The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1869.

Southland Times, Issue 1178, 8 December 1869, Page 2

The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1869.

The flax industry is being fairly established in this province. Numbers of country settlers are either actively engaged in actual operations, or making the necessary preparations to commence. In town, Messi's Lookhart Bros, have a mill constantly at work on the banks of the Puni Creek, and Mr Phaser, the enterprising sawmiller, purposes e:nploying no less than eight machines, and it is worthy of remark that they will comprise specimens of all the machines at present being wrought throughout the colony. A fair and sufficient test will thus be obtained of the various principles by which the vegetable matter is detached from the fibre, and a great benefit will be conferred upon the community by this practical proof as to which is best adapted to turning out the flax, UOt only in the moat marketable, but likewise in the most profitable manner. It is to be hoped that the utmost attention will be paid to the quality of the article produced, for there is no doubt that the success of this new source of prosperity depeuda in

a great me.isure upon the name which will be attached to the fibre tLafc may be exported from this place. If the first consignments are got up in a careless aad slovenly manner, Southland flax will be avoided, and it will take some time before a prejudice thus created can be removed. We would therefore earnestly recommend that t-ie greatest possible care should be taken to produce an article that will command attention, and realise the best price which the market offers. A notice has been issued by the Chief Commissioner of the Waste Land Board, warning parties to desist fr )m removing fljix from the waste lands o£ the Crown, and public reserves. This, at first sight, may seem likely to act injuriously on the growth of the industry ; but after-con-sideration shows that it will tend to fix it more permanently, aa, before any preliminary operations can now be begun, a proper site will have to be either leased or purchased, and tb.3 systematic planting of the flax will become necessary where the area is circumscribed. We have heard that 10s per acre is the price asked for the privilege of cutting flax on private land, and it is only right and proper that the Government should preserve what has now become an article of so much value. And this fact should -not be lost sight of, for, assuming the value we have^stated to be correct, We have a virtual reduction in flax bearing land to 10s per acre. If the preparation of this commodity assumes the proportions which it is confidently expected it will attain, the demand for our waste lands will naturally -increase, and swampy and open ground, which has hitherto been reckoned undesirable, will soou meet with anxious buyers.

We have been informed by the agents that the sailing of the Rangitoto has been postponed till to-morrow (Thursday) at the same hour:

Yesterday, 7th inst., a goodly number of our citizens met in Mv Colyer's Princess Hotel, to bid farewell to air G. H. Reynolds, late proprietor of this journal. His Honor the Superintendent occupied the chair, and, glasses having been filled, pro nosed the health and prosperity of the guest in suitable terms, remark- . ing that although he had not always been able to agree with the political sentiments of Mr Reynolds, he believed that gentleman had generally alrocated the course which to himself appeared most conducive to the public weal. Mr Reynolds replied shortly, thanking those present for the cordi.il manner with which the toast had been received, and assuring them that wherever he went he should cherish the memory of many of the friends he had found I in Southland. The heaUh oT Mrs Reynolds and family followed, as did several other toasts incident to the occasion, all of which were oi course duly responded to. The Young Men's Mutual Improvement Society held its last meeting for the season on Monday evening, 6th inst. The • business was principally of an executive character, the meeting resolving itself into a comtritfcee of the whole to consider" the best step 3to secure the continued success^and .usefulness of the association. After arrangements had been made for maintaining the existence of the society during the recess, and for ! the resumption of its legitimate funetims, when the proper time agaia_arrives, it was proposed that the members should unite their efforts, and give a soiree. This was agreed to, and the social re-union is fixed, we understand, for an early date — about the 20th. As the entertainment is to comprise readings, recitations, speeches, music, &c, &c , and to be supported by all the " available talent" of the institution,- there., cau be no doubt that it will be a very enjoyable one, and largely patronised. The third Grand Annual Show of tho Southland Agricultural and Pastoral Association will open to-morrow morning. As far as number and quality of exhibits, efficiency of arrangements, and public interest are concerned, the occasion promises to be quite equal to either of its predecessors, and it only wants fine weathor to in wee it a complete success. In both previous years the exhibition was particularly fortunate in this respect, and there appears every probability of its being equally favored on this occasion. A meeting of the Southland Prospecting Association Committee was held on Monday afternoon lagt, at which it was resolved to convene a special general meeting of the shareholders to determine whether the association should continue, and extend its operations, or wind-up. . The New Zealand Gazette of the 29th ulfc., contains the appointment of Harvey Thomson, Esq., to the various offices lately held by Mr John Hare. in Southland. An inter-provincial cricket-match between Canterbury and Otago, played in Dunedin last [ week, resulted in a victory for the latter by 4 wickets. Of seven matches played, Otago has won five. A horse, described as "a pretty little bay gelding," was sold the other day at tho Hutt pound, Wellington, for the sum of two shillings, I being considerably less than the cost of the I advertisement announcing the sale. Mr Akersten, who was recently a candidate for the Superintendency of Nelson, has filed his schedule since bis hopes of political preferment were blasted. A Q lecuslnnd paper states that at the Wallaroo Eeef, ill that colony, may be witnessed the most primitive method of quartz- crushing to be seen perhaps on any goldfield in the Australian colonies. A rude fireplaco for burning the quartz, three wooden stampers for crushing it, worked by a lever in a wooden trough — such is the machinery constructed by the industrious proprietor of the i reef, James Allen, of Warwick. A Maori named Pirika wu, who went home from Wellington to be educated, was sued ajfew days ago in the Resident Magistrate's Court, Wellington, (or a tailor's bill. His defence was that he had been to England, and there no " gentleman" ever paid his tailor.

The work of distributing trout throughout the rivers of the province has been commenced. On Monday last 100 of the young fish were taken from the ponds at Wallacetown, aud forwarded to the Te Anau district, in charge of F. F. Butler, Esq. Mr Butler has, we learn, made excellent arrangements for the health and protection of the fry, on a stream in his neighborhood, and has expressed himself as willing to further the objects of the Society to the extent of his power, by attending to any other fish, eucb. as salmon, which may be consigne 1 to hia care, or by establishing a breeding pond in his own vicinity, where excellent rivers abound. Arrangements are also in progress for despatching other detachments of the fry to suitable districts. One lot will shortly go to . the Waimea, and probably another to some tributary of tho Wuiau. It is to be hoped tho removals may bo successfully accomplished, and that thu tiny littlo creatures may thrivo in their new homes.

The following Government telegrams regarding the late native meeting at Ohinemutu, of which a brief account has already reached us by telegraph, are published in the Wellington Independent : — A most satisfactory meeting was held at ObituMnutu (three miles above Pipiriki) on Friday. Topia, Pehi, Tahana, and all the leading chiefs were present. Friendly relations were established with the Tjower Wanganui's and presents exchanged. It was agreed that the tribes should be united for Queen. Topia has named his house "Te Aomarama," and has set up a carved effigy of Hori Kmgi on the centre post as an ernblom of peace and union. He offered to go out with our natives in large force to hunt for Te Kooti, who if taken would be handed over to the law. He asks for guns and powder ; if they are refused, he offers to assist our natives with food, &c. Mete Kingi replied, "It rests with Ministers." In reply to a question from Haitnona', Topia sa\i he wa9 not opposed to the making of roads to Taupo, but he would assist in the .work, and again said he thought he could take Te Kooti in two or three days. This miscreaat has now only about 30 followers, more than 100 of his men having abandoned his cause and joined Pei Toroa. The .Adelaide journals of the 9th ult. state that the prevalence of the drought on the Peninsula has had such a distressing effect that in the neighborhood of Sturt Bay one of the settler 3 cut the throats of a thousand Bheep, and carted them into" the sea. G-loomy accounts continue to be received from the northern portion of the south-east, as well as from the adjoining stations in Victoria. A good deal of country is being abandoned for want of water and feed ; and in consequence of the inability of settlers to sell the sheep they are unable to feed, they are making arrangements for slaughtering them. We (Otago Times) are pleased to learn that Mr J. B. Thomson, who has for several years past filled with credit the position of Chief Detec 1 ive Officer in Otago, has been appointed to an Inspectorship in the New Zealand Constabulary Force, now being organised under Mr Commissioner Branigan. Mr Thomson i 9 an old neuiber of the Victorian Force, and during his residence in Dunedin has shown that he possesses qualities which pre-eminently fit him for the office to which he has been appointed. We wish him every success in his new sphere of duty. A mysterious paragraph, lately appeared in the W.est Coast T hues, respecting an alleged discovery of a rich quartz reef, specimens from which had been bronght into Hokitika. With regard to this discovery, the Grey River drgus says : — We are in a, position to state that the discovery in question was made by F. B. Von der Sloot within thirty miles of Hokitika, up one of the tributaries of the Hokitika Elver. With one mate he has been prospecting for eight weeks, and has followed the reef for miles. At first there was no gold, then gold - was seeu in the quartz, which, was followed through the granite ; then a rich specimen of auriferous quartz, water-worn, was found in one of the leading creeks, and now the men are prospecting to find the reef in the slate. | They are confident that within a month they will De able to lay bare a magnificent quartz reef, but as yet they are naturally disinclined to make known the precise locality, as no leases are granted by the County Counci 1 , and the ground would be at once rushed.