DUNEDIN.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1220, 18 June 1872, Page 2

DUNEDI N.

(from our own correspondent.) I. . June 8.; The policemen did not get over their strike so easily as they expected.; After they sent in their submission to the Government, the Executive took the matter into consideration, and came to the resolution to dismiss the whole, which was accordingly done. Special constables were sworn in to serve temporarily until permanent arrangements could be made. When the dispute took place, the Superintendent telegraphed to Wellington for assistance, and a sergeant and twelve men of the armed constabulary were despatched per the Rangitoto, then on her way down the coast. These men arrived, here on Wednesday, and have since taken the duty of preserving the peace. The new v wen are tine soldier-looking fellows, but they have not the physique of the old force. The Government have advertised for men to constitute the force anew, with all the usual qualifications as to stature, education, character, &c. The" above affair has caused considerable excitement in the public mind, and many are inclined to think that the poor bobbies have received rather scant courtesy from the_ Government. As the men had to leave the barracks on rather short notice, a queer advertisement appears from the prbvidore there, to the effect that all standing scores .be at once liquidated, &c. ' ' ; A rather fierce paper war has raged for some days back on the subject of the storage of -kerosene. Some time ago afire occurred in Stuart street, whereby a wood and iron built store and its contents were consumed: The owner rebuilt of brick, and shortly afterwards applied for a license to store kerosene under bond — in short, an opposition to the bond, already existing at the south end of town. This application was opposed, and though renewed again and again,, rejected.. The owner afterwards disposed of Ms store to other parties, who renewed the application for a license. This led to letters appearing in the papers,, on both sides, for and against,, in which the whole subject of kerosene storage has been pretty fairly criticised . The correspondence, however^ degenerated into one merely personal between the applicants and their supporters and the gentleman who holds tbe license and his friends, and so it has been put a stop to. The City Council, at their meeting on Wednesday, rejected the application for license, so there the matter ends for the present ; but it is likely the whole matter of the storage of dangerous fluids will be overhauled shortly, as the present regulations press very unfairly on the dealers in kerosene, which is not more dangerous than turpentine or brandy, or many other spirits, of which a dealer may have any quantity on his premises without molestation. : : .■ .., Simultaneously, another correspondence has been going on in the papers regarding the Mutual Improvement Seciety, which has got into rather bad odour from its connection with the late lectures on Spiritism. The blame has been thrown back on its accusers by the Secretary, but temper was ; speedily shown in the discussion, and it too has been stopped. In the meantime , those members of the Society who believe in Spirits have withdrawn and formed an association among themselves, whose speciality will be ." Investigation." ... Six candidates were nominated to fill the vacancy for Waikouaiti in the House of Representatives. Their names are : — Sir D. Monro, Mr Preston, Mr Hutchesonj Mr Cutten,- Dr Webster, and Mr Thompson.- OT these, Sir D. Monro, Preston, Cutten, and Hutcheson, have pronounced against the Government and the Public Works scheme, though.Preston hardly so decidedly as the others. Dr Webster is also undecided, though rather friendly, Mr Thompson is altogether a local man. It ia commonly thought here that the contest would lie between Monro and Preston. The poll resulted in the return of Sir D. Monro. The Quarterly Licensing Meeting took place on Tuesday. There was very little business done. The same indisposition to increase in any way the number of public houses was manifested by the Bench, and all the new applications. were refused but one. A crusade is threatened against a number of inconvenient, ill-arranged public -houses, on various grounds, chiefly of a police nature. These houses have been allowed to exist from year to year, but are all to be overhauled at next meeting, and unless the proprietors improve them up to a certain standard, they will be altogether suppressed. In connection with this matter, the Licensed Victuallers Association are promoting a Bill for next Assembly, which is to abolish the existing bottle license, which -they affirm is destructive of their interests, and productive of a vast deal of sly grog-selling. The Presbytery of Dunedin met in. the First Church on Wednesday, but the business was only formal and very uninteresting. : , The escort arrived in town on Tuesday. The amount was only an average one, notwithstanding the abundance of water on all the fields, viz., 13, 3560z. The arrival and dispatch of the mails created a little fiz at, the close of the week. As usual, there was a little humbug with the San Francisco one. After being advertised to start on the proper day (yesterday),, it was advanced a day, and Thursday arranged for; but after all it did not leave till .2 p.m. yesterday. The Suez one is contingent a good deal on the steamer getting, round the coast in time, and was also fixed for yesterday ; but the Albion, with the inward mail j arrived on Thursday night late, and to give merchants and others an opportunity of answering their letters, a supplementary , mail was madp np'in the afternoon, and' taken down to the Heads, where the Rangitoto was waiting, and started for the BlufFatonce. She would reach .tb,at port at daylight this morning, and clear in the evening direct for Melbourne, in time to catch the P. and O. boat there. From the tenor of the news brought by the Albion, of Ministerial derangements in Victoria, I atn afraid the chances of the San Francisco service being carried^ out are rather slender. If this Colony is not aided by Victoria in this matter, the service as at present arranged is pretty sure to fall through. It has few friends, here. The weather has been very dnirall week, only the lightest of light breezes blowing. It came on to rain on Thursday afternoon j and has been showery since, but with no heavy fall. Winter has hardly begun yet, and the temperature I rules rather hj^h;. j /