The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Ressurexi. FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 1878.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2828, 8 March 1878, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Ressurexi. FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 1878.

Br telegram we learn that the following gentlemen were found to hare the largest number of votes when the papers were opened to-day, and will therefore constitute the new Board of Education: —Dr J. L. Campbell, Messrs D. M. *Luckie, T. M. Haultain, J. May, W. P. Moat, G. M. O'Borke, fl. H. Lusk, F. L. Prime and J. M. Dargaville. Practically the old Board have been re-elected, the new members being Messrs Moat and Dargaville. The " clerical" element has been rejected altogether, and the out-districts are not represesented by local members. This is not altogether unexpected, although from the promises made it was be* lieved that Mr Wm. Davies and Mr Vernon would be returned. The country committeei, however, must have included most of the old members of the Board on their lists, or the result would not have been just what it is. Some of the candidates' put forward bj local committees never had the ghost of a chance of being elected, nor would it have been desirable to have had them returned, some of them being in official positions, who must have neglected work for which they are paid to attend to the honorary and onerous duties of members of the Education Board.

Thb resolution come to by the County Council yesterday, to discontinue the south drire from the low le?el of the United Pumping Association shaft, is only what might hare been expected. The Council hare continued these works longer than they were called upon, or even justified in doing, considering the breach of faith on the part of the companies in whose interest the works were undertaken, between whom and the County authorities there was an understanding that as the low level cross-cuts proceeded the companies owning the ground through which they were driven should carry out prospecting drives. This has not been done in a single instance so far as the south drive is concerned, and although the stoppage of the drive way be regarded in the light of a public calamity, no blame can possibly be imputed to the , County Council, except, perhaps, for I carrying the work on so long when the companies ignored their part of the bargain. The north drive has enabled the Kuranui Company to do a largo amount of prospecting, and they have commend ably stuck to it under discouraging circumstances, putting in cross-cuts, exploring and testing reefs, and generally availing themselves of the facilities afforded at th? public expense for Irving their ground at the low levels. A correspondent calls attention to this subject, and characterises the expenditure of public money a " gigantic job." We agree with him that it is a job in so far as the companies arc concerned. The shareholders hare no doubt frequently congratulated each other on the success of their schemes to get their ground prospected at the expense of the public. This expenditure, the Council consider, has gone far enough. Already some hundreds of pounds have been spent in putting in the southern drive, and we believe some very promising ! lodes have been intersected ; but notwithstanding this, and the understanding arrived at before the work commenced, no work has been done by the companies; not a single cross-cut has been

entered, not a penny expended in prospecting: the money spent by the Council might as well huve been, thrown into tho sen. The stoppage of the southern drive by tho Cnunty may not have the effect of briuging these companies to reason; they have been left in undisturbed possession of their ground so long that they probably think they never will be interfered with. Probably under the old rdgime they would uot have been troubled, but a now order of thiugs has arisen, nnd tho shareholders who hrive so long held on to ground—neither working it themselves nor allowing others to do so—may find that they too must comply with the law. If the abuses that have been permitted are to bo removed, the Government must be asked to appoint a Mining Inspector at once, and instruct him to administer the Act impartially. If these companies owning valuable ground will not work the same, it must he forfeited and thrown open to men who will work it. If something is not done very soon it will be a matter for consideration whether the money now being spent on the Big Pump itself is warranted by results.

The first meeting of the newly-elected School Committee for the Waiotahi District was held at the Thames School on Wednesday evening. Present —Messrs W.DaTJcis, H. C. La#lor, TA G. Comes, J. Patterson; a-nd T; Bawdon". Mr W. Davies was elected Chairman of the Commitlee, and Mr J. Patterson was appointed Secretary. This was all the business except some routine matters.

Is tbd Board of Works' report to the County Council, submitted and approved at yesterday's meeting, the following was omitted: —" The extension of the Karaka road to meet the requirements of share* holders and others is recommended."

The petition to tho Gorernor re the dirisioti of the Borough into wards has now close on 400 signatures appended to it. ' ■•

A public meeting in connection with the Auckland Scripture Gift Association was held at the Congregational Church last evening. The business wai for the purpose of distributing prizes to the children attending the public schools here who had wen prizes offered by the Association. Mr Focock (Chairman), the Beys. J. T. Hinton, 8. J. Neill, and others briefly addressed those present, after which the prizes were distributed to the fortunate winners. An improvised choir gate several pieces between the speeches.

The brig Jane, 160 tons, commanded by Captain Abbot, has arrived here from Wellington. She will load timber at the Goods Wharf from the Shortland Saw Mill, but her destination is not yet decided ou. The proposed dredging of a channel up to Short-land, and the extension of the Shortland wharf would be a great boon to vessels of this description, and would improve the trade of the place, as the cost of carting to Grahamstown from the mill is a heavy tax on a bulky article like timber,

Mb John Thompson, the owner of the premises used as County Council Offices, has asked us to state that he has not parted with that property to the Rev. Gideon Smales. The report of our morning "contemporary of the County Council's proceedings conveys the impression that Mr Thompson had sold to Mr Smales. Mr Thompson would have no objection to sell, he says, for £500. Our report of the proceedings puts a different complexion on the business.

We had the pleasure of inspecting the small vineyard of Mr Gough, on Block 27, to-day. It is only about half an acre in extent, but it has about 400 vines, which are heavily laden with fruit* The owner does not go in for selling his grapes, but makes wine of them, and this year expects to make 800 gallons. He has already a good stock of wine, some of it three years old, and after sampling it we can pronounce it to be very good. The Oidium Tuckeri passed over the vineyard, but only affected the vines in a sort of narrow streak, the black grapes being but little touched. Mr Gough «aye the vines a dressing of solution of potash, which answered very well. Mr Gough has been trying for some time to get permission to bring his home made wines before the public, hut it appears that a license will be necessary before he can succeed. At present the postal service between Waitekauri and other outlying districts and the Thames is in a very unsatisfactory condition, inasmuch as a letter frequently takes the best part of a week to reach its destination, and a person writing from here to Waitekauri cannot expect an answer for ten days at least. In the case of Waitekauri, we are informed that the letters are entrusted to the packers, and the mails are just conveyed when other business requires a journey to or from Paeroa. Surely when the authorities see fit to subsidise a mail contractor between the little hamlet of Tapu and the Thames, a large and rising district like Ohinemuri should not be entirely overlooked. As the official communication sbetween mine managers and their boards of directors are continually passing, it is of great importance that a more rapid means of getting the mails to their destination should be adopted.

The N.Z. Herald has the following with reference to the delay in completing Thames land purchases: In yesterday's paper we referred to the fact that the lrind negotiations in the Thames district, in respect to which the late Gorerment was so severely blamed, were not being rigorously pushed oh by the present Ministry. We learn now that the delay doe» not occur through any hitch with Mr Mack ay, that a sum of £8000 was agreed to be paid to him, and that within the last few days, a part of the sum has been paid to him. There is, therefore, no cause of delay on his part. On the more important subject of continuing and completing the arrangements, the Ministry do not appear to hare as yet made effective arrangements. Mr J. W. Preece has been doing something, but apparently he has not yet been regularly appointed, and, so far as the main part of ihe work is concerned, it is not touched, and unless some steps are taken to expedite matters, the position of affuirs will become rapidly worse. It was stated a few weeks ago that a petition was in course of signature at the Thames, asking that Captain Fraser should be appointed, with Mr Puckey or Mr Preece, to complete the negotiations at the earliest possible time. We do not urge the appointment of any particular agent. That is a subject on which Minis*

tors should bo thoniNfilvoN the best judges; but at nil evonls KOinething should bo dono nt oiKiti, To Imvo tho country opcni'd in tin* question of questions for Auckland* Ail Olltt*»' irtHimH raised are, compnritUvoly, tdvkl to us. Manhood suff'rngo, Aven inelt]#iie© of taxation, really sink into itiijgtiifltttuiuci by the side cf this. If tho country upon which tho Government have paid money, and which has been put down in returns for the last seven or eight yours as being under negotiations, woro now offered in convenient blocks to the many genuine settlers who are willing to occupy it, Auckland would have ten years of continuous progress and prosperity before it.

A bkcknt Wellington telegram to the Morning Herald (Dunedin) says: It is rumoured that next session a daily Hansard will be issued, so that there shall be no complaints of mis-reporting in the Press. The Hansard will be supplied at a moderate price per thousand words to the papers.

The Wellington correspondent of the Hawke's Bay Herald says: -" The Catholics, 140 in number, gave a block vote for Barton, who is a red hot Orangeman and a Greyite, which is a strange fact, because Father Henneberry, Bishop Mornn, and other*, have most vigorously denounced the Grey Ministry, and Mr jPearce was a strong denominationalist. Ihe Irish voters, looking on Mr Barton as a martyr, like their, fellow-countrymen in '48, plumped for him. Barton's politics had perhaps little to do with his success.'