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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 372, 9 October 1868, Page 2

Mr J. A. Whall, who during two sessions, represented the constituency of Greymouth in the Provincial Council of Canterbury, has been elected Town Clerk for the Borough of Greymouth. The other candidates for the appointment were Messrs Dalrymple, J. C. Bevell, P. Tyler, and H. Warren. The salary is the moderate one of £250 a-year, the and salaries attached to other appointments made are on the same economical scale; a Town Surveyor being nominated at a salary of £l5O, a Town Valuator at £3O, and a Consulting Solicitor at £SO per annum. The amount of gold brought yesterday from Charleston by the usual fortnightly escort, was only about half the ordinary quantity. The cause of this is said to be due to a scarcity of water consequent on the late fine weather.

By the Kennedy, we learn that the G-reymouth bar has improved. There is now a good channel, narrower than formerly, but with twelve feet of water, and a straight run out. The entrance to the Hokitika river continues in a very bad state, and the channel now runs as far north as Stafford street, shipping business being at the same time almost at a standstill. The Evening Star of the 6th, says : —" The Channel Committee are still vigorously pushing forward their labors, but what ultimate result still remains to be seen. The weir of sandbags after having been formed for a short distance across the river has now been stopped, and the Committee have determined upon another mode of procedure, one which they calculate will prove a speedier and more effective mode of accomplishing their object. The plan now to be adopted is the formation of a large crate of logs, which, when finished, will be floated athwart the stream, aud having been moored to the bank of the river, will be loaded with sand-bags and sunk. This, there is no doubt, will be a more certain method of diverting .the course of the stream, than the sinkiug of loose sand bags in the present great depth of the channel. A number of men are now busy at work on the crate, and it is expected that it will be in readiness for sinking at high tide to-morrow. The follow log characteristic anecdote of the late Major Von Tempsky is related by the Wellington Independent. At the time he was at San Francisco, and having called one evening to see a sick friend at an hotel, he left him to go on board one of the floating board-ing-houses where he lodged. Noticing that he was dodged by some men, who followed him down the wharf, he tried to evade them ; but he was intercepted and after a desperate resistance, was overpowered. During the struggle, he got knocked into the water. Being a man of great muscular power he struck out, but his pursuers followed him in a boat. On coming up with him, not liking to make any unnecessary noise by dispatchiug him with their revolvers, they struck at him with their oars ; he diving to escape, and feigniug insensibility, when one of their number leaned over the side to grasp him. Having hauled him in, they proceeded to search for the leather belt usually worn next the skin; they stripped him of his outer clothing, and perceiving that life was not extinct one villain was raising his bowie knife to stab him, when Von Tempsky made a last effort —thrsw him back, upsett-

ing the boat, and escaping by swimming to the wharf, where he was found by some persons, half naked, clinging to the piles, in the morning. Referring to the subjects of flax growing and sugar making in Otago the " "Wakatip Mail " writes :—The, Provincial Government notify that being desirous of creating, a market for native flax, which is being dressed in various parts of the Province, they are prepared to make arrangements with any individual or company, whereby a bonus of £250 will be granted on condition that a ropa factory is established on or before 81st. March next, in some central place, and capable of turning out at least one ton of rope daily. The machinery to be erected to be the American patent, similar to those at present at work in Melbourne and Sydney. Government are also prepared to give land to the value of £ISOO to auy individual or company which shall, within two years from date, manufacture not less than 150 tons of good marketable sugar from beet grown in the Province. The first object is a good one, but the clause—a ton of rope daily—will not allow auy of the residents of Wakatip to compete. As to beet, it grows excellently well in the district, and the matter is worth attention. In reference to a woollen manufactury, we hear the Government have hampered themselves by entering into some conditional agreement with Messrs Driver, M,Lean and Co. An American gentleman, Mr Hunt, is on his way from Boston tempted by the bonus offered, aud we hope the agreement entered into with the firm men- • tioned will not cause a mess. We believe a local firm, Messrs Robertson and Co, have also been ascertaining if they could procure suitable machinery and hands from the old country with the view of establishing a mill here.

The following sensational story is related by a Melbourne evening journal :—At St Kilda on Thursday night quite a sensation was created at the George Hotel, where Mr M'Gregor and othor gentlemen were playing billiards, by Mrs M'Gregor rushing into the hotel, and wildly asserting that robbers were in the house of Mr Aspinall, which was next door. A rapid reconnaisance of Mr Aspinall's premises was made, when, instead of burglars, a goat was found on the verandah, butting a rocking-horse, and Mrs Aspinall in a state of hysterical terror.

The Nelson Colon'st of a recent date says :—" Steamers will not call at Nelson if they can by any means avoid it. They are driven away by heavy pilotage dues and other charges, and until these are modified, not only will the means of communication be greatly restricted, but the profitable visit of strangers to the town—(and the visit of steamers, if only for a day, are profitable to both town and country)— will continue to grow fewer and fewer. Captain Benson, of the Panama Company, the officials of the N.Z.S.N. Company, as well as those connected with the steamers of M'Meehan and Blackwood, all tell the same story. The dues are too heavy, and swallow up the profits ; and until those dues are very greatly modified, the steamers of these companies will not call unless when they are really obliged to do so. Why the dues are so heavy at Nelson, people are at a loss to conjecture, We have more pilots now than we had when there were more steamers requiring piloting; but even if it is impossible to work the service more economically (which is an open question), there should be no direct profit sought to be made out of the harbour department, for the loss which such efforts after delusive profits most certainly entails upon the community is very great both directly and indirectly.