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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1208, 28 December 1871, Page 2

Evidence of the coming of that millennium when manual labor in all the manufacturing branches will be superseded by machinery, comes upon us fast and furious. The latest norelties supplied by mechanical genius in the shape of machinery were those by which the tailor is enabled to supply trousers by the mile, or a suit of clothes in four hours from the taking of the measure, and that by which many a poor cow has been enabled to offer up her thanks for being saved the punishment inflicted upon her by the hands of unskilful milkers. Succeeding these comes a description of machinery which, though not quite new to the world, is new to Wellington. Mr Lindsay, of Lamhton Quay, has recently imported a complete sel ot machinery for the manufacture of boots. By one of the machines the skin or side of leather is rolled to a hardness and uniformity in thickness which could never be obtained by all the belaboring on the old lapstone process, which made one perspire merely to look at. Next in order in the process comes what we suppose it is correct to call the stamper, where the complete sole, heel or heel stiffener, is cut out with an case resembling that with which an experienced cook cuts out wiih her stamper the dough flowers for pie ornamentation. This is performed by a machine of the guillotine kind, which, by a convenient regulation of the pressure, comes down on the knives, which of course are detached from the machine, and are supplied in sizes and shapes equal to all known developments

of the human foot. Next come!:] what is termed a skyveving machine, which does all the Jeyelling, an operation over which so much of the valuable time of the gentle craft has been absorbed in sharpening and shaving. Another machine makes all the brad holes in sole and hsel in the -pace of a few seconds. So that on the completion of these few preliminaries, the parts are placed in the hands of the workmen to do what the machines are not yet capable of performing—the putting of them together. The inspection was highly suggestive of an idea that kept possession of our mind during the whole of the visit, namely ? that the purchase of boots ought, soon to form a very insignificant item in one's expenditure.— Wellington Independent.

The Auckland Evening Star records a rather serious accident which happened on the 20th hist, to a man in the employ of Mr Jaggar, Freeman's Bay. The man had attached his horse to a boat for the purpose of hauling it up on the beach. The sail of the boat flapped and frightened the horse, who started olf suddenly and dragged the boat on to the man, knocking him down and passing completely over him Although no bones were broken, the poor fellow was< very much injured about the head and chest, and to day is confined to his bed.

The Evening Post says ; —The gradual closing of our cemeteries has been already mooted, and the ultimate ne cessity for such a step is denied by none. Possibly when they were originally laid out they were at some con sidcrable distance from those parts of the town then occupied by residences, but the gradual extension of the city o - . ," has caused them to be now almost m our midst. The Protestant burial ground is being quickly enclosed by houses, and even in the neighborhood of the Roman Catholic cemetery the living are encroaching upon the dead. This offends one's ideas of the fitness and decency of things ; but apart from all sentiment— which, however, it is useless to discard when considering this question—the health of the town requires that the change should not be much longer postponed. The drainage from the Protestant ground must at the present time poison the wells of many houses, and each week adds to the list of those whose lives may be endangered. The hon. Mr Mantell was not far wrong when he made a grim joke in the House about the well water at his house "having a body in it." And what is his case niay be that of hundreds. Should this thing be 1

The Birmingham Corporation has a huge work in contemplation. Being unable to find an outlet for the town sewage, the Town Council, adopting the suggestions of a special commit/be, is about to try several systems, differing somewhat in detail, but which involve the periodical collection of the contents of the middens, liquid as well as solid ; and the system which best stands the test will then be adopted and carried into effect.

The Daily News, refetrring to the Queen's health, says all the reasons for apprehension —and even, it hopes, anxiety—may now he considered to have passed away. The best-infonned opinions describe the physical condition of the Queen as directly growing better and stronger, and trusts the public will before long have the most convincing assurance that her Majesty is perfectly equal to the discharge of all those duties which, while her health allowed, it was her pride and delight never to leave unfulfilled.