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Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 701, 15 June 1878, Page 2

Despite the many promises and assertions to the contrary, wc have every reason to belitve that the Southern Railway line will not be opened through to Danediu before next spring. At the earliest the line cannot opened before the middle of August, and this, too, provided the weather was favourable to the prosecution of the work, of which there is very little probability. The contractors are it is true, using every effort to have the line completed as early as possible, bat they have had to contend with many difficulties. In the first place they were greatly disappointed by not receiving a supply of sleepers in time, the contractors for their supply, having w e beliere, broken faith. Then, a wry large amount of damage occurred on that portion of the line which has already been opened—the Kartigi-Palmerston section —and for the maintenance of which Messrs. M'Kenzie and Paisley were responsible. The work of

placing this section in a state fit for the* resumption of traffic has necessarily interfered to some extent with the carrying out of the work of making the section bej'ond Palmerston, the completion of which is necessary to establish through traffic to Dunedin. The season of year is also greatly against the contractors, and the continuous bad weather which we have experienced lately has also militated against the proper prosecution of the work. Taking everything into consideration, we feel pretty fully convinced that the line will not be open through to Dunedin during the winter.

We would remind owners fof dogs that entries for the President's Cup meeting of the North Otago Coursing Club must be made at the Royal Hotel, by 7 o'clock this evening. The drawing will take place immediately afl'-iwards.

We are pleased to learn that a number of the friends of the late Mr. James Wheatley intend erecting a marble stone to his memory at Maheno, in recognition of his many good qualities and beneficial public acts. We are informed that a contract for the memorial-stone was signed yesterday by Mr. James King, mason.

We have been notified by the Telegraph Department that the closing of mails for the Australian Colonies and Tasmania, per Ringarooma, has beeu exteuded to 11 a.m. on Monday, 17th inst.

The second coursing meeting of the North Ofago Coursing Club, which is to take place on the Totara estate on Monday next, promise* to be highly successful. Every arrangement has been, made to ensure an excellent day' 3 sport, and the only thing required to make success a certainty i= fine weather. Iu addition to the Hon. Mat hew Holmes' splendid present of a cup of the value of LSO, and Mr. R. Richmond's prize of a silver collar for the second dog, the money prizes are of a highly substantial nature. The number of dogs nominated is large, and! of the excellent quaiitv of some of them there cannot be a doubt, for the list will, we believe, include most of the best performers in Otago. We may there" fore anticipate some excellent sport, more especially as hares are known to be very plentiful afc Totara. The various banks in town intend observing the day as a holiday, and will be closed during the whole of * h ■ dav. The Stewards and Committee will meet at Totara gate at 9 o'clock on Monday morning, and the first pair of dogs must be in the slips not later than half-past nine. A man will be stationed at Doak's Corner, White Rocks, to direct people proceeding to the contest from Oamaru, and another at Totara gates, to direct people coming from | the .South.

The following is the official telegram received by the County Council in reference to the erection of the Upper A\ aitaki lindgo : —"The Commissioners have accepted Mr. John Blair's tender, LU,117. The contract is signed, and the timber ordered. Time for completion, twelve months."

The Rev. H. Dcwsbury will preach in Wesley Church to-morrow, the subject chosen for the evening being the "Parable of tl't- Sower."

A special service for children'wiirbelhelil in the New Tees-street Hall to-morrow evening, at half-past 6 o'clock, to which parents anil young people are specially invited.

There was only only one case down for hearing at the liesident Magistrate s Court to-day, before T. W. Parker, Esq., Ji.M. John Barr<'t. for having been drunk and disorderly ■ : le in charge of a hor.-;e in Thames-street yesterday afternoon, was fined 10s., with the option of going to gaol for 4S hours.

The Oamaru Christy's had a most successful rehearsal at the Masonic Hall last evening, when the programme for the forthcoming entertainment in aid of the Hospi+.-'l was gone through in a highly satisfactory manuer. The Christys meet again for practice on Monday evening at eight o'clock. We believe it is intended to perform the programme in two of the country towns, at one, prior to the entertainment being given in Oamaru, and at the other, immediately afterwards. Nothing has yet been definitely determined upon the subject, but we understand that it is probable that Kak.iuui and Otepopo will be the towns selected. A meeting will be held after the practice on Monday evening to decide the matter.

An omission of a couple of lines occurred in our report yesterday of the proceedings in connection with the presentation to Mr. Amos. We are made to say that the toast of "Traffic Department, coupled with the names of Messrs. Sym and M'lntyre," was proposed. What should have been .-.tated is, that the toast of the " Traffic Department, coupled with the names of Messrs. Lorine, M'Kenzie, and Brebner," and of the " Locomotive Department, coupled with the names of Messrs. Sym and M'lntyre," were proposed. The mistake occurred through the compositor leaving out the middle portion of the sentence—an omission which was not noticed in the hurry cf going to press in time to catch the different trains.

The other day Mr. John Mitchell, in the presence of a number of farmers, very naturally boasted of the fine quality of the wheat •he had grown this season at the Waiho, when one of those present (Mr. B. Williams), who is also a grain farmer, challenged him in the sum of LI that he would produce a sample of wheat grown on Mr. J. Williams, farm at Waimate equally good in quality. The challenge was accepted, and the samples were brought to Oamaru and tested in the store of the ivew Zealand .Loan and Mercantile Agency. On comparing them it was found that they were not only similar in quality, but that a bushel of each weighed precisely the same, viz., 65& lbs., which, as GO lbs. is considered more than a good average, may be viewed as proving that both samples are of excellent quality. i

Mr. Jeffreys will preach in the old Teesstreet Hall at half-past six o'clock to-morrow evening. The share list of the Colonial Insurance Company closed yesterday. We understand that nearly 5000 shares have been applied for in the district.

As an evidence of the capabilities of the land in the Hekataramea Valley_ for grain growing, we may mention that a farmer who has just commenced operations in that district grew last season 35 bushels of wheat and 70 bushels of oats to the acre, both samples being of a very fine quality.

The people of Waimate do not seem well pleased with the manner in which the law is administered in that fown, and hail with very evident satisfaction the announcement that the Government have called upon Mr. Woolcombe, the Resident Magistrate who does duty in Waimate, to resign. At a public meeting held a few evenings since, the following resolution was passed unanimoUsly " That this meeting has heard with much satisfaction the report that a change is to be made in the person administering the law in the Waimate Resident Magistrate's Court; but, as such report may prove to be incorrect, it desires that the chairman will, in that event, call a fresh meeting."

A % r ery enjoyable evening was spent at j Ncnpara at the Good Templar concert last evening. Owing to the inclemency of the weather, only two of the Oamaru performers put in an appearance. The Good Templar committee, however, were equal to the occasion, and in a short time improvised a very good programme, giving the local amateurs an opportunity of distinguishing themselves. We shall not particularise. Suffice it to say that they .-uccecded admirably. In a few minutes after the conclusion of the pro"•ranime, the room was cleared for a dance.

The ball was opened by the respected Mayor, Mr. John Bailey, dancing a hornpipe in excellent time. Mr. A. B. Cook, with his violin, accompanied on the piano, discoursed excellent dance music, and the fun was kept up with vigor till a late hour, when the company dispersed well pleased with the night's amusement.

Mr. Donald Eeid prefers the word auc. tioneer to the honourable title of M.H.R. as an addendum to his name. We are not a bit surprised that, between the two, a man like Mr. Reid should have chosen the firstmentioned. Tt is not only likely to pay very much better, lint he will not compelled to rub shoulders with such bad company. We should like to hear Mr. Reid unburthen his mind of his actual experience of last session. How he felt when compelled, whether he liked it or not, to coincide with views and measures against w-lrtish the whole Colony declaiming. If we know Mr. Reid at ali. it w;Il bsome time before he again enters the political arena. He was, in the good old '■■■:■>, on the right .si<le ; lnit he deserted hi-. • y, and swore allegiance to a new one, the members of which he discovered to be a bad lot. Some people say that he sold his old party, and now he is going to sell hams and bacon. Which is the more honourable of the two ?

The volunteer movement is extending, and lias reached Waimate, at which place a company has been formed, under the name of the Waimate Volunteer Eifle Corps. According to the Tribune, 31 members were enrolled at the preliminary meeting held on Thursday evening. We wish the Waimate "Volunteer Rifle Corps every success.

A contemporary says :' 1 Many people wonder how the M.H.R.'s succeed in spending their honorarium, but if they experienced the charges made for quarters during session time at Wellington they need no longer wonder. As a specimen we print the following, which was received by one Auckland member :—'Sir, —As I presume y<>u will be in Wellington attending the session before loug, I have taken the liberty of addressing yon relative to my house, which I intend to let furnished while Parliament is being held. The position is high and healthy, and extremely private. The situation is as good as . The interior consists of six rooms and kitchen, water and gas laid oil ; and the rent will range from LlOto 1.8 per week.' There must be some good times at Wellington dur : ng Parliamentary sittings when buildings of such modest pretensions draw such hiL'li rents for their owners. No doubt it pays so.'ie of the citizens to retire into the uotmtry anrl let their dwellings at such moderate rjntals."

The Dunedin Age says :—The latest thing in railway projects is a railway from England to the Cape of Good Hope. The completion of the tunnel between Calais and Dover would, of course, be necessary, and then an under sea tunnel would be required to connect Europe and AFrioa at Gibraltar. The rest of the line would it is said be comparatively easy. From the Cape to Western Australia the distance is not very great, and by a trans-continental railway in Australia, Melbourne and Sydney would be brought within about three weeks journey of London. Of course no company would venture on such a scheme, but those who have devised it, talk of its being carried out as a nationa undertaking.

We observe that Mr. H. Money has now been disqualified by the Canterbury Jockey Club. He is therefore now shut out from the C..J.C., Dunedin, Oamaru S. C. racecourses, because he failed to meet his betting engagements.

The Napier Telegraph of the 27th instant says :—" A keeper of an accommodation house at Kopua has got into trouble. From information received, the police obtained information that sly grog-selling was rife at Kopua, and the policeman stationed in the bush quietly wended his way to the new settlement, and caught the culprit in the act." That is nothing. Sly grog-selling is carried on in Oamaru, with over 5000 popu-

lati"n. in the broacl daylight, and under the very noses of the police. The culprits are caught in the act sometimes, and fined what appear to be heavy amounts ; but the game is still carried on, notwithstaneing the efforts of the police and licensed victuallers to put it down. The fact is that, in the intervals between the convictions, sly grog-sellers make sufficient profit to pay the fines and lay by a nice little nest egg.

The supply of timber in the North that but a few years ago was thought to be inexhaustible, is giving out, and we now learn that it has risen in price to 14s. (we suppose this means kauri) per 101) feet in consequence of the difficulty experienced in obtaining a sufficient supply to keep the mills going. Especially during a dry season is i$ difficult to do that now-a-days, owing to the supplies close at hand having become exhausted, rendering it necessary to rely upon floating timber down streams that only exist in winter from more obscure parts. By-aud-bye timber will be dearer still, for those who have invested in forest land will let it lie until scarcity secures for them a market at a higher rate. We hope that the Government will turn their attention to the conservation of the forests by disallowing alienation from the natives except to itself.

Miss Florence ColvilJe was a passenger by the Wakatipu froni Sydney. She is en rov.te for Christchurch, there to join Mr. Uoskins' compauy. Miss Colville made a decided success in a short season at the Koyal in Sydney.

It is notified in the Gazette that Messrs. F. D. Rich, Charles Stewart, and M. J. S. Mackenzie, of the Kyeburn Station, have dissolved partnership, arid that the business will in future be carried on by the two last mentioned members of the late firm.

The following list of the highest (one innings) scores made in 1577, by five of the members of the Marylebone Cricket Club, who met the Australians the othor day, may be of interest just now, says a contemporary : Member. Match. Score W, G. Grace ... North v. South 261 A. N. Hornby... Gentlemen v. Players 144 A. T. Webbe ... Middlesex v. Notts ... 131 m 7I I M.C.C. and Ground) 10 , T. Hearno ... j v _ CJapton j 134 ~ -r, Tr M.C.C. and Ground ) ln , C. F. Vernon... ] I{ugby SchooL { 104 Mr, Grace's 2GI (North v. South) was the highest innings of the year.