Untitled

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1872, 8 October 1874, Page 2

We are informed that the Provincial Government have not declined to contribute towards the cost ot the Waio-Karaka road. The plans" were not furnished to the Government Engineer in time to enable him to report upon the sub • ject till yesterday. This matter and several others which have occurred lately demonstrate the awkwardness of the present system of government, and make us look forward with pleasant anticipation to the time when Provincial Governments and Superintendents and Executives will be abolished, because any change must be for the better. The' Provincial Government take the whole of the goldfield revenue, and deal it out exactly as they sse fit, having a "down" on the municipality, as a rival governing body which is to continue liviu§ when they are dead, to become heir 3to part of their estate. And while the Provincial Government gathers i the •whole of the goldfield revenue, within the boundary of the municipality are the roads upon which the greater part of the goldfield traffic has to be conveyed. And yet the Provincial Government have the power to withhold from the municipality any of the goldfield revenue, and h.we only agreed to give them any as a matter of grace and favour.

Yesterday was observed as a "public holiday at the Thames, but it only served to make the dulness which has been prevalent for some time past more apparent than ever. The banks were closed, so also were the Government offices and some of the principal stores, but there was no amusement provided, nor was the weather suitable for picuic parties, so that those who were not engaged in their ordinary avocations were thrown on their own resources to pass away the time. The 1 Golden Crown' made an excursion trip to Auckland, aud 80 took advantage of the trip to go and see the Auckland races. The Stock Exchange was closed all day, but from the paucity of business transactions at that place lately we do not think the brokers will lose much by the holiday. Of course the mines and batteries were at workas usual, so that the working men of the Thames had not to pay the penalty of, the loss of their day's pay in order to commemorate the new holiday.

The Thames Choral Society propose giving a concert at the Academy of Music on Tuesday evening next, and from the energetic and spirited manner iu which the members have set to work it should prove the most successful amateur concert ever given at the Thames. The programme selectediscertainlyau ambitious one, Mozart's Twelfth Mass, comprising the first portion o5 the entertainment, but the society has had frequent and regular practise, and will we have no doubt, acquit themselves creditably. There will be a full string baud, composed of members, and we observe that the services of Mrs Mitchell have been secured. She takes the position cf principal soprano.

There is one article extensively use;l on the Thames which is probably adulterated to a greater degree than any other—an article which is used day by day by all. We know that dairymen everywhere add large proportions of water to their milk, and that, with the assistance of the brains of animals, chalk, 4c., they manufacture milk wholesale, If we got a fair average-sample, we should probably hear little complaint, for where all the world are swindled the dairymen at the Thames cm scarcely be expected to be strictly honest, and serve out the pure unadulterated article. But we have good grounds for believing that we are worse than any other place in the colony, and this we do object to. One quarter of water, or even one-half, we might tolerate quietly, but when it comes to three parts of water to one part of milk, it is high time that we commence to grumble, which, of course, is the first step to any reformation. Persons who have lately gone over the colony, concur in one thing—namely, that the milk presented to them at the Thames is the most wishy-washy wate-y compound they have seen dignified by the name over the whole colony. Hitherto, the dairymen have been kept in check a little by the goats, but now that we are getting strict about our gardens, the goata must be extinguished, and we will have to take whatever the dairymen choose to offer U3. The dairymen represent that to furnish milk in anything like purity is an impossibility, simply because around the town there is not grazing sufficient for the cows required to supply the population with milk. That, at least, was the defence set up the other day by a dairyman wheu it was hiuted that he had baen bearing rather toj heavy a baud with the pump. A gentleman of our acquaintance procured an instrument which shows the quantity ■of water put in the milk, aud on testing what was considered a superior sample found that precisely half was water, which hid been added from the township supply, or some other less pure source, Perhaps some of the Thames dairymen would inform the public of the proportions generally used in the compound sold as milk. We may remark that the milk at the Thames, besides being worse than elsewhere in the colony, is considerably dearer.

An interesting rifle match came off yesterday at the new range, between the law and the banks—the losing side to pay 400 rounds of ammunition. The ranges were 300, 400, and 500 yards, 5 shots at each range, and no trial shot. Messrs Bnssey aud Bennett represented the legal side; and Messrs Murray (New Zealand), and Paul (New South Wales), the banking. The day was not favourable for good shooting, the wind being strong and gusty, and accompanied occasionally with k;avy showers of rain. The law led off first, and very inauspiciously, with a miss; the banks opened with a bull's eye fair in the centre, At the end of the first range the banks led by 7 points, which they had doubled on leaving the 400 yards. At 500 yards, however, the law had gained considerably, and whera only five points behind at the close. The following are the scores;— Banks. 300 400 500 yds. yds. yds. Tl. Murray ■ • • 17 18 15 50 Paul ... 14 13 '2 29 Total ■ ■ ■ ■ -79 Liw. Bennett - ■ ■ 13 15 13 41 Brasaey • • - 11 9 13 33 Total - * ■ 7i Majority for the Banks « 5

The 'Golden Crown,' which conveyed excursionists to the Auckland races yesterday, leaving at 7 a.m. and returning at 6 p.m., made the run in three hours and three-quarters against a strong head wind, and returned in somewhat less time to Tararu. The night was very dark and squally, and some time was lost in landing the passengers There were about 80 passengers each way, The steamer returned to Auckland as soon as she had landed her passengers, and will resume her ordinary time> table to-day.

We understand that the Hospital inquiry, re the treatment of Maurice Po*er, is likely to be referred to an entirely independent tribunal. The names of Dr Pliilson, Judge Beckham, Mr J, C. Firth, and Mr J. E. Macdonald have been spoken of as likely to 4 be selected for that purpose.

The Auckland Spring Meeting, held at Ellerslie yesterday, drew together a large concourse of spectators, but from a racing point of view the sports were a failure, and the visitors disappointed. The attempt to create ail iaterest in the events was not sustained, owing to the absence of "go "in most of the horses engaged in the races. Three of the events fell to the lot of Mr Perkins, of the Occidental Hotel, Auckland.

The ketch 'Maid of the Mill,'bound from the Thames to the Bay of Islands, in ballast, has been lying off the Kawau Island for some days dismasted, the result, no doubt, of the recent stormy weather.

The criminal session of the Auckland Su« preme Court is expected to be concluded tomorrow, and on Monday the libel action, Warden Fraser versus the proprietors of the Auckland Evenin'j Star, will come on for hearing before a special jury. It will be remembered that this action was to have been brought on at the last criminal sessions, but owing to some informality in the procedure on the part of plaintiff's counsel could not come on. The charge arises out of some comments made by the Evening Star on the police prosecution in the case of 4 Manning.

The following letter appears in Tuesday's N. Z. Herald:—"Sir,—As slightly interested' in the two companies I mention, and in a number of others at the Thames, would you kindly allow me through your columns to put one or two half questions, half suggestions, that, being non-resident, I have not the opportunity of putting at the yearly meeting, and which, so far as I have observed, have not been mooted thero. And first, as regards the Albion, It seems as yet doubtful whether the rich ground which was expected will ever be discovered in the lower levels, whilst it also seems not impossible that the deep sinking may have carried the works below rich deposits of gold. The returns . published month after month in your own columns of the gold obtained by the tribute parties working the upper levels seem rather tofavour this supposition. Would it not, therefore, be advisable that the company should take the working of this portion of the mine into their own hands ? Then, as to the Caledonian. It would seem that its glory has departed. But it has, I believe, one of the finest batteries at the Thames. Is there any reason why it should not go into what I will call the crushing market, and earu an honest penny ? We know howby this means the Kurauui and the Moanataiari have been able to clear off their debt, to avoid calls, and to assist even in paying dividends. -True, the dividends might be small, but we have fallen upon evil days, and I daresay many who at one time thought little of a £10 dividend would now welcome with pleasure one of as manysbillings. Or whyshould not the company take up a piece of new ground, and keep the battery employed till something more profitable was found in its present boundaries? I see that Mr Richards, the working and able manager of the Albion and Caledonian, and if I mistake not, the (Jolden Crown, has also been appointed manager of the Ofcago. The advantage in the way of systematic and economic working of having an able practical head over one large block of ground, instead of having the sauie block cut up into six smaller ones each with its own manager, need not be enlarged on. But it is possible to hare too much of a good thing, and able manager as Mr Richards is on all hands admitted to be, I think i-. may fairly be questioned whether ha has nst now more on his hands than any one man can thoroughly well oversee. A word or two more on tributes, and I have done. I have been told that it is no unusual thing for directors aud managers of mines to have a pecuniary interest in the tributes they are parties to letting. This should not be the case. A great deal was said and written a short time ago, and lightly, against specimen" stealing; but shareholders might suffer (juite as much aud in the same way—the absence of dividends—from tributes in which their managing bodies, or influential sectious of them, were interested, as from the thefts of specimen-stealers. I think, therefore, that no director or manager should be permitted to hold any pecuniary interest in the tributes working a mine they have been elected to manage for the benefit of the geueral body of the shareholders, as they are thus placet ia a position where self-interest might even, without their-being aware of it, prove too strong for the faithful discharge of the trust reposed in theoi. I will only add that in making these remarks I am not poiuting at particular mines or particular persons. .Inlleed, so far as absolute knowledge goes, I may be writing against an evil which has no existence. But I have been told that it does exist, and as the subject seems one -of some importance to investors, I have ventured to trouble you with these remarks Apologising for the unintended length of this,—l am, See,, A Shareuo&dek, Wellington, September 28, 1874

A meeting o! the Auckland Acclimatisation Society took place on Tuesday. In answer to a question, the Secretary said that 530 trout had been received from Hobart Town. 100 had been distributed, Mr Firth proposed that 100 should be sent to the Papakura stream, '80 to the Punui, 80 to the Kakapiro (a branch o£ the Waikato), 80 to another stream in the district, 60 to a stream running into the head of the Thames, and CO to another stream, a brauch of the Fiako. The transport would require great care. He proposed to visit the Thames himaslf to-morrow; and would take charge of them.,' Ho had arranged with various gentlemen to meet him, It the fish succeeded on the Punui, 1 the whole river system of the Waikato, abounding suitable streams, would be populated by them.' The same observations held good in regard to those he proposed to place at the head of the Thames. He. would have liked to have sent some to the Bay of Plenty and Poverty Bay, but at present this could not be done. The motion, having been seconded, was carried. Correspondence;— Letter from R, A. Scofcr-, of Scott Brothers, Ohineinutu, pointing out the advisability of planting ornamental trees in that district, and placing fish in Lake Rotorua, the consideration of which was deferred. One from Mr Graham, from London, acknowledging receipt of applications for birds, &c., siying he would send them at the best season. Mr Spencer, of Gfrahamstown, wrote to say tlut if solicited many people there would be glad to form a branch society. To this the Secretary replied, suggesting that the movement be deferred till March. One from Mr J. O. Young, reporting the existence of trout in the Waihou, and of black swans, which the native magistrate, WiKepa l'e Marama, had protected by imposing a fine of £5 on anyone, native or European, disturbing them, Mr Ramsay, of Sydney, also wrote, stating that he would send eggs of swallows as soon as possible, In regard to snipe he hid never heard of their eggs being procured, he thought in all probability the birds bred in far off districts.

The drawing of Mr M. Hannaford's srt union 1 took place on Tuesday afternoon at Messrs Upton and Co.'s, Queen-street, There were 200 subscribers of one guinea each, and 20 prizes. The first prize consisted of a splendid oil painting by Mr Hannaford of Otira Gorge, valued at £120, the second prize being a painting of the Pink Terraces, Kotumahana. The following is a list of the prize winners: —lst prize, Mr E. Bei&tt&)ket No. 31; 2nd, Mr H. D. Driver, No. 174; 3rd, Mr Lewissoii, No. 10; 4th, Jems, No. 128; sth, W. H. Cobley, ' No, 84; 6th, Mr J. D. Grant, No. 139; 7th, Mr W. U. Kissling, No. 106; Bth; Mr W. Hewitt, No. 183; 9th, Bullen and Co., No. 104; 10th, Mr J. llobertson, No. 71; 11th, Mr W. C. Wilson, No. 132; 12th, Mr Hannaford, No. 45; 14th, Mr K. Cook, No. 151; 15th, Mr J. Anderson, No. 61; 16th, Mr J. Hose, No. 129; 17th, Mr J. Goodall, No. 17; 18th, Mr A. Scott, No. 101; 19th, Mr Brissenden, No. 72; 20th, Mr J, Cruickshank, No. 135'.

Between the year 1830 and the year 1868, the bush of this colony disappeared at the rate of 133,526 acres per annum, says an Otago contemporary. Between 1868 and 1573 the consumption was at the rate of 633,200 acres per annum. At the present rate of consumption, the remaining area will have been exhausted in less than twenty years, The consumption of timber in Otago between the years 1830 and 1868 was at the rate 484| acres per annum. Between that date and the end of last year it had risen to 43,200 acres, at which rate the remaining area-of bush in the province will disappear in about 44 years.

The Wellington Evening Post says that the Defence Minister has administered a most practical snub to the late Inspector of Volunteers, Major Gordon. Amongst this officer's recommendations in reference to the Otago force, was one that the commissions of Majors Bathgate, Jones, and Steward should be cmcelled, as they had not learned, and were not capable of learning their 'duty-, Donald McLean has shown what lie thinks on the subject, by appointing Major Steward to the separate command of the North Otago district This appointment is notified iu orders published by the officer commanding in Otago. The appointment is quite justified by the fact that Major Steward is one of the oldest, most zealous, and most efficient volunteer officers iu t! e colony, the Inspector notwithstanding. In reply to a telegram from Captain Copcland, of the North Dunedin Rifles, representing that his company were just about to procure new uniforms when the Inspector's'recommendation for its disbandment was published, the Defence Minister stated that there was no intention of acting on the Inspector's recommendation. If it be true, as reported, that Major Gordon is likely to be transferred to Otago, to be replaced in Auckland by Major Atk'son, we fear that the ex-Inspector's position will be a decideuly uncomfortable one,

We (Poverty Buy Herald) notice that Mr J. A. Wilson, land Purchase Commissioner, is now on a visit to this district for the purpose of -acquiring various blocks of country from the native owuers, and of completing the arrangements for the purchase of the scabby sheep on the East Coast. The first portion of Mr Wilson's mission we entirely approve of,

• but without reflecting in any way whatever upou - hia t'ct and skill in native negotiations, we must point out that the advisability of deputing him to undertake the business o/ byuing the scabby sheep from the natives is open to grave question, and it is difficult to comprehend the motive of the Government iu adopting such a course. An official connected with the Native Department, who, it is well known, has acquired great influence over the tfgatiporo natives, has already paved the way for the carrying out of this method of eradicating the scab; the natives have signified their assent, and the authority of the Government was apparently all that was. necessary to complete the business. We then learn that another official is appointed to carry out the work so satisfactorily commenced, manifestly at the risk of disturbing the arrangements already made, and of giving rise to difficulties which ■would never have occurred if the matter had ■ been allowed to remain on the original footing. ■ The Government are certainly undertaking' a great risk, which they ate certain'y not warranted in doing, when the importance of

settling the scab question is duly considered. * In the Equity Court at Melbourne, on the 13th ult, an application was made that thtj rule nisi for the sequestration of the estate of Mr Harry Kickards, the comic vocalist,, be made absolute. The circumstances of the case were, that Kickards bought certain furniture of Mr J. Hickinbotham, which he did not pay for, and shortly afterwards left suddenly for Sydney, having previously made over the goods to his wife, Miss Carrie It appeared from a witness who gave evidence, that the immediate cause of a house being furnished by Bickards at the time he did so, was the refusal of his wife to appear on the stage any more, as she objected to her husband engaging superior talent to be put into competition with hers; and, consequently, on her retirement from public life, a home was to be established, which, however, did not seem to be long kept up. Judge Molcsworth considered, from the facts brought before him in regard to the settlement on Mrs Eickards, that an act of insolvency had been proved, but reserved his judgment on some technical grounds which were raised. The papers to hand by the mail contain an account of the above melancholy event. We take the following from an American telegram: Port Garry, Manitoba, August 3.—"Lord Gordon shot himself on Saturday last at his residence, Meadingly, iu this Province. Two English detactives arrested him, and he promised to go quietly with them if they wou'd not go through the Onion States. While iu his room preparing for the journey he blew out his brains with a pistol. Gordon-Gordon, ■whose singular career has closed so sally, came to this country about three years ago, representing tliat he was authorised to act for the English shareholders of the Erie llailway Company. His statement received general credence, and secured him the countenance of lea-ling capitalists, He went West, and after sojourning some time in Minnesota returned to this city and stafed that he to Lord Gordon; that he intended settling part of his Scotch tenantry on lands in the West, where, on accjunt of his health, he would be compelled to reside. Having procured by filse pretences a large sum of money from the late Horace P. Clark, and also victimised Jay Gould, he decamped from New York and settled in Manitoba. He resided in the latter province undisturbed until, at the instance of the executors of the Clark estate, he was arrested near the frontier, The Canadian authorities, however, interfered, placed bis captors in gaol for exercising unlawful authority on British soil, and allowed Gordon to escape, fie was supposed to have gone to British Columbia, but he appears to have returned soon to Manitoba, where his second grand scheme of colonization bewildered the settlers, In appearance Gordon was gentlemanly and pleasing, He had the beating of a man who had moved in good society, and spoke intelligently on current topics of the day. He affected to be on iui imate terms with the British nobility, and, among other things, stated that his cousin was to have married the wealthy Marquis of Bute, but the match was broken off. He lived extravagantly in this city, and professed to have unlimited means at his control. His address sud ingenuity were such that if well applied he might earned a fair livelihood and been generally respected, One of his recent acts was to instruct his solicitors to suo those who participated in his illegal arrest on Canadian soil. Persons in Minneapolis received letters to this effect:—Sir,—We are instructed by lord Gor-don-Gordon to commence proceedings to recover damages from all who participated in any way in his illegal arrest in July, 1873, and as you took an active part therein you will be included, We" will be glad to hear from you the name of BOtne solicitor here who will accept service for you, and we will hand him the process. Failing such action from you, we will of course forward the process to your eity for .service.— Yours, CoftMSH-and Thebandmu, Winnipeg, July 29. This step was probably an attempt at blackmail, for the wily adventurer knew that if he entered on American soil to prosecute the threatened suit lie would be liable to arrosfc fcr frauds committed here.-N. Y. TriJme.