The Nelson Eveening Mail. TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 153, 30 June 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Eveening Mail. TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 1874.

Monthly Inspection. — The monthly inspection of the volunteers in town and country commences on Thursday next.

Loyal Hovtard Lodge. — The members of this Lodge are informed that the meeting to-morrow night will be held nt tbe Masonic Hall at the usual hour.

Mr HoiiLcrvTAX, the representative of the Agricultural Loborers of England proceeds to Collingwood by the Lady Barkly this evening with n view to visiting the Coal mine, ond the iron deposits at the Para Para, He will return by the steamer on Friday, and intends proceeding to the Marlborough province by the first opportunity, aod thence to Wellington.

Odr Mail Services. — The following petition is being numerously Bigned by the mercantile and other residents in Nelson: — " To the Nelson representatives in both Houses of Assembly.-— Gentlemen, — The undersigned respectfully bring under your notice ns a matter urgently requiring alteration, the present unsatisfactory position of the English mail arrangements as regards Nelson aud the West Coast pons Noithor in one Mail service or the other is there any provision for the despatch of the mails, either to or from Nelson or any of the Weßt Coast ports, the result being that the uncertainty of date causes greatinconvenience and dissatisfaction especially as regards the date of the closing of the outward mails. We would respectfully urge upon you our representatives the neccesßi'ty for Borne alteration, aud trust, that you will use all your endeavours tb bring this effectively under the notice of the Government. — We are, &c." The folly of inordinate drinking habits was exhibited last week in a case which occurred at the Clarence. It appears that a man well known hereabouts as Tom King who resides ot Mr Gibson's station, recently went over to Nelson on a visit for a short period. On his return to Blenheim he was despatched home by his master in charge of a bull, but when he arrived there he was laboring under delirium tremens. Although placed under restraint he . mauaged to escape on Tuesday last without his clothes, and was afterwards found sitting on a stone in the : river. He was taken back, bat on Wednesday he again escaped, and although search parties went out, they could discover no trace beyond the river bank, and it was feared that lie was drowned. A telegram waa however received oh "Monday evenino: by the police, which stated that King had been traced, in a northern direction, as if making his way to B\enheibx,---Marl-borough Express.

Says the Wellington Times tages, cottages, everywhere, and still the cry is " more." The streets of Te Aro at one end of . the town, and Tinakori road at the other, resemble carpenters' workshops at some particular spots where building operations are thickest," yet the •complaint is everywhere beard that habitable tenements are not to be had for love or money. A comfortable house which may chance to become vacant is leased (upon highly advantageous terms to the landlord ) by somebody who has cast a longing eye upon it for perhaps six months. A five-roomed house, with not enough ground attached "to swing a cat " upon fetches £1 a week; still building goes on, and the demand for house room becomes greater. People' who bave been accustomed to comfortable quarters and moderate rents at other parts of the world, are compelled in many cases to part with one third, of their earnings for the privilege of enjoying the uttermost degree of discomfort, so badly arranged are numbers of the houses in the city for whioh high rents have to be paid. Undoubtedly Wellington is a very prosperous place if this, addition to the troubles of existence be a sign of prosperity.