The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 1887. NOTES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1523, 2 April 1887, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 1887. NOTES.

We have been as bed by "A Householder" to explain how it is that with fat oat tie telling at from 15i to 18i pc owt, and fat sheep at from 6« t<< 9s pec head, the price of mutton and beef m Ashburton Is ss high as ever. "A Householder" gres on to say that he has noticed that " when Btook go up m v*lue an Increase In the price of meat follows with remarkable promptitude, but that curiously enough when the value of live stoos decreases the retail price of butcher's meat exhibits no corresponding reduction. Flo* is it (he asks) that I have to pay s>i for beef, and 3d to 4 1 per lb for muttoo, with fat stock purchasable at the price* quoted m your market reports 1" W« wish we were able to explain thg master referred to, but it is as great a puzzle t<- | ourselves as it is to "A Householder." We should have supposed that if there was, as appears at first sight to be the case, so enormous a margin of profito the butcher competition would •peedily bring prices down to a lower level, hut either one of two things it seems to v* must be the o >bo, vie that there must bt a compact between the trade to keep prices up vr the losses of the businev from the universality of the credit system must be bo large as to render it necessary to charge those customers who do pay double rates to make up for the shor oomings of those customers who dont. If the firet hypothesis Is the correot one some outsider shou'd stop m and break the compact, but if, as we supect, there is no suoh oompact, but the high prices of meat are the direct result of the credit system, then we think it would be worrh the while of one of our knlglts of the cleaver to try the experiment of selling cheaply for striot cash. If thin were done " A Householder " would hive his remedy.

There ie evident need for acme reform Id connection with the local adminfstra* fcion of justice. The Resident Magistrate Ib moit painstaking and courteous, but v is a matter of serious lnconrenlonce to suitors, wltneasea and others, that owlny to tho wide area of his jurisdiction, and the many calls upon his timo, he Is fre quently nnable to " see It oat," an ■ hearings have to ba adjourned sometime* more than once. We would sugges' that an endeavour should at leatt be made to take all the shorter oases fret, as fo want of suoh an arrangement of the business one case In which ihere are a 'great many witnesses may easily taVe up th« whole time between (he trains and thm lead to all other business being postponed. Again, we think that polloe and criminal business, should invariably be first disposed of Instead of, as is sometimes the case, left till last. The other day for example a man charged with drunkenness bad to wait for hours before he was dealt with. We do not reoollecb whether li 9 was a " regular drank " or nor, bin would point oat that m the oase of a first offender, possibly overtaken almost unawares, detention m cas'oly for hours m a, perhapn, crowded Court, would be In itsalf aa excoaiingly sever j p unishment. These hints are given m the most friendly spirit possible and will, we hope, lead to some amendment m the directions indioated.

Tqat Mr Ivess has not served his ap prenticeship m Parliament m vain, bnt has lonrned the art wh.'oh ttands Miniotera m ouch good stead when addressing themselves to the ear of the oountry, is manifest from that very interesting part of his reoent speeoh at Aahburton, m which ho dealt with the position of the Government. That art is that of the ancient oraolos of Delphoa, m the utterance of pregnant sayings, capable of many and various interpretations. We refer, of course, to the passage m whioh ho dealt with the position of the Government. Ho indicated very clearly his opinion that there nhould be a reconstruction of the Cabinet, but whether ha nmaut that Sir Robert Stout, or Sir Julius Yogel ehouk be thrown overboard we are quite at a lost to determine He jus'ly paid a high tribute to the abilities and qualifi ations of Sir llobert, remarking that *' thecolony m'ght well bs proud of its Premier, who would, be an oroawentto aoy

Assembly In tho world," and who (ho said) "waß p.sseßßed of rare taleat and wa3 full of sympathy with the people.'' But he went on to express his regret that "although the Premier delighted to style himeeif a Radical and a Democrat, the dittinotions which had recently been deservedly conferred upon him had woiked — unconsciously no doubt— a great change m the views ones held and courageously advocated by the people's champion." Further on he spoke m terms of warm praise of Sir Julius Yogel, and I hence It is not very clear which, if either of the two Ministers named, Mr Iveas considers should be dropped out of the ne«v combination. It Is quite clear that he does not think that Mr Ballance could be dispensed with— hence a reconstruction muet mean the disappearance from the Ministerial benches of one of the two knights it at present contains. Which does ho mean ? That is precisely the point upon which we should lik& to have been ia formed.

Tt is curiona to note how very cloeelj electors will catechise their members cr. some minor point at a political meeting, and how little apparent interest they take at those same meetings m subjects of the first magnitude. For example, at the mooting above referred to, the " burning queatlon " of tha hour, to judge f oai the persistency of one individual was as to " Whether >t was fail that a ' squatter " should pay only 5s far his dog when a poor working mau had to pay 10a?" The member for Wakanoi rery just : y replied that the matter wae one for the consideration of the body which has by law the right to impose and regulate the dogear, and referred his questioner to the County C ■uucil* Be, however, peralated m reiterating his question, and ultimately left the Hal) complaining that he had not been able to extraot a direct answer m tho na> thn he desired. Ponsibly Mr Ivess (if I c had thought of it) might have ea lifix) his qasrist bettor bj the Scotoh method of answering one question by puttiou mother, at ttuw :— " Is it f aic to charge a poor shepherd or cattle-herd as much for the dog whloh is his means of liveli. hood as is charge 1 to the wealthy owner of fancy dogs, kept merely ob pets and luxuries V It is ont of consideration for the former class that the law allow* of the registration fee m respect of cattle uheep and rabbit dogs being reduced to «ny sum not being leas that one shilling, and it might be easily shown to any querist that while it is possible to classify does with that view it is not possible to classify owners.