LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 356, 19 February 1881, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Parliament has been further prorogued until 19 th of April. The income fax valuation of Great Britain is now £134,000,000 higher than

Russia lias 600,000 hereditary nobles, and 380,000 whose nobility expiree with them.

The net increase from penny receipt stamps in Britain during last year was over £BOO,OOO.

Messrs Maclean and Stewart will hold their usual sale of horses, etc., at their Horse Bazaar,'Tiinaru, this day The next great exhibition is to be held in 1883 at Hew York, and is to eclipse creation.

During last July, but for the market inspectors, 93 tons of bad fish would have been sold iu Billingsgate Market, London. Forty-seven men were recently arrested in Manchester for being concerned in u fancy dress, ball, 23 of these were dressed in women’s clothes, and the whole affair was a disgrace to the city. The inaugural address in connection with the Temuka Mutual Improvement Association will be given in the Good Templar’s Hall, on Monday evening, 21st iust., by the Rev. D. Gordon. A correspondent in the Oamaru Mail suggests that Otago and Canterbury should adopt a systeni of exchange of Inspectors of Schools* thereby preventing a partiality to certain teachers, and discovering those who may be really efficient and energetic in their labor.

We are requested to state that Messrs Hutton’s and Co.’s sale of drapery will positively close on . Saturday next, the 26th inst..

According to the Mount Ida Chronicle the retreat b{ Mr P. K. M'Caughan after his trip Home will be Antrim. After haring given this bit of information the Chronicle gushes thusly:.— ‘ May the lovely vales of Antrim, prove a ‘ happy valley ’ to the gallant member, and from these shores we sincerely wish him bon voyage .” Another week of excellent weather has nearly passed away, and it may 'safely be said it has been the finest harvest season that this district has experienced for many years. Another ten days op k fortnight and the whole of the precious grain will be safely stacked. A good many farmers are this year shipping their grain to England,.the local grain market not coming up to their expec-ations in the price offered for wheat. The sample in most cases is very fine, and should at any rate raise the tone of the London marker for New Zealand wheat. The inducement to ship home is not great; the freight, 50s, is too high to leave a margin for much profit to the shipper. It is more than likely that the price will rise from four to five shillings per quarter, before it reaches the market, and.if tha energetic, action of the Co-Operative Association should lead to, a reduction of the thousand petty expenses which go so tai to make a bill, a larger return might happen for a price given than last season. There is a likelihood, also, or freights coming down. When the New Zealand Company started it was to take the monopoly out of Shaw, Saville and Co.’s hands. There is now a danger, though,, of the former turning the monopolist, and we are pleased, therefore, to learn that it is the intention of the Directors of the Farmers’ Cb-Opera-tive Association chartering the latter’s vessels. This is as it should be—too much power is dangerous in any hands.

From our advertising columns it will be seen that Messrs Robert Wilkin and Co. have opened a branch of their business in Timaru. This will be good news to our farmer,friends and the public generally. There was room for this additional establishment in South Canterbury. This firm, we understand, will have on hand, and be prepared to dispose of on most liberal terms, all that a farming community requires—fironi a threshing machine down to the very smallest requisite. The firm, are prepared to buy or ship to England all kinds of produce, making liberal advances on the same. Mr Robert Wilkin, the head of tbe firm, is so well and favorably known as to need no recommendation from us. We understand the branch will be under the management of C. Bourn, Esq., and a more kfnd-hearted and upright gentleman it would be difficult to find. Under his management wa predict success. All that is wanted now is an outlet for the produce of this excellent district and a good price, when South Canterbury will again come to the front as the finest agricultural district in New Zealand.

The liberal way in which, the Mount Peel Road Board has come forward to assist the County Council to extend the Rangitata Traffic Bridge, by offering to contribute LIOOO, should stimulate the G-eraldine Road Board to go and do likewise. The latter Board ( through the stupidity of a majority of the first County Council, got possession of the funds that would hare been set apart (if the Counties Act had been adopted) for this and similar objects. It is to be hoped it will not act selfishly .seeing its boundary extends to the bridge, and a larger number of the ratepayers benefit more from a good bridge over the Rangitata than in the southern districts, to learn that that genial gentleman has entered the firm of Messrs Hutton and C 0.., and that h,e proceeds to Dunedin shortly to take charge of the Manchester Department in that firm’s establishment. Three opinions. The .Wanganui Herald calls,the Property Tax “The Mystery of Iniquity.” The Ly ttelton Times says that. Waterhouse acts as “ Flapper General” to the Government in this matter, and the Wairarapa Standard avovys its belief that the tax will evoke a lot of angry feeling

Williara ; Rowe, formerly member for the TbatnesJn the House of Representatives, was’ sentenced, to 48 hours’'imprisonment at Wellington on Wednesday for stealing two shillings from the Theatre Royal Hotel, where he was lodging. A Christchurch telegram states- that the West Coaat railway share list is being filled up more rapidly than was anticipated. A small shipment of cheese is being sent Home from Christchurch by the Otaki as an experiment. If it is profitable regular shipments will follow. Gentlemen of the long robe are rather free and easy in their language in Court at Gisborne. On a recent occasion, according to the local paper, a solicitor was addressing thd Court, when his learned brother interjected a remark. ‘‘Pardon me, old fellow,” said the speaker: “let me have my shy first, and then you shall have yours.” That Yankees are not the only people who practise adulteration may be known from the statement of Mr Medhurst, a British official in China,' who recent!} 7 wrote that fifty-three thousand pounds of willow leaves were being made ready to be mixed with teas at one port alone. According to the Clutha Leader it needs no prophet to foretell that the Clutha district will very soon be as bad as Southland with the rabbit pest. As an instance -of their great numbers already, the Leader is informed that a well-known farmer on the river bank in the Te Houka district, while cutting a small patch of oats, killed 16 ; on another day 19 were killed, and smaller numbers are being killed every day while the reaping is going on. An English officer gives an incident that occurred iu the Crimea which illustrates the impulsive ardour of the Irishman, While lying wounded at Alma, a man stepped over me and said, “Will you be so kind as to. tell me, sir, if you are alive • or,, if you are not, perhaps this dhrop of dhrink will help you ?” At the half-yearly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce in Dunedin Mr W. J, M, Larnach, in his opening speech, referred to the growing prosperity of the Colony, and advocated the repeal of the property tax and re-imposition of tea and sugar duties, and school fees. He also referred to the necessity of seeking other outlets for produce. The Lyttelton Times describes a new seedling apple, raised by Mr James Lowe, Styx. The fruit attracts attention by its beautiful cherry color on one side, and an almost transparent yellowish green on the other. It is perfectly smooth and round, but deeply indented at each end, after the manner of the Hawthornden. The perfume is rich, the pulp crisp, juicy, and sweet, witli a unique flavour. Being ripe by the middle of January, this apple is a decided acquisition to our stock, and should find a place in every orchard. The reception given to Ministers at Invercargill seems (says the Dunstan Times) to have been of the “ Bread-and-cheese-and-cusses ” order. They were cheered and jeered, saluted and hooted, banquetted and bullied, and really must have felt very hipped, notwithstanding, all

the hurraying. Certainly they'could not complain of the affair being too monotonous. Indeed, Major Atkinson, with, bis customary pluck, declared that he rather enjoyed it, because, said he, it showed that the people were politically alive. The astute Major knew very well that his colleague, Mr Ollivier, rather than himself, was the object of popular dislike, and cleverly hinted as much in his speech. Yet all New Zealand knows that Atkinson is the head which conceives, and Oliver only one of the hands—that “ wonderful wean ” Dick,, being the other—which executes all the mischief. And who. shall wonder* if the people of the South bold Messrs. Oliver and Dick responsible for tire wrongs inflicted* on them 1 Did they not record their votes in favor of robbing the South of the last shred of its local land revenue to squander in the North ?• Even the redoubtable turn-coat Shanks had not sufficient audacity to follow their lead in the matter. Only Mr Patrick M'Caughan of all the Otago members possessed tbe brazen effrontery to venture such extreme lengths. Yerily these all have their reward. Since the above has been in type wo have learnt by telegram that the Major sprained his ancle at Lowther, and could not come further. This very convenient sprain- is typical of the standing now occupied by the Hall Government. During the case of argument in re Regina v. Hutchison in the Banco Court, Wellington, on Wednesday afternoon, his Honor Mr Justice Richmond gave utterance to one of those epigrammatic sayings for which lie is so famous, Mr Hutchison was wildly endeavoring to palliate the conduct of himself and his colleague with reference to the recent case at the Resident Magistrate’s Court, in which Mr C. Martin, publican, was charged with • having a number of un« stamped boxes of cigars in his possession, and was urging that in coming to tihe decision he did, he had been merely doing justice “according to his lights.” “We are all sworn to do justice,” interposed his Honor, “subject, however, to a very important qualification, viz., to do justice according to the law —which makes a very great difference, sometimes.” His eyes here met those of his brother, Chief Justice Prendergast, and the countenance of the learned : judges inimediately reinto a cmaint significant smile.