LOCAL & GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2707, 4 September 1894, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Port op Timabu.—The Customs revenue collected at the Port of Timaru for the mouth of August amounted to £1607 7s lid. : Temuka Stock; Sale,—The fort lightly sale of stock takes place at Temuka to-day. A number of entries will be found in our advertising columns. Property Salk. After the Temuka stock sale to-day, the C.E.C. Association will submit to the hammer a number of town sections on account of Mrs F. Storey. Temuka Caledonian Society. The annual meeting of the members of this society will be held in the Wallingford Hotel to-morrow evening, at half-past eight o’clock. The Mails.—The Alameda with the English mails of August 11th left San Francisco'on August 23td. The Mariposa with the colonial mails of August 11th reached San Francisco on August 30fch, both due dates.. r Geraldine Road Board Contracts.— Tenders are invited by the Geraldine Road Board for various works, amongst which are four contracts open only to the villagd settlers at Belfield: and Orari on the cooperative system.

Parish of Temuka, —Intimation has been received from the Chairman of the Board of Nominators, Christchurch, that the Rev. Thomas Farley, of Hokitika, has accepted the charge of the Parish of Temuka. The Rev. W. E. Gillam hopes to be in Temuka on Sunday, Sept. 23rd, when he will preach his farewell sermons. A Lunatic’s Freak.—Mr R. S. Bush, S.M., had an interview with a lunatic on Friday. The man walked into the Magistrate’s room and said that he wanted protection as he was “ Jack the Ripper.” He made a long and incoherent statement to the effect that he had beeu boycotted because he was “The Ripper,” and the police wanted to poison him. He is now in an asylum. Pakihi Literary Society.—The Pakihi Literary Society ;giye a grand social on Friday evening next in aid of the school funds* She society intend to keep up the reputation they have gained by their two former socials. ~ We are iinformed that the music will be’ a speciality! consisting of piano, violin, accordion, and the bagpipes. The catering also is in good hands, and it is sufficient to mention that the society'has secured the services ol Mr A. Bissett as M.O.

A Hoax. —The young ladies of Geraldine the other day advanced with the times, and exercised the privileges of women’s rights by getting up a dance on their own account, to which they invited .their gentlemen friends, and ran the whole show themselves. The dance came off on Friday evening last, am* was a pronounced success, about thirty couples being present. But some wag had got an inkling of what was about to take place, and accordingly set about playing a joke on the ladies. The wag in question might have been someone opposed to the female franchise, or he might have been a disappointed one, whom the ladies bad overlooked in sending out their invitations. At any rate, this wicked person, whoever he is, sent out invitations promiscuously right and left through the post to persons who had never been to a dance in their lives, and others whomsthe ladies evidently did not care to have present. We have one of these invitations posted up in our office. The writer no doubt having a bad cold in his head when he wrote it, the invite runs like this: —“ The young ladies of Geraldine persent the bleasure of Mr company at dance to be held in the on Friday, 3lth, 94. Dance to commence at eight o’clockp.m. —r-=— secretary, president, R.S.V.T.” The joke, we ape informed, worked as the wag desired in several instances, some young men coming all the way from Woodbury to the dance, thinking no 'doubt when they got the invites that the young ladies of Geraidine were not “ bad sorts.”

Woodbury Water-Supply District.— The monthly meeting of the above was Held on Saturday last. Present—Messrs H. P. Brown (chairman), W. P. Turton, A. McDonald, J. M. Barker, and T. Squire. Correspondence was received from the chairman of’ tbe §ruri-Rangitata WaterRace Committee expressing U vyiflh to have the several water-race committees elected for three years, and that the rangers’terms be for the same period, and asking the committee’s support in getting the county councj}. jjo sanction the same. It was resolved that the oflipnjitteo endorse aud support the recomn}pn4afioll- A letter, signed by five ratepayers, was received complaining of a neighbor's ducks making the race-water unfit to drink, and asking the committee to have the nuisance remedied. It was decided to give the ofendpf notice to keep his ducks from the race ini future, and generally to intimate to the inhabitants'qf Woodbury tbilt ohcks must hot be allowed at large. The range? reported tho headworks in good, and races iij faiy, order, with the exception 01 a small portion of the latter, bub as this was a tail-race it did apt interfere with anyone except Jbhe occupier pf the laud. If was deemed to inform the occupier gf the land ti.. if he cleared the gprse from the race complained <*. fto finger WOdlJ Jo Ws duty in k- eping it c { *« l * d tho other races. Messrs o*. •• v. , Brown reported having visite i the Gernidiuo Road Board ollico last month, and with Sir Shiers 1 assistance had made some slight corrections jp the ratepayers’list, which list is npw entered ip Tujl at f.he end of the minute hook, space being left for further corrections after the new assessment now pending. A vote of thanks was accorded to Messrs McDonald and Brown for their trouble in tho matter, and tho meeting terminated. You will find between 30 and 40 pianos and organs arranged for inspection and trial at Begg & Co.’s Music Saloon, next Theatre, Timaru. Select your instrument i and they will send it home for you. The rates of payment on tho 3 years’ hire payment system are from Is a day and upwards. —[Advt.]

Football.—The sixth interprovincial contest between Wellington and Auckland was played at Auckland on Saturday, and resulted in a win for Auckland by 13 points to nil. Heavy rain fell during the whole day. The Licensing Bill.—At Christchurch at a public meeting attended by about 300 people, a resolution was carried expressing the opinion that the tendency of the new Licensing Bill was to conserve the interests of the liquor traffic, disapproving of the proposal to take, the licensing poll on the day of the General Election, expressing the .opinion that the question of local and colonial prohibition should be taken as distinct issues, affirming clause 44 to be a cunning device for defeating the popular will, and demanding that the issue of license or no license should be decided by the majority of electors who vote.

Social at Winchester. the bad times and scarcity of money the people of Winchester have bad quite a gay winter. On Friday evening last another enjoyable social was held in the Public Hall; The evening proved fine, and the promoters fonnd the hall none too roomy for the large numbers who attended. The hall was tastefully decorated, and the musio supplied by Messrs Colville and Fenton was first rate. Mr John Moore, the popular captain of the Waihi second fifteen, made a very courteous and efficient M.G. Refreshments were provided on a liberal scale and heartily appreciated, and everyone went home well satisfied with the evening’s amusement. The Public Trust Office. The report of Messrs Kember and Todd, who were appointed by the Colonial Treasurer to enquire into the system of keeping the accounts of the Public Trust Office, states that the books are neatly and correctly kept by the double-entry, system ; that the arrangements made for carrying out the present system are expeditious and correct, and tend to lessen labour and facilitate the working of the business of the office. Viewing the matter quite impartially they found that the objections raised by the Auditor-General and reported to Parliament should not in their opinion have been published, as the queries refer to matters in many oases of opinion or administration, cannot be classed as errors, and could easily have been arranged by a conference between the Auditor-General and the Public Trustee. A list of suggestions to perfect the system are attached to the report, and have been accepted by the Public Trustee. Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. —The annual meeting of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce was held at Christchurch on Friday. The retiring president, Mr G. T. Booth, in his address dealt solely with the currency question, and {expressed the opinion that the world-wide depression of the last few years was due to the demonetisation of silver and the appreciation of gold. The fact was beyond gainsaying that gold had appreciated owing to the demonetisation of silver twenty years ago, and the consequent contraction of the money basis. It was also beyond doubt that the two sides of the equation, commodities and money, had been growing wider apart year by year, while the annual production of gold and the adoption of the most liberal economising expedients had been inadequate to act as a check. As the expansion of the money basis inflates profits and so stimulates enterprise, raises prices and wages and conduces to prosperity, so its contraction or failure to keep up with the demand acts prejudicially ou prices, profits and wages, paralyses enterprise, locks the wheels of progress, constrains the energies of the community, and in conjunction with other unfavourable conditions from, whatever cause arising, may at any moment bring about mercantile and financial disaster, panic and prostration. He did not believe that all our troubles were due to the demonetisation of silver, nor that its rehabilitation would bring instant prosperity, bat he did believe thau its restorat on to the rank of u basis of money would check the appreciation of gold and arrest the fall ip prices, lighten the burden of our debts and fixe 1 charges, place all producers of’whatever nationality on a fair and equitable footing by removing the cause of disturbance in exchange between the gold and silver using countries, give a fillip to enterprise and productive energy, and so confer benefits on all those whose living was the fruit of present industry. Among the secondary results would be the allaying of discontent among the labouring class on the one hand and a corresponding revival of confidence on the side of investors. The return to prosperity would not be by leaps and bounds, and the prices of the early fifties and the early seventies would probably not be approached, but the reaction from despondency would be umnistakeable and should speedily start on the upward (grade. He thought the colony shonld join with the Continental nations and the United States in urging England to adopt bimetallism.

Bankruptcy Case. —The first meeting of creditors of Jeremiah Costigan, tobacconist, was held at the Deputy Assignee’s office on Friday afternoon. The debts were shown to be £3BB Is 2d, and the deficiency £9O Is 2d. The bankrupt, sworn, in reply to the Assignee said that he had been in business as a tobacconist about 1 year and 9 months. Had bought the business from Lynch, paying him between £BO and £9O in cash for stock and business, and gave a bill of sale for £3O. The exact amount, £BO 18s, paid in cash, was his own money, and at that time he had no debts of consequence. His present debts had been incurred in the business. Produced bis cash book showing total weekly takings. He had never struck a balance-sheet. Banked with the Bank of New South Wales. During the last year had not taken enough to pay expenses—rent and wages. Business had been worse since he moved into the new shop, moving (including gas and other fittings) costing about £SO. For the last three or four weeks saw that he could not carry on. On the Bth August he gave a bill of sale to T. Wells over stock in shop and furniture. Under this he got £4O in cash when the bill was signed. Got a farther advance of £SO in Christchurch a day or two afterwards, and since then £lO 2s. He had lost £BS or £9O at the races in Chqstohqrch in Aqgqst. Had paid £lO qn a betting t r U n SU c tl° a (receipt produced showing that it was a double, “ Norton and Liberator ”), The balance went in various expenses. Had ordered goods to the value of £lO from Harris & Son, but could not say the date. Usually got his «Jnno tobacco from Miles 4 Qo„ and when he returned from the Christchurch races his shop boy told him that he had to get tobacco. Did not ask where he got it. These goods were not paid for. They were in the shop, and all goods in the shop were in the bill of sale. At date of his bankruptcy owned the horses Sunrise and Elian, subject to bill of sale. Did not receive a letter from jjhp assigneq on the Bth respecting ih’ese animals. Qn the 16th July IC'Wed, £ls in the Bank of New South Wales. He did not lay claim to a box now in the possession of the pplice; understood that it came to hij place from W. Moore’s. Had in addition to being a tobacconist carried on business ns U bookmaker for about six yenrs. Sometimes ho j.Q't j sqme; times ho won—o» the whole he lost. The book produced, showing the amounts owin< ,' him, was the only one ha had. Had no books sd?™e dotes or items. In reply to Mr C. T. u. r«ry and others Costigan said that he had made no Of the value of his stock and furniture. Did uqt tell Well* whfft l>9 f'bPUght they were worth'. Wells inspected them himself at the time the bill of sale wag given- Mr Warren threatened to sue before the bill of sale was given- The money found qn him by Detective Livingstone at his arrest was part of £9 got from his brother-in-law at Wuimate last Sunday to give to Mrs Costigan to buy furniture with. The chaiu and sovereign case were his own; could 1 not say what they cost. The above are the main portions of the examination, which at ten minutes to 1 o’clock was adjourned.

Bishop Gbimbs. —His Lordship Bishop Grimes arrived at Tem uka by the express train yesterday on his way to Timarn, where he will preside over a Conference of the Catholic clergy of South Canterbury today. His Lordship was a guest of the Rev. Father Fauvel last evening. Lecture on Fruit Culture. —We would again remind our readers that a lecture on Fruit Culture will be given in the Temuka Parish Hall to-morrow evening by Mr J. C. Blaokmore, Government Pomologist, It is not often that those interested in fruit growing have an opportunity of obtaining information and advice from one so well versed in the subject, and we hope to see a large gathering to hear the lecture.

The Weather. —On Friday last a very sudden change took place in the weather. A strong wind, extremely cold and catting, sprang np daring the night, and there was a light fall of sleet and snow. On Saturday merging the ground was frozen hard and ice was lying unusually thick on the water-tanks, etc,, although a strong wind was still blowing from the south. Saturday and Sunday were both severely cold days for this time of the year, a bitterly cold wind blowing from the south. On Sunday night there was another light fall of snow. Yesterday the weather was fine, but the cold wind continued

Why be persuaded to buy a cheap, trashy piano when yon can purchase one of the beautiful Gollabd & Gollabd’s on snob easy terms at Begg & Go.’s, Timarn? The oldest and most reliable masio sellers in the colony.— [Advt.] SYNOPSIS OP ADVERTISEMENTS. Arowhenaa Town Board—Biennialgeneral election. Guinness & LeCren—Entries Winchester stock sale. Geraldine Road Board—Tenders invited for works. Pakihi Literary Society—Grand social on Friday evening. In_ Bankruptcy—First and final dividend in Thomas Hall’s estate.

Priest & Holdgate—Notice to farmers re Southland Colonial Combined Drills. Temuka Leader Office—Tenders for planting and maintaining maorocarpa fence. Miss N. Donohue, Temuka Has fancy goods, groceries, sweets, etc., at greatly rates; refreshment rooms refurnished—light luncheon speciality.