The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA: FRIDAY, OCT. 30, 1896.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXIII, Issue 1165, 30 October 1896, Page 4

The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA : FRIDAY, OCT. 30, 1896.

It seems a curious anomaly that while laws are passed for the protection of property as well as life and while many of the supporters of the present Government advocate a single tax, that tax being imposed on land alone, yet the possession of property is not now permitted to have any influence in connection with representation in parliament. Up till the recent session every person of the age of 21 years who was possessed of a freehold estate situated in any district, of the value of L 25 was entitled to be registered as an elector and was entitled to vote for a mejaber of the House of Representatives for such district. But this qualification is done away with by the the Electoral Act of last session which provides that " From and after the coming into operation of this Act, no person shall be ([registered on any electoral roll in respect of a non-resi-dential qualification. Provided that nothing herein contained shall affect the validity of the existing registration of any person who at the time of coming into operation of this Act is registered on any roll in respect of a nonresidential (property) qualification." Thus the names of those already registered on a property qualification will be retained on the roll but no newnames can be added except on a residential qualification. The only qualification for registration now is that the applicant is 21 years of age or upwards, that he or she has resided for one year in the colony and for three months immediately preceding the registration of the vote in the electoral district for which he or she claims to vote. It will be regarded by many that the franchise has now been brought as low as it is possible to bring it and that the rights and privileges of the individual have been restricted to the narrowest possible limits. We are, however, by no means satisfied that such is the case. But for the fact that the R) 7 es of the people are being opened to the offensive and autocratic rule of the present Government ancl that a large majority of candidates for political honois declare in favor of having the premier and other members of the executive elected by the House of Re? presentatives — but for these considerations we believe but few virould be surprised were next parliament to enact yet another Electoral Act, abolishing the now solitary residential qualification and replacing it by one of color — political color. This is the standard by which appointments, promotions, dismissals, etc., in connection with the civil service are regulated, and by which public money is expended throughout the country. It is the standard by which the Premier selects the " Government candidate " in every electoral district, and it would necessitate only a very slight alteration of 'the " Liberal " programme to make it the standard for admission to the privilege of the franshiso. We believe, however, that the people of New Zealand are now awakening to a sense of the servility and degradation to which they are gradually bei:.g reducec'^nd that at the ensuing poll they moan to throw off this bondage and determine not only to be free but to act the part of free men men and free women and maintain thair rights as ditiztns of a free country.

Some correspondence unavoidably Held over this week. A concert in aid of the Waitepeka school funds will be held on Wednesday evening. Mr J. D. Sievwright has declined to discuss the question of prohibition with the Rev. L. M. Isitt. The Rev. L.-M. : Isitt has been induced to pay another visit to Balclutha and deliver one of 'his lectures on the drink question on Friday 6th November in M'Kenzie's Hall. We call" attention to the meeting in connection - with the Dunedin Starr Bowkett Building Society to be held in the Borough Chambers this evening and at Kaitangata tomorrow night. Mr W. S. Mosley invites the ratepayers of the Matau Riding to meet him at the Stirling school on the evening of Monday 9th November. He had the date fixed for Friday 6th, but postponed it is in consequence of Mr James Allen's meeting being for that night. A meeting of the Industrial Exhibition arid Hobby Show Committee was held last week when judges were appointed for the various "classes and other details arranged. It was decided that entries for class 6 be closed on November 25th instead of Ist December as previously advertised. The Kakapuaka school was examined by Inspector Fitzgerald last week, with a most satisfactory result, the per centage of passes obtained being 100. The condnct of the scholars was equally satisfactory. Miss M'Laren, the teacher, is to be congratulated on these exceptional results. A Balclutha breach of promise case is likely to occupy the attention of the Supreme' Court in December. Messrs Stout Mondy and Sim are acting for the plaintiff and Mr Solomon for the defendant. An action for defamation of character against the same defendant is also on the tajns t the same counsel being engaged. There is a probability of the Otago Farmers' Co-operative Association establishing an agency in Balclutha. The Chairman, Mr Harrison and Vice-chairman, Mr Ryder, are now here for the purpose of ascertaining what support would likely be accorded them. Their stay is of too short duration to admit of a complete tour of the district, but arrangements have been made for several meetings to be addressed as advertised elsewhere, and we understand that the subjects to be dealt with are both interesting and instructive. It is therefore to be hoped that every farmer will strive to attend the nearest meeting and help to welcome the visitors. The Stirling Literary Society closed its session on Wednesday evening, when the meeting was held in the hall, which was packed to the doors. The retiring President, Mr E. J. Bbyd occupied the chair and | delivered a short address, after which a short musical programme was gone through and a most ■ enjoyable evening closed with a very creditable representation of the breach of promise scene from Pickwick, Mrs Wells taking the character of Mrs Bardell, and Mr R. Byers that of Pickwick. Officebearers for next session were elected as follows : — President, Mr George M'Donald ; vice-presidents, Mrs J. C. Anderson and Mr R. Byers. In the course of the evening Mr R. Byers, the retiring secretary, was presented with a silver mounted pipe. According to advertisement, an entertainment entitled" " The building of the temple " took place in the Salvation Army Barracks on Saturday night, before a crowded house. The novelty and interest were maintained throughout, and the audience were constrained to show their appreciation by occasional bursts of applause. The young performers who numbered about 16, went through the different parts of recitation, song and scripture most creditably, working unceasingly at the building of a model temple throughout. The temple itself before completion might, to the uninitiated, have been mistaken for a good sized dog kennel, or- to the vivid imagination for a part of Babel's tower, but when finished, was really a very pretty structure, with some score of Christian graces set forth in white lettering. The entertainment concluded with a liberal supply of tea and cake, the management of which, we understand, had been undertaken by the bachelors connected with the local corps, under command of Mr R. Lochhead. The monthly meeting of the Balclutha Borough Council held on Tuesday evening was attended by Messrs M'Corley (mayor,) Thomson, Dunne, M'Leod, Fleming, Mason, Stewart and Wood. Mr W. M. Shore applied to have his name placed on the roll as owner . of section near railway station : — Granted. A similar application from Mrs Jones, leasehold qualification, was filed for consideration when the next roll is being prepared, A i'equest by the Borough Council of Invercavglll for information as to the effect no-license on the finances of the borough was read amid laughter and minuted as received. Accounts amounting to Lll 5s 8d were passed for payment. — The Paymaster-general advised the payment of L 250 into the credit of the borough fund account, being sale of gravel pit. Mr Fleming asked whether this was te go to the credit of the ordinary account, and the mayor replied in the affirmative, Messrs M'Leod and Wood thought the money should be devoted towards the reduction of the loan account, and should be handed over to the sinking fund trustees : — No action was taken. Mr Thomson asked for the use of the dayman for a few days to do some asphalting. — Messrs Stewart and Wood thought the council should not allow its dayman to go out working to private individuals and moved accordingly, after which Mr Thomson withdrew his request : — The ploughed land on the lower reserve was ordered to be sown with oats and rape at once. — The lighting committee's action with reference to gas meter at bridge lamps was approved, A public trial of Messrs W, Gardiner and Cos. combined ridger, manure and turnip sower was held in a paddock belonging to Mr W. S. Mosiey, on Wednesday afternoon, in the presence of about a score of farmers and others interested in agriculture. The implement is essentially a labour saving device, drawn by four horses, it forms two drills, bows manure and turnip seed at one and the same time. The manure is deposited between the mould boards and is Govered by the drill when formed, and the turnip seed is spwn in the usual way. The implement has done good work at Edendale and elsewhere, and the one shown on Wednesday was no doubt capable of doing excellent work, if those concerned had seen to it that the different adjustments were properly set, and that the implement generally was in working order before-hand. It appears that the implement bad several improvements on the one in use Jast year, but that the new implement had p.ever been put to a practical test. The result ijras that a great part of the time at the trial was takeri up in gcfe^y^ng and unscrew ing, and in shifting and resnifting, and the implement did not get a chance to do justice to either the manufacturers themselves or to the farmers who were f> regent to witness the trial. This was unfortunate, but as regards the implement itself only one opinion was expressed on all hands, and that was that it was capable of "excellent work, and that to those who have a fairly extensive%rea to put under turnip 3it will prove one^ of Hh> most useful implements on the farm. g£3§

Mr Geo. Wm. Wood announces himself as. a candidate for the Richardson Riding, and Mr W. Scott fos the'Ppmahaka Riding. Probasco and Finlay's circus opened here on Wednesday evening when there was a very good attendance, and a good programme was gone through most satisfactorily. At the Magistrate's Court, Milton, yesterday, Mr Hawkins presiding, William Ander son was charged with selling whiskey without a license at his shop at Clarkesville. After evidence a fine of L3O, was inflicted with costs. ... The Rev Leonard Isitt has been on a visit to Balclutha this week. On Sunday forenoon he preached to a large congregation in the Presbyterian Church. .In the evening he delivered a temperance lecture in the same place, his subject being " The Church and the liquor traffic." The. building was packed full and the lecture, which occupied an hour in delivery, was listened to with, the closest attention and evidently secured the active sympathy of the audience. . On Monday evening Mr Isitt delivered a lecture in M'Kenzie's Hall which was crowded, the. Rev Mr Currie presiding. The Revs Kilpatrick and Chapman also occupied seats on the platform. Mr Isitt' s fame as a temperance lecturer is well known not'only throughout New Zealand,' but. far beyond its borders. Much 'was expected ! of him in Balclutha and those who listened "' to his eloquent advocacy *of the cause on I Monday evening were not disappointed. The stern logic of his arguments, backed up by l illustrations that had come under his own ! observation and related with telling effect j proved convincing and must have been ' felt by the audience to be utterly unanswerable. The lecture was void of all wild and extravagant expressions and while the evils of the liquor trade were exposed and denounced in appropriate terms, only eommisseration was evinced for those engaged in that trade. — At the close Mr Kilpatrick moved a very hearty vote of thanks to the lecturer which was carried by acclamation. The usual compliment to the chair brought the proceedings to a close. i