LATEST UNPUBLISHED.

Kumara Times, Issue 769, 18 March 1879, Page 2

LATEST UNPUBLISHED.

[PRESS AGENCY.] Napier, March 18. : The Hawkes Bay Cup, of 250 sovs., wjas won by Sinking Fund, Little Wonder 2, Lara 3. Auckland, March 18. .The Premier will turn the first sod of the Waikato and Thames Railway when visiting Hamilton en route for the Native meeting on the 23rd. Chrtstchurch, March 17. The weather is splendid, and there is every prospect of the fete being a great success. The streets are crowded with people, and the procession is mustering up. It consists of City Councillors (past and present), the Fire Brigade and public bodies of various kinds belonging to both town and country, brass bands with advance guard of men in armour upon Jerusalem ponies, the Richardson show performance, etc., numbering in all considerably above one thousand people, while the spectators number fully 10,000, and it is expected there will be 20,000 on the ground. £IOOO takings may therefore may be relied on. This evening there is to be a monster performance, promenade in drill-si ied, at the theatre a .{rand ball, and fireworks to wind up the whole. The cricket match Timaru v. Ciiristchurch takes place on ground adjoining the park, and the whole of the proceeds goes to the Kaitangata Wm. Smith, the engine-driver, whose leg was amputated in consequence of the accident on the line a few days asro, died in the Hospital yesterday, never having recovered the shock. March 18. There was a fi.e last night at Schwartz' (tobacconist's) shop, High street, near the White Hart Hotel, 'but it was soon discovered, and kept under by buckets until better appliances put it out altogether. The stock was insured in the Standard for £SOO, in the Union for £SOO, and in the Transatlantic for £7OO. The brothers Schwartz have been arrested on the charge of incendiarism. Later. From circumstances which came to the knowledge of the Police, the brothers Schwartz were arrested on the charge of incendiarism. It was found on examination that a great deal of dummy stock was in the shop. This morning tht brothers were brought before the Court, which was crowded ; they were remanded for a week. Bail was taken for Sigiamund, but refused for 'lsadore. Nelson, March 18. The Rifle Association accounts, just made up, show the total amounts of the prizes to be £850; other expenses. £IOO. •Wellington, Match 18. Government lias received intimation by mail chat the latest quotation in New Zealand stocks wore—£lo2 for the last loan, £lO4 for the Consolidated. Mr Surveyor Jackson having refused to resign in these words—" Poor and fiiendless as I may be, my self-respect forbids me to pocket a money consideration " —he was this morning informed that his Excellency, the Administrator, has dismissed hiin from the public set vice. An apparently semi-official article in to-night's Chronicle deals with the financial position and prospects of the Colony. While considering the Customs revenue so far satisfactory, it says the land tax is not likely to come up to expectation, and the loss of the amount to the year's revenue will more than absorb any surplus which may be anticipated from the Customs, the estimate of which is £IOO,OOO, and the cost of collection £10,000 ; but it thinks the cost of.collection will reach £IB,OOO, while the amount collected will be £120,000. The minor items of ordinary revenue (except railways) are likely to meet anticipation ; the Postal and Telegraph departments shewing a steady advance. It had been hoped that £400,000 would be realised from the Waiimte plains sale, but the utmost that en now he anticipated from the plains during the year would 1)0 i 122,000. It thinks the Treasurer cannot hope to receive from the lai.i revenue before the end of the financial year more than one million, thus leaving a deficit on this it»m of a quarter of a million, which will require all the ingenuity of the Treasurer, s> as to prevent a deficiency in his next statement. The Railway will go a Ion" way to make up the deficits in other denartinents. The estimate was £710,000, a-id the receipts for the halfyear reached £309,000. since which the Dunedin and luvercargill line has been opened, and an increase in the railway traffic has taken place all over the Colony; and from this branch of revenue a total ot £1,000,000 or £900,000

may be expected. The article goes on to say that large estates cau easily have another penny on the land tax, to make up for the falling off in the land revenue; and further on it says that in a given time, the railway alone would carry the Colony safely over all financial difficulties. Dunedin, March 17.

The master of the barque Easter Hill, charged with neglecting to save the life of the apprentice who fell overboard, was acquitted, bat the Magistrate strongly reprobated his unmanly eonduct.