The Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1886.

Inangahua Times, Volume XI, Issue 1691, 14 April 1886, Page 2

The Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1886.

. — j The receipt* of the Jockey Club over the recent meeting were as follows : — Gates, first day, £21; second day, £22. Totalisator : first day, £301 ; second day, £351. On the second day there was a bit of a rumpus over the working of the machine. It appears that after the word "off" had been given in the race for the Reeftoii Plate, and when the crowd had rushed away from the vicinity of the totalisator the recording bell of the machine was heard ringing vigorously. An irate investor standing near the judge's box heard the bell, and ran round to the front of the machine, where he saw Mr James, the worker of the machine, pumping vigorously on the manipulator representing the Duchess of Albany. The man shouted to James to desist, as the*"horSes had passed the stand, but in . the hubbub going on James either did not hear, or disregarded the protest, and with his back t# the'man pulled away at the key. The !fman, who was apparently much excited, picked up a boulder weighing about 21bs. and f sent it whizzing with'great force either at James 1 head or the machine. TMs caused the machine to stop, and on JamesTturning round, which he did racher expeditiously, Mr J. Jones and others'who^had been attracted to the spotjby the'shouts of the man, joined in the protest. It was then explained that just l>efore the start the owner of the Duchess had 'purchased 20 tickets on the"horse,""but the race? started while the figures were being recorded. This did not satisfy the protestants,! who objected, very properly, to any increase of the figures from the moment the flag fell. Here the matter rested for the decision of the stewards. It must be obvious that Jnmeß acted very improperly in touching the machine after the starting signal was given, but nothing coull possibly justify (he utterly reckless and impudent Act of the man who hurled the ' stone" at the machine, and it was a surprise that he was not at once arrested. Had the stone hit James it would certainly hare done him a serious injury. As it happened the missile passed within an inch'or so of his head, and crashing on the machine split the wood-work and shattered, sotjae of the glass. After the race the stewards considered the protest, deciding that all money put on the totalisator after the start should be withdrawn and returned to the owner of ''theJj^Duchess, who thus saved his money. The lost monkey turned up on Monday morning last, in a manner which leaves no room to doubt that its ".disappearance was the outcome of a practical joke. The owner, however, did not see the matter in a humorous light, and set the police at work, but without result. The joke, if such it was, was a'very stupid one, and will perhaps have the effect of discouraging that form of pleasantry in future. As the Called Back Dramatic Company will pass through Reofton on Sun day next, en route to Greyinouf h, arrangements have been made ly the trustees of the hospital for the company to give one more performance here on Ifonday evening next, in aid of the funds of the institution. The company play at Ahaura on next Tuesday evening. Another terrible ship-wreck hat oc curred in Cook's Strut, the Union Company's steamer Taiaroa having struck on a rock near the mouth of the Clarence River, involving fearful loss of life. The spot where the vessel struck is within Bight of the Cape Campbell light. We were in hope up to midnight of receiving fuller particulars, but nothing reached Ub beyond the meager information, contained in another column. Commenting on Major Atkinson's recent speech, the Olago Dailjf l\me» says :— No one will deny the existence of » feeling throughout the country, which is especially strong in this inland, that Major . Atkinson seeks his strength in the House > rather than in the country, in the measures of party politics rather than in the depth of hit convictions ; that office has become too dear to him for its own sake, as well as for tfctft of carrying out his principles ; and lastly, that he is not altogether in accordance with his party—that he is with them rather than of them, a protectionist, a temporarily free trader, a spender upon roads and bridges, preaching eeonntny and so on. Stated thus brutally, such accusations are unfair and unjustifiable, but there are embers burning under all this smoke, and an element of truth in all these charges sufficient in the aggregate lo create a justifiable feeling of want of confidence iv Major Atkinson, which was a danger to the success of the Opposition under his leadership, and a perfect godsend to the Government." The West Coast Times say* :— " Mr Gibson, the legal manager of the Ross United G.M.Co., has informed us of ono of the most remarkable examples of quick pumping ever heard of iv New Zealand. Our readers are alrrady aware of the immense body of water which, breaking away from the sludge channel and pcuring into the great open face of the old , Scotia claim, flooded the workings of the Ross United and put a stop fur the time ' being to the work of opening out the claim. ■ Within the short space of three days the < main shaft has been pumped dry and the I men are hard at work again. To any one acquainted with the pumps and the ordinary volume of water to be dealt with seven days, would seem to be a reasonable -, time to be occupied in pumping out the water. But the feat just accomplished not only "-out Herod's Herod," but furnishes a substantial guarantee thai the I

shareholders, whatever else of inconven* ionce they may suffer, will be spared that of seeing their claim ever flooded out, no matter if an underground river were met with. The difficult problem of keeping the Boss flat clear of water has now been solved and the adoption of similar machinery should open up innumerable sources of profit in places which, up to the present, have been as unworkable as the ocean. The case of Brown v. Brown, application for Protection Order, was continued at the R.M. < ourt at Westport. Mr Lynch appeared for plaintiff, nH Mr Haselden for defendant. The case had an amusing sido during the process of washing the proverbial " faniily linen." Mr Lynch called the plaintiff and her sister to ehiw that the defendant's conduct had been cruel from the first, and that it had been upon his false representations th;it she had been induced to marry him. He said he had a horse, told her to 'get a Habit and said his age was 34. The horse proved to bo some one's else. Mrs Dove deposed that his conduct had been very rough. He came home often very angry without cauau. At one time he had struck a penknife into the mantlepiece, and said he would finish it in her. The reason *?r Brown gave for not signing the agreement drawn up was 1 that he had committed a great crime— a forgery— and ha did not wi*h his handwriting to be seen. Several letters were put in. One purported to be an agreement between husband and wife, to separate them for the rest of thoir "internal life," and to provide that no law should have effect between them should one or the other marry again. Witness considered that her sister had reason to fear her husband and that it was best they should live apart, and she with her parents. Counsel for defendant said in \ irs Brown's present mood, it appeared useless to ask her to go back to her husband, but he did not think it fair she should saddle him with a charge of cruelty unjustified. He attributed the real cause of the crisis to Brown refusing to take his wife to a dance. It appeared to him that because she did not. got her horse to ride and her habit, with a bell topper, she said " this is not good enough for me." She was treated with the greatest indulgence, and had her^breakfast in bed. His Worship adjourned the case with the view of mediating^between' the parties, and effecting a reconciliation if possible. The Sydney Morning Herald estimates, that over 10,000 Australians have left for England during February and the first half of March, mostly with the object of seeing the Colon ial|Exhibit ion. A report prepared by thei New South Wales Commissioner of ' abnur shows that from the 9th to the 23rd March 823 free railway passes had been issued to the unemployed and 1280 nunes had been registered for the retail works, making ! a total of 2113. The nMisi'ier registered for relief works in 18»S4 was 593. It appears that the unemployed* are making their way here'from the otliat Colonies. Six new arrivals from* lf ew Zealand applied to be put on the relief works, but thoy were informed that the works were never intended for such cases. The new Copyright Bill, to which reference was made in our'cable news, incorporates the most important provisions of 13 statues which it proposes to repeal. It ahfflishes the arbitrary distinctions which have hitherto prevailed in reference to the duration of copyright in printed bonks, in musical and dramatic c<impositions, and iv works of art, enacting that in all cases the term of copyright shall be for an author's life and 30 years after his death. Newspapers are to be classed as books, and copyright in their contents is to extend both to advertisements and to paragraphs and other communications intended for the publication* of news. As to the magazine articles, authors are to have the right of republication in separate form— except in the case of j encyclopaedias three years after the date! of the collective work, with the proviso, however, that the copyright of the owners of such collective works shall not be prejudiced by BiicTi Artists are to have copyright in their designs, as well as in their completed creations. Novels are not to be dramatised without the consent of their authors ; and the perfoitning right in any musical or dramatic composition is to endure for the same period as the copyright book will, moreover, be held to ba as much an infringement of copyright as to print it in full.