INTER-PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1119, 28 October 1873, Page 2

INTER-PROVINCIAL NEWS.

WELLINGTON. A liberal reduction in the price of beer is notified by the landlord of the Eoyal Oak Hotel, Wanganui. The orthodox price of 6d per glass is reduced to 4d. Three drinks of colonial for one colonial robert ! Th; Wanganui Herald of the 11th says:— By the merest chance, ou Tuesday evening, the town was saved a most serious conflagration, and the Kutland Hotel, one of the best buildings in the town, rescued from destruction. Mr Willcox,. who was passing along the street about eight o'clock, noticed a blaze in one of the bedrooms. Promptly giving the alarm, Constable Butler, Mr Charles Chevannes, and others hastened to the burning room, and although the flames had obtained a good hold, yet well directed efforts soon mastered the fire, and placed the hotel out of danger. The Wanganui Chronicle says:— lt will be in the recollection of our readers that last season Messrs Hall and Co. salted down some 370 casks of beef, and sent them home per Halcione and Malay. The results of which were far from satisfactory, the net proceeds of the account sales showing a debit balance. It was believed at the time that the loss was occasioned through not having an agent in London to protect tho interests of the shippers, and this supposition is confirmed by the fact that a resident here purchased one cask of the same beef, picked indiscriminately, which he sent home per Malay to a friend, who ia allowed to be a judge of meat, and from whom a letter has been received stating that the beef was of good quality, and had arrived in as good condition as the dag it toas salted. As this particular cask was the same quality as that of the venture, and was subject to the same influences, we feel convinced that had justice been done to the shippers, a good profit would have been realised by them. We shall be glad to hear that the experiment is to have another trial, which we feel certain would turn out a success. CANTERBURY. A contractor advertises for navvies. Wages one shilling per hour, constant work, and huts provided. But few are accepting engagement. At a recent meeting of the Timaru Borough Council a writ was served on that corporate body for .£2OO at the instance of William Wilson, who, through alleged inadvertence on the part of the servants of the Council in leaving open a grip across the said road in North street, broke his leg whilst crossing the said grip in a trap. The Couucil ordered the question to be referred to their solicitor for an opinion. A Bradshaw's Guide for New Zealand has beeu published in Christ* church. The fact is significant. OTAGO. The cricket match between Auckland

and Otago will in all probability take 1 place at Dunedin during the last week of November It is proposed to abolish the Dunedin City Police Court. The provincial Government of Otago purpose spending £16,000 in providing increased school accommodation. The local paper calls the attention of the Mayor of Cromwell to the fact that there is about £SO worth of corporation revenue running wild about the streets in the shape of unregistered dogs. A new brewery of Mr J Copeland, a new brick hotel in the Octagon for Mr Carroll, and a large new hotel in Port Chalmers for Mr James Pinch, are noticed in the Dunedin papers as projected local improvemaents. A gentleman who was recently a passenger by the coach which runs between Balchitha and Popotuhoaj speaks to a contemporary of the journey as one more varied in its character than anything of the kind he has seen or heard of before: The coach, which is well horsed and well driven travels over a stretch of abont two miles of metal on leaving Balclutha. Over this distance the business may be called coaching j thence to the next metal, the term coaching must give way to ploughing j and on several parts of the journey, before the Eoyal Mail Hotel, Clinton, is reached, boating is the nearest thing 1 to it that our informant can bring to mind. During the last week upwards of 500 immigrants arrived in Dunedin, and they were immediately absorbed; the demand far exceeding the supply. Two new chum farm labourers from one of the vr-ssels arrived in Lawrence this week seeking work, but being offered £6O per annum and found, promptly declined by saying, "■ He be not going to work for that money." It would take fair wage to keep some of the recently imported in beer, if we may judge frorri the manner in which they pour quart after quart down their capacious throats. They don't drink in colonial fashion j but a party of them sitting in room or standing in a bar, order beer in a quart pot and pa3s it round, all drinking out « of the same measure, till it is exhausted ; they then have it replenished as long as their money or credit lasts. If their ability for work is as good as their drinking capacity the public works of the Province should make rapid progress. A brilliant success has attended the floating of the National Insurance Company, and proves beyond doubt the plentifulness of money within the Colony awaiting profitable investment. The stock of the Company consists 100,000 shares, but nearly double that number have been applied for. Three-fifths of the lunatics the goldfields furnish to the Dunedin Asylum are contributed by the Dunstan district.