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Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 596, 30 March 1878, Page 2

The following telegram is published by the Dunediu Star from its Wellington correspondent:— "Great changes in the engineering staff of the Colony will be made very shortly. It is rumoured that the two superintending engineers of railways under construction (Messrs. Knorpp and Higgtnsou) have received notice, but they will be.retained, if they desire, in the re-organised department. The Kngineer-in-Chief (Mr. Carruthers) will also retire, and be succeeded by Mr. Blaekett.: The Government intend to completely re-organise the whole Civil Service by degrees ; and it ;is understood that they are beginning with the Public "Works Department." Goodness knows the whole Civil Service requires re-organisation, and if the Ministry did not succeed in performing any other work of reform they would be entitled to the everlasting gratitude of a long suffering country fur doing this. The estimated yields of grain in the Counties of Waimate and Geraldine, as ascertained by the agricultural statistics, are as follows :—Waimate : Wheat, 670,984 bushels; oats, 520.795 bushels; barley, 14,829 bushels. Geraldine : Wheat, 770,412 bushels; oats, 581,389, bushels; barley, 56,586 bushels.

A correspondent at Waimate sends us the following :—" Numerous new buildings have either just been completed, or are incourse of construction in this township, some of • them of commodious and handsome descrip- i tions. Amongst the former must be men- ; tioneda very comfortable-looking hotel erected and opened by Mr. G. Pratt hear the railway station, and a substantial; brick: ; building for Mr. Bruce, timber merchant. The County Council have now in course of construction a commodious brick building, within the substantial walis'of whiph r ;the affairs of the County will''be conducted. Besides these several other buildings aire in course of erection, and altogether our thriving township presents a lively and progressive appearance. At the Kailway Junction an improvement is being made, which, I am sure, will be thoroughly appreciated by.t.bji.. travelling public, in the shape of a refreshment room. The want of some such place for the accommodation of the travelling public has long been keenly felt, owing to the length of time the trains frequently remain here, added to the fact that this, is the inrermediate station between Oamaru and Timaru. As you predicted would be the case some twelve months since, the binding together of Oamaru and Waimate by a band of iron has been mutually advantageous to both towns. Long may their fiieudlv union continue." According to the agricultural statistics, the t"tal estimated yield of grain in the Taieri County this season is as follows: Wheat, 274,796 bu hels; oats, 280,255 bushels ; barley, 6,125 bushels. The two men, ffeenan and M'Carthy, committed yesterday to take their trial at the gupr-me Court for stealing a watch from William' M'Auley, were forwarded to Dunedin to-dav by the Waitaki, under the care of Constable Smith. There seems to be a very great scarcity of teachers in < )tago at present; indeed, special attention was drawn to this fact at the meeting of the Education Board on Thursday, At the Resident Magistrate's Court this mnrning, before T. W, Parker, Esq., Thomas Farr was fined 10s, for allowing a horse to wander at large with a tether rope in Arun-street. William Brennan, charged with being drunk and disorderly in Tynestreet yesterday morning, was discharged with a caution. John M'Kaughbon, for being drunk and di orderly in Itchen-street last night, was fined 10s. John M'Rae was I'u'iiught up on remand cm suspicion of being of unsound mind. He is believed to be suffering from the effects of diink. The dr.ctor having reported that the man was not jet lit to be discharged, he was again remanded until Monday. A panorana of the chief incidents in the Franco-Prussian War will be shown to-night at the Masonic Hall. We cannot write with any authority of its worth—not having seen it—but, if the scenes are well pourtrayed, it should be well worth seeing. Pictures, vividly wrought out, are capable of telling the hi.-tory of such an event far better than any number of books.