LOOKING BACK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 133, 18 March 1939, Page 4

LOOKING BACK.

FIFTY YEARS SYNE. (From “Guardian,” March 18, 1889.) To Kooti. —To Kooti., groat-as was the alarm caused in Gisborne by his threatened re-appearance in the Poverty Bay district, does not appear now—whatever he may have been in time past, at all a formidable man. On the contrary he seems to be a broken-down wreck of his former self, and to have changed from the strong, hold warrior, to a weak timid valetudinarian. He is in a bad state of health, he is afflicted with asthma, and has that hacking cough so common with Maoris. It appears that when he went up from .. Auckland to Mercer the other day he ; could not endure the window of the - railway carriage being open. Besides » which he seemed also timid and frightr , ened, and was much annoyed at the people running round the carriage at the different stations to got a- look -at him. At one place a European, called out: “o,h, the wretch! He ought to be hanged.’’ Te Kooti asked Mr Maekay what the man said, ' and-Mi* Maekay made a faithful interpretation. Te Kooti looked very sad, and said, “1 don’t see why I should be.” TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO (From “Guardian,” March 18, 1914.) A. and P. Auttflmn Show.* —The, Ashr-. burton Agricultural and Pastoral' Association’s thirty-seventh, annual exhibi- ; tion—the second autumn show—was yopened to-day under the most .favour-: able auspices. The following, with last year’s in parenthesis, are the entries : —Sheep 560 (530), cattle 112 (97), • horses 400 (409), pigs_2s (16), dogs 52 (27), dairy produce, etc., 322 (378), farm and garden produce 161 _ (181), schools’ competitions 75 (109), needle and faneywork 41 (96); total 1748 (1.843).' The Drink Bill.—The annual state* ment of the New Zealand drink bill for 1913, furnished by temperance authorities, gives a total of £4,137,653, made up of spirits £1,753,538,'wines £294,112, imported beer £89,763, New Zealand beer £2,000,420. For 1912 the total was £4,081,162, and the increase is £56,491, but taken per head of the population the amount last- year was £3 14s per head, against £3 14s Hid in 1912. The quantities per head work out as: Spirits .78 gallon, wiries.. .181, beer 9.209. The statement points out that the amount spent on liquor would pay the total railway expenditure, interest on the cost of the railways, and leave enough to pay the sick and funeral benefits of all the friendly societies in New Zealand. For a household of five persons, the average yearly expenditure is £lB 10s.