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Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 133, 29 June 1880, Page 2

Tenders are invited up to the 3rd July by the post-office authorities at Wellington for a four-weekly steam service between Auckland and Fiji for a period of one or two years. Nominations to fill the vacant seat on the Oniaka Road Board for the Opawa District will be received on the 10th July. No nominations were received on the election day, the 2Gth inst. A middle aged man named Joseph Cartshore, who has been many years in the Colony, and lias been working lately at the Arm Chair creek diggings, died there suddenly on Sunday last. An inquest will be hehl to-morrow, before S. Johnson, Esq., Coroner. A meeting was held last evening at Mr Chinn’s house, for the purpose of constituting a drum and fife baud, Mr M. Hart being voted to the chair. The preliminary constitution of the baud was discussed and arranged, and steps were directed to be taken by to-day’s outward mail to obtain all necessary estimates and particulars for its proper foundation and working. Active steps are being t_ken for practice and instruction, and the first meeting for this purpose was fixed for Monday evening next. A considerable degree of enthusiasm was evinced in the matter, and the affair bears every promise of ultimate success.

Graham Flowers, who stands committed for trial at Christchurch for cattle stealing, lias been arrested at Ilcefton and lodged in eaol awaiting his trial. He was admitted to bail but his sureties, fearing he would make himself scarce, procured a warrant and put the police on his track.

A ploughing match, open to everyone in the district, is announced to take place on or about the 23rd July. The programme, prize list, and other particulars will be notified in a future advertisement. Wc hope to sec a large gathering and numerous entries on this occasion

A meeting of brewers and publicans was to have been held yesterday evening at the Masonic Hotel to make arrangements for sending delegates to \\ ellington in reference to the Beer Tax. Mr Dodson and four others attended but no regular meeting took place. No delegates were appointed, but Mr Dodson will proceed to Wellington to-day and will co-operate with the brewers and publicans now in the Empire City in reference to the question. In Mr Maccy’s shop window is a photograph of the Nelson Football team which is coming here to try conclusions with the Blenheim men. The likenesses are good ones and it is evident, from their appearance, that they are a strong team. The tug of war on this occasion promises to be well contested. The names of the Nelson tjn are as follows : —J. Beat, C. 11. Bids.oil, p. A. McHardy, W. Glasgow, T. It. Fleming, L. McHardy, 11. 11. Brown, A. Seymour, G. Seymour, J Firth (Captain), E. Bunny, D. Cooper, IC. J. Itobinsoh, J. W. Trolove, It. Hornby. Umpire, J. S. Barnicoat, Esq.

The following plan for curing the blight in pear trees, is recommended by a correspondent of an American horticultural paper:—“Salt sown around the roots of the pear tree is a sure cure for blight. It will prevent blight without fail and cure it unless the tree is too far gone. The cure is gradual, but in two or three years a blighted tree will regain perfect health. I have been trying this treatment for upwards of twelve years upon my own trees, and each year strengthens my conviction that salt is the long-sought remedy. I was led to try it by seeing it stated that the pear tree orignated in some of the salt marshes of Europe. Brine, especially old meat brine, will not do. Bury dry .salt near tlic surface. The moment you see the pear leaves looking as if sprinkled or hastily dipped in ink, you may be sure it is blight, and tiie tiie tree will surely die unless the disease is arrested by the use of salt.”

The Committee of the Marlborough Acclimatisation .Society met in the Club Hotel on Saturday last, the 2Uth instant. Present—Mr 11. P. Macklin (in the chair), and Messrs J. T. Robinson, E. Paul, J. llodson, and Joseph Redwood, lion. Secretary. The minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed. Correspondence was read between the Government and the Secretary with reference to the shooting season and the area to be declared open, which resulted in the whole Provincial district being declared open for shooting cock pheasants and Californian quail. The Secretary was instructed to pay all outstanding liabilities. The following resolutions were agreed to : —“ That the Secretary write to the Otago Acclimatisation Society and secure 10,000 ova for the forthcoming season, and also to the Christchurch Society requesting them to substitute ova for the young trout promised to Mr H. Redwood last year. That the Secretary write to all the leading settlers in Marlborough, requesting their assistance in procuring funds in aid of the Society and inform them that trout will be distributed in future in proportion to the amounts received from each locality.” “ That Messrs Macklin, J. I’. Robinson, llodson, Cook, and the Secretary be appointed an executive Committee.” “ That the thanks of the Committee he given Mr Wolford for his kindness in having the ova so carefully attended to on board the steamers.” After some discussion it was resolved, that if possible the ova should bo hatched out in two or three places as it is not considered that the (low of one artesian well carries air enough for a large number of young fish. The executive Committee will begin to prepare the ponds in a few days.

At the Resilient Magistrate’s Court, Wellington, before Mr E. Shaw, the remanded case against Clarence Mail', alius John Hargreaves, for neglecting to comply with an order for the maintenance of his wife, came forward for disposal. It will be remembered that the defendant was previously brought on a warrant from Picton, but allowed to return on showing that he had a prospect of obtaining employment there, thus enabling him to contribute towards the support of his wife. It now appeared that the order was still uncompiicd with ; and the Magistrate thought the best course to adopt was to issue another warrant for the man’s arrest, the case to be heard at Picton.—William John Wilson appeared to answer a charge of neglecting to provide for the support of his wife and children, Defendant said he was entirely without means, and begged for a few weeks’ grace to enable him to obtain work. The matter was adjourned for a week.— Post.

So, So. —A commercial man ran down to a pier just as the steamer was starting. The boat moved off some four or live yards, as lie took a jump, and coining down ou the back of his head on the deck, lie lay stunned for two or three minutes. 5\ hen lie came to, the boat had gone the best part of a quarter of a mile, and raising his head and looking to the shore the “Drummer” said : —“ Great Jeliosapliat! what a jump.”

An inquest was held lately at North Invercargill on the body of Isabella M’Farl)' 3) wife of the landlord of the Clinton Arms Hotel, North Invercargill. The evidence showed that her sudden death resulted from alcholism and the exhaustion consequent upon the excessive use of strong intoxicating drink and a verdict was return ed accordingly. The body showed great discoloration, but it was shown that the bruises were of apparently a remote date and could have had no effect in causing death. The jury added a rider censuring the husband for not sufficently securing the bar of his licensed house, the deceased being able to supply herself while in a state of drunkenness.

The Property Tax.—The following is from the the Thames letter of the Free Lance:—“Sir George Grey’s opposition to tl c Property Tax ought to open your eyes to his real character. After all his howling about taxing the rich, as soon as the tax is put on he is the first to move and get the burden taken off his knicknaeks and put upon the poor man’s beer; and I believe he will never rest till he forces the re-imposi-tion of the tea and sugar duties. Grey has certainly slipped up his poor man tins time and yet thousands of poor men join m the stupid cry “Repeal the Property Tax. 1 can understand people who have it to pay cryin" to get out of it but but to hoar people who are as free of property as I am, getting into an excited state about it seems to me the height of utter insanity. I am quit* content to let those possessed of five hundred pounds worth of property pay the tax.

As most of our pastoral friends yearly boil down old sheep, which would otherwise die on the Runs, the following information may be of interest to the wool growers of the Province : —39 bales of skin wool, branded Waipapa, realised an average of Is Ddid peril), on the Stli (March last in London. This wool was fellrnongercd from the skins of very old sheep. The average per skin was 2ibs of sco wed wool, and the net return for wool alone was 3s 3d per head. The wool was follmongered and scoured on the station by Mr Edwards for Mr Gibson, Waipapa. j 'Phe Church of the Nativity Sunday School entertainment at Ewart’s Hall on Friday last proved a very decided success. There was a large attendance, and upwards of L4O was realised. The singing by the children was remarkably good, and their young voices, blended with theinstmmental music played by the ladies who kindly gave their assistance, had a pleasing elFect. The Christmas Tree, loaded with prizes of all soils proved a great attraction, and the sale of fancy work attracted numerous customers to the stalls, at which Mesdames llodson, Eyes, Furby, and the Misses Eyes and Norgrove presided. The result of the entertainment must be highly satisfactory to all all who gave their assistance and patronage on this occasion. Amongst those present were many country visitors, some of whom had driven long distances in order to be present. The Hon. Mr Gisborne, according to the Post, seemed literally to “pump” his speech out when discussing the financial proposals of the Government.' His right arm was used like a pump-handle, and rose and fell in regular motion throughout his remarks. There was a slight deviation, however, at one portion winch was missed by the House generally, but was not lost on a member of the Government. It was during this, too, that Mr Gisbournc displayed the most lamentable ignorance on the subject of anatomy. He was saying that he could not “ lay his right hand upon his heart and conscientiously,” &c.,and in endeavoring to give prower action to liisutterance lie suddenly swerved that limb from the pumphandle attitude, and vigorously clapped it on bis coat tail. This was done when lie got to the words —“ my heart,” and the member of the Government who saw the little error of the member for Totara, was observed to roll over in his seat, and almost choke with suppressed laughter. The following story related by the Adelaide Observer. lias the merit of being true: —A retired ventriloquist is now the landlord of a well-known hotel in Adelaide and amongst other pets owns a beautiful parrot. The other day a son of the Emerald Isle walked into the bar and stood underneath the bird-cage admiring the feathered beauty’s plumage and apostrophising the bird in tones of endearment. “Good morning, Mickey Ryan,” was the astounding salutation which greeted his ear and undoubtedly' coming from the bird-cage. “Faith, and you know me then?” said (Mick. “Av coorse, ye spalpeen; who is it in this town who doesn’t know a marauding thief loike Mickey Ryan?” was the response. “Ye blathering curse, if I can undo the cage I’ll screw yer wicked neck for yez, ye baste. Saints in glory! He called me a marauding thief.” “Go home to your wife yer blaygard,” says the bird. “The devil mend your manners. Is it talking to a dacent man ye after that way, ye imp of blackness?” queried Mick in a passion. “Lave off the liquor,” shrieked the bird, “and there’s a chance for ye yet, Mickey Ryan.” A long and passionate colloquy followed in which Mickey found that his command of invectives was as nothing compared to the vituperate powers of the bird and in a rage lie rushed off to the landlord, who was concealed in an adjacent room and desired that the bird’s neck might be “screwed” immediately. It is needless to say that this peremptory request was not complied with and upon Mickey learning that ho had been made to afford amusement to a number of pcoplo who had been witness of the scene, he vowed internal revenge upon all connected with a baste of a “talking parrot.” Printers have much to answer foi. Thenlatest freak occurred in our (Otago Times) report of his Worship the Mayor’s opening speech at the Carnival. _ Speaking of persons receiving outdoor relief, his _ Worship is made to say that “71 were widows, having 2412 children.” Anyone taking sufficient interest in the matter to make the calculation will discover that this gives an average flock to each widow of 33.97 olive branches. Now we have a high opinion of the climate here as regards the successful roaring of families, and the widows were poor widows too so that something large in the way of families was to he expected; but 71 widows with an average of close on 34 eacli is too great a strain even ou this perfect climate. The intelligent reader will therefore have no doubt surmised that those printers were “at it again,” and such was the fact; and a further fact also is that by a strange conincidence the printers of our eveing contemporary made the same blunder, repeating in all seriousness the statement about the 71 widows with the 2412 children. A correction is therefore the more necessary. The number of children should be 212, which allows each window within a diminutivefraction of three instead of 33. as her contribution to the population of this young and rising colony.

The WiU of the. People is the title of the organ of the Nihilists in Russia. It appears in the most extraordinary way, in unexpected corners, and when least looked for. They say it is constantly to bo found on the toilet table of the Emperor and under the pillows of statesmen and the generals. The manner in which this curious organ is printed is described at length by the St. Petersburg correspondent of the Manchester Guardian? The office is a gloomy, miserable room at the top of the house in a poor locality. On the door is an announcement of some fictitious trade. The room is occupied by a poor wretch, formerly a student; it is wretchedly furnished. The bed occupies pretty nearly the entire room. Everything is mean and squalid. The owner of the apartment is editor, compositor, reporter, printer, and publisher. Under the mattrass of the miserable bed the type is hidden. Thence, when occasion offers, it is transferred to the multitudinous pockets of his great-coat.. i He goes out into the streets with adi'ninuti v e notebook, hangs about public buildings, glares at people in authority, whom he would kill it a glance could murder, writes Ins “leaders in a secluded corner of a park and rolls each page into a pill to be swallowed on the approach of a policeman. As soon as the work is finished he steals home, locks and barricades the door, gets out Ins type and sets up the paper, which lie afterwards prints in a primitive manner, and distributes through the streets, and in cafes, and by all other menus known only to conspirators This account of the difficult, dangerous,' and painful duty which that poor, patient scribe performs under the direction of an inexorable committee, from whom he receives little help, may or may not be m accordance with truth ; but there remains the undeniable fact that under the very nose of the terrible Third Section, despite the vigilance of the police, a sheet is printed published, and circulated, and no man can put his hand upon those who thus contribute to the literature of revolution.