THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1872.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 223, 26 June 1872, Page 2

THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1872.

The elections for the local Highway Boards arc close at hand. That for the Waiotahi District will take place on Tuesday next, the 2nd July ; for the Kauaeranga, on the Dili July ; and for Parawai, probably about the same day, but the date for this election has not yet been announced. Until wo have a Municipality at the Thames these local Boards are our only means of self-government, and small as their powers and funds are it is well that the greatest possible advantage should be derived from them until a better system takes their place. The Highway Board system is now universally acknowledged to be utterly unsuited to a community like the Thames, but the peoplu will do well to make the best of it while it lasts. Canvassers arc now soliciting the votes and proxies of ratepayers for the forthcoming elections, and we hope the best men will be chosen irrespective of all selfish considerations. As the candidates have not yet publicly announced themselves it would be premature for us to say anything of their merits, although their names, capabilities, and claims are being freely discussed. In a few days, no doubt, they will be before the public, when we may have something more to say respecting them. This much we may say now, that the existing members have done much with very little means to benefit the districts they represent, and if they had more money at their disposal would have done more. This ought not to be forgotten at the ensuing election should the members seek re-election, but if those come forward whom the ratepayers have good reason to think are better qualified to serve them, by all means let the opportunity be taken advantage of. That the question is an important one is beyond dispute, and that the community generally is conscious of the fact there can be very little doubt. The members of the present Boards have been lately setting their houses in order with a view to handing over to their successors the affairs of the district, in as satisfactory a manner as possible,under the many difficulties which they have had to contend with and the peculiar circumstances of the place. In view of the ambiguity of certain clauses of the Provincial Highways Acts in reference to the use of proxies at annual elections, the Parawai Board has taken the initiative in taking counsel’s opinion. From the correspondence which, by the courtesy of a member of the Board, we are enabled to lay before our readers to-day it will be seen that considerable oains have been taken in the matter, and that the result is now before the other Boards and the public to deal with as they think fit. Doubtless some may not agree with Mr Whitaker’s opinion on the points raised, but at the same time the probabilities are that it is a sound one, and not likely to be upset by any decision of the Supreme Court in the event of the question coming before that tribunal. The correspondence, of which we have spoken, is as follows :

“ Parawai District Board. “ The opinion of Mr Whitaker is desired as to the legal interpretation of the fol'owing clauses of the Provincial Highways Acts in reference to the use of proxies at annual elections of the District Board. “Ist. Highways Act, 1871, section 48; number of votes of each ratepayer. “2nd. Highways Act, 1871, Amendment Act, 1871, section 5; proxy votes receivable at meeting of ratepayers. “ Section 5 of the Amendment Act provides ‘ that no person shall exercise more ‘than six proxy votes at any meeting of ‘ratepayers.” “ 1. Question —Can six absent ratepayers, each of whom is entitled to six votes, if present, be represented by one person and be allowed to vote through that person as their proxy, and to count for thirty-six votes in the election ? “ Another question also arises upon which Mr Whitaker’s opinion is desired. A portion of the Kauaeranga Highway District is about to be taken into the Parawai District, and it is presumed this will be legally effected prior to 30th June. By the Bth section of the Highways Act, 1871, every adult person “who on the “ 30th June in any year shall be in occu- “ pation, &c., of ratable property within “ any district and shall on that day be “ liable to be or have been rated under “ this list for such property, &c., shall bo “ qualified to vote at the election of the “ District Board, t&c.” “2. Question—Will the new ratepayers who have this year paid rates in the Kauaeranga District be allowed to exercise the number of votes to which they would have been entitled, under section 48, bad they remained ratepayers of the Kauaeranga District, or must they be treated as ratepayers under section 8, and only be allowed one vote each ?” Mu Whitaker’s Opinion : The language used “that no person shall exercise more than six pioxy votes at any meeting of ratepayers ” is not very clear, but I am of opinion that the number

of votes which any one person may exercise as a proxy is limited to six, whether acting for one ratepayer or more ; and that six absent ratepayers, each of whom is entitled to six votes if present, but represented by one proxy, are not entitled through that person as their proxy to count for 3G votes but for six only. I am also of opinion that the new ratepayers taken from the Kauaernnga District, and added to the Parawai District, before the 30th June, will be entitled to the number of votes prescribed by the 48th section of The Highways Act of 1871.— Fred Whitaker, 22nd .June 1872.

In reply to the circular from the Waitakarci Boards requesting the cooperation of other Boards against the Empowering Act, the Parawai Board forwarded a protest, in accordance with the form accompanying the circular, to which the following reply has been received from his Honor the Miperintendent:—

“Superintendent’s Office, Auckland, 22nd June, 1872, Sir —l have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your protest against Clause G of ‘ The Highway Boards Empowering Act, 1871,’ and to inform you that, in so far as abolishing the limitation of the Highway liate is concerned, I will do my utmost towards getting tiie law amended at the forthcoming session of the General Assembly. I have, &c., Tiiomas B. Girlies, Supeiintendent. To the Chairman of the Parawai District Board.”

There was no business whatever at the Police Court yesterday. A dividend of five shillings per share will be paid by the Moauataiari Goldminiug Company on the Ist of July. The extension of the wharf at Coromandel has been commenced, and will be carried to such a distance as will enable watermen’s boats to come alongside at low water.

The Warden’s Court will .sit this morning, when the ease of J. S. Fitch v. A. Sinclair and others, a claim for forfeiture of the Dumbarton Castle claim, on the ground of non-working, will be heard. It is proposed in Auckland to fit out an expedition to prosecute the pearl fishery at the north coast of Australia and south coast of New Guinea. A meeting is to be held on Wednesday next. The p.s. Duke of Edinburgh will sail for Auckland this morning, at 8.30, in order to afford the friends of the late Mr Hugh Coolahau an opportunity of attending the funeral of the deceased, which will leave Parnell at 3.30 this afternoon.

There will be rehearsals of t' pieces to be performed in aid of the Mechanics’ Institute, on Friday and Saturday evenings. Stage rehearsals will take place in the Theatre Royal on Monday, Tuesday, anil Wednesday, next week. Several members of the Hibernian Society went to Coromandel yesterday, to be present at the opening of a branch in that rising locality. A supper and ball were to take place iu the evening. Owing to the inclement state of the weather, the firing for the Government prizes by the Thames Naval Riigade did not take place yesterday, but i.s postponed uni'l Thursday next, when, if the weather is still unfavourable, a further postponement will take place until Saturday next, at 2 o'clock.

Dr Carr was well patronised again last night, and went through the usual Delores and mesmeric feats, finishing up with the Laughing Gas. Last night none of the subjects were at all combative, bul all behaved themselves well. The entertainment will be repeated to-night.

A meeting of journeymen bootmakers was held in Auckland ou Monday last, the object being to take into consideration tiie present low wages now being paid them, whereby they are barely able to earn a livelihood. It was agreed that they should form a Protection Society which was agreed to, and the amount of subscriptions arranged. In the Auckland District Court, held on Monday, the Rank of New Zealand sued a man named Boyle for the sum of £IOO, alleged to have been paid to him over and above the amount of the cheque he presented, by one of the tellers in mistake. The judge, after hearing the evidence gave a verdict for the plaintiff, with immediate execution.

The Master Bakers at the Thames, we understand, have consented to allow the men in their employ to work by day shitts, instead of night and day shifts as heretofore. At the meeting held on the 21st instant, all present, eleven in number, agreed 10 nine hours’ work, commencing at o o’clock a.m. 'lliis concession has prevented a probable strike, and speaks well for the good sense of both master and man that such an arrangement has been arrived at, and we hope this mutual good understanding will continue.

We were shown yesterday by Captain Soutcr very line specimens of fossil ilax, which were found embedded in a reef some !>OO feet from the surface, in the Californian Goldmmiug Company’s ground, Tararu. The stem aud part of the leaf are very perfect. We have very often seen large pieces of petrified wood along the beach, between Tararu and Tapu. but never heard of a plant being fount! embedded in a vein of quartz at such a depth.

“ We are informed that arrangements have bean concluded between the General aud Provincial Governments for transferring the police to the latter Government at the end of the present month, the couclusiou of the financial year of the Colonial Government. ’ The above is taken from the U. S. Grots of yesterday, which, we presume, is a good authority ou General Government matters ; but. we arc inclined to think that it would have been better for the whole police force of the colony to have remained under the General Government than being transferred to the Provincial authorities. Our readers will sec by au advertisement which appears in another column that after the usual meeting of the Choral Society this evening, a meeting of the committee of management will be held for the transaction of some important business. The Society enters now upon its third quarter with the prospect of iucre- ig support, more particularly in the shape _of honorary membership ; and a proposal which has been made for the formation of an instrumental class in connection with the Society is likely to be favorably entertained aud carried into effect. This and the acquisition of a piano, Iq purchase or otuerwise, would establish the Society on a sure aud lasting basis.

We perceive that the Tararu Tramway Compauy have lost no time iu getting on with the extension of the tramway towards Albert-street, now that the Beach road has been completed. The rai’s are already laid down as far as Abralnmv-street, and in a very short time now the train will start every hour from the end of Albert-street instead of Bourkc-street as heretofore. I his will be a very great convenience to passengers going D and returning from Tararu, being a much more central situation. Ihe Beach road has been pitched and metal laid down from Albert-street to the new wharf, and us soon as the weather will allow of it the remaining portion as far as Coromandel-street will be properly made. At present, the road is so very soil and so much cut tip that it is quite out of the question to do anything to it. In our opinion this end should have been done before the other end, as there always has been a large amount of traffic along it. and in its present state it almost amounts to cruelty to animals to force the horses to drag heavy lodes along it,

A man Yiamcd Sydenham Oxeuham, employed al the shipbuilding yard of Messrs. Niccol and Son, North Shore, fell down the hold of a schooner building there. It Hooper was sent for. The injuries sustained are not of a serious nature.

A robbery has been reported to the police as having been committed at the Prince of Wales Theatre, some time between Saturday night and Sunday morning. Some person or persons bad succeeded in obtaining an entrance to the rear of the stage, and carrying away a portion of the wardrobe which had been allowed to remain there after the close of the performance. As the police are in the hopes of heir j' r' ace the robbery to its source, wo refrain from entering upon any further particulars.— Cross.

Our Aotea correspondent of the D.S. Cross writes : —“ A hailstorm on the 14rh was perfectly unparalleled in my New Zealand experience. In a few minutes the ground was covered several inches deep with hailstones, and the face of the country forcibly reminded me of an old country landscape. Six hours after, tiie hailstones were still ou the ground frozen into solid ice. All the young vegetation grass, wheat, potatoes. See., has been destroyed—only, I hope, however, temporarily.

“ The American ‘ collide,’ ” remarks the ■ Observer, “ though really a useful word if we could overcome our antipathy to its etymology, has not made much progress in England since (lie date of its attempted introduction. In the meanwhile American newspaper writers, whilst making abundant use of the word, have found it insufficient for their requirements, and have just invented another, or rather taken an English noun and tinned it into an American verb. The noun is. 1 telescope,’ and we read in so respeetab e a journal as the New York Times of tin engine coming up and telescoping two cars. To • telescope’ a car is, we gather from the context, to run in from behind with such force as to cause one or more cars to mount on the top of the other cars to wliDh they are attached. The very length of the definition suggests the necessity for a single word descriptive of an incident not possible in the birth period of the English language. But ‘ telescope’ certainly will not do.” What, then will the Observer think of making a verb out of the word “ Phoenix ?” Preposterous as it may seem this lias been done in G’liicago since the occurrence of the great fire. Scarcely anyone in that city proposes to re-build an edifice. He prefers the newer form of expression, and makes his announcement in a similar style to the following : “The Chicago Opera-house, which is about to Plioeuix, will cost about 100.00Ud01., and be one of the most magnificent buildings of the kind in the country.”