NEWS OF THE WEEK.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 127, 8 October 1875, Page 11

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

Flotjbish Colonial industry. Amo vein en bis on foot in Nelson, and favourably received, to form a limited liability company, to purchase Webley's Nelson Cloth Factory, with a view to enlarged works and extended business. Tttapbka complains that thecharge for talcing goods to Tokomairiro is more by rail than by road. If so, why is it so ? Not long ago the Otago University was denounced — we believe in Nelson — as an " Educational Sham." His Honor the Deputy-Superintendent of Otago does not appear to entertain of its usefulness a most exalted^ opinion. At a deputation lately, it was said a, mixseum^was a necessary adjunct to the University. Whereupon his Honor responded : There are many adjuncts to the University. At the same deputation his Honor characterised the vote for the museum as being, to a certain extent, a fancy vote. High-class education in Otago is evidently beginning to disgust its own supporters. The Otago High School has always been unfortunate in regard to its rector, or, rather, its rectors have been unfortunate in regard to it. Mr. Simmons had troubles, and left j then there was poor Mr. Hawthorne, about whom everyone knows ; and now, after a delay'in getting a rector from Scotland, that gentleman has not for many months commenced his duties till he meets with the misfortune of getting an arm broken. The proposal to give only one additional member to the Thames is received with, much dissatisfaction there.

A determined attempt is now being made to get the Otago Waste Lands Board to break through one of the most essential clauses of the Deferred Payments Act — that which compels settlement on the land for three years • after taking the lease before a Crown grant is given. In the Church of England Synod, the Rev. Mr. Penny said that the average contribution of each person to the offertories in Dunedin was about twopence halfpenny. — The Rev. Mr. Beaumont said that" his instincts as a gentleman had prevented him, and ■would continue to prevent him, from asking his people to contribute money in which he shared in any way. By a fire at Lawrence two boys were burned to death. Tho fire is suj>poscd to have originated through one of the boys reading in bod with a candle. Mb. Waterhotjse has earned a vote of censure on the Government in the Upper House in regard to Native lands. The division on the passing of the Abolition Bill was — Ayes, ' 40 j noes, 21. The Dunedin Spelling Bee competition was a great success, providing the audience with fun, and the Cricket Club with funds ; but the legal and mercantile gentlemen did not, on the whole, shine as stars in the spelling tournament. It is not always that the public have a chance of laughing at them, and they did it lieari Uy this time. Thtb citizens of Dunedin have, in irablic meeting assembled, condemned Mr. Reid's "Employment of Females Bill," which, according to a telegram from Mr. Bradshaw, " enables women and children .to be Avorked ton hours every day, beginning from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. It takes away the half-holiday on Saturday, and every other holiday/ Mr. Stout opposes the Bill, and that literary model the Dunedin ' Star' argues against him on every ground, from logic even unto personalities. The ' Star' is setting Up as a teacher of rudimentary geography. In an editorial it informs its readers that "there are in tho Straits of Messina, a rock and a whirlpool ! " The spirit aroused by Mr. Plimsoll is felt even in this colony. The c *.citemcnt which resulted in the stoppage of the Don Juan from proceeding to sea has subsided, and now that vessel has been condemned as " totally unseaworfchy/' It is not permitted to every man to have the privilege publicly to discuss his " boss." This is what the Otago schoolmasters have been doing. They have been criticising school inspections, that is to say school inspectors, though they say they do not do so from a personal point of view. Their motive is the public good ; but it is said that' a broad hint has been given or is about to be given from the north-east corner of the Provincial Government Buildings, that they must not do so in future. Mb. Steward, " the deceased wife's sister," is now agitating for an hospital for dipsomaniacs. We notice by advertisement in another column, that a popular entertainment in aid of the library fund of the Juvenile Contingent H.A.C.B.S. will be given in about a fortnight. For some time past iftie lneinbers have been working hard to form a library, aud we trust that they will receive a liberal response to the above their first appeal to the public. An excellent programme is in preparation, and when we mention the name, of Mr. C. Sykes, it will be a sufficient guarantee that the musical portion of the entertainment ■will be properly carried through. We notice that occasionally the Dunedin newspapers publish the names of persons brought up at the Courts for medical exanri- : nation as lunatics. It is rather hard to blazon forth the names of people who are already sufficiently unfortunate, as though they were criminals. No doubt the junior reporters who "do" the Police Court proceedings know no' better. But they should. The local Road Boards have "been distinguishing themselves lately by high language,, notably Roslyn and the Peninsula. Too much power appears to be placed in the hands of men who do not deserve municipal rights. On the Flat a number have there been opposing the demand for a Municipality. Their opposition has every appearance of being based in a spirit which, it is not too much to say is, "with many, cantankerous and narrow-minded. There is now an opportunity of having the flat declared into one Municipality, and general measures for the common good in such matters as drainage and road formation taken, setting aside the advantage of being able to borrow cheaply. But some still want the Road Board, and others Municipalities of their own. With the different little petty Municipalities some want, all who would not be Mayors would be Councillors. It is to be hoped one Municipality will be proclaimed, so that the progress of a large district ■will not be retarded. The new Duaedin Fire Brigade has been constituted. It possesses considerable talking power, and its meetings, which are frequent, last for several hours at a time. We hope it will be '' all there" whun needed. Ceic jet is looking up, and a busy season is anticipated. The volunteers are showing faint signs of vitality. Snyder rifles have beeu served out to some of the companies, one company about the only one in Dunedin withjiny life in it (the City Guards) has had a company match, and at general meeting of volunteers no loss than sixty vveru acLuaily present. They resolved to endeavour to get Parliament to p.iy £1000 to send "cock shootists" to the Philadelphia ride match, and have requested the Government toimpoit small bore rives for .distribution among the best shots of the Colony. Tuk somewhat dilatory gentlemen who comprise the Dunedin Supreme Court Site Commission were lately the subject of an explanation from the Mayor, who showed that the delay in the ..selection ob a Bite was theirs, and not that of the City Council. His Honor Mr. Justice Williams, at the opening of the Criminal sessions, in his charge to the grand jury — which charge by the way may be remarked as a model of brevity — said : — You will, I think, agree with me in hoping that, ere long, steps may be taken to secure a suitable building for the purpose of this Court. It is surely not ixnreasonable to expect that in

tlie first city of the Colony the structure consecrated to the administration of justice should be weatherproof, decent, and commodious." The present building combinos in an eminent degree the essential requisites of a funnel and a sieve. Great indignation is expressed in Auckland about the imprisonment of two working men for non-payment of education rates. The Otago Shearers' Union have agreed that the price for shearing thia season Bhall be a £1 per 100 sheep. Kecbnt facts which have come to light at Auckland disclose, we • are sorry to say, a not very healthy stato of tho Press there. A mer- ■ chant was by accident detected in an attempt to swindle the pusfcoms, by means of salted invoices, out of £225, and was fined £100. The newspapers suppressed it. One of them did not get an advertisement, .. and in revenge told all about the suppression. It must be said for the " other newspapers that they were not influenced by at least any direct consideration. At the same time why should a community be burdened with four newspapers which combine to omit what should never : be tampered with — Court reports ? The North Otago Times expects Oamaru before "very long " to rival Dunedih "in business, wealth, and importance." The City Council now meets in the afternoon instead of in theevening, and the improvement is apparent. All the business is - done by six o'clock, and there is no sitting till four in the morning, or imbibing diluted water. Never too late to mend. Future meetings are to be held on Tuesday instead of Wednesday. Mr. F. J. Da vies chief reporter of the ' Guardian' for two years past, and previously chief of the ' Daily Times' reportorial staff,, has loft the ' Guardian* and taken the editorship of the Paltnerston * and Waikouaiti ' Times/ the first number of which will be issued this month. The new paper starts in a nourishing district under J most promising auspices. The Works Committee of the City Council are soon to bring \xp a decisive recommendation on the subject of tramways. Cyrus Haley, who tried to escape from the custody of the gaol officers on Bell Hill on Monday last, was pursued and shot, dying almost instantly. The Dunedin dailies have made the most of the occurrence, being full of details about him. It now appears very clearly that much of Haley's frightful desire to commit crime arose from domestic troubles which filled him with a feeling of vindictiveness and revenge against people whom he believed was his enemies. His troubles commenced anew in Dunedin after his family arrived from home lately, and there can be but little doubt that they were the chief spur to his desperate attempt to escape* . The jury returned a verdict of "justifiable homicide/a nd agreed to a rider commending the warder who shot him, for faithfully discharging his duty.