FROM OUR EXCHANGES.

Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 110, 4 January 1879, Page 2

FROM OUR EXCHANGES.

The N<inior district is suffering from want of rain. Ifc is stated in Dunedin that such is the wear and tear on the Dunedin and Christchurch railway Hue ihat it will soon have to be re’aid with steel rails. Tin re is no intelligence of the Kelly gang, and no trace of their movements. There are all sorts of rumours daily, but few have any foundation in fact, A newly-arrived immigrant died from sunstroke near Wellington last week. Between sixty and seventy persons booked for the West Coast Sounds excursion in the liotorua. Native affiiirsare ominously quiet All the Maoris and some Europeans expect great results from the big March meeting'to be held at Waitsn. At a mooting of the directors of the Bank of New Zealand held at Auckland on the dlst December, it was resolved to issue new shares to the present shareholders in proportion of three new to eight old shares, at a premium of L 7 each, or a total of £l7 for each now share. By this process the paid up capital will be increased to one million, and the reserve fund to more than half a million. In well informed quarters it was believed that a higher premium would be fixed on the now issue of the shares, but the directors have boon influenced by the general opinion of the shareholders in tiie matter. The shareholders held that a premium of L 6 or L 7 w as ample to continue tho bank in a strong and commanding position, and that at the present time it was undesirable and unnecessary to take more from them.

The ‘New Zealand Times ’ says if; is whispered that a considerable difficulty is experienced in the administration of the Laud Tax scheme, particularly in the way of getting information as to the value of hind. The expenses, too, .arc said to be in excess of what was estimated. The Government estimate the expense of the land valuation for (lie first year will he between LIO,OOO and 12.000. but that as the subsequent valuation will lie made every third year, the expense will he comparatively livlit. 'Oho Victorian Einbas-y Com-r.isioncrs, Mr Berry and Professor Pearson were envoi! a farewell banquet on the 20tii previous to their departure for England. A telegram says that a farce is being played as a sort of set-oft to the Embassy proceedings. The whole of the doings of Mr Berry and party arc being parodied by a negro politician, who has been a nuisance as a sort of popular agitator. The man is named Daniel Henderson, was banquetted on the same night, and wa*represented a?

'•eutg fitriiiSnod with a private secretary cod new clothe*, in addition to < redeutiais to the Secretary <>f S am. Host p op’e limit the Eke a m .j;ai but that it Jias now been carried far enough hut others persist in caTying it further and sending Ihe man home to Engl an I in the steamer with Mr Berry. The person Henderson is consequently inflated with vanity, and is being fooled to the very top of his bent. The report of the directors of the 'Walton Park (an Otigo Coal Company) shows.that the Govcvnm; nt has deceived the Company. The Minister of Public Works induced them, by a promise to haul the Company’s coals at a reduction of a shilling a ton if carried in their own waggons, to send home for the iron work of twenty-five waggons, and the waggons are now being built. The Government have withdrawn the concession formerly offered, and propose that a rebate of Id per loaded waggon per mile shall be allowed, a rate which the directors need not say will barely supply grease for the wheels.

SUPERSTITION

(Colonusin the ‘ Bruce Herald.’)

I read a few weeks since in a neighbouring newspaker a pleasing little anecdote extracted from an American newspaper —-America that land of long bones —about a fanner, who being annoyed by constant wet weather, elevated hi nself upon a stump in a field, and called upon his Maker to come down and he would rip him open with a scythe; and moie, about the man being instantly turned to stone, though retaining some life ; about unsuccessful endeavours to feed him, and eventually about the people planting him in the ground with his, head out. It is astonishing what superstition and credulity there is in the world, and that such nonsense should be published as a fact. If it was true, I should have a poorer opinion of the Almighty than I have at present. Human beings seem to credit (Jod with lining an impersonation of their own detective nature, forgetting that, high as the Heavens are above the Aarth, so arc His thoughts above our though Is, and His ways beyond our ways'. They seem to think God would retaliate for an oflence just as they would themselves bo disposed to do. That is hut a gross and pagan idea of the Supreme Being. Such like attributes do the pagans credit their idols of wood and stone with. God does not punish like men punish. When his children do wrong he does not take a cane and wollop them a la pos trion 1 . Men suffer for doing wrong by the operation of a system of laws which is an ennmathm from a soul of infinite wisdom. .if men do not obey of health they get ill and suffer pain ; if they do not obey the moral law they suffer remorse and grief. The retribution is certain and inevitable. By care and cunning, men may occasionally avoid the consequence of breaking human laws, lint can never escape with impunity when they offend God, they can never' wriggle themselves out of the grasp of (lie Eternal Hand. So, generally speaking, even in this world, tire wisest people are happiest. As has been said of Wisdom, “ her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are nonce,” while sorrow and trouble, pain and grief, follow yriththo inevitable pertinacity of slough hounds, in the wake of the weak, foolish., and evil-doing. As regards such Ilasphemous words uttered by a silly fanner, though the man might suffer for his impatience, as all people suffer for being impatient. I should think at such words the Almighty would he more likely to laugh, than ho' eimraged. Man’s viilany is more offensive to God than idle words, even though directed against himself, and perhaps after all the great Supreme Ruler of all things is less disposed to stand upon dignity than some wretched mortals are. TARANAKI IRON SAND.

nvirkets it would be unwise to encourage any jiovoon lo embark in tin attempt to utilise it. I a:-., A John Goods. Hon. J. B.dlance. 3, Palace Houses, Bayswah-r Road, W., 26th October, 1878. Henr Sir John, —I am duly in receipt of your note, and of a small parcel of Australian iron ore, which I at once recognise to ,be the same titani ■ iron sane., of which I had a specimen about two years ago. It was thought at one time that the percentage of titanium was of great advantage in improving the quality of the iron produced from it, but experience has shoivn that it does nothing for the iron, and produces the disadvantage of a very thick slag in the furnace. It can bo smelted, however, and produces a good quality of iron or steel (being particularly well suited for the production of steel by direct process). It would not pay to carry the ore over t o this country, but if coal can be .obtained at moderate cost near the ore ,'W'wpuld pay under ordinary conditions trade, to smelt it in the Colony. ■ i V At the pres-mt time I could not advise your friends to move in the matter. I am, &c., C. William Siemens. Sir John Goode.