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Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2459, 3 January 1871, Page 2

Mayor’s Court.—The business done at this Court today was very trifling. Walter Waddle and David Moncraitb, charged with drunkenness, were both discharged with a caution. Telegraphic Extension. —The following additional stations have been opened in the Auckland province, viz : Tarowera, Tanpo, Rotorua, Maketu, and Tauranga, and Longhush in Southland. Amusements. —As might have been expected the Princess Theatre and Dickens’ Panorama were crowded last evening; Chang, too came in for his full share of public support. A tea parly, under the auspices of the Catholic Young Men’s Society was hold at St. George’s Hall, and dancing was kept up till an early hour. Death from Suffocation. The police received information yesterday that Annie Louise DriscoT, aged two months, had been accidentally suffocated. The parents of the child live in George street. They had gone to rest the previous evening, taking the child into their bed as usual, and in the morning when the mother woke she t mid it dead. Dr Crawford was at once called in, and he gave it as his opinion that the child had died from suffocation. Narrow Escape from Fire.—About ten minutes past one o’clock to-day, the roof of a lean-to at the hack of Mr Jago’s store, Stuart strict, was discovered to he on fire. The roof is made of felt, and the fire was evidently caused by some external accidental cause. It was fortunately seen by Mr Davis at the distillery, who, with the help of three or four men, played upon the roof with the distillery hose, and in a short time ext’ngnished it, with no further damage than charring the roof. As soon as the alarm was given four members of the Fire Brigade, with the hose and reel, were smartly on the spot. Luckily their services were not required. Had it not been discovered so soon and put out so promptly, the conseqm-nccs ■would have been disastrous, as the loan-to was filled with a vast variety of highly combustible goods, such as tar, pitch, resin, and oil. As it was, only a ladder and a few pieces of board were burnt. It being a holiday, nobody was at the store.

Competitive School Examination. —The competitive examination for the prizes offered by the Caledonian Society to the pupils of the Schoo’s of Ot :go was held in the Provincial Council Hall on Saturday. There were 27 competitors (more than double the number that came forward last year) from the schools of Dunedin and neighbourhood. The subjects of the examination were five in number, viz., Scottish History, from the Union to (he death of Anne; analyses of a portion of the Vision ; recitations from Scottish authors; and general excellence in all the subjects. The examinations were written, and were conducted by Messrs .‘•tables and Taylor, and the iccitations were judged by the same g.-ntlemon. assisted by the Rev. D. M, Stuart, and Mr Callender. After a very careful consideration the prizes were awarded as follows Recitations (from any writer in the English language), Ist prize, 30s, Alice Spedding, South Dunedin; 2nd, 20s, William Armstrong, Middle District Recitations (from any writer in the Scottish language) Ist prize, 30s, Mary Mollison, South Dunedin ; 2nd do, 20s, John M‘lndoc, do ; analysis, Ist prize 30s, Lucy Lambert, South Dunedin; 2nd prize, 20s, Agues Short, North East Valley. History, Ist prize, 30s, Agnes Park,' South Dunedin ; 2nd prize, 20s, Lucy Lambert, South Dunedin. General examination, Ist prize, 30s, Agnes Park, South Dunedin ; 2nd prize, 20s, Lucy Lambert, South Dunedin. The judges in their report say “It must be very gratifying to the judges, the directors, and the Society generally to find their first efforts in the cause of education so readily patronised, and this circumstance will doubtless encourage the Society to aim at something higher.”

Thomson’s Road Steamer. —ln the Daily Times on Monday, a long report is published hy Messrs J. T. Thompson, Civil Engineer, and G. W. Barr, C.E., Engineer of Works, respecting the doings of Thomson’s Hoad Steamer. Those gentlemen appear to have been instructed hy the Secretary fur Land and Works to report “ upon the capacity,” whatever that may mean, of the steamer, and they have repeated the record of the performances as given in the Dally Times and Eveniny Star. So far there can he no objection taken to their report, although we do not see exactly what is to be the next move founded upon it. There arc, however, two assertions to which those gentlemen have committed themselves which they are cither bound to substantiate or to submit to a doubt of their professional ability in the mind of every one who knows anything about mechanical engineering. The first is a defence of the abend able road engineering of the Province, and is as fo'lows : “ We think that the above description of ihe actual perfonunnee of this engine is sufficient proof of its adaptability to the [traffics of a new and difficult country where the roads are necessarily steep and tortuous in their course.” The second is, “ There is in this great fact, however, that wc have here an engine capable of conveying large loads along steep, tortuous roads, at a rate for haulage very little, if at all, over the cost upon a railway, and only the one difficulty of shying horses to bo got over.” The questions they have to reply to satisfactorily are, Ist, What necessity there is in a new country for roads to be steep and tortuous in their course? 2nd, On what data they affirm that the cost of haulage on steep tortuous roads by a road steamer, U very little if at all over the cost of a railway. 3rd. Whether, if even the roads are equal to bearing the weight of the engine Without damage, the bridges will permit being travelled over by engine and carriages without danger. 4th. Whether in any estimate of cos" of haulagj the erst of wear ami tear to roads, engine, and carriages, form any part of their estimate ; whether comparative speed is to be taken into account, and whether the cost and maintenance of railroads and common roads are to be compared.

L nless these questions are satisfactorily reElicd to, the little confidence the country as in the professional judgment of those gentlemen will be reduced still lower. We feel sorry to have to speak so plainly, but our duty is too plain to be evaded.