The Southland Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 1866.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 244, 20 April 1866, Page 2

The Southland Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 1866.

In" order to give as much European news as possible, we have held over our leading and other matter. An accident, which has proved fatal, occurred at the railway works, near the Green Hills, on Friday, 18th April, James O'Brien, a wagon

driver, having taken a down train of dunnage wagons, in unhitching the horses was delayed a few second longer than usual, and the horse having made a sudden jerk before the unfortunate man could get out of the way, he was caught between the "buffers" and severely crushed. He was immediately brought to town and taken to the Hospital, but medical aid was unavailing and ho died in forty-eight hours. We understand that the deceased was a steady and indus.rious man, ' much valued by his employers and respected by his fellow- workmen. An inquest was held before Dr Deck, Coroner, at the Hospital, on Tuesday, the 17th April, when a verdict of " Accidental Death " was returned. A melancholy death by drowning occurred near the Town Belt. A child, named Jane Smith, aged 'one year and ten months, while 'playing' about with other children, was suddenly" missed, aud shortly after, a search having^ been* instituted 'by the mother she was found in a water-hole. Every effort to restore animation failed. The Coroner held an inquest, and the jury returned a verdict of " drowned by accidentally falling into a water-hole." The Southland, steamer, which has been recently running between Invercargill and Dunedin is, we believe, to be laid up, the Government finding that to work her under existing circumstances is a loss to the Province. The Daily Times of the 13th April gives the following with reference to the revenue of Otago : — " The revenue of the Province, from all Sources, during the quarter ending the 31st March, was £21,686 13s 7d. The sales of rural land realised £14,556 17s 6d, and those of town land, £315 10s. Erom the assessment on stock, £1532 10s Id was derived, and from Gold Fields revenue, £3889 14s 6d. The other items in the account '(published in the Provincial Government Gazette) are— Fees on transfer of rural certificates, £56 ; depasturing licenses, £492 lis 6d ; ' timber licenses, £305 10s ; quarrying licenses, £15; rents under agricultural leases, £63 ; balance on 31st.December, £460. On the expenditure side, £12 10s appears as the quarter's - salary of the Keceiver of Land Revenue, and £945 as the 36th instalment of the New Zealand Company's Debt. Continuing the balance of £460 to the 31st March, the whole . of the remainder of the receipts, or £20,269 3s 7d, appears under Provincial Treasurer available balance, thus divided— January, £9443 13s 2d ; February, £5126 15s 3d ; March, £5698 15s 2d." The following item of interest to all colonists in New Zealand, we take from the New Zealand Herald, 3rd Aprd. It says :—" The discovery of a process by which the phormium tenax, or : New Zealand tlax, may be cleansed of the gummy substance" which has hitherto alone stood in the way of its competition with European tlax, cannot be overrated in the important results which it may bring to this and other Provinces in New Zealand. A short time since the public were made aware that amongst those who professed to have discovered this long-sought process was Mr Pin ay M'Millan, now of Tauranga, an old and well-known settler. Mr M'Millan has divulged his secret to his Honor the Superintendent for the public benefit. It is a very simple process, but it frequently happens that the solutions to. most difficult problems are, when made known, found to be so simple that every one wonders they have not been discovered long before. The flax is, it appears, boiled in a preparation of cow-dung and water, after wliich process the gummy porportion of the stalk at ouee parts from the fibre and is readj for dressing to the required degree . of fineness." The New Zealand Herald, 2nd April, thus comments ou the prospects of prosperity arising from the development of as yet almost untouched native resources : — "That a new era is opening ibr this colony, and one of rapidly advancing pros- ; perity, is to be seen in the desire of capitalists to find in our undeveloped resources a field for their capital and enterprise. Our flax, our coal, and now our jron-sand are being enquired after — nay more — companies are forming in England to undertake the work of converting . the latter into steel and iron. The success of one company will lead to the estabhshment of scores of compauies, and at each deposit of the iron-sand banks along our coasts, wdl be seen at work, ere a lew years ; have passed, the furnaces which will supply a large portion of the iron required by Europe and elsewhere. The development of one industry wid ; cause that of another ; and they who now prophesy so confidently that the next generation will live Xo see the mineral and Commercial greatness; of this country unfolded will find that they have; been deceived— that they have too long diferred ■ that period — and that they will themselves live to : see, and we trust enjoy, a share of the benefits which will result from the application of capita and labor to the raw material in a score of forms now lying unused around us."