LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7428, 5 March 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

One regrettable feature at the meeting conducted in the Oddfellows' Hall last evening was the presence of seve-ral-young men, who showed by their repeated interruptions that they have yet to learn how to behave themselves.

It seems a pity that public meetings should be so frequently upset in Ashburton by persons who are as devoid of sense and manners as the proverbial hog.

On Saturday a large party from Mount Somers and Springburn went for a picnic to McFarlane's Bush, at Alford Forest. A most enjoyable and instructive time was spent in visiting the bush and admiring the scenery, which is very beautiful. Refreshments in abundance were supplied by the ladies, and after thoroughly enjoying themselves the visitors made a start for home in the evening, says our own correspondent.

Tho National Mortgage and Agency Company, Ashburimi, reports having sold, during the past week, various lots of wheat, aggregating over 20,000 bushels, at from 4s Id to 4s 2d per bushel, prime Tuscan and Velvet bringing the higher price.

Captain Alex. Wilkie is at present spending a holiday in Ashburton among his friends.

Sergeant Fouhy returned to Ashburton yesterday after spending a brief holiday on the West Coast of this island.

At t4ie Timaru Hprticiiltural Society's recent show a special prize was awarded to Messrs Millichamp Bros., of Tinwald, in Class A, highest number of points for flowers and pot plants, with 42 points.

At the Conciliation Board sitting on Wednesday, a musterer stated that he knew of difisatisfaction amongst musterers and shepherds at the wages paid then), but they would not join, the Union or give evidence before the Board lor i'ear of Joeing their employment. Te expected to suffer in that way for giving evidence. Mr Kennedy, who v/as examining the witness, remarked that he was sure that would not be the case, Mr Evans, the farmers' representative, at once said that lie was prepared to give the witness a job, and Mr C. H. Ensor also expressed his willingness to employ him if he. was a good ma|(.

A Wakamii farmer has recently dis ; posed of his season's wheat at 4s Id ji'er bti&bol.

Among the sales at the Aldington market on Wednesday the following were made on behalf of Ashburton farmers: Fat Sheep.—Wethers—Mr W. S. Strange (Tinwald), 53 at 16s lOd to 18s 6d. Ewes —Ashburton client, 58 at 11s to 13s. Fat Lambs—Mr W. F. Magson (Rakaia), 105 at 15s lOd; Mr P. Doig, senior (Chertsey), 150 at 14s Id; Mr W. F. Magson (Rakaia), 77 at 14s; Mr J. Downie (Ghertsey), 50 at 10s 3d to 12s 3d.

When reporting on the Old Man's Home at Ashburton at the Charitable Aid Board meeting yesterday morning, Mr C. J. Harper referred to a difficulty that had arisen relative to tho admission of old age pensioners to the Home. These men handed over their pension, and considered that as they were practically paying for their board they could not be expected to work, and they did not work. Tho secretary suggested that the old age pensioners might be accommodated in a home of their own, but Mr H v Friedlander pointed out that the Board would save nothing by adopting such a proposal.

Despite the heavy rain that fell last evening, the ordinary weekly meeting of the Good Templars Lodge was well attended. The chair was occupied by Bro. F. Barrett, C.T. After the usual correspondence had been attended to, the programme for the ensuing three months was drafted, and was made as attractive as possible. The Lodge was then closed in the ordinary way at an early hour.

A meeting of delegates, representing the various Friendly Society brandies in Ashburton, was held last evening for. the purpose of considering the proposal to hold an annual excursion for members of combined lodges. Suggestions were made and considered at some length, and it was decided that, owing to tho lateness of the season, it was not advisable to run an excursion this year; but a proposition was favourably received for a combined function of lodge members on some half-holiday in the Domain.

While he was speaking at tho Oddfellows'^ Hall last evening the Rev. James Flanagan, the visiting missioner, referred to the class of professing Christian who, as it wore, bottled up their Christianity, as though they hud a.monopoly of the love of Christ. These people, said Mr Flanagan, consider that the church or institution to which they belong is alone on the right track, and that they- only possess Christian love and faith. This was a fallacy, said Mr Flanagan with emphasis, as he had met men associated with the Anglican, Catholic, and other churches who were martyrs for the faith, and whose piety and Christian rectitude was beyond doubt. Men who claimed to have a monopoly of Christianity stood a chance of eventually being .shut out of the Kingdom of God.

Children sometimes furnish instances of rectitude, which shows that they have very early in life, been brought under good influences, and have a very high sense of honour. A few days ago two Ashburton children found a sum of money, and the pains that they took in order that they might find the rightful owner might well be emulated by those who would quietly retain anything so discovered till the owner moved in the matter. They seemed to be having quite an'anxious time while the money was in their custody, and it was with evident relief that it was deposited in the owner's hands.

Despite the unfavourable character of the weather, there was a fairly good attendance at the Oddfellows' Hall last evening to hear the Rev. James Flanagan. The missioner delivered a stirring farewell sermon, and his eloquent exposition of the Scriptures made a deep impression on his hearers. During the evening Mr Stephens, who accompanies Mr Flanagan, rendered several sacred selections with much ability and expression. Altogether, the services in connection with Mr Flanagan's evangelistic visit to Ashburton appear to have been a complete-success. ,: v ■- .

An owner of a steam ploughing plant states that he has already beeii offered the contracts for ploughing 3000 acres of land in various parts of the county.

Owners of threshing machine plants in. the uoner districts complain that they have lost a good deal of coal as a result of pillaging from country flag stations on tho Methven branch line.

Owing to the expected shortage of sheep feed for the coming winter months, and to the prospective high price for chaff, fanners in the Methven and surrounding districts are, keeping an unusually large quantity .of oatsheaves this season. They consider that it will pay them better to cut their oat crop up into chaff than to thresh it.

It is stated that dairy farming in the Clutha district, Otago, is in a prosperous condition, the farmers averaging £12 per annum per cow, in spite of the dry season.

The coming election campaign was discussed by the Auckland Trades and Labour Council on Wednesday evening, states a Press Association telegram. It was resolved that the Council should write to the Political Labour League in Auckland, asking it to co-operate in the revival of tho lines of the Labour Representation Committee, in order to provide a propaganda and get to work for the next election. The trend of the discussion was that labour should be directly represented in Parliament.

• Preliminary stops will be taken by the Government soon to declare a portion of the Urewera country to bo a goldfields area, and when that is done prospecting for gold will be allowed.

At the Conciliation Board sitting on Wednesday a witness described an arrangement with regard to "tuckering" quite new to the Court. The witness was engaged with another man on a farm, and the "boss" allowed the other man 10s per week to provide food for witness. "The tucker was awfully rough," stated the witness ; "a bit of meat and some spuds, sometimes only dry bread and tea, and often only water." He estimated the value of the food supplied him at 2s per week. His mate had said that if he did not have to provide for him, he could have lived on "spuds and milk." "And so," said tho witness, "after three months of it I left him to his spuds and milk."

To-morrow the Arbitration Court will deal with the matter of extending the time granted to the Conciliation Board to make a decision on the farm labourers' dispute. It is the present intention of the Board to close the case on March 26, but it is probable that there will be an extension of time to April 6.

A shipment of grapes, consisting of 653 cases of South Australian^ also a consignment of Victorian, arrived at Dunedin by the Marama on Wednesday. A portion of the South Australian were not packed in punnets, and these wore unfit for human consumption. The Victorian grapes also came without packing, and arrived in indifferent condition. Grapes in good order realised 5d per lb, but others will leave a loss to the shippers.

A Press Association telegram from New Plymouth, referring to the distribution of grass seed to settlers suffering by bush fires, states that though Sir Joseph Ward's telegram was that seed should be furnished to all who had suffered by fire, applicants are being informed that the accommodation for four years without interest is only for settlers unable to purchase seed for themselves.

What must surely be the very highest price ever paid for bread in New Zealand, if not in the whole^world, is recorded oy the Mataura Ensign in a biographical notice of'Mr'D. McLeish, a welHcnown resident of Gore, who died last week. "Mr ' MpLoish, says the Ensign, "came to Dunedin in 1861 at the first of the gold rush, and went up to tho Duustan, Where he started business at his trade. no growl at the price of flour nowadays, and the 41b loaf is considered at famine price when it exceeds 6d. Mr McLeish had to pay £120 a ton for his. Hour on the diggings in those early times—-£2O in Dunedin and £100 cartage to his bakehouse. To repay himself, be charged 10s per Joaf, J

TVliilo delivering his address in the Oddfellows' Hall last evening, tho Row James Flanagan said that ho had listened to preachers who actually belittled Christianity by thoir teachings, and made a man feel that there was no pride in being a man. Hk interpretation of the Scriptures was that there was something ennobling, uplifting and refining associated with their teachings —so much co that to read them piopsrly, or to hear them rightly expounded, must stimulate—even exiiHar-ate—-a man's soul, and fill him with inspiriting consciousness of the dignity of his nature. Horace could strike the stars with his sublime head when he was called a lyric poet, but it wae much more so with the man whose soul was rightly brought into touch with the imperishable majesty and immortal stimulations of the Gospel of Christ.

• Owing to the rain and the sloppy nature of tho playing-grounds in the Domain, several outside fixtures arranged to take place this afternoon have been postponed.

The General Manager of Railways has addressed a circular to the Agricultural Societies, Farmers' Clubs, and others, concerning the by-law gazetted in January la6t, to limitingthe weight of grain to be conveyed in any one sack to 2001b, the regulation to come into operation on February Ist, 1909. All sacks over 2001b will then be charged for conveyance by rail four times the ordinary rates.

With a view to minimising the cruelty of keeping over stock at the abattoir in paddocks devoid of feed, Inspector Zouch is urging on the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals the necessity for the "erection of a cool chamber at the abattoir, so that a much larger number of cattle can be slaughtered almost immediately after the weekly market.

In the provincial district of Wellington there are 4,526,247 sheep, 389,791 cattle, 56,994 horses, and 49,396 pigs.

Some time ago Mr W. H. Zouch, inspector of cruelty to animals, vieited the Mackenzie county, and discovered a "boundary dog" chained up on the road between. Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki. He released the dog, and gave a written warning to the owners not to offend again. Since then, however, ho has ascertained that the dog has been chained up again on the road, and on his representations the police have arranged to secure the dog, and forward it to Mr Zouch, when a prosecution will take place. The chairman, at last night's meeting of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, stated that he hoped an effort would be made to induce all the New Zealand societies to work together for the suppression of the boundary dog. -It would be brought about if approached properly.

Written tenders will be received at the head office of the Railway Department, Wellington, up till noon on the 24th instatit, for the lease of the right of keeping bookstalls at 27 of- the dominion's railway stations, including Ashburton.

Cardinal Moran has informed the Catholic press that he will probably go to Europe this year. He has received a very pressing invitation to the Eucharistic Congress in London, to be held in October, and at which there will be cardinals from the United States, Rome, Spain and Germany, besides other prelates from other parts of the world. It will be the greatest gathering of Catholic ecclesiastics ever seen in England. "Besides," said his Eminence, "I should like to take part 1 in the Pope's Jubilee celebrations in Rome, and I am interested in the university question in Ireland." His Eminence will be 80 years of age in September.

The Chief Constable of Manchester, in an after-dinner speech, told a queer story of a Newton Heath workman's "unfortunate experience" with a policeman. The workman was absent from his work for a fortnight, and when he re-appeared his employer wanted an explanation. And this is how the man gave it: "Well, sir, a fortnight ago I had a great misfortune. I was going home along street, when I found a • policeman leaning against a wall. He seemed to be drunk, and I thought the best thing I could do was to take him to the Newton Heath Police Station. I did so; but the moment I got him there he came to himself, and charged me with being drunk, and the magistrates believed him and gave me fourteen days."

A Maori girl, aged 19, named Jessie Kake, died at a settlement north of Hukerenui, Whangarei. It is reported that she was suffering from inflammation of the lungs, and when her temperature was very high her friends dipped her in a creek, with fatal results. A tangi was held, and the body remained unburied until the police obtained an order for interment from Mr Cotterill, J.P.

The subdivision of the Meadowbank estate, near Palmerston South, recently acquired by the Government, will take place next month. The Land Purchase Board has -just completed the inspection of the Five Rivers estate, in Southland, with a view to its acquisition for close settlement.

Talk just now runs on Socialism. Two ardent Socialists were given a lift from Charleston to Westport, says the News. They endeavoured to convert their driver, who was adamant to their persuasions. They spoko about "Share and share alike," and while doing so, passed two other miners wearily trudging on foot. "Now," said the driver, "here is a chance to show you how you would divide. You have already ridden halfway; give these blokes a show." But) the matter did not strike the Socialists in that light at all, and they continued their ride.

The Levels County Council has had under consideration for some time a proposal to borrow £20,000 for the purpose of metalling or shingling a number of arterial roads, but the scheme was finally rejected yesterday, says the Timaru Herald.