THE Mount Ida Chronicle. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1873.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 246, 21 November 1873, Page 4

THE Mount Ida Chronicle. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1873.

While much has been done and pro miged towards opening the communication on the coastline, and also by Tuapeka and Teviot to Clyde, and ultimately to Cromwell, there can be no question but what the large and important basin of country bounded by the Kakanui mountains, Mount Ida, and the Leaning Koek range has been neglected. A promise, indeed, was given that the line of rail to Waihemo should be the one next to be considered, but the member for Waikouaiti (Mr. J. JL. G-illies) was elected for that constituency in the face of his openly i declared intention to do what in him lay to frustrate the carrying out of that policy. It would be hard to find 1i more fertile valley than the one extending up froin Palmerston, following more or less the lay of the.Shag Hiver, and closing in at Waihemo. Very superior, indeed, is this country to the vast barren shingle beds up the Waitaki, where a railway is already in course of construction. Mr. Yogel was peculiarly happy in his remark at Christchurch the other day—" that it " was singularly unfortunate that rail- " ways were railways "—meaning, aa he explained, that if it was not for the name of railway —associated, as it is, with speculation, stocks, &c. —-no country would be without the best facilities for commerce. They are simply means of communication at such a rate as to equalise markets, *and thus place the interior in a position able to compete with the seaport towns, being armed equally as they, with the facilities for developing the natural re-, sources stored for the ultimate benefit of mankind. As a matter of finance the expediency of constructing light railways has over and over again been proved. On the Estimates for this year alone we find nearly JB6OOO. provided for maintenance of the main road Dunedin |o . Dunstan via Palmerston, or interest on about £70,000 of capital—an interest that is capable of no realisation, is of no market value, but, on the contrary, an expenditure that in an exceptionally wet winter will result in actual loss to the Province, because, under the conditions of a bad winter, a road half made is worse than one entirely unformed. whole valley of the Manuherikia alike are interested in this question of improved communication. The residents of St. Bathans, Drybread, Blacks, Tinkers, Blackstone Hill, and Naseby, and all the runholders sending their immense clips of wool how they may to Dunedin, are vitally concerned, and

should spare no effort to brmg combined influence to bear to have some definite course of railway commui nibation with the sea coast, determined upon. At present we have to pay some £9 or £lO per ton for carriage, or about £l or £8 in excess of what it should be on every ton of goods brought —an excess that fattens nobody, not even the carriers, but is a direct pouring out of golden sovereigns into the ruts of our main roads. This is too often lost sight of when the cost of the present roads is considered. If we add to the £6OOO for maintenance above referred to a further sum of £4ooo—being a very moderate excess <of price paid on the goods delivered up-country—we have an interest, at eight percent.,paid for maintaining this disgraceful road on £125,000 of capital. Yet, if Mr. Macandrew was to propose to borrow £125,000 at eight per cent, for this road, the country in its wisdom and forethought would say he was mad. Yet this is exactly what is being done to maintain without improvement the worst main road m the Province.

The English mail is due at Naseby the beginning of next week. '■ The English, mail via Suez closes at the Naseby office on Monday next at the usual hour. The prices for contracts Nos. 7 and 9, let to Mr. Abbott, on the head race, are £5491 and £4386. * ' ' We abserve from the ( New Zealand Gazette' that Mr. A. S. Collins has resigned his seat in the Assembly. In consequence of the interruption of the telegraph line in Persia, London messages are sent via Turkey. . The ordinary meeting of the Naseby Town Council, on Wednesday evening last, lapsed for want of a quorum. Tenders are called for the erection of a stone and timber bridge over the sludge channel near Aimies' Hotel. Messrs. IndeH and George will sell, on Wednesday next, at the Ovens Hotel, the bankrupt estate of Mr. R. Keenan. We understand that the Messrs. Sanders, of Kyeburn Station, cut 10,000 lambs during the past week—being a percentage of 83. Mr. G. A. Chapman informs the Naseby public, by advertisement, that he is now prepared to supply hot and cold baths at a moment's notice. The 'Timaru Herald' states that the export of wheat last year for that port was 250,000 bushels, and estimates that the district this year will produce 450,000 bushels. Great excitement prevails in Paris awing to the intrigues of the Legitimist factions for the restoration of the monarchy. Fears are entertain that a great crisis is approach-'' The Resident Magistrate's and Warden's Courts sat in the Masonic Hall on Monday—the Court House being occupied by his Honor Judge Gray, who was unable to complete his business on Saturday. The Canterbury Provincial Council met on the 15th inst. The Otago Council will probably meet in. March. It is none too soon for those seeking a redr ess of grievances to get their petitions underweigh. We notice by an advertisement in the ' Guardian' that Mr. J. P. Armstrong, sur-geon-dentist, has returned from his Provincial tour, and has resumed the practice of his profession at his residence, Moray-place, Dunedin. Messes. Johnston and Co., of Wellington, having been appointed agents at the Port for the Australian and Californian steamers, advertise that the Macgregor will leave Sydney for San Francisco on the 20th of December, via, BLandavu and Honolulu, and will be joined at Kandavu by a steamer from New Zealand. The date of sailing of the branch steamer has not been fixed.

The following business of local interest was transacted by the Education Board at their last sitting:—The Naseby School Committee asked for assistance to the extent of £IOO. The matter was referred to the Executive.— In connection with the Blackstone Hill school, it was resolved to recommend the Government to reserve a site, constitute a side school, and form an educational district.

It is a fact worth drawing attention to that it is estimated that the Otago Provincial revenue, from Ist April, 1873, to 31st March, drawn from the sale of crown lauds only, will amount to £200,000. In introducing the Estimates, the Treasurer said this was a very low estimate indeed. 200,000 more acres, or thereabouts, are thus alienated from the Crown, and from mining enterprise . under the present existing laws. I Ladies and gentlemen connected with the Episcopalian Church intending to give up lives of* single wretchedness about Christmas—a popular time, we have observed, for marriages in this Colony—will be glad to learn that the Rev. JC. Williams has been appointed Surragate to issue marriage licenses for this Pravince—consequently at any-time, the registrar

tion forms being complied with, Mr. Williams' services can be called into requisition. The ' Southern Cross* referring to the dissatisfaction in Dunedin re the Standard and proposed Colonial Insurance Companies, says that for the wants of New Zealand three local companies such as now exist are enough. The ' Cross ' arguee that it is neither advisable nor practicable to dispense witli foreign agencies, as the local companies must re-in-sure, and make a partition of risks. It warns the public against the occurrance of any insurance mania.

We Jearn, from the ' Dunedin Star,' that at a meeting of the Education Board, Mr. Donald Petrie was unanimously elected Inspector of Schools. Mr. Petrie, who is stated to be 27 years of age, holds the position at present of Senior Classical Master of the Scotch College, Melbourne. He is an M.A. of Aberdeen and Melbourne Universities, is reported to have had a varied and most valuable experience, and has been highly recommended by trustworthy and competent authorities. In all, twenty-nine applications were received by the Board.

_ The shearers generally throughout the Province have asserted their right to a share in the common prosperity of the working classes; and, we may also add, (he runholders themselves. Messrs. Oargill and,Anderson, and a few others, have resisted this style. The former firm is now advertising for forty men to learn shearing at 15s. per diem—beginners preferred. The old shearers may well wish Messrs. Cargill and Anderson no worse than to get their f jrty new hands. The poor sheep, we suppose, will balance the weight of wool left on by the loss of skin shorn off. The Rev. William Coleman, writing to the 1 Tablet' says :—" I shall not now do what I think is a violation of law, and which would he dishonorable to me under the circumstances, —that is, to make use of the evidence taken at the private inquiry held on this case by the Government, until such time as the Government supplies copies of the sworn evidence, and thus permits legitimate comment to be made on the whole case. Would it be too much for me to expect that the public will suspend their judgments, and not be biassed by the unauthorised • opinions' of strongly prejudiced persons ? On Tuesday last a very heavy thunderstorm broke over Naseby. The Dead Level very soon became flooded, breaking away its banks, and m some instances carrying away boxes. We observed from our window a gallant rescue of property at the expense of a ducking. The flood kept up all night, doing a good deal of damage—the crossing at the foot of the hill being washed down, probably through a slip of the foundations. Rain and storms have been continuous since then—the j mountains being coated with snow. There is ! no possibility now of any lengthened shortness of water for mining purposes during the summer. It .is to be regretted that so much water is being wasted lor want of hands to use it. The Agiicultural Show at Christ-jhurch •was a conspicuous success. The weather was • fine until about 4 o'clock ; then a smart rain came on. There were upwards of 9,000 visitors. The entries comprised:—Sheep, 332 ; cattle, 82 ; horses, 123 ; pigs, 20 ; poultry, 27 ; sheep-dogs, 7 ; implements, 67; dairy produce, 13 : cured meats, 11; New Zealand manufactures and produce, 64 ; shearing, 12. Total 748 ; which is 79 more than last year! The horses, cattle, and sheep exhibits were ; magnificent. Tolmie, Dunedin, took nearly t all the prizes for Merinoea, including two silver medals. Sutton Brothers of Southland, took several prizes for Lincoln sheep. Hunter, of Wellington, is a large exhibitor of Southdowns and Lincolns, but did not take many prizes.—' Guardian.' We were shown the other day a sample of 36 ounces of gold from the lower Little Wonder claim, Maerewhenua, which is situated on the land withdrawn from the Hon. R Campbell's original application. The gold is of excellent quality, and we are informed there was very little ground worked for the quantity obtained, showing that the ground is highly payable with a constant supply of water. Two hundred ounces have been purchased by one firm, chiefly obtained from tail races within the last three months. Several , parties will wash up about Christmas, when good returns are looked for, judging from the appearance of the tail races. We understand Bottiug and Son have got over 200 ounces from their claim just opened, which speaks well for the future of the field.—'North -Otago Times.'

* In a very able article, the 'Tablet' sets 'forth in the following plain language, the claims of the Roman Catholic church :—" The • Church ask for good books, free from immoral tendencies; and eve'n when purely secular sciences are taught, she demands teachers for these branches free from immoraity, not tainted with error in their religious tenets ; knowing well that if the infidel or materialist get hold of the young mind, he can mould it on his own model. She recognises no teacher in religion outside herself; and she even dreads the influence of others, even in matters not. religious, knowing the danger of perversion. . . . To save their children from such consequences, [communism and secret societies], the Catholic people of tbis Colony ask for a fair share of the moneys contributed by them for education. Moneys demanded by a Government who ought to deal justly and honorably with all those under its protecting care. We ask for our own. Is it not just to grant us our own ? We would accept it under other conditions if it were possible; but it is not possible otherwise to accept it, as long as we cling to the grand old faith! that shall be for ever.

The ' G-uardian' says :—" The state of those of the Lady Joeelyn's passengers who are still on the Quarantine Island is much the same as it was on Saturday last. There are now only three cases of diptheria. Two of these are said to be very bad, the other not in any way dangerous. It is expected that the Cotterill family will be released to-day, and another family to-morrow. All things are doing well, and no doubt that all will be clear in a short time, and free from the quarantine regulations."