The Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 1880.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 10 March 1880, Page 2

The Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 1880.

At the sitting ot $?e District Court on Monday last, Greymouth, Mr Perkins applied, on behalf of the Union Bank, that Charles Marks should be adjudicated a bankrupt- Proceedings had been taken in the SupretLa Court to recover a 6ura of £930 19s, due by the bankrupt to the bank. His Honor directed a $jip9Qns to issue. We understand that the directors of the Golden Treasure Company have within the p#ft few days effected considerable reduction in the working expense of the mine and battery, and in such a manner as not to in any way impede the prosecution of operations. The crushing is proceeding satisfactorily. The next sitting of the District Court at Beeson will be held on Friday, 12th instant. The business set down for hearing comprises an appeal from the Magistrate's Court, in the case of Police v. Aiken, in which defendant was fined £30 for selling spmfcras liquors without a license. There are also several applications in bankruptcy and under the Mining Companies Act. We Bfitiue that our old friend Tavares is still in the land of the Jiving, and as just sustained a successful suit in tne Supreme Court, Brisbane, far breach, of agreement in connection with the leasing of the Queensland Theatre. The proposal to hold an Exhibition of miscellaneous articles in aid of the Hospital fund has been so far advanced that canvassers,* will to-day wait upon the residents for exhibits. The articles desired are pictures, models of any kind, geological, botanical, or other specimens, rare and ingenious displays of penmanship, mechanical skill; or handicraft, old coins, poitage stamps, photographs,! engravings, tapisiyy, oje in facfc anything and everything in the nature of a work of art or curiosity. The exhibits will be taken care ,of and returned to the owners at the close of the exhibition, which will be held in the early part of $pxt. Ihe charge for admission will be lg. A large number of protnient business men; assembled at Mr Finlay's last evening foe the purpose of bidding farewell to Mr William Davidson, who for nearly eight years past has resided in Reefton, in connection with the firm of Field andj Co., ironmongers. Mr O. Mirfin ocoapied the chair, and in proposing the toast of the evening spoke in the highest terms of commendation of the guest, a sentiment which was cordially endorsed by all > present. Mr Davidson replied in appropriate terms, and in departing received the warmest welhwisheg of all pres ent. The monthly meeting of the Council will be held at the Chambers tosdav. We are glad to fje aj^lg fa compliment the Grey mail contractors upon their prompt* ness in getting the mails through on Monday morning. The coach which bad been detained by floods reached ijeefton at an early hour on Monday morning, and left immediately on the down trip. All outstanding race subscriptions are requested to be forwarded to the secretary as early as possible, in order that the affairs of the late meeting may be closed. It is notified in the Government Gazette of the 26th February, that William M'Lean and others (Reefton Hospital Committee) claim to be festered as proprietors of section 573 in the town of Reefton. The claim is made as devisees of William Graham, carpenter, deceased, late of Reetton, and will be regis* tered, unless cayeat forbidding the same be lodged on or before 3rd of April next. The Grey Star says : — " The County Chairman evidently finds a vast difference between the present Governmeaf, and that popularity hunting skeleton — the Grey Ministry. In Council last night he re* marked that he could get no reply from the present Ministry. Fpom the former— prior to the election — he could get anything— so far as promises went." Precisely the same complaint is made by the Chairman of tho Inangahua County — in fact for one communication that is replied to half-a-dozen are treated with silent indifference. Theie is no doubt as between the two Governments there is a yery wide gulf in the manner in which West Coast Counties are or have been treated. Whatever may have been the faults or short comings of the Grey Government, its die* position Awards and treatment of the West Coast, not only just prior to the elections, but throughout was considerate to a degree, evidencing a friepdUinegs of feeling which stands out in pleasing contrast to the undisguised indifference of the present Ministry. The complaint, however, is one which is quite apart fj?om the question of Ministeries. It is a purely departmental matter. Under ths Counties Act certajn provision is made for the payment of subsidies, and when those subsidies are withheld, the Councils haye a perfect right £0 inquire the reason a»4 the probable date of payment, and. an equally perfect right to demand the small courtesy §t £ ?epty> wbsibsf fjayoarable or unfavor-

of $ mugbey of contractors were passed by the Council for payment out of a long OTer« due subsidy, but as the money was not remitted for several days following, the Chairman, at the solicitation of the contractors, telegraphed to Wellington to ascertain the pr^h^rle date w^e^lhe subsidy wogld be I available. To this message no reply was vouchsafed, and the unfortunate contractors were kept idling about the precincts of the Council for nearly a week, expecting • every day to receive their money, and in the end learnt that they would have to wait for a week or a fortnight. Now had a reply been promptly forwarded by %£ Q-oyerament fixing the date of payment, these men would J pave been spared all that waste of time, and | ihe Council officers the daily badgering to which they were exposed. If th,e Govern* ment is unable to pay its way promptly, it should at least deign to tell its creditors when to call again. It appears we were slightly in error as to distanced, in the remarks we made in our last issue re (he Reefton-Maruia route, and as our remarks were calculated to mislead, and pethaps induce some who may purpose visiting Christchurch to attempt the journey by that route, we gladly publish the following correction which has kindly been handed to us by Mr William Gardner, County Engineer, who formed one of the party who lately made the trip. Mr Gardnep says :— "The distance between Reefton and Lake Guyon is about fift^-seven^ gsil^f f and the time taken to travel it 'by Messrs'!? Wilson, Walker, and myself, wa"s eighteen hours. At present there is about six miles of country to be passed through, which is totally unfit for horse traffic, and until this portion of the route has had something done to it, I would not recommend any person to 'attempt the journey to Christohuroh on horseback. As to the practicability of tbej route there is not the slightest doubt, but until more work has been done iv the vicinity of the- Spencer Ranges, I would not recommend any one to make the journey that way," Mr Gardner further informs us that the level country of j Canterbury is reached from Reefton under a distance of fifty miles, and ttienee to Amberley no difficulty stands in the way of traffic. T^9*ascendiHg*gradefpom Reefton to the Cannibal: Gorge h almost imperceptable, bu6 the paiisage of the Gorge is in itself somewhat difficult, being rock-bound and precipitous for a distance of between three and four miles. It seem? a most extra* ordinary circumstance, ' and one which strikingly Ulupt rates the slovenly nature of *af e>^lori|dryi*urv|yß jet made to determine rae Beatjoute'for a railway between the Bast and West Coasts that no examination.Jof this line should have been made. It is to be hoped, however, that before the promised commission sits to consider the subject of the steps -will" be taken to have the unquestionable advantages of thjs route fully set forth. The vital statistics of JNew South Waleffl for the pas';, year show a remarkable increase'; in population, amounting fa near 40,000, bringing the total to nearly three -quarters of <■ a million. The jnppease i« unparajlejed, even during the early goldfield days. The following unique motion was submitted to tfte Mayor of Westport by Councillor Munson on Friday last, for his ruling : — ' That the Town Clerk be instructed by resolution of the Council to refuse the Mayor access to the Borough seal for tho purpose of >B|;amping anywpaperr or document which may ia any Way inliepfetr#or countermand instructions given by the Chairman of the Public Works Committee, unless otherwise instructed by special resolution of the Council.' The Mayor (Mr Munro) ruled as follows :— mpertjffentf Disrespectful! and ultra vires !'