North Otago Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, MAY 7, 1895.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8176, 7 May 1895, Page 2

North Otago Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, MAY 7, 1895.

If his colleagues wera the keapors of tho Colonhl Treasurer thoy would be in a quandary in arriving at a decision as to how to meot (ho charges th«t h*ve been lovcllcd against him by the Wellington Evening Peat for misstating a plain fact. The 3 per cent loan launched by (he Colonial Treasurer has gone off with fly* ing colorp, but probably on the strength of the retrocession of the Miniator from (ho position ho took up when he asked Parliament for power to collect (he land t«x twice in one year. It was stated by iho London papers that Mr Ward had urged tho necessity of (he tax being collected to prevent (ho oalony defaulting in its interest p»ymont?. Mr Ward, who was in London at the (ime, promptly denied this, and gate aa tho reason for the collection of the (ax thnt it saved tho unnecessary issuing of Troisury bills, aud that (here was no possibility of the colony defaulting, for he had forwarded lo London three millions' worth of securities to provido Pgunst a crisis. It has been abundantly piovod »hat neither of these statements <*ro true. In tho 6rst plao<* both Me Ward and Mr Saidon diatinc ly said in fheir places in the Home that ihe collection of tho tax was to enable the Government to make interest) piymenta in London. They mado the passage of the Bill through the House a matter of urgency, and indicated as plain'y as words oould indicate that but for the authority to oolleot tho tax the colony would make default in London. Tho artiole which wo published yesterday, giving extraots from Me*sre Ward'a and Soddon's remarks in tho Hr.uso on bho subject prove this, aud according to the Premior's statement (he available liquid securities tho colony held in London were only L470,000. and not throe million*. Tho Premier said : " I say it [ he oolleorion of the (ax] is (o maintain our oredit, to meet these just domands, that this legislation is passed at the hands of the House." Tho Ministry wero in a tight place Bnancially, and io tight was it that the Premier waited on the leader of tho Opposition and explained tho position, and endeavored to smooth »way »ny opposition from th>»t quarter. Yeb Mr Ward can say, in the face of all this, that the Ux was collected, not to save the oolony from default, but to avoid tho needless issue of Tre%»ury bill*. Who wan telling the troth? — the Colonial Trenurer in his plaoe in the House, endowed by the Premier; or the Colonial Treasurer in London away from those who oould at onoe oontradiot hit mis•tatamen'a? The Colonial Tremurer an* kh« Premier h«d »n objeot to gain when they made the itatffntnfe In the Hoaie th*b the oolUotlon of the tax wm to lafft the ooloof'i credit, ina the Oolontil TciMaver tod tUo to objut to ulnvhen he 4mled hli pr#f o«ly *oW

probably hung in »he balance, and Mr Ward, to sftvo a collapse, made the statement in which he has been bo complete'y bowled out by the Wellington Post. Thnt " honesty is iho beet polioy 1 no doubt Mr Ward Grmly believes, but it is not for u< to say tha f ho has tried both, and f-atit-fied himself by experience tha 1 the Hphori«m in hs true now as it ever was in tho hiatory nf the world. Howivtr, theso are the Uotn, and we leave it to those who lake an interest in tho nffair« of the colony to decide whtther ihe statements of the OolonUl Treasurer in Lotidon can be reconciled wi'h tho»e ho m«do lu tho House. If they conoludo that they cannot be, then what muflt their estimate be of the man who mnde tho statements 1

The rainfall at Elderslie loot month was 0-18 inch. Messrs .). Phillips and J. Taylor are Oamaru passengers by tho 8 s. Doric from London. Tho quantity of gold valued for duty in the county of Waitaki, for tho quarter ended the 3 1 at March, was 323 ounces, vulued at L1325. Seventy-eight men had given in their names as willing to go to Galatea, and yesterday morning 40 turned up for tho final selection. Five were selected. Mr George Sumpter reports having sold Mrs M'Allister'a property in Deo street, namely, section 17, block 21, Oamaru town, for U2O. Tho anuual installation of tho Worshipful Ma-tor of Lodgo Waitaki takes place tomorrow evening. Sojourning and visiting brethren arc cordially invitee!. Tho Hon Mr Beeves, Minister of Labor, sayo w© did not want Chinese, Assyrians, nor even the Japanese in this colony— New Zealand was a white man's country, and a white man's country it ought always to be. The Courier complains that Mr Bree, of Gore, witli thirteen years' service in the Sheep department to his credit, has received notice of dismissal, because, seemingly, he ia not of the " right color." Tin's is how the Tuapoka Times says a surplus can be made : " Borrow LlOO from a friend. Present talary L3OO per annum. Spend L309 during the year, and you will have a surplus of LI. If you add the L5O you borrowed last year it will swell the surplus considerably." This is pretty hard on i he Government. The Blenheim paper says : Carrier pigeons proved themselves useful during the recent storm by oarrrying a message to Havelock from Port. Underwood, to the effect that the schoouors Falcon, Clyde, and Huon Bello had taken shelter in that harbor. Tho Huon Bello had lost her deckload of timber in the Strait. A correspondent writes : " I ice that tho Livingstone rabbits are reported to be infected with hydatids. Is it possible that this diseaso could be communicated to tho rabbit inspectors and agents ?" What does our correspondent mean ? Does he wish to guard the officials against infection, or does no wish them to contract it ! The Wairarapa Daily Times says : "Tho great majority of the co-operative laborers employed making roads in tho Makuri and Puketoi districts have taken up sections of land, with the view of making them their future homes. Tho remainder have been warned that unless they take up sections, and make homes on tho soil, they will havo to make room for ft bettor class of settlers." Tho usual weokly meeting of St. Paul's Literary and Debating Society was held last night. There was a good attendance, and Mr George Bruco was voted to the chair. The meeting was taken up with original and selected sketches by the members. The subjects created some interesting discussion, and a profitable evening was spent. Several now .nenbers were elected. Threo biographical papers will be given next meeting night. ! "Spectator," a sporting authority in the Referee, has the following concerning the \ Aldershot case : " Racing men generally I have met since tho North Otago Jockey Club rescinded the disqualification of J. M'Kewen are very pleased thereat. Tho consensus of opinion is that, had the previous verdict been allowed to stand, an undeserved punishment would havo been inflicted on the Otago horse owner and tho lad Cotton. A good do&l of feeling in tho matter has been displayed in Oamaru, where for some time the question wan a leading topic in sporting circles." Tho Referee has a le&diug articlo expressing tho same view. The King of Corea was much impressed by tho telephone. Ho immediately, at great expense, sot about connecting by telephone tho tomb of tho Queen Dowager with tho Royal palaco— a distance of »everal miles. Needless to »ay, though many hours a day wero spent by hi* Majesty and his suito in listening at their end of the telephone, and a watchman kopt all night in case tho Queen Do\vag«r should wake up from her eternal sleep; not a message, or a Bound, or a murmur oven, was hoard, which result caused tho telophouo to be condemned a« a fraud by his Majesty. Tho first annual convention of the North Otngo Christian Kndeavor Union will bo held on Thursday next, in St. Paul's Church. Thero will bo an afternoon session, a public tea, and evening meeting. In the afternoon, after the annual business has been transacted, a piper will be read by MrM. H. Scott ou "Tho Lookout Committeo and its Work." A discussion will follow. The public tea will take place in tho Hall, and a largo attendauce ia anticipated. Tho evening meeting will bo addressed by the President and tho Revs. W. B. Marten and James Standring. The new officers will be introduced, and tho roll call responded to. This morning about 12 30 a fire broke out in a traveller's sample room in tho upstairs portion of Butterworth's building*, but it was noticed by Constable Lemm, who promptly rang tho fire-boll. Tho brigade wero out in a few minutes, and had the fire subdued before it had done much damage. The fire appeared to have originated amongst some rubbish in a corner of tho room, but what caused it is not known. It is possible tliat Mr Anderson's stock, which is just bolow, may have suffered some damage by water. It is creditable to the police and the brigade that they were so prompt, otherwise a serious fire might have happened. Tho London Finanoial News writes: "Dpspito the fall in tho value of colonial produce and the consequent diminution in tho profits of institutions conoernod in marketing it, tho National Mortgage and Agency Company of Now Zealand manages to keep up its 5 per cent dividend, tho surElua over being L2292 on 1894, against ' 2323 on 1893— a very slight decrease, Tho call tint has been made is not tho only step tho directors think prudent to take to strengthen tho company s credit ; so they now propose to givo the debenture-holders a definite security, which hitherto they have looked. Consequently a resolution is to be Eroposed to charge the uncalled capital of .8 pejr share in favor of tho debentures, and it is hoped by this means to induce holders of maturing bouds to renew them. Tho reserve of L27.000 and other moneys, amounting togethor to L35.652, have been transferred to a special fund to meet possible depreciation or louse* on avset* that nave to be realised. On Saturday, 4th initant, a number of people met in the Hakateramea Hall for tho purpose of considering the formation of a Gaelic society. After a good deal of diaoutiion it was daoided that a Gaello aooioty, to be oalled tho " Waitakt Gaelic Society," bo formed, and thib tho mombor'c (oo bo flxod at LI. Tho following officer* wore eleoted for tho year i Chief, Mr D. Maofar. lane | proildoub. Mr John Grant) vioo* preildent, Mr John Camoron j hon. itor*. tary and tr«a«uror, Mr John T. Smart j and i ooramlttoo of MYin-M«m« J. Monita, H, M'Lood, D. M'Krailt, Ptttr M'lbmi, J, M*Lonnan, A, M'l»tt««i wd J. M'LtotL M\ tto? wboftustf H tow »fwbm i