The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1880.

Kumara Times, Issue 1038, 28 January 1880, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1880.

A crowded public meeting was held at the Town Hall hist evening relative to taking action under the new Act for the sale or lifting of the Knmara Education Reserve. Resolutions were passed askHis Excellency the Governor to bring the Kmnara Education Rererve Act, 1879, into operation immediately, and also one appointing an executive Committee to interview the Education Commissioners relative to the sale of the reserve. An extended report is held over. The Christchurch coach, which left Hokitika yesterday morning and was unable to cross the Arahura river, again started this morning ar d safely reached Goodfellow’s at eight o’clock. ■; His Lordship the Bishop of the Diocese and .the Yen. Archdeacon Harper were among the passengers for Christchurch. At the Theatre Royal, this evening, the Rev. Heavingham Root, of Greymouth, will deliver his popular lecture on “Father Matthew and Temperance.” As the subject is one of special interest to a large section of the community, and as the reverend gentleman is known to possess the happy talent of making his lectures not only instructive but amusing, a good attendance on the occasion may .be reasonably expected. A meeting of the Local School Committee will be held at the Town Hall this evening at half-past seven o’clock. Referx-ing to the obnoxious system that now exists in the election of School Committees, the West Coast Times very justly and pertinently observes ; “ The present mode of conducting these elections tends to disgust the best men, who do not, as a rule, care to he associated with incompetent persons in the management of such important institutions as State Schools. It is positively lamentable to see persons who can neither speak,, write, or spell English, holding seats on school committees. It would be impossible for such persons to get into office, if the mode of election were altered-in accordance with the rules of common sense. And, unless some alteration speedily takes place, it is to bo feared that the cause of education will materially suffer.” A meeting of the Arahura Road Board was to be held to-day, at Stafford Town, should there be a quorum of members present. The Otago Daily Times reviewing “Captain” Barry’s book of travels just published, says : —At the end is an appendix with portraits of celebrities, and it is amusing to observe alongside Sir •Julius Vogel and Mr Macandrow, “ Cabbage” Wilson of Christchurch, who is spoken of in eulogistic terms, and “an old friend named G. M‘Gavin.” Those who desire a hearty laugh will do well to inquire for this remarkable book. The French papers state that a competition is to he held amongst painters for the filling of a panel behind the seat of the President of the Chamber in the Palais Bourbon. The subject is to bo associated with the history of France during the la st twenty five years. This panel, which is a large one, was, during the monarchy of Julliet, occupied hy a picture representing the taking of the constitutioiud oath. During the Empire the plaee was covered by a green curtain.

We loam by private letters from Home (fays an exchange), that Mr George Augustus S-ala, who some time since was announced as likely to visit the Australian Colonies as special commissioner for the London Daily Telegraph, has abandoned his attention, and intends instead to make a tour of the Southern States of America, with the view of writing a series of descriptive letters.' r The horse St. Julian, at a race given f>r General Grant in California just before his departure, trotted a mile, without skip or break, in the extraordinary time of 2min. 123-sec. Goldsmiths Maid did it in 2min. 14sec., and Rams in 2mln. Msec; but the Californian horse has beaten both. An interesting discovery has been made at Nasscnfuss in Styria. Under the soil of a field attached to an ancient farm, a boy found a vase, in and around which were 5000 gold, silver and copper coins, bearing the effigies of Severus, Gallienus, Flavius, Claudius, Marcus, Annins, Aurelius, and Probus. An aeronaut named Lawrentiew, after making an ascent from Rostow, on the Don, recently, was about to alight, when he heard a commotion as of a crowd collecting below, and several shots were aimed at him. He went on further, but on nearing the ground found a crowd, armed with scythes, hatchets, and stones, preparing for an attack. On his assuring them he was a mortal like themselves, a priest extending a crucifix, told him to cross himself if he was a man and a Christian. He did so, but was nevertheless in danger of rough treatment until an exCossack soldier arrived and explained the mystery of ballooning.