THE GLOBE. FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 1882. THE INQUEST AT LYTTELTON.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2479, 17 March 1882, Page 2

THE GLOBE. FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 1882. THE INQUEST AT LYTTELTON.

The extraordinary carelessness which a casual immunity from accident is likely to generate is proverbial. Bat when a life is lost people begin to reflect that a human being has been hurried into the next world through sheer want of ordinary precaution, and they are anxious to fix the blame somewhere, and they end generally by fixing it, if possible, on the Government. The evidence adduced at the inquest which was held yesterday over the body of Peter Lenhra shows how wonderfully thoughtless people engaged in what, to an outsider at all events, appears a dangerous occupation, may become. The unfortunate man was employed in discharging the cargo of coal of the ship Carnarvon Castle, and a tub of coal capsized and fell upon him ae he was standing in the square of the ha chway below. John Snow, a fellowworkman, testified to the facts of the case, and said that, had the tub been properly fastened, it could not have capsized, and that it was the duty of the deceased to secure the catch of the tub before allowing it to be hauled up. So far the evidence seemed to point to the fact that the deceased had no one to thank for his death but him•elf, and that, if he had only properly secured the catch, all would have been well But later evidence told quite & different tale. The engineer was of opinion that it was probable that the catch was secured after all, as he had known buckets capsize merely by the chain shaking. In his opinion the buckets or tubs were so fastened that the least thing would unfasten them. Indeed the “ catch was no nse at all,” and this was the case in “ nine buckets out of ten.” Two days prior to the accident the identical bucket which capsized on the deceased had capsized and thrown the coal over the side. The mate of the vessel and a juryman incidentally mentioned that they had seen buckets capsize* so that really the catch was a spscies of trap which would almost seem to have been placed on the tub to lure the men working in the hold into a fatal security. The men working must of course have known it was to some extent a farce, but still, when precautions are taken, even though in reality they may be of no use, they have naturally a somewhat soothing effect. But the most extraordinary circumstance remains for the last. Since the accident the engineer stated action had been taken and a number of the buckets had been repaired and made safe. So that it is evident that it was not the description of catch which was to blame, but the bad repair in which the catches were kept. “ Nine buckets out of ten,” in fact, were very dangerous, simply bocausa nobody appears to have thought it his duty to put thorn straight. "Wa think that both the Coroner and the jmy took the matter very quietly. The latter attached blame to nobody in particular, although it must have been, or at least ought to have been, somebody’s business to look after the catches of the buckets. Of course the Coroner may write to the Government calling their attention to the matter, but the buckets were immediately made safe after the accident occurred, so that the blame evidently lies somewhere nearer home. According to the Coroner and the jury it was a case of gross negligence in which nobody in particular was to blame.

THE CULTIVATION OF FLOWERS.

The commercial value of flowers is not often thought of in New Zealand, Our Horticultural Societies patronise the beautiful and the curious, and do that with much success. They likewise, in the matter of fruit and vegetables, stima-

late a laudable ambition to obtain finer and better flavored varieties. But the cultivation of flowers has a commercial side to it, and the Auckland “ Herald ” has a very interesting article on the progress of perfume distilleries all over the world. There can bo no doubt but that the climate of New Zealand is eminently adapted for the growth of flowers, and there seems no reason why we should not make our own perfumes as a local industry. to the “ London Horticultural Journal,” an acre of jasmine plants—Bo,ooo in number, yielding SOOOlbs. of flowers is worth £250. An acre of violets —yielding 16,0001b5. of flowers—is worth £l6O. An acre of rose trees—lo,ooo in nnmher, yielding 20001bs. of flowers is worth £65. An aero of orange trees, which yield at ten years of ago 20001bs. of flowers, is worth £SO. An acre of 300 cassia trees, which yield at three years of age OOOlbs. of flowers, is worth £9O. An aero of geranium plants, which yield over 2000 ounces of distilled otto, is worth £BO. An acre of lavender, giving 3600 flowers for distillation, is stated to be worth £3OO. Now these are somewhat large figures, and they may be partially backed up by the fact that even in England," where seasons so often occur so unfavourable to flower growing, the industry has taken firm hold and is developing. In America, of course, they are taking the subject up, as they do everything that has a chance of doing well, and flower farming has penetrated as far as California. Nobody who has seen the marvellous growth of many flowers out here can doubt but that the industry would pay. It is, moreover, a pleasant industry, and the department connected with the growth of the flowers might be managed at a very small cost. Even gentlemen who have retired from active life on a certain income might do worse than grow a few acres of roses, lavender, or geraniums, and keep the local market supplied to the benefit of their pockets.