LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1940, 10 September 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

y ie n sr y ), 2 n ;s d )f h iO y ia 3t IS )0 \v g 10 10 h d y d IS d d ,0 3ie n d t. c ') t o II \- a a i--7 It is ourrently reported m town that one firm of grain dealers will oloar £10,000 over ono transaction m wheat, oven if it does not go any higher. The Ashburton Fire Brigade will hold a Booial gathering m the Oddfellows' Hall on Wodneeday evening, Thdre is no question as to the Brigade deserving publio support, and we hopo to Bee a largo attendanoo. An exoellent programme has been propared. We understand that during the ovening a long-aorvioe medal, to whioh he haa beoome entitled, will be presented to ,Fireman J. Hefford, tho presentation to be made by tho Mayor. A mooting of tho Ashburton Bowling Olub was hold on Saturday evening at Mr D. Thomas' offloeo. Tho following offioora were elected :— Preßldont, Mr D. Thomas ; ViooPresident, Mr W. H. Knoen ; Seoretary and Treasurer, Mr 0. Hawson ; Committee, Messrs J. L. Brown, R. M. Outhberston, T. Soaly, P. Williams, and H. Zander. The annual subBoription wbb fixed at a guinea, and tho Committeo was instructed to prepare by-lawa for submission to the next general meeting. Two offers of a site for the bowling-greon were rooeived, and the Belootion was loft m the bands of tho Committee Mr J. D. Pope, tho Young New Zealand Native Orator, will deliver his now celebrated leoturo on Robert Emmet, the Iriah patriot and martyr of 1808, at tho Oddfellows' Hall this ovening, A contemporary says :-— v Mr Popo haß had Borne literary and journalistic oxporionoe m this colony, and is known m certain press oirclos ao a good deaoriptivo writer. PosßOßßod of a Bensitivo and ardont temperament, ho ia of tho atu£f that tho patriotic orator and poot Is composed of, and wo are ablo to bear testimony to his dramatio and mußioal abilities." An intellectual troat is, therefore, m Htoro for those who attend ttaiß evening, and, an tho prices of admißsion aro low, a large audience may bo expected. Tho Salvation Army on Saturday and Hunday beld special services, of a temporanoe nature, Captain Robinßon, of Ohrißtohurob, joing m oommand. At tho meeting on Saturday night thero was a large congregation, and foroible and tolling addresses were mode on tho side of total abatinenoo as ia tho Army s ouatom, the oye, as well aa tho ear, was appealed to. Two roprosontations of a drunkard's and a Ohriatian'B homo respectively, had been fitted up, and tho squalid misery of tho former, m contrast with tho peaoe and comfort of the lattor, appealed with more eloquence to the audionoe than mere words could do. At the sorvioeß on Sunday, there were, m spite of tho wet weather, largo congregations. The lerios of servioea will be brought to a conclusion to-night, when a ooffeo cupper will bo held, " Rovoii on Rats."— Clears out rats, mice roaches, flies, ants, bed-bugs, beetles, insects, 1 skunks, jack-rabbits, sparrows, gophers. A bemists and. druggists, - (

Russian Lapland is about to be thoroughly explored. Daudet and Zola make £4000 a year by novel writing. Maraus Aureliua was Matthew Arnold's favorite author. China is expeoted to resist any further English influence m Thibet. Tho organ ia supplied with " stops," but unfortunately the piano has none. The Russian troupe whioh playa on twentyfour pianos at onoo ia going to London. At least thirty of the fitty.ono metals witb whioh we are acquainted exißt m the Bun. In the R.M. Court this morning, before the Mayor, a first offender for drunkenness was muloted m the usual penalty. "Shakespeare" is being translated intc Chinese for the benefit of the young Imperial Princes. It is believed the trustees will this yeai assenii to tho opening of the British Museum on Sundays. King Humbert's palace at Rome contains 2000 rooms, but the King and hia farailj ocoupy only 125 of tnom. The inspeotor of butcheries m Paria report* that the consumption of horse flesh haE increased to an extraordinary extent. Armstrong, tho famous English gunmaker has bought the seoret of the manufacture o tho French explosive, melenite. The aotivity of tho revolutionary leaders ir the Balkan States continues to oauso muol uneasiness to the European Powers. There are m England 347 female black smiths who actually swing heavy hammers and 0138 women employed m nail-making. The Bmalleat people of tho world are th Ahkas of South Afrioa. The average heigh for both sexes is four foot five and a hal inob.es. Jefferson David has been able to do ver little wark lately m his book on the War c the Rebellion, he has suffered bo muoh fror infirmity. Mr John Holmes, one of the representative of the Mount Hutt Riding m the Aehburto County Council, having resigned his seat, petition is being prepared asking Mr Williat MaoMillan to oome forward m his plaoo. Professor Seely has joined m the ranks < the alarmißts. In an artiolo on tho " Thre Eighty-Eightß," published m the " Goo Words" for June, he points out that o England was invaded m 1588 and 1688, c she may be invaded m 1888. Taverns havo increased 11 per cent, i France m five years, and now there is one fc every ninety-five people throughout tb country. A similar increase m the use < alooholio drinka is noticed m Belgium, Außtrii Switzerland, and Germany. Writers m tho Christohurch papers sa that the earthquakes recently experienced i North Canterbury were not bo heavy aa sore that took place m 1855. On that oooaßio some men ran six miles to get out of the wa of what they thought was a purely loci oocurrenoo. The attendance at the Rink do Paris o Saturday evening waa very enoouraging, th floor Doing fully oooupiod. An orange e&t was won by a lad Wilkio first, and a yout Arthur second. Furthor noveltioa aro ai nounoed for tho woek. Mr Elston is spark no pains to make the Rink as attractive £ possible. The^oropa already abovo ground ware shov ing well m the county under the influenoe < Saturday's sun. The rain on Sunday woul be benefloial to them, and a fow warm daj now will show that Spring is fairly m. Whet Bowing ia not yet completed, and the rise he induood farmers to put m a few more ao« than was at first intended, A mooting of the Committee of the Ast button Racing Club was held on Saturda evening, Mr O. W. Purnell m the chaii The programme for the Club's Spring Mccl ing was adopted. A handioapping sul Gommitteo was appointed, and it was detei mined to offer Mr Quill the position of pai handioapper to tho Club. A quantity c routine business was transacted and the Olu adjourned. The unemployed difficulty is still exoitini interest m Oamaru, and the rate of wageseightoon penoo per yard—for breaking stone is considered too email. Tho men could no make Bait at it. Tho " Mail " aays :—•• The are marriad men, and we Buppose that it wil be admitted by oven the most unimpreasion able that from Is fld to 2a per day is no enough to provide for the necessities of family. Whoever is rosponsiblo for the fixin of suoh a misorablo pittanoe it behoves th County Council to sec that the pay is fixed a Buoh a rate that men who are able and willin to do the work may be able to earn somethin like the indispensable bread, even if the oannot get butter to eat with it." Th champion stonebreaker m the district oouli only knook out IGs Gd m 8£ days. Publio interoat has been of lato mucl exaited over the question of dealing wit! refraotory ores. Some few weeks ago w published a letter whioh had been reoeived b an Ashburton gentleman from a leading Ore of analystß and asaayora m San Franoiaoo Wo understand that the subject-matter of th< letter m question has been brought under th notice of a member of the House of Repre eentatives interested m the mining industry and he ia now moving among thoso who ar likewise concerned m this matter. There i a possibility therefore of a Californian exper being induced to visit tho colony for th purpose of examining into its mineral re Bouroeß, with a view to ascertaining th best method of dealing with those of the ore whioh are refraotory, but whioh are known t bo enormously rioh. The " Financial Newa" still continues it criticism of colonial finanoe. In ita is&ue o tho 20th of June it Bays:—•• The new Queene land loon has not been reoeivod with enthu siaam. Possibly it follows too closely on th recent New Zealand and Canadian issues t ault the convenience of jobbers; but there ari several points about it whioh tho publii should keep m view. The addition of thii ißsuo will bring tho total publio debt o Queensland up to £25,821,000, or, Bay i fraotion over £68 per head of the population It is true that this is the only colony pursuini a vigorous immigration polioy, and that thi publio debt, unlike that of tho neighborini colonies, inoludes praotically all borrowing! for municipalities, harbours, oto. But, oi the other hand, more revenue has to be raiaec per hood—or, m other words, the people an more heavily taxed—thnn m any othoi colony j and yet at the end of the last flnan oial year there waa a deficit of over £460,000, The Opotiki| correspondent of the "Auolc. land Horald " writoa thus :—Our maizo oroj thia year has been exceptionally abundant, and of a Bound and hoavy quality. The drying aeaßon has been particularly flno and suitable, and tho]oorn cribs are almoat bursting with their contents ; but the unpreoodonodly low price whioh has ruled lately has diaoouraged the farmers from shelling or colling, except wheio obligod to undor pressure of oiroumßtanoes. It seems to bo the luck of tho Opotiki farmers to have somo disadvantage to fight against ovory year. In spite of our genial olimato, rioh Boil, and tho Btoady and earnost application of intelligent men to make their farms pay, Bomo disaster and misfortune has to bo battlod with evory year. Now, while our granaries aro full to overflowing, all we want ia to see maize go up to five Bhillings a buohol, when Opotiki Will havo tho biggest " boom" on rooord, and wo: would turn up our noses at oven a goldfield.