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Southland Times, Issue 1554, 22 March 1872, Page 2

Mr Warden Wood has been appointed Registration and Returning Officer for the Wakaia and Wallace districts, the appointment dating from the 18th inst. This appointment was previously held by Mr C. S. Marten. The hon. Treasurer to the Provincial Hospital acknowledges receipt of £5 from Me3srs Calder, Blacklock & Co., as agents of the ship Christian McAusland, deposit on behalf of a ship patient ; and also of £4 5s from Messrs Aitkin and Harrison, being their subscription and collection in shearing shed. A special meeting of the members of the Athenaeum is advertised for to-night at the rooms. The object of the meeting is to make some alteration in the rules. As there is other public business for this evening, it is hoped the members of the AthenEßum will assemble at tho advertised hour — seven o'clock — that no time may be lost. At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, Kee Chang was charged on remand (let) with obtaining the sum of £350 by false pretences (selling spurious gold) from one John Bell at Riverton, on the 16th January last ; (2nd) obtaining £97 Os 4d by similar means from H. Howells, at Orepuki, on 15th January ; and (3rd) obtaining £65 by similar means from James | Thyne, Orepuki. On the application of the police, accused was remanded to Riverton. A Waikiwi correspondent writes as follows : — Matters of public interest cannot fail to attract public attention, and any industry tending to advance competition in any shaps, and enhance the price of any local production, must bo considered a sign of progression. A new fellmongering and wool-scouring establishment is being started on the Waikiwi river, adjoining the railway, by the Messrs Foray th and Mason, who state that from the superior position, adaptation of buildings, and new system of manipulation in the business generally, they will be able to give a higher price for skins than has hitherto been obtainable, and should tho enterprise meet with the success it deserves, they inform me it is thenintention to erect buildings and machinery for the manufacture of blankets, &o. i

The Hon. John Hall is still suffering from indisposition. A Canterbury atockovrner has named a yearling colt Sir Charles Dilke, got by High Treason, out of Kemedy by the Cure out of Young Madcap. The Invercar^ill Education Committee met on Wednesday evening, the chief business on hand I being the settlement of preliminaries between the contractors and the Board roladvo to the erection |of the now school buildings. A letter from Mr ( i A. Macdonald, teacher, was put in, amounting to I an offer to receive scholars at the Government rate of fees in return for the subsidy proposed to be given by the Board for an interim school Dending the erection of the Grammar School. The matter was allowed to stand over. \ The South Clutha settlers (says the " Bruce Standard,") are agitating for the establishment of a public market at Puerua — a very central and suitable position ; and we hope they may be successful in their efforts. It has always appeared to us that the people of Milton have been neglectful of their interests in not establishing a fortnightly mßrket or fair, contenting themselves with the perpetuation of a system suitable in the early days of the settlement, but utterly inadequate to the requirements of the settlers and others in these days of advancement and progress that give promise of railways to and from all quarters. The usual meeting of the Waste Land Board (Southland district) was held on Tuesday. Present — The Crown Land Commissioner, and Messrs M'Arthur, Dundas, and Blacklock. Mr W. Roberta's application for 52a. 2r. in section 34, block 6, Jacob's Eiver Hundred?, was granted. The Commissioner reported as follows : — That at & meeting held on the 29th ult., Messrs A. 1 M'Kay, David Anderson, James Millar, Alex. Ross, D. Tobin, and Joseph Foshbender were elected wardens for the Forest Hill district ; and Messrs Wm. Lawrence, John Brook, Wm. Russell, and Samuel Hodgkunon for the New River Hundreds, at a meeting held on the 2nd inst. A meeting of the Railway Committee was held jon the evening of Wednesday. The chairman (Mr Wood) explained that he had that morning forwarded a telegram to the Superiutendent enquiring aB to the prolonged delay in the arrival of the Government railway contractor in Southland. A reply was read stating that His Honor was unable to explain the delay, and adding that the Mataura Railway Engineer (Mr Brunton) had been Bummoned to Wellington, understood to be in connection with the commencement of the line. After discussion, it was agreed that the chairman should communicate by telegraph direct with the Minister of Public Works, and that a meeting should be called immediately on an answer being obtained. A statement was submitted by the treasurer, Mr G-arthwaite, showing a balance of £5 odds against the committee . Mr Robert Gilmour was elected hon. collector to obtain subscriptions to defray the amount. In a recent issua -of the contemporary journal an effort was made to distort certain statements made by the Hon. Dillon Bell prior to his reelection for the Mataura in relation to the Speakership then about to become vacant. The words Mr Bell made use of were these : — I am not a candidate for the Speaker's chair in the House. 1 might be if Sir David Monro does not come forward, but if he doe 3, as I have proposed him for the last ten yeai*s, I am likely to do it again. If Sir David does not stand, I should not be disposed to refuse the post of honor were it offered. It would be an unheard-of thing to refuse it, unless the constituency pledged me not to accept of it. And there is this to be looked to. You tnu.it not think that your interests would suffer were I obtaining the honorable "post. By no means. Except the Ministry for the time, no one holds such power in the House as the Speaker, and if I am elected no one will reap more benefit or should be more glad of it than the people on this side of the Mataura. The Speaker has a personal-' position which no other man in the House has, and consequently he is able to give better service to his constituency than any other member. The Municipal Council met last night. Present — The Mayor, and Councillors Garthwaite, Blackwood, Pratt, Lumsden, Jaggers, and Goodwillie. A long discussion took place regarding the upset price for the Tay street allotments. Two sums, viz., £100 and £125, were submitted. Eventually the former was carried by the casting vote of the Mayor. Councillor Lumsden moved that an improvement clause in the shape of an obligation to erect buildings to the extent of at least the amount of the purchase price, within the three years allowed for payment, should be inserted as a condition of sale. In secon.ling the motion, Councillor Garth waite remarked that it was a published fact that a combination had already been formed to secure these allotments. After being discussed, the motion was put and lost. The Town Clerk reported that 65 assessments, amounting to £95 19s, had been paid. The following tenders were accepted : — T. Connell, for cutting ditch and erecting back fence to cemetery, £17s 4s. Fiv<j tenders were received. J. R. M'Kay, for constructing front fence to cemetery (£1 13s 6 i per chain). Four tenders were received. George Clark, for repair of Dee-street footpatb, £45 4s 2d. J. Lambert was appointed foreman of the Fire Brigade, and Wm. Pickford assistant-foreman. The meeting adjourned at 11.30 p.m.