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Evening Star, Issue 3615, 23 September 1874, Page 2

We are obliged to hold over our report of to-day’s Waste Laud Boerd meeting, correspondence, &c. The sheep-shearers in the Oamaru and Waitaki districts have gone in for the same rate as the Dunedin shearers—twenty shillings a hundred, with rations, with‘extra allowance for stud and paddock sheep.

The tender of Mr Hector Reid for the drainage of the Dunedin Railway station for L 232 2s lid, and that of Messrs Morse and Vale for the erection of nine first-class railway carriages for the gum of L‘267 ss, have been accepted. A serious accident occurred yesterday to Mr Austin, of the saw mills at Sawyer’s May, while explaining the working of the mill to a visitor. His left hand was caug'h by the saw, the thumb and part of the hand being very severely cut. Medical assistance was called in, when it was found neeesaarw to amputate the thumb. The other wounds were dressed, and the patieut is now doing as well as can be expected. A summoned meeting of Court Robin Hood, No. 3,991, A.0.F., was held at Fort Chalmers last evening, when G.R. Bro. Murray, on behalf of the Court, presented Bro. W. Peacock with a handsome writingdesk, bearing the following inscription • “ Presented to Bro. W, Peacock, as a token of respect, and in recognition of services rendered for five years as Secretary, by Court Robin Hood, JSo. 3,991. A.0.F., Port Chalmers, August 28th, 1874.” As was anticipated, Airec’s benefit at the Theatre last evening drew a good attendance to all parts of the house, the pit and stalls being full. The chief features of the performance was Airec’s Ladder of Life, which was cleverly done, and of course, greatly applauded. There is no need to say more than that Miss Forrester made her appearance, that the Castro family came in for their customary applause, aad that Mr Vose was as entertaining as ever. As indicating the productiveness of our railways, it may be mentioned that the traffic on the tramway from Foxton to Palmerston brought in L 2,030 in eight mouths • ihure were 80,507 passengers on the Auck’ laud line in seven months; between Wellington and the Hutt theie were 23,398 passengers in th>ee months ; the Canterbury lines earned L 77,0 in nine months; while the Port Chalmers line ought this year to return over jUBD,OW,

Another accident has occurred in connection with the Waitaki bridge works. * Qe * y ()r tk Otago Times’ reports that on Friday, the 18th instant, a man named John Cannickael whs driving a horse hauling a cylinder, when the animal gave a sudden start, and the cylinder coming against Carmichael’s legs, threw him down, and rolled over the uopor part of h : s body, crushing him sevdTely. Dr Wait, who was telegraphed for, was in attendance as soon as possible, and under bis care the sufferer is progressing favorably.

The Home papers by the mail contain the official announcement of the knighthood of the Defence Minister. Apropos of the matter, a curious circumstance occurred short.y after telegraphic information reached the Colony of the ho'n. gentleman’s elevation. In the House of Representatives and out of it he was at once styled Sir Donald ; but the Speaker (acting, it is said, under instructions from Government House) declined to recognise him as such, contending that ( fiioial cognisance of the title could net be taken until the patent was roce ved in the t-olony, or official notification made of the fact. Accordingly Sir Francis gave instructions that in * Hansard’ and other Parliamentary papers the name of the Defence Minister should continue to appear “Mr MVLean,” to which Mr Vogel objected, and as often as the Speaker struck out refere; ces to the hon. gentleman’s title, reins ated them. The Premier ultimately carried his point.

Hawke a Bay Herald’ has good authority tor stating that the greater part of the imputed conversation between the Premier and Mr Stafford is utter fabrication. —'‘That Mr Stafford was asked to preside at the Executive, during Mr Vogel’s temporary absence in London, we believe is correct, but that Mr Stafford made auy such reply to the offer as the ‘Post’ puts into his mouth, is, we believe, utterly without foundation. Mr Stafford declined the offer for very good reasons no doubt—the principal one of which will very likely be found to be that he is himself about to visit the old country, of which intention, indeed, he has made no secret for some time past. In all probability, therefore, when the offer was made, Mr Stafford simply said he could not accept it, as he wa ■ going Home. This would put a very different complexion on the matter to that which the ‘ Post’ attempts to give it, and is, we believe, far nearer the truth.”

The international rifle match was exciting, some attention at Home aud in America when the July mail Ic-ffc. In September a picked team of the best six shots in England who carried off the Elcbo Challenge Shield last year wire to go to America for the purpose of shooting a match at Creedmoor for the championship of the world with native born Americans at long ranges—Boo, 900, a d 1,000 yards. The‘Times,’referring to the match, says :—The general impression seem,? to be that American marksmen have a poor prospect of winning, long range shootmg being practised comparatively 'little in the States, but it is suggested that they have in the hunters of the West a corps of sharpshooters from whom long-range marksmen worthy of any competitors could bo obtained with a little trouble. The terms of the match debar all artificial rests, blit allow any position of the body. With conditions so favorable to American frontiersmen, there is no good reason to anticipate an American defeat, especially if adequate means are taken to spread the news of the approaching contest among the hunters and scouts through the military posts of the West.

In concluding an article on the telegraphic system of the Colony, the * Lyttelton Times > of a late date says :—“ Before we can admit that the accounts show a credit balance of L 6,000 odd, we must ascertain whether the ‘ General Government telegrams ’ included any, and how many, on the management of the business, and we object altogether to the principle of classing General Government telegrams of any sort as receipts. They are, to ail intents and purposes, part of the expenses of Government, and are therefore not part of the revenue which the telegraph lines hafQ earned. They give, in fact, no tangible, or .even intangible revenue, when we closely examine the question ; and we therefore think it would bjfar bettor to say at on e that the Telegraph Department has disbuised so much dming a given period in hard cash and has received go much in hard cash. This is done, but an attempt U made to show that, in commercial parlance, the department ‘ pays ’ so much interest! on capital invested or expended, by regarding the ‘ value of General Government telegrams ’ as revenue. But why, looking at this subject from another though still a practical point of view, should there be such a keen ajixietv on the part of the general manager to show that his department ‘ pays ‘

The General Government cannot be complimented on the condition? npder which they propose to let by tender the right of advertising at railway stations under their control. They are not only contradictory, but embrace terms which practically preclude persons fi om tendering who might be disposed to embark upon the more profitable branch of news agencies and book stalls, which wdl be an outcome of this business, and should in reality have been started with it. The conditions bear on their face evidence of having been framed by a person unacquainted with the subject with which they deal. If we mistake not, they are almost identical with a memorandum that was furnished to the Government by a gentleman who proposed, if certain concessions were granted to him, to establish book stalls at the various stations in the colony, and to arrange a system of advertising." That offer was deelined, the result being that tender? are now called tor, and aouit of the cb fecta of his plan are retained, while some of its merits have been overlooked. To have made the thing profitable, and have afforded satisfaction to the travelling public, it required that the contractor, whoever he might be, should carry his business over all the railways in the polony ; but in the printed conditions, the Canterbury and Otago lines’(which are for the present Provjpcjal property) are not included. But the greatest objection lies in the shortness of the tenure. ' W<s doubt if anyone will be f<nmd inclined to tender f o r the advertising for a year only, which means a largo outlay, with little chance of its being recouped, particularly as no advertising cards are to be exhibited in ths carriages, where they would be most seen and read. We agree with the ‘ Post ’ that if the Government bo really desirous of making the most it can out of what is really a very valuable right, it should cancel the specification now issued, and call for tenders for the right for a period of say five years, and for all the railways in the Colony. The speciricatiou might be very simple. A gross annual rent should merely be required, and, in addition to having th§, right of exhibiting ordinary posters on boat dmgs at the stations, the lessees should also be permitted to exhibit framed and glazed cards in the offices, refreshment and waiting rooms, and in the carriages, always subject to approval of the Traffic Manager, or, if thought better, the Superintending Engine r. Permanently painted advertisements might also be permitted in certain situations. If these were tho conditions, it would pay a person understanding the business to give , the Government a handsome rental for the privilege, and by introducing a proper syaf®™* a \ eT y & 00c * business might ba established. Letting rtghfyline by fine, and i

under such conditions as now proposed, the Government will make nothing, nor will any one els?.

The concert which was to have been held this evening is postponed. The attention of Volunteers is directed to a general order in another column. The Rev. W. Todd will lecture in the North Dunedin Church to-morrow evening, at 7.30. A meeting of the Grand Lodge, 1.0. G.T., will he helcHn the Temperance Hall to-morrow evening at 7.30. A convention of members of the Order will follow at eight o’clock. The usual return ball to Mrs Human by her pupils was held in the Temperance Hall last evening, and, despite the miserable weather, whs lai'gely attended. A very enjoyable evenmg . was spent, the company not separating until an early hour this morning. The music was supplied by Lack’s band.