LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1907, 1 August 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

: Our Governor, Bays a contemporary, "is a fine specimen of the gubernatorial species." A Blenheim bankrupt, who filed three years ago, has oome iv for a legaoy, and the Assignee has now paid the oreditors 20s m the £. The Dunedin novel " Colonists " is said to be written by Mr Charles Umbers, of the " Telegraph Office," » Gilbert Book" being a norn de plume. A Southern paper complains that Otago money is being invested m the Thames, instead of the Otago goldfields, whioh latter are languishing for want of support. The discovery of the 360z nugget at Longwood has, says a Southern paper, infused fresh life into all the diggerß about and given the inhabitants fresh hopes. The action of the Union Steampship Company m raising the freight on horses for Melbourne by £1 per head, will, according to a Southland shipper, prove prohibitive. The "Advooate" like most other papers, finds fault at the deluge of unimportant cable news whioh the Press Association lately infiioted on its long-suffering subscribers. A correspondent of an exohange fears that the operation of the Kauri Oompany will be injurious to tho oolony by destroying the I forests " for mere oommoroial profit." ••Too Long," a Chinese vendor of vegetables m Masterton, announoes by advertisement that be has determined to pay a visit to his relatives m China, and that he will be absent about fifteen months. | The " Post " says a well-known Wellington firm of land agents have received instructions to purchase £50,000 worth of ront-produoing | properties m the business part of the oity, and advertise for offers from owners.

Saya the " Hawera Star " :— Bush settlers complain that the grass grown this year is not doing well* Repeated frosts and bleak weather have [caused tbe young grass on many olearings to look very Biokly. Cocksfoot is the weakest, and though this grass is a rank grower and strong grass when it has gained a good hold, still, m its infancy it is remarkably feeble, unless the weather is exceptionally favourable. Speaking m the House of Common, on the subjeot of supplying drink to savages, Sir Wilfred Lawson said he had heard that charity began at home. It seemed to him that charity began iv Fiji. The civilising agencieß of Great Britain were gunpowder, gin and the Gospel. When the gunpowder had caused a number of savages to be shot, gin was introduced to poison some more, and then the Gospel was preaohed to convert the remainder. On the question of civilisation he was reminded of the Irishman who was oast away on an island he thought was barren. When he saw a man hanging from a gallows he exclaimed, ''This Js a oivilised country 1 " and when he met a drunken njan he Baid, " It is a Christian oountry."

The last " Ingleside "of the season will be held m the Oddfellows' Hall this evening. A meeting m connection with the Industrial Protection League of New Zealand will be held m the Orange Hall this evening. A twenty-four cow dairy faotory with a cream-separator is to be established at the l Agricultural College at Lincoln. i In the higher regions of Central Otago and the Lakes district the depth of snow is re- | ported to be the heaviest for nearly 20 years. j The following are the Hospital returns for | the month of July :— Number m Hospital on July lst, 9; admitted, 8; discharged, 4 ; | died, 2 ; m Hospital on lst August, 11. We would remind those interested that Mr j Bellhouse, from Chriatchuroh, will read a I ; paper on the benefits of Protection m the $ Orange Hall this evening. | We remind our readers of the tea and conoert whioh takes place to-morrow evening m the Templar Hall m connection with the Dawn ot Peaoe Lodge anniversary, fgAlbert Cathoart is the champion six- days, walker of America. He has just out the record by covering 621 miles. He ascribes his success to being a teetotaller. Too much syndicate, too muoh speculation, too little money, too liitle work, is an Auokland 'warden's judgment on the mining industry m this distriot just now, The- Marlborough Rabbit Preserving Company, managed by the Hon W. Clifford, near Blenheim, is turning out, what is reported to be, a palatable meat. About 2000 oases have been sent home, and fifty hands are employed m tho industry. The following is a list of letters reoelved at Ashburton Post Office from plaoes beyond the oolony during the [month of June, and remaining unclaimed on August Ist, 1888: — J. J. Doyle, William Fraser, George F. Hall, and John Tweed.

Mr T. Kirk, F.R.M.S., m a paper read before the Wellington Philosophical Sooiety, stated that m his opinion the mole orioket, if it were allowed to inorease, would become a pest to agriculturists. He reoommends that energetic steps be taken to eradioate it. - ! The Fielding dairy farmers ridioule the idea of tho Government sending round " an expert " to teaoh them how to make butter and oheese. •■ They are wondering if the State wiil Bend 'an expert ' to teaoh the hens how to lay double-yolked eggs.'.' A Government inspection parade of the Ashburton volunteers was held last evening. ; Rifles (Capt. Dolman), 51 ; Guards (Capt. Sparrow), 38. Major Douglas inspecting omcer, It was explained that Colonel Bailey t was unavoidably detained at Geraldine, but | he intends to be present on the 14th inst. i At the KaitangtaJß. M. Oourt on Tuesday four parents were oharged under the compulsory olause of the Eduoation Aot with neglecting to send their children to sohool. They were ordered to send their children to sohool, and to pay costs of Oourt — 7s m eaoh oase. The Melbourne correspondent of a contemporary reports that a man named John O'Keefe, who had just arrived from New Zealand, was set upon m a lane off Lonsdale street by two men, who robbed him of four notes, some silver, and a draft on the Bank of New Zealand for £610. A Waikato farmer imported some seed wheat from Tasmania, via Lyttelton. The freight from Lyttelton to Auokland, with all oharges, was 133; railage from Auokland to Hamilton, 24s 4d. He wants to know when that railway commission is going to be appointed.

A mooting was held last evening at Saunders' Buildings m aonneotion with the Art, Soience, Industry and Literature Association. It was deoided that a room m Saunders' Buildings be taken for a month, and that the Provisional Committee be empowered to enroll members and make neoessary arrangements. The Matron ol the Hospital desires to acknowledge, with thanks, parcels of old linen from Mrs Crisp and Mr Beattie, books papers, and periodicals from Miss Morrison,, Mrs Pricbard, Mrs Pattman, and Miss Manning, and flowers from Mrs Lee, for the use of the inmates, Some Dunedin .Chinamen have devised a very igenious method of money-taking m a Bmr.ll way whioh is likely to bring them into the hands of the police. A number of -the sovereigns now m circulation will be found to have the raised edges rubbed down with emery paper and notohes out m tbe rim with some sharp instrument] The amount of gold taken off eaoh sovereign is considerable. A contemporary says that the Maori football team, while m England, will go on to the various football fields m their native mats, whioh will be removed when the play is to commence. The mats— which are carried m two large oases— are, of course of Maori manufacture. Most of them are of an elaborate and valuable description, and the display will no doubt bo at once novel and attractive. One of these mats has been lent by the wife of ths Chief Karaitiana, and is valued at two hundred guineas. It is said that the Maoris were prepared to bury a round sum of money with Titokowaru's body. The curious part of it is (says the " Hawera Star ") that, instead of burying silver and gold for the use of the departed m the next world, they announced their intention of burying bank notes. Assuming that this were done, it is clear that the banks chiefly interested would alone benefit. As the bank notes rotted the bank's promises to pay so muoh on demand would be effectually dissolved.

EJThe members of the TJ.A.O.D. held their usual fortnightly meeting m the Templar Hall last Monday evening. There was an nnußual and most enthusiastic assemblage of the brethren. After the ordinary routine business had been transacted and Grand Lodge_ matters disposed of, several members were initiated into the mystery of Druidism, and Beveral proposed. Of late the Order has met with unbounded success, which argues well for its future. After harmony had been indulged m the Ivodge closed, having had a most pleasant evening. Says the •« South Canterbury Times " :— j How are we to maintain our reverent loyalty to the Qußen if the papers publish suoh little stories as this j— The two young Princes (Wales' boya) were at a ball lately where the sooiety was a little " mixed." The heir to the throne remonstrated with his younger brother on (as he expressed it) " dancing with all the riff-raff." "I'll danoe with whoever amuses me," was the answer ; " and if you don't like it, go and sing • God save your grandmother ' m a oorner by yourself." Considerable opposition is certain to be offered to tbe continuance of the San Francisco mail servioe when the question arise, m the House, and there is, indeed, said to be a majority against it. It is understood that overtures have been made to the Imperial Government with the view of obtaining a Bubsidy of some £18,000 per annum, towards defraying the cost of conveying mails aoross Amerioa and the Atlantio. If this is refused the fate of the servioe will be finally settled. — " Post." The " Daily Times " says ;— To the Rev J3. O'Brien, of Coleraine, is due the ingenious disooyery that the Papal IJesoript has been wrongly translated, and that, m point of faos, it has no application to Ireland at all. The words used are locqtorcs and cohductores, 'whioh have been translated landlords and tenants. But there aro] tenants and tenants — tenants without fixity of tenure, «nd tenants with it. The former are conductores, the latter are emphyteutce—a totally different term for a totally different thing. But as every one—except the Pope- knows, Irish tenants, having fixity of tenure, are empliyteutae ; and the Papal decree [m no way therefore aff eots them, for it is only levelled at the heads of oonduotorcs.