Untitled

Dunstan Times, Issue 1226, 28 August 1885, Page 2

The Hon. Mr Richardson, Minister of Public Works, delivered his Public Works Statement on Tuesday evening last, the 2>th inst. Prom its great length, it occupying nearly eight columns of the “ Daily Times,” it is beyond our power to reproduce it. The following is a summary of the Public Works Estimate : Immigration, L 30.373.

Public Works Department, L 28.931. Railways, L 1,344,400. Surveys (new lines railway), L3OOO. Waterworks on goldfields, L 30.200.

Roads, 1586,704. Public buildings, L15G.518. Lighthouses, harbour works, and harbour defences, L26G,010.

Telegraph extension, L 25 900.' Puichase of Native lands for railways, L 70.000.

Charges and expenses] raising loans, L 60.0110.

Of the item Railways L 150.000 is for the East and West Coast Railway, In reference to this vote the hon. gentleman said The Government are of opinion that by the proposals they are placing the matter in a position to which no part of the Colony can reasonably object, while they are removing from the districts concerned the sense of soreness and injustice under which they now labour. They hope hon. members wi'j combine to aid the Government in dealing with a subject that has engaged the consideration of every Administration tnat has held olfice.for in no senseoughtit to be dealt with as one of party. The following was said on the Otago Central railway.—So much has been said during the year about the position of the works on this railway that I trust hon. members will bear with me if I refer to them somewhat in detail. It will be remembered that when taking a vote for this line last year, 1 stated most distinctly, that although we took a very large vote it would bo impossible to spend much of the money during the financial year then current and in practice this has proved to be the case to even a greater extent than 1 then thought. For the Wingatui viaduct, plans and specifications had been prepared with the view of importing the ironwork from England, but these I have all altered s>as to admit of the whole of the work being done in the Colony, and the contract has already been let for the superstructure of the bridge, by which we shall got it done at a price little if anything above what it would cost if imported from England, The concrete for the masonry and concrete work on the piers, which are exceptionally heavy, has been let in such a manner as not to delay the erection of tho superstructure, A contract has been let

for laying the permanent way on the first *°ction, about eight miles in length, and as soon as the formation is completed up to the Wingatui viaduct, the permanent way will be laid thereon also, so as to expedite the viaduct works, as far as possible to ensure tho railway getting the carriage of ail tho material to be used for its construction. The whole of the rest of the work required for the formation of this line to the end of the 33rd mile, where it merges into tho plain, are now under contract, with exception of Jf a few short pieces which were left in a very'*"' rough state when the works were stopped two years since. These will be put in hand iu small contracts , very shortly. It has been my endeavour to press on the work, and 1 am satisfied that no time has I been unneoessaryily lost in getting it iu hand. As stated last year, the Wingatui viaduct is tho key to the whole railway, and the Colony is suffering the loss of the interest in the outlay on this line owing to that work having been neglected.

We have received from the Government Printer a batch of Parliamentary papers and Bills, also No.’s 16 and 17 of 1 Hansard.’

In reply to a question, the Hon Mr Tole, Minister of Justice, said the Government would consider the best means of prohibiting those exhibitions known as “glove fights,” which are now so frequent. We are reliably informed that first class prospects have been obtained in one of the sections of the drainage channel now being eonstrncted on Blacks Flat, from what we can glean it appears that some four ounces of gold was obtained from , about a chain of the Channel, and that from prospects the gold is more plentiful the higher up the fiat. We look upon tho discovery as being one of the most valuable that has been made for years past, as with the channel the ground can bo easily worked, and the field, moreover, is so easily getatable. One drawback to the field, perhaps, is that a large area, some 90 acres, through which the gold evidently runs is freehold property, being the pie-eruptive right attached to tho old B ack’s station, and now the property of Messrs Campbell and sons ; bat we anticipate when it is proved that the ground is auriferous, but little difficulty will be experienced in obtaining the permission of the owner’s to work it.

A well attended meeting of ladies was held in the Presbyterian church, Alexandra, on Wednes lay evening last, to make preliminary arrangements far the forthcoming gift auction and fancy fair to be held on Boxing lay in aid of funds for fencing in the church glebe, etc. We heartily wish our Presbyterian friends success in their enterprise, and hope to be able to record when the time conies brilliant and substantial results.

The following instance of the extraordinary growth of trout in New Zealand waters is worth recording. In the mo th of May, 1883, the Alexandra Borough Council procured a supply of young trout from the water races hj lading from the Rive'-, and placed them in the Corporation dam, which has a su.face arei of about four acres, About 50 young fish were thus liberated, varying from an ounce to ten or twelve ounces in weight. Last week Fawcett and party, who are using the water in the dam for mining purposes, caught a trout in their guige box weighing twelve pounds. Thii must have been one of the tisli origi» nally placed in the dam which had attained this enormous size, as there were no trout previously iu the dam, nor are there any in either Young Hill or Chatto Creeks from which the dam is supplied with water.

Mr Fache requests us to draw attention to the sale of cattle and sheep at Alexandra, to-morrow, the 29th inst. Butchers and others are particularly requested to note the sale.

The Land Bill, as amended, was read a third time and passed. The House generally seems 1 to be qu'ta in earnest over this measure, members apparantly vicing with each other as to who could introduce the most liberal clause. Mr Pyke, the member for Dunstan, introduced several very valuable clauses.

The sSth annual festival of the Printers’ Pension, Almhuose. and Orphan Asylum tootc place on the 15th June at the Albion Tavern, under the Presidency of the Lord Mayor. After the t ast of “ The Queen ” the chairman proposed “The Army, Navy and Reserve Forces,” to which Mr H. w\ Lawson, as a lieutenant in the \eonunry Corps of Middlesex, responded, rt-ma king that nothing could well he more chivalrous than the conduct of the lamented Colonel Fred Burnaby, who cracked his last bottla of claret to share it with the rank and file of our Army in Egypt.- Tue Lord Mayor, in proposing “ Prospeuty to the Printers’ Benevolent Association,” said that it had a threefold claim on the benevolent, as it provided pensions, almhonses, and also an orphan asylum, all of them doing good work, and each being equally deserving of the support of the general public. It was very creditable to find the members of the priming trade so systematically subscribing to support the institution which gave relief to those who through imsfoatnaimfc > or ill health ivq.iiml it. in an eloqui'i* appeal for increased help for the charities his Lordship sai 1 that the Printers are a body of men to whom every one who can read owes a debt of gratitude ; for the press is now no longer a luxury but a necessity of daily life. As to the finances of the institution, ho was one of those who thought that such societies should spend ab the subscriptions they received, an 1 leave the future to look after itseif. A charity so deserving would never want friends. The secretary then announced suhscrip’ions amounting to LI,OIB in addition to a special gift of LSOO from the Panlou-Killingbaok fenaion Bund, which had boon raised by subscription principally from the printing machine managers.— Baron He irv da Worms,"M.P., proposa l the heilth of the chairman, whom he considered as being par excellence a man with the courage of his opinions, Tiie toast was drunk w : th great enthusiasm, and his lordship proposed “The Sherifls,” to which Mr Sheriff Phillips replied.-The proceedings wero rendered unusually enjoyable by the singing of Madame Worrell and several other vocalists.

That invalid wife, mother, sister or chilli can bo male the picture of health wild American Co.’s Hop Bitters, Observe

M. Victoria Hugo has left to the Paris National Library his manuscript and all the drawings of his own hand that may be found in his residences in Paris and Guernsey. The marriage of Princess Beatrice and Prince Henry of Battenburg took place at St. Mildred Church, Whippinghara (Isle of Wight), on July 23. The island was crowded with Royal personages, foreign Ministers, and the German princelings, assembled in honor of the occasion. The inns were crowded with tourists and the suites of Nabobs. In the town of Cowes and at Osborne House their was a tremendous amount of noise, bustle, and confusion. At the Palace guns were fired almost continuously in honor of more or less august personages, and the church-bells rung all day so express the popular joy. The Volunteers made Prince Henry their Colonel, and gave him a silver sword. The weather was lovely. The flags of all were flying from the house-tops, and the river and bay were full of yachts, brilliant with bunting, and presening from the land an enchanting appearance. The Royal yacht stood out prominently from the rest of the fleet, and the Prince and Princess of Wales lande 1 from it and. drove to Osborne. The bridal procession was received with enthusiastic shouts. All the ladies wore dresses of white gossamer silk. The Queen entered the church on the bride’s left, with the Prince of Wales on her right. The Queim wore a' miniature diamond crown. The marriage is regarded with disfavor at the German Court, The C r own Princess having protested, no invitation was sent to the German reigning family. The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh also preferred remaining on their yachts during the stay at Cowes, going ashore only for the ceremony.