The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 1884.

Kumara Times, Issue 2295, 5 January 1884, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 1884.

Tenders for a loan of £1,000,000 for New Zealand at 4 per cent, interest, were invited in the London Market on Thursday ; the minimum is put down at £9B 10s. Special cablegrams state that China appears disposed to make further concessions to France in regard to Tonquin, and that, acting on the advice of the Powers, the Chinese have retired to Bacninh. The British Cabinet has had a long discussion regarding the position of affairs in Egypt, and was to hold another meeting yesterday, at -which it was expected that a decision involving the adoption of important measures would be agreed to. Mr J. E. Redmond, it will be seen by to-day's cablegrams, is now lecturing on Irish affairs through San Francisco. The Christchurch coach arrived early this afternoon. At a meeting of the Central Board of Education on the 29th ult., four members only being present, viz., Messrs J. Petrie (chairman), Messrs Nancarrow, Warner, and Taylor, the following resolution was carried :—"That the Board has no further recommendations to make to Government than those contained in the proposal made by the chairman in Wellington, namely, that the amount of the building vote be at once guaranteed or paid over to the Bank for the purpose of defraying existing liabilities, and that the elections for each of the new districts be held during the months of January, February, and March, in compliance with the terms of the Education Act, 1877." The subject of the Rev. Mr Hay's discourse at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church to-morrow evening will be "New Year's Day Thoughts on the Feebleness of Time." The regular meeting of the Executive Committee of the Miners Association will be held at the Templars' Hall, Dillman's Town, on Monday evening next, at eight o'clock sharp. Every member is requested to attend, as there is important business to transact. Written tenders will be received at the Public Works Office, Greymouth, until U'>on on Saturday, the 2Gth January, for widening the track of the Cobdcn to Coal Creek ryad, sections No. 1 and 2,2 wiles

70 chains. Drawings, specifications, and general conditions may be seen at the Public Works Office, Greymouth. A sixth share in Palmer and party's sluicing claim, Dunedin Flat, is for sale. Tenders for same will be received up to 7 p.m. next Saturday. Messrs Girdwood, Lahman, and Co. will hold a sale of prime quality bullocks, sheep, lambs, and porkers, at their sale yards, Greymouth, on Tuesday next, at 12 noon. Also, at the Arahura sale yards, on Monday, at 12.30 p.m., 20 head prime quality bullocks, and 100 prime cross-bred sheep. A correspondent of the Hokitika Guardian, writing of the Arahura picnic thus refers to the Kumara Catholic Brass Band:—"At the appointed time the peeple began to muster, hastening their steps and horses as they came within earshot of the strains of the Catholic Brass Band, which had kindly come from Kumara for the occasion, and without making any charge whatever. The Band deserves the thanks of everyone at the picnic, as they remained over night in consequence of the affair being postponed. I was surprised to hear the proficiency this band had attained, as it has been in existence only nine months, and, with the exception of four, they were raw recruits when Mr Richards took them in hand. -The total strength is twenty members, of whom seventeen were present." Mr Speight, the new Chairman of the Victorian Railway Board, prior to his departure from England, was entertained at a banquet by 300 gentlemen, amongst whom were Lord Derby, Sir W. VernonHarcourt, and Mr Murray Smith. Highly eugolistic speeches were made, and the guest of the evening was presented with a purse of 2000 guineas and a dessert-service | worth 800 guineas.