THE Inangahua Times, PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. MONDAY, MAY 15, 1882.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1087, 15 May 1882, Page 2

THE Inangahua Times, PUBLISHED T RI-WEEKLY. MONDAY, MAY 15, 1882.

The County Solicitor, we are toki from an inspired source, has advised the Council that the construction of waterworks for the town of lleefton, would come within their powers under " The Counties' Act," and " The Public Works Act," and on that opinion the, people of Reef ton ore asked to jput away the idea of a M unicipality, flnd stick to their faithful County Council. In on/ j of Dickens' most celebrated works, the little heroine, on Ix'iu^ about to be restored to her friends I>y the itinerant showmen, with the vision of substantial yewavd before flieir eyes, is said to have been alternately reminded that *' Codlin's your friend, not Short," and " Short's your friend not Oodlin," Reefton is wooed in a somewhat similar manner by the advocates nf tlie Borough, and the supporters of the e-xistir,^ Jocal aduiinislriition. It must depend

on the simple common sense of the public to determine which form of local self-government is most desirable for their own interests, and vote and act accordingly. Argument has been exhausted on either side, but we strongly object to bringing in by a sidewind an opinion, which to say the most of, it is simply the statement of a presumed fact from which there is not the slightest chance of any advantage whatever accruing to the ratepayers. It is merely dragging a herring across the scent, for however capable the Council may be of undertaking the works, does any sane man wthin the proposed Municipality suppose, that as at present constituted, it will do so. It is said that " the only difficulty now remaining is a question of ways and means." Undoubtedly that is a very difficult problem to solve, and here it comes in that the County Council can hardly, if at all, arrive at a solution. It is certain that out of ordinary revenue that body cannot, no matter how willing it might be, execute the contemplated works without external assistance, either by a special loan involving a special rate, by overdraft from the tank, or by extraordinary aid from the Government. Now, to Itonja'act &iy loan whatever, iy>tice in'utfc be given of the intention to do gOj a meeting of ratepayers must be called to approve of the loan, a poll taken, and other forms gone through, which would certainly result in the proposal being negatived by those not immediately interested in the work. The second method, by bank assistance, is out of the question on nearly the same grounds, the benefits derivable being local rather than general, and the third resource would be utterly hopeless to even think of. With a Municipality, the question would assume another aspect altogether. Though the same forms to obtain the approval of the ratepayers would have to be gone through before any loan could be legally obtained, though a special rate would, as in any other case, have to be levied, the public having to pay would have to cash up for their own particular benefit, and would not therefore probably offer any special objection, but on the contrary, willingly submit to a moderate impost for the protection of their lives, properties, and health. It is as well not to be mistaken in the matter. Water supply to Reefton by the County Council is a mere myth, one of the illusive mirages that may be very useful to divert public attention from a really sensible and practical course, but that will prove as unsubstantial as those by which desert travellers have been deceived, when haze has given the appearance of water, and the latter has existed only in the imagination of those deluded. Let neither the supporters of a Municipality, nor those hesitating as to which way they incline, be led astray by the new professed zeaL Either the funds when the real issue comes, will not be available, or the estimated cost will be too greatyrflC an ample supply will' not be obtainable, or its purity cannot be secured, or some other of the thousand and one excuses always available on such occasions will be trotted out, and whilst taking credit for the best intentions any scheme for water supply to Reefton will, in the hands of the County Council quietly fade out of sight, and, should the borough agitation prove unsuccessful, be allowed to drift into oblivion. We are glad to feel that the latter will not prove to be the case, but in the mean.time would again caution ratepayers not to be hoodwinked by any promises or professions that are never likely to be carried out.

Whether the present Ministry, or rather the Ministry as at present constituted, will hold their own or not in the coming political campaign may be a question, but at least the thanks of the Inangahua people are done to the present Minister of Mines, Mr Rolleston, fcr his exertions on behalf of the district, and it is to be hoped, should any shuffling of the Ministerial cards result on Parliament meeting, that he I will still hold his present portfolio, even should some of his present colleagues fall out of office. In Mr Weston, the distinct has a most active member, as has been shown repeatedly since his election, but at the same time there has been a most prompt and generous response on the part of the Minister above-named, to any application in connection with Inangahua, especially since Mr Rolleston paid his visit here, could see with his own eyes and judge of its future value and importance. At the little festive gathering held on Saturday week, in honor of our member, the latter bore testimony to the invariable courtesy with which he had been treated, and referred to a telegram he had received in connection with some local matters that may be briefly referred to as having hardly yet been fully understood. In the first place, the promises of public works are not to be broken, and the votes for the district will not lapse as feared at the end of the financial year. The Matiri bridge contract, as previously stated, has already been let, and the others are being pushed on. With respect to Boatman's telegraph station, the Government are in difficulty through want of some one to take charge, unless it be made a guaranteed stat'on. At the same timn there is every desire to meet the wishes of the residents, and it is their own fault, if they do not push matters on during the session, when they are almost certain to get the boon they desire. The Govern, ment have considered the question of appointing a Deputy-Commissioner of Scamps in Reefton, and thereby obviating a great ninny of the inconv"ilionet's to \vi» -which rrefntly refciTod. Tlu'.i'O is Ijttk- doubt that this

concession will be granted. Alto- ' t wether, the attitude of the Govern- 1 ment has been most favorable to the Reefton district. No reasonable request, preferred through our member, . has been met with other than courtesy and consideration, and all, so far, have been most favorably entertained. Mr Rolleston is especially the good genius ' apparently, that has used his influence in our favor, and in his last telegram to Mr Weston on the above and other subjects, delay in issuing leases inclusive, says "I hope to remove all complaints." Such a Minister of Mines is a phenomenon, after the years of neglect that the goldn'elds have suffered from, and for the sake of this vast industry, we hope that he may long occupy the position he at present fills soAvorthily and satisfactorily. His keen intelligence shows him that by fostering mining interests and conveniencing the mining community, he is materially aiding the prosperity and advancement of the whole colony, and in doing this he fulfils a national work.

The next English and European mail via San Francisco will close at this office on Wednesday, the 17th day of May, at 7,a«m.. „_ ?< , ' |js*, t - The li£enetoertfiat Mr Ring, in spite 'of the late had weather, has succeeded in obtaining reflect the greatest credit on him as an artist of the first-class in photography. Those who doubt his skill have only to visit his studio to be convinced of it, and they will there see some of our celebrities in lifelike form. We may add that Mr Ring's appliances for taking instantaneous portraits of children aye perfect, and that fond mothers wanting their hopefuls depicted can have the feat accomplished on a visit to the above-men-tioned professor. Mr Weston wires us that the tenders for the bridge at the Inangahua Junction will be advertised for in a day or two. We direct attention to the address of Mr T. S. Weston, which appears in another column. The Acting Resident Magistrate, Mr Ebenezer Baker, arrived on Saturday from the Lyell. His first introduction to official work was to deal with a German inebriate of the most harmless kind who had fallen on evil times. The offender was sentenced to five shillings, or 24 hours and elected to take the latter, philosophi cally remarking that he could do no work on Sunday and might as well be coiled up in the figurative logs as anywhere else. A sort of Bradlaughcase seems likely to crop up at the meeting of Parliament on Thursday next. By the judicial verdict following on the late Stamore election, Mr Pilliet was unseated, but the tradition relative to driving a coach and horses through an Act of Parliament seems likely to be exemplified in his case. It appears that by "The Corrupt Practices Act", under which his seat is to be vacated, it is enjoined that the presiding Judges report to the Speaker, relative to any decision they have co%e to. At the meeting of I the first session of Parliament when members take the oaths and their seat's there is no Speaker, as that officer has to be elected by every successive Parliament. Now Mr Pilliet has been advised that he can, as being returned duly elected on the Stanmore writ, take his seat and the oaths, and subsequent action cannot unseat him. This will of course only apply to a new Parliament, but the point seems to be a good one, and it is more than likely that the nominally ejected member will yet take his seat and that the aspirants to his succession will be disappointed. . The Acting Resident Magistrate and Warden held Courts at the Lyell last week but will sit here to-day at 10 o'clock Mr Lucas, Clerk of the Bench, will not be present, as he has to ajp^ar at the Westport District Court to-day as a witness in the prosecution of James Johnston, charged with perjury. As we stated in a former issue the business at the Courts to-day is unimportant. The Westport Times says : — ln an appeal case, yesterday, National Bank of New Zealand v. Heslop, against Judge Broad's decisiou at Keeftou, where £100 damages was given for the dishonoring of a cheque drawn in favor of one Charles Mirfin, Travers, counsel for the appellants, pleaded that a bank carrying on business at several branches had a right to dishonor cheques at one branch if the customer's account was overdrawn at another. The whole relation of bank and customer was one of debtor and creditor, When money was paid in by a customer the bank became debtor, undertaking to pay money 'from time to time for orders drawn, providing the amounts did not exceed the funds in hand. A client having an account at more than one branch had no right to draw when he knew that upon the whole it balanced against him. The Chief Justice aud their Honors Johnston, Richmond, and Williams, upheld this, and the appeal was allowed with costs, Fish bones are very dangerous, and great care should be taken when cleaning fish to prevent the bones entering the hand. On Sunday last, says the Auckland Herald, Mrs Filmer, the wife of William Filmer, carpenter, Onehunga, was received into the hospital with diseased finger bone, caused by the bone of a sehnapper penetrating her hand, while she was engaged cleaning the fish. This happened about a month ago, and Mrs Filmer thought she extracted ail the fish bone at the time, but subsequently the linger bone became affected. At the hos pital chloroform was administered, and the finger amputated by Dr. Philson. Lately the Cliriatcliurch Philosophical Institute, after -in animated discussion, passed unanimously the following resolution :—" That this Society desires to place on record its high appreciation of the great service that have been rendered t«.i science by the kto Pi Danviu, siml

die great loas that it has sustained through hv& death. One-fifth of the gold received at the Melbourne Mint comes from New Zealand. Amongst the 5004 Chinese residents in New Zealand on April 3rd, 1881, the date of the last census, there were only five women. The European population, of all ages, numbered 264,010 males, and 220, 319 females. A somewhat unusual bankruptcy notice appears in the Wellington Post. It is signed by Mr Besley as trustee in the estate of J. Bidmead, and he notifies that a dividend of 20s in the £ is now payable in that estate. A writer in the New Zealand Wcsleyan tells the following tale :— There is in New South Wales a Weslcyan Church called Centenary Chapel ! In the same colony there is a conspicuous politician who can command anything but his h's. He rejoices in a friend who, in pronouncing long words, "gives way to custom "as above. In the Centenary, for example, he puts the accent on the second syllable. Now the story showeth that the friend was driving the politician past the chapel. "What place is that?" quoth the politician, to whom i the f riejid, replied, • 'fThat ? that's the "Wealeya^PoenWn'iy Chapel." "Saint 'fen ry !" mused the man of politics, " Saint Enry ! Why I didn't know thb Wesleyans had any saints." '»