The Oamaru Mail. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 1879.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 906, 12 March 1879, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 1879.

Communication has been restored on the Port f>arwin line. Another of the ridiculous canards which are perioi ticatty circulated for the purpose of maintaining a.* much antipathy as possible against the present *'Jo-vernment is explained away. A few flay* ago it was rumored that a Mr. Clements, a farmer, of the Waifcato district, was about to. t>« appointed as an emigration agent. It appears that " Mr. Clements ha* received* tetter of introdaetion to a gentleman as a colonist who would ijrtituitimM.y assist ir> procuring suitable emigrants should the Agent-'Jenerat sec tit to- accept his services." We presume, tike our Mr. W. Sutherland, he wit! seek t» secure useful shepherds and farm servants for his own, district. He will he introduced to the Agent-CeneraJ. and perhaps, through him. presented to Iter Majesty Qneen Victoria, in company with Captain Barry and our bagpiper : and smalt enough recognition of the valuable work that they will do for their districts and the Colony.

The Union Shipping Co. has proved one of the most successful enterprises that the Colony has ever seen. Not only so, but it has produced vast public benefit, inasmuch as it has helped, by providing speedy and safe communication between alt parts* of the: Colony by means of comfortable steam vessels., that keep their time to an hour, to knit the Colony together. We heard about the Kotornahana but a few days ago, and now We hear of another steamer to be called the Te Anarc. the length of which wilt be 'J7O feet, beam 3-f feet, depth. C> feet, and tier power ">7(!> tiorse-power nominal. The Rotomfthana is to steam- t."» knots and the Te Anau t.T. These vessels are to- be ready for the traffic that will be produced by tfie Sydney International Exhibition. The Company has already sent an order for a boat to replace the Taapo. She wilt be targer and more powerful.

The annual cricket match between the Oamaru and the C'arisbrook (Dunedin) Ctnbs wilt be ptayed on Monday next (St. Patrick's £>ay) at Pu-nedin. The Oamaru team wilt proceed south by the Express train on Saturday afternoon, leaving at 3.3.". and will consist of Messrs. Castettt, »'reagh. F. Fenwick. *r. Fenwicfc. Finch. Hartley. Ho worth. Lowe. t'r. Mttlington, Snmpter, and Watts. There are a good many big boys, with tittle fettows in their train, who for some time have been enat'aged in robbing ore hards in the town and: on its outskirts. Saturdays and Sundays are their favorite days. Some of them are known, having been twice seared from one orchard—on the second occasion at six o'clock on Sunday evening—and we have been requested to warn the young thieves themselves and their parents that if the experiment is repeater! it may speedity lead to the breaking up of family cifetes, as measures have been taken to capture the thieves as they teave the invaded premises, and so ensure conviction and a disposal of the culprits in our gaol or the Reformatory or Industrial School, fmnedm. These inroads upon private propt-rty have become so barefaced r>( late that the sooner some examples- are m.'ule the better. Parents may be quite satisfied to be in ignorant of the wandering and thefts of their unruly boys; but. if not. toi-n trousers, thornpierced hands and Ic**, and: possibly disordered stomachs outdit to he- suspictHus indications, on their return, of hasty retreats over hedges and- ditches, and; an indiscriminate gorge of stolen fruit. We are told that some of Che offenders-—the chief part of them

..-.'HHi tressed hoys, who on-Ut to hthoroughly ashamed ;vf. their c.T.du.f.. ami whose piliM-Uvt-* outfit to F,.- tnmfd'd with no suspicions ftFii.HiC them. On Friday feS a number of i--.-i.*i:-:* of grapes consigned to friuterers in *);wuvru vvere (■ti.-s----charged from the Arawa-la,. and. ire order Chat they not I".- detained in port titt the next trip of the XVaiCaki, with, a chance of their becoming tin titt to ea,e v Captain Kdie forwarded them by the- first; train. They arrived in- ♦Hnvn'it yesterday morning, the fruiterers being deprived of Saturday'* sate. which wmiM probably have• entirety relieved them of this shipment of such perishable goods,, and were tmipiged when we elicited thesu facts in- the delightful occupation; of separating the sound gtapes from the decayed and washing them. There is a taw that punishes severity iMi-y vendor nK frnit w.hii exposes for sale wares in a decayedstate. tt seems steange that the power that enforce.;* Shi* t*w should afso- create the necessity foe its* enforcement., delays in th# transport of goods mb fat too> freipaent,. and when- those goods are perishable., as in the case of fruit, consignees suffer » double toss. We have received the following in reference to this matte? from Mr. Mote, with a that wis should pu-htish it :—" I'nion Steamship- Company —'T» Mr. H- •$• Mote —f>ear Sir,. —W# tw?u sorry your fruit e* Arsvwata was so tong before you got it. but it i* etvtifety the railway's fault., as we gave- them. ordevs the day of Arawata's arrival to. forward it to l Oamaru- VVe have referred the mattk'V to the goods manager here, and he promises tlieve shad he- no occurrence of the sihiw kind; again."

Ws hivvy em'iveit ftom the pufitistwvs (tsht> ILyStStfttoti Ttmt-s) a very neatly printed. stsronsfly hnunit,. anil t:uvHi:lty iMiinpiM ti&efelumilixwlt (futie'Vit "'Flu-' Xfw fetamfc (s'oiwsing- * 'ivtfMi be foe fs7t+." EC voatnin* * wnsnU'vaMi? amomvt of mt'inmitvCiort o( * »»tn»N[tr a-rift awe p tad [is ruvtuvt.l atiU.t? to o-wnt-rs* <pt! jjwytowtyts ami U>v*n?s of Issfieimaliß spurt. There aee returns oti all uourainjf tvuvtk-hf!* ht-tit in Xsw Zsaifcwu't during tfta yei«s- li*TT :vmt l!C*. extern-kit pi'itigrwiit of winning sxut grey. hounds »t th*< sCikL »n<t vnmptete tist* ol RngtislV (Witt Vtutoeuwi Watt.-vtooCwp winners twut rvuHusss-n-p* &«. it i»v «' tietiuve. in* tendiut Co mnvChvue the puMwatioa ei " The JTsw- Zentivntf Coursing Catew&w" from year Co year. (vmJ ifc* annual appe&fjwwe wttE W W!*Bi;lxtstt £o<? witsit interest. tt"« anderstiMul thai! Messrs.. Konayae iuul CottcKlt navs tor * stuiitt snppliy et' tlit* nstssnt luot({l'>ooft. Mitt those ttestrons tot' ©training eoptes 1 siiouM make tsarCy apptkaCfon for th«m.

At a t«i;titt» gi*en by tfw Kb*. J. W. IngfiSi, oo Metulay evsntn* in fhmetlitt. Mr. Bfcadtanfa pmm based; wpeti thv Kartangata catostrophs. •* In Xtsmoriam." was read by that g«ntkma». Tlia prou««£tfo amoHfttwt to

Wc are desired by his Worship the Mayor, as treasurer to the Kaitangata relief fund, to acknowledge the receipt of the following saros, viz.:—Mr. Gordon, 10a; staff of North Otago Times, L2 10s ; net proceeds Philharmonic Society's concert, L3O ss. The following is a balance-sheet of the concert account:—Gross proceeds, L 33 14s; expenses—Volunteer Hall, L2 ; cleaning do., 10a ; refreshments, 10s; X.O. Times, L2; Evening Mail, L2 9s : balance, L2G 5s ; add rent Volunteer Hall remitted, L2; N.O. Times' account handed to fund, L2 ; total as above acknowledged, L3O 53. Major Withers arrived by the northern train this afternoon. Tlte lion. Robert Stout and the Hon. Mr. Gislwiic passed through Oamaru en rout': to f>unedin this afternoon. The former is returning home, and the latter is to be piesent at the University Session. The net proceeds of the iate Philharmonic ! concert for the Kaitangata Relief Fund are L.TO ss. Wc have been requested to thank : those who took part in the concert, also the Votttnteera and others who kindly remitted ; amounts dtte to them for expenses on aci fount of the same. i It is distressing to observe the hackings to ] which some of our most ornamental stone I buildings have been subjected at the hands of idle fellows with knives. There is scarcely one that has not suffered from this cause. In fact, the damage is often done by those who have not the slightest notion of what they have been doing. Seeing this morning the corner of the base of a pilaster broken off, we asked how it had occurred. The reply was that a friend had put his hob-nail boot upon it because his leg required a rest. We would j ** a real" him. ! The members of the Philharmonic Society ftiand and chorus) will rehearse this evening at the Volunteer Hall. Major Withers will inspect the Volunteers i to-night, on which occasion it is expected that upwards of 200 Volunteers will be prc- : sent. The members of the several companies witt assemble at the ilrifl-shcd at S o'clock, and will afterwards adjourn to the larger i space in front of the building, in order that they may have ample room for the varied evolutions that will have to be performed. U'e have been requested to invite the ladies to lie present, and wc think that, imitating the fair ones who, in days of chivalry, used to infuse into contestants superhuman power, they should accept the invitation. The moon will raise ** her lamp above," and lend just sittlieieiit fight to show off the men to the bust advantage : the loveliness of the evening wit! also invite people to step forth from their homes for a while; and the music which will emanate from the Volunteer Hr.lt. which the Philharmonic Society will occupy for rehearsal when the Volunteer* have passed through their preliminary drill. will add a charm to the occasion and crown an entertainment such as can only rarely be enjoyed. We saw the Cadets going through their practice this afternooon, and what wesaw pleased usgreatly. They and their elders shotrid be encouraged in ever}'possible manner. Some people ridicule volunteering : bttt we would like them to point out one bad feature in the system. In numerous 'instances it occupies time that might be spent in damaging both morals and constitution : it affords health-giving exercise that creates self-reliance ; ami it wilt some day probably be the means of saving m>, either by intimidation or actual warfare, from the hands of an enemy. It was the Forest Rangers and other eoloniat forces that did more execution during the Maori war than all the "regulars" put together. The Volunteers fought for their " hearths and homes." which gave tit- nil nerve and strength, the *" Regulars' fought for their pay T Otr Wai.wka correspondent writes a.s follows :—" Harvesting operations are almost completed in this district, nearly ail the crops being secure in the stack. A good quantity o: is already threshed, and threshing is pretty genera! all over the district. Ihe return of grain is very good, notwithstanding the disadvantages tiie fanners labored under—extreme drought while the corn w.is Efrowing. and high winds while it was ripening. Special trains arc running . i tarty now. to convey the corn to market. arid the quantity of grain being sent away . atre;'.ity id astonishing. Scon, when all is threshed, the railway authorities will find it itirt'iciitt to overtake the extra trathe. The weather having been dull and somewhat damp lately, the kire brown hills are ■assuming a greener hue, and ere long the half-starved tWks ami herds will have plenty of feed. This will be very acceptable, as milk and butter are getting scarce, and conseqrtentty dear. A committee has been [ formed tiere for the Kaitangata relief fund, and we are now patiently waiting for the promised subscription lists from Oamaru to Jwgin canvassing the district."

The twad-mastcri of our schools lately addressed a petition to the Education Board. praying for the reappointment of the Drill Ettstrrtetor and tli*r Music Master. The Hoard, white taking action to some extent in the- matter, asked the head-masters, in futtwe. t» eommnnieate with the Board through tfic Sehwl Committee in all matters affecting the management of their schools. On inquiry we learn that the masters intended no discourtesy to the Committee in sending their petition direct to the Hoard. Front the instructions received hy them frown the Committee, rt the teachers in t|«e»tien. and in reading the Act that nw teaeher contd he appointed by the Committee—with the single exception of a sewing mistress. We Iwlieve—they endeavored, since the btinlcn of providing for tttttfott in these subjects lay Ijetween them and the Hoard, to show the position in whiten, they Weft; placed by the cessation of the services referred to. We have also teamed that, to strengthen the hands of the Committetr in ret*onstdering the matter, a copy of their petition was sent to the Chairmaw prior to the meeting at which the res. dntiom dismissing the singing ami drill nuvjters was - rescinded.