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Evening Star, Issue 3299, 16 September 1873, Page 2

The manner in which the Press messages are delayed in their transmission calls for the strongest condemnation, and we hope some member of the Assembly will call attention to the matter. A rather lengthy message for us was handed in at the office at Wellington at 11.30 a.m., and we received the first slip at 3.40 p.m. A new weekly journal, to be called the Western Star, is to be published at Riverton early next month. We have reason to believe that the opera season will commence in Dunedin about the end of December, or early in January, but the company this time will be an English one, with Miss Alice May (Miss G. B, Allan) as prima donna, and Mr Armes Beaumont, leading tenor. On the passage out of the ship Berar, which arrived at Auckland last week, an extremely well-appointed rifle corps, called “The Berar Rangers,” and comprising officers and men from corps in the Mother Country, was formed on board. They were daily drilled by Sergeant Nash, formerly of the 85th Regiment, and late instructor of the 13th Middlesex Rifles.

“Pygmalion and Galatea” was repeated at the Queen’s Theatre last evening. There was a poor attendance, which is not to be wondered at when the state of the weather is taken into consideration. The comedy was played effectively, and the afterpiece was “The Crown Prince,” in which Mr Hydes, as Frederick Stork, evoked the hearty applause of the audience. Both pieces will be reproduced to-night.

Nine drunkards were the other day brought up at the Auckland police court, nearly all of them being “men fifty years of age and grey-headed,” On this fact the Southern Cross remarks “ it is no wonder that there is so much juvenile crime in the city, as the youth with such examples

constantly occurring, are the more prone to imitate their seniors, and emulate them much sooner in vice than virtue,” The southern coach, driven by Mr Carmichael, met with an accident a little beyond Scioggs’s Creek yesterday afternoon. The coach horses got frightened at the noise made by a ginger beer cart, and shied, the consequences being that the coach toppled over a bank about six feet steep. There were seventeen passengers in the coach at the time, and beyond a passenger on the box seat, Mr Marshall, _ of Clyde, and a Mr Smith, none were seriously hurt. Dr Inglis, of the Taieri, was quickly in attendance ; and on the news of the accident reaching town, Mr Chaplin went out with another coach, and brought in the passengers at 930p m. Mr Marshall, on going to his hotel, was attended by Mr Hocken, who, on examination, found that he had sustained a fracture of the left: arm near the shoulder. Information has been received by the Immigration Agent here that the Dover Castle, with 161 persons, equal to 132| adults, left| London for Dunedin on the 30th July. The* emigrants are chiefly skilled workmen, are likely to find ready and profitable em-! ploymeut. The Bebington, for this port, sailed on the 22nd June. The carpenters, and masons who recently arrived have found; ready engagements, and were house-room j procurable, the Immigration Barracks would j have been cleared before now. 'I he scarcity of cottages up the country and in the town • seems likely to interfere materially with successful immigration. Landowners in the interior would do well to take this into consideration, if their holdings are to be efficiently cultivated. In the town demand is sure to be followed by supply.

Some very curious information is afforded by a return of the price of provisions and the rate of wages in the different Provinces of the Colony, furnished to the Government by immigration officers on the 17th March of the present year. In Auckland, we learn that bread was from to 8d the 41b, loaf. In Greymoutb, Hokitika, Charleston and Westport, the price was Is. In Dunedin it was 5d to 6d. In Auckland, potatoes averaged 4dperlb., but on the west coast of the Middle Island the price ranged from Id to IJd per lb. In the matter of wages the same wide range of difference exists. In Auckland, at the date named, carpenters were receiving from 7s to 9s per day; while in Greymouth and Hokitika the rate was from 15s to 18s. Shoemakers in Auckland. 7s to 8s per day; in Westland, 60s per week. General female servants in Auckland, L 22 to L 32 per annum; in Westland, 20s per week. A meeting of the committee of the Dunedin Jockey Club was (held at the Empire Hotel last evening ; Mr John Stephenson in the chair. The sub committee brought forward their report, together with programmes for the spring meeting and the annual meeting in March, which were adopted. At the former, to be held on St. Andrew’s holiday, December 1, there will be a sum of Ll9O distributed, including a Handicap Hurdle race of 30 sovs., the St. Andrew’s Handicap of 75 sovs., and a Selling race of 25 sovs. The March meeting should be very successful, for the large amount of L 1,500 is to be divided, the races extending over three days. Amongst 'the principal prizes are, on the first daj r , the Dunedin Cup of 300 sovs, with a sweepstake of 10 sovs. each, which ought to make the Cup k worth L6OO, and draw a large field ; on the second day, the Dunedin Jockey Club Handicap of 200 sovs, and a Novel Race of 100 sovs. ; and on the third day the Forbury Handicap of 160 sovs., the Town Plate of 100 sovs., and a Handicap Steeplechase of 90 sovs. The meeting adjourned till Monday evening next, when office-bearers for the will be elected.

A meeting of the Committee of the Otago Rifle Association was held at the office of the Secretary, Mr Sydney James, yesterday afternoon, for the purpose of carrying out the measures requisite for Otago’s being represented, at the Intercolonial Rifle Matches. There were present Major Atkinson, Captain Copeland, Captain Wales, Lieut. Muir, SubLieut. Grant, and Vol. D. Miller. Major Atkinson read an article on the subject from the Thames Advertiser (published in yesterday’s Star), after which the Secretary stated the result of the request made by the committee to the various companies that they would each submit the names of two members as competitors at the matches. The names furnished were Lieut. Muir and Gunner Donald Reid, by the Artillery; Capt. Goldie and Sub-Lieut. Wilson, by the Port Chalmers Naval Brigade ; Vols. D. Miller and W. Lacey, by the Wakari Rangers; Sub-Lieut. Grant and Lieut. Dobbie, by the Dunedin Naval Brigade ; and Vol. D, Christie, by the East Taieri Rifles. Answers had not yet been received from the other companies. After Major Atkinson had intimated that the New Zealand representatives would be allowed to shoot with the Enfield rifle, the meeting adjourned till Thursday afternoon, when it is expected that all the members of the Committee will be present, and the arrangements finally made.

We have been requested to mention that of the fifty-four boys led by Mr Britton at the funeral of the late Mr 13ranigan, thirty-two were from the Benevolent Institution. Mr Branigan was one of the trustees of that institution.