LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 37, 3 June 1876, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

No doubt our readers were greatly disappointed last evening in not finding the result of the Wainiate Races in la-it night'.-* issue. We can assure our friends that the fault flit I not lie with us, for we went to considerable trouble and expense in getting a messenger to ride in from the course—which is about five miles from the telegraph office—and wire us the results up to 3.30 p.m. The messenger, we suppose, imagined that so long as ait evening paper gets its telegrams before midnight, it is no consequence, and thereforeatteno'elock last eveningwe received onr message. It states that Banjo won the Handicap, Fakir secured the Maiden Plate. Mr. W. M'Kay, riding Tc Kooti, fell heavily, and had some ribs broken. The Cup was a splendid race, Banjo being first, and Tommy Dtxld second.

A meeting of the Waiareka Relief Fund Committee was held last night, at the Star and Gartar Hotel, Mr. T. W. Hislop being voted to the chair. There were about twenty gentlemen present. The sum of £375 9s. was handed to the Treasurer, being the amount already collected by the various sub-committees. Mr. Fleming intimated that Mr. Mowat's cheque for £SO had not been included, as it was understood at the public meeting that it was given as Mr. Cormack's private donation, while on the list it stood as a subscription by Morrison and Co. A long discussion on this matter took place, when it was resolved, " That the cheque be received as a donation on account of Mr. Cormack, and that the sub-committee wait upon Messrs. Morrison'and Co. with reference to the amount to be subscribed by the firm.'' Tina item added made the total amount of casli received £425 9s. It was resolved that the Page family participate in the fund. About £IOO remains to be collected in the town, and the whole of the country subscriptions, with one or two exceptions, have yet to come in. The meeting adjourned till Wednesday next, when the report will be submitted by the Disbursement Committee.

The adjourned meeting of the Committee of the Northern Agricultural and Pastoral Association was held this afternoon, in the Mechanics' Institute, a full report of which will appear in our next issue.

Seatholders in St. Luke's Church are reminded that their pew rents were due on the Ist May last, and are requested to pay the same to the honorary treasurer, Mr. Robert Thompson, at the Vestry Room, on Wednesday, the 7th instant, between the hours of seven and eight p.m., or at his office, before that date.

It is notified by advertisement that a concert and spelling bee, under the auspices of the Star of Otepopo Lodge, 1.0. G.T., will be held at Otepopo on Tuesday next, at 7.30 p.m. A musical programme has been arranged, and some prizes are announced to be given to successful competitors. There was no sitting of the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning.

It will be seen on reference to our advertising columns that a plan showing the source of proposed water supply for the town of Oamaru, may be seen daily between the hours of ten a.m. and four p.m. to Thursday, the 15th inst.

We are informed that the Lodge of Waitaki, lIIL, E.G., has voted the handsome donation of £lO towards the Waiareka Relief Fund.

Verily New Zealand is going a-head of its neighbours. The latest proposal presented to the public with the usual preliminary " feelers " in Ministerial newspapers is (says the " Grey River Argus ") to create ten additional Cabinet Ministers, and to partially adopt the English system of having political Under-Secretaries, with a thousand a-year each. The Wellington "Argus," which is credited with representing to a great extent the views of the Government, has a leading article upon this subject, in which it is alleged that owing to the enormous increase of the departmental duties that will be caused by the abolition of Provincial Government additional Ministers will be needed. It is suggested that the Premier should be relieved altogether of departmental duties, and that it is not desirable that the time of Ministers should be devoted to routine or departmental work.

The prisoner Hemi Tapeka, •who lately escaped from the Gisbornc lock-up and rejoined his friends and relations at Waiapu, relates the following thrilling story regarding his escape, -which is published in a Poverty Bay journal :—"I dreamt that my child told me to return to Waiapu, and this dream was repeated twice during my confinement in the lock-up. One evening I knocked at the door and when the constable came I struck him with my fist and knocked him down. I then ran to the palisading and was in the act of jumping over, when a second constable seized me. My coat gave way, and I fell to the ground. I sprang up and commenced running for my liberty, but the constable began to fire at me. I was chased for two hours, and was iircd at the whole time. I next came to a place where some people were dancing. I entered the room and took away the table, made use of it as a raft, and crossed the river on it, at the junction of the Taruhern and Waimata Rivers." One of the A. C. force very narrowly escaped being shot by Master Jimmy since his return to Waiapu. Two of them went 'to capture him ; Jimmy perceived their approach, and was deliberately taking aim at one of them from behind a tree, when his wife seized the gun and prevented him from firing. The " Bay of Plenty Times " of a late date reports that " a meteor of extraordinary brilliancy was seen from Tauranga on Saturday evening last, at eight o'clock. So vivid was the glare of light it emitted that it would have been possible to pick up a pin in the street at the time it was falling. The meteor fell in the west, in a direction from north to south, and in appearance resembled a huge rocket. A loud report followed its descent. The distinguished traveller Schaeffer, the German pedestrian, has been killed several times by the newspapers ; but the "Evening News " of Sydney states that he still lives, and gives the following information regarding

his :—"He is now at Singleston, on his way north, and he informs a correspondent that he intends to proceed to Queensland, visiting all the various towns en route as far as Crpe York ; thence he is desirous of getting over to explore New Guinea, and taking a westerly course, will revisit a few places of interest in Java, where he has been on a future occasion. From there he will embark for some port in India, and travelling north across the Himalayas, enter the inhospitable regions of Central Asia, and if he can manage to get through the wild nomadic tribes, will make for Southern Siberia, and thence across the Ural range into European Russia."

The telegraph runners in the principal towns of the Colony are to be provided with a uniform hat and a waterproof cape or coat, for protection against the winter weather. The Wellington "Argus" says the hat is very neat, with a red cord round the top, which gives it official distinction. The General Manager is entitled to credit for providing the boys with the winter clothing, which, though it adds about £SOO a-year to the expenses of the department, will afford the boys warmth and comfort.

The following advertisement appears in the " Star" -.—The party offering 750 shares in the National Insurance Company for sale at 225. Gil. can have a cheque for them by calling at our office at half-past ten o'clock to-morrow. E. Wilson and Co.

We are glad to learn that the cable between Penang and Madras has been repaired, and is now workable. The company's tteamer will now be available for repairing the cable between Port Darwin and Java. As it has been ascertained that the break is only thirty-six miles from Port Darwin, it is probable (says the "Star") that communication with England will speedily be restored.