The Dunstan Times.

Dunstan Times, Issue 983, 18 February 1881, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

Be.nen'l the ralt of mev RNtinUfs JCSTt/i PEN i.S MIGHTIER than th f SWORD

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1881.

There is a cro >keD warp in thecnmp si lion of our Cromwell contemporary which imperils the sfishility of any and every argument used hy him. Tie cannot tell the truth, even though tiie Devil bids him. M >rallv this is a matter for his own eon side'-a-tioa ; but pub icly it is a sin against I the public weal. In his last r-sue he I deals with a question of very great moment to tho ratepavei s ; and, with his customary disingenuousness and avoidance of veracity, he boldly misrepresents every fact in connection therewith, Rightly or wrongly, we

shall not now atbp to consider. Mr Pyke has proposed to raise a loan of £IO,OOO for Ihe construction of necessary public works. » lliglilly or wrongly tho Argus opposes it because and merely lec iuse —Mr PVKe proposes it That under any circuntvances might lie anticipated on ail occasions. 'l'he Argus regards Mr Pyke with tile same afiecdon as the Prince of Darkness regards holy water. Hut why does he fi sify the fictsl Is his case so bad that tmth will not serve bis turn ? Apparently so, for its we shall proceed to show tin 1 article to which we refer bristles | with ml-i-statements, to call them by ! no harsher tei nl. Even in t u e matter of time, the Argus cannot adhere to truth. When he says “The t'li irm fin’s nd'lress appeared in the Dun’ stan Times ten days after delivery,” he adds 50 tier cent to the real time. And, We may ask, why did the Argus omit to print that address in itliv issue? His reporter was there, as ours waSj sit ing at the same table, whilst Mr Pyke courteously went over all the figures, even to mintt'est detail, and the AVgtts reporter took full nobs of them. Was oiir Oretian oontem t .erary waiting to pilfei our report of the proceedings? And was he disappointed and angry because we withheld the Chairman’s speech to rest tire value of his report,, ing capacity ? Something of the kind seems to be at the bottom of bis inane outpouring of tire Vials of wrath. Then he proceeds to invent a statement, utterly void of foimdatio , us can easily be proved ; namely, that “ hea-'y liabilities were incurred ” while (ho withdrawal of subsidies and laml-bind was impending. A foolish Canard 'his leC'iise never was the 'and-furd “threatened” at alb and the impounding of it was a political surprise. Ami again we must, bold him guilty of ignorance, which is an edltori i] crinl", or of a wi ful pet v>r -ion of the truth, which is a blunder; In cause of his foolish stateme l t. that “increased taxation, and probable additional office expenditure Would be the natural result ” of raising a loan. The'e cannot be “increased taxation ” The law settles that point. And as to “additional office expenditure,” the only possible item under t,l is head would be the cost of advertising and printing —both ofwhtch our contemporary holds in holv horror of course. Will nothing—no exposure —no appeal to even his own eventual in terest—induce our from well contemporary to “ run straight ? - Seemingly not.

Upon the merits of the Loan qucstiyn we hare not now space to dwell The only question now under c nsiderntion is, whether the members of the County Com cil will- al mv those mostly concerned namely the ratepayers—to have an opportunity of expressing their opinion, if the Council is too autocratic to do this, the ratepayers will know how to deal with them when next they appear as candidates for County honors.

The gentlemen selected tn report on the Otago Central Railway are as follows ; For Vincent Count}'. Mr Donald Held: Manintoto County, Mr John Bathgate ; Taieri County, Mr Henry Clark ; the united counties, Mr Horace Bastings The Commissioners will leave about the end of the month to make their tour of inspection, and will be accompanied hy a shorthand reporter.

The next outward mail ilia Frisco, will close here at 2 p.m. on the 23rd inst. We are informed that Mr William Heney has received the appointment of Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages, for the town and district of Clyde.

We draw attention to the fact lint the Board of Reviewers for the hearing and determining appeals against Assessments under “ The Properly Assessment Act," made in respect of property iu the outlying districts of Vincent Conn y and the Boroughs of Cromwell and Alexandra, will sit in the Resident Magistrate’s Courthouse, at Clyde, on Friday the 22ud instant, at eleven iu the forenoon. The following is the p an agreed Upon hy the Government iu regard to the payment of the Properly Tax: —“in any town in which there is an office of a deputy commissioner, the tax must be paid at that otlice ; nut with this exception that payment may he made to the postmaster at any post-office connected with which there is a telegraph station or money-order-office and in any such case the postmaster will give an interim receipt, which will be followed by a complete official receipt from the deputy commissioner of the disliiet. Still further, it has been arranged that any taxpayer may forward the amount duo by him to the deputy commissioner in a registered letter by P. 0.0., cheque, bank draft, or in cash.”

The Returning Officer appointed hy the Vincent Rabbit Trustees announces in another column the annual flection of Trustees. The nomination will lake place on Fiiday, the 25th instant, at the Town Hal l , Clyde, at noon, and shout I the number of candidates exceed the number (live) to ho elected, a poll will take place on Monday, March the 7th. In one of the Dunedin papers eight con"ultatious on the Dunedin Cup, totaling up to no leas than £21,000, are advertised. There are several othes that are not advertised. That the consultation business is becoming a nuisance there can ho no doubt, and piiy ’tia that in some shape or form it cannot be stopped. The “North,” Wellington swindle it was thought would havo checked it, but it appears to have only added rest.

The adjourned meeting of tho Committee of Management of the Dunatan District Hospital will ba hoi 1 on Inesday next; the 22tid lost, at Bp. in. Wo are requested to slate that Members are to take this as sufficient n litigation of tho meeting, and further, to pant out the necessity of a general at'endaner, as tho business to be transacted is important. MrW. Fraser, of EarnscloUgh Wj tire informed in fencing round his preemptive with wire net ing to keep out tho rabbits. When such mi cxpen-e as tha‘ is incurred, it may well be illumined that bunny is pretty plentiful in tlio locality. In tho Resident Magistrate’s Court, Cromwell, on Friday last, la fore Jackson Kcdilell, E«q , R. ML, Jdm Dewar, manager of Ardgour station, was summoned at tho instance of the Vincent Ra ; d)it Trustees for not taking eilicieut steps to destroy the rabbits on his run, offer having received notice from the Trustees to destroy such rabbits. Evidence was taken as to the service of no ices by the Inspector of the district, and that on other runs in the district poisoning and other means wete hJng cam d on to destroy lhe rabbits j and defendant admitted that since November last lie had only oils man employed in killing the rabbits. Mr F. J. W tlson, solicitor, aho appeared for the Trustees, said the case was brought more as a test lo prove the power of the Trustees, and that it was not desired that I In; full penalty should be indieted. Pined 20s and costs, amounting in all to £d 17s. As the penal sec ion of ihe “Rabnic Nuisance Act” is nut geuel*a!lv known, we publish it for the information of those interested. Section 18 i If any ( andoW'ier) occupier of laud, after r ceivitlg fr.-m ihe Trnsiees uotic ■ to destroy ihe rabbits on his property, fails or r, fuses to take efficient a ei s lo de-eroy such rabbits, he shall be liable to a | e ,alty of not less than one pound ih 1 more t; an twenty pounds foreioli seven days lha‘. lie shall so neglect or refuse to destroy such rabbits

Th.; quarterly meeting of th i .St D install Lodge, 1.0 G T. .was hel.l in the town H i 1,. Clyde, ou Saturday evening last. The i oports of the retirin' (Mil re. s were read an I a lopte I The LodgDpnty Bro. Ctan ford installed the newly elected officers as follows Bro. Smut, W U.T. ; lira, W a Widiami, W. VT. j Bin Crawford, W.S. ; Bro. M Vonunehie, "’•FS.; Bro. .NT Ferrari, WT; 80. Maker, U'C. ; Bro T. Williams, \V M ; Bro, Watson, W. I (i j Bro Di'zeP, WO. O. ;Bo Betts, WDM j Bra, Hill. WA. S. ; Sis. (.Tawford. W K.S ; Sis. Wilson, W. Li S Bro Little passes to the Chair of the P.W.C.T.

The adj -urned meeting of the residents of Alexandra to further consider the a lapt-ahi'i-y of tho Pricstinan Drelge for tho .Molynulix was held at liyan’s Ben ligo Hotel, on Monday evening last, the 4hj mst. Mr Jas. Sinnnonds, Mayor, oeeupied the chair. Mr M‘Kenz : e, one of the proprietors of the current wheel la Her and bucket dredge, at present at wok, who was present, sa d he was about visiting Dunedin, and would examine the Pnes'man Dredge at wank in the Dunedin harbor. After a general discussion, it was arrange! to defer further o moderation of the question till he wing the report of Mr M Keiisiie on his return, [r. was incidentally remarked by Mr Win. Th.yers, who had just returned from Dunedin, that he was informed I hat two dredges were in course of eonstruei ion for the Molyne ix, and he understood limy were to be placed between Clyde and Alexandra.

According to the Dime lin press the Commissioners of ihe Dunedin Industrial Exhibition are making goo 1 headway with their arran-gem nts. Terms are complete I for holding the Exhibition in the Gairison Hall, and that it is to lie opene 1 on or about the Ist of June next, an 1 to remain open for four or pe; hj ips six months. We cannot too forcibly diaw attention In the usefulness of exhibitions of the like character, nor too strongly urge Upon all our producers and manufacturers t> make a cndoctiou of suitable contributions and exhibit to represent this side of the ciunciy. It, may be well I G’haps to remind onr readers that all goo Is for eXhibiti-m will lie carried free on all the New Zealand railways.

The Moisting Herald of Wednesday last states:—“An excellent joke was perpetrated by the Chairman of the Board of Revie vers in connection With the Property Tax at Dunedin yesterday. The representatives nf the Press were in attendance.

anil the question was nskeil whether they slionlil he allowed to report the proceedings of the Eoard. Mr D. Campbell, who is well-known to he liberally di-posed I » wanls the P,ess, suggested that the ifp'Ttera might he allowed to ivmiia if ihey exeicised their usual diseie ion. Ihe worthy Chairman of the Board humourously reminded Mr Campbell of the provisions of the Act, and (addro-siog the Prcarman) said, •• -ti cannot stop unless you are sworn to secrecy I' 1 It is almost needless to add that the reporters did not accept the Chairman's kind invitation.

At Wa"ganui iho Australian Eleven were defeated by one run am! ten wickets. This is tho only defeat the Australians Inva met with since their return to the colo-