The Oamaru Mail TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 1880.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1313, 22 June 1880, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 1880.

Some of the working men of "Wellington, following the example of a number of their compeers in Christchurch, are getting up a petition to the Government of the Ui ited States of America praying that free passages may be granted to thein to the great republic. We fail to see what hope there is of the prayer of the petitioners being granted, especially when we consider that America is receiving a flood of immigrants from the Old World, without contributing a cent towards their passages. Would it not be better for these petitioners to turn their attention to many of the goldfields of the Colony, from which favorable reports have lately been received? We are assured that on the West Coast ir.en are making fair wages, and that there is still room for hundreds more miners. Here at any rate is a fair field for the employment of able-bodied single men, who would do more good for themselves and the country by assisting in developing the resonrces of the Colony than by hawking round petitions, the prayers of which are not likely to be given any heed to. It is satisfactory to learn that the Government intend providing the employes on the Windsor-Livingstone railway line with fuel. Hitherto the want of firing on the line ha=i been a source of inconvenience and discomfort to the large body of men employed on the works, who receive a mere pittance in return for their labor.

The dispute between the manager of the Shag Point Coal Company and the colliers still continues, and two letters on the subject appear elsewhere. Although the men are out on strike, they still remain on the ground, and the manager intends to remove them. Inspector Thompson proceeded to Shag Point this afternoon, and it is probable that he will succeed in convincing the men that ifc would be more to their advantage to leave the works quietly than, by their persistent refusal, necessitate the intervention of a large body of police. A blank sheet was presented on the criminal side of the Resident Magistrate s Court to-day.

A football match was played to-day between the South and 2?orth Schools, resulting in a victory for the former. Taking into consideration the wretched weather and the still more wretehed state of the streets, there was a very large attendance at St. Luke's Church last evening, on the occasion of the organ recital. The programme was an admirable one, well calculated to give a fair conception of the variety of styles of the principal great masters, and, as we ! predicted, the audience were given a rich treat. TV e have not space to enumerate all the items on a long programme. Suffice it therefore to say that Mr. Kelsey's organ solos gave, as might be expected, great satisfaction. He showed himself to be a thorough master of the instrument, though a slight nervousness was apparent at times, while the stiffness of the touch of the instrument militated slightly against the evenness of the more rapid passages. To our mind the best of Mr. Kelsey's efforts was "Themarch of the Crusaders," but where all was so good it is almost impossible to single out any item for special praise. We may, however, mention that the audience showed their approval of Mr. Kelsey's playing by remaining in their seats until the last note was played of the concluding voluntary. Mr. F. Lewis, of Dunedin, sang "Arise, O God," from Naaman, with considerable force. The solos and duets throughout were exceedingly well rendered, but the choruses showed a want of steadiness, which may be attributed to the accompaniments being played rather loudly. understand that Mr. Kelsey, the organist, has consented to repeat the recital, with some slight alterations, on Saturday evening.

A correspondent sends as the following : A miscellaneous entertainment was given at Kakanui last Friday evening by the Kakanui Amateur Ethiopian Troupe, in aid of the funds of the Oamaru Hospital. There was a good attendance, and the different items of a somewhat lengthy programme were well rendered, and duly appreciated by the audience. The entertainment consisted of choruses, songs, banjo playing, and step dancing, interspersed with conundrums and funniosities, and an amusing nigger lecture, delivered in the orthodox style, together with a Ghostly sketch, added to the enjoyment of the evening. The Troupe ape to be congratulated on the success of this their first public appearance, and the committee of management deserve credit for the excellency of the programme, which was free from anything calculated to offend a respectable audience. A dance followed the entertainment.

The drawing in Hay's art union of pictures took place last evening under the supervision of a committee appointed by the subscribers, consisting of his Worship the Mayor (chairman), Messrs. J. Mitchell (secretary), H. J. Edwards, Bain, J. Matthews, W. Syms, and T. Farr, who certified to the correctness of the drawing. The winning numbers are published ] elsewhere. We may mention that Mr, Hay did not succeed in selling half the total number of tickets, but, in order that no difficulty or annoyance should arise, took up anfficient tickets to make the art union half the proposed size, and put in one-half the prizes, including the first, third, and all the odd numbers.

A somewhat daring burglary was committed some time during last night at the «hop lately occupied by Mr. H. Ellis, but now by Mr. D. M'Carthy, in Thames-street North. The bprglar cut a pane of glass out of the window in the back part, of the store in a very scientific manner, but, evidently finding the hole not hirgs enough to squeeze through, smashed another pane and the woodwo-k between. His'or their efforts were ill-rewarded, however, as the only thing missed wa3 a couple of 'dozen of bottLed ale. Information has been giyen to the police.

Owing to the want of space, we are unable to publish in full the averages of the Excelsior Cricket Club for the past season. The Club offered four bats for competition during the season—two for batting, and tv/o for bowling. The first bat for batting was won by J. Marshall, with an average of 10"10 for 17 innings; tlie second by D. Moore, with. 10:9, T. Hewat and F. Little being well up with 10*2 and 10'1 respectively. C. W. Cooke and A. Hartley were the roost successful trundlers, the former taking the first bat with an average of 3"13 runs per wicket, and the latter the second with 5*24. We hope the Club will be successful in their endeavors to obtain a ground for next season.

The Morning Herald pays thni Mr. S'ish does not think that tiie vecot-uneuclatiors of the Civil Service jufificiently comprehensive, at le._st >\ hen viewed ia the light of the withdrawal; f the subsidies from the local bodies. He thinks that at least L 250,000 could be saved, and, during his speech at the Municipal Conference • last night he gave an amusing illustration of the leisurely manner in which Civil Servants go to their offices and return from them.

A peculiar correspondence has just been published at Bristol. A lady, Mrs. Edwards, has been refused communion by the Vicar of Cheddar on the ground that she married the brother of her deceased husband. The Bishop of Bath and Wells had been appealed to, but he supported the Vicar. Ultimately Mr. Edwards, the lady's husband, appealed to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and his reply seems the strangest of all. He is quoted as follows:—"In similar circumstances my advice has been that persons so circumstanced desiring to communicate should go to some church 'where their history is not known." Mr. Edwards, in a further letter, says this advice is somewhat startling, as it recommends persons so situated to obtain the Church sacrament, if not by false pretences, at any rate by a concealment of the truth.

The Bay of Plenty Times says ; —During the last six weeks the s.s. Taupo has been lifted by six successive attempts to a height of 7ft 2in aft and blocked up, thus giving an average clearance of about 2ft at the fractured parts. It lias now been ascertained that the under part .of the keel fills up with sand and shell at each spring tide or strong breeze from the sea. The fractured portion of the vessel is now covered with one ply of No. 1 canvas, but this is not considered sufficiently strong to lift the ship on, in consequence of the continued silting up. The contractors have therefore deemed it advisable to commence permanent repairs from the inside with concrete, and a large quantity of cement.for this purpose has arrived by the Glenelg. We are glad to be able to state that the late gales have not had the slightest effect on the ship. The proposed work on the inside of the vessel will prevent any attempt being made to raise her for the next four weeks.

At a meeting of the Eastern District Reform Association, held at Long Bush on the 17th instant, the following resolutions were carried: —"That this : Association is of opinion that the property tax is wrong in principle, as it taxes all improvements, and presses most heavily on the prudent and industrious. . It further considers that, if retrenchment was fully carried out, and the land tax retained, the property tax would be unnecessary; but, if further revenue is required, it is better to raise it by an income tax than either by increased customs duties, or increased land tax, or the obnoxious property tax." "This Association is strongly opposed to a stoppage of the subsidies at present paid to local bodies, and considers that an income tax should be levied if the revenue is not sufficient to pay the subsidy." "That this Association approves of the principle of exempting improvements from taxation as embodied in the Land Tax Act, and considers the principle should be extended to the Eating Act, and thus allow local bodies to exempt improvements from taxation."