The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 1875.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 59, 10 March 1875, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 1875.

His Worship the Mayor was this morning sworn in us a Justice of the Peace by the Resident Magistrate in the absence of a Judge of the Supreme Court. Gas Works. — Consumers of gas will be glad to learn that six new retorts arrived from Melbourne by the Tararua this morning, and will be erected as soon as possible, when, it is to be hoped, the supply will be less fluctuating than hitherto. Yacht Bace. — The race between the Minnehahu and Star resulted in favor of the former, which arrived at the bell buoy at tea minutes past four this morning, about four hours in advance of her opponent. Resident Magistrate's Court. — James Way was this morning for the fourth time within a few months, fined £5 and coat3 for keeping a disorderly house. Au insulting remark addressed by him to the Bench was speedily followed by his committal to gaol for 14 days for contempt of Court. Several owuers of ticketless dogs attended at the invitation of the police, and left the Court a few shillings poorer than when they entered, in addition to having been compelled to purchase tickets. Para Para Company — We to-day publish the directors' and manager's reports presented at the first general meeting of the shareholders, held on Monday night last. They will be read with interest as they give an uccount in detail of the proceedings of the company and the progress of the works at the coal miue. Everything Beecns to be goiug on in the most satisfactory man* ner, and nothing is wanted but the rails for the tramway, which is ready for their reception, to place the coal in the market. More interest is taki nin this company than, perhaps, in any than has yet been formed in Nelson, as it is to deal with a mineral that has not yet been worked here, while the success of the undertaking, of which there appears little or any doubf, will materially assist the progress of the district and the province. Diptheria and typhoid fever prevail in Wellington. The medical men aecribe these diseases to defective drainage, A publican in Wellington has been fined £5 for taking a shawl in payment for drink. Rats have undermined the sewers and footpaths of Wangatiui to a serious extent, holes the size of a man having been made in many instances. A gentleman named Boucher was riding across an unfenced allotment, near Auckland, when hia horse suddenly fell down an old well. The rider managed to throw himself off, and escaped without injury. How spirits are adulterated in the bush is thus illustrated by the Wagga Express: — "One storekeeper in this town bad recently a demijohn sent to him from the bush to be filled with brandy, and the vessel, on being examined, was found to contain figs of tobacco. Another storekeeper states that it is quite common to find tobacco in kegs, &c, sent to be refilled — so common, in fact, that he regularly looks for the article, and is decidedly surprised if there is none to be found." The report by the Registrar-General on the vital statistics of the boroughs of Auckland, Thames, Wellington, Nelson, Chri&tchurch, Dunedin, and Hokitikn, for the month of January, appears in the Gazette. From it we note that the number of births in those seven boroughs was 277, and of deaths 160. The largest number of births (79) occurred in Dunedin, the next largest (54) in Wellington, then 51 in Christcuurch, 42 in Auckland, 22 in Nelson, 15 at the Thames, and 14 in Hokiiika The deaths (40) were moßt numerous in Dunedin. In Auckland there were 38; Wellington, 33; Christchurch, 27; Nelson, 15; and at the Thames aud Hokitika five each. Wellington, unfortunately, on this occasion has the largest proportion of deaths, the rate being 3.05; Auckland follows with 2.90; next Cbristchurch, with 2.57; Dunedin, with 2.11 ; Nelson, with 2 07; Hckitika, with 1.45: and the Thames, notwithstanding the late remaikably hot weather there, was only o*6o. Both in Wellington and Aucklund the mortality was chiefly among infunte under one year; in Dunedin and Cbristchurcb, of children over 5 years of age. Ihe Registrar remarks ttat

there were more deaths by thirty recorded in the month of December, and they exceeded by twenty the deaths in February, the mortality in which was greater than in any other month of 1874. Of the total number of deaths (160) recorded, not fewer than ninety were of children under 5 years of age. Of the excess of thirly in the total number of deaths, it is to be remarked that five occurred in the hospitals of Auckland and Hokitika, places which had not been included in previous returns. The age of the oldest person — a man who died in Nelson — was 66; and a man aged 65 was amongst those whose deaths were recorded in Auckland. The causes of death were classed thus :— Zymotic diseases, 34 38 ; constitutional diseases, 15* ; local diseases, 3062 ; development diseases, 13 75 ; and violent deaths, 13 75. The highest temperatures in the shade were : — Nelson, 92 ; Auckland, 869 ; Christchurch, 85"9 ; Wellington, 81* ; Hokitika, 72 5 ; and Dunedin, 72*. — .N Z. Times.