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Temuka Leader, Volume I, Issue 79, 18 September 1878, Page 2

The consecration ofthe new (Jdd Lei lows Hall, Geraldine, A.O. 0.F., takes place on Friday next, when the principal grand officers will dedicate the Hall to the use of the lodge This branch of the Society, although only started about three years back, now musters over 80 members. They contemplate having, after the ceremony, a banquet, and from the energy noticable, they will have a success. On Tuesday ten of the horses entered for the County Plate took spins round the training course, and from what we could see of their performances, we consider that this will be a good race. The committee did wisely in placing this race in their programme, as it has proved very popular. The priveleges of erecting booths at the Geraldine Races have been let as follows: Grand-stand and bar, A. Wadsworth, L2B. Two other general license booths, Ll 5 each, also taken by Mr Wadsworth, Refreshment booth, Jas. Williams L 7 10s. Most of onr readers have by this time heard of the death of Mrs F. Arenas. We are sure that few heard it without some shock. Wo come to consider those we have known long as part of a fixed and unchanging order of things, and feel surprise and pain at finding that they are not really so. Mrs Arenas has been so long, and so favourably known in this part of the country, that we are sure a deep wave of sympathy will pass over its inhabitants on hearing of her death. A meeting of the Temuka Race Committee was held on Monday evening at the Crown Hotel. The chief business was the receiving of the report of the sub-committee appointed to select a course. It was reported that a good course of about three-quarters of a mile had been marked out. The next meeliug will be held on the 2lßh inst, when nomations for the handicaps avill be received. Mr Macandrcw’s Public Works Policy contains at least one important omission. [N.B. —This bull’s entered for the next show.] He has made no provision for the improvement of the footways from Temuka to the railway station. If the members’ excursion train had stopped at this station for a few minutes on its return that wet Monday to allow the cxem’sionists to run across to see our ‘ public’ buildings, there is no doubt the confounded mess they would have got their boots in would have produced an effect which must be desired by all who have to go often to or from the station. A special addition would he made to the railway proposals providing for the throwing down of a few loads of shingle in that puddle near the platform, and for making a decent crossing of the dirty watertable on the west side of the railway terrace. As a fact, there is do footpath at all within the railway gates. In dirty weather one must either keep the horse road or go into the mud, soiling one’s clothes and spoiling one’s temper. A passenger by the Lady Jocelyn, from London, was fined in Auckland last week, L 25 for smuggling watches and razors. The goods were also confiscated.

A meeting of Auckland volunteers resolved to support the proposal lor a National Rifle Association. The land mania has reached Invercargill. Dunedin and Christchurch speculators are buying at fancy prices. A great deal of land, both Crown and private, changed hands last week. Be the Waiapu murder, the jury brought in a verdict of guilty against Henare Pete and Panamene. A presentraent.by the jury praised the Native Committee of investigation. “if when ’twere done ’twere well done, then ’twere well it were done quickly.” We refer to till re-piinting of the Scotch Church, Temuka, and its restoration in other particulars. The building is really a discredit to the body it belongs to. Its faded, washed-out look, its gable ornaments all askew, windows broken and the frosting scratched off, would lead oue to think that its lamp had been removed. Presbyterian elders, take a lesson from Father Henncberry. Close the door, and “ stick up” the congregation for funds.

Don’t you think, Messieurs Members of Canterbury Road Boards, and Messieurs Engineers and Surveyors to ditto, that a law should be made to compel travellers to take their vehicles on you r newly shingled roads as soon as they are declared open ? Do you think such a law would be a greater satire upon your works than is the fact that no one will take a vehicle, light or heavy, on your newly-shingled roads while they can avoid doing so ? Not a bit of it. To see coaches and drays making and keeping to a rough and dirty track in preference to going on your roads ought to have taught you that there is something bad in the principles you work upon. If it hasn’t, you're to be pitied—if it has, why the deuce don’t you try some other plan 1 A table given in a late report on the railways of Victoria shows that about the >eginning of the year New Zealand had 1.30 miles of railway opened for every .000 inhabitants, the total number of miles being 955 ; Queensland, 1.70 ; United States, with a total of 78,G54 miles, 1.72 ; Canada, 1.60 ; South Aus.■alia, 1.27 ; Victoria, 1.08 ; New South 'Vales, 0.90 ; Great Britain, with a total >f 16,872 miles, 0.51 ; Eran-e, with a otal of 12,723 miles, 0.31. New Zealand hus heads the list according to this method of estimating the amount of railway facilities afforded. If the railways already under construction and those recently proposed were completed, we should have about 2317 miles of railway —a grand property to be owned by a population of about 450,000 people ! Wo often hear that the railways have been the making of commercial Britain. May we not look hopefully forward to our own commercial future ?

A petition condemning Mr Curtis’s proposal to legalise denominational education was circulated in Auckland city on Friday .last. By Monclay night it had received*the signatures of; 2000 adults. It is to be presented to the House immediately, and if necessary new petitions will be circulated, and it is estimate.l that 5000 signatures might ho obtained in the city and suburbs within a week.

Melbourne advices state that the Victorian Government intend calling for tenders for a new mail service via Galle, and also direct to Aden and Suez. The latter will give the Orient lino an opportunity of competing with the P. and O. Company, and they are augmenting their fleet. Business continues very dull. Shearing has commenced, and some of the early clips have readied town. The weather has been very sultry, but much-needed rains have fallen in the neighboring colonies, doing much good. The Exhibition Commissioners have got to work. The famous case £ Avon Road Board v. the Colonial Treasurer,’ was argued in Christchurch on Thursday and Friday last week. The answering affidavit of the Treasurer, and the arguments of Mr Stout were too strong for the other side, and the rule was discharged with costs. The affidavit referred to set forth that monies paid into the Treasury become the property of Her Majesty, and cannot be paid away except under warrant from Her Majesty’s representative, and with the approval of the Commissioners of Audit. No warrant had been issued for the payment of the moneys in dispute, nor had any demand been made for them even, nor any refusal to pay. Further, all the monies due to the Road Board had been paid, and lastly, that the command to pay over monies should not be made, because it would be useless if made. The Euridice was raised from the bed of the ocean —into which she had settled about 11 feet —in the following manner : Four vessels were attached to her hull by wire hawsers 7 inches and 9 inches in diameter. When the tide was at its lowest, these hawsers were hove as tight as possible. For further decreasing the distance between the sunken and the floating vessels, the latter had nearly 2000 tons if water pumped into them—the two smaller 100 each, and the two larger 600 and 900 respectively. When the tide began to rise this water was all pumped out again. As the tide rose, the buoyancy of the four vessels was sufficient to lift the enormous weight from the hole it had made for itself. The Thunderer, ironclad, then came and towed the five vessels—the four afloat and one submerged—until the latter reached a hard

bottom. By proceeding in this waytightening the lifting hawsers at ebb tide and towing at full, the Euridice will be brought into shallow water, and thence to dock. : Wo have received a copy of a small pamphlet descriptive of the Waiwera Hot and Mineral Springs, “the Sanatorium of New Zealand,” situated about 24 miles north of the City of Auckland. The proprietor, Mr Robert Graham, noticed the valuable properties of these springs over thirty years ago, and with commendable foresight, secured the land on which they aro found. The Maories used the springs medicinally, calling them Te Bata, “The Doctor,” These waters have already established a reputation, and in order to accommodate the numerous visitors, a large hotel, fitted with all modern appliances, has been erected, or rather has grown with the annually increasing number of visitors. The hotel and springs are dose to the sea, and a lithographic of the place shows it to be extremely pretty. The springs have a temperature of from 100 to 110 degrees Fahr., and are alkaline. The waters have been frequently analysed, and compared with celebrated European waters. Mr Skey says they resemble the medicinal waters of Vichy, in France, and of Fachingen, in Nassau. A London chemist says they resemble the waters of Aix-la-Chapelle, which is recommended in cases of gout, rheumatism, and gravel. A small section of testimonials given, shows that the Waiwera Springs have been found beneficial in cases of rheumatism, gout, dyspepsia, asthma, lumbago, paralysis, and many other painful disorders. Amongst those testifying to having received benefit from the use of the oaths we notice a local gentleman, Mr Hugo Friedlander, whose painful accident most of our readers will remember.