LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXI, Issue 7913, 29 September 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Complaints were made at the last meeting of the Wellington City Council about the dirty state of several of the principal streets. Cr McLaren stated that m many instances quantities of paper, rubbish, and other things were noticeable m the streets. It was decided to instruct the city engineer to report on the subject.—lt would be better if the townspeople could bo taught to acquire the 6elf-respect and to exhibit the public spirit, which, incities and towns of Germany and Hoi-! land, make such rubbish m the streets an. impossibility. Throughout the whole city of Dresden it is hardly possible at any time to find a scrap of castaway paper, an orange peel or any such rubbish—just because the people have the true genuis; for sanitation, an artistic abhorrence for unsijghtliness, and real consideration for each other. Why do New Zealand towns not emulate this civic culture and social gra-

ciousness?

Tie band contest to be held at Kaiapoi on Labour Day has attracted an entryr of sixty-nine for the solo competitions.

A man who'was wanted by the police for the theft of a rug at Ruapuna last month was arrested at Coalgate yesterday..

Mj- Robert Gufchrio, Fairlie, Burko's Pass;' Mr R. Parish, Ashley, North Canterbury, and Mr H. M. Reeves, Carar, Ashburton, who are inspecting the Crown lands m the back country, the leases of which will expire m March, 1911, arrived m Ashburton to-day, and went on to Mount Somers by the evening train. The Commission will bo accompanied by Mr McKenzie, stock inspector, and Mr Branigan, rabbit inspector.

The Primitive Methodist choir has been practising for some weeks past the popular cantata "Bethlehem," which'will be produced m the church to-morrow night. The proceeds are to be gi^en to the circuit fund. The choir jfe under the conductorship of Mr J. H.fJones, while Mrs W. McDonald is leader of the orchestra. "Bethlehem is a beautiful musical story, and, it is Understood, the chief characters have fcen entrusted to capable vocal-1 ists. ;'i

A Maori who died at Waihi, near Waitara, the other day was reputed to beover 100 years old.

A movement is om foot to form a federation of the various furniture workers' unions of the' dominion* A conference of delegates of the different unions will be held m Wellington during the first week In October to discuss the proposal, which lias emanated from the local Union-.

A correspondent .of ,the King Country Chronicle states that he recently saw nine staunch . horses valiantly struggling, through the great Ohura sea ;(th'e Gmira road) with a paltry 25cwt load. The colour-of the horses was indistinguishable through their generous coating of papa mud.

The new p6st office at Auckland, to be erected on the water front, will have to be founded on piles. These will be of ferro-conerete, and a large number have already been made.

At Rochester recently two workmen were each awarded pne penny a week compensation for injuries.—No doubt those against whom the order was made will shortly seek the merciful protection of the Bankruptcy Court.

A well-known dairy farmer of Gummies Bush district (Southland) expressed the opinion that dairying would pay if the price of butter-fat were reduced to 8d per lb.

Mrs Rache, of Bluespur, has been granted a bronze medal for lace shown at the Franco-British Exhibition held last year at Shepherd's Bush, near London. ■■ , ■'.■;,.

Judging by the signs (says the Wyndham Farmer), it seems more than probable that at least two new dairy factories will be established next season m the district—one m the vicinity of the Menzies Ferry School and another on the Wyndham Ridges.

Thirteen hundred trains (not counting goods trains) pass through Clapham Junction m one day. This must remind New Zealanders m England of such places as the Havelock street railway crossing, Ashburton, and the rush and roar at the Rakaia railway station. ■"..•...

M. Bleriot's monoplane, the first aeroplane to fly across the Channel, has been purchased by the Matin for the sum of £400. The aeroplane is to be presented to the Government, who will place it m one of the French museums.

At the 1 Salt Palace cycling track, Salt Lake City, America, on August 3, Fred. Wells, of Havelock, New Zealand, won the Mile Handicap Professional Race, and the Salt Lake Tribune states that he "beat all the best men on th© track." The cream of the professional riders of the States are said to competo on this track.

Christchurch is having a great deal of trouble with its high pressure water supply, through the mains being imperfectly jointed. A large number of bad joints have been found through leaks, a few of them causing considerable damage. On .Monday night Colombo street m Sydenham was practically blocked for trams and other vehicles by a leak which caused a subsidence m the street, and men were at work all night at repairing the damage.

A blight m tomatoes has broken out m various parts of the Auckland province, Waikumete growers especially complaining that the prospects for the coming season are anything but satisfactory, and hot-house growers have already lost very heavily, one wellknown fruit-grower, Mr C. T. Spearpont, having only succeeded m saving 700 out of 5000 plants. The plants seem to bo affected by the Irish blight, and continued wet and damp weather is supposed to have been m a measure responsible for the outbreak.

Dr Arthur, president of the Immigration League of Australasia, has received^ communication from the High Commissioner of New Zealand, relative to a proposal to invite a commission of Scottish farmers to Australasia, statins; that the matter had been placed before Sir Joseph Ward when m London. Sir Joseph had decided that the >Tpw Zealand Government would welcome, the agricultural commission to New Zealand, if it should be found practicable for the commission to visit the dominion. This probably means (the Sydney Morning Herald says) that the New Zealand Government would be prepared to bear part of the- expenses.

The attendance of two members of the Government at the recent opening of Tattersalls' Club m Wellington was referred to by the president of the Christchurch Presbyterian Church Association last night. Mr James Mitchell moved —"That this meeting enter an emphatic protest against the action of the Acting-Premier and the Minister of Railways m attending the opening of a Tattersalls' Club m Wellington, and by their presence giving countenance to gambling, and that a copy of this resolution bo forwarded to the, Ministers concerned." Mr George Burn, who seconded the motion, said the action of the Ministers was scandalous, and they should be made to realise that they had outraged public opinion m New Zealand. The motion was carried unanimously.

Exchange agreements by which one party exchanges property with another are quit© common m practice, as a solicitor said m the Supreme Court m Wellington. Ho added that it was a new system that had come into vogue recently. Mr Justice Chapman remarked that it was a system that did not obtain m any other part of New Zealand, and that stamp duty did not appear to check it. The witness replied that it was not the slightest check, and,' as a matter of fact, the exchange agreement was regarded by both parties as a handy method of getting over the stamp duty. It had developed into a fine art m Wellington.

At the annual meeting of the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company, which was held last week, the chairman said that tliey had experienced a very good year. The company's operations showed an increase of 6000 sheep, 36,500 lambs, and 1250 cattle, frozen m quarters. There had been a decrease of 3535 m boned cattle, the number dealt with this year amounting to only 65. The- number of pigs dealt with this year was a little over 1100, as compared with 5300 last year. Tho fruit-chilling branch had been a great success, but he wished to sound a warning against forwarding anything but the right class of fruit. Eggs showed a better record than last year, the loss after storage being between 3 to 3$ per cent. .

i "Canada," said Mr Mark Cohen I (editor of the Evening Star) to a Post representative last week, "is going to be the granary of the Empire. New Zealand cannot long retain her hold on the wheat market. Look here, look there!", said he, pointing gut of the window of the railway carriage m which he was travelling; "A few years ago those lands would have been covered with wheat, but now —turnips!" Canada, with her two crops of wheat m a single year, and her nearness to the Home market, must hold the trump card. She could get her wheat on the market before New Zealand's crops rounded the Horn. Mutton and butter were going to be' our staple products, and good., reliable products they were, too.

Something Better.—Nowadays folks are all on the look-out for cheapness m the necessaries of life, and while this is reasonable and wise,' if not carried too far, still the public will not, bo humbugged by clap-trap, and anyone who is simple enough to imagine that they can obtain something forj nothing will certainly be disappointed and disillusioned sooner or later. G. H. Carson believes that honesty is the best policy, and when he offers a £12 10s bicycle with first-grade tyres, etc., for £11 5s cash, yon may depend it represents extraordinary good value. The equipment of this bicycle is so good that by substituting cheaper tyres, saddles," and other fittings;, it could easily be sold for £9 15s; btit you will see for yourself that quality always wins, and Carson's value is nnapproachahl©. 9 ™

Mr Slaymaker, whose popularity as a cutter increases every visit, may be again consulted at Strange and Co.'s Agency on Saturday next, October 2nd. 9 423

It is understood that the newly-a{);-pointed Justices of the. Peatse m this county will be sworh m on Friday next by Mr V. G. Day, S;M:

The combined debating.club's of Asjiburton will, hold a Mock Parliament m the Oddfellows' Hall to-night. The sitting will be continued to-morrow night. *

Mr Bates telegraphed to-day as follows : Northerly moderate to strong winds ; expect unsettled and cloudy weather ; rain is probable, and a storm area appears to be approaching from the northward. The indications are for a continuance of wet weather.

It is said that the Government^auditor lias, m the balance-sheet of the Timaru Borough Council, objected to one'item this year, which, he has passed m precisely similar form for the past eight years.

"The national vice of our country," said Mr D. Bates at the meeting of the Christchurch Presbyterian Association last night, "is, I thirik, pleasure combined with gambling. There are worse vices, but they are nothing liko aa common;" „

Tlie South Canterbury Trotting Club intends to hold a race meeting on January 20, 1910.

Messrs Price Brothers, of the Thames Iron Foundry, have received official information from the Government that their tender has been accepted for constructing ten railway locomotives. The firm is just completing,a contract for ten 70-ton engines, which have been highly praised by the Railway Department and the Government.

At the Christchurch Magistrate's Court oil Tuesday, Christian John. Taylor (Mr Leatjiem), who had been convicted of obtaining money by false pretences, appeared for sentence. : He was admitted, to probation, for ;-six months and ordered to refund the misappropriated money and abstain from liquor.

At a conference held oil Tuesday between the committee appointed by the Board of Governors of Canterbury Agricultural College and the Education Board m reference to the Education Board's proposal to establish scholarships m agriculture^ points were considered by the conference, as to whether the College. Board should receive £20 for each scholarship, ■' no charge being made to the student ; and also at what age students should be eligible for scholarships. In reference to the question of age, it was stated that the Education Board's regulations made it possible for a boy 1 to hold an agricultural scholarship at the age of fourteen years, while the College regulations did not permit of scholars entering under the age of sixteen. ' '

Asked what he thought of the low prices of mutton at Home, Mr Mark Cohen, who has just returned from the Press Conference, said that it was no doubt an unpleasant set-back, but the prices would soon pick up. It must be remembered that wool and mutton were seldom low together, and if the farmer was getting poor prices for his meat, he was getting good prices ioi his wool. From present indicat'o >.-., he thought wool prices were going to put up a record this year.

The greater number of the fat and store sheep that changed hands at the 'i'inwald yards on Tuesday were secured by Christchurch buysrs, who appeared to have the fullest confidence m the future of the stock market. It is understood that several dealers who bought sheep m South Canterbury less than two weeks ago, sold at Tuesday's market at prices showing an advance of well over two shillings per head.

Mr E. W. Porritt, solicitor, of Pa«roa, has been appointed a Stipendiary Magistrate. He is a son of the Rev. T. Porritt, of Featherston. Of lateyears he has practised his profession m Paeroa, and as he will be stationed m one of the South Island mining. districts, the special knowledge * he has acquired m such a district (says the Post) will be of great value to him ac magistrate and goldfields warden. Mr Porritt is a son-in-law of the Rev. J. Paterson, of Wellington. •

Speaking to a reporter at Christchurch, Mr G. Hogben, InspectorGeneral of Schools, said that the School Journal has now become, thoroughly well established m the popularity of the children, who look forward to tho arrival of copies each month. At the Normal School m Christchunh he asked one little girl, who had a copy of the Journal m her hand, if she liked it. "Oh, yes," she said; "I have read this one three times." The Journal, apparently, is giving the children a marked taste for extensive reading, as it opens up to them wide fields of information.

Mr J. Inglis Wright, secretary and treasurer of the Foreign Mission Board of the New Zealand Churches of Christ, gave an address to the members of the Ashburton, church on Tuesday evening, on the church niission work m Bulawnyo, South Africa. Several views of the progress of the work during the past ten years were shown by lantern slides. The address was instructive and interesting throughout, and at the close votes or thanks were accorded to Mr Wright, 'for the address, and to Messrs Greenwood and A. Olsen for their assistance with the illustrations. • :. '

Tho Baptist Young Men's' Mutual Improvement Society held the- final meeting of the session last evening, when there was a. large attendance, and the president (Rev. W. Lambert) occupied the chair. The secretary; (Mr W. Inwood) read the annual report, giving a brief outline of the work during the past year, which was considered highly satisfactory. The journal was read by tho editor (Mr L. GreensTade), and its articles called forth a very lively and profitable discussion; the editor being r warmly congratulated on his efforts. A sdrig was contributed by Miss Andrews, and the remainder of the ■evening was devoted to' games, etc. Supper was handed round by the young men, and a very enjoyable gathering was thus brought to a. close/

A meeting of the committee of the Ashburton Lawn Tennis Club was held on Tuesday evening, with ■.Mr .P. H. Cox m the chair, and a good attendance of members. After, discussion, it it was.decided to enter into■"negotia- | tions with St. Mary's Tennis .Club regarding the lease or purchase of the Domain asphalt courts. The following motions were also carried : To" charge 2s 6d per season for lockers m the pavilion, keys to be obtained from the secretary ; to procure ani entry-box with a view to collecting entries and entrance fees for tournaments ; to discontinue the practice of selling balls to members ; to arrange a match for the opening day (October 13) ; that the final for the ladies' singles handicap be played off before the opening of the season ; that all male members willing to assist m marking out the courts and acting as caretaker of the pavilion should hand m their names ; and that as many members as possible should meet on the ground on October 7th for the purpose of overhauling the wire-netting and putting the courts generally m playing order for the opening of the season. A vote of thanks to the chairman brought the meeting ,to a close.

Messrs Manchester Bros., grooers, Saunders' buildings, are now condjDtlng a bargain sale of crockery ai,d glassware goods.