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Clutha Leader, Volume XXIV, Issue 1223, 10 December 1897, Page 4

To-day is the last clay on which land tax can be accepted without the 10 per cent, addition. At the meeting of the Bruce County Council on Tuesday, Mr Clark retired from the chairmanship, a position he has held continuously for twenty years. Mr Macpherson, who has had many years experience as a councillor, was elected to the chair. In connection with the jubilee celebrations of the Otago Presbyterian Church in March next, the Free Church of Scotland have appointed Dr Duff of Glasgow ami Mr Mackintosh of Aloa as delegates. President M'Kinley's annual message to the American congress was delivered on Tuesday. It favoured the annexation of Hawaii by America, and said the dispute between Hawaii and Japan, with reference to landing Japanese immigrants at Hawaii, was under negotiation, and Japan was aware of America's intention to settle questions affecting her interest in the spirit of friendliness. We acknowledge the receipt of the following report of the weather at Ratanui f)r the month of November from Mr G. W. Draper :— Bain fell on 19 days ; maximum, l-17in, on the 30th ; total for the month, 6-17 in. Temperature — Maximum, 70de^, on the 27th j minimum, 42dop, on the 7th ; average, 55 13-30deg. Wind— Chiefly from the northwest to west to southwest ; north to northeast dining the forenoon of seven days. la Dunedin 180 candidates presented themselves for the December matriculation in connection with the University of New Zealand, which commenced on Tuesday last. There were also 21 candidates for junior university scholarship. Of the former number 85 and of the latter 10 are girls, the fair sex thus supplying about one-half of the total number of candidates. The candidates for the preliminary medical examination were 22 in number, four of them being girls, Wrn. Freeman Kitchen, journalist, formerly of New Zealand, committed suicide at Sydney on Tuesday by cutting his throat. In Dunedin Mr Kitchen was at one time editor of the Globe newspaper, and largely assisted in promoting the views of the "New Unionism," which culminated in the maritime strike. After going to Australia he returned to the colony as Temple Vane, with a clairvoyant as his wife, when he was arrested at tho instance of his real wife, who was then resident in the colony, and who then sued for a divorce. Kitchen was seldom out of one kind of trouble or another. Our Ratanui correspondent writes :— Since my comments in a late issue regarding opossums I find that my strictures have been much appreciated by some and somewhat severely criticised by others. I question the legal as well as the moral right of any man or society of men to let loose on the public animals which do much more harm than good and which in the light of their depredations should never be considered anything other than vermin ! lam somewhat pleased to be able to quote such an authority as the Eight Honorable Dr Seddon as may be seen in Hansard of this session No. 17, page 117, as follows :— " His (the Premier's) experience, however, of them when he was a digger in Victoria was that it would be most dangerous to liberate them in settled districts. They destroyed the fruit trees, stripped the bark, and pulled up cabbage plants— in fact, they were very mischievous." Judgment went by default in the following undefended cases at the Court here on Wednesday :— Jas. and W. Sheddan v. W. Crossan, claim, L.9G 12s 3d. Mr Stewart for plaintiffs. Costa, L 0 Bs.— M. Bernstone v. Jno. T. Taylor, (Clinton), claim, lGs Gd. Costs, fis.— ln the case Eobertson Bros. v. It. H. Wilson, Mr Stewart for plaintiff s applied for a rehearing on the following grounds :— (1) That the Court at the hearing was misled on the question of the defendant being served with a notice by the stock inspector the said notice having been given on an inspection of the defendant's land made on the 14th September, 1897, three days only after plaintiffs entered upon their contract. (2) That it was not the intention of the parties that the work should be passed by the inspector of stock but that the plaintiffs should indemnify the defendant against any loss through their failure to satisfy the inspector. (3) That the principal breach of contract by defendant, namely, his refusal to supply food to more than one of the plaintiffs, has been overlooked in the judgment.—Mr Hawkins dismissed the application with LI Is costs to defendant's solicitor, Mr Haggitt. At the Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, Mr Bruce had a batch of cases for breaches of the Babbit Act. He explained that he wished the settlers to understand that the Act must be complied with, that the rabbits must be kept down. He meant to insist on this being done. — In giving judgment in one of the cases Mr Hawkins speaking generally said there was too much playing with the rabbit question. He thought few of the settlers realised the amount of damage the rabbits did, and the loss they occasioned. It was enormous as they would find out if they compared the weight of rabbits with a sheep — the number that it took to be as heavy as a sheep. It would pay Lhe settlers well to get their places clean and keep them clean: The work had to be done systematically and regularly. Fines were inflicted as follows:— Henry Lattimore, Glenomaru, fined LI and costs 17s; George Wright, Romahapa, fined LI and costs 7s. (In default of payment distress, in default of distress 7 days, imprisonment Dunedin gaol) ; Charles Sufcton, Furekireki, fined LI and costs 7s ; George Morris, Tahatika, fined LI nud costs 10s; Andrew Hill, Tahatika, fined LI and costs 10.9 ; George Johnston, Purekireki, fined L 4 and costs 10s. James Thomson, Tahatika, fined LI 10s and costs 10s. Large assortment, monster bargains, men's clothing, boys' sailor suits from 4s lid, Christmas cards, toys and fancy goods exceptional value at M'Leod's Cash Drapery, Balclutha, — [Ai>vt.]

Mr Schultz, Government expert, has discovered phylloxera amongst the vines at Masterton, A public meeting will beheld in M'Kenzie's Hall on Wednesday afternoon at three o'clock to consider what steps can be taken to relieve the losses sustained by a number of settlers through the recent floods. On Wednesday morning about twenty minutes to three o'clock, earthquake shocks were felt almost all over the colony from Christchurch to Auckland. In most localities the shock is reported as being very severe — the severest experienced for years, but no damage of any consequence is reported. The Premier has explained that in consequence of the length of the discussion on the Imprest Supply Bill on Tuesday, he does not expect .to be able to forward funds to the Education Boards in time for the teachers' salaries for this month being paid at the time of the break up of the schools as has been done hitherto. Mr Buchanan was banqueted by his constituents at Carterton on Saturday. Twelve members of the Opposition including Captain Eussell, Mr Eolleston, Mr J. W. Thomson and others. Captain. Eussell impressed on his party the necessity for complete organisation if they wished to"clefeat the Government at the next General Election. During the past few days the weather has j considerably improved, being how compara- j lively fine. The river has being falling slowly and steadily during the week. For ten days the steamer Matau has been lying behind the township with a load from up country, being unable to get through below the traffic bridge. A few inches of less water would have permitted of her passing yesterday, and Captain • Butler expects to resume the traffic to-day. Dr Menzies, late of Wyndham, who sailed for London in August last, with the intention of taking the F.R.C.S. degree, found on arrival that he was too late for the classes there, and went on to Edinburgh, where he sat immediately for the M.8.C.M., and which he passed with credit. Dr Menzies only spent 28 days altogether* in Britain and will arrive back in New Zealand in 10 days' time. His success in Edinburgh is another testimony to the efficiency of the Otago Medical School. The sale of work and entertainment held on Thursday, Friday and Saturday last in M'Kenzies Hall in reduction of the debt on St Mark's Church drew large attendances on the former and latter evenings, that on Friday evening not being so large. The various stalls, which presented a fine display of fancy goodg, books, etc., were presidsd over by Mrs Dodd and Miss M'Kellar; Mrs Mitchell and Miss M'Neil ; Mrs Hutehins and Miss Davidson ; the dolls' house by Misses V. Hutehins and. Day ; the book stall by Miss Harrison and the refreshment stall by Mrs Finn, all of whom seemed to be well patronised. The maypole and kindergarten dances which were successfully carried out on the two former evenings were very much admired. The shooting gallery and other adjuncts of the entertainment had a full share of patronage and altogether the entertainment proved highly successful. We are informed that the amount realised totalled about LBO.