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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5566, 30 January 1879, Page 2

It is understood that the Colonial Secretary purposes inviting the Mayor and the Chairman of the Benevolent Institution to confer with him as to what may be the best course to take in regard to tho matter of charitable aid in Wellington.

The Board of Education seem to be puzzled to know what to do with the reports of the various local committees. They feel that out of respect to the committees they must take some notice of the reports. To print the documents would cost an immense amount of money, and therefore it is proposed to hold a special meeting, and have them solemnly read out. There are upwards of thirty school committees, each of whom have sent iu or will send iu its report, so that it will take a long time to read them, most being bulky. Moreover, as the greater proportion of the committees have some grievance against the Board, the iteration of complaints no doubt will bo voted “ damnable”, by the unhappy gentlemen who have to listen. The Board began to discuss the point yesterday, but tho subject was so gloomy that one or two members suddenly had other business to attend to, aud an adjournment had to be made iu consequence of the want of a quorum.

The Central Fire Brigade, on the invitation of the Hon. the Speaker of the House of Representatives, turned out at half-past 7 o'clock last night for the purpose of practising at the Parliamentary buildings. Several additional fire plugs have lately been placed round the buildings, and Sir William Fitzherbert desired to see how the brigade would act in the case of a fire breaking out in the buildings. There was a full muster of the brigade, and the practice gave the most entire satisfaction to all those who witnessed it. Timber to the extent of about 80,000 feet a week is being brought from the Wairarapa.. The mills are all very busy, for not only does the Wellington market need supplying, but there is also a great demand in the Wairarapa itself. The Wellington market continues firm at late advances, in consequence of the supply from the South having been considerably in. terfexed with by the Waimats Plains fire.

We hear that the Manawatu Hotel at Foxton has recently changed hands at £6OOO. Professor Augustus’s baths, opposite the Government Buildings, have been re-opened until further notice.

The Palmerston valuation for the year is £11,601, an increase since last year of £2341, It is seven years since the town was settled.

The case of Miss Jones versus the head master of the College will come on for hearing at the Resident Magistrate’s Court to-day. The dinner of the employes of the Gas Company will take place at the Princess Theatre Hotel this evening.

Tho Education Commission met again yes' terday, but no business of any special import' ance was transacted.

The banco esses set down for yesterday stand over until Wednesday next, in consequence of yesterday being a Supreme Court holiday.

Yesterday being the anniversary of the date on which her Majesty’s sovereignty was proclaimed over New Zealand, it was observed as a Supreme Court holiday. It is estimated by those competent to judge that about tea thousand bales of wool will, bj the end of the season, have been brought across the Rimutaka by rail. The friends of Mr. and Mrs. Bowden will no doubt b* glad to learn that they have arrived [in the ship Duke of Athole, very much improved in health after their visit from here to England. The returns of the laud revenue published in Wednesday’s Gazette show that £322,961 was received during the quarter ended December 81. In the previous quarter £388.714 was realised. The decrease during the quarter is therefore £65,753. We are informed that the Government have placed a sum of £2OOO at the disposal of the Royal Commissioners for the Sydney Exhibition, as a first contribution towards the cost of securing a suitable representation of this colony at the Exhibition.

The education reserves on the Thorndon reclamation' have been laid off, and it is stated that the Board has nothing to do but to build at once. This seems risky, however, for nothing short of an Act of Parliament can confer the property upon the Board. The Gazette published yesterday contains the general balance sheet and summary of the transactions of the public account for the quarter ended December 31st, 1873 ; and also the receipts and payments of the public works fund daring the same period. There ia a proposal in connection with the Tramway Company to retain £1 per month from their employes for the purpose of organising an accident fund. There is however nothing definitely fixed, as it is merely a suggestion. The following telegram from Mr. Worry was received by Mr. Lawson yesterday : —“Mr. Conyers not quite so well this morning. Had a slight relapse of fever yesterday evening, and passed rather a restless night in consequence. Doctors state it will be two or three days yet before any distinct decision can be come to about hia condition.”

The only case set down for hearing at the R. M. Court yesterday was a remanded charge of forgery against E. H. Beero. A considerable portion of the evidence had been taken last week, when the case was adjourned on account of the lateness of the hour. Two witnesses were called yesterday, but did not answer to their names. Mr, Ollivior, complainant’s solicitor, stated that he believed both his witnesses were busy at Wanganui, and he consequently hesitated about applying for warrants for their arrest. He would, however, ask his Worship to allow the case to stand over for a fortnight, or adjourn it sine dine, and give the parties two or three days’ notice prior to the case coming on again. He thought it was only right that when witnesses were away on business they should be consulted a little. His Worship remarked that when a person was charged with such an offence as the present the accused should be discharged if the prosecution were not prepared to go on with their case. It was not fair that such a charge should rest on the head of the accused for an indefinite period. He did not see any objection under the circumstances to having the case adjourned for a fortnight and fresh subpoenas being issued. Mr. Travers, who appeared for the accused, said he would have no objection, provided that when the case was next called on the accused should be discharged in the event of the witnesses not turning up. His Worship observed that it was only fair to the accused to say that so far as the evidence had yet gone there was nothing to implicate him with committing the offence for which he was charged. The case was then adjourned for a fortnight.

There was again another full attendance at tho Imperial Opera House last night, when “ If ” was repeated with characteristic success. The stay of the Stewart Family in Wellington is rapidly drawing to a close, and we would strongly recommend those who have not yet seen their clever entertainment not to lose an opportunity that will probably not occur again —at all events, for a considerable time to come.

The New Zealand Shipping Company’s chartered steamer Stad Haarlem was expected to leave for New Zealand early in the present week, but that was probably from London, in which case she would no doubt call in at Plymouth to take emigrants aboard, so that her departure may not be telegraphed for a day or two. She is sister boat to the Stad Amsterdam, which made a capital passage out to Melbourne some time ago. Both were built for the Dutch East India trade. The Education Board held a meeting yesterday, when a quantity of business was disposed of,”as reported in another column. It is rather to be regretted that the members of the Board are so exceedingly deliberate in their proceedings. Yesterday they sat from eleven till nearly four o’clock, and after all only did work which might easily have been disposed of in less than half the time.

It might be advisable for the Tramway Company to consider the question of reducing the fares on the line at evening. People do not take kindly to the double charge, a fact that is evidenced by the empty carriages between seven and eleven. The cost of running cannot be much greater than iu the day time, and we believe a redaction to 3d. would greatly popularise the tram during the evening. At first no doubt the want of sufficient rolling stock may have hampered the directors, but that cau scarcely be the case now. The reduction is worth a trial There is another point on which the public are inquiring, that is, when the company purpose to commence the work of carriers. They have a considerable quantity of plant lying idle, a correspondent informs us, which could be very usefully employed. Perhaps they find their engine power is fully employed iu the passenger traffic.

The North Otago Tims says A typographical error occurred in our report of the trial of the McCormick reaper and binder. Instead of reading that “the machine was stopped by grain,” it should have read, “ the machine was stopped by rain.” The crops are no doubt very heavy iu the Waireka district, but still we would like to absolve ourselves from having implied that it was owing to this that the “McCormick” was unable to proceed with its work.

At a meeting held in the Ohariu schoolhouse on the 27th inst. the following gentlemen were elected members of the Ohariu School Committee Messrs. Thos. Bassett, Geo. Bowls, Joe Bryant, Thos. Bryant, Thos. Gilbert, Geo. Best, and Wm. Beech. Mr. Thos. Bassett was elected chairman, and Mr. Geo. Bowls treasurer At a public meeting held at Jobnsonville on Monday the following gentlemen were elected members of the school committee, viz., Messrs. Walton, Austin, Bell, Ambrose, Braid, Reddick, and Wilson. The Wairarapa, Standard haaa long leading article on the duty of the residents of a digtrict in regard to the support which they accord to the local newspaper in the form of advertisements. It concludes with the followin„ paragraph -.-Neither the advantages of having a first-class newspaper, nor the labors, nor the services of its conductor, have as a rule, and on the whole, been sufficiently regarded by the people of Grey town. We think we have made this quite clear. We do not think that that the faet reflects any credit either upon their intelligence or pubhc spirit, while it certainly affords evidence that they have no enlightened regard for even their own local interests. Lord Beaconsfield has written a letter to Mr. Mark Addy, boatman of Salford, m which he says:—“The attention of the Sovereign having been called to the repeated acts of heroism performed by yon m saving, at the risk of your own life, the lives of many ot her Majesty's subjects from drowning in the River Irwell, I have the gratification to inform you that the Queen has been graciously pleased to confer on yon, in recognition of your gallantry and daring, the honor and distinction of the Albert Medal,”

A communication on New Guinea, and other interesting matter, have been crowded out. It may not perhaps be uninteresting to know that since the tram cars have been running they have carried 397,000 passenger?, and that each engine in use has traversed 6000 miles.

The “ Australian and New Zealand Gazette” of the 18th November, reviews, at considerable length, in a very favorable manner, the extraordinary progress being made by New Zealand. The concluding portion of the article is as fob lowa:—“And allthiamighty bulk of mercantile enternrise must be the work of, at the very utmost, less than one quarter of a million of persons, whose exertions have thus lifted the colony to a position of commercial power and opulence which, doubtless, is secretly envied by more than one of tho old established States in Europe. Competent authorities, who are intimately acquainted with the material capacities of New Zealand, tell us that the two principal islands will eventually support a population of at least fourteen or fifteen millions; several millions more, indeed, might be maintained, were it not that the Southern Island includes along its centre much barren mountain, which it is not probable can be brought under cultivation. This means, in a word, that the population may expand so far as to become twenty-five times as great as it is now\ Should the evolution of material wealth proceed in the same ratio, we may, indeed, expect that the future of the Britain of the South will be something beyond what the world has yet seen in the way of human progress.” The Marlborough Press says*.— A tender having been accepted for the extension of the railway into Blenheim, it is expected the work of construction will shortly be gone on with, as one of the contractors has been to make arrangements for beginning the work. The time for completing the contract is fifteen months, but it is. probable that this year will see it finished, as the only work likely to cause the slightest difficulty is the bridge over the Opawa, and this with skilled labor and modern appliances will not offer much impediment. The line, already paying something towards its construction, may be expected to yield a profit when people are able to take advantage of the facilities offered for cheap and rapid transit, and the extension of the Pictou line into Blenheim will prove a great convenience to many, and will lead to a large increase of traffic, not only between the two towns, but the inducement will cause travellers to visit the place, who, but for this means of communication, would not have come.