THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1880.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3482, 21 February 1880, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1880.

The sanitary condition of the town is a matter in which every resident has a deep interest. We hare referred of late to the satisfactory settlement of the Water Supply question, and now that there is no longer any bone of contention for our local bodies to quarrel over, we trust that both County and Borough will attend to the pressing wants of the community. On Sundays the water from the big race is turned down the Karaka creek and runs uselessly out to sea. Now could not this large body of water be diverted so that it would flush weekly the low-lying and oftimes unwholesome watertables of Shortland and its environs. This idea we would strongly commend to the favorable notice of the civic authorities, who, with a little aid from the County Council could greatly improve the sanitary condition of Shortland and Block 27. The benefits of the waste water' from <4ueen of Beauty battery in Owen and Brown streets is felt to a considerable (sxtent—cooling the footway, and carrying away -filth which would otherwise be prejudiciel to health. The scheme should be extended so that Abraham, Williamson and other cross streets might enjoy the same privileges. TheseHhoroughfares are Very flat, and the flushing by the waste water would be a great boon to the inhabitants. We sincerely trust the authorities will see their way clear to aidopt these saggestions. V

Ouk telegrams from Wanganui disclose anything but a ; satisfactory position of affairs with the natives in that diatrictv It appears somewhat strange that Major Kemp, who prbred himself such a loyal subject during the late war should now act in opposition to the interests of the Government and hia European neighbors. In extenuation,, it.may be said that with natives the matter of land is always » question of such importance that the most; -law-abiding may be excused for allowing their fe«lings to carry them beyond due bounds, yet in the case of Kemp his long association with the pakeha, and the responsible position he has held for years under Government, should have taught him how wrong his conduct ia in stirring up strife and discontent between his own and neighbouring tribes:. It is to be hoped that the state of affairs is not as bad as is represented in our telegrams. The Government should, however, at once make known to Kemp that as a servant of the Crown he must uot by his action disturb the peace of his district;

The small amount of interest on the part of Government in the Easter gatherings of our. civil-soldiery, leads many > ardent volunteer officers to grow tired of taking pains for tlie interests of the force. The uncertainty regarding any Easter review for Thames corps may be mainly attributed to the lukewarmness of the powers that be. Our most efficient officers seem to despair of ever getting just treatment in the matter of camp equippage. Continual effort* nave been made for years past by Major Murray, to obtain a supply of bell tents and great coats, but up to the present no success has attended his | applications. Consequently at present there is not, much information of what may happen on the constitutional volunteer Monday, though that it will be allowed to pass unobserved in its usual character there is very little reason to suppose, and considering the impetus the force skould receive from the recooimendatiijns of Colonial ScraJ:ehley, a collapse &i' the Thames Easter review would be lamentable. An to what shape the Volunteer fete will take this year, there seems to be i no definite decision or settled arrangement to record—of rumor and probability there i« a good deal. The inability of the Defence Office to supply the Thames Volunteers with the use of tents, bears especially hard on * force of men who are anxious to acquire camp experience, and it is gratifying to learn that iv spite of the continued diiappoiat*

raents by Government refusals, that tbe men aye willing to rough it in ti-tree whares and impromptu canopies. We are given to understand that Major Murray is of opinion, that the scope of any operations at the coming Easter should b>' extended" to include the Waikato Cavalry regiment, and we hope there. will be no difficulty'in the way of such a desirable meeting. It is very desirable that the utmost amount of drill and camp experience should be learnt during the time our men devote to military work, and. with the aid of river steamers and marching, a great deal may he accomplished. Some English volunteer corps commence military life on Gpod Friday morning, marching a considerable distance during the day, halting and pitching tents towards afternoon. On the Saturday morning tents are struck, and they again march on to*a general rendezvous, where other corps meet them. On Sunday Church parade is attended in camp, and on Monday a field day takes place, returning home by rail at night. The members of several corps have got the idea that Major Murray is organising, something to be held near Faeroa, but we have not been able to find any reliable source for the rumor. The volunteer interest will, however, suffer without an Easter parade after the old pattern, giving officers a hold over their commands they too rarely obtain.

His Grace Arcbbishop Steins, Bishop of the Auckland Diocose, arrived by the Eotomahana this afternoon. He was welcomed by Father O'Beilly, Messrs Mcllhone, Landers, Mahoney, Noonan, Foy, Duggan, and other lefading Catholics who composed the reception committee. His Grace and the Committee then stepped into carriages that were in waiting, and were driven off to the Shortland Presbytery At 4 > o'clock the Archbishop met the congregation in the Chapel.

Fbom enquiries made at the hospital this morning we learn that, the lad Waddel is very feverish, though he passed a pretty good night. But small Ijopes are entertained for his recovery.

The only business at the E.M. Court this morning was one case of drunkenness, which was dealt with in the ordinary manner.

Mb Lawless, through our advertising columns, gives his "final notice" to persons interested in the Dunedin Cup. The notice had better be perused.

The following table—extracted from the Registrar General's Report on the vital statistics of the undermentioned Boroughs for the month of Jauuary—gives the population, number of births and deaths, and proportion of deaths to the 1000 of population of each borough '':—

The total births in above boroughs amounted to 511 against 448 in December, being an increase of 63; The deaths amounted to 183 in January, being an increase of 13 on the number in Decem* ber. Of the above deaths, males contributed 108, females 75; 104 of the deaths were of children under 5 years of age,' being 5683 per cent., of whose number 84 were children under 1 year of age.

Between 4 and 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon an occurrence took place at the Kauaeranga Hirer close to the Shortland Sawmill, which might hare had a fatal termination had it not been for the pluekiness and quick perception of one of the boys on the scene. 16 appears that the boys from the schools in Shortland during this hot weather make a practice of congregating at the above place for a bathe .and a swim, near and about the log paddocks of the sawmill. In this instance some boys (two or three) were in water, and; others not. undressed were on the bank. One of the boys in the water named James happened to walk too far out, and suddenly found himself in deep water, and was immediately whirled out into an eddy beyond his depth. Not being able to swim he commenced to flounder about, and eventually disappeared, when another lad' named Pearce (of the Kauaeranga school)^seeing that all was not right, struck out to his assistance, and coming up to where he saw James last, succeeded in grasping him by the hair of the head (which was all that he could see of him under water), and pulled him up to help him ashore, when James in desperation seized .Pearce by the legs and dragged him under. It had become a critical period for the two lads, as James in his fright had so firmly grasped Pearce, that they were both in danger of being drowned bad it not been for the promptness of another lad named Burns (of Scbofield's school) in coining to tbe rescue, and dragging James away from Pearce, and helping him ashore, more dead than alive. The latter being freed from the unwelcome grip of the drowning lad, paddled himself ashore and was helped on to the logs, greatly exhausted, having imbibed, quantities of salt water when forcibly held under by the lad whose life we are sure he was the means of saving, as no one had perceived bis danger till young Pearce swam to him and straggled with him till assistance came.

. We have to Acknowledge from the Government Printer the receipt of the first number of the Crown Lands Guide, published by the authority, of the Hon. the Minister of Lands. The preface says the object of the publication is to afford, more especially to persons who may have recently arrived in New Zealand and to othen who may ; be ignorant of the land system of the colony, such general information as to the character and localities of the Crown lands, and the terms and conditions on which they may be obtained. The principal features of the Laud Act of the colony and their administration are summarized, and an explanation given of the settlement conditions under the deferred payment, agricultural and homestead systems.

Tg# Agricultural-Lease System is only in operation witbip proclaimed gold fields. It is similar to the deferred^-payment system, inasmuch as the limit is 320 acres, and certain improvements have to be effected. ' But residence is optional. If, at the end of three years after the comweaceaieut of the lease, one-lilf the

land bat been cultivated, planted, or otherwise improved, • and there are no objections, the purchase may be completed, or the lease muiy rnn on till the end of the seventh year. The yearly rent is at the rate of 2s 6d per acre, payable half-yearly, and the price at which the laud may be bought during the currency of the lease is .what may be fixed by law as the upset price lof land of the same class at the time the purchase is effected. After the third year it is also open to the holder of an agricultural lease to apply for an exchange lease, and, if granted, .the payment of 21s per acre, made in fourteen half yearly equal instalments, or the balance at any time in full, completes the purchase. There is still another way of completing the freehold, and that is by the leaseholder paying rent for seventeen years, when the land is Crown«granted to him without any further payment. i

As showing the depreciation of land in the South Island, the following may be cited :—The Wainourangi estate, consisting of 19,500 acres of good agricultural land, has been purchased at auction by Mr John McGregor for the sum of £70,500, the amount of mortgage on it being £70,500. Mr Howden made a bid of £70,000. The price this land fetched (says the Timaru Telegraph) shows the depreciation of land in the colony. Fifteen months ago £130,000 was offered for it, and refused by its proprietors as being beneath its value. . . ■

The Homestead System is, in force in the Auckland and Westland Land Districts only. Under it the settler makes no payment for the land, the only cost to him being the expense of survey. Oh the fulfilment of conditions—which are, five years' residence, the erection of a house, and the cultivation of one-third of the selection if open land, and one-fifth if bush land—the Crown Grant is issued. Each person of the age of eighteen years or upwards may (in Auckland District) select from 75 to 50 acres, according to quality of land, and a person under eighteen years of > age, 30 to '20 acres. Provided that no family or household shall have more than 200 acres of firstclass or 300 acres of second-class lands. In Westland the conditions are the same, with the exception that 50, 20, and 200 acres are the limits as above, irrespective of quality of land.

A whites in the contemporary says: — One of those most anxiously waiting, the general election is Sir James Fergusson, who chafes at his inability to obtain a seat while his party is in power, and would gladly return to Parliamentary life.

His Worship the Mayor, Mr P.eacock has been in communication with the Hon. the Attorney-General and the Government with reference to the steps to be taken to prevenE the landing of a further shipment of colonists from Nuroea. Mr Peacock has also tabled the following notice of motion for the next meeting of the City Council on Wednesday next: —"That this Council desires emphatically to express the feeling of indignation which exists amongst the citizens of Auckland in reference to the action of the French authorities of New Caledonia in sending a Teasel with released convicts to our shores. The Council calls upon the Government to take immediate and decided steps to protect the citizens from a repetition of this obnoxious form of emmigration with which they are. threatened. And further, that a copy of this motion be telegraphed to the Ron. Colonial Secre-tary."-—-Star. .'..■ -„-. ■ ■■■". . ■■.■-■• '• ■. '■ "■■.■/,.. ..>-:":'

A commercial traveller who prides himself upon a capacity, for "having" people, as he also does upon a proficiency in the grocery business in which he is engaged, says the Eangitikei Advocate had the tables'turned upon him by a Eangitikei storekeeper, also a well-known '" jokist," from whom he was solicting an order for cheese. The traveller was rather, indignant that our joker should doubt his ability to detect any difference between Canterbury and Eangitikei cheese, and ; asked for a sample of each. Two cubes^of a rich golden hue were produced. He tasted one and said it came from Canterbury, then the other and said it came from—well, some sultry climate. He frothed at the mouth, and spoke as one bereft of reason. The joker had cut it from a bar of "household," and properly " had " his man!

The Chinese Ambassador at Berlin, Li-Fang-pao, says that from the Chinese inscription on one of the vases found by Dr Schliemann on Trojan soil, it is proved that there was traffic between China and European boundaries about 1200 years before Christ. The gauze linen found by Dr Schliemann in the vase was made in China. Li-Fang-pao* contends that the Hyperboreans were Chinamen; i ■.■■

• BOROTI6H. Estimated Population. Total Births. Total Deaths. Proportion of Deaths to 1000 of population. ' " ~T! '■'. Auckland .. Wellington.. Christchurch Dunedin.... Thames .... Napier Wangatmi .. Nelson .... Sydenham.. Lyttelton ;. Timaru .... Oaraaru .... Hokitika .. Caversham., •Invercargill.. 14,163 19,467 14,186 23,261 5,003 5,415 3,661 6,804 6,510 3,476 3,389 ' 4,927 2,853 3,425 . 4,045 49 , 87 61 ' : 98 ' 19 19 - 14 28 39 10 19 28 11 13 16 11- --. 40 32 ,35 0 ■ 6--10.. 13 14 2 ■'. !"'■■ 7 5 2 ,; 5 , 0-73 • IBs 226 Jfso : o-oo 0-90 2-40' i-9i VBO : 0-55 0-26 . 1-37 1-87' 0-53 1-17 T0ta1.... 511 183 I •• .1