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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4127, 12 June 1874, Page 2

Stafford Street, Dunedin, has once more —though after a lapse of several years—been the scene of a serious fire. It was on the evening of tho arrival of the Eleven of All England, ten or eleven years ago, that a great part of tho buildings on one side of the same street was destroyed by a fire which extended greatly, and consumed as much property as has boon lost at any fire that has since occurred in tho city. Now, in nearly the same locality, another fire has occurred, but the circumstances are so different, by the existence of a supply of water aud tho presence of a well-organised brigade, that it was possible to confine the flames to a comparatively limited area. Notwithstanding, some six or seven thousand pounds’ worth of property has been destroyed —it may bo more—tho premises on which tho fire originated being those of Mr. G. IT. Reid, aud the stock burnt including a largo quantity of goods belonging to tho MosgielWoollenPactory. Particulars of minor damages havo not been received, but there is no doubt that, in such a business centre as Stafford street now is, there would be a considerable amount of damage done by removal and by the exertions necessarily made to protect property in the buildings contiguous to those in which tho lire arose. The principal losers, wo notice, were insured to the amount of £5,500, but tho companies will, no doubt, have to meet other and contingent claims. Prom Auckland also wc learn of the burning of a hotel at Wangarei, tho loss hy which was partly covered by insurance.

The Government of South Australia, we observe, arc following tho example of Now Zealand and Victoria, iu making provision for extensive public works. The Treasurer has submitted to Parliament a bill to enable tho Government to borrow a sum of £OOO,OOO, which is employed as follows ; —£Bo,ooo for railway accommodation, £50,000 for the Port Wakefield Pailway extension, £l4 7,000 for the Port Pirio and Gladstone Railway, £115,000 for tho Port Wakefield and Kadiua Railway, £40.000 for the Broughton and Barunga Railway, £05,000 for the completion of tho Adelaide Waterworks extension, and £85,000 for tho overland telegraph, including £25,000 for iron polos. Tho Treasurer stated, wo also notice, that he had found on inquiry in Melbourne that tho system of inscribed stock is not suited to the Colony, and ho proposed to proceed with a consolidation loan scheme, The

Ministry at Adelaide, we may also observe, had added a sixth member to their number, to be known as the Minister for the Northern Territory.

A petition has been got up in Adelaide by the bankers, merchants, shipowners, and underwriters of that city, praying the Government to extend the telegraph as early as possible to Cape Borda, on the western extremity of Kangaroo Island. Cape Borda is the landfall usually made by the outward bound mail steamers, and by ships coining from the Westward bound for Adelaide. It is eight or ten hours steaming from Glenelg, and it is argued that, as the Suez mail steamers now call at Glenelg, it would be of great service if the approach of the mail vessels were telegraphed from Cape Borda. It would also be of interest to merchants to have early intelligence of the arrival there of English ships, as days are sometimes lost in beating up the Strait to St. Vincent’s Gulf. It is without doubt that the suggestion will be speedily acted upon. The other colonies will, of course, share the advantages of the early news.