THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, JULY 5, 1879.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3238, 5 July 1879, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, JULY 5, 1879.

Considerable.; disappointmeut will no doubt ; be- fejit; at f thei-result) of the conference iof local bodies' with the delegate. from 'the Auckland meeting of' 'mining. mM,^! |hy^artu^p^;ttie ; , ißig^^fimp., With the. feeling, off disappointment" will' also be"felt!one;6f surprise; at the'copl jprpßosjii'of thd delegate askjing/theeWhole gpl|i; djity^re.ceiyed^ tyjthe JpfJal ; bbdies tpi enable pumping, operations to be! comni(e,htfe.d'i|ii(l;cbntiMed,°and, in^h6ev^nt of ' tbat 'te wntig 1. beiijg 1 *iifflcien t l' Xpf jthe Vpur!ppse, intipjatingi/J^^tha^ihej coi}trit?utionß from the: mines should cease;.,We; have repe^e'dly 1 had occasion to; w^te '^comj-( !m.e,^tin^ up.6n^ t|tej^jk|(pns pj[;itt»^^c^:land mine, owners, frequently giving them credit for being earneatin their endeavors tp^re-start 'p|impfbg^ bperatipn)i;"but must Bay,, after; hearing; the explanations and views of Mp Stone; their delegate, ithat very 'little 'credit, is d^ for ,their latest efforts, ihe. request shows such an , utter,- want of consideration for' the position of the local bodies; and indicates 'iHe,l jb^ession pt 'a''«'blfish';' and t narrow* minded disposition. , Mr Stone; characterised the gold duty as an iniquitous taxi but ihe'/fruits 'of which it seems the associated companies were not ashamed Toi "enjoy. It jjj^patent to all thatrestartingpumpingoperatiohs would increase the prosperity,,of the place, but such a result should not be bought too dearly; and. if the whole of the gold duty is to be devoted by the local bodies to such a work, its expenditure should at least be left in the hands of the donors. It was magnanimous to a degree the latter part ■ of the resolution: adopted at the; Auckland meeting " that any surplus of the gold revenue, after defraying pumping: expenses, would Dehandedback to the local 1 aiithbritiiek.". ■ .Trading upbnj pur necesii--ties has always been the favorite mode of working the Thames adopted by the; Auckland speculators, and bo well has it. answered in,the part that it is to be tried im i ihfi, ■; future.- :The day 'however! ;is past; and as is well known the County Council intends to test their position, and the value of, their securities, .it is to be -hoped that little consideration 'mayßfbe^«hown' ' to th'bse^ who;'appeal^ to| v h^jre so little, pftpt^B. ,Tt$ $fl&qiMe\ County under the circumstances is ,asmuch as migKt have been ahticipated, although one which it was';' Scarcely ex.poctc.d flic Auckland owners would, accept,; while the Borough offer was as liberal asi could be made from the limited means

at the disposal of the Council, and in,, the interests of the ratepayers Cue Councillors were called upon to make. The latter offer meant; a contribution of £50 per month, from a very limited revenue, for the public good, to a concern t)|kt the municipality has no acknowledged interest, in, and from which no refenme was expected that could repay the contributing party for their donation. In the case of the. County it was altogether different, from their being the holders of the securities ; they looked forward to the time when all expenditure on account of. such operations would borefunded to them.. It appears the gold duty isthe bone of contention, the" mine owners, by the mouth of Mr Stone, characterising it as dn iniquitous tax, which Jn their' they are quite justified in talcing means to have returned to them, while the local bodies looking at it as a-local. item of Jncomei'in J fact, representing; a' tax which, but jfor it's existence, they Would : be enabled,. to levy on mining/ property, feel anything but' disposedl to r» fall in w|tji'',- ) '!jtlie ;vieWs? dF ithe '^mine owners.' This conte fhlion furnishes ■■ an argument in favour of'its abolition, which we bay^'^flfo^t9d\lfdjc lye:irs[ r;!tixe f , pnly point in favor 6f its retention being' that it has been made an item of local ■'revenue!."'•';"':-';;' "!\"''.'.?';': l \'"' i[' 1 '--V 1. n '"'■• Tne other matter referred to, at' the? .;,-:■•. !■••;■[■;':,■••:,.;/^:iri-,t oi'f. r:: t:<'■•'■ i. , ] . meeting—not by any means a new ldea-^ .the most economical and best means in, the future of working the pumps by, utilising the water power of the big racp< 'we Will.Prefer to -vd-i jfatute?;i^ue,; ! "'' |^ j(i

We were waited upon this morning bjy two of tHe wbirkinen' lately^ employed byMessrs Hart and Horn at the work i>L s&aigfitening "thjj ;Karak'a Creek; who complain of the unjust intentions! of; tlje ! contractors, who, while Retting back their, deposit and a paymeiitx>f'ten ' for* .the, stone pin the ground, refuse to allow them any wages;for the, tinier apeift by them on the contract. We are not at all surprised at the cottpiaint' of 'tlie'sV met}, and • tHr^ow' &'e'' whole 1 byrtife upon thje dhUdish I,:' unbusinesslike action o'f-^lthSe Borough Council Committee. The treatm'ent'gi veri to Messrs Hart and' Horn goes to establish a bad jireoedent, and is some-, thing like offering a-premium to contractors to^throw up their/coitrac'ts as soon, as they find they cannot carry out their work' according to the'-plans and specifications. We are not 1 surprised that the Borough Council arfc in want of money when they can afford to pay for material they never orderedf to return money fairly forfeited* and allo,w the ratepayers to be put tdthe expense and delay of calling' for fresh tenders, just because certain,' contractors refuse to carry out the work, according to the terms of thfir tender. 1 We tru?t that when the matter*comes before the;' Counci l%n r expressioa of opiniop may rbe elicited from the independent members, and good and sufficient reason's shown for the course suggested by the ; Sub Committee; appointed' to yisifc the workgadWftyfrKaraka Creek. ; ;■ ;

'li'is staaß'xhe Gbterhnieht .yfill jnikje provision n tow* session for leasing' ,snd selling native lands by auction. ( i ; . :sHE;Grermaiv Consuls, for Cyprusihave withdrawn, owing to a misunderstanding with theißritish authorities. „ ; < •

By calpgranvtwe learn <that; Turkey has refused,, to cede., the town. of., Janina' (Albania) to Greece. The Great Powers have disagreed on the question when submitted to them.

/In another -: column Avrej publish Jthe " Sydney Exhibition Prize Essayi'f by Mr J. A. Pbilpi and intend during next week to publish one or two of the productions of the'other competitors. j \' The atiehti6n! of' pupils' kttetiding ex.trja^clasgps at th^W^io-Karaka.^cb^opl is" directed to the advertisement, J,in anpther ( column notifying their reopening on Monday, 14th inst.,, one week later thap jthejopening of the school. // j

; ? Our report' of the prbceedings at,the County Council meeting yesterday: is Crowded OUt. :.;:!•. ; " As. will be ; 'seen, by 'ia^UreVfe^s^meW/ the Thames !Sun^ayJ Scho^ , t7hioV,,jntend giving a Service. ,pf Song at the Theatre ftoyal on Tuesday evening next.; r.j Mb -Win./; Smith; /secretary, stp the Waiotatii School Committee, has been pp- ; pointed by. the Board of Education to an assistant mastership in the Waio-Karaka School. Mr Smith served a full apprenticeship in an English model school under this Comaittee*, Q t f : =the'Privy Council, was subsequently ;^aihecfc^ in Bishop Otter's College, Gnriitchuwjh^ 'Hants, and was forfour years mastefj of Jan .important charge in Kent; he Jftllsp the holder of ;i certificate'; uMer| the Auckland 'Provincial fv-A-c.t, '■attd^.firom his| home training experience, .will doubtless prove an efficient addition to the teaching, staff of the school. .'Miss-Mary A. Mac-: donaid and Miss Pnscilla Greenville have afib' been- appointed assistant' teachers. These three nomination's "will raise'the teaching power of 1 the sohbojt&'its full complement bf three '■ assistant ;inasters,> four female assistants, and four pupil teachers, besides the Head Master ._,.«■ ! As we surmised, the loyal .American citizen Shanghai came in from; Copu yeßterday, the " Glorious .Fourth,'" to celebrate the natal day of American independence in a befitting - manner. At 'i/ndf es'! hotel last night he delivered an oration replete with statistical information respectiing the,States,,,and wound up byj reciting what he remembers of the 'cele«! brated," Declaration,". : t A bystander, who! had the shocking temerity jto express .a' doubt about Shanghai being an American citizen, just escaped being " chawed up '* by a lightning movement out at the door, followed; by the sole of, thei," Cunnel's" booti which came off" as he: nladeia desperate-kick at the receding coat tails'; of his insulter. /

Mb Leydon will sell, without reserve, on Monday, 100 bags of maize,..at the market in Williamson street.