West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Friday 26 August 1881, page 2


OCCASIONAL NOTES

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The letter of Mr. Simpson and Mr. W. Kelt are unavoidably crowded out today.

The ploughing match which took place at Guildford on Wednesday last was in a cer-tain sense a success, the work, considering the unfavourable state of the ground, being fairly good. But, judging from the small number of Ersons present very little interest appears to

ve been taken in the contest by the ground publie. His Excellency the Governor and several members of the Legislature visited the ground during the course of the day. A fuller report shall appear in our next.

The 'party' by whom "Verus," under different disguises, seems to be employed as a mouthpiece, having reoeived by means «>f Lord Kiraberley's despatch of the 3rd Juno last, a very decided check, deems it, apparently, de-sirable, that their champion should ' blackguard the other aide,' for the purpose of covering an unexpected defeat. This, hard-pushed 'Verus' does as best he can, with a total disregard for facts, and so large an indulgence in splenetic vehemence of language, that his effusion is as harmless as it is absurd, and as absurd as it is evidently prompted by personal spite.

Our Northam correspondent, writing on Tuesday, says: "Drought still prevails. No rain has fallen for five weeks, and crops are suffering much, late sown seriously so. Grass is withering, water supply everywhere is be-coming scarce. Very serious fears are entertain-ed as to the coming summer. Flour and wheat are in demand with an upward tendency, hold-ers not caring to sell. Mr. Steere's Sandal-wood Bill is generally considered useless, de-fined areas for cutting being much more popular. The Governor should be asked to provide water supply en route to sandalwood country, recoup-ing the outlay by increasing the export duty. Labour of all kind continues scarce. Most of our farmers are now engaged in sandalwood cutting.-As I write there is every indication

of rain."

In consequence of certain remarks which have appeared in print, the member, for Planta-genet wishes to state that he did hot .obtain the copy of the despatch re the Crown Agents, which he read to the'House, from any Governor of the colony, or under any circumstances which made it incumbent upon him to abstain from quoting the document. " May" says, that a latitude is given to private members of Parliament to quote from documents in their possession, both private

and public, which is only restrained by the rules of good taste. - As to* whether ' good taste ' should preclude a member from quoting a public despatch in his possession such as that re the Crown Agents, of course everyone must decide

for himself. But, seeing that the Government organ is forced to admit tbat there was nothing iu the despatch in question ' of a nature objec-tionable for the public kear,' we fail, for our own part, to detect any impropriety in the action

taken.

"We hear that the Minstrels of the West purpose affording the music-loving public a rare treat in the shape of a grand promenade concert, on which occasion the combined bands (Minstrels and Volunteer), will perform the overture, ("The Review"), when Mr. E. C. Dean will wield the bâton. Solos will be play-ed by Messrs. Brooking, Clifton, and E. C. and C. Y. Dean. The second part will be opened hythe band playing 'The Turkish Patrol,' a piece of music intended to illustrate the ap-proach, passing by, and gradual disappearance of a Turkish patrol-encored every night in

London at Riviere's concerts.. Several ladies and gentlemen of well known musical talent will also take part in the concert, and, as the object in view is to assist the Minstrels to get out of debt, and to enable them to prepare lor better things for the future, we hope to see a crowded audience. The concert will take place in the Town Hall, about the middle of Septem-

ber.

Wbixihg to us from Augusta, Mr. Allnutt says :-" I was much surprised and sorry to see in the papers, letters from Mr. Simpson con-demning our fine karri timbar. To say the least of it, some of his remarks were very un-complimentary to the many respectable settlers, some of them justices of the peace, who had borne witness to the durability of this wood, and to its power of resisting the sea-worm. Now, Mr. Simpson has had no experience whatever in karri, and I must say that his lette» look much as though he were trying to injure one industry for the sake of promoting another. However that may be, I do not think our valuable karri timber will suffer in conse-

quence, or that the plucky proprietor of the Karri Mills will find himself materially injured. This timber has become too well known, and stood too many teats to be written down by one individual. One or two ofthe karri logs in question can still be seen at Flinders Bay, and their durability is abundantly proved. The timber, when cut up, cannot be distinguished in appearance from jarrah by inexperienced per-sons. It is more free from «um veins and knots, and its power of tension is far greater than that ef jarrah. For building purposes, wheelwright ing, etc., it cannot be surpassed. And the fact of the karri logs remaining under water for so many years, sound, and without sign of decay, is sufficient proof of its adaptability to wharves and jetties.*'

A correspondent at Beverley writes :

" The weather appears to be, the all-absorb-ing topic of the day, and not without reason, for the present season, which is now assuming a most serious and alarming aspect, is regarded as one of the worst upon record. Hot sunny days and frosty nights have been the rule for the past month, and a dry season with all its concomitant evils, appears to be staring us in the face, and should our forebodings be realized one of the greatest calamities that can befall a country is likely to result. The early sown crops, as a rule are looking well, yet a discern-ing eye may even now detect the evil effects of so prolonged a drought. Should, however, time-ly rams descend, a total failure would be averted. Bush feed is rapidly fading away, and, should the dry weather continue, and the district not be blessed with late rains, then the prospect for the forthcoming summer is a most gloomy one.-The Eastern District Agri-cultural Societies, with the exception of Bever-ley, are again preparing for their annual shows, the Beverley society having looked things fully in the face, prompted by that courage which dares to do right, and with their characteristic precaution, have deemed a safe retreat prefer-able to a doubtful victory, andhave fully resolv-ed, to hold over their show for the present sea-son, and await the advent of a more propitious time. I cannot help thinking that, had the York society followed in the track of their Beverley friends, such a move would have been in the right direction, for any attempt at an agricul-tural show after such a terrible season, when stock of all kinds are in such low condition, must end in a lamentable failure.-The fallowing time has now arrived, but operations in this direction, owing to the drought and unplough-able state of land, are not likely to be very ex-tensive. This is a matter for regret, since it is only by fallowing, that an early sowing can be insured the following year.

The Government have certainly placed themselves in a most awkward position with regard to what cannot be considered as other than the dismissal of the respected Resident Magistrate of Roebourne-Mr. Shull. The House was officially informad from the Treasury bench on Tuesday night that there was nothing what-ever in the background, that the Government entertained the highest regard for Mr. Sholl, that he had carried out his duties admirably, and to their perfect satisfaction. And yet they offer no explanation whatever of the fact that, having it in their power, without any inconveni-ence, to retain Mr. Sholl in his post, they positively forced him to retire-on a miserable pittance. Mr. Sholl was offered the Police Magistracy at Perth, a lower position than that he held, and 'on lower pay ; and although one member, at any rate, of the Executive, was made aware of the fact that, in all probability his health would preclude him from accepting the change-which fact, it must be presumed, was communicated to the Head of the Execu-tive-a successor waa hastily sent up to Roe-bourne to supplant bim, so hastily, that the Government were greatly inconvenienced in consequence, and were obliged for months to place themselves under obligations to Mr. Steere for gratuitous magisterial services. And yet when they found out the mistake they had made, when they'found that Mr. Sholl was, for physical reasons, unable t* accept the new office he was offered, and although that office was going a-begging, and the gentleman sent up to succeed Mr. Sholl would have been only too delighted to take it-although, therefore, it was ia their power to remedy their mistake with the greatest of ease, the Government, virtually, in-form the Resident at Roebourne that he must either come to Perth, or quit the service. And this, in face of their own assertion, that Mr. Sholl's services had been exceptionally valuable, and his work performed in a manner thoroaghly satisfactory to themselves. A more gross case of injustice than that which the Government -on their own showing-have perpetrated in regard to Mr. Sholl, has seldom come under our notice. The House, evidently, felt very strongly as to the treatment Mr. Sholl had received, and was anxious to vote him a pensiou exceptionally liberal, such as under the 8th clause of the Superannuation Act, the Government had it in their power to recommend. The interpretation placed upon that clause by the Attorney Gene-ral - an interpretation whicb.'if correct, preclud-ed the Government from granting Mr. Sholl a more liberal allowance, cannot in our opinion be sustained. But the legal (members in the House did not, at the time, dispute the meaning attributed to it.

FROM a report addressed by Captain Walcott to the Colonial Secretary we extract the following interesting particulars of his recent visit to King's Sound. " I decided," Captain Walcott says, '" to-employ my time in making a detailed search for a suitable landing place for stock in King's Sound, obviating, if possible, the long journey from Beagle Bay, and accord-ingly sailed on the 23rd May for King's Sound, off which place we found ourselves the follow-ing morning. The wind here failing us, the cutter was drifted out to sea with the tide, and back again into Sunday Straits during the night, when we were compelled to anchor. Bnt just before Blackwater, the hawser having parted, we lost our anchor. After visiting Point Cunning-ham, Port Usborne, Helpman Island, and other localities, I ran for the river (the Meda) discov-ered by Cap't. Archdeacon, and took my cutter up nine miles, anchoring abreast of the second tributary, between two hüls at a sudden bend of the river to the South. At this point stock or stores could be landed without the least

trouble, excellent pasturage being abundant, but no.fresh water seen. After remaining' in this river five days and doing all I could, I sailed to examine the'shores Of King's'Sound to the Southern end of Point Torment, at which

place I effected a landing and found a well of brackish water, and a strip of open grassy conn

try between the belts of dense mangroves on either side. Between Point Torment and Marr Islands we found several places on which stock might be landed, but inconveniently situated for settlers on the Fitzroy country. Continuing my examination, I entered a small creek about ene and a-half miles Southward of Escape Point, where stock might be landed without any trouble, on a fine grassy plain which would be rather sloppy after heavy rains. Two miles further I found a still better spot where at high water, a vessel drawing ten or twelve feet cofud haul in and lay alongside the steep bank where stock could literally walk ashore. Four and a-half miles in an Easterly direction from this .landing place there is. an effluent of the Fitzroy from sixty to a hundred yards wide, and several fathoms deep, of beautiful clear fresh .water, terminating ¡ abruptly, about four miles to

the Eastward of the small creek alluded to, one and a-half miles South of Escape Point. Vast quantities of game, ducks, swans, etc., were seen on this beautiful sheet of water, fish of various kinds were noticed and caught, some of them weighing over forty pounds, and a small variety of alligator, about seven or eight feet, seemed tolerably numerous. I understand from Mr. Brockman that this effluent (the Yeeda) joins the Fitzroy in the neighbourhood of Mt. Anderson, and that the country to the East of it is of excellent des-cription. Mr. Brockman, with whom I have communicated, informed me that he had dis-

covered another river emptying itself into the South-Eastern part of Stoke s Bay, and follow-ed it up about fifty miles over splendidly grassed plains. Indeed, he describes the good country m this neighbourhood as being ap-parently limitless, and, in his opinion, not only better than any on the Fitzroy river, but better than anything in the North West, or the colony. He is under the impression that both this river and the one discovered by Captain Archdeacon, are branches of the same river, and identical with a river crossed by Mr. A. Forrest, and which he named the Lennard. Having now succeeded in finding a really good and suitable landing for stock- and stores, greatly to the delight of the settlers stationed on tiie Fitzroy, I sailed for Lacepede Islands on the 15th June, arriving at Beagle Bay on

the 16th, where I found the Meda at anchor."