Local and General.

Golden Bay Argus, Volume I, Issue 126, 20 November 1885, Page 2

Local and General.

At the request of several oi' the share holders in the Great Northern Compare we append the report, furnished by Msssr Willicombe and Williams after their vi i to this company's lease :—The Chainmu of Directors, Great Northern G. M. Toy. Sir, In accordance with instructions w.

proceeded to West Wanganui, and after a thorough examination of the mine, beg to report as follows : That no more work tie done at the present tunnel, as it will be of no advantage in the future working of the mine. That a tunnel he started "on the Teeney's Creek side of the hill, and carried in, say. 350 feet. This will prove theground at least eighty feet deeper than the present workings and it will intersect the quartz in present drive, or any greater body of stone that may he in the hill; a rough tracing herewith will show the present and proposed tunnels. Signed, Wm. Willicombe, and John Williams.

The" Rev. Seth-Smith, Chairman of theAnnual Public Meeting of the Emmanuel Congregational Church, Oamarn,requests us to publish the following resolutions unanimously adopted at the above meet-

ing on the

27th ult

:—"Resolved—That

this meeting expresses profound thankfulness to God that universal attention has been so effectively aroused by the recent disclosures in the Home country to the widely prevalent and terribly diabolical traffic known as.procuration, and i'or

the instalment of preventive reform which the Criminal Law Amendment: Act provide, there; (2) That this meeting also expresses its earnest conviction that the safeguarding of the present and future youth of "New Zealand imperatively demands speedy similar, but more thorough going, legislation in this colony; (8) That the duration of protection should extend to the age of 21 years and corporal punishment be inflicted for violation; (4) That further, this meeting hereby anneals to every congregation and nhilantrophie organisation in this country to express itself by resolution or petition upon this question, and requesj that the Chairman the Rev. F. Seth-Smith, will forward a copy of these resolutions to the Premier, the Don. R. Stout." The .Mount Criflol special reporter to the 'Otago Witness,' writes:— "The chief a-oect in which Mount Criffel rises in the imagination of most people is in that of a duffer rush—a complete failure. This view is, however, a great ' mistake. It is, perhaps, true that the majority of those who visited the field and left it niter sinking a few holes without result, are interested in propagating deprecatory impression* of thp field >o shield-'their own

imprudence, and, in some cases, want of mining experience. Since the day when gold rushes first began there has not been one rash, it is safe to say, to which so many inexperienced men, in proportion to the total number, who went to a new field contributed toafailure, which am mined to almost a panic. Having had a good opportunity of observing a many of those proceeding to the rush, I fool justified in saying that, a very small p >rtion only were miners, tit an i prepared to undertake the prospecting of a field b ;set with so manv difficulties a • is Monn' Criffel. ft must be clear to anyone, having the slightest idea of a miner's lite that to meet them dressed in holid iv apparel, in which high heeled dan dug boots, a cut-away coat, and a paper collar formed vnspicnous features argued either an ig- . >ratiee of or a disregard for the exigence j inseparable from prospecting amidst snow and frost that is truly deplorable. Add to this an exceptionally unfavourable season and a characteristic disregard for all counsel advising delay until the held ■should become really workable, and yon have an estimate of what fchor ■ is of failure in the Mount Criffel rusk; It is also to be feared that many came ill-provided with finds to prospect Kir any length of time, and, from a want of knowing better, thought that all thay had to do was to pick up the gold." The Hon. J. Williamson, the New Zealand Chairman of Directors of the Bank of New Zealand, made the following hopeful remarks on the prevailing depression, at the annual meeting of that institution, held at Auckland: —We see no reason to adopt a pessimist view of the future: for although we are suffering now from a range of prices such as has not been experienced in the present generation, the factors for effecting a recovery are so numerous, and the fluctuation of trade is so rapid, that relief, from one source or another may be looked for at no distant date. In the case of nearly all our Colonial products the stocks on hand have rarely been lighter, and any little revival in trade must neccessarily enhance future values. The whole fabric of commerce is based on land and its products, and as soon as our farmers and graziers obtain profitable prices, other branches of trade will quickly record buoyancy, and the business of the bank will not be slow to feel the effect. A prominent mechanical engineer says the metal of the future is aluminum, and that in a few years it will displace iron, and steel and revolutionise the industrial art-. He -ays the world contains ten time-; as much of it as iron—-every clay bed being an aluminum mine. It is three times stronger than Be-ssemer steel, will not corrode, and the raw materials for making it are not worth 20 dol per ton. At the special invitation of a few Takaka residents, we hear that Mr Ben Berry i; about to start a Boot-making business in that happy valley. Mr Berry has earned a good name for himself in his trade, in Golliugwood, and we feel sure he will give every satisfaction to his new customers iu Takaka. Through the courtesy of \Y. Gibbs Esq, of Totaranui, we are in. possession of a piece of timber which is the 'fagus fusca' required for the Aorere bridge. Intending

contractors, who may wish to do so, can see it at the office of this paper. A meeting of Directors in the Collingwood Public Hall Company takes place tomorrow evening at 8 p. m , in the Commercial Hotel, when tenders for the erection of the building will bo received. The Bishop of London has issued a pastoral to his clergy iu which he alludes to the Criminal Law Amendment Act as laying a fresh and serious respon ibiiity upon them. He entreats them to endeavour to raise the tone of public feeling and opinion, as it is in the principles that men hold rather than in any rules or laws that they lay down that the chit I" hope rests of purifying society in any real or permanent measure. Their teaching should be graver, more earnest and solemn on the subject than it has ever been before, as to know the evil and be unaffected by the knowledge would make all worse instead of better* As an instance of the dangerous practice indulged in by young lad, letting off Chinese crackers and other fireworks in a public place we have to chronicle that yesterday some lads were letting off crackers in a back-yard of Mr Patrick Hartley, residing in Centre-street, Freeman's Bay, when some sacks and other articles took fire. An alarm of fire was given, and this so frightened Mrs Barfly, who was lying ill in bed, that there are now little hopes of her .recovery. E. Bell.