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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 23 November 1880, Page 2

• The Hon. Richard Oliver has a deal to i defend. At least, so think Press and public. He appears to think otherwise. ' or not to care. Never was there a Government whose past actions and future intentions demanded so ninch explanation as that of which Mr. Oliver is a member. Yet there has not been a sound from their ranks except the querrulons lamentation of the Minister for Publig Works, in [ reply to Mr. Bain, M.H.8,. He wns [ going to make our railway system envied by the world. He has instead landed himself helplessly and hopelessly into confusion that will give his successor considerable trouble to disentangle. It is the old story. Those who are the most ignorant, are not unusually also the most courageous. Had Sir. Oliver been learned in railway management, he would have known that it was utterly impossible to create satisfactory reforms in the railway department by the means which he adopted. His railway tariff for it is his without a doubts-is a masterpiece of absurdity. We have already , drawn attention to gome of its anomalies, but they are as plentiful as the figures. A correspondent informs us that he was startled by the discovery that, under the . fantastic, new-fangled tariff, he was called upon to pay 383 lid on a ton of goods conveyed by rail from Dunedin to Maheno, whilst the charge for the same to Oamaru would have been only 22s 3d, and to Christchurch 39s 3d. Only fourpence more to Christchurch than to Maheno ! Fourpence for over a hundred and fifty miles. How cheap { We should think that our railways will now compete with water carriage. The question of making them pay will, we presume, be further deferred. When the coasting vessels have been disposed of, Mr. Oliver —if political and physical longevity will afford him the opportunity—will finally dispose of the tariff and the public as well. There is a profundity about the actions of the present Ministry that is perfectly staggering. We take q, retrospective glance, and what do we so: ? Mr. Oliver in the act of pledging his solemn word to a deputation in Oamiru that a railway station should be built in that town more in keeping with the demands of the traffic. TVe see him again in his office in Wellington reiterating the assertion with redoubled emphasis. No action is taken towards building the station, and in the House, when charged with what amounted to duplicity, he repudiated all knowledge of the matter. We see the votes for our other public buildings obliterated from the Estimates. We see the cattle yards on Mr. Oliver's estate, and are emboldened to plead for the same conveniences for Ngapara and Peebles. We again hear Mr. Oliver stating—with a remembrance of the solemn prayer with which the House was opened—that instructions had been given for the provision of these necessaries, but see the yards not, even unto this day. Can it be wondered that people have lost every rer maining shred of confidence in Mr. Oliver's political ability, and quite as much of confidence in his veracity ? What avails it when he tells us of his good intentions? Performances are what we want. He never redeems a promise. At least, that is the experience of this district. If a politician were appreciated for his broken pledges, Mr. Oliver would bo honored in song and in bronze. As it is, he has sealed his fate, politically. Lachry- 1 mose appeals for sympathy will avail him nothing. Let him do his part—that of < fulfilling promiflca—and wo will do our 1

of , him- for such a virtue.' ■--- " ; "V s -

Parliament has. been prorogued till March, but it it isnot likely to meet till June. ~

Mr.- Syms, who occupied the "positidn-of locomotive superintendent here,"and who was lately removed* tolnvercargill,. has, we 'learn from-an- authentic - source,. been dismissed, from the department. The setters in and around Ngapara have resolved upon petitioning the Hon. Richard "Oliver to remove the cattle yards from his Corriedale estate, where they are really not required, to Ngapara. We have not yet heard what action the settlers of Peebles intend to take to secure a similar boon, but we have reason to believe that they do not intend to let the matter drop. Two young ladies had very unpleasant experiences last evening while returning home from a ramble round the beach. They were on their way home at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and had reached a point on the south side of the beach, when they found that the tide had risen so high as to prevent their further progress. To retrace their steps was impossible, as the sea was dashing up all round. Here, to all appearances, they were doomed to remain for some hours, and when darkness sel in their feelings may be better imagined than described- Late at night, as they had not returned, aome of their friends began to fear that something had befallen the wanderers, afi&two young men set out for a search. Wading through water and over rocks, they, by the aid of a good lantern, discovered the missing young ladies about midnight. With considerable difficulty and at great personal risk and inconvenience, the gallant youths rescued the imprisoned danisels from their perilous positions, and conveyed them home to their friends, wetter arid sadder if not wiser youug ladies.

It is notified in another oolumn that the next sitting of • the Quarterly Licensing, Court for Maerewhenua .aiid Ahuriri • has been adjourned till the 24th December next; at noon, and that the Court will not sit at Hampden this quarter. '

A meeting of the Directors of the Caledonian Society was held last evening at the Criterion Hotel; There was a g'qad attendance, and the chair was occupied by-Mr. :D. Sutherland, President. The minutes of the last meeting having been- confirmed, a letter was read from Mr. G. Watson, Secretary to the Dnnedin Caledonian Society, stating that it was proposed to hold the annual games on the Ist, 3rd, and 4th January. Mr. George Harper wrote thanking the Society for placing his name on the directorate. The Programme Committee reported recommending that no cups or medals should be given atthe next gathering, and suggesting other alterations in the amounts to be given, for the different events. The Chairman stated that one of tj}p reasons for abolishing' the cups was ihat some competitors were in the habit of buying off other competitors, in order to win the cup. By making the .money prizes higher iu some of the events the difference would be fully made up. The recommendation. was adopted, and the programme was gone through, and various alterations were made in the ftflfipunts. Singlesticks and Cornish wrestling were cut out, and in the places of those were inserte.d an Irish jig for those who have i}ever won public money, and a Highland fling under aimilar cQnditiqns. ' The £Tqn. Secretary to the Pviendly Sports Committee (Mr. G, Brownlee) wrote, asking for the use of certain of the paraphernalia for the games. The request was granted' It was decided to hold the games on' the Ist ami 3rd January. It was also decided to hold a ball during the year under the auspices of the Society, the date to be fixed at a future meeting, The question gf ereotißg % grand stand was referrec). tc* the Ground Committee to" report at next meeting. The report of the Sub-Committee appointed to consider the question of giving scholarships . was brought up, and consideration ordered to stand over until after'the New Year. The' letter from Mr. Morrish, applying for the position of bandmaster, held over at last meeting, was brought up for consideration, and it was decided to reply that the Society was not in want of a bandmaster. It was resolved to meet weekly for the future. The following colloquy is said to have occurred between an insurance agent and a rev. gentleman :— "Yqu seem rather busy, Mr, S r-," said the clergyman. " Yes I am,' 1 returned the agent. - " I am filling in some pqlicies for life insurance." Clergyman ; " Life ; what is life ? Life is hut a shadow, Can you insure yojir soul?" The rpady* witted insurance agent replied that he regretted that the Government had not yet seen fit to undertake fire risks. Tableau.

1 The Post says the Government have re- ! solved to encourage tlie establishment of an • important local industry—viz., the manufac- ; ture of Portland cement - in J* practical mani ner, by calling for tenders for 100 tons of the material manufactured in the Colony. The . cement lias to be subjected to the usual , tests, and it is stated that "it is expected the tenders will be at such a rate as will justify the Government in accepting tine of I tliemi The lowest or any tender will npt J necessarily be accepted." A correspondent of Nature, after nu- ' merons experiments on the boiling points of substances under low pressures, came ' to the conclusion that it would be possible to have ice at a temperatures far above ; the ordinary melting point. He pays : [ " After several unsuccessful attempts, I will s so fortunate as to attain the most perfect suc- > cess, and have obtained solid ice at tempera- . turea sp high that it was impossible to , touch it without burning one's self. This ' result has been obtained many times and with the greatest ease, and not only so, but on ope occasion a small quantity of water was frqzen in a glass vessel which was so hot thas it qoul4 not be touched hy tfye hand without burning it. I have hid ice a considerable length of time at temperatures far above the. ordinary boiling point, and even then it only sublimed away without any previous melting. These results were obtained by maintaining the superincumbent pressure below 4.6 mm of mercury; i.e., the tension of aqueous vapour at the freezing point of water. Other substance also exhibit these same phenomena, the most notable of whicfy ig njercuric chloride, for which latter the pressure need only be reduced to about 420 mm. On letting in the pressure the substance at once liquifies. The Lady Jpcalyn sailed fronj the IJast India Docks o» 27th September for New Zealand, under command of Oaptain Jenkins, with about 500 emigrants on board. This vessel, of 213S tons registered tonnage, is one of the largest and most roomy of Messrs. Shaw, Savill, and Co.'s fleet, and special arrangements have been made on board to ensure the comfort of the party who go out to form the third of- Mp. Geqrgo Yesey Stewart's special settlements in tlie North Island. Mr. Stewart, at a luncheon given on board the vessel on 23rd September, said that not only was this ship filled, but many emigrants who were going to people this the third colony he had been so happy as to be the pf founding in New Zealand would have to follow by the ship Himalaya,. Frqn) his experience in forming special settlements, he would say, with regard to suoh settlements as he had planned, that they were particularly suited to retired military and.naval officers or civil servants, with, perhaps LIOOO or L2OOO, an income of L2OO or L3OO a year, and possibly nine or ten children. What comforts could persons with such small means enjoy in this country, wh< re we wore q.ll struggling with each other for a bare existence ? In New Zealand thoy would find scope for their exertions, openings for their children, and the advantage of congenial society. Two families only of those going out in this ship would introduce a capital of L 50,000 into the Colony. ft is wjtl) feelings of regret that we (Auckland Star) record the death of Mr. Robert. Lusk, merchant, of Queen-street, which tookplaco at his residence, North Shore, ; on Wednesday, Tlie deoeased was a son of Mr. It. B. Lusk, and elder brother of Mr. Hugh H. Lusk. He had been in business in Auckland for many years, and had succeeded in winning the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens. He had been suffering from an internal complaint for the last six months, and for two months past had been prevented from attending to his business. The Government in a fit of niggardly economy having stopped the issue of reduced rate tickets to the railway employes,,

"I Would commend to their. notico: the log extraqt front .an American paper : —"A railway eniployss on one of the English railroads applied on a Saturday night! to visit his family. Ybu are in the employ of the .railroAdt^asbe^the, gentleman applied to. " Yes." Yourfeceiv-e your pay regularly?" ;"Yes.";AlPTell;.{now, suppose you were working for a farmer instead of a railroad, w^3 : y^e^^fy6ur%M|>ld5 r ef r to hitch up his team every Saturday night, a,nd carry .yoa home?" "This seemed a poser, but it wasn't. "No," said the man, promply, "I wouldn't expect that; but if the farmer had his team hitched up, and was goiug my way, I should call him a darned moan cuss if he would not let me ride." The came out three minutes afterwards with a pass good for three months.—Christchurch Telegraph. Mayhap your have heard the story of the the man: who landed from a Mississippi steamboat while on its way up the river, and who, when he got his luggage together on- the pier, in looking it over he fancied he had left something behind. Thus he soliloquised :—"Bless me ! I think I've left something behind—here's my valise, my umbrella, and my rifle. I certainly had four articles when I got on board at New Orleans, and here are only.three. Let me see; valise', umbrella, rifle, and—what was the fourth? Really, I guess there wasn't but three after all, . ana yet——." Just then there was a sound of voices upon the deck of the steamer, which was just starting from the pier, and the captain was demanding—" Where's the man who has charge of this weman ? " The puzzled man upon the pier looked from his. valise, umbrella, and rifle, to the deck of the steamer, and beheld the woman. "Ho!" he said, his face brightening instantly 5 " that's it! I knew I had four articles. Bless me, it's my wife. Now I'm all right." —Christchurch Telegraph.

At the conclusion of an article on the Australian Cricketers, the London Morning Post says "It will be seen that we think the Colonists want tuition in batting. Of their bowling and fielding we have already spoken in warm terms of eulogy, but until their batting greatly, improves, they cannot meet the strength of England with an equal chance of success. This we say with a perfect remembrance of the Oval match, when the last two wickets put or 14-Q runs—a surprising feat, which even the Colonists would confess was almost a fluke. Man for man they cannot be compared to the pick of our cricketers, but the Australians have, by patient practice, self-denial, and discipline, so worked themselves up that they are formidable opponents to any eleven. We should say, however, that if it were practicable to select in April eleven of the best English cricketers, and let them plaj aseries of. matches throughout the season, similar to that the Australians have just concluded, the result on a comparison would be by no means unfavorable fcQ ftuy. countrymen. We should field as well and bat bettey, though, perhaps, none of our bowlers would show as much power over the ball as Spofforth, bowl so many good, fast ' yorkers' as Palmer, or equal the patience and endurance of Boyle."

A case of great importance to deferredpayment selectors cropped up intho War-den's Court at Hyde on the 17th inst. The Chronicle reports that in the case of M'Kay V. Morton a "water license had been granted over a deferred-; ayment section with the consent of the original lessee, who subsequently abandoned the section, which was rf-sqld at public auction. There being no repprd in the Duiiedin office of water licenses granted Qn the goldfields, Mr. Morton was informed that there was no encumberance on the seotion. In ploughing the land he happened to plough in-the race-—a very small one—and was promptly sued for damages by the holder of the water license. Mr. Fraser, who appeared for the. plaintiff, admitted that the case >yas a very hard one for the defendant, who had no notice of the existence of the race until sued, and expressed his opinion that all raoes over deferred'payrneht lands sitnated on the goldfjelds should he recorded on the original survey map as granted. He pointed out I that the Crown had in the first instance I leased the race to the holder of the license for 5s per annum, and had then sold the fee simple of the same land at L 3 per acre. The case fell through for want o,f evidence as to the' cutting of tlxe race, but Mr. Morton stated that if the water license was enforced he would have to abandon his section, upon which lie had expended L4QO.