the conduct of the Chairman scandalous in urging extravagant expenditure, etc. One of these statements must be incorrect, and we Iran a up our contemporary on the horns of the dilemma into which he has placed himself. On our own part we may say that jboth are wrong. The concert to he held under the auspices of the local Good Templar Lodge, in aid of the funds of the Dunstan Hospital, takes place next Wednesday in the Town Hall, Clyde. An excellent musical programme has been provided, and is published in our columns. We hope that a humpei house will -reward the exertions of our local musicians, and that the funds of the Hospital will be added to by a good round snm of money. An important sale of valuable drugs, furniture, etc., will be held at Blacks next Tuesday. This will be a spi ended opportunity for any one requiring drugs and ■ chemicals to lay in a stock. Furniture and household effects will also be an important item in the sale, At tho sitting or one L.an,i i i,„i,i „„ the 31st ultimo, the application of Jercmis D rummy, Tiger-bill, to purchase under de-ferred-payment license was granted, the District Land Officer 'reporting that the ap- | plioant, although not residing continuously | on the section, had a house, kept farm ser- 1 vants on the land, and visited it at least once a week. We have received the New Zaala nd Stock and Share Report, compiled by Mr Robert Seward, Stock and Share Broker, D.medin. Soil”: weeks since, at Dryhread, the dwelling-house, together with its contents, amongst which was L 32 in hank notes, the property of Mr William Rowlands was completely destroyed by fire. The property, however, was fortunately insured, the loss was therefore accordingly thought not to be so great as what it might have been To the surprise however of Mr Rowlands, on making application for the amount of the insurance money,he was informed he had no claim, but cn what grounds we cannot possibly say beyond what rumor says, and as the matter is more than likely to go before the Courts we refrain from expressing an opinion. We cannot but thiak, however, that the case is one meriting kindly consideration, and we shall hope to hear that soa'e movement is made to establish the suffe.rer (who it must be remembered is a married man with a large family of small children) in a new home. A Gazette proclamation allows native game to b.e taken or killed from April 1 to July 31 in the counties of Waikouaiti, Vincent, Manioroto, Lake, Peninsula, Taieri, Bruce, Clutkia, and Tuapeka. At the lasit meeting of the Waikouaiti 'County Council, the question of retrenchment was disemssed. Surfacemen’s wages Wererednced from 7s to Gs a-day. A motion for a reduction of the allowances to members was very promptly negativedYou bat ! The truth is beginning to make itself felt about the Otago Central Railway. Tho Wairarapa Standard,a North Island paper, says “ There was a very angry debate in the House last year about the Central Otago Railway. The land in tho district it would traverse is Crown land mainly let to sheep farmers'. Their leases fall in within a short time. Of course they are anxious to renew them, and the construction of the railway would have been opposed to their chance of getting now leases. Hence the Railway Commission declared the country to be worthless and the land infertile.” Our contemporary then proceeds to relate special instances of fertility brought before the notice of the Counties’ Commission during their recent tour through the district j and wants to know if samples of the fruit, Onions, and pumpkins shown, will he laid on the table ofthe House next session of Parliament, “ In similar fashion to tho exhibition of sections of railway cars last year.”

Thb special correspondent of the Dune* din Morning Herald, who accompanied the Counties Bailway Commission, concluded his report, which is a most exhaustive one, with the following paragraph " The Commission in the evidence which it took had necessarily, to a very largo extent, to be a Commission on the land question, having to ascertain the capabilities of the country in order to come to a recommendation whether the railway should or should not be made. Whatever their recommendation may be, it must be conceded to them that they have gone thoroughly into the : r work, and that they have brought before the public more clearly tban ever was brought before, the resources of Central Otago, how far they have been developed, and how easily they may be developed to an immensely greater extent than they now are. The interior of this Province, with its grand features of mountain, lake, and stream, its vast plains and downs ready for the plough, its hillsides made as if to carry the sheep and cattle of farmers in the plains below, and its fine climate—has scenery, soil, climate, and resources, which all contribute to make it as fine a spot as there is on earth for the home of men.” Mr George Williams informs the Gisborne Standard that ho has discovered a most effective cure for blight. After trying all sorts of things, he by accident found that cold tea leaves thrown at the roots of trees successfully combat with the disease, and in a very short space of time caused the trees to become perfectly clean. Certainly a trial can do no iiavm, and if sue cessful, one of the orchard gardeners’ greatest troubles will be easy of removal /Esles, in the Australasian, has the following : —When Mr ,Coppin responded to the toast of the Australian colonies the other evening, he was pungent as usual, and alluding to political differences hinted it might be well to ‘ bury the hatchet.’ ‘ Or,’{interjected Verjuice so’.to voce— in a Pickwickian and political sense, of course —‘ Or hatchet the Berry !’ It is said that the investigations of Messrs Seed and Batkin at Gisborne have disclosed defalcations in the Native Office there. Sullivan, who rendered himself notorious by being connected with the murderous outrages in New Zealand years ago, met with his death by accident at Hanging Bock lately, and his remains were interred in the Wagga Wagga Cemetery. Mr Kenny, R.M. of Napier, has intimated from the Bench that he will punish larrikins with the utmost severity in all cases of larrikinism proved before him, and that no sentimental nonsense will be permitted about boys being being boys. Fruit stealing was as grave an offence as stealing anything else. Ho would order imprisonment in all such cases, together with fl >gging. Quite right, too, m cf *—- ««—• • ;« atatfid that the New Zealand Meat Preserving Co. are prepared to give 4J per head for fnl grown rabbits delivered at the works, Woodlands. They must he trapped, sna'Td, or dag out, and must be forwarded daily.” Two young men named Wm. Stanton and John Flinn, alias McGregor, were arrested in Clyde on Tuesday by Sergeant O’Neill, on a charge of having stolen a portmanteau and other goods, valued at L 27 6s, the property of Jas. Hinchcbff, of Timaru. The accused were brought up at the R.M. Court on Wednesday, but were remanded till Thursday, in -onsequence of the necessary warrant not being to hand. Yesterday the accused were again brought before the Bench and remanded to Oamaru. Mr Fache reports having sold one thousand shares in the “ Golden Gate Gold-mining Co. on Tuesday last, at two shillings per share. Considering that the shares are fifleen shillings and six-pence paid up, it may bo assumed that the purchaser has either made a very good market, or that the Company’s prop rty is next to valueless. We do not share in the latter belief, being rather of the opinion that the Company was never so strong, or its property so valuable, as at the present time, and have but little hesi ation in prognosticating a brighter future for the Company than that the attendees at the sale evinced. We wish the purchaser success in his investment. /Bolts writes in the Australasian as follows :—On board the Hero, for New Zealand ports, there was the other day that no uncommon passenger, the spruce, pert, young commercial traveller who lias been everywhere, knows everything, and who insists that everyone with whom ha comes in contact should know that he knows everything. Having given the captain a hint about lunar observations, ami. corrected the conk on cutlets, he unbent himself to the extent of indicating to his fel-low-passengers various interesting localities upon the coast. “ That,” said he, pointing to a sandy beach and jetty in a little bay, “is Kawau. There is the spot at which Sir George Grey received me with a party of friends most hospitably. Fine follow, Sir George, you know, although a little too radical for me.” Now, three or four hours afterwards a passenger called the others to como on deck, and look at Sir George’s beautiful island homo. “Qh,” said one, “ wo saw Kawau long ago. 'Mr Staylace, who knows Sir George well, pointed it out to us this morning.” “Ah ! then the captain must be mistaken ; ho has been passing Kawau for the last 18 years, and has been under erroneous impression until now. However, Sir George is coming on board, I belive; the engines are being slowed, and—” (Sadden disappearance of Staylace, who feels so nnwell that ho keeps his berth until the next port of call permits his debarkation.)

Tire New York Herald recently tried the experiment of lighting its composing-room with the electric light. Only two lamps were used, however, in a room containing 90 compositors, and owing to the shadows cast by the many pillars in the room success was but partial. It has been abandoned for the present. It will be remembered that a trial shipment of Soutbbridge-made butter was sent Homo from Lyttelton by the s.s. Durham at the end of the year. Some was sent in tubs, some in earthenware crocks, and some tinned. The Press reports that at the Leeston agricultural show the other day a fellow-tin to some sent Home was opened, and turned out as fresh and sweet as the day it was soldered up. Ma S. Swarbrick, for 30 years general manager of the Great Eastern Railway, is at present inj New Zealand, being engaged with his two daughters in a tour round the world. On being interviewed at Ohinemutu on the subject of the New Zealand railways he expressed an opinion that a lack of energy exists, and that our Government do not study their own interests sufficiently by devoting more attention to the interests of the travelling public. He considers that the authorities should work the railways—say for a period of three years —on a clearance of expenses only, and devote the residue to the benefit of their customers ; and that greater travelling facilities, with a reduction of the tariff, would quickly enhance their funds. Tms paragraph will give our readers an idea of what the programme of the Nihilists is like :—“ Nihilists may and ought to aspire to dignity, office, and honor. They shall mutually help each other with all their might. They shall denounce the false brethren and the suspected. They shall employ every means to assist the revolution which consists in the most utter and radical destruction of the existing order of society. No more monarchy, no more re" cognised religions, no more property, the land belongs to all, the soil is like the air : every one has a right to sustenance, no more administration, no more armies. Kings, soldiers, priests, judges, the possessors of privileges and of wealth, are our enemies ; at these we must direct our blows. Sentence of death is passed on every official of the empire who shall show himself, directly or directly, hostile to our plans.” On New year’s morning a Mr Sweeney who resides in Maryborough, Queensland, was rather rudely aroused from sleep by a somewhat startling occurrence, which will doubtless impress New Year’s Day on his memory for some time. It seems he had, before retiring to rest, placed a lib flask of gunpowder underneath the bed. From some inexplicable cause the flooring of the room became ignited, the lire traversing the flooring to tha flask, when an immediate exploson took place. The bedstead and its occupant were lifted to the rafters of the house, coming down again with a bang. When Mr Sweeney got to ter We ?ouuifW'un3elt l 'pret?y ia se^%f| l ®ilft ; lf i about the chest, face, and arms, but having procured skilful medical advice he is now in a fair way of recovery. He says it is the greatest fright he ever received. A Government cablegram received at Wellington on the sth inst. announces that the City of New York reached San Francisco all right.