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Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1207, 13 December 1882, Page 2

A meeting was held in the Council Chambers, on Monday evening last, for the purpose of appointing a committee to collect funds in aid of the family of the unfortunate man Ralph Hall. There ■were present Messrs Brennan (chair) Beeche, Hankin, Macquarrie, Hunter, Gardner, Steele, Potts, Thorbum, Connolly and Crumpton. The chairman explained that the business was to take steps to raise money for the relief of Mrs Balph Hall and family. Hall himself was lying in a hopeless condition in the hospital, and the family were in great distress. Proposed by Mr Beeche, and seconded by Mr Potts, that the gentlemen present form themselves into a committee to collect funds for the object stated above. Carried. Proposed by Mr Hankin, and seconded by Mr Macquarrie, that the following gentlemen act as collectors for the places set opposite their respective names, Messrs Hunter and Brennan, Beef ton; Messrs Macquarrie and Connolly, Murray Creek; J. Trennery, Golden Fleece ; T. Watson, Crushington ; R. Fitzmaurice, Keep-It- Dark ; T. Booney, Welcome ;H. Currie, Fiery Cross ; A. Nottman, Imperial ; B. Smith, Specimen Hill and Low Level ; J. Bates, Hopeful ; J. Lawn, Just-In-Time; E. Lawn, Eureka; 3. Raithby, Battery; D. Quigley, South Hopeful ; B. Sutherland, Tailings plant; G. Blair, Oriental; G. Perotti, Golden Point ; W. Cummings, Lanlte/'s Creek ; James Adams, Globe ; C. Meldrum, Big River; Vivian and Harvy, Uainy Creek ; J Harris, Phoenix ;

A. Searight, Inglewood j J. Treloar, Nil Deaperai^|tt| A. MKay, Golden Treasure ; J.Twßuum, Energetic ; Wm. Gardner, Oaplestonj Gallagher and Craig, Inangahua; and that the managers of the Coal mines at Brunnerton and Westport be also furnished with lists. Carried. ] Proposed by Mr Gardner, and seconded by Mr Connolly, that the collectors be requested to send in the lists not later than the 3rd January, prox. Carried. Proposed by Mr Hankin, and seconded by Mr Gardner, that the money advanced by Mr Beeche, to enable Mrs Hall to come from Otagotosee her husband, be re-paid him out of the funds collected. Carried. The meeting then adjourned. The Secretary of the Reefton Railway League on Monday last, received a telegram from T. S. Weston, Esq., M,H.R., for Inangahua, stating that the Hon. Mr Johnston, Postmaster-General, would leave Christchurch this (Wednesday) morning on an official visit to the West Coast, and suggesting the advisability of inviting the hon. gentleman to include Reefton in his tour. A meeting of the Railway League was accordingly convened for Monday last, when the telegram in question was read. It was resolved to ask the County Chairman to transmit the invitation to the hon. Mr. Johnston, and this we believe was done yesterday. We publish elsewhere the list of Harapden subscribers to the Reefton Hospital. The amounts were collected by Mr J. & Heslop, County rate collector, on his last visit to that portion of the

county. We call attention to Mr A. Tait's advertisement, which appears in our advertising columns. Mr Tait during a residence of fifteen or sixteen years on the West Coast has established i high reputation for the fidelity and finish of his photographs. He has at considerable expense erected a permanent studio in Beefton, and fitted it with all the appliances requisite for producing really artistic pictures, and he has thus established a good claim to public patronage. The bush fires have rendered travelling dangerous throughout the Inangahua, and some very narrow escapes are already reported from falling trees. Along the Buller and Boatman's roads, and on the short track to Oapleston, numbers of halfburnt trees endanger traffic, and the same thing is complained of in regard to the tracks in Murray Creek, Golden Point and Devil's Creek. A few pounds expended in felling all dangerous trees along the tracks would be money well spent. We learn that the public ball held at Capleston on Friday evening last, in aid of the fund for the relief of the family of the unfortunate man Ralph Hall, passed off very successfully, being largely attended. But until the unsold tickets are gathered in it is impossible to say what the nett receipts will be. The friends of Mr D. David to learn that he is now in a fopfray of recovery from his recent serious? illness, and will shortly be able to attend t 0 business.

Upon the principle, no doubt, that "A stitch in time saves nine," Mr John Ching has erected a force-pump on the section adjoining his store, Broadway, and it has been shown by experiment, that a sufficient volume and pressure can be obtained to render valuable service in case of fire, either on the premises or on the opposite side of the street. Other householders in Broadway might advantageously follow Mr Ching's example, as the cost of the force-pump is a mere bagatelle compared with the service it would render in a critical moment. The fire round Reef ton on Monday last, afforded a good illustratino of the distance sparks are sometimes conveyed from bush fires. At about midday the fire was at its height, and a gust of wind carried a shower of sparks across the Inangahua river, and almost immediately the bush there was seen to be inflames. The points are nearly a mile apart, and it is beyond doubt that the fire was blown over that distance.

A private match for LlO a-side took place on the Keefton race course yesterday, between Mr Garven's bay mare, and a Nelson horse, just brought overland by Mr M'Lean. There was a good deal of side betting on the event and consequently it attracted a large attendance. The race, however, proved a perfect run-away for the local horse.

The publishers of a German novel scored a hit recently in the line of advertising. They had inserted in most of the papers a notice stating that a certain nobleman of means, anxious to obtain a wife, wanted one who resembled the heroine in the novel named. Of course every marriageable woman who saw this announcement bought the novel to see how much she resembled the imaginary beauty referred to. Colonists of New Zealand scarcely appreciate to the full the advantage which they enjoy in the matter of cheap and delicious fruits. The peach season will shortly be upon us, when a large basket of that luscious fruit will be obtainable for a shilling ; and to show by contrast how cheap that is, the following instance may be given of the price of peaches in the Old Country : —At a marriage feast in Glasgow in July last, a dish of peaches was ordered as a delicacy, and duly enjoyed; but when the bill came in, it was found that the precious dish of eighteen peaches had cost £5 Bs, or exactly six shillings per peach ! From this it may be inferred that the peach is not extensively consumed in the Land of Cakes. — ' a uckland tar.' The views we recently expressed as to the most unsatisfactory and inconclusive result of the late conspiracy case are strongly endorsed by the 'Tiniaru exald,' which remarks : — ' If Longhurst could be condemned to a horrible punishment

through a conspiracy, and kept in prison ' after his innocence had been proved, ' ; through the apathy or incompetency of the ' authorities, then any other person may any day find himself in a similar predicament, and justice in New Zealand is a mockery, and the administration of justice is a scandalous disgrace. But what is so exasperating is that, owing to the thrice-cursed refinements and technicalities of the criminal law and the procedure of the Courts, it is utterly imposssible for anybody to find out whether the Adamses did or did not wrongfully procure the conviction of Longhurst or whether Longhurst's innocence is or is not proved by the evidence on which the Adamses were wrongfully convicted from the legal point of view. All that is known of the case at the present stage has no other tendency than to destroy the respect of the public for either the Government or the Supreme Court. i