The Oamaru Mail. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1880.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1180, 28 January 1880, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1880.

The Hon- W. Kollcaton, Minister for Lands, arrived in Oamarn by train from Timaru today, and was accompanied by Mr. E. Wakefi It!, -M.H.11. for Tirraru. He wa3 met by several gentlemen, including his Worship the Mayor, the Hon. H. J. Miller, M.L.C., awl Mr. S. E. Shrimski, M.H.R., and, in company the gentlemen named and Mr. T. \V. Parker, K.M., the hon. gentleman afterwards paid visit 3 of inspection to the several pttblit- buildings. ilcfore lunch the Court - house, gaol, and High School were each carefully inflected, ami visits were paid to the Town Hall reserve, th<s site proposed to be granted for County Council Chambers, and the littmp site at the corner of Severn and Itchtn streets, suggested by the Municipal Conncil as a suitable locality for a lock-np in th«; event oE the exchange of the police paddock being agreed to. In the afternoon the Minister visited the Hospital, and expressed himself well p" cased with thi condition of the institution. He also visited the suggested gaol site op the gully and other places, and left for the South by the express train. During the course of conversation with the Mayor, Mr. Holies ton stated that the IGovernment could not comply with the Council's 'request with reference to prison labor until greater gaol accommodation was provided. Mr. Itolleston throughout his visit displayed a very great desire to obtain information, and we only hope that his visit to Oamarn will lead to some good result. Oar cablegraphic news from Sydney informs t!3 that the Eev. Canon Smith, of Bathurst, is nbont to viait England, and will lecture there on the Colony of New South Wales. 1 here is no better way than this of bringing a Colony prominently before the people of the Old Country, and we do not wonder that New South Wales has followed the example that New Zealand set when it accepted Mr. Judge Bathgate's offer to lecture through Scotland on the Colony, and the adv.vntage3 that it offers to emigrant?. The information to be gained from one wellinformed and intelligent colonist is worth a library of books on the subject. The Pukeuri School Committee have nominated Messrs. James I* ulton and Llenrj Clark as members of the Education Board. The same gentlemen have been nominated by the Moeraki Committee.

The annnal meeting of subscribers to the Pukeuri Library was held on Mond >y evening, at the Schoolroom. Mr. Sehluter occupied the chair. The Secretary reported that there were now 394 volumes in the library, that the list of subscribers numbered 36, and that the library was kept open every Monday evening from half-past seven until nine o'clock. A new Committee of Management was then elected as follows : President, Mr. W. Easton ; Secretary and Treasurer, Mr. W. G. Wallace ; Committee, Messrs. Duncan, Sehluter, Holmes, A\ att, Goodall, and D. Innes. Mails for Australian Colonies per Albion \ close at 11 30 a.in. on Friday, at tlie Bluff. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, this morning, William M'Murray, charged with having been drunk, was discharged with a ! caution. John Connell, on a charge of larceny, wa3 remanded till to-morrow. A memo, from the Telegraph Office informs us that the Teheran route is interrupted. The annnal parochial meeting of St. Luke's Church will be held at the Oddfellows' Hall this evening, at eight o'clock. A most glaring instance of impertinence, and, indeed, something worse, has just been reported to us. Two or three days ago, three men visited the farm of Mr. Shalders, opposite the racecourse, entered his house, and refused to leave. When requested to do so, they assumed a defensive attitude, and proved" that if the rights of the proprietor were asserted they would use violence. One of these fellows drew a knife, and another lifted a hoc with which to strike Mr. Shalders. As an explanation of their conduct, thev said, tl V\ eve been sent out, and we don't m&an to go without what we 'W ant, &c. This is plainly a case for the interference of the police. Ti.ere could surely be no difficulty in compelling these men to answer for their unaccountableproceedings. If such things arc allowed to pass, this district, during the harvesting season, will become the scene of occurrences that would be worthy of such men as have lately made their mark in Australia. The impudence of these swaggers and swaggerers must be nipped in the bud, or their example will too surely be followed by men who will not only put their hands to weapons but will use them. "We do not think that these men arc a disgrace to the number of laborers that now swarm our streets, waiting for harvest work, because we do not think that they fairly represent them. If they did, it would be necessary to maintain regiments of protectors in this and other agricultural district during harvesting. Men who are capable of doing what the visitors to Mr. Shalders' farm did are not only scoundrels, but they are fools. No possible benefit to them could arise from their conduct. On the contrary, they stand a very good chance of being exposed, punished, and disgraced, so that employment —which we fear they seek praying that they may not get it—will be scarcer for them than cv«r.