Untitled

Southland Times, Issue 1531, 30 January 1872, Page 2

From £2 15s to £3 per week is being paid to b arvest hands in the Oamaru district. The anniversary of Robert Burns's birth was celebrated in Dunedin on the 25th inst. by a supper. The drought in Canterbury lasted for nine weeks. A heavy fall of rain took place on the 25th inst. It is said that the Princo of Wa'es contracted his illness at Lord Landesboroughs, near Scarborough. The cabinet makers of Melbourne have been on strike for an advance in their wages from 50a a week to 545.

The Union Sash and Door Co. of Auckland at its half-yearly meeting doclared a dividend at the rate of 20 per cent, per annum.

It is rumored that the Government are concocting a scheme for supplying the Press with telegraphic English and other news.

The hon. treasurer to the Invercargill hospital desires to acknowledge through our columns a donation of £2 from Thos. M'Kellar, Esq. , per John Hare, Esq.

The JBallarat Mail says that 200 residents in the Chinese Camp there, have been hired by the farmers to do harvest work, at from 17s to 25s

per week, with rations

The Foreign Enlistment Act, 1870, of the Imperial Government, has, by proclamation of the Governor, been brought into operation within the colony from the 16th inst.

Captain Johnson and Captain Edwin have been appointed Examiners for conducting the examinations of ships' officers under the provisions of the Merchant Ships' Officers Examination Act, 1870.

According to the Ballarat Star, Mrs Aspinall, wife of Mr B. C. Aspinall, the barrister, has been appointed telegraphist in a Government station at a salary of £200 a year.

We have been requested to announce that the deputation from the Railway Committee and that from the Municipal Council, appointed to wait on. the Minister of Public Works, will be received on Thursday, at 2 p.m.

The Independent says that one capitalist at Bendigo receive d £50,000 last year in the shape of mining dividends. Had another dividend been paid at the close of the old year, instead of the beginning of the new one, his income for 1871 would have been just £1000 a week.

The Government of New South Wales has issued the following salutary notice : — " Any employe of the Government on any goldfield who may in future deal in mining shares, or hold miners' rights or claims to mines on such goldfield, will be removed from the Public Service."

Mr Brogden'B laborers on the Waikato Railway are on strike. They refuse to work more than eight hours a day, except for extra pay. They held a meeting oil the 22nd, at which about 200 were present, and resolved to agree to these terms, and to maintain their rules as a custom of

the place,

The crops in Canterbury are bein* secured in first-class condition. The yield this season will be comparatively small. As a rule, however, the grain will be of better sample than that harvested last year. Later intelligence states that an enormous quantity of oats has been blown out by a nor'-wester, and wheat has also suffered * severely. Mr Thomas Russell, who has recently been Staying with his family at Pah Farm, remained in Auckland on the night of the 22nd. At mid ' night some person knocked at the door of the farm-house, and being refused admittance, dis charged six Bhots from a revolver through the window. Mr Russell's son had a narrow escape from being struck by one of the bullets. The Bank of New Zaaland has shipped four I casks of iron sand from Auckland by the City of Auckland, for London. This sample is being forwarded for testing purposes, and it is to be hoped that further experiments may lead to some cheaper method than has already been discovered for the preparation of iron and steel from this deposit, of which the colony has such abundance.

We learn from the Southern Cross that Ropata, the capturer of Kereopa, had dealt handsomely with his followers in respect to the £1000 reward. It ia usual for the leading chief who may sell land, or otherwise obtain possession of money, to appropriate all of it, or as much as he possibly can, for his own exclusive benefit. Upon receiving the £1000, however, Ropata divided it evenly between himself and followers, every member of the party receiving as large a share as their leader.

It was stated recently that a strike in the building trade had taken place in Wellington. The following were the resolutions agreed to by both sides : — l. That forty-six hours constitute the week's work. 2. That the employes be paid by the hour. 3. That the question of wages be a matter of arrangement between each employer and his men. 4. That the number of working hours per day be eight, excepting on Saturdays, when the hinds shall work six hours, finishing the day at three o'clock. 5. That the foregoing rules be binding on all the master builders of Wellington. A Nokomai correspondent writes : — Great success has so far attended the effort to float the Nokomai Flat Goldmining Company, 400 shares having been sold in the Nokomai district alone. On Tuesday, the 23rd, Messrs Whitaker and Coulam proceeded to Kingston and Queenstown to canvass those places, and from the promises given, a large number of shares are expected to be taken there. At a meeting of shareholders, held on the 22nd, it was resolved to appoint a broker in Invercargill, and if the present company should be formed and bottom payable gold, numerous other companies would be started, it must be greatly for the interest of the Invercargill merchants and business people generally to support it. At a meeting of the Waste Land Board, held in Dunedin on the 24th inst, a letter was read from Messrs Smith and Anderson giving notice of the intention of Mr J. Clarke to appeal to the Supreme Court against the decision of the Board on his application for 45,500 acres at Moa iflat. It requested that a case in writing should be stated or settled by the Board, pursuant to section 18 of the Otago Waste Lands Act, 1866. It was resolved, as soon as a case was laid before the Board, that it would exercise its functions in terms of the 18th section, but unless the purchase money is paid, in terms of the 47th section, the application would be deemed withdrawn, cancelled, and void, and the deposit would be forfeited. The district land officer, Invercargill, requested the Board to reconsider its decision that the deposit paid on application for Mr Aitken's pre-emptive right should be forfeited if the balance were not paid in time. The Board expressed the opinion that it had no power to do so, seeing that the terms of the Act had Dot been complied with by the applicant.

The following minute of the Otago Education Board is published in the Provincial Government Gazette : — " Dunedin, January 20th, 1872 — The Board, taking into account the increasing number of applications coining before them for the establishment of schools and the appointment of additional teachers, and also the largely increasing cost of maintaining the Educational Establishments of the Province, are of opinion that a thorough revision of the whole of the educational arrangements should be made immediately after the compilation of the returns for the year 1871, and instruct the Secretary to proceed forthwith with the compilation of the said returns, to inform the School Committees and teachers connected with the Board of the intention to make such revision, and to intimate to them that, in the event of such revision showing that schools are in existence where the attendance of pupils, proximity to other schools, or other circumstances, warrant their discontinuance or a reduction of the allowances at present paid to them, the Board will not guarantee the continuance of the present payment on account of salaries or other allowances beyond the 30th day of September, 1872. John Hislop, Secretary."

Many ingenious calculations, Bays a contemporary, have been made with regard to the amount which has been realised by the woolgrower owing to the advance which has taken place in the price of this staple ; but it has perhaps never been noticed that the addition to the income of the colony, owing to the increase in the quantity of wool produced, has been even greater than that which has been obtained by this rise in price. The quantity of wool exported from New Zealand in 1870 amounted, in round numbers, to 37,000,000 lbs ; and it may be safely estimated that the quantity which will be exported this season will reach 60,000,000 lbs. Even an advance of 3d per lb on the whole of this quantity would only realiso £925,000 ; but if the price of wool had not advanced at all, and remained the same now as it did in 1870, the value of this increased quantity at Is per pound would amount to no less than £650,000. This large increase of production, when added to the large increase in price, must have a most beneficial influence on the prosperity of the country. The production of wool will go on increasing year by year ; but it is probable that the rise in its price has already reached its limits ; though this is by no means certain. A tolerably accurate idea can be formed as to the price which will be obtained for next year's cotton crop, but there are at present no means of forming an opinion as to the price which w-ill be obtained for wool. Need this always continue the case ?

The Cape Argus of October 19, says : — "As an illustration of the rapid development of the diamond trade, we may here mention the fact that yesterday, Messrs Jones and Co. sold diamonds in Cape Town to the value of upwards of £4,000 ; and that that was the third diamond sale held during the present week."

The notorious Redpath, (says a Victori-in con. temporary) who was connected with the extensive railway frauds in England in 1856, arrive! in Adelaide from Freemantle the other day, having recoived a conditional par.lon. His pardon does not allow him to go to England, and our Convict Influx Prevention Act prevents him coming here.

Rather an alarming fire, which appears to have beeu smouldering for some time past in Seaward Bush, broke out on Sunday evening in the vicinity of the entrance to M'Callum's tramway. During the night, fanned by a stiff breeze, it raged with considerable violence, causing serious apprehensions to those residing in the vicinity. Another fire raged in the Waikiwi Bush, where a considerable amount of damage was caused.

A correspondent directs our attention to the fact of a great amount of carelessness being displayed in the matter of starting fires both in the bush and open in the present dry weather. He thinks that gome punishment ought to be meted out to those who thereby endanger the property of others. It is highly necessary that the utmost caution should be exercised at a time like the present when everything is as dry as tinder.

The subject of spiritualism is still being discussed at great length by correspondents of the Melbourne papers. One writer saya : — I hare been asked to define what- is spiritualism ? I reply that it is a revelation of the unseen world — a removal of the veil which has hitherto concealed it from the eyes of the generality of mankind. That unseen world environs us on every side. I cannot better illustrate its nearness to us than by the words of the spirits themselves — " You have often walked by the baDks of a river ; you have often seen the fishes swimming in its depths, they moving in their element, and you in yours. They were unconscious of your proximity and presence. We are just as near you as you were to those fishes, and most of you humans are still uncon-

scious of it."

The -warrant for arras ting the Chinaman, Kee Chang, at Newcastle, N.S.W., was despatched by the Claud Hamilton to Melbourne yesterday. Unless the exceptionally good luck that has thus far attended Chang, follows him during his flight, there can be no doubt but that ho will soon be back again in Southland to render an account of himself. We have heard it stated that the Mary Cumming, in which he left Port William, met with baffling winds in the Straits, and that she put about with the view of attempting the passage through Cook's Straits. That statement comes from some fishermen who lately crossed from Stewart's Island, but we are not iv a position to vouch for it. If it turns out to ba true, it is hardly likely that the fugitive will succeed in making good his escape.

Residents in the country districts, and travellers from town, are complaining much of the state of the various bridges and culverts. The bridge otct tlio Waihopai on tko North. Roud, afc Gladstone, is in an unsafe state, having a large hole near the cent re of the roadway. The various patchings which have been administered from time to time to this bridge (like all other merely temporary repairs) have proved but false economy, and so thorough a repair is now needed that it is questionable whether the cheaper course would not be to erect a new structure. The bridges and culverts in the Waianiwa district require attention, and the present fine weather for roadwork should not be allowed to pass without at least as much surface work as will prepare the road somewhat for the coming wiater traffic. Unless this is done (as the roads in most directions are being rapidly fenced in, making deviation impracticable) communication through the winter will in some places be virtually stopped. The state of matters on the Bluff Koad (which has been so often referred to) is still so bad as to be in many parts dangerous. Culverts have given way, leaving large holes in the roadway, and the bridge over the Mokotua Oreek is all but impassable. Whether by accident or design is not known, but by some means this bridge was set on fire about a fortnight back. A portion of it has been burnt, part of it has fallen in, and the remaining part hangs in a state of dangerous suspense. To cross either on foot or horseback is hazardous. We would direct the attention of the Koad Inspector to the matter as requiring immediate remedy.

Some excitement has been caused in Fiji through the British consul, while attempting to board a vessel called the Peri, having a pistol presented at him, and his life threatened, by an employe of the so-called Government. A public meeting was held on the subject, when a deputation was appointed to wait on the consul. On the interview taking place, the consul thanked the deputation and the meeting they represented most sincerely for their action in the matter. The insult offered was not to him personally, but to the British flag, and he considered it the duty of every British sabject to support him at this juncture. British subiects composed 90 percent, of the white population of the islands, and it waa contrary to their best interests to permit such an occurrence to pass without remonstrance. Ho could assure them that the feelings and wishes of the majority of the British population would always be hoard and carefully attended to. He would not counsel any violent measures to gain redress, as his position was suoh that he could afFord to await the arrival of a man-of-war, when an opportunity would be afforded the deputation of urging their views on the present state of affairs respecting the interests of British subjects in the Fiji Islands. A somewhat lengthy conversation was then entered upon between the members of the deputation and Mr March, with reference to the means to be adopted for the preservation of the rights of British subjects in Fiji, after which the deputation withdrew.

The following are late items to hand from Queenstown t — A Chinaman in the employment of Mong Ping decamped from the claim recently, taking along with him 100 ounces of gold. He is supposed to have gone in the direction of Invercargill. — A. party of distinguished visitors, reports the Wakatipu Mail of the 24th instant, are enjoying a trip to Queenatowa and the Lakes scenery. The Chief Justice of Victoria, accompanied by Mr Geo. Webster, M. H. E. , are mentioned as being amongst the number. — The same journal reports : — The Invercargill service, as far as carrying the mails across the Lake by

.— » I the steamer Antrim, has ceased. The owners refuse to carry four mails weekly between Kingston and Queensfcown for the paltry sum that has been offered (23 6d per trip). In the meantime, however, they kindly consent to carry any letters to the mailman. Our contemporary adds : — We are informed the local postmaster has instructions to forward the mails by Dunedin . What next ? It is time some step was taken to obtain a solution of this strange proceeding.

In its review of the past year the Melbourne Argus says : — Under the free selection provisions of the Land Act of 1869, settlement during the past year has been very rapid. This, however, has been partly occasioned by the fact that the present Government have thrown open many choice and valuable portions of the colony prudently reserved by all former Administrations. The wisdom of such a course is, to say the least, very questionable, since there was plenty of land awaiting settlement without sacrificing the very eyes of the colony. Many of these sections will hereafter be required for public purposes, and will have to be re purchased at a high price. During the year, 9,198 applications were received under the free selection clause of the -new act, and of these, 6, L 36, covering an area of 609,731 acres, were granted. The total number of applications under this section approved since the act came into force, i 3 9,153, comprising an area, of 930,450 acres. Licences under the 49th clause, providing for the granting of residence blocks on the goldfields, not exceeding 20 acres, were issued to 771 applicants, the area taken up, 10,795 acres. Under the 42nd clause of the Land Act, 1865, 400 applications, previously pending, and covering 15,000 acres, were also granted. Besides all this, 125,000 acres were sold by auction, realising in round numbers £254,880, so that altogether something over 760,000 acre» have been alienated from the Crown during the past year. No estimate has as yet been made of the improvements made in the land taken up under the act of 1869, so that upon this point there is nothing to be said.

His Honor the Superintendent, accompanied by the Hon. Mr Reeves, Minister of Public Works for the Middle Island, and Messrs Cutten and Bathgate, of the Provincial Executive Council, arrived yesterday afternoon. They left Dunedin per the p.s. Wallace on Saturday afternoon, and are understood to have -risite<i Gatlin's Ttiver, &c, en route to the Bluff, where they arrived yesterday at noon. They came on to Invercargill by special train, arriving as above. It is known that some mismanagement has taken place about the date of this visit. We now learn that the party left in the Samson on Thursday evening. The weather at the time w»8 fresh from the S.W. The Samson got well along against the breeze until off the Ocean Beach, south of Cape Saunders, when a slight accident occurred to the pipe of the steam gauge. A strong head wind was blowing at the time, with a heavy head sea, and it was deemd advisable to put back, which was done accordingly. The Samson got insile the Otago Heads at midnight, and the following (Friday) morning she proceeds! up to Port Chalmers. Later in the day, the Superintendent and party went on to town, from whence they again embarked as stated above. To-day (Tuesday), they proceed in the Wallace to Stewart'a Island, to inspect the site or sites of the proposed special settlement. A public excursion is advertised to aocompany them, and if the weather continues favorable.the excursion should be well patronised. A second excursion ia also advertised, per p. c. Samson, from the Bluff to the Island, passengers leaving Invercargill by the train at 9.45. a.m.