LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1568, 26 May 1887, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The election of a Borough Councillor ia place of Councillor Bird resigned, took place yesterday, Following are the votes polled :— Hugo Friedlander, 96 ; James Ohas. Duncan, tl ; G. W. Andrews, 10 ; John W. Baker, 6 ; informal 7. Mr Hugo Friedlander was declared elected.

We have been (requested to state that St Stephen's Choral Society meets to-morrow (Friday) evening m the Schoolroom for a full rehearsal for next Thursday's concert. Every member is requested to attend.

The agitation m Fiji for annexation to this eolohy is likely to be revived.

Tbe West Australian correspondent of the i 'Age" reported on the 12th inst. that Hughes, ihe burglar, who a fortnight, ago murdered Constable O'Connell at Freeman tie, has been chased by the police for three weeks.. They found tracks four days ago, which thoy followed until they were ehot at by Hughes from the scrub. The first bullet grazed Sergeant Claffrey's ear; The polioe returned the fire, and the sergeant rushed forward. Hughes fired again, the bullet lodging m a tree behind whioh the sergeant vwaa sheltered. The police then fired a volley into .the to whioh Hughes replied, and then made into the dense sorub, leaving his swag, (Containing 20.0 rounds of ammunition a'ud large number of skeleton keys and oth.'* things. Hughes has yowid to Bhoot tho police, aod tb/3n -hoot himself.

The road- Iwtween Derby and the Kimberley goldfielcts" P™ reported to be flooded. About forty mer? **c Btuok up for want of _)_<mat»tt6,

Baron Miklouho Maclay, the Russian traveller and soientist, arrived m Melbourne last week by the s.s. Neckar, the German mail steamer, en, route for Sydney, where Lady Maclay has been residing since the departure of the baron for Europe. He intends only to remain m Sydney for a few days, and to return with Lady Maolay to Europe, where he will reside for several months supervising the publishing of a couple of volumes containing narratives of his visit to New Guinea and the South Sea Islands and Polynesia, whioh will be printed m the Russian and English languages. After this work has been completed, Baron Maolay and his family will return to Australia and remain m these colonies. He is suffering from a severe-attack of rheumatism, and cannot stand the cold weather whioh prevails m the northern ooun. tries of Europe.

The indebtedness of local bodies on 81s of March last was as follows :— Counties, £188,899 ; Boroughs, £2,610,868 ; Eoad and Town Boards, £128,711; River Boards, £56,068; Harbor Boards, £2,539,967 ; Christchuroh Drainage Board, £191,760 ; total, £5,616,273. On 31st Maroh, 1883, the total indebtedness was £4,193,995. The inorease is mostly m regard to Harbor Boards, the liabilities of whioh have increased from £1,625,620 to £2,539,967,

gThe library of the British Museum haß 32 miles of shelves [filled with books, and is visited by 91,000 readers yearly. The Bibliotheque Imperiale of Paris has 18 miles of books and 37,000 readers yearly.

The agricultural statistics of 18 out of 43 districts m Tasmania shows an increase o* 2080 acres of wheat m the area under cultivation, and an iuorease of 22,000 bushels m the total production.

Land m Collins Btreet, Melbourno, at present occupied by shops and offices, having a frontage of 43 feet 5 inohes, was sold recently for £40,850, being at the rate of nearly £1000 per foot, m

Mr Matthew Holmes, M.L.C., has written to "The Australasian " suggesting that an intercolonial or international exhibition of live stock and agricultural implements should be held m connection with the Victorian Jubilee Exhibition. Mr Holmes quotes several instances of a like experiment having been tried with marked success — m London and Edinburgh, for instance— and offers some cogent arguments m favor of the step.

As there has been considerable dispute as to whether the aßh from the late Tarawera eruptions would prove beneficial or otherwise to the growth of pasture, we may state that several persons who have lately been over the distriot, assert that the country will be improved by it. In many plaoes grass and Indian corn have gro»vn stronger and more luxuriantly than before the ground was covered with the aßh.