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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1241, 9 April 1880, Page 2

Drivers of vehicles and riders on horseback should approach the sides of our thoroughfares with exceeding caution during the laying of the waterworks pipes, and until the disturbed earth rendered sloppy by the rains has become consolidated. Several narrow escapes from serious accidents have already occurred, some through ineaution, and others while attempting to cross streets intersected by other streets, where the greatest possible caution -on the part of drivers, at all events, would be of no avail. The only antidote would be "ramming" the retnrned earth till it has become sufficiently solid to reduce to a minimum chances of accident. We draw the attention of the contractors to this matter. It behoves them to attend to it without delay.

Captain Edwin wires this afternoon as follows 1.40 p.m. "Watch barometer; bad weather approaching from any direction between N.E. and IST.W. Glass further fall. Indications of much rain.

It is rumored that it is probable that the Counties Act will be amended so that the maintenance of main trunk roads will devolve upon the Government, leaving the minor roads only to be dealt with by Councils. The stoppage of the subsidy is uncertain. But it is thought that counties might manage to struggle on if relieved of the expense of maintaining main roads. A special meeting of the Municipal Council was held last evening, when there were present: His "Worship the Mayor, Councillors Otterson, Smith, Headland, Townsend, Roberts, Humphrey, and Garland. The meeting was held for the purpose of considering tenders for the several works, the following being accepted For finishing the race from S miles to 18 miles 12 chains, Mr. T. Flaherty, LS76 12s ; for pitching at the reservoir, Mr. P. Mullen, Is 4id per yard; for carting timber, Mr. P. Dooley, Is 4d per 100 ft.; for fencing, Mr. Hugh M'Laren, os 3d per chain. It is was resolved, " That a list of the land claims which are arranged for be sent to the solicitor, with instructions to get the deeds prepared at once, and that he be informed that the necessary tracings can be procured at the Engineer's office, on application." Councillor Otterson gave notice that at the next meeting he would move that the Council take legal advice as to the advisableness of adopting the whole of the Municipal Corporations Act, IS7G. Mr. Gilbert, Presbyterian missionary (Upper Waitaki) on the occasion of his last visit was presented by the employes of the Morven Hills station with a testimonial amounting in value to about L 9, as a mark of their appreciation of his ministerial labors there during a period of nearly three years. The presentation was made by Mr. M'Pliail, and very general regret was evinced at his leaving the district, which has now become a sanctioned charge. Mr. Gilbert, in reply, stated that while he found it difficult adequately to thank then for so tangible an appreciation of his iabors, he felt bound to thank them for their everrready response to his invitation to attend Divine service, while their past and present kindness would be a source of gratification to him. It is not unlikely that other stations may follow, to augment the presentation in value. All the cases brought against Mr. Studholme in connection with the "Waimate bush fires have been withdrawn.

At the R.M. Court to-day, Edward Rabefc and Thomas Batemon were charged with having been drunk and disorderly at the Railway Station yesterday, and were each fined 20s, or in default to go to gaol for three davs.

The third and final performance of t]ie Lynch Family of Bellringers was fairly patronised last evening, notwithstanding the unpleasant weather. The entertainment was again highly appreciated by the audience, and the applause bestowed was both loud and frequent, while there were several re.demands of items, the bellringers coming in for the greater share of the plaudits. The pompany proceed North to-day, and will .appear at Waimate this evening.

A word rate ?s now charged on telegrams for places beyond Port Darwin, The following are the rates :—New Zealand lines ; two pence per word ; Australian cable, one ehilr ling per word. Other rates remain unaltered.

Tho members of the "Waitaki County Council yesterday voted the sum of L2O in aid of the North Otago Benevolent Society, and for this liberality they are deserving q£ special thanks, for the Society is likely to have many c f a]ls upon its funds during the coming winter. The Timaru Herald says :—Our attention has been called to a number of spurious silver cping which are now in circulation. So •well are they made thftt it requires some measure of discernment to detect the swipdle, and it will be well therefore for the public to be on their guard, and carefully examine all j silver coin which may happen to pass into !

their possession. Mails for Australian Colonies, per Albion, close at Hokifcika at 7 p.m. to-morrow, Saturday, I Oth inst. Telegrams will be accepted at the Oamaru Station accordingly. | We hear that Mr. Browiilee intends to shortly open vocal classes for school teachers, j The idea is a good one, and we hope that it | will prove as satisfactory to Mr, Brownlee as jt should do to the parents and guardians of scholars who "are now in too many instances tanght to sing—not by Hullah's—not by the tonic sol-fa—not by any particular system J;hat we, or they, or anyone else, is aware of. | There is no royal road to "music. Teachers; can no more easily lparn it than they can 1 learn any other branch of education. Indeed, it is not half so practical—not so 'reasonable—as the majority of sciences. Natural ability has much to do with its acquirement, and not a few teachers —poor fel-' lows—have found- that thig is the case—that it

is easier to donstrue'Greek than it is to take a diminished seventh, or even a. major third. We are, we believe, indebted to the Waitaki branch of the Educational Institute for the promised institution of-these* vocal classes for teachers.

Ifc is rumored that Mr. Connor, of the West Coast, will shortly occupy the posi- . tion of Assistant District Engineer for this district in place of Mr. IJssher. ; ; The weekly.meeting of St. Paul's . Young. Men's Association, was held. last.. evening, when the' following office-bearers for the year were elected: President, Rev. A. B. Todd; vice-presidents, Messrs, M'Farlane and M'Pherson; secretary, Mr. J. Macdonald; treasurer, Mr. R. Penfold; committee, Messrs. Mollison, Watson, A. B. Church, G. Brownlee, and J. Milligan. The remainder of the evening was taken up by a judicjpus selection of readings, given by several of the members. At next week's meeting a lecture will be delivered by Mr. G. Brownlee, sen., Qi} the " Songs and Ballads of Scotland," which promises to be of a very interesting character. During the last fortnight the colony of Victoria has been yisitecj by fine and genial rains, heavy enough to ensure the permanence of the newly sprung grasses, and also that neither feed nor water will be wanting on this side of next summer, The waterholes are overflowing, and vegetation, owing to the warmth of the soil, is growing at a prodigious rate. 1 here is nothing now to hinder the work of ploughing, Already good progress has been made in some parts, and we learn that an increase of area of from 20 to 25 per cent, is likely to be put under wheat during the current season. A proposal is under consideration to send home a team of Victorian-bred ploughmen, and with Vic-torian-made ploughs, to contest the championship in the ploughing field with English ploughmen. The Timaru Herald says : —'-An expe-r rienced farmer writes to the local press on a subject which may be said to touch very keenly many people just now. He expresses a fear that many Canterbury grain merchants this year seem to intend making a similar ' ring' as the one ' already started in Christchurch,' by which the grower of grain is fleeced, enormous profits being made out of him. He warns the merchants that farmers are not so hard up as generally imagined, and that the monopolies of buying which are now created will soon work their own cure. Then for his figures and facts. Last year, the farmer in question says he was offered by a large mercantile firm 3s 4d per bushel for his wheat, but he declined, and shipped it Home himself. When looking at his account sale?, received afterwards, he found that upon a produce of 230 acres he had made a clear profit of L 450 ' over the price offered him on the spot.' On calculation he discovered that his wheat cost him, last year, about Is Bid per bushel to ship Home, ; including all charges. Taking the freight this year at 50s a ton—the price settled upon by the shipping companies, and a much higher rate than last season—-the outside charges will not exceed 2s 2d; which means that ISTew Zealand wheat at 56s to 58s per quarter will leave a margin of 4s lid to the shippers, so that if merchants intend offering 3s 6d to 3s 9d as opening prices, it will be simply ' ringing' the

growers," The following letter appears in the Timaru Herald :—Sir, —While out on a shooting expedition last Saturday, in company with Mr. Trezise, of Waitohi Flat, I came across a deep gully, about fourteen miles west by north from Temuka," having a deep cliff eighty feet on one side, with a slope of eighty feet below it. The base of the cliff was slightly hollowed out apparently caused by a heavy fall of earth, and in the. hollow thus formed were embedded the:fossil remains of several kinds of fish, varying in size from thirty feet long and downwards. These remains are very distinctly formed, and can be traced without the slightest difficulty by black layers in the solid rock. The whole of thesg remains, as far as I could perceive, were contained within a space of about 300 square yards. They are indeed most curious, and the antiquarian, or anyone who is in the slightest degree interested in the wonderful works of nature will be extremely gratified by a visit to them. It is impossible, on a cursory examination, to hazard a guess as to their age, but the mpre fact of their being imbedded in the solid rock, shows that they must have been in their present position many thousands of years ; and gives one proof more that at one time New Zealand existed only submerged by the mighty Pacific. •