LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 286, 24 July 1873, Page 9

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The quarterly meeting of subscribers to the Tuapeka Hospital was held in tbe Commercial Hotel, on Thursday evening. Beyond some members of the Committee, only three or four of the general public put in an appearance. Mr, Armstrong occupied the chair. The quarterly statement was read and adopted. The balance-sheet showed a sum of £88 3s. 6d, in favor of the Institution up to June Ist. The amount of Government subsidy due to the Hospital at the same date was £303 4s. A letter from Mr. Vincent Pyke, tendering his resignation as President, was read and received. On the motion of Mr. Hills, seconded by Mr. Jeffery, Mr. Pyke's resignation was received^ It was then decided to call a special meeting for Thursday, the 7fch proximo, for the purpose of electing a President. There being no other business the meeting adjourned. Wk observe by our advertising columns that Mr. J. C. Arbuckle, sharebroker of Ross Place, has for sale a few shares in the New Zealand Land and Coal Company. From the prospectus we observe that the Company has purchased about twenty square miles of freehold land in the Wharekawa district, province of Auckland, abounding with coal, ironstone, limestone, and other valuable minerals. The proposed capital is £100,000, of which the directors have taken up shares to the value of £25,000 ; 3000 shares only being reserved for New Zealand, intending shareholders will require to make application immediately. A match will take place at the Beaumont race course on Monday next, at 12 a. m., between Mr. R. Lancaster's Dick Turpin and Mr. W. Pine's Brown Tommy, catch weights, for £10 aside. The match is bona fide, the money being staked. The nomination of Councillors for the Municipality of Lawrence took place in the Council Chambers, yesterday at noon. The Mayor occupied the chair, and there was a good attendance of ratepayers. The clause of the Ordinance and the advertisement calling the meeting were read. The Mayor stated that three councillors were required — ore for each ward. The Town Clerk opened the nomination papers, and the following gentlemen were nominated. East Ward.— W. H. Coverlid, proposed by A, Burns, seconded by \Vm. Eckhold. Wm. Mears, proposed by J. H. Pressly, seconded by A, Ferguson. Middle Ward. — R. Williams, proposed by F. Meyer, seconded by Wm. M'Beath. Alexander Armstrong, proposed by Jas. Hill, and seconded by E. Halley. West Ward. -George Walker, proposed by Wm, Hayes, seconded by JMiddlemiss. R, M'Kimmie, proposed by M. Monaghan, seconded by T. Arthur. The proposers and seconders present spoke a good woid in favor of their candidates, who subjected .themselves to a series of crossquestions on all imaginable subjects connected with" the Municipality. The Mayor in each case stated that the poll would take place on the first of August. We have no doubt we shall have an opportunity of reporting the speeches of the various candidates in their addresses before the day of election, so we will refrain at present from reporting the remarks made by them at the nomination. By some mysterious cause, the list of subscribers to the Tuapeka Hospital has been printed in another column as the list for 1873, instead of that for 1872. Mr/ Hay, the collec-' tor informs us the subscription of Mr. Rose Gunn of £2 25., has also been omitted in the I list. The following are the returns for the election of .Mayor of Dunedin :- Mercer, 970; Thoneman, 650 ; Barnes, fiOO. We are glad to notice from the proceedings in the Council that the sum of £."00 has been passed for the enlargement of the Lawrence gaol. We are informed that the Gnldnclds Secretary has instructed the Wardens up-country to commit prisoners for trial to Lawrence. We are glad to he informed that the Provincial Government have submitted apioposal to the CounciJ to declare 15,000 acres of Bellamy run into a hundred. To this proposal of the Government we sincerely hope, for the best welfare of Tuapeka, there will be no opposition,

An effort will be made by Mr. Brown to get a sum placed on the supplementary estimates for the formation of a road down the Tuapeka Creek beyond Fitzgerald's. Thk birds' skins presented to the Tuapeka by Dr. Hector and other gentlemen are in the hands of the curator of the Museum, at Dunedin, who has promised to have them stuffed three or four weeks hence. The Dunstan coach met with an accident on its up journey on Monday, the 14th inst. As tho team was ascending the steep pinch close to O'Brien's, on the Old Man Eange, the rein of one of the horses broke close to the bit, when the team at once became totally unmanageable, and rushed down the hill and overturned the coach, which suffered considerable damage, Foi - tunately the only pnssanger, a Chinaman, escape 1 scot free. Hugh Craig, the driver, was stunned for a time ; but, after a rest, was enabled to ride the mail into the Dunstan. We I inspected the harness after its arrival in Lawrence, and are of opinion that the company should use better material for such a road, unless they are ambitious of a law suit in cases where passengers will only escape with broken bones: The present high price of oats has given great impetus to the agricultural interests. Land is being taken up at an unprecedented rate whereever available, and being fenced and brought under cultivation. Some people are crying out that it is being over done, that oats will fall again to even less remunerative prioes than they have been. But they over-look the fact that the railway will be completed in a couple of years, and, with cheap means of transit to our ports, the farmers need not fear getting a good good price for tbeir produce. The sluicing claims at Mount Syret and Havilah Hill have been in fully work lately, water being plentiful. The Mount Syret Co. are washing up. It is to be hoped that good results will reward them for their large outlay in bringing water on to the ground. The hill claims at Manuka Creek are working away. Being in the hands of private individuals, the quantity of gold procured is not known, but the shareholders appear to be well contented. If a large and more constant supply of water could be brought on the ground, a gieat number of men would be able to find employment. The elevated position of the workings would necessitate an enormous outlay to obtain a constant supply of water. Mr. Langley, of Tokomairiro, has completed his capacious hotel, which he has named the Criterion, in a manner which deserves the greatest praise from the travelling public. The ■ want of really good hotel accommodation at a ! reasonable rate has long been felt. This new building is capable of supplying that want in every respect. The house contains upwards of twenty bedrooms, and every modern convenience. Adjoining the hotel is an extensive range of stabling, second to none in the province. Mu. John Lawson, at one time proprietor of the mill at Evans Flat, is erecting a flour mill in the Tokomairiro district. No doubt it will be a paying speculation, as the quantity of wheat grown is very large, and increasing yearly. Mkssrs. Morrison & Party are making preparations for starting their section of the Tuapeka Railway at Manuka Creek, and will be at work in a short time. Some speculative individual is about to erect a large store on the spot for supplying the men with the necessaries of life. The road from the Tokomairiro toll bar to Glenore is getting frightfully cat up. A contract has been let for this part of the main road to the interior, which will be commenced early next spring. The Murrays Flat contracts are being proceeded with very slowly, the bad weather retarding t lie in to a jjreat extent. A portion of the liuming end of the road and from Leslies hill to Havelock bridge still remain unfinished. The contractors calculate that in two month's time they will have their contracts computed. In the Provincial Council, on Monday, Mr. Stout asked the Secretary for Lands whether the Government intending to take any steps to repurchase the auriferous land at Switzers sold to Mr. Allan M'Donald, so that the said land might be thrown open to all miners in that locality. Mr. Turnbull, in reply, said the Government don't intend to take any steps to repurchase the land the hon. member refers to. Mr. Pratt has been elected Mayor of Waikouaiti, The contest for the Mayoral chair of Milton, has resulted in Ithe return of Mr. Cunningham with a majority of 33. Riding on the footpaths seems to be an agreeable pastime of some of our butcher boys and others who should have better manners. Irvine-street footpath Las hecovac quite a race course lately. We should like very much to see an example made of one or two of these trespassers. On Friday, the 18th inst., the following address, accom panied with a purse and sovereigns, was presented to Mr. Oi r, who has occupied the position of teacher at Roxburgh ever since the death of Mr. Shepherd :—: — To Mr. James Orr, Master, Teviot School. Dear Sir,— Permit us, on the eve of your departure from amongst us, to express to you our sincere regret that circumstances have arisen to cause you to relinquish the charge of the Roxburgh school. We gladly bear testimony to the propriety and efficiency attained by the school during the time it has been under your management. We desire your acceptance of the accompanying'token, as a slight mark of the high respect entertained towards Mrs. Orr and yourself during the time you have resided in the district, and we venture to express a hope that your labors elsewhere may be .as deservingly appreciated as they are by your sincere friends and well-wishers.