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Dunstan Times, Issue 1061, 18 August 1882, Page 3

REDUCTION IK PRICE OF BREAD.— The desired effect, a reduction in the price of bread, was attained by means of the letter I to the editor in our last weeks issue, in.l which was quoted the price of th-\t article in other parts of the country. The price now is eightpence the four lb. loaf. Salk at Ophxr.— M. Faohe advertises a sale by auction of horses, sheep dogs, gun, etc., in the estate of John MacGregor, deceased, at Ophir, on Saturday the 261h August. Fat Sheep at. Alexandra.— We are requested to draw the attention of butchers and others to the sale of fat sheep at Alexandra on Thursday next, the 24th inst. For particulars see notice in our advertising columns. Sale of Fat Cattle.—Mr. Fache reports having had a most successful sale of fat cattle on Monday last, at Alexandra, buyers from all parts of the district being in attendance. The price realized was an average of £7 6s. per head, and 255. per hundred pounds. The Rabbit Pest.— Some idea of the magnitude of the rabbit evil, says the Malawa Ensign, may be gathered from the fact that the New Zealand Agricultural Company lay down on their various runs in the district no less the 40,0001b5. of poisoned grain monthly. Beck’s Ploughing Match. —The annual ploughing match is to be held at Beck’s today, and from all we can hear a large concourse of people will gather on the occasion. The prizes are remarkably liberal, offering every inducement for a large number of competitors. The affair is to wind up with a ball and supper at Mrs. Millward’s Hotel. The Farm. —All farming operations are very backward this year,--brought about in a great measure by the extreme wetness of the ground. It is but seldom that complaints on this score are made, as almost invariably the cry has been the want of moisture. A general activity is now beginning to be manifested among farmers, and in a week all those who are thinking ot sowing this year will have their ploughs at work. Mining.— The late severe weather has retarded mining operations of every class in the high countries, little or nothing having been done for weeks past. We hear, however, that a general start will shortly he made. The Antimony Company at the Carrick have put some hands on, but' the full complement will not be engaged for a week or two yet. We learn that at the Serpentine the snow is very deep, though preparations are being begun for the summer campaign. A Valuable Journal —Amongst the n imerona papers received by us is the Commercial Gazette, a deray Svo of 32 pages, containing intelligence affecting the mercantile interests of New South Wales; price 6.1. j Afeafcare in it is 1 Credit Guide and Busi- [ ness changes,” and what we should take to be a compilation of information similar to that contained in the Mercantile and Bankruptcy Gazette of New Zealand, with this difference, that the real information given is in symbols, a key to which is only supplied to subscribers. Exciting Incident.— A strange accident occurred at a recent inquest at Sydney. The coroner, ! the jury, and others entered the room to view the corpse. The coroner was in the act < f raising the sheet from the face when suddenly the centre of the floor gave way, and the corpse being overturned fell upon the coroner and those near him. The widow swooned, and the furniture fell against the backs of those in the centre of the room, pinning them against the trestle and board. It is fortunate that there was no excavation under the floor, so that the fall was not great, but some time elapsed before those in the centre of the room were extricated and recovered from the shock they had received. “Whusky”.— The IFaiiaia Herald says —Waikaia has for many years been famed lor the extraordinary strength of its whisky. Bank notes dissolve readily in it, and gold and silver coin melt away under its influence like mountain mist before the rising sun. It is commonly reported to kill at a hundred yards, but we have a proof of its strength at a range of six miles. A settler living some eight or ten miles from this town left for home late one evening last week, and was found the next morning about six miles distant, lying on his back under a tussock, apparently insensible. After much shaking he was roused from his lethargic state, and in reply to questions put to him, said “Ye ken. it was the whusky ; had 1 ganged anither half a mile I’d a bin an richt,” Poor fellow, had he proceeded another halt mile he would have been out]of range ; but within a range of six miles it is absolutely unsafe. Goldsborouoh’s Report.— This firm’s monthly circular for July is now to hand, . and is paruictlarly encouraging, to wool growers, showing that in spite of the largely increasing quantities that are yearly reach ing the London markets, prices are fully maintained and the demand is good. The following interesting figures, compiled by Messrs. Gooch and Cousins, of London, and taken from the above circular, illustrate the rapid manner in which the wool trade of the Australias has risen from a very small beginning to its present magnitude : —lni 1834 the total quantity of Australian Wool imported into London amounted to 14,273 bales only, New South Wales contributing 8321 bales, and Tasmania 5932 bales. Five years later, in 1839, the quantity had risen to 34,109 bales, of which 1524 bales were Victorian grown. In 1856 the imports had reached 78,085 bales, ot which number 6167 bales were from South Australia, and 1565 bales from Western Australia. The first importation from New Zealand —via, 651 bales—is registered in 1848, at which date the total production of Australia had reached 105,374 bales. Last year 931,889 bales of Austialian and New Zealand wool • were shipped to London, about 19.008 to the continent of Europe, and 12,'00 to America, thus making a total of 962.889 bales, representing a money value ef nearly

£18,000,000 sterling. In speaking of rabbit skins the report says:—Rabbit skins of 1 *rge size and well-furred have found rapid sale, and good winter skins found willing buyers at from Is. 9d. to 2s. 2d. per dozen. Supplies are at present somewhat short, and New Zealand skins have been in special favoaiv.”. ;VS CS J'V % Selling Votes ;k Parliament Th e Wellington correspondent of the Daily Times says It “has transpired that Mr. Driver and Captain Mackenzie have made a compact with Ministers that in consideration of their support on the no-confidence division the schedule of works specified in the Loan Bill shall be altered by taking £SO 000 off the Otago Central Railway and applied for the construction of lines from Riversdale (Waimea Plains) to Switzers, and Kelso to Gore. A« a million is required to complete the Otago Central, this depletion cannot be spared. It could be better taken from votes for other parts of New Zealand, but this is a part of the prooe«s by which the present Ministry me public money to retain their seats. Well Done, John Chinaman !—ln the month of March last the Otago and Southland Presbyterian Church stationed at Riverton, in Southland, determined to send their missionary to the Chinese. In the town of Riverton the number of Chinese is small, but at Round Hill, distant some eleven miles, there are about 500 miners. Since his appointment he has he’d services weekly at both places. At Round Hill, now and then, some difficulty would arise over getting of a suitable place wherein to meet, and the seeing this may have moved the Chinese. However that may be, about three weeks ago, without even a hint from the missionary on the subject, they commenced to subscribe towards the building of a meeting-house at Round Hill, and iti less than a fortnight raised £65. The end they’have in view is the raising of £9O or or £IOO, and doubtless their characteristic perseverance will be rewarded by success. It is quite fresh in the memories of the people of Riverton that the last contribution by the same Chinese towards the maintenance of the Wallace Hospital was a handsome sum ; and these sums, it should be remembered are contributed by a community, the greater part of which if each member possessed £SO pounds clear, would return to China as soon as possible.— Communicated. > The Buyers “ Sold ” —Last week, according to all accounts, a number of the 1 burgesses of Palmerston were victimised by two worthies who dealt in soft goods, and carried their wares round the town on their shoulders. The modvs operandi of the de- 1 cep: ion and fraud was, says the local paper ‘ conducted in this wise : Due of the men, ! who acted as a sort of herald, represented I himseif as an unfortunate, hard up sailor, 1 anxious to get back to Port Chalmers to rejoin a vessel there and commit his for- | tune to the briny deep. To accomplish this object, however, it was necessary that he | should have funds, and to get them he 1 must dispose of a quantity of West of Eng. ] lan I tweed, which he and his mate had i brought out with them. To meet the con- ’ i venience of probable customers and expe- i dite the sale, the cloth was cut up into : i pieces of sufficient quantities to make a j gentleman’s full suit. The cloth was represented to be of the very best quality, ! i and at the prices offered a bargain. They were in fact almost giving it away in order ! to effect a “ speedy clearance” and realise 1 sufficient money to enable them to quit the inhospitable shores of New Zealand. Believing in the truthfulness of the statements made, which hawker No. 2, who patiently awaited his companion to unfold the facts their position, invariably corroborated, and to some extent embellished, several people were induced to become purchasers of pieces of cloth, intending to give paterfamilias a surprise on his return home of a prospective suit at so small a cost. It need scarcely be said that the article they offered at a fifth of the retail price of the genuine cloth was worthless trash.