The Oamaru Mail. SATURDAY, MAY 1, 1880.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1269, 1 May 1880, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail. SATURDAY, MAY 1, 1880.

The Land Tax Department is now bnsily engaged in insisting upon the payment of the tax. A large batch of delinquents were invited to attend a levee at the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, and the clerks were kept pretty busy receiving the guests. Before the sitting of the Court commenced, something like LUO, mostly in small sums, was paid into Court. Judgments were afterwards obtained in a large number of cases, and the J Ith of the present month was fixed as the date for the hearing of the second batch of cases. These will be followed by a number of others for which summonses will be taken out shortly.

Another wail comes to us from Windsor. It appears that the men employed on the line (about CO in number) receive a guinea per week, and pay Is 3d per diem for their rations. Report hath it that the Government have let the contract for rations at Is, in which case they make 3d per head per diem ont of men that have been pauperised through the action of the Government.

Again the Ngapara settlers wish to know when the long-promised cattle yards are to be erected in their township. A!\ henever a Ngaparian passes Corriedale he is rendered furious by the sight of the appliances which the Hon. the Minister for Public Works has caused to be erected on his estate. Not only are there cattle yards, but they are painted most beantifnlly, and there is also a platform to facilitate the transhipment of grain, the only drawback being that there is seldom or never any grain for transhipment. The Minister for Public Works no doubt intends to carry out his promise to erect the cattle yards so necessary at Ngapara. His action in attending to his own estate first only indicates that he thought that the Ngaparians could afford to wait. We would, however, like to see the hon. gentleman confronted bya deputation of Ngaparian settlers.

We learn that work wai commenced on the Windsor-Livingstone railway '.ine on the 2Sth instant, and that there are now 60 men —mostly unmarried—engaged on the works.

The new appliances for making Oatmeal have been set in full working order at Messrs J. and T. Meek's Crown Mills, and the first lot of oatmeal made at these mills has just been turned out. Judging from appearances, and the quality of the meal, these appliances are perfect in every respect, and the enterprising proprietors may congratulate themselves on the fact that their latest effort cannot be surpassed. For the sake of this district we trust that such a large demand will arise for the oatmeal produced in this district that it will be attended by an appreciable consumption of the raw material out of which it is made. Messrs. J. & T. Meek, as well as our other millers, have secured for the district a fame that should conduce to promote this end.

There is on view at Mr. Coggins's medical establishment, a live frog that was "unearthed " from a log of wood in Mr. Orr's coal yard. It seemed to have not the slightest objection to exchange a life of freedom for that of imprisonment, and was alive and doing well when we last paid onr addresses to it.

George Plumb, the ostler at the Criterion stables, was kicked in the face by a horse yesterday. His nose is severely fractured and he is otherwise cut and bruised. Dr. Wait attended the sufferer, who was considerably weakened through loss of blood This morning he was removed to the hospital and his wounds were sewn up. He is, we are glad to learn, progressing favorably.

The Oamaru Rifle and Citizen Cadet Companies arc announced to parade at the Old Cricket Ground at 7-30 for feu de joie and skirmishing drill.

s There was a very good attendance at the Volunteer Hall last evening, when Staeey and Co.'a Australian Panorama was exhibited for the first time in Oa-naru. The ' panorama contains numerous views of the chief cities of Australia and New Zealand, many of which are exceedingly well painted, though in some cases we cannot say that the pictures present very faithful representations of the towns of the present day, having doubtless been painted from old photographs. Neither is the lecture accompanying the views oa satisfactory as it might be, the lecturer exhibiting a very strong disregard for the Queen's English proper, much to the offence of delicate and refined ears. For instance, he told the audience, with reference to one view, that "in those days the mails was carried by stage coaches, but now the mails it carried by the hiron 'orse." His fund of information with regard to places won Id also appear to be exceedingly meagre and faulty, if we aro to accept his statement about the population of Auckland as a fair sample of his knowledge of places and populations. The audience were startled to find that Auckland is a city with a population of some 67,000, the majority of those present being, like ourselves, under the impression that the total population of the northern capita) did not amount to more than 14,000. With a good lecturer the panorama might be made entertaining and instructive, but at present it fails entirely in the latter respect at all events. The evening's amusement was varied by some songs, cleverly tendered by a young lady styled M : 33 Liilie, and the clever ventriloquial performances of Mr. Corbett. At the conclusion of the entertainment, a large and varied assortment of prizes was distributed amongst the audience. The panorama was exhibited : this afternoon for the special benefit of chil- j dren, and was well attended. This evening I there will be another exhibition. <

The vital statistics for the month of April were as follow:—Births, 33; deaths, 7.

Mr. G. Robinson, dentist, annpuncesin another colnmn that he will visit Waimate professionally on Monday next, from 10a.ro. till 4 p.m.

We mentioned 3 few days since that three prominent coursing men would shortly be called upon to answer charges of coursing out of season. Informations have now been laid against Messrs. A. Thomson, P. Mason, and Bird (the trainer), and the cases will probably come on for hearing on Friday next.

At th 6 Resident Magistrate's Court to-day, before T. W. Parker, Esq., R.M., Jeremiah O'Sullivan was charged with baying been drunk and disorderly on the railway platform at the Oamaru Station, and with having in the train from Timpro to Oamaru been guilty of indecent exposure. The accused was ordered to be imprisoned for 48 hours, his Worship consenting to the accused being discharged at seven o'clock on Monday morning in order to enable him to go to his work.

We were shown to-day, in Mr. R. Lums> den's shop, a beautiful gold medal, manufactured by Mr. Lumsden to order. It is to be presented by Mr. C. J. Harris to the trainer of the winner of the Waterloo Cup. The medal, which is of burnished gold, surrounded by a wreath, bears on the top of the obverse side "N.Z. Waterloo Cup,'' in the centre two greyhounds running, capitally executed, and at the bottom the date 1880. On the reverse side are the words, " Presented to > Trainer of , Winner of Cup." The manner in which this medal is executed affords another instance that Oamaru is advancing. We are sure that Mr. Lumsden has demonstrated that there is no necessity to send to Dunedin for medals required in the district.