INTER-PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1192, 10 July 1874, Page 4

INTER-PROVINCIAL NE WS.

Large stores aro about to be erected alongside tho new jetty at Port Chalmers, for the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, for tho reception of goods from the railway and shipping. The store will be 200 ft in length, aud 45ft wide, having a raised platform, in order to enable goods to be transferred to or from the trucks with facility. An Auckland paper says that when the s.s. Mikado was last at Honolulu, coal was £l9 per ton. Tho New Zealand Times remarks that the deserted region of Custom House street, once the busy haunt of commerce in Wellington, is about to resume something of its former appearance of activity. During the past month Messrs Mace and Arkell have • been making extensive alterations in the store once the abode of Stuart, Kinross, and Co., which has been found to bo tolerably well suited for a brewery, in which line of business Messrs Mace and Arkell have embarked a considerable amount of capital. Hogsheads, vats, coolers, and other conspicuous objects in a brewery plant have been already placed in • position for the commencement of actual operations, aud in a few weeks time the existance of the new firm will exercise some amount of influence in increasing trade aud competition. The New Zealand Times, in an article upon the proposed sub-marine cable between Australia and this , Colony, indulges in the anticipation that _ Wellington will be in direct communication with London in the early part of 1575. It is calculated that New Zealand , contains 10,000,000 acres of bush land of a more or less valuable character, of , which Auckland possesses 4,000,000 ; acres, The New Zealand Times says Canterbury people will learn with surprise that all, vessels from Lyttelton, which arrived in Port Phillip Bay are to be exposed to the operation of the Quarantine Act—we suppose because small- '' pox was found on board an immigrant ship that lately arrived there! The Victorians must have much beauty to spoil, that they should be so acutely sensitive to the possibility which amounts to improbability —of that disease being carried from Port Cooper to Hobson's Bay. Is the regulation—"hang the regulation"—to apply to the mail and other steamers from New Zealand ports! If so, there will be some work betimes for the Recording Angel on board of these fine ships. The five-ton locomotive which has assisted to obstruct the traffic on the Wellington wharf during the past two months, was shipped on board the Kennedy for transport to Greymouth where it is to bo used on the line between the coal mine and the port. The shipment of such a massive piece of ironwork occupied a considerable time but it was ultimately landed safely on the Kennedy's deck, which is admirably adapted to the safe carriage of heavy weights. It has since been safely landed at its destination. A few days since there was great excitement at Auckland in consequence of a rumor which had been circulated that the cutter Sovereign of the Seas had brought news of the total wreck of the ship Queen of Nations, OS days out from Belfast and Liverpool, with -100 immigrants. All hands but seven it was said, had been lost. Lor several hours Queen Street was full of anxious inquirers. The Superintendent and Executive, who happened to be holding a meeting, on hearing the tidings, took prompt measures to ascertain their truth. Captain Farqubar was ordered to hold himself in readiness to take the Golden Crown to the wreck. The excitement began to subside soon after eleven. Those on board the cutter knew nothing about the rumor, which was unfounded. The Nelson Colonist says:—"ln a lato article we advocated the desirability of entrusting the matter of education to j the hands of the General Government, in lieu of existing provincial institutions. Since then circumstances have occurred which induce us to urge the matter again. The ratepayers of the province were lately called upon to elect men in whom to entrust the management of our public schools. How" did they avail themselves of the privilege ? How did they discharge their duty on that occasion? In the city of Nelson, the principal educational district in the province, less than two dozen ratepayers assembled at the meeting. If from that number five candidates with their respective proposers_and seconders arc deducted, a fair estimate will be arrived at of the attendance,\and of the interest displayed by heads of families in a matter which will assist greatly to make or mar the future of their children. This being the case, we would ask, is it right to entrust one of the most important duties of a Government or a community to the hands of those who have shewn, unmistakably, that they are unfit to bo entrusted with it, or that they are too careless to perform that duty ? "