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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4896, 30 November 1876, Page 2

Sir Donald McLean and the Hon. Dr Pollen were passengers by the Hinemoa, which sailed for Napier yesterday.

Hr. Hori Karaka Tawiti was sworn in as a Maori member of the Executive Council on Monday.

There will be a meeting of the Waste Lands Board to-day at noon, at the Crown Lands office, Provincial buildings.

At the meeting of the Education Board yesterday it was resolved that the regulations hitherto in force should be observed as to future meetings of the Board. A fall of the barometer set in yesterday’ and warnings have been sent to expect northerly gales. Strong north-east and east wind were felt at several places during the day. Sea increasing on the Western coasts. Glass falling slowly at all stations. We regret to learn that the house of Mr. Oakes, contractor, at the Pakuratahi, was completely destroyed by fire yesterday at noon. When Mr. James Macara was driving the coach from Masterton past the house, it _ was observed to be burned to the ground. This was about one o’clock. The flames had broken out about twelve o’clock, somewhere apparently between the ceiling and the roof, and in a very short space of time the house, which was a pretty large one, was totally burned. There was but a scant supply of water, the river being fully half-a-mile distant, and only a few barrels being near the house for domestic use. But little of Mr. Oakes’ furniture was saved. The children attending the Sunday-schools in connection with St. Peter’s Church and St. Mark’s Church, Te Aro, Will proceed by special train to-morrow to the Lower Hutt, where their annual treat will be celebrated by a grand picnic. The entertainment will be held in Mr. Riddiford’s paddock, and will comprise the usual sports and games. The whole affair will be under the management of the superintendents and teachers of the respective schools, and we wish the young people a pleasant holiday.

We are glad to hear that Mr. Kidley, of Grey town, who was said to have been more or less involved with Messrs. Edmondson, Sellar, and Co., at the time of their failure, has made a most satisfactory arrangement with the trustees of Messrs. Edmondson, Sellar, and Co., whereby he is entirely released from all responsibility in connection with that firm. We also understand that Mr. Ridley will have the benefit of Mr. Edmondson’s services in making comparatively a new start.

We regret to notice the decease of Mr. Johnson, jun., tinsmith, of Lambton-quay, which occurred to-day, the cause being dropsy, Ji. person named Cheyne was sentenced to one calendar month’s imprisonment at the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday. It being Wednesday no civil cases were heard.

Mr. Richmond Beetham,' the newly appointed Resident Magistrate for Napier, was a passenger to that place by the s.s. Rangatira yesterday afternoon. An unfortunate accident happened to Mr. Clayton, the postmaster at Masterton, on Sunday, his horse jamming him up against a wall and breaking his arm. Dr. Hoskins was soon on the spot and set the injured limb, and we are glad to record that Mr. Clayton is progressing favorably towards recovery. The Wellington City Rifles and City Cadets paraded for their usual monthly inspection last night at the drillshed. There was not very large attendance, and as the expected visit to Government House was unavoidably postponed until next month, the two corps simply paraded along the beach. Mr, Jeffs* unpronounceable compound for the destruction of blight is largely both by gardeners and amateurs, in Wellington and in other parts of the colony. We are glad to notice that he now keeps it in hermetically sealed tins, which are very nicely got up. We understand that Mr. Jeffs projects a visit to England, and is making arrangements for the manfacture of the article on a large scale. .

For the convenience of parties from Wellington who desire to attend the opening of the Taueru bridge on Tuesday next, and who wish to remain in town until Monday afternoon, Mr. Hastwell intends, should sufficient inducement offer, to run a special coach from the Upper Hutt on the arrival there of the train at 4.35, arriving in Grey town that night, and leaving again for the Taueru bridge about 8 o’clock the next morning. Those desirous of proceeding by the coach should leave their names at the booking office as early as possible. A man "named William Taylor, who was only released from custody on Thursday last for vagrancy, made application yesterday afternoon for lodging and entertainment at the hotel at the back of the Resident Magistrate’s Court. The managers of that establishment, with their customary attention and civility, at once interviewed him, and having ascertained that he had been to Featherston and back without being able to find a house which suited him so well as the one at which he has been a boarder off and on for the last twelvemonth, at once allotted him a bedroom. During the afternoon he was examined by J. H. Wallace, Esq., J.P., and remanded until to-day, when the Resident Magistrate will make inquiry as to whether he is a fit and proper person to resume his old quarters.

The fourth heat for the trial fours of the Star Boating Club came off last night between Webb’s and Sheppard’s crews. The race was an exceedingly good one throughout, both crews having to pull their hardest from the start. Webb went off with the lead, and at the Thomdon baths his crew was nearly a length a head. Sheppard’s crew, who pulled well together, and in by far the best form, at this point slightly gained the lost ground. Webb’s crew still, however, kept to the front, and although not pulling in nearly such good form as their opponents, eventually won a well contested race by about a length and a half. A word of praise must be accorded to Mr. Sheppard, captain of the losing boat. He pulled an excellent stroke throughout the race, and showed better form than any of the oarsmen in either boat- The final heat will take place to-night between the winners of the above heat and Ollivier’s crew.

A correspondent writes from Palmerston as follows :—The general cry is “ no work doing,” and for the last month or two a depression exists here that has not been so much felt since the benefits of the Public Works policy came into operation. The delay in calling for tenders ' for metalling the road from Palmerston to Oroua Bridge is open to all sorts of conjectures, and the many expectants of this job are anxiously discussing the whys and wherefores, how and when the work will be done. There are many unemployed in the district, but I am pleased to see the Hanawatu Highways Board are making an effort to absorb some of the surplus labor by the different jobs they are calling tenders for, and doubtless the works will be contracted for at a very low figure.—A very large public meeting was held in the Foresters’ Hall on Friday last, re impounding, which just now is a terrible sore. Several resolutions were passed, condemning the action of the Local Boaid. —It is currently reported that a change in the proprietorship of the Mamwatu Times may take place after Christmas. — On Sunday last the Rev. F. Sheriff, of Foxton, preached to a crowded congregation in the Anglican Church. I was pleased to notice the faces of many of those who have latterly been absent from these services, as it clearly indicates that when a change of the ministration takes place a good congregation may always be expected. On Wednesday first a concert in aid of the school prize fund will be given in the Foresters’ HalL The promoters, Messrs. Gilbert, Waite, and Menzies, are doing everything necessary to make it a complete success.

A disciple of Bacchus went a tour yesterday morning round the various hostelries in the neighborhood of Thomdon. Either the hot sun or the quantity or quality of the liquor imbibed so affected the disciple’s brain that he found it necessary to invest in two pounds of sausages for his dinner, which the obliging butcher wrapped in a brown paper. Going down the street he stumbled over some rough stones, and on being cautioned by a by-stander, said it didn’t matter, as James Hennessy was the beat road-maker in the colony. Presently, however, he came a cropper, and the brown paper came off the sausages. In a frantic effort to recover the paper he executed a conjuring feat, the sausages taking charge and flying out in a long string. He then said “presto fly," and made the string into a necktie. This exertion was altogether too much, and he invested eighteenpenoe which he had received from the butcher in change in a quid pro quo in the shape of colonial ale. Going down Sydney street the hot sun caused a most peculiar sinking sensation about the knees, and ere long be was reclining gracefully on the side walk in the arms of Morpheus, his straw hat forming an effective fender against the kerb. An hour or two afterwards one of the force, as the Scotch say, “ felt a smell" of fried sausage wafted from Sydney-street to the beach on the wings of the gentle zephyr which was then blowing. This gentleman takes his meals regularly, but has a weakness for what he calls “ something tasty;” and in his idea there is nothing so tasty as fried sausage. He bethought him of a certain Abigail whom he knew in Sydneystreet, and thinking that if he called there he might arrive at some more satisfactory conclusion than sniffing at his favorite delicacy on the beach, the constable followed his olfactory organ, which proved to be an unerring guide, and in a few minutes was lost in admiration at the disciple’s necktie frizzling in the sun. The disciple, the necktie, and the straw hat were removed to the police station, and the disciple will appear before the British public at 10 o’clock this morning in the Resident Magistrate’s Court.

The publication of the Irish agricultural statistics of last year furnishes additional evidence of the revolution that is being effected in the agricultural economy of Ireland since the famine. These statistics contain a table showing the number of separate holdings ip 1841 and 1875, from which we learn that there has been a double process of reduction and consolidation,—redaction of the total number of holdings by means of the consolidation of the very small into the larger. In 1841 there existed 310,438 holdings, varying in size from one to five acres ; last year the number was only 69,068. The holdings between five and fifteen acres decreased from 252,790 to 166,595. But, on the other hand, the holdings of from fifteen to thirty acres increased from 79,342 to 137,639, or 73'5 per cent. The holdings over thirty acres increased still more, or from 48,625 to 160,292, being at the rate of 229*7 per cent. The final result is that there is

a decrease of 227 percent, in the total number of holdings. But the characteristic of the_ revolution, it will be observed, is the consolidation of the very small farms into moderately large ones. Thus, three out of every five holdings under five actes have disappeared, while only one in three of the holdings between five and fifteen acres j has been amalgamated with others. The absolute, as well as the relative increase to the farms over thirty acres, is greater than to those under thirty; but, at the same time, the large majority of Irish holdings are still under thirty acres. They number 378,626, against . 160,298 over thirty acres. The holdings between five and thirty acres are by far the most numerous of all—they amount to 304,528. The very small farms are most numerous in Ulster, where very many persons engaged in the linen manufacture have also little pieces of ground. Ulster alone, in fact, has one-third of all the holdings under five acres, and over two-fifths of these between five and fifteen acres. Munster has the fewest very little holdings, and the greatest number of large ones. The American Paper Trade Journal thus describes a new adaptation of paper ; —“ The American Paper Car Wheel Company, of Hudson, N.Y., has specimens of 30, 33, and 42-inch wheels of its manufacture. These wheels have steel' tires made with an inside flange and a cast-iron hub. On each side of the hub and tire wrought-iron or steel plates 3-16 inch thick are bolted, and the space between the plates is filled with compressed or, rather, condensed paper. This paper is made of straw-boards J inch thick, pasted together with paste made of rye-flour, and first made into sections about J inch thick. These are subject to a pressure of about 400 tons for about five hours, and are then dried with hot air. These sections are-then pasted together ;in the same Way, so as to get the requisite thickness, about inches, and are again pressed and dried. They thus form a disc, which is turned off, and the tire forced on with a pressure of about 150 tons. The plates are then bolted to the inside and outside of the wheel with f inch bolts. An old wheel is exhibited, ‘one of the first paper car wheels ever made ; it has run under a Pullman car 312,000 miles without the tire being turned.' One of the wheels is shown with a portion of the plates and paper disc cut away, so as to show the inside structure. One of the paper discs is also exhibited, and if a separate tire and hub were shown the exhibit would be complete. The wheels are painted brilliantly red, which might be described as ‘mono-chromo-engineering.’ ”