NOTES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1475, 5 February 1887, Page 3

NOTES.

The loss of life attendant upon the tremendous eruption which occurred m the Hot Lake district last year excepied, one of its most grievous cousequences was the total destruction, as it was believed, of those unique and beautiful works of Nature — the White and Pink Terraces. Though it is said that somewhere m Tartary somewhat similar formations exist, the terraces of Rotomahana were admittedly peerless m their beauty, and were one of the chief attractions which New Zealand presented to the tourist. Independently of the fact that " a thing of beauty is a joy for ever," their disappearance is therefore to be regretted for the more sordid reason that it is a positive money loss, as despite the new wonders which the eruption itself has created, the volume of the stream of tourists has largely contracted with the removal of this great attraction. It is, therefore, on more grounds than one that general satisfaction will be felt that there is room to hope that the disaster was not so complete as has been supposed, and that the White Terrace, with its fairy-like steps and basins, has not ceased to exist, but is merely hidden out of sight by a vast deposit oi volcanic mud. Steps are very properly being taken at the instance of the Government to ascertain whether this is the case, and if it prove to be so, then certainly operations should at once be set about wilh the view of removing the superposed matter and restoring to the wonderland of the North one of its chief attractions. This, we should imagine, might be accomplished by hydraulic sluicing and though doubtless the work would be one involving considerable expense the outlay would certainly be amply justified.

While m these politically dull times, so, far as the colony is concerned, we sympathise somewhat with the difficulties of newspaper correspondents m the obtainment of anything m the shape of news — their task being that of having to make bricks without straw — it is not to be denied that no news at all would be preferable to the silly rubbish which is often made to do duty for it, and wired at so much a word for publication. An example of this was afforded by the absurd paragraph which went the rounds c day or two ago to the effect that it was rumored that the Opposition tactics, for next session, as agreed to by the triumvirate which assembled at New Plymouth recently, were to consist of " fraternising " with the Premier and tiying " to weaken his allegiance to his colleagues," with a view to bringing about the defeat of the Government, and the setting-up m its stead of a new Administration m which Sir Robert Stout, Mr Bryce, and Major Atkinson were to be colleagues. The whole thing was on the face of it absurd, and the Wanganui Chronicle justly characterises it as utter " bosh." Our contemporary adds — " Not a whisper of what was decided upon at the conference of the Opposition leaders m question has yet transpired, and nothing is likely to <■ transpire that they ars not perfectly willing to see published. No public men know better how. to keep their own counsel than do the three gentlemen who met at New Plymouth last week, and their reticence is evidently proving exceedingly irritating to the gossip mongers, who are now beginning to indulge m idle speculations m the absence of reliable facts."

Another very silly paragraph has also been published all over the colony with reference to projected retrenchment m the cost of working the Rabbit Act, Mr Buckley having been represented as having intimated that Government expected to be able to save ,£50,000 a year m this direction. Those were the figures as sent by the Press Association no doubt, for they have appeared m every paper m the colony, and some of our contemporaries have commented on the proposal as evidence of the bona fide retienchment policy of the Government, while others, notably the North Otago Tims, insinuate that the proposal is a mere election dodge, the paper named remarking that — " It is said the Colonial Secretary anticipates being able to save £50,000 a year by abolishing rabbit agents and others, and giving their duties into the hands of sheep inspectors ;" but adding that — " All these anticipations are just previous to a fresh election, and will probably never see fruition." -We should think not indeed, and it is somewhat curious that it does not appear to have struck any of our contemporaries that if Mr Buckley ever said anything about the matter at all, his figures have been rendered absurd by adding a nought too man)-. Seeing that the entire vote for the Stock Department last year was ,£29,825 — this including the cost of the entire staff and all the expenses of working Cattle, Sheep, Rabbit, and Brands Acts — it is perfectly obvious that £5000, and not £50,000, was the saving anticipated.

There are many good people m the world who, without having the smallest sympathy for crime, are so full of benevolent feelings towards all mankind that they indulge m altogether mistaken sympathy for criminals. Such kindly folk doubtless experienced a feeling of regret that after effecting his escape from durance vile, Crabtree was speedily recaptured and again lodged m gaol, with the prospect of receiving a very considerable addition to his heavy sentence. These tender-hearted and estimable people think it hard perhaps that a man should be severely punished for striving to regain his liberty, but they will doubtless recognise that their kindly sympathy is altogether thrown away m this case when they read that the moment he got free Crabtree reverted to his predatory pursuits, not merely stealing sufficient wherewith to obtain food, but loading his pockets with jewellery, etc., and, it is believed, committing more burglaries than one. It is to be feared, indeed, that he is an ingrained rogue, as the following little episode from bis early career may serve to show. Shortly before his conviction for the offence for which he is now under sentence, he bought a horse at T?rt|ersall's, Christchurch, for 15s. Thp same day he sold it to a 6ettler residing within a few milee of that city for £11. Within a fortnight he sjole it from the latter, and had it

again sold at TattersalPs, pocketing the proceeds, and then with the money m his pocket accompanied the mar. whom he had defrauded to Akaro;> and elsewhere m, of course, a fruitlesr expedition m search of the n»issinp animal, which until alter CrabtreeV arrest was believed to have simply strayed away. A cunning rascal oi that sort is not much of a subject for sympathy, either when he gets into gaol, or when he unlawfully gets out of it.

" Without are dogs" — There isn't the smallest doubt about it on the part of anyone who has for business or plea sure to perambulate the streets of Ashburton m the hours of darkness, or more particularly when the moon lifts her pale lamp upon the scene. Dogs of all sorts, sizes, and descriptions, from the terrier to the mastiff, from the beagle to the greyhound, Irom the spaniel to the St. Bernard, not to speak of curs innumerable of no breed at all. Baying at the moon, at the passer-by, at the nocturnal cat, at one another, yelping, shrieking, or howling like the spirits of the lost, they make night hideous and the shades of evening a terror. Sleep forsakes the couch of the unhappy man whose neighbors' premises are full of these raving monsters, and curses not loud but deep are incontinently uttered by many a tired and tormented victim. Positively the infliction is m some localities almost unbearable, and it is really open to question whether there should not be a municipal bylaw passed enabling the owners of the noisy brutes to be proceeded against for permitting a nuisance.