Untitled

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1999, 1 October 1869, Page 2

Theatrical. —Amongst the passengers by the schooner Engelbert, ■which arrived from Adelaide to-day is Mr Frank Musgrave, an actor of considerable colonial reputation. As a representative of “ old men” Mr Musgrave is said to be unequalled in the Colonies. Prospecting in Westland. —The discovery of quartz reefs in the Grey district is having its effect in Hokitika, for we learn by the local paper that it is rumored that a number of prospecting parties will be equipped during the week, who are to proceed to the foot of the ranges, for the purpose of ascertaining whether any quartz reefs exist in that direction. It is also, wo understand, intended to despatch several parties of practical miners in the same jdirection, who will direct their attention to flip .discovery of alluvial gold. Canterbury Meat Preserving Company.- According to the Lyttelton Times, the Canterbury Meat Preserving Company is making rapid progress with its works under the able superintendence of its manager. The

site appears to have been well chosen, being immediately on the line of railway at a distance of seven miles from Christchurch, and equally available for stock from north and south.' The main building is rapidly approaching completion. It is a strong and well-built structure of timber and corrugated iron. The ground plan incudes kitchens, tinning, steaming, and testing rooms connected one with another by tramways. The size of this building is 102 by 5-1 feet. At a distance of some 50 yards to the rear stands the slaughter house, well ventilated and arranged, and to be connected with the main building by a line of rails. On one side, and close to the main building, is the site of the engine, of 20 horse power, now being ma le by Mr Anderson. A chimney about 50 feet high is rising rapidly, and close by are the well and water tanks to con tarn a coustant large supply of water. On the east side of the main building will stand the manager’s and men’s houses, the la-.ter capable of bousing about fifty hands —the number proposed to be permanently employed upon the works. At the rate at which the work is now progressing, the company expect to be ready to commence operations about the middle of November with appliances equal to the consumption of 2,500 sheep a week, to be increased shortly. Acclimatisation. —The annual report of the Tasmanian Salmon Commissioners, dated 2nd September, 1869, has been published, and records that the enterprise committed to their charge continues to progress in a very satisfactory manner. Iho Commissioners state that ‘‘ during the mouths of October and September, 1807, the great body of the young salmon and sa'mon trout, comprising <s,ooi> of the former and 900 of the latter—the produce of the ova imported by the Lincolnshire in 18G6 -having assumed’the garb of smelts, were permitted to m .ke their escape into the Plenty, from whence they doubtless soon found their w'<y to the salt water, to which, in company with their elder brethren hatched in 1864, they have since, in all probability, paid another visit.” The Commissioners record the efforts which have been made by the aid of improved nets received from England to capture a fish, ss having been unsuccessful owing to the snaggy condition of the bed of the river, or the force of the currents, but express their perfect confidence in the correctness of numerous reports ns to salmon having been seen by experienced persons whose certificates are appended to the report. Regarding the trout, the Commissioners say : u ihe brown trout have continued to prosper without interruption. Those detained in the ponds for purposes of propagation have been abundantly fertile, enabling the Commissioners to furnish supplies of ova and young fish for vari ms localities in this Colony, as well as for Victoria, and the Provinces of Canterbury, Otago, Southland, and Nelson in New Zealand, in all of which this va'nable fish has now been firmly established. The small artificial rivulet attached to the trout pond at the Plenty is at this moment studded with the nests of these fish throughout its whole course, containing many thousand ova deposited during the months of Junc and July last. Prom these stores other localities in this and the neighboring colonies will continue to be supplied. During the two last seasons, the commissioners have adopted what they believe will generally be regarded as an improvement in the culture of the tpout. All artificial manipulations have been abandoned, and the fish have been permitted and onqoupaged to form their nests and to deposit and fructify their ova in their own natural way. When the ova have been required for distribution they have simply been taken from under their gravelly covering, as the eggs of a fowl are gathered from the nest. Treated in this maimer, almost every ovum has proved fertile, while under the artificial mode of fecundation, however carefully the operation may have been performed, considerable numbers were always found to be barren and unproductive. In the Plenty there are four generations ot the trout, and th< y must hencefoith go on at a ratio which is beyond calculation. Trout have been placed ill fourteen streams in Tasmania. The Financial Position of Westland, —Our Hokitika contemporary of Sept. 21 contains the following : —Last evening in the County Council an important document was read in the shape of the report of the County Auditor on the present financial position of Westland. The report shows very clearly, in the first place, that Mr Patten has thoroughly investigated the County’s position, an i the result is anything but flattering to those at the head of affairs. The report is a prolonged condemnation of the County management and tlu County accounts, the highest and the lowest officials be dig equally censured for past laches. A rather startling fact is stated, viz., that the last half-year’s actual receipts fell short of the estimated revenue by L 30,000. Up to present tjipe, too, it seems that there has been no system whatever of checking public accounts, but the laxity ip this respect can only bo ascertained by perusing the report. The receivers of public revenue seem to have had the entire control of the funds flowing in, and it should be a matter for congratulation that a set of honest public servants were provided for Westland, for if they had chosen to prove the contrary, no one could have found them out except on their ov/n admission. In some places it seems that no books, or rather blocks, were kept, and at Okarito this independent style of book-keeping seems to have h e eu peculiarly carried out. Without giving the report in full, it is impossible to convey anything like an accurate idea of the extraordinary manner in which the public accounts of Westland have been hitherto kept; but it is some satisfaction to know that the employ As of the General Government are not only as culpable, but a little worse, if possible, than their County confreres. Tire whole report bristles with pleasant subject of oue kind or another —the next noticeable ope being that the expenditure for the last half year exceeded the receipts by L9,39G odd, for which various causes are assigned, the chief which is that L 8,447 has been paid away, which sum was not included in the estimates at the last sitting of the Council. In the balance-sheet submitted we find L14,8(51 set down as liabilities, and L 9,350 as assets—leaving a trifling responsibility of L 5,511 to the debit of Westland,

It will be seou by advertisement, that the Glass-blowers will opm to-morrow evening at the Masonic Hall. Since their last visit hero, several additions have been made to their collection, amongst which is a quart}: erusbbrS machine, made solely of glass, which will be worked by the glass steam engine ; and, as before, presents will he distributed nightly to the audience.