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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4131, 17 June 1874, Page 2

His Honor the Superintendent, and Messrs. Gisborne, Brandon, Travers, and Pearce, College Governors, held a meeting on Monday afternoon fur the purpose of discussing matters connected with the arrangement of the new College on the Adelaide Bead. Mr. Toxward, the architect, received instructions to carry out certain improvements and some necessary additions to the building, and it was decided that the College should be provided with gas throughout. The Corporation officials are about to occupy themselves in collecting the water rate for the current year. Those who use the water will he called upon to pay'two-thirds of the ordinary assessment for the year, and those who do not use it, one-third. The Town Clerk has already received instructions to proceed against ratepayers who are dilatory in their payments, so that prompt settlement will avoid both irritation and expense. In the Resident Magistrate’s Court, yesterday, John Pry was charged, under the Destitute Persons Act, with neglecting ty contribute toward the support of his wife and family. Some few months ago the defendant was ordered to pay 10s. a week for the maintenance of his children, but latterly he had become very lax in his payments, and finally paid nothing at all, whereupon ho was arrested upon warrant. The evidence in the case is scarcely worth recital, the upshot of the matter being that Pry was remanded for a fortnight, and admitted to hail upon his own recognisance with the view of giving him an opportunity to make good his back payments. Robert Gray and James Hammond, two seafaring men, were charged with creating a disturbance at Valentine’s Hotel, Glraznee Street, on the previous evening. Both were a little inebriated and very boisterously inclined, hut their persistent and annoying demands to be provided with beds when there was none available was not by any means so offensive as then’ vulgar obscenity and violent demeanor. The services of a constable being obtained, the defendants were removed to the look-up, and yesterday they were suitably dealt with by the infliction of heavy fines. A lad named Stephen Leary was charged with obtaining some pastry from the Co-operative Bakery Society’s shop by means of fatso representations. Mr. Moody, the secretary to the society, stated that the prisoner came into the shop and asked for four tarts, which were supplied to him upon his representation that ho was employed at Mr. Twohill’s butcher’s shop, next door to the bakery, which Hr. Moody discovered to be a

falsehood. As the case progressed it was found that his Worship would be bound to send the prisoner to trial if the prosecution were pressed, and under these circumstances Mr. Moody requested to be allowed to withdraw the charge. The request was granted, and the prisoner discharged. The s.s. Claud Hamilton, Captain Bawden, arrived off Hokitika about noon yesterday from Melbourne, but was not tendered till night. The first portion of the nows she brought was not telegraphed until nearly midnight, but the whole will be found in another column. The Claud sailed from Melbourne on the 9th Inst., and probably experienced those heavy south-easterly gales which have swept the coasts of New Zealand during the past week. She cannot he looked for in Wellington before Thursday.

Wm. Stevens, who fulfilled the functions of chief cook during a portion of the voyage of the ship Wenningtouto this port, sued Captain McEvoy yesterday for £l2 wages alleged to be due to him. Captain McEvoy, it seemed, had a dispute with his former chief cook, who was superseded temporarily by the plaintiff, who was then second cook, hut matters being afterwards amicably arranged the former “ chief” was reinstated, and the plaintiff again transposed to the position of second cook, his concurrence to this arrangement having been obtained. He now, however, took a different view of matters, and sued for wages as chief cook throughout the remainder of the voyage. The fact that the plaintiff had concurred in everything that was done was verified by several unbiassed witnesses, and Mr. Buckley, who appeared for the plaintiff, withdrew from the case, and judgment was given for the defendant, with costs. Some favorable accounts have been received in Wellington as to the progress being made in the working of the reefs at the Lyell, in Nelson Province. Astonishing returns have been obtained from the claim known as the Little Wonder, and it is said that, in a contiguous claim, the Lyell Creek, the same leader has been struck. Prom the Inaugahua, also, during the past two weeks, satisfactory accounts have come, and there appears to be every prospect of the reefs of Nelson Province fulfilling all the expectations which have been entertained regarding them. It was the misfortune of some of the first companies who brought quartz “to grass” to be disappointed in their hopes, but since then there has been a succession of satisfactory crushings, and it seems certain that for some time more attention will be given to this field than it has hitherto received.

A child named Ettie Needham, four years old, has been missing from its parents’ residence at the Upper Hutt since Sunday afternoon about four o’clock, when she was seen playing in the paddock behind the house. Upon the matter being reported to Constable Lyster a diligent search, in which about twenty of the inhabitants took part, was made, but though they continued the hunt till twelve o’clock at night no tidings of the missing child were discovered. The search was resumed at daylight next morning, the hush being carefully examined, but the girl had not been discovered up to two o’clock yesterday, although a separate party had dragged the creeks in the neighborhood. The child has very likely strayed into some portion of the bush which has escaped the vigilance of the search party, who will continue their exertions until her whereabouts is tracked out. The family had only been a short time in the district, having arrived in the Wenniugton. Of the many uses to which water-power may be applied, Mr. Ballinger, plumber, of Willis Street, has just discovered—or, more correctly speaking, invented—one of the most ingenious, for he has been engaged in experimenting in hydraulics for many years past. Contrary to the Scriptural axiom, Mr. Ballinger appears to be one of those unpretentious persons who are not known by their works. Being a man of limited means, and being compelled, therefore, to husband his resources, he hit upon a plan for producing a self-acting blast for burnishing purposes, in which branch of his profession his chief duties lay. The contrivance happening to come under the notice of an engineering firm in this City, Mr, Ballinger was supplied with an order to make a blast of greater power, and the article inspected yesterday by a representative of this paper is the result. Its simplicity of construction causes one to wonder, as in the case of Columbus’ and the egg, that the discovery was not made before, but the attainment of this degree of simplicity is the one point that has caused Mr. Ballinger many hours of anxious thought. The blast is called a self-acting hydraulic twin tubular blowing machine, which produces a current of air sufficiently powerful to produce the heat required by foundrymen simply by turning on a water tap. Prom this tap the water is carried to the top of the twin tubes, into which it is injected through an aperture an eighth of an inch in diameter. The descent of the water, and its velocity, produces the necessary vacuum, and the air rushes do\vn the tube with extraordinary force. The air and water are received by a cistern at the bottom of the tubes from which the waste water is run off, and the air ascending to the top of the cistern escapes through the blow-pipe aud produces the blast. The chief recommendation of this water-blast is its economy. All foundrymen know that a clear welding heat can be obtained at a less consumption of coal upon a wet, wintry day, when the atmosphere is charged with humidity, than upon a dry summer’s day. Schinz, and other metallurgists who have devoted their attention to the improvement of the blast furnace, have noted this fact. In the case of the water-blast, the humidity is always present, but this is only one of its many points of superiority, next to which is its simplicity. In exemplification of -the advantages of this contrivance, Mr. Ballinger set his miniature blast in working order. The fire was lighted and speedily set briskly going, a pot of metal was melted, and some ornaments cast and turned out of the mould in the space of eight minutes. Contiguous to these appliances was a self-acting cellar pump, which was set in motion by the simple act of turning a tap, aud a considerable body of water, the surface of which was twenty-one feet from the surface, was discharged from an adjoining well. This latter appliance has already been adopted in many establishments in the City—■ Broughton’s Criterion Hotel being so equipped —and has been found to act admirably. Mr. Ballinger’s ingenuity is deserving of the highest praise, but what is more to the purpose, he is entitled to all the support that can he afforded to him by the people of this City. The Victorian Superintendent of Police has transmitted to the Provincial Government the £75 reward offered by the Police Department of that Colony for tho capture of Drummond, tho absconding hank manager. This amount will be paid over to the members of the force concerned in the capture, but it has yet to be supplemented by a per-centage on the £4OO found in Drummond's possession at the time of the arrest.

The second steward of the Wennington, who ransacked the cabin of the ship on Sunday week, and decamped with the plunder, was arrested on Monday evening in the neighborhood of Mr. John Martin’s station, at Otaraia. The greater portion of the missing articles were found upon him, and he and they were brought into town last evening by the district constable, who deserves some credit for making such a prompt capture in such an out-of-the-way part of the country. Two largo boilers have lately been turned out from the foundry and ironworks of Mr. E. \V. Mills, of this City. One of these was drawn through the streets yesterday on its way to the work in which it is to lie employed—at the brewery of Messrs. Mace and Arkell. During a late debate in the Provincial Council on increased estimates for the police department in Canterbury, one of the members, Mr. Jollie, remarked that the increased amount asked for was required, from “the fact that a large number of persons had been attracted by the prosperity of the Province, who required the attention of members of the force.” This statement, which, says the Canterbury Press, was “delicately put,” created loud laughter.

The man whose name was first given distinctly as Brennar, and is now telegraphed as Brennan, has been brought before the Resident Magistrate’s Court,at Invercargill,charged with attempting the death of the girl Mary Hall, whom he had murderously assaulted with an adze. The girl having recovered consciousness, and having already been able to make a statement as to the assault from which she suffers, the charge against Brennan has been remanded for eight days.

It is something to the credit of the ratepayers of the City, and also speaks well fertile prosperity of the place, that of the amount of £I3OB IGs, the total rate struck for the current year, £4009 Cs. 6cl. has been collected, leaving the small outstanding balance or £209 9s. This amount will probably be got in in tire course of a month, and when the recoverable balance of rates ons landing from former years is received, the possibility of the accounts getting into arrear will he very small, if the present rigid system be maintained. A meeting of the Benevolent Society was held yesterday afternoon, in the Superintendent's office; but the business down for consideration being of trifling importance, its transaction occupied only a few minutes. At a full dress parade of theN.S.W. Regular Artillery, by permission of Major Airey, Lieut.Colonel St. John, of the New Zealand Militia, Secretary to the Hon. Donald McLean, presented a silver watch on behalf of the New Zealand Government, to Gunner Beattie of the Regular Artillery. It is a silver hunting watch, bearing the inscription—“ To Gunner Beattie, N.S.AV.A., in recognition of his faithful attention to the late Lieutenant-Colonel Prazer, New Zealand Militia.” A humorous writer, “Atticus,” in the Melbourne Leader of the 30th of May, remarks r —Last week a mortgage was effected on a first-class Collins Street property for half its value at the rate of 7 per cent. This week I was startled at hearing of a loan of some £BOO being arranged for on personal security at 3J per cent, for seven years, and was informed that more could be got at the same rate. I expressed my willingness to take every penny of it —£10,000 if necessary—on those terms,, but was disgusted at finding that it is only available for the erection of churches and parsonages for the Episcopalians. I look upon a transaction of this land as immoral. It is calculated to make men swear who have to pay the higher rates. Mention has been made of another escaped Communist prisoner having arrived in Sydney, from Noumea, in the steamer Egmont. His name is Coutilet. It is said that while the vessel was lying alongside the wharf he stowed himself away in the after hold, and remained there until the vessel had been about six hours at sea, when he came on deck. Before the vessel left it was searched, according to the usual custom, by the lieutenant of the port and his officers, who were all armed with long iron spikes, with which they prodded the bales of cotton and other cargo in the forehold ; they, however, neglected to go into the afterhold. It is reported that the escapee was a Colonel in the Communist army. AUCKLAND. The Waikato Times learns that Captain Steele lias made arrangements with upwards of thirty families of immigrants just arrived by the Kooparell to come to the Waikato. The majority of them are to be employed at the Piako, and the remainder will be open for engagement by settlers. The Thames Advertiser states : On Wednesday Mr. T. Morrin and Mr. Richmond, solicitor, of Auckland, were passengers by the Crown, from Auckland, and are to proceed to the Upper Thames district on a land purchasing expedition. We believe the locality in which these gentlemen are looking for land is in the Piako district. On Monday Mr. D, O’Keeffe purchased from the Maoris a block of 400 acres, near the Miranda. It was recently reported that it had been proposed to lay a telegraphic cable from the main laud to Tiritiri. Referring to the project, the Herald says :—We learn, in the first place, that the cost would be trifling, inasmuch as the General Government have stowed away in Wellington some five miles of cable, of which only about two miles would be required by the Harbor Board, and that the expense would simply be in the laying of that and of providing the instruments necessary to be stationed in the lighthouse, the cable being connected with the wire which is in course of erection as far as Wangaparoa, and joining the main wire from Auckland North. In the second place, as . a recommendation, we are told—but that fact is not mentioned in the resolution, though to us it appears to be of primary importance—that it would be of great assistance to the pilot service of the port, and would probably do away with the necessity of appointing at least one, if not two, more underpilots. Vessels and steamers would be telegraphed as “ sighted” many hours before they could reach the entrance, and with this notice the pilot could be always at hand to render his necessary services. The wire could also be utilised for signalling vessels in distress, those with sickness on board, wanting the police or a doctor, &c. Placed in this light, the laying of the cable appears to be a very desirable and necessary work. The superstition of the Maoris is as surprising as their cool contempt of the law. From, the Poverty Bay Standard of the Gth inst., we learn that a report has reached Gisborne of the murder of an old Native near Waiapu at Tuparoa. It seems a young follow named Pehikuru was taken ill and died, his death being attributed to the witchcraft of an old man named. Poihipi. Two men went to where the old man was living and found him sitting with a child on his knee; one of them then shot the poor old fellow through the breast, but as he did not fall, the other fired and killed him. At a vunanga held afterwards, 150 were for condoning the murder, and fifty for giving the murderers up to justice, but, in the meantime, the affair has been hushed up. The body was buried in the wharc where the murder was committed. The murderers are said to he well-known.

A fire, which has already been reported by telegram, occurred in the village of Wangarei on the morning of the 2nd inst., by which the Settlors’ Hotel and adjoining outhouses were destroyed. From the account in the Southern Cross, it appears that the premises in question were owned by Mr. Naylor, and occupied by Mr. Wm. Miller. On the night of the Ist instant, at the tune that the servants and lodgers retired to bod, everything appeared perfectly safe. About four o’clock on the following morning a lodger named Eaton, who slept in the second storey, discovered that there was a large quantity of smoko in his bedroom. He at once gave the alarm of fire, and on proceeding downstairs found that the partition dividing the bar from the private parlour was in flames. There being no available means of preventing the spread of the fire, in a short time the whole premises were consumed. Owing to the rapidity with which the flames spread, there was little or nothing saved. Captain Porter, who has returned to Gisborne, is reported to have stated that ho has opened negotiations for the purchase of a large block of land between Tologa Bay and the oilsprings, the Natives stating that they are quite willing to sell to the Government. The Gisborne correspondent of the Hawke’s Bay Herald hears also, that another Government official, connected with laud purchases on behalf of the Crown, is now in Gisborne, so that he expects that the Government have at length realised the advisability of acquiring land on this coast.

Several Natives have lately been getting into trouble from their apparently indistinct notions with regards to the rights of property. Mr. Kopikama was brought up at Gisborne last Thursday, on a charge of breaking into Mr. Breingan’s house, and stealing a small amount of silver. Several witnesses proved that he had been iu the neighborhood at the time when the robbery must have been committed, and a number of small silver coins similar to those stolon were seen iu Ids possession, and were paid away by him to one of his Native friends and an hotel-keeper. The culprit, of comse, endeavored to get out of it, stating that the silver had been given to him by some Maori boys, who told him that they

hail committed the robbery ; but the Resident Magistrate could not see it, and sentenced him to six months’ hard labor. He made an attempt to escape the following day, but was recaptured after two hours' liberty, HAAVKE'S BAY. A lunatic named McKay, who arrived from Poverty Bay last week in the Pretty Jane, and attempted to commit suicide, died in the Napier gaol on Tuesday. The Herald Icams that Messrs. McHardy and Co. are about to establish meat salting down works at the Slaughter-house, for the supply of homeward bound vessels. The time for receiving tenders for the erection of the new Post and Telegraph Offices at Napier has been extended until noon on the 6th of July. At a literary entertainment in the Athemoum Sail, Nftpier, his Honor Mr. Justice Johnston read extracts from Mr. A Domett’s celebrated Poem, “ Eanolf and Amohia,” which were given in a most able and impressive manner, and were listened to with the greatest attention. His Honor, says the Herald , stated, before commencing his reading, that his principal reason for choosing it was that Mr. Domett had been mainly instrumental in naming the streets and roads of the town of Napier after the most eminent poets and writers, and also remarked that some of the greatest literary men of the present day had predicted that the author’s (Mr. Domett) name would be handed down to posterity with those of Shakspere, Milton, and other poets. The Inspector of Schools in the Province, in a lengthy and exhaustive report, states that the total number of schools at present in active operation is 22, viz.—3 boys’ schools, 3 girls’ schools, and 3 mixed, distributed as follows : —ln the town, 2 boys’ and 2 girls’ schools, and 1 mixed and 1 boys’, 1 girls and 1 mixed in the country districts. These- are constructed by 22 paid teachers (19 male and 3 female). The total number of scholars on the books is —boys, 533 ; girls, 438 ; total, 971. The total average attendance, is 730, being 128 in excess of the average number of last year, including 46 Scandinavians. Several private schools have also been opened during the year both in town and country. OTAGO. The Presbyterians at Oamam intend to build for Mr. Todd a handsome church, which will seat 700 persons, and cost £4OOO. Mr. John Quin, an old Arrow' miner, has died in the hospital. He has left all his money —some thousand pounds—we hear, to his old Californian mate, Mr. "Walsh, of the New Orleans Hotel, Arrowtown. Samples of paper manufactured from flax and New Zealand grasses, have been exhibited in Dunedin, where a paper manufacturing company is about to he established. As a proof of the rise in the value of landed property at Green Island, it is noticed that Mr. John Muir has sold some ninety acres at £3O an acre ; and Mr. John Morrison has sold land at £ls an acre. Mr. A. King, since purchasing the Burnside estate, Green Island, has commenced cutting a w'ater-race preparatory to erecting a waterwheel as an additional power for his flonr-mill. The race will be about thirty chains, and about five chains of fluming will be required to carry the water to the proper elevation. The waterwheel is to be thirty-five feet in diameter —we (Bruce Herald) believe the largest yet in the Province. Tire fall will be thirty-two feet. The wheel and gearing are in course of erection by Messrs. Kincaid and McQueen, Dunedin.