Untitled

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 15 November 1880, Page 2

We are reluctantly compelled to hold over two letters to the editor.

The City of Sydney, with English mail, via San Francisco, arrived at Auckland at half-past three o'clock yesterday. The news by her has been anticipated by direct cable messages, and we, therefore, spare our readers the infliction of a mass' of stale items, preferring to fill our space with more interesting matter

The first election of a Mayor tinder the Municipal Corporations Act took place today at noon, when Mr. Samuel Gibbs was once more elected without opposition. He was proposed by Mr. Joseph Booth and seconded by Mr. Edward G. Lane. Mr. Gibbs thanked the ratepayers, and said that he would in the future, as in the past, do all he could to further Die interests of the town. There was not a large attendance, and the proceedings were somewhat tame. We believe that this is the sixth time in the history of Oamaru in which the same honor has been confepre4 on the present occupant of the Mayorai chair. The residents of Oamaru residing in streets along which the water mains pass should at once get their services laid on. This may be done by application at the Council Chambers.

Captain Edwin telegraphs that bad weather is approaching from any direction between north-east and north and west. The glass j will further fall. ' The Dog Tax Collector to the Waitaki j County Council is busily engaged in sending out invitation cards to defaulters to attend the llesident Magistrate's Court. Fifteen of these were sent out lately, but twelve of the recipients declined to accept the invitation and escaped the necessity for compulsion by paying the amounts of the tax and charges. Three others accepted the honor of an introduction to the llesident Magistrate, and were each ordered to pay L2 as the result of the brief but not very satisfactory interview. His Wprsliip pnee inore explained that he had no power to reduce the dmount and that the tax would still havo to be pajd, This afternoon at the close of the High School for the day, Mr. Peattie, the Rector, in presence of the teachers and upper pupils of the school, presented Mirs Mary King with her intermediate certificate from the Sol-fa College. The certificate was signed by Mr. George BrownJee, gazetted examiner in music for the district. In presenting it the Reotor complimented Miss King in thus having so early provided against one of the subjects required for a teacher's certificate. Another valuable addition is about to be made to the shorthorn stock of the district, Mr. E. Menlove having purchased the bull Alvle's Hero, sent qvep by Mr. Samuel Gardiner from the famous Bundo'ora herd. The bull is, with a number of others, at present quarantined at Lyttelton. That he is an excellent animal is shown by the fact that Mr. Menlove has given 250 guineas for him.

During the meeting pf Garpenters and joiners on Saturday evening, Mr. C. J. Thorn, the delegate from the Dunedin branch of the Amalgamated Carpenters' andJJoiners' Association, stated that the carpenters and joiners in this country were far better off than their compeers at Home. What says the Rev. John Foster to this ?

The al fresco concert given by tl}6 Rifles Band on Saturday evening near the Atlienreuni attracted a large audience, and the music was very well rendered. The bandmaster (Mr. Pheloung) proceeded to Dunedin tqrday for the purpose of selecting a number of new instruments for the band.

The annual general meeting of the North Otago Benevolent Society will be held in Mr. G. Greenfield's auction mart this evening at 8 o'clock. The business is to receive the outgoing Committee's report and to elect the Committee of Management for the ensuing year. We trust that a goodly muster of the members of this very useful Association will be present, as it is desirable that the Society should be strengthened by the addition of active members to the Committee of Management, The duties of these gentlemen are rather heavy, undoubtedly, but there should bo no difficulty in such a town as Oamaru in finding a sufficiency of administrators of the funds of this charity institution.

Our Waimate correspondent writes thus : Waim <tp is very quiet just now, and there i.s nothing of any importance to chronicle. Our mayoral election will conic off on the •24th. There are two candidates in the field —r-the pregept mayor and Mr, Or, R. Freeman—and both are hopefully spoken of by their respective supporters. We have been higi-ly amused at the Foster correspondence. Dear, verdant, Foster, he is not the first new chum that has fallen into that trap. About a dozen years ago I remember a youth sent home an account of a terrifio encounter with a war party of Maoris in the suburbs of Christchurch, which in due time confronted him in the Lyttleton Times ; and, again, a Timaru storekeeper wrote home telling hew rapidly he was aecummulating a fortune, but deploring the necessity of mixing among a community of such wickedness in order to do so, and sighing for the Sabbath bells and godliness of his dear native lajul. This returned to him. He enjoyed its- appearance in the Herald while at breakfast one morning, and so he did the chaff which occurred at the time. I have no doubt Mr. F. will make a very good colonist yet; as the colonial mutton looses his epidermis and cobs his ribs he will see things in a more cheerful light. it is generally understood that the effort which was matle a short tjrne since to place certain Waikato lands in the London market at prices ranging from L 5 to L 8 per acre has resulted in failure, although the lands in question have been improved and partly cultivated. The reason given for this failure is understood to be the great disinclination on the part of Ijritish farmers with capital to give more tliati from LI to JJ2 per aere for any land in this Colony, and the strong preference that they show for unimproved land at low prices. The competition for emigrants of the farmer class is now' so great throughout Britain that the chief cities are actually placarded with large illuminated posters setting forth the great advantages of Canada and the United States in the way of cheap and fertile lands for people who desire to leave the Mother Country, The passage to America is short, and the rates of passage money low, whilst land is freely offered at a dollar per acre. We cannot shut our eyes to these facts, and if the Colony is to secure a share of the right kind of people to settle the waste lands of the country, we must be prepared to offer some better attraction than is afforded at the present time.—N.Z. Herald, At the Resident Magistrate's Court today, before T, W, Parker, Esq., R.M., Henry Plimmer, charged for the eighth time with having been drunk and disorderly, was fined 10s, with the option of going to gaol for 48 hours. A little girl, aged seven years, and named Mary Ann Dillon, 'was charged with being a neglected child. The evidence went to show that the child, who has neither father nor mother, lived in a house of ill-fame kept by a man named John Connell, having previously been turned out of a similar den kept by a woman named Ann Sherry. Hi§ Worship rernanded the case until Thursday next, John Bourhill wa3 charged with having on the 13th inst. obtained, by means of a false pretence—to wit, a valueless cheque from Jane Paul the sum of 18s. The evidence showed that the. prisoner went to the house of the j>rosgGutrix at a little before one o'clock on the morning in question apt} asked her to get him three bottles of beer, which she di - Hp then gave prosecutrixachequeforL3ls6d, receving 18s change, all the silver tiie prosecutrix had. Detective Warren stated that the prisoner had made a statement to him to the effect that he had written out the cheque knowing that he had no money in the bank at the time. When be had given the cheque to prosecutrix he had not received any change. For the. defence, prisoner called John Donovan, who stated that he had been in the company of the prisoner; that prisoner had asked the prosecutrix to give him credit for two bottles of beer, showing her at the ! same time something in a pocket-book ; that prosecutrix had snatched the cheque out of the pocket-book j that prigoper had asked her not to cash it, and that she had promised not \o do so, but to keep it until he called and paid for the beer. He also stated that he had asked the prisoner for LI out of the cheque, and that the prosecutrix had got into a rago and declared that the money was all spent, In the morning the prisoner had asked for the cheque,; and begged of the prosecutrix not to cash it or she would get him into trouble, saying that if she came over in the evening he would give her the money. In cross-examination, he denied that he had ever told Constable Christie the prisoner had received LI as change for the cheque, and had never spoken to the constable on the following night. On the evidence being read over the witness stated that he had spoken to the constable. He had merely

I said " yes," in reply to a remark that the prisoner had been guilty of a mean and dirty action. Constable Christie was then called by Sergeant-Major Thompson, and stated that on the night of the 12th inst., the last witness met him at about a quarter past nine o'clock, in Thames-street, and had a conversation with, him in the presence of Jane Paul. : The witness had then admitted that he had seen the prisoner give prosecutrix a cheque, and prosecutrix give prisoner about LI in change. Jane Paul wasrecalled, and corroborated in every particular the statements of Constable Christie. His Worship said he had very little doubt about the matter, and sentenced the prisoner to thirty days' imprisonment. We congratulate Miss Mary King upon her having successfully passed her intermediate examination in vocal music. We believe she is the first pupil teacher in the district who has done so. According to the Governor's Order in Council, she is not required to subject herself to further examination in the subject, but we trust Miss King will not stop in her musical studies, there being still several higher certificates worthy of attainment From tlje examiner's report we find that Miss King sang at sight Roots' " A jovial farmer boy I'll be," a competition containing transition to the first sharp key ; the minor mode phrases which fell to her lot being a piece of Macfarren's, " Three fishers," and La Trobe's tune, Hereford. Master George Jackson, of the High School, took his elementary certificate in a creditable planner, Mr. George Brqwnlee, music master, hieing tl}e examiner in both cases. These music olasses, under the auspices of the Waitaki Branch of the Educational Institute, have already been productive of good fruit. We trust they will be more so in the future. The members of the Oamaru Cricket Club contented themselves with a scratch matah on Saturday afternoon, the aide§ being chosen by Messrs, Coate's and Hardy, The latter's side proved the victors. The play does not oall for any particular mention. Four only of the players—Messrs. Sumpter, Coates, Church, and Gilly—succeeded in getting into double figures. Many of the principal players were absent. Grubs are beginning to show themselves unpleasantly at fianye in English grasspaddQcks jo the Waitaki'distriat. A deluge of water is found to be a certain : cure. We hear that Mr. Goddard, coach proprietor, has purchased the Bridge Hotel, Kurow, presently occupied by Mr. Rickards. The match between the Excelsior and ■the Union Cricket was continued on Saturday afternoon, when the Union team resumed their first innings, which closed for 53, or 20 behind the total of the first innings of the Excelsior Club. Hartley was the top scorer with 25. The bowling of Cooke and Fen wick wag very goad, but t|ie fielding vfas sqmswhat loose". 3?iie Excelsiors then entered upen their second innings, but a poor stand was made, the innings closing for 40 only. Fenwiok headed the list with 9 and Creagh and Marshall followed with 8 each. The bowling and fielding of the Union eleven was excellent. With only 61 to make to wiu the match the junior olub entered upon their second innings, but they failed to reach the required number. The bowling again proved too good, and when the last wicket fell the total had only reached 51. The Excelsior Club therefore victory by nine runs only. Hartley again distinguished himself by .making the top score (14], ( ind J. Hook, by steady play, placed ten to his credit, not out, A return match will probably he played shortly, and the Exoelsior will require to be more careful in their fielding or the tables may be turned. A meeting of carpenters and joiners was held at Sfc. Andrew's Hall on Saturday evening for the purpose of taking the necessary steps for the formation of a branch qf the Amalgamated Sqoiety qf Carpenters and Joiners. There were' 24 gentlemen present, and Mr. Bennett was voted to the chair. After the purpose of the meeting had been explained, Mr. C. -J. Thorn, a delegate from Dunedin, explained at considerablelengththe aims and objects of the Society. He said it was not the object of the Society to interfere with the rights and privileges of capitalists, but to strive to maintain a feeling of rr\utv)al confidence between employers arid employed. The main object wa3 to provide a means of support for members who were incapacitated for work through sickness or accident, or who were unable to obtain employment, and to render aid to the families of members in the case of death. A member who paid Is a week and 3d per quarter to the contingent fund was entitled to receive 12s a week sick pay for six months, after that time 6s per week so long as his illness incapacitated him for work. The payment of 9d per week and 3d per quarter would entitle a member to all the benefits except sick pay. A free member, that is a member who has contributed for twelve months, was freed from the payment of contributions during sickness, and wag entitled to rcceiye the full value of any toqls lie might lose by fire, water, or theft. He was also entitled to receive 10s per week for twelve weeks, and Gs for the next twelve weeks, while out of employment, provided the cause of his being out of work was satis actory to the branch. One of the chief benefits was that provided in the case of accidents. For instance, when a free member was rendered totally unfit to follow his avocations he received LIOO, and w]ien partially disabled, LSO. Besides these benefits, provision was iriade for the super: annuatiqri of old members, the rates being fixed according to the time they had been members of the Society, and in case of death a funeral allowance of Ll2 was paid. Mr. Thorn also mentioned that last year a sum of L 55,000 was paid in benefits, and that tlje Society had still left a cash balance of L 45,779. He a}so explained that hranches were not thrown entirely upon their own resources, but could in the event of their funds belqg exhausted) obtain assistance through the district office. This Ije showed to be a very striking feature in the Society, as tend' iug'to widen its sphere of usefulnoss and extend the principles of co-operation. Mr. Harris, after also expressing some of the objects of the Society, moved, "That, in the opinion of this meeting, it is desirable to establish in Oamaru a branch of the Amalgamated Society .of Carpenters and Joiners, to be entitled the Oamaru Branch." The motion was seconded by Mr. Booth, and unanimously, lliis closed the open meeting, and a meeting was then held of those willing to become members. Fourteen candidates, who had previously undergone an examination by Dr. Garland, who will probably be the medical officer to the branch, were initiated, and Mr. Thorn declared thq branch duly inaugurated, The follqwing officebearers wero elected for the ensuing term : Branch President, Bro. Grant; Branch Secretary, Bro, Harris j C.S., Bro. Cowan; Branch Treasurer, Bro. Booth; D.K., Bro. Smith ; Sick Steward, Bro. Bennett. The appointment of Trustees and other officers was deferred until the next meeting. A Californian has invented a torpedo in the shape of a kernel of corn, which is clesingod for' the beguilement of festive qrqws. As soon ag the offensive croy/ takes hold of it it explodes, and blows the iop of his head off. Accordiug to the Mad, the Nelson School Committee recently sent an intimation, in the full glory of tinted notepaper with printed heading, to its teachers that " when school brooms require renewing or. repairing, the teachers are required to forward all the old ones to the Sjecrefcayy. ll When people in New Zealand talk of bad times (says thp New Zealand Pastoral and Agricultural News) it) nine eaggs out of ten the expression is comparative only; They mean that things are by no means as good as they were, Fortunes are not to be made in a few years as thoy used to be. Working men begin to find out that they mutt take I care of a billet when they get one, and be satisfied with double the wages they could command at Home. Very different is the significance of the expression as applied in the Old Country. What " bad times" in the north of England mean may be gathered from the following paragraph from the cultural Gazette, a paper published in London : —"ln a conversation I had yesterday with a North Durham relative, who has been a farmer nearly fifty years, he told me that 1879 has been much the worst year in his experience. He had just threshed the produce of eight acres of wheat, and will not half cover expenses, even if the farm were rent free. He had also a good number of acres of potatoes which did not average more than one ton an aore, and, sold at L 7 a ton, would entail a dead loss of L 5 an acre. This is a sorry outcome after 50 years of careful industry. Why, if a twentieth part of my friend's capital and labor had been invested in New Zealand or Manitoba, he would have been a wealthy man years ago." - i

Partridges are now to be met with in the vicinity of the Wharekuri Hotel, UpjSer Waitaki. Rabbits are being killed at" the rate of 300 per week Zealand and Australian Land Company's Kourow estate. Nearly 6000 of theae pests have been destroyed there during the past winter. The Company's promptitude in dealing so summarily with this plague of the grazier while comparatively in its infancy in this district is worthy of imitation by other runholders. A first consignment of skins is now on its way to the London market.

The latest curiosity from America is the mysterions disappearance of a railway train. It was on the Kansas Pacific Railway, and between two and three thousand dollars have been spent in searching for it; but it cannot be found. About 400 miles west of Kansas city the line runs through a place called Monotony, which was visited some time ago by a terrible storm and waterspout, over 600 feet of traok having been-washed away. The adjacent neighbourhood, which cansists of a huge rolling prairie, was eight feet under water, and it is conjectured that the locomotive and waggons (it luckily not being a passenger train) were carried away and buried under a landslip. This is the second time of such an occurrence.

Mr. J. P. Olivier, in a letter to the Lyttelton Times states that, as Mr. March's salary as Immigration Agent for Canterbury has been reduced by L 335 15s, one half of his annual income formerly, the Hall Government, whose favor Mr. March seems to have enlisted, has written to the Charitable Aid Board asking them to make good the amount of reduction, which they have consented to do. " The Hospital and Charitable Aid Board being representative of the Selwyn County Council, is composed of gentlemen returned to. it in the interests of the different districts in the county; and hence, to make up the deficiency, a contribution at pro ratio of the population of all the districts has to be made, and thus the proportionate amount for the city of Christchurch is considered to be from LIOO to Ll2O. This amount the City Council has been asked to vote for the purpose above-mentioned, but has deferred its sanction for further information." If the Hall Government exhibited as much solicitude for the welfare of their under-salaried and struggling employes they would act more in accordance with justice.