Untitled

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2195, 20 May 1870, Page 2

To Correspondents. Mr Councillor Wilkinson’s letter reached us too late for insertion. Education for Girls,—ln the Provincial Council this afternoon the \otc of L2G3 Ids 4d, for a lady principal and governess for the proposed High School for girls, was carried by 21 to a. An Expensive Breakfast. Mr M‘Aslan, in his estimate of the assets of the Province, sets down the value of the salmon at L 5053. Of these delicious fish there were nine only that could be considered Provincial property, and it is currently reported that Mr Dawhin, the curator at the salmon ponds, previously to leaving the Waiwera, caught the nine salmon and cooked them for breakfast. Mr Main very pertinently asked the Secretary for Land and Works if he had reported to the Government as to their flavor. The Representation.—The amended Bill, as brought down by the select commit-

tec of the Provincial Council, provides for the representation as follows : —Dunedin, 7 members ; Oamavu, 1 ; Oaraarn Country, 1 ; Waitaki, 1 ; Woeraki, 1 ; Waihcmo, 1 ; Hawsbury, 1 ; Blueskin, 1 ; Port Chalmers, 1 ; North Harbor, 1. ; Waikari, 1 ; Caversham, 1 ; Peninsula, 1 ; Kaikorai, 1 ; Taieri, 3 ; Tokomairiro, 3 ; Waifcahuna, 1 ; Tuapeka, 2; Clutha, 2 ; Matanra, 1 ; Tcviot, I ; Duns tan, 1 ; Cromwell and Nevis, 1 ; The Lakes, 1 ; Mount Ida, 2 ; — total, 3S. It is proposed to do away with the scat for Mat an.

A Grievance. A correspondent Avrites to ns Avith a viuAV of calling the attention of the authorities to the matter, complaining “that the culvert, or rather drain, orosnng Great King street, below Union street, is of such small dimensions as to bo quite insufficient to carry aAvay the storm AAUiter. The consequence being that during merely ordinary rains (to say nothing of the present excessively Heavy rains') the property on the Avest side of the road is constantly liable to inundation, flooding the dwellings, and causing serious inconvenience with heavy losses to The residents in the locality.” 'rids is a grievance of some standing, and avo think the authorities should cause a properly constructed and sufficient cuKert tohe made, and thereby remedy the eA T il complained of. New Zealand Cross.— Wo learn from the Keen >i</ Pod “that the bcstcAAivl of the New Zealand Cross on Sergeant Arthur Carkeck, of the Armed Constabulary, has been recommended to the Government by Mr Dranigan. The act of distinguished bravery for Avliich the decoration Avas recommended Avas A r uuturiiig along the track from liotonia to Tapapa on foot the day afterTe Kooti had passed the fame Avay, anil Avhen there Avas imminent danger of falling in Avith the rear of his force, to convey important intelligence of To Kooti’s movements to Colonei M‘Donnell. All the Maoris refused to run the risk. As will bo recollected, it Avas for some time imagined that Sergeant Carkeek had fallen into the hands of the enemy, hut happily he accomplished his mission in safety. In thes: times,, when avc hear so much of the sup< r ority of the Maoris in hush Avarfare, it is very pleasant to find a European vindicating the dignity of his race, and proA’ing that after all, in cases Avhere co courage is required, AA'e come to the front. .Sergeant Carkeek, formerly a surveyor in the employment of the Provincial Government, is the son of ore of the oldest colonists, Stephen Carkeek, Esq., for many years head of the Customs department. ” The Crgmwei.l Reefs.—The Bendigo Gully correspondent of the Dtuisfiui Time*, Avriting under date the 10th hist., says : —“ Wo have had a return of fine Ave.athcr, and the gloomy anticipations of a general ‘freeze one’ and stoppage of mining ojieratioijs, have been dispelled for a time. Water is plentiful, and consequently the Aurora Company \vi!l have a busy time of it. One battery is engaged on Broa,dfoot’s stone, and the other on Logan and party’s, the Cromwell Company having unfortiinatdy had a hreak-doAvn, which Avill take .at least a month to set right. In the meantime the Aurora Company are busy raising stone, so that the mill Aviil not likely stop until King Frost puts his \ r cto upon the water. It is unfortunate for the piano that the Cromwell Company’s machine should ho stopped just noAV. The aeeidnit has th own a number of bauds out of employment until the damage is rcpaq’e'l, ami, as this cannot bo done out the aid of tljo foundry in Dunedin, winter will probably ha.\c set iq by the time damages arc repaired. It i$ ruppH’etj. that Colelough and Company are algnit to erect a crushing mill on their claim, and that they have purchased one hoav standing at Macraes Elat, to bo driven by steam power, though where the steam is to come from is, I confess, hj yond my ken. The Victoria Co. are pushing work' vigorously in their lease adjoining the Aurora, having a number of men employed bringing stone to grass, It lias been reported to me that a half-share in this claim changed hands last Avcok for the sum of L 250, "so that despite the lukewarm interest felt in Dunedin rhimt the Bendigo Hoofs there appears yet to be a fcav who have faith in them. A sixth-share in Broadfoot’s claim, Avas sold last Avoek for LIOO, and is, I consoler, a dead bargain at that price. A trial .onpildng Avill shortly take place from Biclnpoijd’s giaiq;, and is expected to turn out Avell. I may here state that all the trial crnshijigs up po date at thy AipViia, ])avc shown the i-effis tube payable, and although some people held extravagant opinions as t > the yield in certain cases and Avere proportionately disappointed, 1 fearlessly assert, as one capable of judging, that the returns have boon most satisfactory, and time Avill prove the truth of this statement. As a ucneral rule, Avhen the stone docs not turn lint according to expectations all sorts of speculations are hazarded :vi to the cause, the Ijrst invariably being that that the gold is lost iu the process of crushing, a very unjust assertion, and one thajL is gcm ra.ly put forth by those who know nothing iilp'ut it. The mills here are constructed on the best known and most approved principles, and surely with all the pa t experience of Victoria to o-ffide them, the proprietors Avill not lose more gold than is ordinarily run aAvay th cr c—and that so infinitely small as to he hardly worth a thought.” Teeeqhai-u R ECiisruv Office. —The folloAving incnioriuid.um was annexed to the petition of the employers oi- labor presented to the Provincial Council by Mr SJnmd ou Wednesday, it explains the means by Avhicfy the proposal to establish iiegistry Offices throughout the province can be curried out. Head'office to bo at Dunedin under the Gonc= ral Manager. Branch offices to he under Telegraphic Clerk or Post Office Clerk at Oainarn, ‘Tokomairiro, LaAvrence, Clyde, Wakatip, CroniAvell, Balchitba, Matanra, Waikouaiti, Palmerston, Naseby (when open). Beffister book to be at each office. On one side of the book enter name, address, ago, and description of seiwant, and rate of Avages expected; m, tho other side of book entei name and address of employer. .Sixpence to be paid for entering name ci|LUe».- Vvfftmg a servant, or wanting employment. The clerks at tho respective branch offices to telegraph to Dunedin office cvciy afternoon, reporting the state of the labor maiket at their respective offices. The manager at. the head office, Dunedin, to compile a gencuil summary eA’cry afternoon on rec ipt of telegrams from branch offices, to he theic posted for the information of the public. The sixpenny fee Avonld pay the Avorking expenses as regards the register, and for the daily telegrams sent gratis between the respective offices ; the General Govcrmiv nt Avould ho indirectly recouped by the additional number of private telegrams arising out of labor contracts, and might iaiily he u-.ke.i not to charge the Provincial Government for the

official telegrams. A system might also be adopted of registering characters at the head office in Dunedin, and issuing character tickets.

The Estimates'. The Provincial Council made considerable progress with the estimates yesterday In the afternoon when the House went into committee_ of supply, tlio Treasurer went on with the items under the head of police. On the second item being moved, Mr Asehroft moved that progress be reported to enable him to propose a resolution recommending that the estimates of the expenditure of the police department be reduced by LIOOO. Some slight opposition was shown to the estimate of the Government ; hut it disappeared when the Secretary for Land and Works pointed out that the Government was as desirous as any member of the committee to reduce the expense, but it could not be done suddenly without dfminidiing the efficiency of the force. It was also pointed out that during last, year a saving of 1,2000 had been oiroctcA; and it was just possible further reductions would be made this year, Instead of reporting progress, therefore, the items should be passed, and at any time before the close of the session a motion might he brought forward instructing the Government to reduce the force from the close of the iinancial year, in order that the next esrimates might be for a smaller amount. During the discussion it was stated at present an inspector’s uniform cost LTo ; a mounted constable's, L3O ; and a foot constable’s, L 2.1 ; while the expense of keeping their uniform in proper order amounted, in the case of an inspector, to Is f)d a day, and in the case of constahlesj, from Is to Is 3d a day. The items then passed ; as did those under the Head Harbor Department, a reduction of the Harbor Master’s salary from LSOO to L 432 10s rvas proposed, but negatived on the vocies. The items, gaol, LO7SS lbs, passed; as did those under the head of Provincial Treasury, L 1275 On the item, Chief L speetor of .Sheep, L-500, being moved, a proposition was made to strike it oil, but it was lost, as was also a proposition to strike o!F an item of LSO for an inspector at Port Cha’mors. The item, travelling cx2)euscs, LIOO was struck nffi On the items under the heal of Education being moved, Mr MTndoe proposed as an amendment that the Secretary’s and Inspector's salary be reduced from Lot)!) to L 350. In the course of the discussion it was hinted that Mr Hislopwas to bo despatched to England as Home Agent, and therefore no harm would result by the reduction <>f the item, The Secretary for Land and Works did not deny the truth of tile rumor, but suggested that as it might turn out that that gentleman would not ho so engaged, it would bo unfair to reduce the item. After some further discusdon it was carried- The item. Inspector, LuOl), Avar objected to, an amendment being proposed, that it ho reduced to L4OO, and a further amendment that it be reduced to L3oo. The CoA r o:nment explained that under present arrangements it was impossible to inspect the schools of ihe Province properly; and it Avas found advisable to send home for a duly qualilicd person. On a division the itinq was negatived by 13 to 9. The item Sijb.-Inspect.Q;.' and AJnsie tyaster, L 490, Avas also objected to on the ground that the two offices Avere incompatible. The Government explained that the master proposed to divide the province into live district*, giving three months to each ; Avhoreupou Mr M‘lndoc remarked that in addition to the Gregorian and Julian years the Government proposed to add the musical year to consist of fifteen months. The Treasurer defended the item, pointing out the music master had givcqnp an excellent position, one as remunerative fls that he mpy held, to accept the office, and he qught hot to be deprived «,f it. Mr Mosely waxed eloquent oh 'the subject, instanced the snpcrioiity of the Germans ill intellect qs arising from early musical tuition, dwelt upon its Beneficial effects upon the human mind and frame, and Avon in], up by telling the objectors to the item their opposition Avas OAviug to their having no ta.ste for music ; and therefore they did not deserve to bo eallpd men. The item Avas negatived by 1-i to )1, 3ho 1 rpasiircr Avas indignant thereat, and bluntly told the committee that the item Avould be brought dou u again in another form. Mr lleynolds fired up at once, and retorted by saving that it was solely OAviug to the ob tinacy of the Treasurer'that the item had been lust. Had it appeared either as music master only, or simply as inspector, the result Avonld have Ujcu "different. He suggested the Government should bring it down in an amended Icnii in tije (jUppiomontai’y estimates. On jjio item drawing master L4OO being put a number of voices were raised in V/pposiWi to it; and it Avas only avlicii the Government pointed out the baneful effects of striking it off that it was allowed to pass. ’The items under the head of High School led to a discussion, the dreariness of which Avas relieved by a passage at arms between Mr Shepherd and Mr Mitchell, Avliich Avas commenced by the latter calling the member for the goldfields a political jack in the box, and Avliich ended by Mr Tayler demonstrating, amidst ingeli laughter, that there Avas a “pair of ’’em, 1 ' hVogreVi Ayes then reported, and the House adjourned. In a G ovenunent advertisement, calling attention to an alteration in connection Avlth the payments of money at the Treasury, Avhieh a pcared in our Wedncoday night’s bsU 1 -', thcAVord “Treasurer'’ Avas substituted fqr “ Treasury.”