The Evening Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 836, 18 December 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1878.

In consequence of a crush of English and European news just at a moment when a more than ordinary call was being made upon our space, we have been compelled to omit a large amount of interesting matter. We hope to be able to find room for it within a day or so. At « meeting of the Oamaru Hospital Committee last night, at which Messrs. T. H, Brown (chairman), Shrimski, Mainland, Townsend, Montagu, Steward, Headland, wild Kerr were present. The following buslines was transacted :—Resolved, on the motion of Mr. Shrimski, "That the offer of tlie Caledonian Society to give a concert in nid of the Hospital on New Year's night be iiceepted with thanks, the Hospital Committee to givo all the assistance in their power." Tlie following report of the Visiting Committoe won read :—" Your Visiting Committee have to report that they paid • thiiir usual monthly visit of inspection to the Hospital. Everything is going on satisfactorily, and the wards were all found m good order and perfectly clean. At present there arc seven male and three female pa'.-'ents in the building. One of the patient it may be stated, is the sixth from the ship Timaru. Accounts aggregating L9O 4s 7d arc submitted. The Hospital is indebted to the following ladies for contributions ;„Mrs Mcnlovc, eight pictures ; Mrs Clowes, illustrated papers; Miss Hewat, various gifts of flowers." The President was, on the motion of Mr. Steward, requested to call a special meeting, after having conferred with the President of the • Caledonian Society, for the purpose of arranging for the proposed concert. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr, Shrimski, "That a Sub-Committee consisting of the President, Messrs. Montagu, Steward, and •the Secretary be appointed to draw up the annual report and balance-sheet.; the Secretary to ask Dr. Garland to send in his annual report to be read at next monthly meeting along with the report of Committoe and audited balance-sheet." Accounts amounting to LOO 4s were passed for payment. The Committee of the North Otago Turf Club will meet to-morrow evening, at eight o'clock, at the Empire Hotel. Business urgent. Tho monthly meeting of the Lodge Kilwinning will be held In the Hall at 7.30 this evening. After tho transaction of general business and the installation of the R.W.M. and ollieers, a banquet will bo held at tho Royal Hotel. Members of Lodge Waitaki arc invited to be present. Tlie temperance meeting, which was postponed last week in consepnence of tho wither, will be held in the Pukeuri School to-morrow evening. Members of the Good Templar lodges wishing to attend are requested to meet at Mr. J. H. Milligan's at half-past six o'clock. |

Next Monday night entries for the Maiden Plato and Novel Race and acceptances for the handicaps in connection with the forthcoming Kakanui race meeting will be made at the Royal Hotel, Kakanui. ■ A meeting of the Caledonian Society Concert Committee, to arrange for an entertainment to be given under the auspices "of the Society for the benefit of the funds of the Oamaru Hospital, was held this afternoon, at the Criterion Hotel, Mr. Steward in the chair. It was resolved to ask all the Oamaru musical talent to render assistance on the occasion ; also, that the concert be given on the Ist January next, and that the prices of admission should be 4s and 2s 6d.

The County Council meeting adjourned from last week will be held to-morrow at 11.30.

The energy of our Kakanui neighbors in the floating of a company to construct a steamer for the Kakanui trade is highly commendable. The whole of the shares in the Kakanui Steamship Company are not yet disposed of, but the projectors have received sufficient encouragement to warrant them in ordering a steamer to be built. Messrs. Sparrow and Co., of Dunedin, have the work in hand. The Kakanui will trade between Dunedin and Kakanui. Siie will be about 70 tons register, with 22-horse-power engines, capable of being worked up to 90 horse-power, and it is anticipated that this will secure a speed of 10 knots. She is to be fitted with a steam winch to facilitate loading and unloading. It is intended to make a bid for passenger traffic by having a large and comfortable cabin aft. Every care will be taken to render her in every respect suitable for the trade for which she is intended. Messrs. Sparrow and Co., according to the contract, should have her completed in time to commence operations early in May next. The members of the Philharmonic Society met last evening at the Oddfellows' Hall for practice for the Messiali concert, to be given by tho Society at the end of the present month. From what we heard last night, Mr: Pinch, the conductor, has succeeded remarkably well in rendering the chorus efficient in their parts, which are anything but simple ; and, as Messrs. Bilton and Gooch (of Timaru) will preside at tho piano and harmonium, Mr. Walcott (also of Timaru) will take a principal part, and an effective little band will be brought together at the concert, it is likely to prove successful. ______