Our Dunedin Letter

Bruce Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 2955, 26 April 1898, Page 5

Our Dunedin Letter

(From Our Own ConRESponDBNT. ) Monday morning. SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. The Spaniah-Aoaarioau war h creating the utmost excitement in town, and affirls the sole topio of oonveraation. The issues of the newspapers are eagerly sought for the latest intelligonoe. On Sunday night news of the first collision between the parties was expeoted, and the offioa of the ' Daily Times ' was besieged throughout the whole ni^ht by interested inquiries, whlla the telephone inquiries came without intermission. The | ' Timea ' issued ao extra at half- past five on Sunday evening, with the news that the Spanish colony at tbe Puiilipiaea were to be attaoked, and that Cuba would possibly ba 'nvaded and orowded gatherings thenoeforth disoussed in a heated debate the possible chances of tbe contending parties. The Spaniards are born fighter. 1 ), whatever else they may be, they are not oowArdß, they hold life in little regard, so that it is generally thought that America even with her sup rior . resources will have a hard nut to orack before she successfully fulfils her mission Meantime the latest intelligence at the time of writing, ia that each aldo has oaptured a steamship. Doubtless further news will be forthcoming by to-day's cables. THE CIT- ABATTOIRS A great deal of excitement has been oreated amongst the local butchers by the action of tho City Couuoil by refusing to permit butchera to sell meat in the City. The Corporation^ new abattoirs are just about completed. They were instituted ou account of a public agitation which arose through newspaper artioles on the state of affairs of a number of Blaughtsrhousea in the Kaikorai Va'ley, whence the City derived ita meat. When it wa3 decided to erect the abattoirs the greatest amount of opposition was manifested by certain butchers, notably Mr Samson, who was chairman of the Taieri County Connoil, and who did not fail to use his official position to defeat the ends of the City Corporation. However, after a great many delays the abattoirs were ereoted, and qow auother effort waa madß to thwart the scheme. Mr Samaon got the Taieri Council to appoint an inspector of slaughterhouses, and nine other butohers got tbe Roalyn Council to do likewiae. Now the Corporation's Veterinary Surgeon and Inspector reported that some of the evils existing in the slaughterhouses, which resulted in the abattoirs being ereoted, were still noticeable in the slaughterhouses from whioh the recalcitrant nine proposed to get ita meat, so that the Corporation put its foot suddenly and " flat footed'y " down, to use an Americanism, and once for all settled the matter by deciding not to grant a permit to any butcher to sell meat in the City unless the meat first passed through the Corporation's abattoirs, and there is muoh public rejoicing thereat. CORPORATION AFFAIBS. The abattoirs, it may be stated, were due in a great measure to the forward polioy of the late Mr H. S. Fish, tbe Mayor of the City. Mr Fish had for many yeara filled that position, and he had juat got that amount of experience whioh enabled him to enunciate progressive policieß for the benefit of the City when grim death out him off. It is very seldom that we are blessed with a man • f sufficient brains and energy to enable him to lift himself out of the groove of his long line of predecessors, with the result that there are many reforms whioh still remain unac oomplished. One of the greatest reforms that the city stands in need of is a drainage scheme and the evils arising from thia source are growing more and more acute eve»-y day. The garbage of the oity is pitched into the Harbor, and the Harbor Board pays large sums annually to take it out of the ohannel again. Tbus the unfortunate ratepayer ia compelled to pay twice over for thu disposal of hiß sewerage, and after all it finally rests under his very nose along the shores of the bay, a constant monaoe to his health, an • ffence to his x athetic tastes, and a cause of annoyance to hia olfactory organs. EDUCATION BOARD. The Education Board in its newly constituted state met laat week and eleoted Dr Brown as chairman. A noticeable feature of the gathering waa that all the old members dwelt upon the disorder that existed at the meetings under the old regime, and tho m^st dittorderly member of all — Mr J. F. M. Fraaer— dilated upon it to the greatest length. But suoh is tbe world It seems an extraordinary thing that the Borough Council allows one of its servants to mix himself up in matters outside of hia position to such an extent ah to cauße a division in the Board, yet one of the speakers ' referred to one of the parties in the Board >. as the Prydeites. It is to be hoped this state of things will end onoe and for all