The Hnangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. MONDAY, JUNE 1, 1885.

Inangahua Times, Volume X, Issue 1555, 1 June 1885, Page 2

The Hnangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. MONDAY, JUNE 1, 1885.

I Thb monotonous regularity with which applications are sent in to the County Council for compensation for works executed by private individuals without authorisation, suggests the necessity of some determined action being taken. That the Council has no authority or warrant in law for entertaining this class of claims is past all manner of doabt. Cases innumerable of the kind have been referred to the County Solieitpr, who has over and over again returned the opinion that such claims cannot be legally re«o<»nised by the Council, »nd still the applications flow in. It will not be doubted that in many cases the claims j to recompense ar« on the face of tKem j [ fair and reasonable enough, bat apart from the positive inability of the Council to admit the claim*, where are these applications to stop ? A man : I makes a piece of road for his own : special use and benefit, and by and bye with the ordinary advance of the community, necessities arise for others to n»r_tfce road, when one of these j immediately created, and the claimant starts on the war path. We almost; wonder that the residents of the back parts of the town hay« not sent in claims to the Coancil for clearing the tr«»s and stumps off the read reserves adjoining. This clearing away of the timber of course lightens the cost of construction to the Council when the j time comes for making the roads, but | what would be the fate of such an application? The fact is the Council will either have to put its foot down firmly in tkis matter, and resists the claims one and all, or otherwise aanoance a date within which all* snch claims should be sent in to the Council and deal with them as a whole, and pablicly nolify that thereafter no per-" son will be allowed to perform work of any kind, on a public road or reserve without the previous sanction of the Council, under penalty of being treated as a trespasser. The latter would perjiaps be the most equitable coarse, ><nt it is obvious that some defined limit must be prescribed beyond which claims of this nature cannot be carried.

A strong party of miners has been firmed to bring in a water race from Raglan's to Italian Gully, to work alluvial ground at the latter place. The race will be between one and two miles in length, and will be brought in at such an elevation as to command a wide extent of country. Sluicing operations have in past years been carried on very successfully at Italian Gully, but the water supply was insufficient. The race construction to be undertaken is a heavy work, and will involve % considerable outlay of capital, but the payable character of the ground being proved beyond a doubt, the speculation is in high favour. It appears that two outside legal opinions were taken relative to the right of the County Clerk to exercise a casting vote on the occasion of the election of County Chairman. One opinion is said to be to the effect that the clerk possesses the right to vote, the other being to the contrary effect. Nominations for the seat in the Inan gahua County Council for the Biding of -Antonio's will be received up to noon to-morrow, at Antonio's Flat. Up to the present time the gflly candidate who has publicly announced his intention of offering himself for election is Mr Alex. Duncan, farmer, of Little Grey. Mr Duncan, is well-known throughout the Riding, and during the past week his friends have been prosecuting an active canvass on his behalf, the assurance of support obtained being such as to leave no room to doubt that he will be returned, if not unopposed, at leaat by a substantial majority. We understand that Mr G. Batira has been strongly pressed to become a candidate, but from tb« oatMt be stat«d that the only eon-

ditien upon which he would offer himself was in the event of Mr Duncan's declining to come forward. Thar* is therefore reason to believe that Mr Duncau will have a walk-over. Mr. A. 3. Menteath addressed a meeting of the electors of Boatman's at Archer's Hall, on Saturday evening last. There were between sixty and seventy persons present, and Mr W. B. Archer was voted to the Chair. The Chairman in a few well chosen remarks introduced the speaker. Mr Menteath spoke for abeut an hour and three-quarters, touching upon the salient incidents of the last session of Parliament, and sketching the probable programme of the future. In reference to the bridge over the Left-hand Branch, he pointed out that when at Reefton the Premier must have known there was no vote on the estimates for the construction of the bridge, and yet Mr Stout gave a distinct promise that the bridge should be put in hand. Referring I to parties, he said he (the speaker) would go to the House unpledged to any section. At the present time parties were greatly disorganised, and it was impossible to predict what new combinations might arise. He was listened to throughout with respectful attention, and at the conclusion the usual vote of confidence was carried, and a vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded the proceedings. Complaint is made, and it seems to us very properly, »f the want of a Deputy Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages at Boatman's. It is no doubt a great inconvenience for residants there to have to come to Reefton for Biich simple matters as registrations of the nature indicated, besides involving expense which ought to be unnecessary. The postmaster at Boat ninn's could easily perform the duty, and it is time the attention of the Government was called to the matter with a view of removing the grievance. Owing to the large' amount of business to be dealt with at the last meeting of the j County Council, it was found necessary to ! holdover much of it, and the meeting was, ! therefore adjourned for a week. The I Council will meet again therfore on the 3rd inst, when, amongst other matters the annual balance-sheet of the County will be brought up for consideration. Owing to the prolongwd wet weather of late and heavy traffic the road from Boat- ' man's up tlie Gorg« is said to be in a very bad condition. We have received a communication on the subject, but the object sought by the writer will no doubt l»e fully served by thus calling attention to the subject. All traces of the late tire at Boatman's are gradually disappearing. Mr J. S. Wilsou, whojwas one t>f the heaviest losers by the disaster, has erected a handsome j and commodious hotel upon his former site. The. building ib quite an ornament Ito the town. Adjoining him, Mrs Burke has also erected a spacious hotel. Further on Mr F. D. Walker, another of the I hea^gsfc ioeers. h« also nuvlo » begjej^^i lilStfo i-^toPoTWH Hotel,' fiSfff! j put up temporary premises in which to carry on his business pending the restoration of his establishment, and his many friends throughout the district will be glad to see him once more installed as of old. Messrs Gailagher Bros, have also commenced building, a large quantity of material being on the ground, and no time will be lost in pushing on the work of construction. We have received from a correspondent a lengthy communication pointing f>ut the advantages to be derived by forming Reefton into a municipality. The suhj^t is one which has beenjarorn almost threadbare in our columns, and as public feeling is pretty well formed on the subject by this time, there is nothing to be gained by the publication of the letter. In the County Council on Thursday last the County Engineer in his report drew attention to the fact that the maintenance contracts for the main roads expire during the months of June and July, rendering it necessary that soin9 steps should be taken with regard to their renewal. A discussion ensued as to the best course to a<lopt. The Engineer (Mr Garven) rather favored calling tender* for the supply of broken mecal. Cr. Campbell theught they should each year make a certain portion of the road permanently, by placing say eighteen inches of new metal on. It would hardly be possible to do much in that way at once, but if th#y only so made five or ten miles annually, it would be better then laying on a few I iuches of gravel yearly over the whole length, and having to face the sain* <li*ficulty at the end of each. The Chairman (Cr. Menteath) thoughtjt would hardly be | prudent to involve the™ouncil iv heavy engagements of that nature until it was known what the General Government proposed to do in regard to the maintenance of main roads. The Government would no doubt formulate their new scheme of local government early in the session, and the Council wmild then be in a better position to dual with the maintenance question. The Wellington detectives recently mado a raid on a tahacconist shop in Willis street and seized a number of articles which they alleged were being used on the principle of a totalisatnr, and that the investments were on the Grand National Steeplechase and the hurdle race at Ohristchurch. Among the articles seized were two large sheets of cardboard, on which were the names of the race and the horses engaged in it, while under the name of the race horse was a number of investors on that particular horse. The total number of investors on eauh race being at the top of the sheet. Induirubbur stamps, a number of tickets bearing the horses names, and about LSO in cheques and notes were also taken possession of. The names of all persons in the shop were tekeb, and ft is understood that the pi>Ho«

will lay an information under the Gaming and Lotteries Act againat Mr Mandel, who occupies the premises. Writiug on the 12th April, the London correspondent of the Otago Daily Timts says : — The West Coast railway delegates have fallen on evil times. The intelli- ( gence of the actual outbreak of hostilities on the Afghan frontier seems to put altogether out of the qqestion for t;>e time any prospect of moving financu-' circles for the undertaking of such an enterprise in the Colwny. They tell me that up to the receipt of this unfortunate news they were receiving many inquiries, and there was fair prospect of their proposals being very favourably entertained. A case which is exciting considerable interest in Aahburto»i (aayt the Press,) came before the local Court, and was remanded. A young man named E. Honeywood, whoclaiins to be the ''second son of a lor 1," but who has been accupying the position of waiter at the Somerset Hotel, became enamoured of one Charlotte Colstone, a barmaid in the same hostelry. After many written professions of undying love, and a confidential letter to the effect that he was the "second son of a lord," and that if his brother died he should succeed !to the title and no.ooo. Honeywood won the young lady's consent and was entrusted with certain monkeys and jewellery, the property of his intended bride. On the morning, of the day fixed for the nuptial celebration, Honeywood disappeared, and had a narrow escape of being drowned in the Ashburton River. He kept possession of the money and jewellery, and is now charged with the larceny, a* a bailee, of £3, and also with stealing two rings, the property of Charlotte Colstone. The greatest nourishing tonic, appetizer, strengthener and curative on earth. H«p Bitters made only by American Co. See t>NE BOX OF CLARKE'S B 41 PILLS is warranted to cure all discharges from the Urinaiy Organs, in either sex (acquired or constitutional), Gravel, and Pains in the Brwk. Guaranteed free from Mercury. Sold in Boxes, 4s. 6d each, by all Qhemists and Patent Medicine Vendors : Sole Proprietors, Thb Lincoln axd Midland Counties Drug Co., Lincoln, England. Wholesale of all. the Wholesale Houses. It is impossible to remain long sick or out of health where American Co.'s Hop Bitters are used. See another " Buchu— i*AißA."-*-Qnick, complet** cure, all annoying Kidney, Bladder and Urinary Diseases. At Druggists Kemptkorne, Proaser k Co.. Agents. Chmtcburcb. " Decline of man." — Nervous Weakness, Dyspepsia, Impotence, Sexual Debility, cured by " Wells' f-ealth Renewer." Druggists Kempthorne, Grosser & Co., Agetus, Christchurch.