MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 19 August 1881, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

It has transpired recently that prisoners in the Lyttelton goal have been employed in the printing business, and in unfair competition with private enterprise. We now find the Government Printing Office in "Wellington going outside its proper functions in the printing of newspaper supplements. We do not blame Sir Qeo. Grey for getting his work done at the least expense to himself. Those who know hi* character best say that he is the last man to part with a single for the furtherance of these objects which he so eloquently advocates iv his speeches, which cost him nothing and are reported and printed free of cost by a benevolent public. But what becomes of Sir George Grey's profes* Bions of sympathy with the working men of New Zealand, and his frequent denunciations of tbe great land owners who deal in cheap labour. While

denouncing; those who lo.if on the eounry he is not above to laofing on the over-bundened taxpayer when* ever he c;in sivj his own picket" 1 . WLile he gushes about the poor working man and down trodden serf, he is re.\ 'y enough to deprive Ir'tn of the legitim tte obj -eta of his industry when lie can get work done for nothing. The working men of Xew Z^-il.iud will apprise this precious speech at its proper* value when they learn tint it was printed at the public expense. Encouraging news has arr'ved from Mount Poole digging*. T iree huidred ounces were brought into Wil« cinnia last week. Every coicb leiving for the digging* is well filled. One man brought from Mount Poole, where the reefs are silmted, a hmlkerchief full of quart z from hia claim. w'Wch, roughly crushed, yielded 1 oz. of gold. Provisions ore rep >rted to be plentiful. Supplies are obtained from Port Augusta. The G-overuinent. has beea peiitoaed to send a diamond drill to the diggings, for theporpose of developing the quarts reefs. * What promises to be a valuable discovery, *~n&ys the Taibofc Leader, 'was made on Saturday last by Mr Andrew Gremmel, in the lease recently taken up by him, adj doing the Hoffuung Company, at Mount Green" nock. In a prospecting drive at 110 feet level became upon a green cop* pery-looking formation, about 5 feefc wide. Some specimens of the material have been shown to Mr, Murray, thd geological [surveyor, and tint getitle* man gives it as his ojinioa thit it contains pure copper ia large quantities. Brides the metal appearing in the stone similar to gold in quirtz, there are aho] whole leaves of ie met witb. Mr. Murray has announced his intention of making an examination of the strata to-day, and his report is looked for with great interest,' The first diamond found in South Africa was obtained in the interior by a travelling pedlar from a child who was] playing with it, and 00. being tested the diamond sold for £500. It is now stited that the late 3ultau of Turkey iwas murdered to obtain pos-» session of his^teasures, and not from political motives. South African diamonds are found of various tints— orange, grey, coffee color, brown, pink, blue, and red, those of tha natna color being the most valuable ; a rare and perfect black diamond has also been tound. The engineers engaged iv the work of constructing, the ship, canal across the Isthmus of Panann, at last advbes had sunk] a shaft, 100] feet deep, where the Cuagres river d;m is to begin, and haJjnot yet reached the red rock. About 100,000,000] passengers anually travel on the'street cars of New York. Tbe number of ladies doing duty as editors in the United States iaestimited at 57.