LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1856, 13 June 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Whooping cough Is casing jt Qeraldine. Swaggera are said to be swarmfog m the Bangitekei District. Diptheria is prevalent at Lyttelton, and the public school haa been olocad for a fortnight m consequence. Several flookownera m the Manawatu district have resolved to use the Wolßeley shoepBhearing machine next season. Melbourne is pestered with beggars, notwithstanding the wave of prosperity and general brightness of trade. Smith calls hia baby Macbeth, because it murders sloop ; and hia pig Maud, because it will come into the garden. jj^During the period from 1810 to 1888 there jvere 223^ oases of drowning, of which 80 were '"during' the tjsro yeara ended June 30th last. "■•",- Canada now holds fifth place amoag thes maratime nations of the world, and is very nearly fourth among the commercial fleetß, Its fleet gauges 1,218,000 tons, valued at £7,250,000 Stirling. " Bough on Itch."— «' Bough ou Itob,' euro B^in hnmprs, eruptions, ring worm,' tetter, salt rheum, frosted feet, ehilJblainß, tQb, ivy poieorj, baibej a> jtofc 9

As showing the value of rabbit-proof fences, a colony of rabbits was found four miles inside a rabbit-proof fence m the Hurunui district. They are supposed to have been oarried there by some malioious person. Mr Downie Stewart's view of the colony and its inhabitants, as expressed by the hon niember is this : — " A more disgraoefullygoverned Colony never exiated. We have everything m abundance, and only man is vile I" Mr Guinness' Workmen's Wagea Bill enaota that If wages due to an employe within three days of the termination of an engagement are not paid, the wapres shall run on at tho same rate until they are paid, the amount thus recoverable being limited to a month's wages. A report presented to Parliament shows that there has been a decrease of 18,637 m the number of sheep m the Colony since laßt year. The deorease m Canterbury is as large as 301,729; most othor places showing m:- -: creases. The export of frozen meat had iooreased '.by 224,529 carcases. A petition was presented to the House by Mr Joyce, laving befort the House " a few remarks m oonneotion with a legalised gambling maohine called the totalisator, with a view . to its entire abolition." The petitioners (residents of Lyttelton) point out that wives and families of the working classeß are often brought to a stats of semi-starvation through the maohino, and argue that even if a large license fee were charged, the revenue derived would not equal the amount of money that would be transferred at every race meet* ing m the Colony. The need for urgenoy m the Chinese difficulty is held by the Government to be apparent even from the large number o Chinese m Sydney iiarbor waiting to land. It appears that there are now 531 Chinese on four vessels now m port, the distribution being asjfollows :— Afghan, 165 ; Tainan, 148, Guthrie, 161, Menmuir, 65. Added to this ugly aspect of the case is the fact that the Government are understood to have positive offioial information that an Australian fever has set m amongst the Chinese at Hong Kong and other parts northward. So the gravity of the situation is at onoe evident. — "New Zealand Times " i At the weekly meeting of the ¥nion Bible Class held m the Templar Hall, on Monday evening, a paper on •• Immortality," by Mr A. Ireland, was read. It stated that the dootrine of the immortality of the soul was essentially a heathen one, and was first introduced into Christianity early m the second century. It was first taught by the Greek PhilosophersAristotle, Sooratea, and Plato. It dealt with the researob.es made by Swedenborg, and his final conclusion that an immortal soul could not be found, and also that the Scripture teachings is strongly against the orthodox belief of the immortality of the soul. Tbe paper dealt with the subject very exhaustively, and will be discussed at the next meeting. ' At the B.M. Court this afternoon Albert Leatherby, a lad of about 10 or 12 years of age, was oharged with the larceny of £2, the property of his stepmother. The lad's father is a hawker, who is away at the present time. The Btolen money was devoted to the purohase of two guernseys, a paoket of cigarettes 1 and a box of matches, besides some pies and . bottles of lemonade. One of the guertfßeya and some of the money Leatherby gave to another boy, who will also be brought up, and the case was remanded till to-morrow for this purpose. Young Leatherby has a ' further charge against him. In tompany with another lad he stopped a boy and assaulted him, drawing a knife with which he t «rrified his viotim. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Ashburton School Committee was held last evening. Present— Messrs Sawle (chairman) Cook, Soott, Elston, King&ton, and Duncan. The letters from the Board of Eduoation m reference to the staff, whioh were held over from last meeting, were considered and m reference thereto was resolved on the motion of Mr Kingston — " That m the interest of the school it is desirable that a oeoond master be appointed, but would recommend that the staff remain as at present till after the examination." The Master's report was read. The average attendance was shown to be for the . five weeks ending Jane 9th, 298: highest t attendance, 334. It was resolved, on the k motion of Mr Elston, that the midwinter ' holidays be two weeks, from tho 15th instant. Tho Chairman and Mr Cook submitted a draft letter to the Board of Eduoation m regard to a proposed aide sohool at Allenton. The letter was approved of. It was resolved that the Committee should record its vote m favor of Mr W. H. Wynn- Williams for the vaoanoy on the Board of Education. Several matters of a routine nature were attended to, and the Committee adjourned. An adjourned quarterly meeting of the South Rakaia Library Committee was held m the Library on Monday evening. Present — Messrs Pyke (chairman), Oxley, Cox, Liddy, and 0. W. Turner. It waa resolved to oall a special meeting of the subscribers to consider the advisability of having the Institution incorporated under "The Publio Libraries Powers Aot, 1875," tho meeting to be held r at seven o'clock on Wednesday evening, June 27th. One of tbe Committeemen of the South Rakaia Working Men'a Money Club, wrote asking if the use of the reading room could be granted the Club for the transaction of business on Saturday nights. It was resolved that as Saturday evening was one of those appointed as publio nights for the read, ing room, the request could not be granted. The Chairman stated that he had slightly overdrawn the amount ho W&8 authorized to expend on now books. This action was approved of under the ciroumstanoes. — The sub-committee reported having arranged for an entertainment and dance to be given on July 20th. The Seoretary was requested to write to Messrs H. Wood and Co for a catalogue of books m accordance with their letter. The p'rpdU balance m Bank was £5 2s 6d. Accounts being passed for payment the meeting a.!djourned7 "' ' A special meeting of the Ashburton .Quarda wbb held m the Orange Hall last evenfng. the occasion being the presentation to Color? Sergeant Keir of a handsome watoh, r.s _a token of the esteem m whioh he is held by "his fellow members m the company. There was a largo attendance, Captain Sparrow m the chair. The usual loyal and patriotic toasts having been honored, Captain Sparrow proposed that of the guest of the evening, and m doing ao spoke m high terms of the abilities ,pf the Color-Serpoant as shown by the »B?prpvfiment jof the drill of the company. He praised bis t#oi and judgment and social qualities as Bbown by the good feel jng existing between the oQlcersandnimsolf/and'&iso with every member ot the company. He (Captain Sparrow) had great pleasure m presenting Color- Sergeant Keir with a watoh, whioh had been subscribed for by all members of the company. The toast was drunk with musical honors. Several othtr members also spoke m eulogiatio terms of Color-Sergeant Keir. Tjtje Color-Sergeant heartily thanked tb« members for their handsome present, whioh was quite unespeoted aqd unsought for, but wbioh he would duly prize.' In the future when the members might be separated it would link the present with the paat, and pei^uld him of the kind feeling good fel]owßh,ip'that .ejitjted between the members and himself. BeforVeittfng down the ColorSergeant spoke of the bhjeots of Volunteering generally, and gave some souiid advice to Jhqae present. Several Bongs and recitations were given by the members of the oompany, I : and altogether a moat onidvablp evening waa spent. The* watch' ia a handsome eilyer I English lever, bearing the 'following ir/- J pcription :— " Presented by the Officers rind ' Privates pf the Ashburton Guards to ColorSergeant James Koir, ag g, $oken of esteem, June, 1888." " •■'•-- < •- •■■•