CANTERBURY NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 573, 30 July 1909, Page 11

CANTERBURY NEWS.

;,"' (By TelezraptL-Speolal Correspondent.) '■'.•■■ '.'};'".', "-■'■', !'}':■ T : Ghrlstchuroii, July 28. ; ;i 'Yesterday a'delivery: of eight 'hundred and; twenty'small birds' .heads .was mado at a Road' Board Office,- as tho.-result of..usi)ig\ .wheat poisoned; with half an; oiinco of strychnine. ■ ;Tho number would, represent halt' of the -birds'"'killed.'-''';Thb formulae.for, prepar-: ing ■ the wheat': was :—I-oui- ; ,' boiling water; .upon -two'tablespoonfuls of sugar, and then.stit. this.liquid, into Gib:- of. wheat. |■ - -Over this the .strychnine in a 'finely-powdered' form .was then;shaken; and two eggcupfuls of milk mixed : to: complete 'the adhesion of; - the poison to.!'the:grain... After sundown, when tho birds :.had.gpne ! to nest, the .'wheat was ■put but on a .favourable place,' and in the early morning, tho small birds cairio oh to it in flocks;.with''the result stated. "■'..;..'' The' method of administering the Scottish ;fpfm of :oath ! was discussed.at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. A witness, who had been in Court before, .stepped into'the wit-ness-box, and beforo the Court orderly: could stop him he launched out into what he considered tpibethe Scottish form; Raising his hand, he said,, in impressive tones—"l swear by Almighty God, as I shall answer to Him "ph.the Great Day of Judgment,, that I shall speak the:, truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me, God.". Mr. Cassidy objected to tho form-of oath. Mr. W. R. Haselden,: S.M., said that he thought the oath was correct. Mr. Donnelly said that the form-of .Scottish oath was clearly laid down, in the Eyidenco Act. Itvwas npces-: s'ary for the!witness to repeat ;the. oath .after the officer administering it. 'Mr. Haselden looked up. tho Statute, and said that. Mr. Donnelly was quite right, , "Wo will swear the witness according to Statute," he said. "Witness,' hold up your right hand, and repeat after me." Tho witness held up his right hand, and repeated the oath prescribed in definite terms in Section.so of the Act, At Monday night's meeting of, the Ashburton Borough Council/the;, following lotter, bearing on the high-pressure- water loan, was road, from- the manager of the Ashburton' branch!of : the Union .Bank of, Australia,. under date July 22:—-"Ashburton Borough' Waterworks, .loan,' I £lsoo' at 'Ah ' per'-' cent., currency ;40:.years. - I have' to 'advise.'the-' following :.cablo message has. be6h"' : received from pur 'London.. office: —'Loan' unsuitable London market at the present time.' .When letter! advice is rocaived from ■, London, I shall bo glad to giro you particulars if tho information can bo of any assistance to your council then. In view of the abundaneo of money, in tho market at present I. am afraid the difficulty arises owing to tho loan being so small, and. to tho fact that Ashbhrton being so little known in London, a buyer of the debentures there might havo difficulty in realising ngain, should ho desiro to d 0.50." .