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Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 2071, 24 December 1869, Page 2

Christmas Day.— To-morrow being Christmas Day, the Ecenbig Star will not be published. On Dit. —It was currently reported during the day that the breach between his Honor the Superintendent and his Executive is widening. It is affirmed that His Honor refuses to endorse the appointment of Mr J. L. Gillies to the office of Provincial Treasurer, on the ground that he had not been consulted prior to the appointment haviug been made.

The Caledonian Games. — The sale of the refreshment booths at the Caledonian Grounds, by Messrs M ‘Landress, Hepburn and Co. took place this morning, with the following results :—No. 1, J. Muir, LI I ; No. 2, do, LI I 10s; No. 3, Friedlich, 19; No. 4, Collins, LIS ; No. 5, do, Lls ; Nos. 6 and 7, Moore, L 35 ; Nos. 8 and 9, Galloway, LB4 ; No 10, Gregg, Lls. Wise’s Almanac for 1870.-We have to acknowledge the receipt of a copy Wise’s Almanac and Otago Business Directory, &c., for 1870. It is an exceedingly well got-up work, containing nearly 100 pages of varied and valuable information. As a who 7 e it is a most creditable production, and should command an extensive sale. The Forbury Park.— The directors of the Forbury Park Company appear to be at work in earnest. It will be seen from our other columns that tenders are called for draining and forming the proposed racecourse. Plans and specificaions are open for inspection at Mr M‘Gregor’s, the engineer’s office, Rattray street, until Tuesday next, at noon. Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber met this afternoon, at four o’clock, to consider the operation of the alteration in the mode of collecting jetty dues. The resolution was not arrived at when our reporter left. The postal arrangements .respecting non-forwarding of papers after 5 o’clock p.m. was considered, and it was resolved that the Committee confer with the Chief Postmaster on the subject. New Zealand Building Society.— The sixth annual meeting of the New Zealand Building and Mutual Investment Society was held at the Society’s office last evening. John Bathgate, Esq,, occupied the chair. The Secretary brought up the report and balance-sheet, which were considered highly satisfactory, and unanimously adopted. The profits per share were equal to L 22 16s 2d. A sub-committee’s report showed that a careful examination of the securities held have been made, and they felt “warranted in expressing the conviction that the affairs of the Society are, upon the whole, in a highly prosperous and satisfactory condition.” A Heartless Case of Child Desertion. —After the business of the Mayor’s Court this morning had been disposed of, Mr M‘lndoe. M.P.C., said he had a painful case of child desertion which he wished to bring under the notice of the Bench. As far as he could understand the case, some months since a Mrs Tanniehill, with her three children, went to reside with a Mrs Jones, living at St Kilda, the youngest child being only a few weeks’ old. In September last the mother of the children left the house and has never returned, nor could any information of her whereabouts be obtained. Mrs Jones had carefully brought up the children during the time that had elapsed, but she was not in a position to continue to do so. He therefore applied to their Worships to give an order for their admission to the Benevolent Asylum. His Worship the Mayor said the Bench did not see clearly how it could make the order asked ; hut all that could be done, should be. If they could not be sent to the Benevolent Asylum, they might be to the Industrial Institute. Mr Commissioner Weldon, who was present, said he was acquainted with the particulars of the case, and would undertake to give it immediate attention. Mrs Jones, who was in Court with the three little children, the eldest only about three years old, was complimented by those who heard the particulars of the case upon the kindness and attention she had shown fto the poor children. An order was obtained for their admittance into the Benevolent Asylum,

The Crops in Canterbury.—The Lyttelton Times of 18th instant says : —“A correspondent who has recently ridden through a part of the Leeston district informs us that the ground is ‘ literally choked with corn.’ Large paddocks of wheat and oats give promise of from 40 to 50 bushels an acre, the fear being that they will be too tall for the machines to cut. The barley crops are looking splendid, and there appears to be a large area sown. Fears are entertained in some quarters of a scarcity of hands for harvest work.” Strike among Masons in Yictoria. —The Ays, 11th inst., says:—“ Between fifty and sixty stonemasons struck work on Monday morning at the Alfred graving dock. The reason the men refused to go on was that a clerk had been appointed to measure each man’s work and enter it, along with his time, in a book, which, it was said, was contrary to the rules of the masons, inasmuch as an inferior workman, by getting

hold of a smooth stone, would have less to do than another m m who might happen to have a rough stone, and would consequently be able to make a much greater show.” Hokitika. —Mr Tait has been elected a member of the Hokitika Council, boating his opponents, Messrs Scott and Cross, by the large majority of 190 votes. —Many of the claims on the Stoney lead are said to be turning out remarkably well.—The Stir of the Evening, says :—“ An inquest was held to-day at Hansen’s Rooms, before Dr Garland, coronor, on the body of a man named William M‘Turk, who had died suddenly on board the s.s. Gothenburg, while on her voyage from Nelson to this port. The deceased was an invalid, who had left the Bluff for Melbourne, with the intention of getting admission nit the Melbourne hospital.” Southland. — Our Southland papers are to the 20th inst. We glean from them that the prospectors at the Longwood appear now to he waiting the result of the quartz-crushing, and several are already in town, evidently to on joy the festivities of the approaching season. The operations of the Southland Prospecting Association do not appear to have made much progress in their efforts to tap a payable seam of coal in the Winton District. A meeting of the Association had been held, when reports from, the manager of the Prospecting Company were read, and it was decided by a large majority to carry on the operations of the Society to some further extent. Instructions were to be given to Mr Young, the practical overseer, to try for coal in some other locality. Flax Cleaning. —Mr Richard Todd F.R.G.S., of Raglan, claims to have discovered a process by means of which the gum may be removed from the native flax. He explains his process in a letter to the Superintendent of Auckland, as follows “ Sir, —I have the honor to bring under your notice what 1 consider to be a great improvement in the dressing of flax from the Phormium tenax. The present fibre as sent to market, when examined by the microscope, appears covered with gum, attached to the fibre in indurated globules, and the basis of this gum being silica, it must be removed before it hardens, as when dry, it is almost insoluble in cold water. During the process of preparation generally adopted, the parenchymatous or viscous tissue which surrounds the fibre, is, by the percussion of the stripping drum, driven in amongst the fibrous tissue. Simple washing with water fails to remove this matter which, when dry, renders the flax so hard and unmanageable as to be unfitted for the manufacture of fine fabrics. This gummy matter must therefore be removed if possible, by a cheap and simple process, and this is attained by passing the flax (after it comes from the machine and has received its first wash) between rollers of vulcanised iudiarubber, or other elastic substance. The regularity of the pressure from the elastic nature of the face of the rollers, squeezes the gummy matter thoroughly out of the fibrous tissue, renders it soft and silky, and may dispense almost wholly with the scutching and consequently avoid the creation of tow.

Important Despatch. —lt will be in the recollection of our (Southern Cross) readers that some months ago there was published the cop}'- of a letter written by Air J. C. Firth to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, on the subject of the condition of affairs in New Zealand. The following reply is published in the English Blue Book on New Zealand affairs, published in July last by order of the English House of Commons, and which has been kinnly placed at our disposal by Mr G. B. Owen : —“ Despatch from Earl Granville, K.G., to Governor Sir George Bowen, G.C.M.G.—Downing street, June 18, 1869. Sir, —I have to acknowledge your despatch No. 46, of 7th April, enclosing a letter on the present state of New Zealand from Mr J. C. Firth, of Auckland. I have read with attention Mr Firth’s letter, which brings before me, with much ability, various matters which had already received the consideration of Her Majesty’s Government. They deeply regret the loss of life, the destruction of property, and the interruption of industry which have taken place in parts of New Zealand ; but I should not be doing my duty if I led Mr Firth to anticipate that Her Majesty’s Government would be induced to resume the responsibility of governing the Native race, or furnishing military protection to the settlers, It would be a great injury to the colonists to lead them to rely on such protection, or to neglect such means of pacification and self-defence as are within their own reach. With regard to the charge delivered by Mr Justice Richmond, you will already have learnt that the difficulties anticipated by him are not to be apprehended, as the Court of Queen’s Bench, in a case of Phillips v. Eyre, decided this year, has upheld the validity of the Jamaica Indemnity Act.—l have, &c., Granville.” The brethren of the M.TJ.1.0.0.F. are requested to meet at the Odd Fellows’ Hall on Monday, to take part in the procession, The muster will take place at 10,30 a.m. Preparations have been made for the accommodation of picnic parties, at Coney’s Portobello Hotel, and steamers will ply between that place and Dunedin throughout to-morrow.