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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1273, 6 May 1880, Page 2

Mr. D. Sntherland has definitely resolved to contest the election for Mr. Hislop's vacant seat. ! A number of the electors of the Otepopo district have signed a requisition to Mr. George Jones, asking him to come forward as a candidate for the vacant Wajtaki seat. The requisition and his reply thereto will appear in to-morrow's North Otago Times, if possible, bnt, all events, in to-morrow's Moil.

It is rumoured that the Railway Commission intend, to recommend that the death blow should be gjyeji to the dear railway morsels that hav£ been born, .or threaten to be born, of self-interest rather of the. public weal. We are not in a position to indicate the lines that will suffer; but there can be no donbt that the pen of the Commission will be put through such items that, should their recommendations be accepted by Parliament, t|ie Colony will witness something far more worthy of the name ■of retrenchment than that which Mp. Oliver has lately attempted to effect by attacking the working of our railway system. The meeting of the Committer pf the Oamaru Jockey Club, which was announced /or last evening, lapsed through paucity of attendance. An adjourned meeting has therefore been called for Monday evening [ next, at the Empire Hotel, The business to be transacted is of importance—that of fixing upon a date and adopting a programme fop the approaching steeplechase meeting, which will probably be held on Monday, the sth July.

Mr. Barton, who has published business directories in several of the towns of the district of Canterbury, contemplates doing the same in Oamaru. The directory he has now in hand will contain a list of all tradespeople in Ashbnrton, Temuka, Timaru, Waipjate, and Oamaru, who elect to have their jiame3 upon it.

Mails for the United Kingdom and the Australian Colonies, per Arawata, will close on Friday, the 7th instant, at 3 p.m., at the

Those electors who.desire to proitipte the return of a Liberal candidate to supply Mr; Hislop's place in Parliament , are requested by advertiseriient to meet, at the Empire Hotel to-night at 8 o'clock. . We have the best authority for stating that Mr. Keid will-address the electors in connection with his candidature prior to the polling day, although the faithful performance of his duties as a member of the Kail l way Commission will render the task somewhat difficult and irksome.

The Oamaru Philharmonic Society will hold a practice to-morrow 1 evening in the Volunteer Hall. There was no practice last evening in consequence of the inclement weather.

On Monday evening last we inserted a complaint from Mr. Matthews to the effect that the contract for completing a cutting on the Windsor-Livingstone line, which he had in hand when the works were discontinued, had been given to Mr, M'Minnamin without his having had an opportunity of resuming it, or tenders being called for it. We commented ijppn the injustice of pursuing such a courise, and expressed an opinion that tenders should be called for Government works, as being the only equitable method of dealing with them. Of course, when we did so, we did not in the least refer to the system which the Cfoverjiment has compulsorily adopted throughout the colony of giving railway work to the unemployed at certain fixed wages per week. What we meant is that, if thi? Government departed from that system in connection with any of the works on " unemployed" sections, they should advertise for tenders. We are pleased to learn that there has been no departure from this system; that the completion of Mr, M&tthgw's contract has not been let to Mr. M'Minnamin $ that Mr. M'Minnamin enjoys no advantages superior to those bestowed upon the other men on the works; and that the workmen are satisfied with the treatment they are receiving at the ' hands of the officers of the Government set over them.

Electioneering is just becoming interesting. To-day an elector was charged with having signed a requisition for presentation to one of the candidates. "My dear fellow," said be, " I must divide ray feyors. I have therefore signed 's requisition, but I shall vote for . I cannot afford, in my position, to offend any man."

We learn that a requisition was started yesterday to Mr. John Reid, of Elderslie, asking him to contest the coming election for Waitaki. The requisition has already been very numerously signed, especially by the working class. Mr, Reid's supporters claim that his welL-known liberality and kindness to hundrsds who have dur.ing the last ten years worked for him from time to time have gained for him golden opinions among the workmen, and that his return is a certainty—but of course time will tell. —Morning Herald. The usual monthly meeting of the Kaka-

nui Road Board was held yesterday in the Board's offices, Tyne-street, when there were present:—Messrs. Gilchrist (in the chair), Gollis, Elder, Gemmell, Hedley, M'Donald, and Meek. Mr. Oliver, Engineer, was also in attendance. The minutes of last meeting having been read and confirmed, a circular from the Secretary to tlje Treasury was read, enclosing a form with which to claim the subsidy for the past year, but holding out no definite prospects of the subsidy being paid. The Auditor wrote certifying to the completion of the audit of books and ac-

counts. A letter was read from Mr. 0. Old-

bam, of Kakanui, complaining of the ditch in part of section 6, block IV., being so cut as to prevent proper access to his section, and was referred to the Engineer for report. The Secretary to the Oamaru Stone Company wrote -with reference to the impassable state of the road between the Totara railway siding and the quarry during wet weather ; also, stating that the portion of the quarry reserve required to complete the road was at the Board's service, subject to a contingent right of the Stone Company's crossing the road with a tramway. It was referred to the Chairman and Mr. Hedley to deal with, after having obtained the solicitor's opinion. A memo, from the Engineers (Messrs. Barr and Oliver) was read, forwarding tracings of the road-lines to be exchanged with Mr. O. Davia, of Island Stream. The solicitors were instructed to prepare the necessary transfers. The following gentlemen wero appointed Returning Officers for the annual elections for the several Sub-divisions : 4-Wamoa, Mr. Hedley; Incholme, Mr. Elder; Lambourne, Mr. Walker; Lambton, Mr. Collis; Totara, Mr. Morton, The voters' rolls were signed by the Chairman. Thomas Flaherty's tender (LlB3 4s 8d) for Contract 66 was accepted. The Engineer was instructed to attend to the following matters : (1) To have gulvert erected on Fortificationroad, near Mr. Graham's; (2) to prepare plans and specifications for the remaining portion of White Rocks Road; (3) to prepare plans and specifications for .draining roadrline in Waiareka Flat. Accounts to the amount of 141 19s baying bgepi pagspd for payment, the Board adjourned. Members of No. 1 Company's Band will meet for practice at the Volunteer Hall this evening, instead of to-morrow evening. Captain Edwin wires as follows : —Expect sea on the beach within eight hours.

We desire to draw the attention of our readers to the advertisement which appears in another column concerning the art union of paintings shortly to be held in Oamaru, When we mention the name of Mrs. Ansted as one of the Jady artists we say a great deal, for her beautiful groups of flowers which have bfien from time to time shown on the. wall 9 of the Art Society at their annual exhibitions iij. Dunecjifi, pfoclainj her merits, We observe that there are a few of her groups amongst the prises to be giyen. Mrs. Burchill, the other lady whose pictures are to be submitted, is a resident of Christchurch, and her works are but little known to us j but, judging from the specimens of her bandiwftpk pow on view, especially the one of " Mount (Qrguel .Jer" yre should fancy tjiat her education hag pot be.en npgleeted. The pictures are hung up in the Athentgum, and we recgmmend aU admirers of art to look in and take a peep thsm. We feel sure they will leave their names behind them as contributors to the art union, which, we heartily hope, will meet with tljat success which it merits.

•The Hepald says " We learn from a gentleman just returned fpom IVfurifS.Qtg tjiat the aspect .of affairs there has undergone » gi'eat gjiange. Major Kemp and his followers still remain there, arid right in the centre of the block haye built a pa and gone in extensively for cultivation, Kemp has altered his tactics, and no longer puts any embargo on jtbe despatch of wool .or on the progress of station work, and a friendly feeling exists between him and the representatives of the southern who are ostensibly in possession of the block. Kemp's enerojeg, tlje Pncjjng that Koc!]) is iic.v zw-rlwis i 1??

claim to the land, have changed their tactics, and now act on the offensive. They refuse to permit the pakehas to collect and shear the straggling sheep, atid : are I'pouri" -at the good understanding Between Kemp and the pakehas; It is quite evident Kemp is determined to persist in his claim to the Jaiid, and believes in the good-;old proverb that possesion is nine points of the law." This is the consequence of an immoral faative land policy that appeits to be inseparable from the present Government: a policy that will yet, if we are not mistaken in the signs of the times, be the subject of the. bitterest debate that has ever occurred within the walls of Parliament.'