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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1060, 12 September 1879, Page 2

Our readers will be glad to hear that the harlw works are progressing favorably. We have the land, and the right sort of people to cultivate it. Under natural conditions onr grain crop will yearly increase ; but nothing would give such an impetus to our ' agricultural pursuits as a harbor capable of accommodating with case and perfect safety ocean-going vessels. Now that it has been demonstrated beyond dispute that the nature of the bottom of the harbor is such that it can be deepened with ease, we may reasonably hope that before long our j import and export trade will not be sifted through Duncdin toourlossand inconvenience. We have been favored with an inspection of a machine designed to facilitate the work of running the concrete blocks foin the moulding ground to the head of the Breakwater. The machine consists of a double cylinder engine and boiler o; about 15-liorse power, with gearing lo regulate it to different rates of s; eed, mounted on a truck, and arranged to act as a locomotive for hauling the block trucks, the weight of the blocks Wing used to obtain power by means of a chain band running from the locomotive to a pully attached to the trucks. In this way six blocks, weighing 150 tons, can be transported easily. The transport of one block formerly required the labor of thirty men.' The valne of the machine will, therefore, be strikingly apparent to our readers. When not required as a locomotive the machine is used to mn the cement trucks at a high rate of speed whenever required, and being fitted with a winch barrel and attachments, it can be utilised as a crane or hoisting engine. It was made to the order of Messrs. Miller and Smillic, by Messrs. Kincaid and M 'Queen, of Duncdin, and is a credit to the manufacturing skill of that firm, and shows the enterprise of the contractors for the harbor works.

Mr; Hobbs, who enjoyed Parliamentary life but for a short season, having scarcely got as far as his seat when Parliament was dissolved, has been rejected by his constituents, who have preferred Mr. E. Hamlin. During his political career, which, alas ! was particularly evanescent, he served his constituency by giving his views in a lugubrious fashion of the native question and what to such a purist appeared to be shocking immorality on the part of the Native Minister. He gloried in the euphonious and complimentary title of " rat," which had been applied .to him by certain 100 scrupulous members who held the absurd notion that a representative should adhere to the policy and party he promised to support as a candidate. Had he remained sufficiently long in the House—had his political career, like the natural life of many another genius, not been cut short, we have little doubt that he would have, to the best of his ability, gnawed the vitals of our constitution, and created such reforms as, to his irreproachable nature, seemed desirable for the s.-.ke of religion and morality. His experience lias added another instance to the ingratitude of a benighted generation. His constituents have preferred a common man to a "rat." The IlamDdcn and Otepopo Rifle Companies have been inspected this week, and turned out Very well, showing also an improvement in drill and other soldierly qualities. Both companies were put through some stilT drills in quick and double time, a point in the drill being to march to the correct time with the proper length of pace. The corps are doing all they can to keep up with the new changes in drill. The Hampden company, under Captain Murcott, numbered 39 men on parade, and the Otepopo, under Captain Diehl, numbered 37, making in all 70 men and four officers on parade. We are requested to state that the concert and ball to be given in the Duntroon School100m, in aid of the Library Fund, will take place on Friday, 19th instant, and not this evening, as stated in last evening's Mail. At the R.M. Court this morning, John Black was charged with being drunk and disorderly, and was fined 20s, or three days' imprisonment. James Kelly, against whom there were 39 previous convictions for being drunk and disorderly, was fined 40s, or seven days' imprisonment. Luke O'Brien, on remand from yesterday, on a charge of lunacy, was ordered to be sent to the Dunedin Lunatic Asylum. Joseph Smith was charged with stealing one pair of boots, value 15s, the property of Emma Roberts, and was sent to Duncdin Gaol for GO days, with hard labor. We regret to learn that the Rev. Mr. Grime has met with ail accident which will incapacitate him for duty for some time. In another column appears an advertisement under the signature of Mr. Warden Robinson, conserving the land contiguous to the railway bridge at the Kurow, Upper Waitaki. We think that this is a Vise move on the part of Mr. Robinson, inasmuch as we believe that a township by no means insignificant will gradually spring up in this locality as a necessary sequel to the formation of the railway along the Upper Waitaki to the llakateramea country. It will easily be seen that, had Mr. Robinson omitted to take his present action, it would have been quite possible for holders of miners' rights to have monopolised this land had they felt so inclined as " residence areas" of an acre in extent. As the matter now stands the land, roughly 50 acres in extent, all of which by the way is shingly and unlit for cultivation, can only be taken up as business allotments under business licenses of L 5 each, in which case applicants must occupy within 10 days. Through the enterprise of Mr. Alexander M'Master, a number of pure-bred rams, which ha : l from the well-known and excellent flocks of Mr. of Victoria, have been imported into this district, and will be a valuable addition to the flocks of Mr. M'Mastcr. Nominations for the vacancy in the r.andon Sub-division of the Waitaki District Road Board will lie received at Mr. Henry Council's residence up to no oil on Monday, t lie 22nd inst If necessary, a poll will be takeu'on Thursday. 2nd October.