The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, MAY 29, 1888. Three Thousand Race Horses.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2910, 29 May 1888, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, MAY 29, 1888. Three Thousand Race Horses.

In the cathedral city of Christchurcli as well as in the House of Representatives at Wellington, that ingenious instrument of misfortune—the totali-sator--has been weighed in the balance and found to be wanting. The demerits of this popular lottery have on the whole been moro plainly displayed at the Christchurcli meeting where a hundred influential citizeus were assembled, than at the seat of Government, and while M.H.E.'s came to the conclusion that the totalisator ought to be taxed, the Canterbury people were almost unanimous in favor of its abolition. The promoters of the gathering spoke in plain terms of it as" a curse," and adduced some substantial reasons in support of their contention. They declared that last season there were three hundred race meetings in Now Zealand in which- no less than three thousand race horses competed, and they pointed out that this number of steeds would require the unremitting attention of some three or four thousand meni They ask whether a young country like this can stand so large a proportion of its adult population being absorbed in unproductive employmqnt. They argue that the gambling fostered by the totalisators is antagonistic to that spirit of thrift which is so essential to overcome the existing and widespread depression. They point to the demoralisation which is engendered when i women throng the totalisator and catch the gambling fever. They find that the wives of families of the working men of Canterbury we frequently brought to a condition of destitution by the loss of wage earnings which are engulfed in the totalisator. No less than £OOO,OOO goes in one season into the maw of this fashionable gambling machine, and large slices of this vast sum are the bread and meat and clothing of thousands of the women and of the children of the colony. It was once thought that the worst evils of -race gambling would be modified by the introduction of the totalisator, and when the instrument began to ruin the trade of bookmakers, too much could not be said in its praise. Unfortunately, however, the old proverbs about the danger of playing with edged tools and about the consequences ; of touching pitch have been verified. A milder form of the gambling fever was produced by the wisdom of the legislature, but the extent of it was multiplied ten and twenty fold, so that the remedy lias proved worse than the disease. A few years ago a handful of initiated sportsmen did business with bookmakers, but outsiders held aloof and attendednieetingg for the sake of the racing. Now the outsiders are in the thick of it with the totalisator. The Canterbury people have made out a strong case, not for taxing the totalisator, but for abolishing it. If it were to go, what would become of our three thousand race, horses ? Yery many of tliern no doubt would be at once put to earn then 1 keep by honest work as hacks, and others might go to India as military remounts, There are certainly more

acers in the colony than we can afford to train or to keep, and tho Olii'istcliuvck citizens deserve the thanks of the colony for calling attention to one of the big leaks through which tho money of the working man of Now Zealand disappears.

Tho English Derby will bo run tomorrow,

At tho Christchurch Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday John Henry Donovan, an old offender, was sontenced to fifteen mouths lmrd labor for obtaining money under pretence that ho was collecting for starviug families of tho unemployed, A telegram from lnvercargill states that at a meeting cf settlers at Thorbury it was decided to ask the Government to forthwith stop tho importation of stoats, ferrets, weasels or other vermin, which are considered detrimental to settlement, and ineffectual in eradicating rabbits,

The Rink fixtures for tho week are published in another column, It will bo seen that tho proprietor introduces another novelty on Saturday night.

The cost of collecting the Customs revenue last year was only £2lss fid per cent, as compared with £4 Cs 8d per cent, in tho United Kingdom for tho year ending 31st March, The new Licensing Act.in Victoria recognises the principles of Local Option, and gives tho power to the electors to close publichouses, but it also admits the claim of the publican to compensation. A cottage and two and a quarter acres, of land (which includes an acre of orchard) is advertised to be let. This property is situated near tho Euripuni Railway Station.

The regular meeting of tho Mastcrton Borough Council takes place this evening, Tho adjourned special meeting for tho purpose of receiving the annual balance sheet will also bo held,

The time for closing tenders tor the erection of a two-storey house .it Eketaliuna is extended to Monday, Juno 4th. Plans and specifications may be 6een at Messrs Lowes and lorns' Masterton Rooms up to Friday, June lafc. Half a million is in process of being invested in coffee palaces in Melbourne, £200,000 being already laid out in sucli establishments, "The Federal," which has cost £IIO,OOO, is near completion; " The Grand" lias cost £75,000. There are 1400 bedrooms in the coffee palaces of Melbourne, providing 1800 beds The vestry of St. John's Church, Roslyn, having made certain representations to the incumbent with respect to ritualistic observances, and having held several meetings without any satisfactory result, seven out nf the nine vestrymen and the two churchwardens havo resigned their seats, and presented a requisition for a parish meeting to consider the whole question.

The poll in Masterton to-morrow fur the purpose of determining whether the number of publicans, Now Zealand wine, accomodation, or bottle licenses respectively may be increased within the said district, is unlikely to creato much interest, We have more hotels now in the to t Yn than can be supported by our local trade, and no man in the community is mad enough to seek to increase the number of them.

The following team has been selected to represent to Rival Football Club (Carterton), in their match against the Greytown Club for the Senior Cup of the Union, on Saturday next, at Groytown; Back, J. Moore; three-quarters, Baumber, Snodgrass, Porter; halves, T. Kemble, Richmond; forwards, Reid (captain), Tyler, Eaton, Fairbrother, T. Moore, Smith, Eagle, A. Nicholson, R, Kemble; emergencies - forwards, M. Nicholson, McKenzie; backs, King.

Mr E. V, Dixon made a curious discovery in the Gorge at the time he was erecting one of the iron bridges for the Gorge railway (says the Bush Advocate. In digging out the foundation for one of them he came across a maori relic of very ancient make, judging from its appearance and tlio depth at which it was fouud, and possibly centuries have passed since it was deposited there. It lay buried fully 12ft do,vn in a compact mass of clay and'boulders under an overhanging rook. Mr Dixon, who is an efficient Maori scholar, and well versed in Maori lore, pronounced it to be manufactured of a human thighbone. It is about eight inches long, and has three distinct barbs filed out along its inner side. These barbs make the relic cither a weapon of war or the hunt, or were intended as a record of time. In the latter case it was, in Mr Dixon's opinion, belonging to a race inhabiting the country before t!)e arrival of the Maoris. The curio may bo aeon at the office of the Advocate,

An interesting paper was lately read bpfore tho Academy of Moral and Political Soionces in Paris by a French gentleman who had tried ii) 18G3 to get a subsidy from the Prussian Goyernment for tho foundation in Berlin o? a branoh international school, in which pupils were to study the languages of different countries, going from one to the other. M. Rendu, the gentleman in question, saw Prince Bismargk, and made his request, " Prussia is a country of beggars," answered Bismarck. '' Tho idea is a good one for you pewple, who literaily reek with gold and silver; butl have other fish ; to fry; and, besides, you must understand that wo are not the people whose interest it is to encourage such studies. Wo Germans are conversant with French and English, particulaily with the former, almost from birth; while you French have the .audacity as well as the dis- : advantage to know no language but your own,' We want to put a stop to that audacity," The Chanoellor went on 'to say that he intended some day to have his despatches written in German, and added, " I shall find means to make them understood in France." Tho means have been pretty effectual, for every school and college in France to day gives Germany a foremost place in its list of studies, M. Rendu might have taken a leaf out of the French nobleman, who in Vienna was asked how it was that; the Viennese all spoko his language whilst he did not know a word of theirs I 'l conclude," said tho Frenchman, ''that it is because wc have been bo often here to teach you, • The correspondent of the Telegraph reports an amusing case that was brought before the Dunedin City Police Court last Saturday, when John Burk, who had created a diversion at tho Voluntesr parade oil the Queen's Birthday, was charged with drunkenness. The prisoner, who pleaded guilty, said that it was owing to his having only got out of prison yesterday, and, it beir.g the Queen's Birthday, ho felt called on to drink her Most Gracious Majesty's health. Unfortunately, howover, some friends of Jii3 overstepped the bounds of hospitality, and got him locked up. Ho had made arrangements for leaving here by steamer, and, under the circumstances, would ask tho Bench to exercise the prerogative of her Most Gracious Majesty, and show him their merciful clemency. The Bench stopped the accused in the midst of an eloquent harangue, and sentenced him to a month's imprisonment with hard labor. Upon this the prisoner smote his forehead with his open hand, and, turning his eyes upwards, exclaimed, with a theatrical air, " God savo Ireland,"

The Manchester cup of 2000 sovs was won-by Lord Bradford's br c Merry Andrew,

Notice is given iu another column that the Elite Roller Skating Rink, will be opened in the Drill Hall on Friday evening next.

Mr Lillywhite intimates that on his return lie will play a combined North Island football match at Auckland, and combined South Island match at Dunedin.

The police have received intelligence that a man named Green aged 08 years has been missing from the Village Settlement, Pahiatua, since Wednesday last.

The services ofMrScalo as bailiff at Grey town and the Lower Valley has been dispensed with and his work has beon put upon the local constables on tho scoro of economy, the department making a saving of £IOO per annum by the change. At the Takapuna local option poll on Saturday 52 votes woro recorded for the Increase of licenses and 31 against, Hitherto there has been no licensed house in the district. •

Tenders for 9 chains road work in Smith-street and Dixon-street, and 19 chains in George-street and Junctionstreet, close to-day at 6 p.m at the Town Clerk's office. An election of a member to fill an extraordinary vacancy in the Mauricevillo Road Board will tako place on the 18th June. Nominations close with the Returning Officer at the Schoolhouse, Mauricoville, on the 9th June.

" Trial by Jury" will be reproduced at the Theatre Royal on Thursday, 7th June.

"We remind those interested that a poll on the proposal to borrow a sum of £260 under the Local Bodies Loans Act for expenditure in metalling on tho Te Oro Ore Bideford Road, will be takon at tho Wangaehu Schoolhouse between tho hours of!) a,ni, and fi p.m. on Saturday tho 2nd day of June. Wo learn by wire from lnvercargill that the Chief Surveyor has invited applications from the unemploytd who wished to obtain work at road-making in localities about 30 miles from town. Seventy-two men applied, of whom G2 are married, with families rangiug from one to ten children, The wa<?es are 4s Gd for married men, and 3s Gd for single.

The following team has been selected to represent the Red Star club in the junior cup match with tlio second fifteen of Masterton on Saturday next, at 2.30 sharp, on tho Masterton Club ground, Worksop road i-Back—D'Arcy; three-quarters-It, Thompson, J. McCarthy; halves—E. Felling, Alb. Hoar, Watson; forwards—Emmett (captain), Iggulden Wilsone, Thomas, 0. Ewington, Walter Welch, O. Percy, Alf. Hoar, R. Bannister. Emergencies—Backs—Hawke, T. Thompson; forward—J. Percy, R, Martin.

The Wairarapa Exhibition Committee held a meeting yesterday, at which there was a good attendance, Tho Rev. Mr Rowse occupied the chair. A sub-com-niittee consisting of Messrs 1. Mackay, B. P. Perry, and E. McEwen, wore appointed a deputation to wait upon His Worship the Mayor, with a view to getting a half holiday proclaimed on the first day of the Exhibition. It wa3 decided to admit all school children on the afternoon of the second day of the Exhibition at 3d per head. The Secretary reported favorably of upon his visit to Wellington, and his success in obtaining the presence of Sir George Grey, and the member for the district, Mr George Beetham, at the opening ceremony and; and also as to train arrangements. It was resolved to present an address to Sir George Grey upon the occasion. Tho time of opening the Exhibition was fixed at 1.30 p.m on the first-day, and 10 a.m on the second day, the price of admission to be Is, children half price. Offers from Pearson's and the Volunteer Brass Bands to play on alternative nights were received and accepted with thanks, The Secretary and assistant were instructed to get exhibits catalogued as early as possible so that the Committee could arrange space, It was decided to invite all ladies and gentlemen who were willing to take part in the musical programme to meet at Mr Mackay's rooms, Central Chambers, at 7.30 on Wednesday evening.

.Working-Men— Before you begin your heavy spring work after a winter of relaxation, your system needs cleansing and strengthening to prevent an attack of Ague, Billious or Spring Fever, or some other Spring sickness that unfits you for a season's work, You will save time, much sickness and great oxpense if you will use ono bottle of Dr. Soule's American Hop Bitters in your family this month. Don t wait. "Burlington Hawkoye. 1 '

A Good Housewife.—The good housewife when giving her houso its spring renovating, should bear in mind that the dear inmates of her house are more precious than many houses, and that their systems need cleansing by purifying the blood, regulating the stomach and bowels to preyentand cure the diseases arising from spring ijjalarja and miasma, and she must know that there is nothing that will do it so perfectly and surely as Br. Soiilo'a American Hop Bitters, the pure sfc and best of medicines. "Concord N, H. Patriot."

Gentlemen are respectfully requested to potipo that we have recently opened a large and welUppointed fitting and show-room in connection with the Tailoring Department at To Aro House, Wellington, This large and convenient room is on tho same floor as the clothing department, but is devided from it by a permanent partition wall, thus ensuring the necessary privacy. Our cutter is here always in attendance to show the various tweeds, trouserings, coatings, overcoatings, etc., and to take orders and measurements from gentlemen visiting Tc Aro House, Wellington, We are showing in this room a well-selected stock of English, Sootoh, Continental, and Colonial tweeds, coatings, suitings, overcoatings, that have only beeii recently received, We cordially invite inspection,and our cutter will be pleased to give quotations for any garment that may be desired, and to show every possible attention to the visitors to the Tailoring department at To Aro House, Wellington,

Wo guarantee a llvst-olass fit in every ease, and warrant the best workmanship, and out cutter is not only able to perfectly fit the " human form divine," but is possessed of more than ordinary taste and style, and customers may therefore with confidence depend on these qualities whengiving their orders in the Tailoring Department of the Wholesale Family Drapery Warehouse, Te Aro House, Wellington,