INTER-PROVINCIAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 105, 12 February 1870, Page 4

INTER-PROVINCIAL.

Over twenty different parties, varying from two to five men each, are engaged on the beaches near to the Racecourse Hotel, near Charleston, washing black sand. Some of them are making as much as £12 a week per man^ while all are earning more than wages.—" West Coast Times," Jan. 28.

The appointment of Jackson Keddell, Esq., of the firm of Broad, Ilaughtpn, and Keddell, as Field Warden at the Thames, is confirmed, an,d we axe informed that he will enter upon h.is new duties the firss week of February. He will, of course, retire from the firm abovenamed.

The "West Coast Times t " of the 24th ult., reports : — The mysterious disappearance of a young man, named Marshall, a clerk in the Union Bank. The cause of his disappearance is not knowft, and it appears that his accounts are in the most perfect order. Many reasons are assigned for his strange conduct, amongst others that he had been lately disapppjnted in an affair of the heart. The last that was seen of him was at half-past nine on Saturday morning, when he was met by a friend at the end of Revell-street north, and he then said he was going up the tramway for a walk. The police have been most indefatigable in their exertions to find the missing man, but up to last night their, efforts had proved fruitless. I hope your readers will not feel unnecessarily alarmed by the statement that scarlatina is rife in this neighbourhood. I have the authority of a medical gentleman resident here for saying that the cases which have occurred should be more properly described by the name of " urticaria," or nettlerash, and that, as a general rule, the district was never more healthy than at the present time. — Temuka correspondent of the " Timaru Herald," Jan. 26. Crops in Canterbury. — The " Lyttelton Times 4 " of a late date, says :—": — " Of the prospects of the New Zealand harvest we can now speak with some degree of certainty. Should the weather prove fine for the next six weeks the largest yield of grain ever gathered in the colony will have been secured in good order. This, will be due, as we\J to the. regular yearly increase in the quantity of land uuder cultiyation, as to the exceptionally heavy crops which aie now waiting the reaper. Speaking generally, the increase in the quantity of land under crop in Canterbury may be estimated at 2-5,000 acres. Last year there were 33,000 acres of wheat, 27,000 of oats, and 9,000 of barley grown in Canterbury, which yielded, an average of 23' bushels wheat, 21 of oats, and 22 barley. This year there will be, say 45,000 acres under wheat, 37,000 in oats,, and 1 3,000 in barley, yielding an average, if all goes well, of at least 30 bushels nf wheat, 40 of oat^, and 35, of barley. The increase in the production of this year over last will be 627,000 bushels of wheat, 805,000 bushels oats, and 250,000 bushels of barley. This, it I must be understood, will be $n, addition to the quantity produced last year." j A correspondent of the " Taranaki Herald " comments as follows on the approaching anniversary of the White Cliffs massacre >— "• The anniversary should be observed as a day of mourning and humiliation by the Colony of New Zealand. As a day of mourning i for the untimely end of a good man, — one who for years had devoted himself to the work to which he had been ! called — teaching alike European and Maori, — Christ and him crucified ! It will serve no purpose here to compare w.ith him, ssoine members of a i kindred church, who, unmindful of their mission and that excellent gift of charity, maligned a distressed and deserving people with the opprobrious terms — " bloodthirsty creatures of Naboth's Vineyard," — State Cannon 1 Stowed The' late Rey. J. Whiteley died in his calling. He had journeyed from New Plymouth to the White Ciiffs to perform divine service with a few people residing there, and who were ruthlessly massacred at the s,ame time with him. The names of' ijhose who fell are Lieut. B. Gascoigne, Richards, Milne, Mrs. Gascoigne and three little children. The approaching 13th of • February, should 5 , % likewise, be. accounted a day of deep humiliation. The anniversary of this brutal massacre is near, aud one English arm has been raised to avenge the deaths of these innocent people. Remembering the race from which we sprung, are we not degenerate? Many families : reside miles away from the town of New Plymouth, and an uncomfortable reflection it must be to a father when he feels and knows that were he himself cut off, it would but serve as a two ' days wonder or furnish temporary excitement at the tea-tables of townspeople." Value of Flax. — In Timaru flax- : owners are receiving £5 a ton for the privilege of cutting green flax on their land.

A sad and fatal accident occurred to a little boy named Smith, who met with his death by drowning on Saturday. It appears that the child had 1 gone out to play with another, a girl of about the same age, and whilst engaged doing so both children tumbled into a creek situated near their home. The girl managed to get out, but the boy was carried away by the stream, and i drowned. The child who has thus met

an untimely end was the son of a woman named Smith, who last criminal sessions but one received a sentence of ten years' penal servitude, for consenting, if not assisting, at the rape of her daughter, a. child of tender years. This child, George Joseph Smith, had been adopted by Mr. Morgan, a market gardener, residing some distance up the Christchurch road, who had determined to bring b,ini up with his daughter above referred tq, who was saved. — " West Coast Times," Jan. 24. ' In the R.M.s Court, Hokitika, on the 24th ult., what may be termed a dirty assault, was heard./ It appeared that the plaintiff had gone to the hut qf the defendant to serve a summons, and she being doubtless aware of the object of his mission, saluted him with the contents of a night vessel. The defendant wished to impress his Worship with the idea that the affair was an accident, hut failed, and a penalty of £2 and costs was inflicted.

Cultivation of Flax. — The following suggestions of Mr. Joseph Crispe are published in the " Southern Cross " :—: — '.' Sir, — I consider the cultivation of our New Zealand flax of so much importance that I think our Provincial Government could not do better than offer a premium of £1000 for the best ten acres of New Zealand cultivated flax manufactured. TlnSj besides giving some impetus to so desirable an operation, would also furnish a large amount of very useful knowledge during the next three years, Perhaps our Agricultural Societies would give some encouragement in the same way."

Protection • for the Governor. — The Wellington " Post " remarks :— - "It seems we have been wrong in imagining that the whole of the Imperial forces are to be removed from New Zealand. Fifty men of the 18th are to remain behind in Auckland, and why such is to be the case is causing some conjee tui-e. Haifa company is too small a body to be used either for fighting or for garrison purposes, and the only reasonable solution of the difficulty appears to be that suggested by a correspondent, that the men have been left at the urgent solicitation of the Governor, as a body guard for himself. The spread of the idea that lie can be very easily- dispensed with has, no doubt, suggested to his Excellency the possibility of his being treated in the same manner as Governor Bligh was by the colonists of New South Wales ; and this small force of troops, while adding to h,is* dignity by mounting guards, &c, will suffice to protect him from being shipped off like a bale of goods for England."

In the Westland County Council a proposal was made to subsidise the " West Coast Times " to the. extent of £50 a month fqr. the purpose of educating the country in what takes place in the council. The question was referred to ijho Printing committee, " where (says the " Grey River Argus "), we hope the good sense of the members will allow it to remain."