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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5328, 25 April 1878, Page 2

The rain of Tuesday had increased the depth of water in the storage reservoir to 12 ft. 2in. yesterday morning. A good deal that first flowed had to be run down the creek, as it was too muddy to store. The distributing basin contained only 15ft. 10in., the falling off having been caused by the mains charged from it all night. It has been the practice lately to have the water on at high pressure for only some 3J hours out of the 24, and by thus preventing waste the small supply which has been available has sufficed to meet the wants of the citizens for domestic purposes. It is a tact .which will perhaps surprise people, that a great waste of water takes place after 9 "o’clock at night and before people are up in the morning, a time during which it might be supposed the consumption of water would be small. Experience has proved that during the night very many thousands of gallons are drawn from the. pipes and run to waste. It is not easy to understand why this should be so, and it must be attributed to carelessness and intentional reckless use of water.

Sir John Coode and Mr. Blackett left Greymouth yesterday in the Stella, to visit Milford Sound.*

It is rumored that Mr. J. O. Crawford, R.M., will shortly retire from the office he has so long held as Resident Magistrate of this city. Mr. Crawford is, we believe, entitled to a pension.

The cricket match Nelson College v. Wellington College was played yesterday on the Basin Keserve. The visiting team were victorious by 85 runs." A brief account of the match will be found in another column.

We believe it has been determined by the Ministry that in the case of cadets receiving less than £IOO a-year the time they have been in the Government employ shall not count as length of service. The ordinary monthly parade of the Wellington City Rifles’ and Cadet Corps took place at their drillshed last night. There were present :—Rifles —l captain, 2 lieutenants, 3 sergeants, and 34 rank and file. Cadets —1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 3 sergeants, and 45 rank and file. The two corps were drilled in the street, and went through the ordinary parade drill in a moat satisfactory manner. They will be inspected on Monday night.

A circular has been issued from the Colonial Secretary’s office to the various departments, to the effect that civil, servants should be informed that they must no longer rely upon the 40th section of the Civil Service Act, 1866, as providing a grant to their widows and families. Officers of the Government are expected to make provision for those dependent upon them by insuring their lives in the Government Insurance Office, or in some other way. ~

Mr. Parnell, of Ghuznee-street, has called our attention to the following notice to correspondents which appeared in the London National Reformer of February 17 :—“To correspondents.—W.C.D., Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand, writes us to be sure to dissuade persons desiring to immigrate, as the hardships to be encountered are very great.” Whoever “ W.0.D.” is, we think very few people who are really acquainted with the colony will agree with him. For sober and industrious working men, as well as for men of small or large capital, their is no part of the world superior to New Zealand. A sickening and disgusting smell.pervaded Old Custom House-street yesterday afternoon. What it was or where it came from could not be discovered, but it was many degrees worse than the street drains at low water. One man was caught in the act of emptying a barrowload of filth into the harbor near the foot of Crawford-street, and the Inspector of Nuisances will take proceedings against him. It is to be hoped that the Inspector will be able to find out the other offender, who did his best to poison a number of his neighbors. The telephone connecting the house of the manager of the Patent Slip with - the office of the engineer and secretary, Mr. J. R. George, in Courtenay-place, is now working, and answers remarkably well. It has been found to be exceedingly useful, and has already saved many journeys between Wellington and Evans Bay. Those who may be desirous of obtaining a telephone to aid them in their business operations will be glad to learn that the total cost of this line, including posts, wire, and instruments, is only £52 ; but a small sum when the very great advantages secured are considered. , Attention is attracted at either end by ringing an electric bell. The whole work was. undertaken by. the Telegraph Department, and has been done in a most complete and satisfactory manner. A serious accident, which unfortunately proved fatal, occurred yesterday afternoon in' Upper Willis-street, to a man named William Power. A number of men were employed excavating and loading drays on Captain Williams’ property, when a quantity of loose rocky material became detached from the precipitous bank, and fell on Power, completely burying him. His fellow workmen immediately set to work to extricate the poor fellow ; but while this was being done another mass of stuff suddenly gave way, and killed him on the spot. He was extricated from his sad position as speedily as possible, and attended to by Dr. . Harding, who on examination found life was extinct. The body was at once conveyed to the Morgue, where an inquest will bo held. Deceased was a* single man, 25 years of age. No blame is attached to any one, as it was simply an accident. Inspector Johnson has been making a raid upon the Wellington cabbies for contravening the city by-laws, and a long string of them was compelled to attend at the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The most common offence charged against them appeared to be that of neglecting to display a card containing the scale of charges in their vehicles. The defendants said they carried cards under the seats, but did not stick them up because they had no convenient place on which to do so. A penalty was inflicted in each case. Inspector Johnson has acted very properly in bringing the offenders before the Court, for there can be little doubt that if a scale of the legal fares is so placed in each carriage as to be brought under the eyes of passengers, we shall not hear so many complaints regarding overcharges. •, ■

A correspondent writes:—“A local postoffice is much required at' Potoni, where it will be remembered the rising’ township of that name is situate. So long ago as December last a petition from the residents on the subject was forwarded to the Postmaster-General, but as yet nothing has been done. Considering the increasing number of settlers in the district, and the distance from any post-office, I do not think this is at all an unreasonable request.” Residents in Napier and the surrounding .districts will bo. glad to learn that it is the intention of the Government to give a subsidy of £6OO as a grant towards the cost of the construction of the long contemplated bridge which is to connect the eastern with the western spit. It Has been' estimated that tho cost of the work will be £17,000, and the contractors will receive,in addition to the grant of £6OOO, a lease of tolls far twenty-one years,.

The time for the reception of tenders for the Waterworks plant has been extended to Thursday, 2nd May. ‘ The ordinary meeting of the Central Fire Brigade did not take place last night, ou account of the scarcity of attendance. At a meeting of the creditors of, Mr. R. B. Scott, of Wellington, clerk, Mr. J. M. Taylor was appointed trustee of the estate and effects of the bankrupt, .The secretary of the, Te Aro Theatre and Public Hall Company gives vote ? that a fifth call of 1 Os. per share is payable at the Bank of New Zealand, Te Aro, on or before the first day of May next. “ Forsaken” was again repeated at the Theatre Royal last night to another good house. The piece, as previously, was well received by the audience. For to-morrow night “ Hamlet” is advertised to be played.' Tenders are invited by the Public Works Department up to the 30th instant, for the discharge from the ship Craigmuller, and for the conveyance from Wellington to Wanganui, of a locomotive boiler and the necessary fittings. Mr. J. H. Wallace sold yesterday by auction allotment 6 of section 245 in the city of Wellington, having a frontage to Hill-street of SOffc. 3in. by a depth of 115 ft. Mr B. Archibald was the purchaser of the property at £lolos per foot. Mr. Wright, agent for the “ American and Australian Directory,” has nearly completed his canvass of Wellington. He has obtained the names of a large number of business people as subscribers, and will shortly proceed to canvass the Middle Island.

The Rev. T. Harrington will deliver the second of his apologetic lectures this evening, at eight o’clock, at the Polytechnic Hall, on the subject of “Freethought : what it is, and what it has done.” The chair will be taken by the Rev. H. B. Bedstone. Discussion is invited.

“ A Country Solicitor ” writes to The Times; —“ We hear much complaint, and with truth, against the evil effects of drink; but I know one instance of its use. An old woman has just died at Asohoott, Somerset, aged 104 years and 8 months, who has for the last forty ■years been found in gin by a client of mine, at an aggregate expense of more than £2OO. It was given her to add to her comforts, and under the supervision of the x squire of the parish, who testifies to its beneficial effects.”

A few days ago (says an English exchange) a man named Reece gave, himself up to the Manchester police, and stated that he was a convict under sentence of penal servitude for life tor stabbing a policeman in London, and that he had escaped from Western Australia. Absolutely nothing was known of Reece, but he was remanded for inquiries to be made, and was of course sent to the city gaol. On entering that prison he was seen by one of the warders, who chanced to be the very man in whose charge he had been for years in Australia. Reece was committed for trial at the assizes on the charge of “ being at large without a licence.

The Mungaroa sections, to which we called attention yesterday, will be offered for sale by Mr. Wallace to-day, at his mart, Hunter-street, at two o’clock.