Untitled

Kumara Times, Issue 888, 5 August 1879, Page 2

We learn that there is every probability of the tenders being called for the construction of the Government sludge-chan-nel during the present week, as the District Engineer has given instructions by which the plans and specifications are being prepared with the least possible delay.

The usual monthly meeting of the Hospital Committee of management will be held at the Secretary’s office this evening. We regret to record the death of Mr Mollaumby, which took place at the Hospital yesterday. The deceased, who has been a great sufferer for some years, was well known and respected in the district. The funeral will leave St. Patrick’s Church to-morrow morning at 10 o’clock, for the Hokitika Cemetery. Owing to the number of Volunteer companies that have been formed in consequence of the Maori difficulty in the North Island, the Government have great difficulty in arming the corps in consequence of scarcity of rifles. To obtain this, all the spare arms in other districts are being recalled, and in accordance with an urgent telegram to that effect, received by the officer in command of the local Rifles last evening, twenty stand of arms were forwarded to Hokitika this nioring en route for Wellington. Sections Nos. 120 and 146 in the Borough of Kumara and sections 2073 suburban land, near Stafford Town, will be sold by public auction at the Lands Office Hokitika, to-morrow. The rights of pasturage for a large number of runs in the Westland County will also be offered at the same time. The Malvern correspondent of the Lyttelton Times writes ;—A good deal of excitement has been generated by the name of “ Kowai Pass” being changed to “Springfield” without consulting the inhabitants on the subject. A public meeting to ventilate the matter will probably be held. Some idea of the systematic and gigantic scale on which France is reforming her military system, and putting the nation by degrees through a course of military discipline and drill may be had from the following statistics -The number of men subject this year to service is thus stated : 479,100 in the active army, 2850 officers and 144,570 privates of the first reserve, and 6820 officers and 11-7,800 privates of the second reserve,