Untitled

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1118, 24 October 1873, Page 2

A special meeting of the District Hospital Committee was held on Tuesday last to consider the present financial position. Dr Giles occupied the chair, The Treasurers' report showed that the credit balance at his disposal represented merely a nominal sum, and that present and prospective liabilities could not be met without some strenuous effort to collect donations. After discussion it was decided that Messrs Stitt and Ings should be deputed to collect arrears of subscriptions due in Westport, and that thereafter Messrs Bailie, Powell, Bayfeild, and Ings should act as a Committee to devise and carry out means for augmenting the Hospital revenues. Messrs Powell. Bailie, and Gilmer were appointed Visiting Committee for the current term.

Some changes have been made in the personnel of the "Westport Customhouse Staff. Mr Rodgerson, Acting Collector, will return to Nelson, and MrTizard, of Okarito has been appointed Collector, Mr LeNauze will fill Mr Tizards office at Okarita, and Mr E. F. Bowen, from the Customs Hokitika, has been transferred to Westport sis Clerk, Messrs Day and Nixon will still retain thtir present appointments. It is very satisfactory to note that arrangments have been definitely concluded between the Break-o'-Day and Monte Ckristo Companies and the Alpine for crushing at the battery of the latter. The Break-o'-Day will at once put through 150 tons as a preliminary crushing, and then the Monte Christo stone will take its turn. The companies have also arranged with the Little Wonder proprietors for the use of their tramway. It is probable other companies in the Lyell will join in similar arrangements. Another item of Lyell news is to the effect that Mr Moutray, of Nelson, has made arrangements With Messrs Carroll and Cairns to add five heads of stampers to their battery, and it is probable that an addition will be also made to the Alpine battery.

The following information, courteously given by the District Engineer, and having reference to the proposed expenditure of £15,000 by the General Government on road improvements, will be of interest to the public. Tenders have been called for felling the bush on the Buller Road as the first step towards improvement of the present horse track. The dray road is nowbeing pegged out and levelled between Chi-isties and Granger's Point, and tenders will be invited for the work thero as soon as the setting out is finished. A road round the Ohika hill is also being set out, to avoid journeying over the hill, the new line of road keeping nearly level. The Minister of Public Works has sanctioned the outlay in the following proportions:—On dray road from Christies to Granger's Point, £ 8000; Granger's Point to Nino Mile, about 14 miles of horse road, .£4OOO j Christies to Lyell, improvements on existing horse roadj about 9 miles, £2000; Atuuri stock road, £IOOO. All the improvements to be effected on horse roads will bo on dray road grades, so that when completed the connecting links between existing lengths of dray road will be completed so far that a

gap of 14 miles only will remain between Westport and Greymouth to complete a road available for wheeled vehicles right through, and which an additional expenditure of about .filo,OoO will'cover. The works at present projected will, on completion, permit of ft coach from Westport reaching within three or four miles of tho Lyell township. Seven tenders have boon sent in for constructing an ndditional class-room at the Westport school house, Tho contemplated addition as shown on the plan is totally inadequate to meet school requirements, and the design, if carried out as at present projected, will make the schoolbuilding a more horrible architectural montrosity than before. The plan was propared in Nelson.

From a return laid before Parliament it appears tho amounts of the revenue of the various Provinces of New Zealand, and the sums spent in them respectively for the purposes of education vary much. They present a strange contrast, and. in this matter, at least, place Nelson in a very favorable lightThe income of that Province last year for example, was £74,023, and the j sum spent on the instruction of youth was £SOO9, or in round numbers a ninth of the wholeThe greatest offender as regards the instruction of the young people was Marlborough, which received .£10,747, and spent nothing on the schoolmaster. Westland stands next on the black list, having contributed for education only the 133 rd part of her revenue. A fiftieth part only was given by Wellington; a thirty-ninth by Aucklaud; a thirty-second by Canterbury . a twenty-eighth by Hawke's Bay; a twentysixth by Taranaki ; and a nineteenth by Otago. The total sum thus devoted to education for that year was £44,G73. Mr Masters, Mayor and Town Councillor of Greymouth has resigned his seat in the Borough Council, owing to anticipated absence from Greymouth for some months.

Mr Thomas Horton, of Westland, County Treasurer, has accepted the appointment of Manager to the Fiji and New Zealand Banking and Investment Company, and will proceed to Fiji at an early date. A plentiful fish harvest may he anticipated along the Coast. The Greyniouth Star of the 20th inst says:—Large shoals of fish made their appearance in the Grey river yesterday and to-day, grailing and whitehait being hawked round town at exceedingly low prices. One amateur fisherman caught no less than ten dozen of grailing or herring 3 with a single rod in a few hours.

An Art Union drawing for a gold watch, which recently took place at Ahaura for the benefit of the Grey Eiver Hospital, will realise about £io for that institution, Has no one a venerable gold " turnip" they could donate for similar disposal on behalf of the Westport Hospital? 40 plus 80 gives 120 in golden sovereigns. It wao stated some time ago, and with some confidence, that Mr John White> M.H.R., intended to offer himself as a candidate for election as the first Superintendent of the Province of "Westland. The Hokitika papers now repeat the statement authoritatively. Is is also said that Mr Hoos, formerly County Chairman* intends to become a candidate. Mention is made, in the same connection, of the names of the hon. Messrs Lahman and Bonar.

The petition in favor of the erection of Nelson into a Municipality has been again returned to Nelson as informal, and requiring amendment.

Early potatoes and green peas have been already displayed in the greengrocers' shops at Nelson.

The Nelson Exhibition Gazette gives the most cheering assurance that the coming event will be a complete success j the only apprehension being that the Committee will kardly have space enough at disposal ioi the number of things they know are in preparation, although the Provincial Government promise the use of the Provincial Hall, Grand Jury Room, Survey Office, Land Sale Room, and Land Commissioners Room, and also permission to erect temporary buildings adjoining the public offices.