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Evening Star, Issue 3978, 24 November 1875, Page 2

While it is all very well to insist upon the necessity for an efficient system of drainage for thickly populated localities, there are, unfortunately, other sources of discomfort and danger, from a sanitary point of view, and these, too, of an avoidable nature or removable nature, which are allowed to continue in our very midst. Is it not time, for instance, that some steps were taken to establish public abattoirs at a safe and convenient distance from town ; more especially as the railway lines now being open would preclude the o’ j action, previously urged, that me.t could nob be brought into market quicklv enough to prevent deterioration? As a matter of fact private slaughtering places in the vioirityof Dunedin keep down the value of property within a radius of a mile of the spot where operations are carried on, and rims a large number of property-holders are injured in pock r t, and. persons residing in the neighborhood are injured in health, for the benefit of a single individual or firm. We are led to make these remarks from the knowledge tbit many persons holding pronerty in Moruington, th- Gin, and tbar, locality, «re deterred from building by the presence of one of these objectionable abattoirs ; and we would suggest to the authorities that the time has now come for faking decisive action in he matter.

A correspondent has been kind enough to send us a copy of the Glasgow National Security tjavings Bank’s report for 1874, in which appears the following passage, illustrative of the success which has attended the introduction of the Belgian School Banka system into Scotland :- “ The same system has been tried in several schools here with marked effect. The Highland Society opened a Penny Bank in their school in Montrose street, enrolled 743 depositors, received from them L 154 18s sd, of which only L2 5s 2d has been withdrawn. Penny Banks have done a valuable service for Glasgow ; and if generally introduced into the public schools of the countn, will prove among the most important of our educational forces, and exert a most bem-fic -1 influence on the rioi g generation.” At the Bank’ annual m cling on December 24 last, we find the

following resolution was proposed * 1 hat t is meeting, impre-n-ed with the importance of enlLdng the young as depositors, earnestly commends the subject of Penny Banks u> the attention of School Hoards and Teachers, in order that the young may he led to commence those habits of selfdenial and providence whi, hj shall influence favorably their whole future live* and in speaking to it Mr the m -ver, is lepmted to have expressed the opinion that “ there was no department where ■ fficial aulho ity could be more bent ficially exert* d than on the part of school boards and schoolmasters to carry out the above suggestion,” which the meeting, an influential one, presided over by the Lord-Pro vest of Edinburgh, heartily approved of.

The municipalities of St. Kilda and Winton have been proclaimed. At a dinner to the Fire Brigades in Nelson much merriment was created by “ Auld Lang Syne ” being sung in chorus to the toast of the Superintendent and Provincial Council. It was sung amid great laughter. Ihe only businessjat the Resident Magistrate’s < oui;t. Port Chalmers, this morning was a charge of drunkenness preferred a.ainst Tho nas Kintr, for which he was fined sa, with the customary alternative. It gives us pleasure to note that our journal -stie brethren are flourishing, ‘ho ‘ luapeha Times ’ is now issued on Wednesdays as an e paper ; and this week the ‘ Waikouaiti Herald appears in an enlarged form. The Australian Bellringers gave their second entmauvueu at the Temperance Mall lust tvflmu;'. when there was a much better attenfi.m e than on the opening night The various selections yiven by the Lynch family were well received. and the comicalivi- s and negro eccentricities of Mr Ke> iey secur .d a largo -mmnt of applause. there will be a chauge of programme to-night. The store owned by Mr Amos M ‘Kegg, of Otakia, was burned down on uesday night. Mr M'Kogg left the place at about 9.30 pm, all lights having then been extinguished. At about 11 p.m. a puntsman, named Emery, discovered the premises to be on fire, and despite all efforts, tho place was completely destroyed. The store and contents were insured in the New Zealand office for L 350. The origin of the fire appears to be a mystery, “The Two Orphans” was repeated at the Queen’s Theatre last evening, the principal characters being ably sustained by Messrs Wheatleigh, Stonehain, and Steele, Mrs Bates and Hisses '.Vilfia and Ljake. On Friday Mr Wheatleigh will take a benefit previous to proceeding to Wellington, whither he will be accompanied by Mr

Saviile, who haa been appointed stagemai.agei of the theatre there. A most attractive programme will be presented. “The Lottery for Life” beiag the opening piece. Another warning note in reference to the ■'oimi Mil cunoel is sounded by the ‘ I nail ka Tiii.es,’ which states that the cor tractors are simply carrying the work on until it gives such indie itious of an iuim* - di.ite and ab.sol .to collap e as will justify them in the eye of the law abandon mg it alt ogether, cl max of U.ia kind is daily, or perhaps it would be more

correct to say, hourly looked for, and vet the representatives, of the G.v. tnmen* seem qu te oblivious to the fac. lie ‘Times’ demands that the present ■tate of the work should be investigated by neutral skill, s • hat the question of insecu ‘•ity or otherwise may be set at rest. It is assured that tlic'pr cautions taken to secure the tunnel are perfectly inadequate, and that the entire work as it is going on is just .so much labor lost, and public money thrown to the winds. In the meantime it is afraid the prospect of getting the through line to Lawrence opened in time for the winter’s traffic is more remote than ever.

A rumor was prevalent at Tapanui last werk that scab had broken out amongst the sheep on some of the neighboring stations, but the report proved without foundation, although some uneasiness was created at the time. Th® * Tuapeka Times ’ informs us that Mr Power, sheep inspector, was employed for som days inspecting the runs reported to be infected without finding any trace of the disease.

Mr T. L. Shepherd must look to his laurels Hitherto he has satisfied himself and almost persuaded others into the belief, that to him is due the credit of establishment of the deferred payment system in < itago But at the Reid banquet last night dir J, f, 0. Richard*©showed that so fa r back as 18>3. the Provincial Council of ’ >tago p wsed resolutions in favor of the system, but the Legislative Couceil o'' that day, true to the instincts of the class th t h.s dways largely composed that body, reje t d the resolutions because the system was “objectionable.” At the sitting of the District Court at Oamaai on Monday, Robert Lome, charged with stealing money, the property of John O’Loughlan, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months’ impr sonment. John Allan, charged with obtaining money by means of a valueless cheque, was convicted and sentenced to eighteen months’ imrisoument with hard labor, James Spencer, charged with misdemeanor under tho Bankruptcy Act, was acquitted. Ann Russell, who pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing LlO, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.

A “genteel family” has been visiting the Tuapeka district and victimising the local storekeepers* According to our Tuapeka contem- orary their innocence was positively charming. Paterfamilias paraded the streets in a garb that was suggestive of better days, and wore on his countenance an air of resitna ion ; hi* whole appearance betokening his alliancp at one time or another with men of a spiritualistic turn of mind. The matron of the family was perfectly angelic in her style, and her sweet voice told on the hearts of harsh storekeepers who called for their little bills. Even the children of this wonderful family were patterns in their way. They never threw siones or fought the neighbor’s children, but their faces continually “smole a smile '’ like the heathen Chinee. This happy family lived on the fat of the land for some months, and at last suddenly disappeared, by the light of the moon, their natural modesty having no doubt induced them to take this step. In the morning frantic storekeepers besieged their late residence, ami sought eagerly for any little souvenir of this happy family, when lo and behold on the floor was written, net in letters of gold, tut in lowly chalk, characteristic of this model family—“ Gone away in the night, by the moonlight, and our accounts we’ll settle—well—when we like.”

The ‘Palmerston Times’ publishes fuller particular of the accident on ; aturday last, by which the waggoner named Charles Gibbons lost his life. The adair occurred at the Pocky Cutting, a few miles from Jordon’s Hotel, on the Palmerston and Macrae’s road. Gibbons and four other waggoners were proceeding (with loads of wool) from Deep Dell Station, consigned to Messrs Russell, Ritchie, and Co., Dunedin. Gibbons was last on the road, and when coming down a steep incline his hor es bolted. On reaching a portion of the road where there is a turn and a deep gully winding along the side of a bill, the waggon capsized over the embankment, and Gibbons unfortunately was sitting at the side to which the waggon tilted, and four bales of wool fell on his head

and broke his neck, His right leg caught under the side of the waggon, getting smashed almost to pieces, and the seat on which the man was sitting was deeply embedded m his left side. Death must have been instantaneous, as when his mates, who were only some twenty or thirty yards ahead, came to his as iatance and lifted him from under the wool they found that he was quite dead. Dece iseo'a neck was broken. Gioboni had tW'* young colts in the team ; it was only the r second trip on the road, and his mates think that it was one or the colts that caused the other horses to take fright. Latterly ' ibbous had been very unfortunate, as only four weeks ago his waggon was capsized near B ueskin, and one of his horses was then killed.

t A social gathering, in connection with the Bed, Whitej and Blue Lodge, 1.U.G.T., will be held in the Drill-shed, Green Island, to morrow (Thursday), at 7.30 p.m. An open harmony meeting in connection with the Dayspring Lodge, I.U.G. T., t will be held on Thursday evening at eight I o’clock, to which are all invited.