South Canterbury Times. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1880. NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2414, 11 December 1880, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1880. NEWS OF THE DAY.

There was no business of any kind at the Police Court to-day. Mr E. Wakefield, M.11.R., addresses his constituents in the Volunteer Hall, Tcmuka, this evening.

Business in the whitewash line is improving in Dunedin, live declarations were filed during the past week.

A cable message was received by the Union Steamship Company yesterday intimating that their shares had been admitted on the London Stock Exchange.

Mr G. M. Heed has "arranged with the New Zealand Land Agency to take over 120,000 acres at Poverty Bay, ceded for special settlement. Mr Baillie, for the Company left for Gisborne yesterday, to complete negotiations. The late Mr Alex. Wright of Wellington, has strange to say, left the whole of his personal property to his solicitor, Mr Adam Brock, valued at £2OOO. The eccentric old gentleman left his real estate to his relatives in Scotland.

The sea is at present making serious inroads on the cliff beyond Whale Creek. This morning at an early hour a fall of some hundreds of tons of soil occurred. The noise of the fall could be heard by the residents near the light house, more than half a mile away, and for a long distance seawards the water has been discolored by the debris. As the cliff is a popular promenade of a Sunday and holiday, visitors need hardly be reminded of the advisability of keeping a moderate distance away from the edge.

Despite the long intervals of warm dry weather that we have lately been experiencing, the crops in the immediate vicinity of Timaru arc looking splendid. The wheat harvest all over South Canterbury promises to be most prolific as well as unusually early. A splendid sample of wheat—part of an extensive crop at Kingsdown—was exhibited to-day at Priest and Co.’s auction mart. The heads arc large, and considering that the grain is yet a fortnight to three weeks from being ready to cut, they are remarkably plump and well filled.

The playful shark which we mentioned on Thursday as prowling about the Breakwater, apparently in quest of a Harbor Board officer or some of their day laborers, came to a somewhat untimely end yesterday morning. A Timaru barman whose game was other fish, by dint of a large hook, and sundry winning smiles, contrived to lure the unsuspecting swimmer to his destruction. The back-bone of the domesticated shark is now in course of preparation and in due course it will be exhibited in the form of a cane, as a caution to bathers who give the cold shoulder to Mr Hallam’s establishment.

A well-known Timaru property-holder who is addicted to catching his breakfast off the breakwater of a morning, made a singular haul at a a cry early hour on Thursday. While plying his handline vigorously something unusually heavy attached itself. An exclamation of surprise attracted one or two other anglers to the spot, and they willingly lent the old gentleman a hand in landing his prize. Various were the conjectures as to what kind of a monster had attached itself. An octopus clinging to the bottom rock, or a moderate whale could hardly have offered a greater amount of resistance. At last the trophy was brought to the surface in the shape of a huge retriever. “ That’s the biggest dog fish ever caught off the breakwater,” exclaimed one of the assistants, as the veteran angler dropped his prize with an exclamation of disgust.

It is understood that His Excellency will make a tour through New Zealand early next year.

The Victorian Commissioner of Customs has received another instalment of conscience money, accompanied by the following letter Sir,—l done the kustoms, remorse naws my conshcns, and I send some of it back. When remorse naws again 1 11 send you sum more.

Milligan, one of the porters, at the Alfred ° Hospital, Melbourne, drew Grand Flaneur in one of Miller’s sweeps. On thinking the matter over before the race, he concluded that a pound was too much to risk on one race. He therefore sold out eighteen shillings worth, in parcels of two shillings each. Milligan therefore receives just £9O. It is stated that the Government have determined to refuse Mrs Mansford’s application for a pension, in virtue of her late husband, such a payment being outside of the law. Why not stretch a point as was done with the other widow—the Hon. Dr Pollen ?Dr Pollen was in good circumstances, Mrs Mansford is not, but that should hardly interfere with her pension. Arc not the female widows as much entitled to a pension as the male ones ?

The Customs authorities at Wellington have issued instructions to the Crown Prosecutor to apply to the Supreme Court for a mandamus to compel the Mayor and Dr Harding to give judgment in the case Customs authorities v. Charles Martin, of the Albion Hotel, charged with having seven unstamped boxes of cigars in his possession. The justices named entered a conviction, but declined to inflict a penalty as required by law. Tenders arc now being called for the construction of a railway bridge over the Tengawai river, on the Alburv Downs section of the Opawa branch railway extension. The formation, including culverts, &c., from Tcnganaito Fairlie Creek, a distance of 10 miles, lias been nearly completed by tbc unemployed contingent, and it is expected that sleepers and metals will be laid after the completion of the bridge. Tins bridge will be 1128 feet long and consist of 26 spans of 40 feet, and 8 of II feet. It will bo constructed of timber on piles. The “ Wellington Chronicle’’ of Dec. G says : —The public will learn with considerable satisfaction that the Government hare stepped in and stopped the sale of the 29 acres of land (Maori reserves) which Mr G. 11. Wallace was to have knocked down this afternoon. The Native Minister, to whom people naturally looked in this matter, happened to be out of town, but Mr Hollcston, Minister of Justice, who is well acquainted with all native matters, and especially in respect to reserves, has put his veto upon this sale, pending further consideration. Well, it is not too much to say that no loss was expected from Mr Rolleston, who, whatever his political or party ties may be, is always animated by a desire to sec that justice is done to the natives. Even his political opponents will give him credit for good intentions on that score.

A contemporary says : ( * It appears that great strife has arisen in one of the the West Coast towns through some of local shopkeepers sitting and voting on a hospital committee while they had business with the hospital. This sort of thing is quite common in New Zealand, yet one of the righteous West Coasters avers that ‘ no man of honor, or manliness, would act in such a manner. It was against the spirit of fair play. Such men have no rigid to sit and vote, and if men of principle, they would at once resign their scats.’.” If “the thing is common in New Zealand ” it is universal in Timarn, for there is hardly an institution from the Hospital downwards to the Education Board, in which the members do not sit and unblushingly vote money into one another’s pockets. Even the Cemetery Board is not free from the tar-brush.

In connection with the proposed new Government township at Lake Eotorua every energy is to he used, botli in laying oil the township and in making good roads to it. Already there is a good coach road from Tauranga, hut a good road is now in course of construction from Cambridge, in the Waikato district, which will bring Eotorua within a day’s easy journey by coach from the Hamilton station of the Auckland and Te Awamutu railway. All possible pains will be taken to secure the provision of suitable accommodation at moderate expense, and to render Hie township in all respects a convenient and attractive sauitoriuin and place of resort for tourists. The right of carrying the road through has been acquired from the Natives by a moderate pay rment, while the Maoris themselves arc working on the road construction at a moderate rate of wages. The journey from Auckland to Eotorua will be a very easy one of two days. A meeting of the committee of the Mechanics’ Institute was held last evening. Present—Mr John Jackson (president, in the chair), Messrs Scott, Stericker, White, Gibson, West, Sutter, Jones, Greenup, Bowkor, Ziesler, and Shepherd. The following resolutions were proposed and carried:—(ll “That Mr T. W. Fyfe he offered £2 10s in full payment of fence dividing his property from the section belonging to the Mechanics’ Institute, such offer to be without prejudice.’’ (2) “That the President and Treasurer be empowered to purchase the following for the use of the Institute—One iron safe, letterpress and book, entry book, and post cards.’’ (3) “ That the cost of the new building for the Institute be fixed not to exceed £llOO, including gas fittings and fixtures for the books.” (4) “ That a subcommittee be elected to draw up conditions for the guidance of architects'll! drawing competitive plans for the proposed new Institute, to consist of Messrs West, Jones, Greenup, Gibson, and the president, the sub-committee to report to a special meeting called for that purpose at as early a date as possible.” Accounts to the amount of £SO 16s 2d were passed for payment, and the meeting terminated. Copies of the Assessment Roll for this district may be seen at the Property Tax Office, Timaru. Objections must be sent to the Deputy Commissioner by January 3, 1881. A meeting of the Regatta Committee will be held at the Criterion Hotel on Monday evening at eight o’clock. Entries for the regatta, for events not yet entered for must be made in time for this meeting.