THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1878.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3068, 14 December 1878, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1878.

Now tbat Ministers have shown such a laudable desire to meet the wishes of Thames local bodies and promote the interests of the district by an early commencement of the railway, it isvery much to be hoped that no differences of opinion amongst the people themselves as to the starting point or the ultimate situation of the station will be allowed to exhibit themselves, or further delay may ensue if not an indefinite postponement of the work. The question of compensation must crop up, and as in other places so *iere, we may expect some greedy indm- <- to come forward with claims that duals . Emitted, |, ut can never i n \pxf9tp with the may seriously - •—'*■ <*■•

carrying out of the work. We do not' anticipate so much difficulty in this respect as would arise in more settled districts, but the force of bad example is strong, and the Church Mission Society have already set a very bad example in the matter of claiming compensation for public works, and they certainly should have been the last to make any demand— the settlement by Europeans of this district and the carrying out of public works having enhanced the value of their lands to a very large extent. In fact it may be said that previous to _. the opening of this district to the miners the Church Mission lands, which are now yielding a substantial revenue, were comparatively valueless. We have an instance at Whangarei of a public work the people have been clamouring for for some time likely to be retarded by the greed of a few landowners.' The officer appointed by the Government to arrange for the land required for carrying out the Kamo line was met on his first visit with exorbitant demands, and there is not much chance, if such are persisted in that the Government will at once go on with the work. If the system of roberry is permitted it will come to this, that the money voted for forming a railway will be but an insignificant item in the cost, and ho Government will be found to ask for votes for railways until the land for such works has been acquired. Regarding this subject the Auckland Star of last night says:—" The Kamo and Whaugarei line is also likely to be considerably delayed by' the exorbitant claims that have been sent in for compensation, amounting in the aggregate to a sum so large as to be absolutely prohibitory. It is much to be regretted that the greed and selfishness of individual land owners should operate to the detriment of public interests, and the general welfare of an entire district. The system under which the Government by projecting a railway first gives an enhanced value to land, and then has to acquire it at that enhanced price is a most unsatisfactory obstruction to progress, and a drain on the public funds." We trust that public opinion will successfully combat any attempts at extortion here, and that the liberality shown by some landowners in giving land for public works will have its due effect upon others whose estates will be so largely enhanced in value by the construction of the Thames and Waikato Bail way.

The laying of the three inch strips of asphalt is making good progress, there now being an uninterrupted line from the Willoughby street corner to? Wilkes', watchmaker.

We hare been requested to draw attention to the sale of those valuable properties, the Central Italy arid Nonpareil, which will be submitted for public competition on Tuesday next. They are expected to realise good prices.

Me Addet notifies that the usual reception of visitors of the Ladies' College to inspect the work of the pupils will not take place till after the vacation in consequence of Mrs Addey's indisposition.

At a meeting of stewards held at Mr Butler's Hotel last night, it was resolved to instruct Mr Craig to sell on Monday next, at 12 o'clock noon, 2 publicans' booths, the " JTrect Cards" of the races, also 2 fruit stalls. We also take the opportunity of reminding the owners of horses that the nominations must be sent in to the Secretary on Monday next not later than 8 p.m.

Mb E. J. Angove, the cordial and popular host, and hte of the Cornwall Arms Hotel, has changed his quarters to the Bay View Hotel, Beach road, where his patrons will find, as usual, that his liquors are all of the best brands.

A number of distinguished visitors visited our harbor to-day in the shape of a 'school of large bottle-nose whales. There were four or five of them, and the largest must have been fully 50 feet long. They were first observed off" Tararu sailing majestically up the channel, ever and anon spouting up columns of water. They passed the Burke street wharf at a distance of two or three miles from the shore, and were distinctly visible from the wharf. Messrs Porter and Richards were in a boat, and were passed by their whaleships at a distance of 200 or 300 yards. They would probably seek fresh fields with the ebb tide.

The subject of Thames lands cropped up at the meeeing of the Waste Lands Board on Thursday, when the following is reported as having been said: —Mr Firth asked whether any reply had been received to the very urgent request of the Board to have the lands acquired at the Thames placed immediately under the Board's control ?—The Chairman said no reply had yet been received.—Mr Firth said he did not see why the Board should submit to insult from outside, when the Government paid no attention to their recommendations. It had always been tbe intention of the Board to place these lands so as to be available for the Thames people, but they never had the power to do so.—The subject then dropped.

The International Circus has arrived, and to-day the tent has been erected on the vacant ground near the Thames School, bounded by Queen, Cochrane and Kirkwood streets, preparatory to opening to-night. We extract the following notice of their: performance in Napier from The Telegraph :—" The International Circus was opened on Friday on the vacant portion of Clive Square in front of the Wesleyan Church. The large tent was filled in every part, many of the spectators being unable to find sitting room. The troupe consists of a remarkably strong company of most accomplished gymnasts, bold equestrians, amusing "fools," and last but not least, of Mdlle. Granville, " the lady with the iron jaw." The management was excellent; the programme was. carried out with smartness and precision, and eacb performance merited and received applause. There is but one opinion of the International Circus : it is the best that has ever visited Napier, and is as good as any to be seen. The afternoon performance on Saturday was largely patronised.'

At the E.M. Court this morning the only business was the punishment of one person for drunkenness and disorderly! conduct.

Mb Thomas Veaie intimates in our advertising columns that he is prepared to supply cocksfoot grass seed grown in Taranaki, and guaranteed, in quantities from ten to one thousand bushels. " Cocksfoot," says an authority, "forms an important part of almost all the best natural pastures, is much relished by cattle, and grows with great rapidity after it has been cut, yielding a large quantity

of herbage, and succeeding well on moat kinds of soil." With the progress ot agriculture in the upper country there should be a largely increasing demand for cocksfoot, and one very important consideration is to have seed that can be depended upon, which Mr Veale guaran* tees to supply. ■

The death on Sept. 23 is announced of Mr John Perm, the eminent engineer, whose name is inseparably associated with the development of steam as a propelling power at sea, and with the changes thus gradually effected in the naval power of this and other maritime countries. Mr Perm will also be remembered at one of the chief leaden in stamping on the mechanical workmanship of England that simplicity and elegance of design, just proportion, and perfect finish to which our machine shops owe their world-wide reputation. He was born in 1805 at Greenwich, where his father had during the close of the last century established a business at a machinist and agricultural implement manufacturer. Mr Perm was elected a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1828, and a Fellow of the Koyal Society in 1859. He was also a past president of the Society of Mechanical Engineers, and he had received many marks of distinction from the various foreign Governments who had availed themselves of his professional services. Mr Perm married in 1847, Ellen, daughter of William English, of Enfield, himself an engineer, and has left four sons and two daughters. In 1872 he took his two eldest sons into partnership, and they are now the heads of the firm, which employs upwards of 2000 hands. ;

The great American electrician, Mr Edison, has, it is said, inTented an apparatus which will show how much ore a mine contains, and where it is situated, thus doing away with guess*work in opening diggings. Even without this ingenious help, sereral very curious" finds " are reported by the continental correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald as having recently been made. One of these, in Italy, has brought to light an immense treasure of coins, buried nearly 300 years ago, known toexist,butof which the where* abouts was unknown; and now we hear that a peasant at Michakoff, on the Dniester, has just found, in digging a field, a treasure supposed to be that of King Cyrus, conqueror of Croesus. It consists of a crown, sceptres, goblets, clasps, &c, ornamented with dragons' heads, all of gold, and representing, in weight of metal only, a value of £10.000. The archaeologist Praglowski declares them to be ot Persian origin; he supposes them to have belonged to King Cyrus, and to have been buried by his attendants after his defeat at Massagetes, in which, say some writers, he lost his life. , \

A shobt time since General Tom Thumb was asked by a visitor how he came by his name. " Well," said the General jocosely, "I suppose that Mr Barnum and Queen Victoria divide the honors. Previous to presentation to the Queen at Buckingham palace, in 1844: I had been known simply as 'Tom Thumb,' but the Queen, when I had been presented to her in that form, said, with a smile, ' You ought to have a title: I think I shall have to call you General Tom Thumb.' The Duke of Wellington and several others of the nobility were present at the time, and.of course Her Majesty's words were instantly adopted, and I became a ' General'from that time forward." , ■ : ■:■.,■:; .: ,-.■ ;..-■.

Ip the Thames Valley Railway construction be really inaugurated before Christmas, we may indeed enjoy our holidays with merry hearts. With bright visions of a prosperous future, we need not hesitate to make our homes as comfortable as possible. JVGrigg has reoently received extensive shipments of pianos, harmoniums, and other necessities of civilized and enlightened communities, and, as he can afford to sell them cheap, he hopes the patronage of the Thameß public will prove the wisdom of his enterprise. Pollen' street, December 14th.—[Adti.] .