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Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1124, 1 September 1882, Page 2

An adjourned meeting of the local Jockey Club will beheld this evening, when steps towards arranging a programme for •the Christmas meeting, will be taken. The secretary hnß been instructed to communicate with the Greymouth Club with a view to prevent the meetings clashing, and thus securing more horses and far greater sport for both places. The Keefton races will be held on the 26th and 27th, and tho club cannot alter these dates as they arc proclaimed holidays for the miners, who of course are the chief patrons of sports in this district. The Greymouth club are not wholly dependent on any class, and could without loss or inconvenience hold their meeting at the beginning of the year. If such an arrangement can be made, it will be greatly to the benefit of both places. There are not enough horses on the coast to furnish competitors for two meetings on the same day, and it is not worth while for distant owners to send horses that can only attend one. If a week's interval be allowed they would be able to be present at both places, and some really good racing and large fields might be looked for. We sincerely hope such an agreement may be come to. The next English and European mail via San Francisco, will close at the Reefton office on Wednesday, the Gth day of September, at 7 a.m. The balance sheet of the Hampden Cemetery appears in the Gazette, as audited by H. E. Curtis, Provincial District Auditor, by which it appears that the trustees have £12 to their credit in the bank. By the published traffic returns of the Brunnerton railway, for the four weeks ending July 22nd, the income was £853, 7s ; for the corresponding four weeks last year, it was £810, 14s, 9d, The income for the same period on the Westport railway, was £714, 12s sd, a great increase on last year, which was only £421, Bs, Bd. It is authoritatively stated that Parliament will be prorogued on Thursday next, the 9th inst. The Colonial Secretary has stated that the new Bankruptcy Bill will not be proceeded* with this session, but copies" 6f it would be circulated throughout iifi^colohy' during*ilie J rec"e i ss,'*'so as to give full- opportunity for its thorough consideration. The Bill as printed contains 240 clauses. The Contagious Diseases Act is gazetted as having been brought into force in Auckland. The following Telephone exchange charges are gazetted: — "A fee of £17 10s. per annum, payable for hire of each first Bet of instruments and wire from office or private residence for any distance within half a mile of the telegraph office When more than one instrument is hired by the same firm or person, the charge shall be £15 for every installment after the first for the above distance. An additional fee of £2 for every additional quarter of a mile shall be payable upon each set of instruments. Mr Gilbert, dentist, announces that in order to keep his engagements elsewhere, he is compelled to leave Reef ton on Monday morning next. Mr Archibald Scott, of Christchurch, representative of the Standard Insurance Company, is on a tour of inspection of the risks held by the company on the West Coast, and is now in Rcefton on , that business. The condition of the local Fire Brigade is naturally a matter of material interest to him as well as others connected with the management of insurance companies, and he speaks anything but cheerfully of Reefton in this respect. We have so recently drawn attention to the subject, and the public interested have proved themselves to be so thoroughly apathetic in the conservation of their interests, that we shall not add to former remarks. We may remind our readers, however, that the companies are withdrawing one by one from this field. From what we can gather from Mr Scott all the companies will soon do likewise, unless some assurance of the maintenance of an efficient local brigade and plant be given. With the fire rate levied at present, it should be no difficulty, and we sincerely trust that, in this respect, matters will shortly be put on a far more satisfactory footing than they are at present. Tlje Westport Times reprints an article to Mr Western's abandonment of the present Government, in which, the writer, whoever he was, shows that he knows nothing about the matter on which he treats. He states to begin with, that Mr Weston " was returned to Parliament last year through the strenuous exertions of the Grey party, but on taking his seat he at once declared for the Government." This is diametrically contrary to fact. He was not returned by the Grey party ; on the contrary, he defeated the Grey champion, Mr R. Reeves, and was sent to Parliament a thoroughly independent member. At the time of election he declared that he would give the Government an honest support, as long as they did justice to t'lP district, and conducted the

business of the country in such a manner •is he deemed right and reasonable. ;At the outset of the session he strictly fulfilled this pledge, but he alleges that finding that the Ministerial promises molted into thin air, and also that they were so vacillating and timorous as to practically bring down no measures and do nothing, he joined the Opposition. The rubbish as to his hope to become AttorneyGeneral we thought had exploded long ago, since the story told by Mr Whitaker was proved to be a baseless fabrication. Its repetition can, however, do no harm, and iB not worth further contradiction. A most .elaborate and carefully executed plan of the Nil- Desperandum mine, showing all its workings, and giving the minutest details has been prepared by Mr R. J. Johnsone, mining surveyor, of this town, and reflects the highest credit on that gentleman, for the admirable manner in which it is executed. It was undertaken at the request of the directors, and cannot fail to bo most useful, as every particular of the mino can be seen at a glance. The plan is 6f t x 3 ft, and can be seen at Mr T. Lee's, where it occupies the place of honor on the office walls. A meeeing of shar^iolders in the No. 2 South Keep-it-DaMgpompany, was held at the Southern Cross Hotol on Wednesday evening last. A large number of shareholders were present, and it was unamiously decided to register the company under the '• Mining Companies Act, 1872." Mr G. C. Bowman was appointed legal manager. A further meeting will be held at the manager's office on Wednesday evening next, for the purpose of appointing directors and auditors. Operations are to be immediately commenced upon the outcrop of the reef which traverses the leasr This lease is situate south of the Keep-it-Dark and Nil Desperandum claims, and the venture is regarded by old experienced miners as a really good investment. A correspondent briefly draws attention to an improvement that the County might easily and unexpensively effect at the slip on the Black's Point road, and we hope it will attract the attention it deserves. There can be no doubt that a rough log kerbing and a hand rail as suggested would afford a great, deal of protection, both against accident through horses in vehicles going oft' at this dangerous spot, and men in the dark falling over the precipice- at that spot. The cost would be trifling; the gain great and the Council will, we trust, cany out the trifling extra work, and earn the gratitude of travellers on wheels and on foot. It seems surprising that with so many cricketers in our midst no attempt has yet been made to initiate the game for the coming season. It is said that Reefton Ctin now raise the strongest team on West Coasf. We recently stated that Inspector Fmerson hadjjvery hope of being able to detach a^ronstable for duty at Boatrufen's. ■ We are now in a position to sas£ that si}ch an officer will certainly be placed there, and a well known member of the force, now stationed in Greymouth, has already been selected for the duty. A dance will be held to-night at the Oddfellows' Hall. An excellent band has been provided, and a pleasant evening will, no doubt, be spent by those who attend. During his visit to yewv ew Zealand, Sir John O'Sliannassy was present at a Maori convention. He says that the ordsrly conduct of business was in great ! contrast to the noise and confusion of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. Besides, the convention did get through some business, while he is ashamed when he returns home at night and is asked, " What have you done after sitting up so I lato 1" to have to return the invarriblo reply ".Nothing."