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Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 218, 2 May 1873, Page 4

The long waited for rain came at last, falling continuously .through Thursday night, Friday, and most of Saturday of last week. With a refreshing shower occasionally, the springs will keep open till locked up by the rigor of the winter. Two patients have been received into the Hospital lately—one from Waihemo, the other from St. Batha.ns. Neither case was, however, the result of accident. WORKS at the .head race are not progressing with any great rapidity. We hear, on good authority, that about three miles of Contract No. 1 is nearly cut—not, however, continuously. Contracts JSTos. 2, 3, and 4 are not yet touched, so far as we can hear, and the specified time of three months surely must have elapsed. It is a wonder for the curious what spectacles Mr. Bastings andthe Provincial Engineer looked through when they pronounced- their opinion that these works "ere being progressed with most favorably. On the 27th January, contracts Nos. 1 and 2, being ten miles of the race, were accepted. The outside time specified for the completion of the whole of these contracts was the 21st ultimo, and as the actual result approved of by the Goldfields Secretary, we find about three miles (out of twenty) cut partially, and the remaining contracts, 2, 3, and 4, untouched. At this rate, Messrs. Pearce and Co. will take nearly two years to complete their contracts. - No reliable information has yet been received as to the accepting of tenders for Head Race Contract No. 5. Races are to be held in Dunedin on the 24th May, the Queen's' Birthday. We understand that the tender of Mr. G. Stephens, for the erection of a boiler-house

adjoining the Hospital, has been accepted— the price being £23 10s. Mr. Stephens has already begun the building, which, when completed, will be a great benefit to the institution. Mr. Dixon has nearly finished the stone work necessary to set the boiler in, pipes from which run into the main building to supply baths for patients affected'with lung disease, and who could not in the winter be allowed to go outside. The fence is also being speedily erected, and promises to be one of a neat appearance and great durability. The planting of trees in the enclosure, and the levelling down of the front, will greatly add to the appearance of the building. Bathes, Hard on Mr. M'G-lashan The ' Wellington Post' says M'Glashan, who was supposed to represent the district of Roslyn, is going to England on private business, and must perforce give up his senatorial office. In reality, Mr. M'Glashan did not represent Roslyn, but Mr. Driver, for whom he has kept the seat warm. Roslyn is a sorb of pocket • borough of-Mr. Driver's, and the unfortunate constituency has the choice of Driver or M'Grlashan, than which a harder fate could ■not be conceived. Mi*. M'GWashan has not an idea of his own, but is a sort of Highland Grillie to Mr. Macandrew, and the only busiuess to which he assiduously applied himself while in the House, was the attempt to obtain n bonus for the establishment of a paper factory . —a matter in which he takes a warm interest, and, in.fact, it is announced that he is goiug home to buy paper-making machiney. Last session, indeed, lie made a feeble effort to act as a Government whip, but we don't think he was very successful in that capacity. Except for tlie consideration ofdistance, New Zealand has everything to recommend it, and is now free from Jblie terrors of Maori wars. It is prosperous andflouvishiug beyond example —almost beyond belief, and its welfare must be immeasurably promoted by the very policy which was resisted so long. YVe. might claim, we think, for ourselves some credit on tliis score, but we are content to congratulate our opponents on the established results, and to let past controversies be forgotten.—London ' Times.' WitiTiiYG- about the position of the present Ministry and their chances of successfully meeting Parliament the 'Jlawkes Bay Herald' says:-—When Parliament meets, a crisis of some kind seems inevitable. It is just possible that such a crisis may issue in an arrangement between, the best men on both sides of the House for the formation of a Strong Government. By some such 'arrangement alone does it appear possible foi" either party to set at defiance the host of greedy adventurers aud place-banters, of whom the present Parliament, to such a large extent, consists. ■lt is more likely, however, that the crisis, when it comes, will issue in a disolution. If it does, we can only hope that, at the elections which follow it, Ihe necessity of sending up men of thorough honesty of purpose will have impressed itself so strongly on the public mind from one end of the country to the other, tliat the constituencies now disgraced by representatives who regard their seats merely as stepping stones to salaried offices will turn their present members adrift on the world to make a living in some less discreditable manner, and choose men of a better stamp in their places. The Treasurer of the Nasebv Brass Band begs to acknowledge the receipt of £2 25., with thank's, from John Cogan, as a donation from the St. Patrick's Sports Committee for services rendered by the band on St. Patrick's Day. The Fire Brigade have had a light carriage put on buggy wheels for the hose. It will be a great improvement in getting the hose quickly into play, and should prove economical. The efforts made by the Eire Brigade in thus procuring a really substantial leathern hose and reel should be remembered by the public when next the collectors are soliciting subscriptions. _ Me. Guton, the actor who was summarily dismissed from the Theatre Royal, Melbourne, on the supposition that he was Park, of Boulton and Park notoriety, has brought an action against the management for recovery of the amount of his salary. One half of the witnesses examined positively identified him as Park ; the others were equally positive as to his not being that individual. A meeting- of the Cemetery Trustees was heldin the usual place of meeting, Mr Buseh's room. A full meeting present. Correspondence was read from the Secretary to the Catholic Church, in reference to the crosses, &c., in its portion of the ground. Messrs G-rumitt, Brown, and Busch stated that the matter had been satisfactorily arranged. Accounts passed were for road repair, 15s, for survey pegs and gate, &c., £lO 7s. 4d. An account presented by Mr. Keene, employed by Mr Barron, for £22 Bs., for surveying and ! preparing plan, was deemed excessive, and was held over. The Secretary was instructed to write to the Government through the Goldfields Secretary for Works, asking for 150 forest trees, and 150 ornamental for planting cemetery. A sexton was ordered to be advertised for. It was also ordered that all parties indebted to the Trust, be called upon to pay their accounts at an early date. Mr Busch was asked to see the state of the fences, and have any necessary repairs carried out before the winter. His Honor the Superintendent directs it to be notified that he has appointed Mr James Duff, Mr Robert Johnstone, Mr Samuel Inder, Mr Thomas Turner, and Mr William Manifold Wade to be managers of the Black - stone Hill Cemetery. We understand that the Loyal Mount Ida Lodge, 1.0.0.P., intend celebrating their first anniversary by a soiree dansante, to be held on the 10th June next.