The Westport Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1874.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1168, 17 April 1874, Page 2

The Westport Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1874.

Yesterday we had an opportunity of inspecting samples of educational works from tho stock kept at the Educational Depository, Wellington. Tho books are adapted and in most instances specially compiled for use in the southern hemisphere, aud form a series of colonial elementary school books worthy of general adoption. They comprise graduated reading books, New Zealand geographies, astronomy of the southern hemisphere, atlases, and other works of usefulness. A catalogue, which all interested in education should obtain, is issued gratuitously by tho Superintendent of the Depository, and a novel plan of sendorders per telegram is suggested. The pages are lettered alphabetically, and so also is each line. To order by telegram, it is only necessary to send tho capital letter at tho head of each page,and the small letter, thus—" A. t, 3s Gd," would read one New Zealand Geography with 11 maps. A meeting of tho Kynnerslcy Memorial Committee was held on Tuesday, and it was decided that in order to close subscription lists tho town should bo canvassed for subscriptions. Several monumental designs were submitted for iuspectiou, but the choice has been held in abeyance for the present. Westport is losing a good chance now of doing a profitable coal trade, as the supply from the Greymouth mine is for the present stopped. The late flood appears to have had greater effect upon tho river itself than upon any previous occasion, in fact navigation up-river has been rendered impossible for tho coal barges, At the reaches where the barges were formerly towed by horses there is deep water, and tho main channel nearer Greymouth has split into three, none of which is favorable for laden boats. In other places on the Nelson side of the river, the terrace has slipt down, entirely obliterating tho towing-path. The temporary result of this state of things is that there is no coal in Greymouth for steamers, and but little chance of any for a few days, unless a party sent up to explore the fords and channels succeed in finding a practicable route for the coal barges. Private advices from Greymouth state that the difficulty of finding a practicable channel will prove greater than is anticipated. But Westport is yet unready, and tho golden opportunity will be lost. A few small cases of no importance were disposed of in the Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, and two or three applications in the Warden's Court. Some of tho leading members of tho W r estport Cricket Club intend to give, this evening, a select musical and elocutionary performance, at the Masonic Hall, in aid of a fund they are creating, for cleaving a cricket ground for u?o iu the ensuing season. Some lady musical amateurs have promised their assistance, and an attractive programme has been presented. It is necessary at times to go from home to hear news. The report recently furnished to the Government by the Chief Inspector of Distilleries says there are 100 brewery establishments in the Colony of NewZealand. Of this number there are fourteen in Nelson, four in Westport, jive in Hokitika, xndjice in Greymouth ! The statement made that at present there exists only one cranery in New Zealand, and that at Okarito is erroneous. At the Karamea a number of cranes have long taken up their quarters in undisturbed possession, and the birds are so tame that they will come like domestic fowls round about the doors of huts there and feed. Paradise ducks, teal, and blue ducks are abundant there and almost equally tame. A determined attempt to set the Press office in Christchurch on fire was made on Sunday afternoon last. That journal says : " The incendiary, determined, if possible to make his work sure, procured some oil from the machine room of the office, and poured a quantity of it on the floor of the jobbingroom, afterwards setting fire to it. The fire smouldered for some time before it was discovered, and burnt out a large piece of the floor, joists, &c. Fortunately alike for the safety of the premises and the block in which it is situated, the fire was discovered early in the evening and extinguished." The Press Company olfer a reward of .£IOO for the discovery of the person or persons implicated. The carriers have announced that for the future tho freight to Reef ton from Greymouth will bo advanced =£s per ton on account of tho bad state of the road. The price of carriage will therefore be £ls per ton.

The Greymouth Star, of 13th instant, says.—The steamer Waipara has found a patch of trouble, having got into Okarito harbor and being unable to get out, there being only two feet of water on the bar at that place. His Honor the Superintendent aitd Messrs Duncan, Mueller, Giesow, and Gird wood arrived in llokitika on Saturday overland. They describe the tracks down South as something fearful, and state that their pleasnro trip was the reverse of pleasant. We trust that Captain Dascand's detention will not bo protracted as the Const can ill afford to lose the services of the Waipara.

Wo notice that tho Albion Company's paddle steamer Coomerang was to be sold by Messrs M'Landress, Hepburn, and Co., of Dunedin, on the 13th instant. The Eoss Guardian of the 9th instant, has the following :—" Yesterday afternoon tho township was enlivened by a passage-afc-arms between one of our M.P.'s and a gingerbcer man. The battle did not continue long, as " ginger" soon went to grass, and vented his spleen in a tirade of abuse that would have done credit to aNewhaveii fish wife. Hostilities were resumed later in the day with a similar result." Really if the M.P.C.'s continue in this fashion, lively times may be looked for when tho Council meets.

The Printing Trade in England has boon reaping a rich harvest. Double prices for " election " printing is a reasonable charge; and those who aspire to political honors, whether successful or iiot, have proved good friends to the Press. Tho newspaper proprietors, too, have been jubilant, as electioneering advertisements at 2s or 2s Gd a line are without doubt moderately profitable—and papers with any pretension to position have obtained these prices readily. We wonder what members of the pointing

trade at homo would think if tokl that iu Now Zealand tlioro arc some tyros in the trado idiotic enough to imagine that they can pay working expenses by tendering for work not at half-a-crown a line, but at a h iff penny !

A preliminary meeting has been held at Black's Point for the formation of a Miners' Accident Society. Applications have been made, aud set down for hearing, for twelve publican's licenses, twenty-six accommodation licenses, and three wholesale licenses iu the Lyell district.

Leslie and Stewart report a steady upward tendency in Monte Christo scrip, and increased enquiries for Excelsiors. They quote sellers—Break o' Day, 15s; Oriental, ,£25 per half; Lyell Creek, ,£25 per quarter; Excelsior, X 75 do ; Maiden City, £25 per half; Tichborne, ,£3O per share. The Lyell Argus says a company has been formed under tho title of the Cascade Company, for tho purpose of prospecting the belt of country between the town boundary aud the ground hold by the Central Buller Company. Mr Achilli Caruso has been appointed mining manager, and under his superintendence, work is being d:newhich, it is believed, will eventually open out an entirely now line of reef. The Inaugahua Herald of tho 7th instant says : —We are authoritatively informed that contracts have been accepted for the Nelson Creek Water-race; but, as tenderers and their sureties are so scattered, the contracts

have not yet been absolutely signed. It is therefore impossible to publish tho different contract prices at present. The balance sheet of the Rccfton District

Hospital accounts for the year ending- 31st March last shows receipts from all sources £640 7s, and expenditure, £OIO 3s Bd, leaving a credit balance of 4s 4d. This is exclusive of ±'63 10s lodged to credit of Building Fund. The report of the Com-

mittee makes mention that the total subscriptions raised since the Hospital was started have been £027 4s o'd—entailing a Government subsidy of £1054 9s—and the amount received from the Government has been only £BOO, leaving a balance still due from the Government of £251 9s. Oobdon suffered considerably from the encroachments of the river during the late flood, a good deal of the ground facing the byewash having been washed away, and the buildings left in a position of danger. The inhabitants held a public meeting on Wednesday evening, when the following resolutions were passed:—" That in the opinion of this meeting it is most desirable that the attention of the Provincial authorities should be directed to the critical and dangerous state of this town, owing to the action of the late flood, with a view of taking immediate stops for its protection." "That the Government be requested to appropriate the sum of £SOO for the formation o: the Cobdenprotective works." The Christchurch lines were again down ou Wednesday, and telegraphic communication stopped for a time, but was re-opened again yesterday. The Election for the Lyell District Board resulted in the election of Messrs. J. Eyan.Wm. Burns, Fennell, Leslie, Dempsey, and Cairns. The result of the month's crushing of the Ajax Company, Inanghua, is 5700z of melted gold. We take the following items from the Eoss Guardian of the oth instant:—MiMichael Moye had a very narrow escape from being drowned on Saturday morning lie was crossing one of the branches of the Mikonui river, and was carried away by the current. Mr Daniel Beady saw the neril Moye was in, and succeeded in rescueing him from his dangerous position—The Excelsior and Hunter and Patersoii's claims were swamped out on Tuesday, and work had to be abandoned for that day. The Greymouth Star says : —" It is estimated by competent judges that to repair damages done to the Brunner Railway by the flood will necessitate the outlay of a sum equal to oue third of the original cost of the line, viz., seven or eight thousand pounds. The agent in advance for Baclielder's " Pantasoope" of the trans-American tour and other panoramic views has arrived in Westport, and has made arrangements for an early exhibition at the Masonic Hall. The panorama has drawn largo audiencesat Ilokitika and Greymouth. The Criminal Sittings of the Supremo Court at Nelson, has been adjourned from the 20th, until the 27th instant. The Provincial Gazette of the 13th instant, gives notice of authority granted to Mr B. M'Leod of Westport, under Clause 13 of the " Goldfields Act, ISGO," to construct a wharf commencing twenty feet below the upper side of Wakefield street, and extending four chains down the river, and to ehargo tolls thereon for a period of live years, from the Ist May promixo. The principal conditions being that the construction of the wharf for the entire length shall bo finished within six months, from the 13th April, that the same shall be kept in good repair, and that a rent of £lO per annum be paid to the Warden of the District. It is also stipulated that should the Government consider it necessary for the construction of protective works, or for any other public purpose, the Superintendent may revoke the authority " and the said Daniel M'Leod, shall in such case be paid the value of the wharf at the time of such revocation," but no compensation beyond the actual value of the structure. The wharf to then become the property of the Provincial Government of Nelson. The wharf tolls aio to bo the same as at present charged.