The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 1880.

Kumara Times, Issue 1158, 15 June 1880, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 1880.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Hospital Committee will be held at the Secretary's rooms this eventng. A telegram to the Greymouth Star from their correspondent at, Wellington states that "The Public Works ofrice will be removed from Hokitika to Greymouth, and and able and energetic man placed in charge." This message must be far from gratifying to the officer at present at the head of this department', as it clearly implies that ability and energy are not amongst his recognised qualifications.

A special meeting of the Prospecting Association is convened for to-morrow evening at the Town Hall, when it is to be hoped that every member will be present, as wo understand provision will be made for at once carrying out the objects of the association. A meeting of the Kumara and Dillman's Town Working Men's Association will be held at the Empire Hotel, Dillman's Town, on Thursday evening next, to adopt a code of bye-laws and rules. We understand that Messrs Manson and Co., of this town, have purchased the premises of Messrs D. Davidson and Co., the well-known drapers, and that as possession has to be given at an early date Messrs Davidson and Co., will submit their remaining stock to public auction, full particulars of which will appear in our advertising columns in a few days. A Southern journal makes the following remarks on the expenses on our national system of education:—"The estimates for the nine months ending March 31, 1880, provided for an expenditure of £269,014 on education, whilst a further sum of £IBI,OOO was voted for school buildings. It will, therefore, be seen that for the nine months referred to Parliament voted the enormous sum of £450,014 for educational purposes, being over £1 Is per head of the entire population. The total number of scholars in attendance at public schools at the end of IS7B were 05,040, and we believe that by the present time the number is about 80,000. If the nominal sum of £1 per head per annum were charged for each child attending school, the revenue would thus be relieved to the extent of £SO,OOO, and we maintain that it would be perfectly right that parents should be made to recognise the responsibility by paying the sum. Rather a good slory has come to our (Cromwell Argus) ears about Sir George Grey and the member for Dunstan, which we think worth repeating. It happened when the dissolution took place last year—a dissolution which, it need hardly be said, was attributed to the vote 3 adverse to Sir George recorded by Mr Pyke and one or two well-known political "wobblers." Sir George was half-reclining in the Parliamentary Library, tired, ill in health, and no doubt a bit harassed in mind, when V. P. went to bid him goodbye—mindful, perhaps, that Sir George Grey might be again in power. " Aw—," said Sir George, in the drawling way he sometimes effects, "Aw—, P-y-ke, goodbye, P-y-ke. Excuse my rising, P-y-ke." "Don't mention it, Sir George," said V. P. " Pray sit still; and I trust to see you quite recovered when I come up again." "Ah, yes, I hope so," said Sir George ; and then, in a tone of abstraction—"l hope we shall meet again. I don't mean in the next world, P-y-ke—not in the next world—good-bye, P-y-ke." The Dunstan veteran is said to have left with mixed feelings on the subject of Sir George. It appears from a paragraph in the Sydney Telegraph, that a policeman has been " Bloomerising" a citizen named John Henry Ford. The guardian of the peace desired Ford to "move on," and said, "You get out of this," at the same time delivering a blow with his fist upon the back of Ford's neck. Ford then said, " You might tell a person to move without striking him," and in reply received a blow on the mouth, which cut his upper lip, causing blood to flow. He then asked the policeman for his number, who said, "Take it," and with the word delivered a blow on Ford's right eye, and a blow on the right side of his head which knocked him down. After hearing corroborative evidence, the Bench fined the policeman £5, or a month's imprisonment, Ford's costs to bo deducted from the penalty.