INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1074, 23 May 1873, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

The Canterbury .Deep Sea Fishing Company are erecting at Chiistchurch a smoke-house measuring 14i't. by 15ft-, with lift, walls, and a drying shed 50ft. by 20ft. The Taranaki Herald observes : " "We know of no race of men—not even excepting our Hibernian friends-, who are so ready to accept a challenge to fight as the Maoris." Last month was the busiest that the employees at the Christchurcll goods shed have yet had. No less than three thousand loads were sent and received during that time, giving an average of about 114| loads per day. This does not comprise coal or timber, but only imported goods, etc. Flour must be Very cheap, or the npirit of competition very strong in the rival bakers of Balclutha and Kaitangata, who are offering the 41b loaf at 6d.

The Lyttelfcon Times says :—The Inland Communication Committee have done good service by rousing the people of Nelson from their Rip Van Winkle slumbers, and Collecting a mass of information about the natural resources of the country, which deserves to be advertised at length in. the principal, Australian, American and English papers. A raid against light and unstamped scales, measures, and weights, has been commenced in Christchurch. In all '■ases defendants have been fined, and in a large proportion of them the materials have been forfeited and destroyed. The drapers' yard measures have been included in the general foray, and their owners have been fined not for short measure only, out for using full measure implements unstamped. The Independent confidently asserts that the Government have no intention of making an armed demonstration against the natives. A late northern paper says • —Mr Landers, Assistant Wharfinger of the Queen street wharf, Auckland, jumped into the water on Thursdav rnnrning last, and Tescued a young woman named Traynor who had been suddenly blown off the wharf during a heavy squall. Her gallant rescuer is a man about sixty years of age, but it is evident time does not dealy harshly with him nor blunt the natural impulses of a brave nature, He ought to get the Humane Society's medal. A new industry has been started in Timaru, namely, the manufacture of tooth and hair brushes. A Christchurch paper says it is expected that the Great South lino of railway will be open for traffic as far as the south bank of the liaknia about the first of Juue next. The first thirteen miles of the next section — Kakaia to Ashburton —are ready for the rails. The political crisis in Otago has brought to the front the subject of the following remarks by the Wnnganui Chronicle : —'• Mr Reid is n very good Otago member, with sympathies strictly consonant with his position.

It more unsuitable candidate for [inisterial honors it would be bard j find, except, indeed, Oswald Curtis, 10 Superintendent of NeJson, who as done so much to confirm the stagatiou of' Sleepy Hollow.'" The prospects of the Thames Q-old-elds, according to the Thames dvertisey, " are considered healthy, id at any time a sudden re-action in he price of property may be looked or; several of the mines now produces gold, according to prices ruling ■iiihteen months ago, are fully worth !00 per cent, more than quoted in bare lists." The river Molyneux, in Otago, having fallen to a very low level, attention s being directed to dredging, and in particular to the best mode of overtiming the never-ceasing flow of tailings in that great tail-race. The pneumatic tube system has now been fairly, and may be said to be the host, enabling the miner to descend and make oecular examination of the bed of the river. The company who have introduced this system have only been moderately successful, owing principally to the small scale of their dredge, and to the want of some sort of fender across the bows of their punt to divert the stream of tailings. So satisfied, however, are'miners with the system, thatHastie and Co., owner of a river claim that proved very remunerative with'the'old spoon dredge, have given orders'for a tubular dredge that will cost about £2OOO. The tubes are to be nine feet in diameter, so that if sufficient means are provided for the quick' elevation of washdirt and diversion of tailings, it ought to be a success. Steam is to be the motive power, as it is in that of the company. Two other dredging companies have been got up —one to use the steam harbor dredge, [the other the submarine boat. The Provincial Council of Wellington is prorogued. The Superintendent, in his speech, spoke of the likelihood of hi|&oon having to ask the Council to ce; asider the advisability of raising "the [,- rice of land. ■L quantity of mullock got from artesian wells in Auckland city is believed to contain silver, and is being assayed. Mr Macandrew's ideal earthly paradise appears to exist at the Bay of Islands The Auckland Star concludes a glowing description of that locality by stating that "those who foster a desire to live with nature, purity, and pretty girls, will find the Bay of Islands the home of their fondest dreams—the sea-circled ' Canaan, flowing with milk and honey. " The Tapanui correspondent of the Tuaj eka Times says : —" I heard a gentleman once offer to lay a wager that if he got a petition praying for the separation of Otago from Tiinbuctoo, he would get two-thirds of the population of the district to sign it According to the correspondent of a ■country paper, property in Dunedin is advancing in price at a rate which astonishes most people, and leads many to suppose that there must be lots of citizens who are afflicted with " land on the brain." It is no matter whether the land offered be freehold or leasehold, if put up to auction it fetches a price which four or five years ago, 'would have been regarded as absurdly extravagant. There was a sale of land last Saturday week, all of which brought what many regard as most unreasonable prices. It is said that the lucky vendors made about seven thousand pounds on the sale, yet now, the section which was bougbt at £6O was sold two davs after for £IOO. Advances of £10", £ls, or £2O are freely offered. And this land, be it remembered, is not in Dunedin, but outside in what is not a very inviting position. It is situated right at the V A .of the Bay on the Anderson's P* "oad, and ten years ago was a 8 i_up, property in the city is advancprice at a large ratio. There is a small business site which recently changed hands at a profit of somewhere about £I2OO. A corporation lease in George street was sold a week ago at '2Bs a foot, with £l4O to pay for value of present buildings. The WestlandJßegister has evidently a poor opinion of the public men of the Council. Our contemporary thus speaks of those composing our public bodies, and suggests a remedy : —"Our Council, our committees, and public bodies of every description are falling into the hands and under the guidauce of men who have no business whatever to show themselves in the front rank at all. Boisterous, incompetent, and unprincipled, they are everywhere, 'and'ere long'We shall bitterly rue their presence. Already institutions and cerporations are falling into disorganisation and disrepute from no other causes than those we have indicated, the paucity of good and the multiplicity of unfit men who are members of them. Against these evils what is the remedy ? It is a simple one, but one which demands self-sacrifice and discomfort on the part of those who .apply it. It is for the respectable, substantial, and educated men to come forward ahd pit themselves against the talkative loafing demagogue who, by dint of brass, usurp all offices of trust and responsibility. It is for them to endure the pain and ridicule of, for the moment, putting themselves on a level with stump speakers and bar politicians, and endeavouring to drive them back to their proper obscurity "