LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1563, 20 May 1887, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The " Canterbury Times " has;takea another step forward, it being now neatly bound and the pagoß out. It ,is announoed that Mr D. Boss, the Amerioan salesman will hold an amateur ooncert m the Oddfellows' Hall this eveningThere are to be a number of competitions, of whioh notice has-been given, and the assistance of the Eoselle Bros. Surprise Party has been oalled into^requieition. There was a 4< slight breeze " m the R.MOourt this morning. In the case N.Z.L. and M.A. Co. v RI. Priodlander, Mr Wilding, for the plaintiffß, sought to- bring m oertain evidence, but this the R.M., Mr Baddoley refused to allow him to do, Mr Wilding took exception to tho decision, and said the judgments' of the Ashburton Court were the laughing-stock of tho country. Tho Magistrate m reply said that doubtless he mads mistakes sometimes, all men were liable to do ho, but he had nevor told Mr Wilding that his contentions wore preposterous, though ha might hava thought bo* Ho thought Mr Wilding might at least oonduot his oases m a gentlemanly manner. After a few further remarks tho matter dropped, The annual meeting of a the Canterbury Jookey Club was held on Thursday afternoon. The balanoe-sheet showed the total reoeipts for the year to be £18,274 Oa Bd, and the expenditure £14,283 7s 2d. There is a general falling oil m, reoeipts, particularly from the totalisator. The expenditure inoludes stakeß d8U,426 8s and permanent improve ments £1043 Is 4(3. - Tne statement o! assets and liabilities show a a credit balance of £0285 19s 6d. The treasurer's report was of a hopeful character, and dealt at some length with the totalisator^quoßtion. The balancesheet and report werelunanimously adopted. All tho retiring officers were re-elected. It was resolved to request country racing clubs to urge their representatives m Parliament to support the Gaming and Lotteries Aot Amendment Bill now before the House. Victoria intends to profit by her experionoa of the influx she had last year of the unemployed from S. Australia. She will resent their entrance from either of the Murray borders and Mr Nimmo, tho Commissioner of Works, intimated to a reoent interviewer that ho has considered tho question and dcoided to aot promptly if the neoessity Bhould arise. «' If," said Mr Nimmo, " they send their unemployed over to us, I shall simply send them back. We have more than enough to do to provido for our own men, and thoso who are Bont to Melbourne from Sydney will be told so. I will pay their passage back." Tho Adelaide municipal authorities aro enforcing with, severity their by law againßt the Salvationists. The other day a member ol tho Army, wholwould notf.dosißt from playing a drum, was aontonced to a month's imprisonment, It is stated that General Booth, the leader of the Salvation Army, will leave England on a visit to the colonies m June. It is not yet oertain whether he will come to New Zealand. Among the papors presented to Parliament on Tuesday was a letter to the Minister oi Lands from Mr Baker, Commissioner ol Crown Lands, Canterbury, dated 23rd ult., stating that rabbits had crossed from Otago into South Canterbury, and that unless prompt and vigorous measures were adopted a largo area of country would be rendered virtually valueless, as already a considerable district was swarming with tho pest, and il fellowed to contifluo the colony would sustain^enormous loss m revenue and m wool money. The " Sydnoy Mail " referring to. false pedigrees of Ayrshiro stook from New Zoaland, says :— Wo aro not m a position to -state that many or any of tho stook sold m this colony from Now Zealand borojbogus tickets, but we have for a long timejontertained the opinion that if all the so-called purebred Ayrshire stock whioh came from that colony were really pure, the cows must been extraordinarily prolific. A regular run of triplets would have been requisite to.' produce so many purebred animals, A strong effort will bo made m Auckland to gtvo support to the Early Closing Bill, and a oanvass *of the retail trades m its favor has been made. The object is to seouro the dosing of retail shops (hotels, refreshment houses, and newspaper offices exceptcd) at ten o'olook ,on Saturday nights, and six o'olock on tho evenings of the othor working days ol the week. The petition urges as reasons why tho Bill is asked for, the want of permanence of mutual agreement, tho general recognition of eight hours as tho working day of the laborer and tho artisan, the injury to health by reason of tbo enforced long hours, also I tho fact of the strong support that is being given m Groat Britain to Sir John Lubbook's Shop Labor Bill. Tho following episodo is related by the "Tuapeka Times: "—A row, slightly tinged with romance, ooourred at the Chinese oamp on Sunday evening last. A gay oavalier named Ah Eoy |had beon casting amorous glances at the fair and buxom form of a washerwoman who resides m the vioinity of that happy suburb, and upon whose affootionß another gentleman named Ah Chow appears to have bad a lion. Ah Chow watohed his opportunity for revenge, and with tho stealthy steps of a oonspirator oamo upon his rival serenading m the twilight, when, drawing from bonoath his toga a potato grubber, ho dealt tho amorous youth a blow on tho arm, whioh broke it right m twain. Tho neighborhood was at once aroused, the polico wero summoned, medical aid called m; and whilo ono of the parties was removed to the hospital, the othor was passed along to the look-up. In justice to Ah Chow, wo must state that he positivoly donies the chargo, alleging that Ah Koy threw himself down and broke his own arm." Tho Colonial Soorotary refused to grant a lioonso to uso the totalisator at the Plumpton Park Raoos to-day. Tho property was recently leaßed from tho mortgagee of plumpton Park Coursing and Raoing Company by Mr Martin Taylor, the well-known ooursiDg man, and this is his first race moot- I ing. The grounds for refusal of the Koonae are understood to bo that tbo raoos aro aot boing held by a properly constituted racing club, but the lessee states that a olub has been formed and has alropdy upwards of 30 members. A subscription waß started to proyido againßt any loss that may aoorue on She meeting.