The Liquor Question. ATTITUDE OF BISHOP JULIUS. Lyttelton Times.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Issue 52, 20 May 1899, Page 1

The Liquor Question. ATTITUDE OF BISHOP JULIUS. Lyttelton Times.

Unusual interest hag been routed in the " liquor question " during the past fortnight, for it has been generally known that the Bishop of Christchuich has summoned a meeting of his clergy to discuss the matter, and it was freely rumoured that he himself had declared in favour of no license. The meeting was held on May 3, It was not secret, nor were those present bound to maintain silence as to business transacted. But the gathering was still private and informal. Considerable surprise, therefore, was expressed by the majority of those interested when vrhat puiported to be a report of the meeting appeared in a public journal. It appeared from the report that the Bishop had ceitainly declared in favour of prohibition, and some doubt wa3 expressed concerning the tiuth of the impression, seeing tha,t at its last session the Synod had passed a series of resolutions on the subject, and his Lordship himself, addressing a meeting at St. John's schoolroom quite recently, had taken up a different attitude. The influential position of the Bishop made the matter one of great import- j ance, and in order to clsar away any doubt > that might exist in the public mind, a representative of the Lyttelton Times yesterday waited on the Bishop and obtained from him a statement as to his peisonal attitude on the question, at the same time gained some information concerning the now famous meeting. " That meeting," said the Bishop, when he had stirred the fire that was rendered necessary by the bitterly cold weather, " was a private one of the clergy, called by myself. There were also present two laymen who had specially interested themselves in the liquor question during the last session of the synod. I wanted, if possible, to stir up some enthusiasm, to talk with the clergy, and to tell them just what my own opinions were in the matter. I asked them for no resolution, and none was passed. Well, I said that the reI solutions which had been adopted by the synod during the last ten years were either idle, or like the last, unpractical, The Synod had desired the appointment ol a Publichouse Reform League, and had moved in that direction without giving the league any guidance. Then the gentlemen chiefly interested were unable, through business engagements and from other causes, to take a leading part in the morement, and nothing was being done. That was the position. Now, for myself, while I am inolined to believe that some form of State or municipal control is the best ultimate method of dealing with the liquor traffic, I believe also that under present circumstances such a reform could not be carried out. Jutt think of the State buying up all the publichouses in the country, or even a municipality buying up the licensed houses in a town. The outlay would be prodigious— unthinkable for a young colony like this. Then if only one house were acquired, and an experiment made with it. I believe it would be foredoomed to failure. It might succeed in some isolated spot, but in a town it would have every other licensed house against it. There would be' no hope for it, because it would bave to refuse liquor to drunken men, and tb. many sober men for that matter, while next Moor/ a man t«re Tl as much as he wanted. 1 $6 could nov voicr .til 9. til 9 ss J n0< * ' w^ en -** W18 "| to make an t,i but I had then, al fa have now, douus as to the wisdom' o^stf a step. A$ I have already, Baid^ the "Pur fa house Reform' League movement is jifit v $, at a standstill. ' ' M' \jiS Did you make .abatement to tht me'cf 'V on the prohibition question, my Lord ? jfj.Ji\ " Yes, that was »\Jothejr matter that fcr"g " be discussed. ~ Wl,irt vote were we t6 RKf"? 1 ' the approaching li^nsing poll ? '$>>>** ,liip%' always for reduction, and b^y^ '

The Hon. J. McKenzie has arrived at San Francisco in good health and spirits. H. M. S. Royalist, which has arrived at Sydney from Samoa, reports everything quiet there. H. 11. S. Pylades, whilst on her way to join the Australian station, struck on a reef near Thursday Island. Tugs have been sent to her assistance. The estimatec 'population of the colony at the end of March was 796,527, including 39,854 Maories. During the 'first quarter of the year the excess of births over deaths was 2981. An effort fs being made by the South Canterbury officers to arrauge for a sham fight on May 24th. The Seadown district w;ll probably be selected as the scene of operations. The French Government will receive, entertain, and decorate Major Marchand with the Legion of Honour, on his arrival in France. Tremendous preparations for his reception are being made at Marseilles and Paris. The match for Lieutenant Colonel Moore's shield was fired in Timaru on Thursday only two teams competing. These, the Port Guards and the Timaru Kiflcs, were very evenly matched, the former winning by seven points, the scores being 652 and 645 points respectively. We note that at the recent meeting of the South Canterbury Amateur Athletic Association in Timaru, Mr Cholmondeley carried off a first and three seconds. We understand that had it not been for some two or three athletes from outside Timaru attending, the sports would have fallen through. What is becoming of our runners that a once celebrated meet should come to this pass? There came under the hammer of Mr J. 0. Stephens, the Covent Garden auctioneer, the other day, a very fine specimen of Maori mat-making. It was composed of kiwi featheis, two panels being of the white variety. Mr Stephens told his audience that it took the tribe to whose chief the mat originally belonged ten years to collect the white feathers. After a spirited competition, this unique sample of Maori industry was knocked down for 30 guineas. The bu.yer was understood to state that his bargain would find a resting-place in the Natural History Museum. The tariff. — An agitation is afoot in Wellington to bring about a reform in the methods of the Customs department in arriving at the value of goods imported. The present system, which of course has been in force a long while, leaves the value of customable goods in the hands of the inspector of customs and his officers, and, however erratic or arbitrary their methods of computation may be, the importer has to bow to them, even if they are made in contravention of sworn statements, affidavits, and documentary evidence. Instances are frequently occurring where under this condition of affairs hardships are inflicted on merchants and tradesmen, who, rather than waste time precious in disputing what they consider to be unfair exactions, pay the demands and no doubt penalise their customers in turn. — Otago Daily Times. Baskets of Gents' bows and ties at 3d and' Cd each, and being overstocked in white shirts, will give gents an opportunity of buying a good shirt at a low price before the socials begin ; prices 4s 6d, 5s 6d, Gs 6d, worth 2s each more, sizes 15, 154, 16, 104.— Advt. Anyone requiring Boots or Shoes will do well to inspect Bkrr\'s stook before purchasing elsewhere. They will ''save from 15 to 20 per cent. The ladies' leglets at £s 5d is the best value that has ever beei. cfferel in Waiiaate. — Advt.

Mr J. G. Scott writes to us re a paragraph in last issue, legarding a young man under the influence of gas. The statements in the paragraph, he says, are groundless ; also that p^ients do not cry out when under gi s, >nd if fh^y did they could not be heard m tiic street below. " Hello," said Mrs Brown, us she glanced the Advertiser. " I see that Shaeklcton an d Grant have got a sale on. "What a good chaiice to get those blankets cheap that I wanted." " Yes," said Mrs Sharp, " I had some things there and they wore grand. If you like, we'll go down this afternoon and see what they've got. Advt. The Qaeen visits Kensington Palace on May 15, prior to being presented to the public. She lays the foundation of Kensington Museum on the 17th, and attends a Te Deinn service in Westminister Abbey on the 24th, in connection with her birthday. A St Andrews 'correspondent writes: — The usual fortnightly meeting of the St. Andrews Debating Society was held on Wednesday evei i ig, there being a good must rof members and visitors. Mr P. Keddij occupied the chair. A song by Mrs Young, a quartet by Mesdamos Mackie and Young and Campbell were well rendered and a debate "Is the present system of old age psnsions satisfactorj" was led in the affirmative by Mr D. Anderson, Mr D. Stowell taking the negative. On a show of hands the '• Noes " won by two votes. A train from Reading (N.Y.) i collided with the Philadelphia express wbiich was standing at Exeter station. Thjrfcy-four-persons were killed and 50 injured! Signor Marconi's wireless telegraphy is being extensively tried on Italian warsliip3 in connection with the Sicilian mancevres. The system is also being tried at the Paris, fortresses. We -will shortly give a description of this method of telegraphy. Sib James Prendergast, who has just re3 igned the Cheif Justiceship, is in his 71st year. He is, says the New Zealand Times, one of four notable examples of x^dical long service afforded by the New Zealand bench. He was appointed to the highest judical office in the colony on the Ist April, 1875, and is therefore in his twenty-fifth year of occupancy of that position. Mr Justice Williams was appointed a puisne judge on the 3rd March, 1875, less than a month previously. The late Mr Justice Johnston was on the Bench 30 years, and the late Mr Justice Bichmond for 33 yeara. Sir James is the senior Cheif Justice of the Queen's dominions, with the one exception of Sir H. J. De Villers, C.J. of Cape Colony. The Hon. S. J. Way, who was appointed Chief Justice of South Australia in March 1876, comes next to Sir James Prendergast in this respect. Sir James came to New Zealand, settling first in Otago, in 1862. A Meeting of the Waimale County Saleyards Company was held at the Empire Hotel on Saturday last. Mr N. Francis, the chairman, presided. The contractor for building the yards applied for, and was granted, three weeks' leave from his work. It was resolved to have a meeting of directois at the yards on Saturday, the 20th instant, to consider the question of enlarging some of the yards. The' chairman and secretary were authorised to sign cheques on behalf of the company, and to pay some outstanding accounts. A resolution alioting the shares was passed, and the secretary was directed to notify the result to those applying. The secretary informed the meeting that a number of new shares had been taken up since last meeting, The meeting then terminated.

r . .—_ — ; ■„€■* ( < * ■i - .''-'C „ The Otago Daily Times ' Weljinpoti;; correspondent says: — General remark la&i been made of the fact of Wegtlaiad ( drawing proportionately much moijtf -fTonafftfae fe venue for charitable aid ttiira an^t>ji;l&r; place in the colony. Striking' a' ,ge%»»l average, it appears that there'areupwardif of 700 persons of the 14,600 in tnrit Jsq3lity who are over 65 years of age who ft&re resided 25 years in the colony, who have always been of good behaviour; btitiirho' have not been able in that tjime^ to save enough to bring them in .£3O a |ear. As more than half the popula^on is under 21, it seems, on a rough calculation, fylfot about one out of every 15 adult "residents of Westland fulfils a\l the conditions laid down. That district contains & fiftysecond part of the indabitanfs of tfie colony, but on the showing- it takes nearly a thirteenth of the sttmu'ai amount distributed. From a table madeavailable to me I find that, roughly, the amount for which each district rflakeii'th&r colony liable on the basis of population, are :— -Westland, 14s Id per head ; kelson, 4s lOd : Auckland, 3s lOd ; Otago, 3s 7d ; Canterbury, 3s sd ; Marlborougn, 8s Id ; Wellington, 2s 2d ; Hawke's Bay and' Taranaki, Is 8d each. Mr W. Coltman, for eleven years in business in Waimate, as watchmaker and jeweller, finding his room for display inadequate has added another show" window to his establishment. Here he is showing a line of cheap watches, prices of which, as per advertisement, are sure toguarantee a speedy clearance. Bought Cheap, to be sold cheap — 12 Ladies' Cravenette Cloaks in navy, black. fawn and grey shades, with extra deep capes ; usual price 37s 6d, clearing price 7s 6d at Arthur Jones and Co^s. — AbVT. A concert in aid of the school fundswas held in the Waituna schoolroom last evening. There was a good attendance, Mr John Coohrane presiding. Miss Dooley played tli6 overture, and the following programme was gone through to the evident satisfaction of the audience. Songs were sung by Messrs C. J. Goldstone, C. Cholmondeley, G. Miller, and Misses Buckley, Bae, Mrs Jones and Mrs Hamilton, and a duet, Mrs Hamilton and Miss Rae, recitation by Mr J. Smith, humorous reading by Mr Pitcaithley. The audience expressed approval by encoring every performer, and a most enjoyable 'concert was brought to a doie* by singing " Auld Lang Syne," Theroom was then cleared for dancing, and kept up till 3 o'clock, music being supplied by Meyer's string band. Mr Felix Andrews acted as M.C. Mr Miller catered in his usual s^yle. Two Al lines just opened at Arthur Jones' and Co.'s. Ladied' evening shoes in all sizes 2s 6d pair. Ladies^kid slippers with double elastic fronts, sewn soles, all sizes 2s 6d prrir. New 'stock" boots and shoes, all makes, just opened.— Advt.