Untitled

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4194, 29 August 1874, Page 2

By the arrival of the Ladybird from the Southern ports to-day the Suez mail will be delivered one day earlier than if brought by the Albion, as the latter vessel will be detained by her cargo for the South, so that she will scarcely arrive here before to-morrow. The Ladybird arrived at Lyttelton from Dunedin, with the Suez mail, at 1 p.m. yesterday, and, unless detained at the former port longer than usual, she should arrive here about noon to-day. As the s.s. Napier was on the eve of departure for Foxton yesterday afternoon, a communication was received from the Government by her owners, engaging her to go to Wanganui udth the San Francisco mail. By this arrangement the Wanganui residents will receive their English letters about four days earlier than they would have done had the mails gone the usual "way. After delivering the mails at Wanganui the Napier will proceed to Foxton.

It is not particularly .a matter of congratulation or credit to the cricketing community of Wellington that the meeting called for last Thursday evening, for the purpose of considering what steps should be taken towards the improvement of the ground for the forthcoming season’s play, was attended by only four persons, two of whom were reporters. And yet there are supposed to be two crack clubs in Wellington ; they certainly supply a wonderful amount of energy and spirit, which it is fondly hoped by those interested in the honor of Wellington cricketers, will lead them to victory and success in interprovincial and other matches. The Melbourne team are to come here, and, as a matter of course, are to be beaten ; so say the Wellingtonians. Scarcely, whilst the present apathy exists amongst those on whom everything depends. It is hardly probable that Melbourne cricketers, or any other sane men, would attempt to play a match on the Wellington ground in its present state. One thing is certain, the ground cannot be improved without money, and money cannot be expended on it until it has been decided by the proper persons as to the most advisable plan to be adopted in laying it out to the best advantage. Another thing is equally certain, as long as the cricketers display such lamentable and disgraceful indifference on the matter, the public will not support it. It may be confidently anticipated, that if the clubs take vp the matter with spirit, and show a determination to effect an improvement on the ground, and open a promising season favorably, the public will liberally support the movement by talcing an interest in cricket, and subscribing generously towards the desired object. It surely cannot be contemplated that iu the event of a Victorian team visiting this Colony, the Empire City will be the only place at which they cannot find a ground fit to play oh, or a team worthy of opposing. A meeting is to be held on Monday evening, at the Empire Hotel, at 8 o’clock, when it is to be hoped there will be a good attendance.

A football match of considerable interest will be played at, the Basin Reserve this afternoon, play commencing at half-past two sharp. The game will be between fifteen of the Civil Service Club and a similar number chosen front H.M.S. Blanche and residents of the town. The following are the names of the respective teams :—Civil Service—Blackett, McGlashan, Irvine, James, Knapp, Lynch, Mackay, Palliser, Park, Pollen, Russell, Shepherd, Werry, Webb, and Williamson. Blanche and Town—Kay, Greaves, Farie, Davison, Porter, Alderson, McLean, Bishop, J. Bishop, France, Hickson, McTavish, Robertshaw, Butts, and Barraud. The confusion that prevails. at every meeting of the Westland Waste Lands Board in Hokitika has long, been the dread of reporters, and as laud is more sought after, and the transactions of the Board become more complicated, this is intensified considerably. Regarding this the West Coast Times remarks: tainly undignified manner in which the Board sit behind a counter, with a lot of eager customers in front, might certainly be changed for the better by using either the Magistrate’s or the Supreme Court for the purpose. Advocates of various kinds could be better heard by such transition, the Press might be able to give a more connected account of the proceedings, and the business transacted would happily lose the higgledypiggledy characteristics that now pertain to it. As to the facilities for reporting, whether designedly or not we cannot say, they are as abbreviated as possible, A table is placed in a narrow piaco in the very midst of an excited throng of applicants, agents, or oppositionists, and the scribblers have to do their ‘ level best ’ to write fragmentary sentences, caught at intervals from the magnates, who preside and hold confidential discussions amongst themselves. The business of the Board is likely to increase largely as _ time rolls on, and these remarks are meant in the most friendly spirit, with a hope that the complaints may be met in the same way.” A contemporary says ; —ln Queensland some new-found ’silver mines are just now causing great excitement. The locale of the discovery is at New Zealand gully, Cooriral diggings, sixteen miles from Rockhampton. The metal, which is a chloride of silver, has long been regarded as a nuisance by the miners, who, ignorant of its dreaded its presence in the tin-dish, and have been throwing it away in quantities for years past. The true character of the supposed refuse has been tested by competent assayers, who have reported that it contains iiO per cent of silver, and as much as 10 per cent of gold, and its value is estimated at .£BOOO per ton. If the yield is permanent, it is anticipated that the celebrated Comstock lode, and the Nevada mines of America, will be eclipsed. The Messrs. Mautou, who were the first'to develop the Peak Downs, have taken up a great portion of the ground in New Zealand gully. Besides the silver, one party averaged seventy-two ounces of gold per day for ,a week lately. ■ A recent visitor to Riverton speaks in hopeful terms of the appearance and prospects of the district. Ho writes;—“The numerous farms and cultivated plots with which the district abounds afford ample evidence of its adaptability to a high class of agricultural pursuit. I am not in a position to furnish statistics ; still, the fact is tolerably well established by the collateral evidence which can bo adduced. For example, the enterprising firm of Messrs. Whittiugham Brother's and Inston, Riverton, has just completed the purchase of the p.s. Comerang, which is to be regularly employed in the local trade, the carriage of agricultural produce forming one of its chief items. Then there is another enterprise

ing finn, Messrs. Eeid and Sons, who have jus) completed a flour-mill and agricultural implement manufactory, a few particulars regarding which will be sufficient to show the faith which exists in the future of the place. The building covers an area of 46ft. by 24ft., and is 20ft; in height. It is sub-divided into thfee flats, and has an engine-house, 30ft. by 16ft., attached. The machinery is driven by a horizontal engine, of fifteen-horse power-, which was made to order by the firm of Dalgety Brothers, Aberdeen. The flour is received on the lower flat, where it is bagged, and otherwise prepared for transit. The second floor is fitted up -with two pairs of French burr stones for grinding flour, and one pair of Derbyshire stones for the manufacture of oatmeal ; also a silk-dresser 25ft. long ; and an improved horizontal smutter and rotary screen for dressing the wheat prior to its being ground. The hoppers, &0., are constructed on the top flat, the entire machinery and appliances being of the most improved description. The agricultural implement manufactory established in conjunction -with the mill is equally characteristic of the progress and general prosperity of the place. It covers an area of 74ft. by 40ft., the building being 18ft. high. It is sub-divided into two departments, one being used for preparing the iron, and the other the wood work. The former is fitted up with four forges, and affords constant employment to five smiths and four wheelwrights, i The establishment as a whole speaks well for tire enterprise of the firm in question, and the extent to which their labors are in demand stamps the place as one of the more promising agricultural districts of Otago.” The Opotiki correspondent of the Bay of Plenty Times, writes to that journal that Captain Simpson has arrived from the survey of the famous Motu block, on the line of road between Ormond, Poverty Bay, and Opotiki. This large block of land is, it is supposed, iutended| by the Government as an immigration settlement. It is situated hr the valley of the Motu or Maraetrui River, about midway between Opotiki and Ormond. Captain Simpson describes it as consisting of mostly bush land, partially clear of undergrowth, the soil a rich black alluvial to a great depth, being the result of decomposed vegetation. The only me ms of communication to the proposed new settlement, will be by means of the Opotild and Ormond Roads, now in process of formation by Messrs. L. and F. Simpson.