Local And General.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1010, 26 August 1881, Page 2

Local And General.

Oamartj is to have a Court-house, to cost L3OOO. Small-pox is still on the increase in Sydney. Op 253 Chinese miners in the Waikaia district only 47 have miners' rights. The next inwand 'Frisco mail will probably arrive in Clyde on Tuesday morning next. The death of Mr Christopher Pond, of the well-known firm of Spears and Pond, is announced. The Irish Land Bill has finally passed the Imperial Legislature after a very stormy passage through both Houses. WV Tiavo to acknowledge the receipt from inc otovcrnment rrmter 01 Datcnes 01 rarliamentary papers, Bills, Hansards, etc. Tenders are invited by the Dunstan District Hospital Committee for supplying the institution with groceries, fuel, etc. The entire draft horse Royal Duke will travel this season through the Blacks, Ida Valley, Tinkers, Drybread, and St Bathans' districts. The appointment of Jas. Hickson, Esq., as agent for the Public Trustee at Clyde is notified in the Government "Gazette" of the 11th instant. From and after the Ist proximo the designation of the Post and Telegraph Office now known as Manuherikia will be changed to Alexandra South. In the London markets New Zealand wheat has advanced 2s per quarter, and is quoted at 54s 6d. In the Sydney market it is quoted at 5s Id per bushel. The annual election of councillors for the Alexandra Borough Council will take place on September the Bth. Nominations will be received up to noon of September Ist. We noto that the Rev. ,T. Lothian will celebrate Divine service in the schoolhouse, Clyde, on Sunday next, at 3"30 p.m. ; and in the Presbyterian Church, Alexandra, at 11-30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Those who are entitled to hav9 their names placed upon the electoral rolls should send in application to the registrar of the district immediately, as rolls are to be prepared for the new districts preparatory to the approaching election. The Parliamentary correspondent of the "Oaraaru Mail" thus unburdens his soul : —" Honesty is at a discount here. Nearly one half the men assembled here, professedly as the people's advocates, ami who revel in the pageantry and dignity which attach to a Parliamentary career, would not be tolerated in one's drawing-room or trusted in one's kitchen." Stawf.lt,, Victoria (the rich reefing district), i 3 now supplied with water from Fyan's Creek, a stream running for the Grampians. Tho cost of the scheme was nearly L 130,000, and the quantity of water supplied daily is 1,000,000 gallons, and is deemed sufficient for domestic and mining purposes. The water for a distance of 1G miles is conveyed in pipes. Dr Stirling, on the occasion of severing his connection with the Tuapeka Hospital, was presented with a dessert set, knives, forks and spoons (in rosewood case), set of salts, and a set of napkin rings, all made of silver. Dr Stirling, it will be remembered, previous to going to Lawrence, held the position of resident surgeon to the Clyde and Cromwell Hospitals respectively. We have received from Mr Jas. Hickson, the Clyde agent of the Public Trustee, the annual report of the Public Trust Office, which, by the statement of accounts, is fast growing in public favor. One of the duties the office performs is that of trustee under wills, in which the nominated trustees refuse to administer or take out probate. As it is not generally known that trustees can thus rid themselves of the responsibilities cast on them by their friends, we make tho fact known. The total transactions by the office during the year ending June 30th was L 173.889, being an increase of L 81,570 on the previous year's transactions, A very attractive and liberal programme has been drawn up by the Alexandra Jockey Club for their spring race meeting, which comes off on October 7. The programme comprises a Maiden Plate, Alexandra Handicap, Hack Selling Race, District and Consolation Handicaps, and Hospital Race, the total amount to be given away by the Club coming up to about LBO. Everything presages that the meeting will be one, of the most successful ones ever held in the district, and we sincerely hope that it will be. Weights, entries, etc., will appear in this journal at the proper time. The prize for the Maiden Plato is LlO, not Ll3, as inserted in our last.

Thr clmney-pot hat will ston ba numbered amongst the tilings of tie past. It appears that Mr Maxwell has very inflated ideas of his own imprtanoe, and did not like the restraint the Premier put upon him. Th e “ Daily Times’ ” corespondent says Dr Wallis’s Annual Parliammts Bill, which provides that every future Ibuse of Eepresentatives shall continue for one year only, is supposed to bo one of the rev. doctor’s ponderous jokes, and is an illustration of the way the time of Parlianont is wasted, and the country put to needless expense, to gratify the vanity of raedocre men who crave notoriety in the Housa For our part, we look upon tho idea as anything but utopian. It will be remembered th»t Sir Bryan O’Loghlen, the present Premier of Victoria, when wooing, for the first time, the suffrages of a Victorian constituency, in what was then termed an advanced Radical programme, advocated annual Parliaments, and who can tell now that he has gained his present eminence, but that he may again advance it ?

The river still maintains a low level, of which adantago is being taken by all the miners working on tho banks, some of whom, we hear, are doing more than ordinarily well. We do not hear of any fresh parties setting in, tho which to us is inexplicable, as there is nob the slightest doubt the banks and beaches would profitably employ a population tm times greater than is at present employed. The day will come, and we look upon it that it is not far distant, when this field like Conroy’s and Butcher’s Gully’s, will be monopolised by the Chinese, and then tho Europeans will see the folly of their procrastination. M'Kenzie and Co.’s and Scott and Co.’s dredges are busily engaged, but the results do not transpire. Macktrsy and Co. a-e pushing ahead with ther ironclad, and should be ready for a start in a month or five week’s time.

The editor of that disreputable paper, the Christchurch “Liberty,” mis-called'a “ society journal,” who was so handsomely thrashed by an Individual who felt himself insulted by a libellous paiagraph published in that paper, again dropped in for it last week, and although he did not receive much injury at the hands of his aggrieved assailant, still much damage was done to some matter ready for the morrow’s isnuo. Our sympathies do not He with tho editor, and we think he deserved all he got and much more besides. Any editor who indulges in personalities to make his paper readable and interesting—of course, we are aware that the editors of one or two weekly productions in Otago have to r»sort to this reprehensible, but in some instances necessary, system to make their concerns at all interesting—deserves all the flagellations he receives for inserting in his paper matters concerning the private lives of inoffensive ladies and gentlemen.

The small-bird nuisance, which will by all accounts be greater than even the rabbit pest, has already grown so that Parliament have given powers to county councils and other local bodies to spend out of their revenues such as they may deem necessary to attack them. In this neighborhood we hear that they have stripped nearly every stone-fruit-bearing tree of their buds, which means a loss of thousands of pounds. In our younger days bird-lime used to be employed as an active agent against birds, and as mere ui.._y n., many who do not know how to make it, we publish the following recipe ;—To make bird-lime, put half-a pint of linseed oil into a pot or pipkin, and in which it will not be more than one-third full, place it on a slow fire, stir it occasionally till it thickens as much as required, which will be known by cooling the stick in water and testing it with the fingers. There are other methods of preparation,but the materials are not easily procured. We are very pleased to learn that the mine manager ot the Cromwell Company has received instructions to resume operations. The wages of miners at the face have been maintained at tho old rate, viz., 10s per day; other hands being offered 9s. If the mine managei determines to “ Let bygones be bygones,”, and take on the ringleader of the late strike and those who were instrumental in keeping the strike alive, and otherwise bring about the pleasant state that existed before the strike occurred, then, Indeed, matters will run in the old groove, and everything be as merry as a marriage bell. The men only fought for their rights, and it would not be just to punish them because they firmly resisted the proposed reduction of thdr wages. It is an Englishman’s privilege to growl when he has justification, and even when he has not; and it is his nature to turn on and resist those who attempt to reduce his wages, and maltreat him. So let us hope that the affairs of the Cromwell Company will go on as merrily and briskly as formerly.

With deep regret we have to announce the death (at the early age of 34 years) of Mr Marcus Clarke, the talented author of the story we are now publishing in our supplements ; and we regret to learn that his wife and family are left in poor circumstances. Deceased may justly be styled a colonial author, as his first literary efforts were made in Victoria, and the writings that first brought him under the special notice of the public were published in the “ Australasian,” under the heading of “ The Peripatetic Philosopher.” From a circular before us, we learn “ That at a meeting of the friends of the deceased it was decided to publish a memorial volume ot his writings, edited by G. A. Walstab, Garnet Walch, and R. P. Whitworth, to bo issued to subscribers at £1 1s each ; the proceeds to be devoted to his family ; and the Committee trusts that every lover of literature ami admirer of colonial genius will assist in bringing about tho desired object. (Signed) G. A. Walstab (Hon. Sec ), and Cosmo Newbrry (Hon. Treasurer)." Having been supplied with a subscription list, we shall be pleased to receive the names of subscribers.