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Dunstan Times, Issue 1266, 4 June 1886, Page 2

The Government are evidently determined of r dding themselves of all care and expense attached to the sick and needy, and to throw the same on the District Boards under the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, their next last decision, after refusing to piy subsidy in terms of the Act, being an order that all costs and expenses incurred by the Police in conveying the sick and destitute to Hosp - tals or other charitable institutions or for medical attendance on same, hitherto paid by the Government, has in future to be paid by the District Boards. Such reading of the Act may suit the Government, but we doubt it the Boards are likely to tamely submit to same without a struggle.

There was a large assemblage to witness the match Australians v. North of England. The Australians scored 43 in their first' innings, but the home team failed to reach that score, only making 34. The Australians scored 43 in their second innings. The home team had made 15, with one wicket down, when stumps were drawn. The wicket was very treacherous. Bonnor was injured and had to retire. The Education Department is telling the Boards that the grant for buildings will not allow of money being paid for painting old schools. Then the Boards must let the buildings get into disrepair for the want of a coat or two of paint, and the building vote will soon have to be increased Secretary Habens bad better withdraw his circular.

No farther particulars are to hand as to the number of lives lost by the wreck of the steamer Dy-ee-moon, on the coast of New South Wales. It is said that the passenger named A. M'Gregor, who was drowned ia her. stated that he was a son of our respected townsman Mr A. M‘Gregor, of the British Hotel. -Daily Times. The result of the inquiry into the lamentable accident that occurred in the Dowling street cutting, Dunedin, through the blasting operation that were going on there was a verdict equal to that of “ manslaughter against the Corporation.” Since the inquiry a number of claims for damages have been served upon the Corporation authori ties.

The weather during the past week has been more than ordinarily wet, scarcely a day or night passing without a heavy shower. Fortunately, no damage to property or the roads has as yet been reported, though it is a general complaint that the roads are in a truly wretched state for travelling.

The battery at 'White's Beef is now work" ing smoothly without a hitch, and a good hit of stuff is being put through. We have heard nothing definite as to probable re. suits, but it is understood that the tables are looking well. Information has been received by Mr Inspector Hickson, the head of the police in the Lake and Dunstan districts, of two sudden deaths having occurred in the Lake district during the week. William Home, a man working on Davis’ contract. Skippers, on Monday evening, while sitting on his bunk and talking to some others, dropped down deed. A man named William Boyd, wh’le riding in a dray between Frankton and Queenstown, suddenly died.

A “ Dancer's" letter in reference to the conduct of one of (ho attenders at the Wednesday opening classes, is not of sufficient interest to warrant us in giving it space. Perhaps, however, this notice will have the desired effect.

The continuous wet .and mild weather is interfering with the wmk of rabbit poisoning, the phosphorus being destroyed immediately almost it is laid by (be heavy rain, and again, the grass being so plentiful and preen, the little pest prefer that to the grain. i

We have to acknowledge receipt from the Government Printing Office of the first batch of Bills and Parliamentary papers of the present session. A contemporary remarks that Mr Firth, clerk of the It M. Court, Queenstown, has dropped into a handsome legacy of about IJIOOO, and that he has left for a trip to the Old ' riuntry for six months. Mr Mathias, formerly cadet at Naseby, fills Mr Firth’s place during his absence. Mr Langmuir and staff, from the survey office, Lawrence, is now in Clyde doing some odd jobs of surveying. All those who have any surveying to do should take advantage of Mr Langmuir’s presence in the district, and call his services into requision.

Great progress is being made with the new dredge that is being built at Alexandra, and in about a month at furthest we may expect to chronicle the fact that she has started work.—The current wheel dredge, the property of Leyon and Co., and which for somettitne has been at work below Alexandra,ss now being taken up the river to Mutton’ Town Point.—The steam dredge, we notice, has'again shifted her ground, being now again moored off one of the beaches onfthe east bank of the river. If rumour is correct, the shareholders in this venture should soon expect a dividend, it being stated that the weekly gold getting is over 60 ounces per’week. A concert is announced at Alexandra for the 18 h’June. J, The proceeds are to be handed over to the Trustees of tho local cemetery, who are now going to some considerable expense in making some much needed improvements such as fencing, wire netting, and generally improving the grounds of the cemetery. The concert is under the auspices of the Golden Stream Lodge, I 0.6, T., and the committee antiei pate that it will be a success. We cordially wishtthat their hopes may be realised, and that a bumper house will enable them to hand over a handsome sum to the Trustees for so commendable a work.

In justice to Sir Robert Stout we would point out (hit the prevailing impression as the ground of his being offered a knighthood is erroneous. If it were true, as inferred both by Major Atkinson and himself, than the colonial than peisonal, it is obvious that the Premier of New Zealand] would not be the only Australasian Premier selected tor the honor. But the publication of the Birthday Gazette shows that to’none of the Australian Premiers has a similar offer been made upon the present occasion ; and though the honor still remains a compliment to the colony, this shows that in its primary aspect it is personal. Sir Rober Stout has not mere'y been knighte 1 because he happened to be Premier of New Zealand at the time of the opening of the exhibition or of the Queen’s Jubilee, but on the view entertained by the Imperial authorities of bis personal merits and public services. The point is perhaps not very important, but it cettainly adds to the honor due to the Premier, which the hitherto prevailing impression has unjustly uderestimated.—Daily Times.

We, Dunedin ‘ Evening Herald,’ are inn formed on good authority that there is a probability of another morning newspaper being started in Dunedin, Matters are still in embryo, but it is proposed to be worked on co-operative principles.

Ihe 1 Daily News ’ considers that the banka in meddling with land mortgages have nearly provoked a crisis in Australia. A miraculous escape from death occurred last week on the main road from Ketnpsey to Armidale (N.S.W.) Some timber carters were driving their bullock teams along a cutting which runs through O’Sullivau’s Pee Dee station, when, on coming to a particularly narrow part, one of the carters, named Carl Soner, went on the off side of his team to keep the bullocks from going too close to the’eutting. The team, however, swerved, and, with a waggon heavily loaded with three cedar logs, fell over the cutting down a terrible precipice. Soner threw himself over, and fell many feet, the team of sixteen’bullucks and waggon following him, and turning three times in the same distance. Strange to say, Soner picked himself up unhurt from between two huge boulders. His mates, coming to the rescue, released the team, only one bullock being killed.

Under the heading of “ A-party of two,” the ‘Evening Press ’ says that “ the groat mortgage companies and the whole class of embanassed money lenders and landowners would be overjoyed to see Sir George Grey’s proposals adopted to-morrow; but they are not the people who attend his meetings and app'aud his [speeches, and neither are they the people who can provide him with a Parliamentary following. Thus we a-c forced to the conclusion that though Sir George Grey’s party and poliov are both well defined—better defined than any others —yet they are the greatest sham of all, because the party are a party of two (Sir George and Mr Reese, of Stanmore), and the policy is one which the other parties dare not support. The approaching completion of the Adelaido-Melbonrne railway is causing the Commissioner of Public Works of South Australia to devote-onsiderable attention to the probable traffic arrangements. Of course (says the ‘ South Ans’ralian Advertiser ) nothing his yet been definitely' settled, but an attempt will bo made tornn trains between Adelaide and Melbourne in eighteen hours. Tue j mruey from Adelaide to Servicetowu, the boundary station, will it is expected, occupy eight hours, the distance being ISO miles. From Servicetown to Melbourne the distance is .110 miles, ami this will have to be run in ten hours if the expected rate of travelling is to be accomplished. The question of fares has y r nt to be cnnfidcre I lint taking Ibe through rate at 21 per mi’e the amount would be 1.4 Is Sd, and it is more than possible that there will bo a reduction on this Bum,

The South Australian Register, of Majid, contains the following information with regard to the new Western Australian goldfield . —“ We have been favoured with the following extract from a private letter, dated Perth, April 21 : ‘Much gold has been found. The biggest nugget I have seen which was bought by the Government to send to the Colonial and Indian Exhibition, was over Idozs.—a very fair specimen. The , diggers all describe the Cambridge road as very bad, and that from Derby, though longer, as preferable. One digger I saw this morning told .me the nights had been quite cool at the diggings, and that tho miners worked through the middle of the day.’ Another private letter, dated Derby, April 18, states j * Gold is plentiful. I saw a great deal of it. Over 500oz obtained already. Three men got 64.>z in four daj’s. The field is of large extent.’ j The gentleman who furnished us with the m above extract say : ‘ People should be i cautions io proceeding'to the country without having a supply of rations, &c., to last at least six months. In the winter the country becomes very boggy, and with a team there is no knowing how long yon may have to remain in one spot through the boggy state of the country.’ ” H. G. Read, a bootblack, who was in receipt of outdoor relief from the Ballarat Benevolent Asylum, died recently, bequeathing all his property to the asylum. It was not thought that he had more to leave than his brushes and blacking pots, but a person who lived in the same house with him states that he is entitled to L 7.800 by the bequest of a relative in England. Two slips of paper found in the pockets of Read’s clothes mysteriously told the finders to “look under the stool,” and to “look in the mattress.” The bed was searched, bat nothing in the way of money was discovered, and the stool could not be found. The president of the asylum is having the matter inquired into.

An extraordinary defence was set up at the Sydney Police Court by a man named Michael Desmond, who was sued by his wife for maintenance. Desmond stated that he had been sentenced to death by Sir James Martin, which sentence was com* muted to imprisonment (or bfe. After serving 13 years his exemplary conduct gained him his release, and he pleaded that haring been sentenced to death, he was dead to the world and had no wife. He asserted that so rare a legal point had never been submitted to any judge or magi-trate, and that no court in the world had jurisdiction in such a case. The magistrate declined, however, to regard Desmond as a dead man, seeing that sentence of death had not been carried out, and ordered him to pay five shillings weekly for the support of his wife. Labour agitations are still rife in the Eastern Slates, chiefly fomented by Irish and German leaders. Twenty-five thousanl workmen struck ip various shops and factoiies of Chicago on April 20th. J Tne * Evening Star’s’ Wellington corrgja pomlent sends the following to that paper : evidence in the renowned Hutt tarring case he was questioned with a view to establishing an alibi on the accused’s part. He swore positively that on the n'ght of August 19 (the night of the alleged assault} accused and Mr Center, of the Oceanic Steam Company, were in his offi *e ; and again, in cross-examination, when asked to fix the date, gave evidence thusiy : ‘ I saw a gentleman named Center on August 19 in my room at the Government Buildings. That was the night after the Hospital row. Ho take Ito me about my brother, D. W. Buckley, On that occasion I remember seeing accuse I. It was early in the evening. He came about his *• screw,” as he called it ” Now, as a matter of fact, Mr Center only arrived at Auckland from Ameiica by the Australia on August 22, and did not reach Wellington till August 24, or five days after the assault was committed. Some people say that if tin Colonial Seoetaiy's memory .s no bett-T generally than his evidence on oath on this occasion, it is not a matter for surprise that the administration of his D-partmeut has not been attended with success.”

MEMORANDA. Monthly meeting Clyde School Committee Friday, June 4th, at 8 p.m, Meeting Dnnstan Jockey Ciub on Friday evening, 4:h June, at 8 p.m. Monthly meeting of Dnnstan District Hospital Trustees Monday, June 7th, at 8 p.m.

The Annual Licensing meetings will be h'ld as follows:—Alexandra (At V'exan Ira), Monday, 7th inst ; D nst.m (at Clyde), Tims lay, 8 hj ind ; Mntakanui and Maimherikia (at Ophir) Thursday, 10tu inst. Blacks Court Day, June 9;h. Mr Fache will sell cattle and sheep at Blacks on Wednesday, Jane 9th, at 2 p.m.

Mr Fache will hold at Alexandra on Monday, 14th iust,, Mr Forrest’s clearing out sale.

Concert at Alexandra, Friday, 18th inst.