LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 2910, 28 February 1893, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr David Stuart, grain .merchant, has been elected chairman of the Titnaru Harbour Board. Entries for the Ashburton Swimming Club's tournament, on March 8, close tomorrow, Wednesday, with the Secretary, Mr W. & . Saundera. • A general meeting of the memb°r« of the Ariel Bicycle Club will be held this evening, at Arcade Chambers, at eight o'clock, to imke final arrangements for the race meeting on March 15. A full attendance is requested. It is (stated that th# Government Labour Bureau at Wellington is very slack mat now, few applicants for bush work offeiin£ themselve*. Each steamer from Australia 1 brings over a number of bushmen, many of whom, after/nakingenquiries at the Bureau, depart in peace Mp gentry, paying their own fares.

'1 lie Committee of the Asbburton Foot ball Club met on 8 iturday evening Present —Messrs Fooka, Cox, Cromie, Bowler, and 1 Clowes (secretary). The annual report was considered and passed Some correspondence was read, routine business transacted, and the annual meeting fixed in accordance with the rules, for Saturday next, at 8 p.m., at Gates' rooms. A number of good records of wool production have been published this year, but we think that of Mr John Barton, Duntroon, will about top them all. Sixteen thousand sheep, comprising pure Shropshires and Leicester, Shropshire and Leicester crosses, and Merino, clipped an average ail round of 11 lbs clem wool, for all of which except the merino 7£d per lb. was offered, at the shed Mr Hasjell, he id sroremau for the Canterbury Farmers' C -operativesAssoci.tion, Timaru, met with a serious accident on Monday. Hands wcte engaged in bi caking down ■■ grain, when a sack fell frorjj tht; top tier, about ten or twelve feet high, and struck Mr Hassell very heavily, the full weight falling across the nape t»f Ihe neck and between the shoulders. The injuries may turn out to be very serious. According to the " New Zealand Times," Messrs W. H. Spackman, of Chrwtchurch and F. A. Clark, of Hokitika, have been asked by the Government to hold an inquiry as the minimum size at which flounders should 1 be allowed to be. taken. Ibis action has been adopted <n fulfilment of a promise made last session during a debate in the House upon the Bill introduced by Mr Wright to enlarge the size at which these fish may be taken. The Ladies' F.OJ.L., No. 5, held their usual monthly meeting in the Orange Hall on Thursday evening. The Lodge was opened in due form by the lady president, Sister Bennett. Several letters were read and received, amongst them one from the Brethren in Nelson thanking the Sisters for a donation of £2 sent to the Protestant Orphanage there. Brother Randall instructed the Lodge with new business. One candidate was proposed for membership to the Lodge, after which the Lodge was closed in the usual way by the President. The Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand, who is on his way to the colonies is the eldest nephew of the Emperor of Austria, and is in his thirtieth year. He is accompanied by Archduke Leopold Ferdinand, the eldest son of Ferdinand IV., ex-Grand Duke of Tuscany, who is serving as a lieutenant on board the man-of-war conveying the Imperial party. The Archduke's suite is composed of Major-Generals WarmbrandStuppach, head Chamberlain ; Franz Stockinger, Imperial and Royal Consul-General; a Secretary of the Legation, and two Chamberlains in waiting. The ship is not due at Wellington till April 25, and according to the official programme will' stay four days. Mr J. S. Caverhill was the first ocsupier of the vow famous Cheviot Estate. He took it up in the year 1848, and, under the conditions of his - lease, stocked it and erected certain improvements, including a house, woolshed, etc., early in 1849. In a private communication received in Christchurch from Te Aroha, where he is now residing for the benefit of his health, Mr Caverhill says that he considers Cheviot undoubtedly the best grazing land in the Colony, capable of carrying 100,000 sheep well all the year round. lie adds that in his opinion the estate is admirably suited for agriculture And small farms. Miss Orr, daughter of Mr Andrew Orr, last night received a wire from Mr Maskell, Pegistrar of the New Zealand University, containing the pleasing information that in the cabled list that had just reached him from Home of second year passes for the B.A. Examinations was included the name of Miss K>nnia Orr. Should Miss Orr be successful in the one more examination she has to stand, the degree she has worked ao hard for, and bo far so well deserved, will b i tom won. We congratulate our townswoman on her success, and trust she will be equally successful on the next trial. The town and district we feel sure, will be proud to learn that she has been able tc bring at least one B.A. to Ashburton, earned by aa Ashburton girl. The Premier of West Australia, Sir ps«ftcaV <n ra rrn>bhy'and Ministerial happiness in that colony, where Macaulay's meal is improved, because all are fur the Ministry as well as for the State. For over two years (says the Sydney " Daily Telegraph ") Sir John Forrest and his colleagues have gone on governing the country, uuhampered by hostile attack, and actually enlarging their majority, the closest division over recorded on a vital question having been 22 for the Ministry and seven against them. There are even in this happy land malcnotents who are "agin,the Government," but so few in number i hat there is no leader of the Opposition, and never has been one, Sir Joiin Forrest's explanation of this condition is appropriately astounding. Most of the members of Parliament, he says, are men tolerably well off—there is no payment of members —and don't covet office, their sole olvj >ct being to attend to the welfare of the colony. Sitting on the right of the Prince ot Wales at a dinner given by Lord C irrington in England, a few inanths ago, Sir George Dibbs was asked by his Royal Highness " whether he noticed any change in the physique of the women of England." Sir George admitted that he had noticed a change ; the women, he thought had improved in physique, and were taller and better developed than their Australian cousins. " How can you account for that ?" the Prince asked; " because we have noticed it a good deal within the last ten or twelve yeapsV' " ijt's eagily accounted for," the Premier replied; "If you just think back one moment you'll remember that its only the last ten or twelve years that Australian mutton has been obtainable so' much in England." The Prince accepted this as a feasible explanation, and declared that henceforth lie would jc variably use Australian mutton. This (says the "Sydney Daily Telegraph") is a well-authenticated story, for it was told by Sir George Dibbs at the gathering at the Pastoral and* Pinanca Association's warehouse.