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Evening Star, Issue 2811, 21 February 1872, Page 2

Telkorath Extension. —The Auckland Herald is gratified to learn that everythin"' in connection with the telegraph lino between Tauranga and Shortland is goinv on favorably. Tie line has been opened to Hikutaia. and the Hikutaia bush will oo cut through in about a fortnight, thus opening a ically good road for travel, as well as providing for the construe ion of the telegraph. By present appearance the work will he completed within contract time. High School Entertainment. — Wo hear that it is intended to re pro luce, very shortly, the entertainment which was given with such success a sh u't time ago at the Masonic Hall, by the pupils of the High School, assisted by a number of the k .own musical amateurs of Dunenn. inc last performance of “ Julius Cicsar, though it reflected groat credi - cm tho o who took part in it, was not successful financially. The expenses in urred in putting such apiece on the stage arc very large. Wo therefore hope that there will bo as good a house to witness the next representation of Shakespeare's play as there was on the former occasion, nnd that a considerable sum will be realized for the Prize Fund of the High School.

Westland Keeps.—The Urey River Aram gives the following latest news fiom Beef ton Rumors are flying about of the discovery of some immensely rich stone, distant, as far as I can learn, about ten miles north of Beef top. Report says drat the lucky discoverers dug into the reel to ;i depth of two feet, and obtained dAozs. ot crold from hand-crushed stone. Starvation is imminent unless immediate stops aie taken relative to the construction of a good road. There will not be a supply of the common necessaries of life to satisfy the dm and. At the present moment there are not five tons of flour in the place, with a population of si)o to GOO soul", and that number being augmented daily. 1 lie revenue for miners’ rights, business licenses, leases, &c , for the last twenty days is LIOOO. Shiel’s prospecting claim is getting richer stone than ever ; also in Lholy gyan’s claim, next to Kellys boundaiy, they are getting magnificent stone. Water Works for Auckland.— Mr Brogdeu has made op. offer to the corporation of Auckland to coustj-ijct the woiks for the supply of water to that city. W e are informed by the Southern Crons that Mr Brogdeu proposes to construct the works, petaiu them, or to dispose of them after construction to tho Council, according to the option of the Council itself. die is willing to accept a guaranteed interest on the outlay required, or that the Council should puicliase them at a price, as per arrangGiuoni, ai thp end of seven, ten, fourteen, or twenty-ojte years. With so varied and so sati-factory proposals, wc are warranted in expeetioo that arrangements will fie definitely concluded between the Council and Mr Brogdeu,; at least wo do not think it porsible that any proposal will emanate from any private .company, or any other source, being at_ all comparable t.9 those at present the subject ,of negotiation.-”'' it would appear from the report of the’interview fcawocp Mr Brogdeu and tho Corporation, that his oiler is likely to be accepted.

Ixj-’ant Mohtaiat',:. — The Press, in an article enforcing the necessity of efficient drainage in towns, draws attention to the excessive mortality amongst children in New Zealand. Tt says Alluding to the great excess of infant morality iu the proviueies and cities of New Zealand, an Auckland contemporary has taken the colonial statistics for five years ending IS7O, and it appears that during that period 9959 children wc e bom in Auckland, and that of these I<SA7, or nearly one in five, died before the age of five years. In Wellington, iu the came period, there were 4382 infant births afid 593 infant deaths ; in Nelson, 2539 births, 385 deaths; in Canterbury, 9995 births, deaths; in Otago, 11091 births, 1336 deaths. Putting the figures iu another form, during those 5 years Otago lost 120; Nelson, 130; Wellington, J35 ; Canterbury, 145 ; and Auckland 180 out of every 1,000 born. Of deaths of infants from one to two years of age, during the same period, there were in Auckland, 376 ; in Wellington, 107; jn Nelson, 76 ; in Canterbury, 228 ; in Otipm, 186. Of deaths of infants under one year ohf, there wore in Auckland, 1223 ; Cantcrbuiy, 1066; Otago, 963. And the question is naturally asked —‘‘ Can anything be done to reduce this death rate / Could wc by thorough drainage, and closer attention to other sanitary measures, save the lives of only a fourth of these children, a very simple calculation iu political economy would show us that these lives would he worth much more than the rate levied, or the interest on a loan to carry out sanitary measures. The most ruinous extravagance that any young .country can indulge in, an I especially a young country such as this, situated so far from the source whence immigrants can be obtained, is the of infant life.”