LATEST TELEGRAMS

Kumara Times, Issue 703, 30 December 1878, Page 2

LATEST TELEGRAMS

[fcRESS AGENCY.]

Wellington, December 28. The Railway Working Accounts, giving the total receipts and expenditure during the financial year, 1878-79, shows that the total' receipts of the following sections of railways for that period were :—Kaipara (16 miles open for traffic), £1723; Auckland, 97 miles, £17,695; Napier, 65 miles, £9834 ; Wellington, 45 miles, £2531; Wanganui, 86 miles, £10,977; New Plymouth, 21 miles, £2016; Greymouth, 8 miles, £3171; Westport, 19 miles, £968 ; Nelson, 20 miles, £2455 ; Christchuich and Dunedin, 532 miles, £158,140; Invercargill, 167 miles, £18,695.

Not satisfied with the progress of the Wairarapa Railway, the Government intend urging the contractors to put additional men on the works. The valuators under the Land Tax Act for the several Counties have nearly all been appointed, and their names will shortly be gazetted. So great was the force of wind near Featheiston last night that a roof was blown off aud carried a distance of several hundred yards by the gale. Arrangements have been made for opening a temporary post office and telegraph office in the middle of next month in the Te Aro suburb of Weilington, the Thorndon suburbs having one aheady at Government Buildings. The post office will embrace money order and savings bank offices ; the permanent office, however, will be erected upon another site. The Minister of Public Works is expected in Wellington to-morrow night. It is said that a pakeha Maori has turned up, who claims certain property, near the railway station at Pipitea Point, valued at £40,000. According to his statement he has Crown grants for the property, which were issued to his father by the New South Wales and New Zealand Governments.

The ship City of Auckland, on Otaki Beach, bioke her chain, and has again bsen thrown up on the beach, and is now lying broadside on.

As the wind is still blowing on shore, nothing has been done to remove the Hyderbad. Letters by last mail from the Emigration Department state that arrangements have been tmde to send the. following number to the Colony :—-693 for Wellington, Nelson and Marlborough, 500 being for Wellington, 328 for Auckland, 277 for Hawke's Bay, 1660 for Otago, ICGB for Canterbury.

Lloyd, ex-Treasurer, and H. E. Butler, ex Attorney-General of New South Wales, are passengers to New Zealand by the Rotoura, paying a visit to the principal cities, aud doing the Rotorua excursion trip Otaki, December 28. Owing to the unfavorable Btate of the wind and tide last night, tbe steamer Glenelg did not mate the attempt to tow off the Hyderabad, which was arranged to take place about midnight last night, and the steamer is still standing off) awaiting a favorable porfcUutty. A Btiff westerly breeze is blowing* and heavy surf rolling in on the beatth. Consequently there is not much likelihood of anything being done towards getting the -vessel off to-day. Blenheim, December 28.

Charles Lucas's grocety and boot store, Grove road, was burnt out at 4 o'clock this afternoon. The family were all in the front shop with customers, when a person outside saw : fife coming out of the bedroom window at the rear and all the inside rooms in a blase. Nothing could be saved, neither olothing nor furniture. The building and stock is insured in the South Bri* tish for £350. Cause unknown. CHRtsfCHURCH, December 2?. The gale has abated, .but no rain has yet fallen. The South express train was an hour late last night and will be every night till the B&ngitata bridge is repaired again.

Complaints have been made about; shortening the supply of trucks at Lyt» telton. Vessels now in poft Would employ 300 trucks daily. Conyers, in a letter to Harbor Board, said the railway authorities Were doing everything possible to meet the demandi

Captain A. S. Strix has beenappointed Assistant Harbormaster.

At a meeting of the Selwyn Qounty Council yesterday it was resolved to recommend another conference on the subject of Hospital atxd Charitable Aid Management. A letter was read at the County Council meeting yesterday* in which the Commissioner of Railways declined to gtanl free passes to members. December 28.

In breadstuff's the market is dull, partly owing to the near approach of harvest ', wheat, 4a 3d to 4s 6d j flour, £9 10s to £\o ; feed oats are freely purchased at 4s 3d ) butter 9£d to lOd; and hams and bacon, in cloth, B£d. The dry weather continues, but recent rains have placed the crops beyond any damage. --.-•■ In consequence of strong nor'-wester end .heavy rain night, the railway traffic as usual is interrupted—the south pier of the north Rangitata Bridge being carried away, «o that all goods traffic is suspended. . The "vVaimakiriri is also rising, arid accounts from the Bealey describe the weather there as awful. Dunedin, December 28. A piano manufactory will be established in Dunedin shortly. Miss M'Masters was thrown at the Taieri Agricultural Society's show'yesterday and had her arm broken.

The Harbor Board has initiated proceedings against David Proudfoot to compel him to complete his contract for the purchase of leases of sections in the Crawford street blocks. ;,-■"-

The Harbo rßoard at present empldys 203 men, and the -wages account for last month waa £2475. Auckland, December 28. The schooner Edith has arrived from the South Sea Islands, and reports the ■wreck of the schooner Talisman fit Autueke, bound to Auckland with a cargo of pearl shell and copra. All hands saved. The vessel was insured for .£SOO each in the Batavia, Victoria, and Union Companies; the cargo is insured in the South British for £2ooo—half reinsured in other offices. LATEST UNPUBLISHED. . SCHOONER MABEL JANE ASHORE, Hokitika, December 30. The schooner Mabel Jane, with a cargo of produce from Oamaru, is ashore at the Wanganili Bluff, south of Ross. Wellington, December 30, The Chronicle is informed on very good authority that the Hon. Major Richmond kas been appointed Speaker of the Legislative Council, and Sir William Fitziberhert will retain the Speakership of the Lower Hoitse.