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Evening Star, Issue 3108, 4 February 1873, Page 2

News has been received ia town that a man has been killed by a fal'ing tree at Anderson’s Bay. No particulars are to hand.

A telegram received in town to-day states that a four weeks’ crushing of stone from the Elizabeth Company, Cromwell, yielded fifty-nine ounces. Some forty shareholders attended the annual meeting of the Commercial Building Society, held at the Friendly Societies’ Hall last evening, and Mr Callender, the president, presided. The following report of the directors was read “In submitting the, third Annual Statement of the affairs of the Society, your Directors have much pleasure in being able to report the continued success of its operations. Notwithstanding the larye amount of money in the market for investment during the past year, the Society has been exceedingly fortunate in securing good investments. This, in a large measure, is attributable to the co-operation of members themselves, and it is to their mutual advantage not only to increase the number of members, but also to secure investments. The shares taken up during the past year amount to 1,192, making a total of shares issued from the commencement of theSoci ty to the present time of 3,518. In all, I 18,065 has been advanced to members on 92 properties, which by the repayments is now reduced to U4 334 4s. The net amount of profits for the year, as shown by the annexed statement, is LI, 162 2s Bd, and the Directors recommend paying a bonus of II per cent, to members, leaving a balance of L9I 13s 2d to be carried forward to next year.” The Chairman congratulated the members pn the nourishing condition, of the Society, notwithstanding the large amount of capital in the market wanting investment, and refeired to the large number of shares sold, aud to the considerable amount of mon y invested. Messrs Bajtd, Neill, and Thomson, the retiring Directors, were re-elected, and tlje proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the Directors for their able management during the psst year. In reference to the coal discoveries at Ngakawhau, the Greymqufk Btqr of the 21st soys Another well-defined geam of goal, twenty feet thick, his been discovered up the Ngakawhau river, about two aud a half miles from the present mine. The coal resembles precisely the Mount Eochforfc coal, and is very easily workable. The seam is cut by the Mine Creek, and is the fourth well-defined seam found in that locality. The whole Ngakawhau district is evidently a vast coal-bed, of which the measures will be traced until they unite with the Mount Kochfort mine. Commenting on the above the Post says A rather startling telegram has reached us to the effect that a geological survey party at Ngakawhau have discovered no less than eleven seams of true coal, one being twenty feet thick, and that thousands of tons of the mineral may be obtained by simply removing the surface soil. The existence of coal at Ngakawhau (which we suppose is meant), a place about eighteen miles north of Westport is well known, and, indeed, some miners have been working there for a considerable period. A survey party has been sent out by Dr Hector to cut Jim s through a tract of bush, for the purpose of exploring the Mount liochforfc coal fipld. of which that at Ngakawhau forms a portion' agd ft fs this party, probably, who have come upon the s/saw referred to in the telegram. From the nature of the country and the position of the Mount Rochfoft coal bed, however, it is quite possible that what the surveyors have taken for distinct seams are merely different outcrops of the same seam. Nevertheless, the fact of available coal being found in the locality is important, more especially now that Australian coal is rising to prohibitive prices. The Hon, Mr Casey, Minister of Lands for Victoria, who is making a tour through New Zeal nd, is about to inspect the field on behalf of some Victorian capitalists. How well the new system of Education is appreciated in Victoria may be judged from the immediate and extraordinary increase of atpapdance that has accompanied it. In Melbourne, in Ballarat, aud other large towns, and in the country districts, the case is the same. The schools have been literally “ rushed.” The rooms have been crowded to excess, and children have been turned away by scores from sheer impossibility of receiving them. The central scnools in Melbourne, where the average attendance of last year was b74, opened the current year with an aifepdance of 800, and upwards of 60 applications for admission have been rejec ted. At tho Emerald P-iU Presbyterian school, which used to have an average attendance of 700, there were present this year on the opening day 805; while more than 50 old scholars were to return in the course of the week, and 170 new applications had been refused for want of space. At the Cardigan str« et Common School, Carlton, the second largest vested school in the Colony, the average attendance during the last six months had been 420. When the school opened on the 13th iust., 541 children were present, and at least 100 old pupils were still to come. Here again, according to the Avjjus, the “accommodation was n.ojb sufficient ito meet the demand, and numbers had tp Ije refused.” Many similar ins'ances might he quoted. At Ballarat, the Courier reports that “ all tjie common schools are overcrowded with children, and the iiovernment will be at a considerable expense in finding additional teachers and enlarging the school buildings,” The Bend'ujo Advertiser represents the free schools in the Sandhurst district as all, without exception, c*o3sfdqd to excess; aud in many cases so great has been the rush that a large number of children could not be received. On the other hand, we notice two instances in winch an attempt to maintain the denominational character of a school was followed by the contrary result. In one case the attendance is sai<l to have notably diminished, in cousequence of a report that the school was to he Opened as a denominational one. In the other, where thp committee had determined to refuse compliance with £ho Act, the futility of such a couoe was evidenced, says the Australasian, “ by the fact that on opening the school as a private and sectarian establishment, the attendance of 500 was found to have shrunk to 60.”

The Union Bank, about to be erected at the junction of Princes and Liverpool streets, a l joining the Government Buildings, will fill up the only remaining blank in the street lino, which has so long been conspicuous in this central portion of Dunedin. We are glad to be a' le to state that the proposed building will be worthy of the site, and will be the most substantial and imposing structure of the kind yet erected in Dunedin. The frontage to Princes street will be 60ft, and in this frontage the public and private entrances to the building will be arranged. The Liverpool frontage will also be about 60ft. The height to parapet at the lowest part of the footpath in this street will be 53ft, and in Princes street it wi I rise several feet above the present parapet of the adjoining warehouse of Messrs B iscoe and Co, The lower floor of the building will be devoted to kitchen and other olfices, and conveniences in connection with the bank, the walls of this floor being built of bluestone, faced with Port Chalmers stone blocks, in a very solid and substantial style. The principal or street floor contains the banking hall, manager’s room, safes, cloak room, and staircases, and the upper floor is divided off for private apartments. Thestyleofthebuilding is Corinthian carried up in its full proportions from the Princes street level, through the two floors ; the height of the fluted columns is about 30ft ; four of these being disengaged in the centre of the Princes street frontage, and surmounted by a pediment in a line with the street; the main body of the I raiding, with boldly relieved pilasters, being recessed 6ft; thus affording means of lighting the basement floor, while giving a prominence to the public entrance i o the bank, which occupies the central intercolumniation of the pediment. In the Liverpool street frontage four engaged columns of equal proportion are introduce thus carrying out the design of the building ; but no pediment is placed over these, the cornice being allowed to finish in unbroken lines. The whole of these fronts are to be built in , lamaru stone ; the basement in Port Chalmers stone, in rusticated and vermiculated work. W hen finished it will be a prominent object in this portion of the city, and the ( nion Bank deserve credit for selecting in this instance a design so extremely suitable in every respect to their requirements, and the admirable site which it is to occupy. Mr R. A, Lawson, of Princes street, is the architect.

We notice that Signor Cagli having given the Theatre gratuitously on Thursday evening a concert will be pet formed for the benefit of the band and chorus The leading artistes of the company have volunteered their services, and no doubt the result will be a full house, as many people would like to hear these talented vocalists in selected music.