Local and General.

Clutha Leader, Volume XX, Issue 1027, 30 March 1894, Page 6

Local and General.

It is reported that the Attorneygeneral will next session introduce a measure of wide legal reforms, particularly affecting the higher court. Colonel Fox has resigned the post of commandant of the volunteers of the colony, his resignation to take effect from April 1. The Daily Times Wellington correspondent says that the resignation comes as a surprise to the public, though it has been an oppn secret among those interested in. the defences of the colony that strained relations have existed between the two personages most concerned for sometime past. The North Otago Times characterises thtt Alcoholic Liquors Sale Control Act as being one of the worst drawn up acts that was ever shot on the legislative rubbish heap. The number of men employed on cooperative works at the end of February was 2062. They are now being reduced by 25 per cent., the alleged reason for tin's reduction being to liberate labor for the settlers during harvest. But the harvest labor is now over almosc everywhere in the colony. Mr Justice Windeyer, of Sydney, recently granted 11 rules nisi in divorce in one day. Mrs Ballauce, widow of the late Premier, intends to visit Ireland and see her late husband's relatives, and then return to Wanganui, which will be her future home. It is suggested by the Chronicle (London) that women in districts other than New Zealand to whom voting power of any sort has ?>een given, and [ who hitherto have failed to realise the power for good which it confers on them, might well ' take a lesson from their sisters in New Zealand.' In • the course of an article on the result of the, election last week the Southland Times says : — The leap to prohibition at once, which was possible under the Act, would undoubtedly have been too great and would have involved consequences which the soberminded and thoughtful in the community could not have made up their minds to face. The same view need not be taken if in three years the extreme change should ensue, and the intervening time may be looked upon as a space in which the holders of stocks and licenses may be putting their house iv order, having regard to a contingency that may possibly, arise. Seeing the strength of the temperance party both in the House of Representatives and outside of it, it is not unlikely that some of the safeguards against sudden prohibition may within three years be removed, and it is certain that at the next poll there will be fewer informal votes. Thus, oven, without reckoning a large increase in the temperance feeling, which is by no means unlikely, there may exist conditions that will make prohibition q-uite possible when thrpe years have run,

The other day a resident in Brunswick, Melbourne, fell from the tof> of an old brick kiln and was very seriously if not fatally hurt. The man and his family had been .singularly unlucky during the past two year?. Their house had been burned ; two of the children had been drowned in a waterhole and the father had just recovered the use of a broken leg when the more serious disaster befel him. Kerr's confectionery works at Sawyers Bay were burnt down on Tuesday forenoon. The fh^r broke out in the engine-room close to the boiler and rapidly spread. Thp building and plant are. insured for L7OO. During the sermon in the Wesleyan Church last Sunday evening, the preacher (Mr Featherstone) to make his discourse more effective, rendered a solo at one stage. This is a View departure in the pulpit, and the diversion was highly appreciated. — - Tapanui Courier. " ~ The Timaru Milling Co.'s annual report shows a loss of L3OOO. On account of the low prices ruling for wheat a year ago a large stock was laid in, an advance being looked for. This was not realised and, with keen competition among millers, resulted' in the loss. Among the numerous anecdotes told in connection with the late election the Oarnaru Mail has the following : — A prominent supporter of the • moderate ' ticket noted for his argumentativeness, was waylaid on his way to vote at a late hour by a fair prohibitionist, and so well did she play her cards and cajole her innocent victim into the belief that his eloquence was convincing her of the error of her ways that * the clock struck the hour of retiring' before the unsuspecting voter realised that he was one of the foolish virgins, if we may be allowed the paradox, and that his vote was lost. But the fun was not all on one side. On Good Friday night a woman entered one of the hotels with a billy, and demanded beer. -The publican, in a sudden access of Puritanic' Sabbatarianism, and perhaps a trifle suspicious of the lady's bona tides, took the billy outside and filled it with milk, and, replacing the lid, returned' it. Subsequently, on seeing the lady joined outside by two prohibitionists, he turned round and patted his own back at his astuteness. Mr Maxwell publishes a letter, in the Wellington Post, touching the appointment of Mr Scott as a Commissioner of Railways. He quotes Mr Seddon's recent speech at Shannon, c As for Mr Scott's appointment, the requirements of the workshops and of locomotive construction had rendered the change expedient, and Mr Scott's experience, the uniform success which had attended everything he had taken in hand, and his sound commercial knowledge, marked him out as a man fitted for the appointment.' Mr Maxwell then proceeds, ' As the press of the Colony has taken no notice of the unfortunate statement, of- the Premier, it becomes my duty as a colonist to "point out tho very serious position indicated. It was my misfortune, as general manager', to be directed by the Government to draw up a contract for the construction of some locomotives in the Colony from the raw material by colonial labor exclusively. I do not desire to say a word against Messrs Scott Bros., but it is to be sincerely hoped that some member will demand that the original contract, the correspondence between the inspectors, the Locomotive Superintendent and the General Manager, the Ministers, the Crown law officers, and all other documents and accounts should be published, and let the public judge for themselves whether it is right or not that any member of the firm of Scott Bros, should be appointed to exercise any control over the Locomotive department, or the officers who were responsible for seeing that Messrs Scott Bros, faithfully fulfilled the terms of their contract with the Government railways.'