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Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 828, 23 March 1871, Page 2

We again remind our readers that the period during which registration can be effected ends on the 31st instant. Registration forms can now be had on application at this office free.

The first settling on the late Greymouth races took place at the Albion Hotel on Tuesday evening, and so far, everything passed off satisfactorily. . The meeting was adjourned to Saturday evening, at the same place, when the final settlement will bo made.

A very important meeting of the Paroa Road Board was held . on Tuesday evening, for the- purpose of enquriug into certain alleged irregularities in connection with the fundp of the Board, Our reporter was not present, as notice of the intention to hold th»^ meeting did not reach us until it was aver". A correspondent at Paroa sends us the following statement of what transpired at the meeting ;— lt seems that the Secretary was the acceptor of a three months' bill for LIOO, in part payment of his salary, falling due on the 18th of this month. The Board held a jieeting on Friday, 10th March, and handed a cheque for LIOO, marked "pay hill,''' to the Secretary, to pay into the Bank of New Sooth Wales as a provision for the accept-

ance. The day after the receipt of the cheque by the Secretary, he was asked by the Chairman for information respecting its disposal and was informed that tho manager of the Bank of New South Wales had given him permission to make use of the rash, andwonld forward the acceptance in a day or two. The Chairman wrote privately to the manager, and received a letter, which was laid before the Board, to the efiect that the Secretary had not paid in the cheque to the credit of the Board, but had cashed it ; that the bill was lodged in the bank by Mr Parkinson for collection, and that the only funds standing to credit of the Board was something under L 2. The Chairman then stated that he had a personal interview with the Manager and Mr Parkinson with the fol'ovmg result. The Manager denied having given the Secretary permission to make use of the nrnneys, and Mr Parkinson stated that he held the Board responsible for the amount. On the afternoon of the 21st inst., about two hours before the meeting, the acceptances, accompanied by a letter, were received by the Chairman from Mr Parkinson, who therein stated that he had ax ranged the matter with the Secretary, and that it was the result of a slight mistake. The bill was produced, and upon examination it was found marked in the corner, "Not provided for." Considerable discussion took place on the matter. A motion by Mr John O'Connor to the effect that a solicitor's opinion should be taken upon the matter, aud that the Board should act thereon, somehow fell through. Mr Colteu remarked tfiat they had got the bill, and the best thing they could do would be to hush the matter up. The secretary said Ihe considered that the acceptance Avas his, that he could do what he liked with it, and was sorry that Mr Parkinson had handed it to the Board. On being asked for all receipts connected with payments intrusted to him a* the same time with the cheque in question, he refused to comply with their request, demanding five days to make up his books, and supporting his refusal by reading a portion of the Act relating to the matter. During the course of the proceedings, he tendered his resignation, which was accepted. Two auditors were appointed to examine the accounts.

The consecration of a Grand District Masonic Lodge will take place at Hokitika this evening. G. W. Moss, Esq., of the Greymouth Lodge, and his officers, were to proceed to Hokitika by the coach this morning, in order to be present at the ceremony.

We have again to draw the attention of the County authorities te the dangerous slate of the New River. Yesterday the coach could not venture to cross it, and the passengers and baggage had to be brought on horses from the Teremakau. A very good crossing place could be made for little over LlO, and if the authorities will not move in the matter until „some more lives are lost, they oaght to be held responsible. The remaining portion of the goods of the Fancy Bazaar, which has been field during the week in the Volunteer Hall, in aid of the building fund of the Catholic Church, were disposed of by auction last night. There was a good attendance. Mr D. Maclean kindly acted as auctioneer, and under his soft persuasions the goods realized good prices. The late hour at which the auction closed prevents us from giving the total amount realized by the Bazaar ; but it will be known to-day, when the various accounts are made up. The totil must be a very handsome sum, as the Bazaar has been the most successful affair of the kind yet attempted in Greymouth. A melancholy incident happened in Hokitika on Tuesday, which is thus mentioned by the West Coast Times : — A married woman named Catherine Lucas, who had become a mother about six weeks aao, left her house in the forenoon, with her infant in her arms, stating that she intended visiting a friend's confinement I'rom puerperal lnama. "or some kimlred affection of the mind, but she made the statement as to her purposed visit while apparently in the possession her faculties, and no suspicion was excited in the mind of the person who was attending her, and it was only when she had not returned for several hours, that her husband, who liari been absent from, his borne in the interval, went in search of her. Nearly about the same timo her body was discovered on the North B ach, opposite William Larkt's public house, two miles out of town, and at a Liter hour mounted-constable Douglas, who was despatched from the Camp, found the body of the. infant, also on the beach. The fear is that., either accidentally or under the influence of her mania, she had got into the very heavy surf which yesterday prevailed, and been drowned along with her infant charge —the set of the current, as usual, floating the bodies to the northward until they were cast ashore. The unfortunate deceased was a woman of thirty-two years of age, and the wife of Charles Lucas, town crier, residing in Weld-street. . The following' are a few of the principal details of the destruction by fire of one of

the Westland Company's Saw Mills at Hokitika on Tuesday morning, as already reported by telegraph :— ltis a misnomer to speak of the principal building destroyed merely as a saw mill, it was rather an extensive factory, including the sawing of native timber, and the manufacture of doors, window sashes, and other woodwork, and it was associated with an iron foundry, in which a steadily increasing amount of work was being done. In connection with those various industries there were valuable machinery and other plant upon the premises; and the destruction of machinery, sawn timber, and the manufactured goods implies a lo3s of about L6OOO to its enterpris'ng proprietors, Messrs Findlay, Haworth, and Comfort. Besides that, the house of Mr Findlay, which was one of the best finished and best furnished buildings on the Quay, and upon the refitting of which the owner had recently gone to considerable expense, was burnt to the ground ; and including articles otattire and ornament, his -individual loss will notfallshortofLlo9o. The adjoining property which was destroyed was a cottage belonging to Mr Klein, which it was found necessary to pull down to prevent the spread of the fire, and a house belonging to Mr Cassius to which some partial damage was done, besides such loss as its occupant, Mr Peel, sustained by the hasty removal of bis household god 3. One of the more immediate injuries connected with the destruction of the saw mill is the throwing out of employment about thirty-four artisans and others, and the interruption to an industry which had for some time been one of the most thriving and reproductive industries of the§ place. It was only fortunate that the night was one of the wettest of the season, otherwise the fire would inevitably have extended to the heaps of timber which stood on both sides of the Kanieri road, and which contained in all about 400,000 feet of sawn boards and other prepared wood waiting exportation. As it was, about 30,000 feet of 'timber were either burnt or so injured as to be rendered comparatively worthless. The property was totally uninsured. No insurance had at any time been effected over the necessarily considerable, risk connected with the mill, but until within four months ago Mr Findlay'i* private houss had for several years been insured. From that time the policy had been allowed to lapse. The Westland Sow Mills, as this mill and another belonging to the same firm have been called, were among the earliest institutions in Hokitika, and the industry in sawing, and the manufactures which were allied with it, have been ever since carried on, afiording emjdoyment to a num.

her of men, and largely increasing the local exports. The plant on the ground included a boiler and engine, which originally belonged to the steamer Eleanor, and which were sub jtituted for the Wakool's engines, now ai tfoss. There were another boiler and engine •>n the premises — those belonging to the steamer Persevere— but these, which were merely receiving additions from the foundry, preparatory to disposal, escaped the fire. The other plant comprised saws and benches, an American breaker and ripping bench, fans for the foundry, morticing and tennomn<; machines, iron and wooden turning lathes, and other similar apparatus. A considerable >>ai"t of this morn minute machinery had only recently been erected, and there had lateb been imported for the two mills about L2OO worth of belting. There was also on the premises, in the joiner's shop above the mill, some 800 doors aud 300 pairs of sashes, for which articles of local manufacture a market has for some time existed in Dunedin and in other parts of the Colony.