PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Kumara Times, Issue 2652, 7 March 1885, Page 2

PROVINCIAL NEWS.

[united press association.] Wellington, March 5. A reduction is being made in the Survey Department, and 35 officers in various parts of the colony have received notice that their services are to be dispensed with. The saving to the colony will be about £IB,OOO, The saving is not so large as Government at first intimated, but Mr M‘K.errow, Serveyor-General, is unable to further reduce his staff without seriously injuring the service and causing public inconvenience. The real cost of the Survey Department will this year show a much larger reduction by several thousands, as the salaries of a large number of officials who are engaged throughout the colony revising plans under the Laud Transfer Department, which have appeared under the head of surveys, are to be charged to the Transfer Department. There are also several other departments which cause some considerable additional work to the Survey Department, and these departments are also to be charged with the value of the work done. Dunedin, March 5, Inquests were held to-day on the bodies of John Horregon, of Oamaru, and Samuel Green, of Fernhill, who died suddenly. In both cases verdicts of death from natural causes were returned. Cable advice was received in town to-day from Glasgow, announcing the death of Mr James Galbraith, on the 4th inst. The deceased gentleman was senior partner in the well-known shipping firm of P. Henderson and Co., of Glasgow, was afterwards managing director of the Albion Company, and on its amalgamation with Shaw, Saville, and Co., became one of the Board of Directors. The extension of the Mornington wire cable tramway to Miryhead is now completed. The line is half a mile long, and over portion of it the car descends the steepest grade in the world. March 6. A farm hand named Fitzpatrick met with very serious injuries on Thursday, in the Clutha district, through the horses bolting down a hill with a reaper and binder he was driving. He was found two hours after the occurrence. The knives had cut one of his legs fearfully, his head was very much bruised, several ribs were broken, and the iron teeth had pricked his body severely in places. Dr. Smith has gone to amputate the leg, but it is feared he will not survive the operation. Two Dunedin tourists, Messrs M. R- Ross, and G. Marshall, accompanied by Harry Berley, guide, made a very successful ascent of Mount Earnshaw, at the head of Lake Wakatipu, on Wednesday last. They reached a point on the eastern glacier, 8500 ft. above the sea level or 2000 ft. higher than Mr Marshall accomplished last year, and a good deal higher than the Rev. Mr Green achieved in 1882. The top of the mountain was enveloped in fog, so that it could not be reached. The ascent and descent occupied fourteen hours. Mr Waddell, an English tourist, accompanied the party as far as the snow line, but gave in then.

Christchurch, March 6, The half-caste, named 0. Cuff alias Robert Taylor, who is charged with forging a promissory note for over £IOO, at Invercargill, and who escaped from custody on February 26th, at Waiau, was re-captured by Detective Jones, at Rotherham hotel, between Hurunui and Waiau, to-day. lie is in a feeble condition from exposure and privation. Timaru, March 6. Mr W. Prichard, commission agent at Temuka, committed suicide by taking arsenic. No cause is assigned for the deed.