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Clutha Leader, Volume XXV, Issue 1309, 23 June 1899, Page 5

We remind our readers of the address to be delivered by His Worship the Mayor (Mr G. Thomson) in M'Kenzie's Hall this evening.

A Band of Hope for juveniles has been started at Tapanui. The first meeting was held on Monday night and was well attended.

The Federal Enabling Bill has passed both Houses of the Queensland Parliament: The Keferendum is fixed for September.

Mr Jellicoe, the well-known solicitor, has definitely announced his candidature for Wellington seat at the general election.

Joseph O'Connell, police constable, has been acquitted on the charge of stealing LlO from a passenger on board the Waihora on the voyage from Gisborne to Napier.

A Tapanui business man has lately speculated in a small dynamo, and purposes lighting up his business premises by electricity at an early date.

Taking advantage of the saleman's back being turned during an auction sale in Melbourne on Wednesday, a would-be customer made off with L7OO worth of diamond rings from Dennis's jeweller's shop. He has not yet been arrested.

The large stables in connection with the Glenham homestead were burned clown about midnight on Sunday night. The building contained a large quantity of harness and tools, 1000 cornsacks and a quantity of sundries, and these, with four valuable dogs, were burned.

The well-known slaughtering establishment of Mr Charles Samson at Burnside was destroyed by fire at an early hour on Wednesday morning. About fifty pigs were in the yards at the time but they were rescued by some men working it the N.Z. Eefrigerating Co's works who had noticed the fire.

Simultaneous poisoning of foxes was carried out by residents of Bonnie Doon and Merton recently with gratifying results (says the Melbourne Leader). One station owner discovered 30 dead ones the morning following the distribution of the poison, and other owners found as many as 15.

At Christchurch last week Mr W. Mollison sold sixty potatoes — twelve varieties of five each — for one pound. He also secured a large number of orders, and to supply these he will send a truck load of potatoes from here in the first week in July to the Belfast freezing wor"ks, the manager having kindly offered to distribute them. We may also mention that while in Christchurch Mr Mollison secured twelve different varieties of early potatoes which arei newrto the Clutha district.

At Masterton .on ; Wednesday Bobert Palloon and Harry Murphy, on the charge of shooting and stealing a neighbour's sheep, were committed for trial. They were also fined L-5 each, and ordered to pay L2O between them and all other costs, on the charge of poisoning two dogs belonging to the same neighbour (W. D. Watson). The witness for the prosecution was an ex-employe of Falloon's (James Gibson), but being implicated' through his own evidence he also was committed on the charge of sheep stealing.

The Press reports that at the Christchurch. Winter Show held last week an exhibit that came to hand too late to be judged on the first day, was a collection of seed potatoes grown by Mr W. Mollison, Balclutha, which took first prize at the Dunedin Winter Show. This exhibit was, however, awarded a special certificate of merit. The collection comprised the following twelve varieties : — '• Schoolmaster, Bruce, Derwent, Snowdrop, Early Vermont, Sutton's Abundance, Beauty of Hebron, Ironside Kidney, Magnum Bonum, Peach Blossom, Supreme, and Robin Adair, the two last named being new varieties. The whole collection was bought by the President. '

In the course of bis speech at Invercargill on Tuesday night Mr Scobie Mackenzie said the Government were running the railways in a most shameful manner, and, as a member for Dunedin, he was constantly receiving complaints. The shortage of trucks, and the exceptionally long hours that railway officials were worked, were known. He reminded them that when the railways passed from the management of the Government to the commissioners, Messrs Cadman, Reeves, Thompson, M'Kenzie, and Walker, all present Ministers of this Government, had voted in favour of the clause, and now their cry was *' Do not let the Opposition into power, for they will hand the railways over again to the ■Control of commissioners," .

The. Governor of Queensland has applied for six months' leave of absence. It is not expected he will return to the colony.

A child, nearly two years old, of Mi' Simon Wright's succumbed to the effects of measles on Monday night.

The Egmont Post congratulates a prominent and highly popular resident of Stratford who has just inherited a trifle of L 12.000 or so.

. The New South Wales Government are spending L 55,000 in improving the railway grades in that colony. This will give immediate employment to 2000 men.

Serious dissatisfaction has been created among the officers of the P. and O. fleet by the issue from headquarters of rules which impose great restraint upon the officers in their social intercourse with passengers ; and upward of sixty officers have either resigned or intimated their intention of doing so.

The challenge shield of the South Otago Cricket Association will be presented to the winning club (Milton) by Mr Jas. Allen, M.H.E., at a concert at Milton this evening. Mr Foote (Balclutha) and Mr Johnston (Milton) will each be presented with a bat for batting and bowling respectively.

A writer in the Meat Trades' Journal, and Cattle Salesman's Gazette exprssses the opinion that it would be of great benefit to favmers to use lime for pasture dressing. He says dust lime with a little soot is the best dressing, as it kills moss, which cattle do not like, and also kills insects of all kinds which cows eat when grazing, and induce all sorts of complaints in cattle. These parasites cannot live where there is plenty of dust lime used, and the water which drains from land where lime is freely used would be much better for cattle to drink. He thinks this treatment would be a good preventative for tuberculosis.

There was a good attendance at the Salvation Arrcy Barracks "here on Wednesday night, when Adjutant Hutchison delivered an address on the social work of the Army in the Australasian Colonies. This lady is one of the rescue officers of the Army, and has had a lengthened experience in this work in Melbourne, Brisbane, New Zealand, etc. We gave last week some figures to show the magnitude of this class of work carried on by the Army in the Australian Colonies and New Zealand. Adjutant Hutchison's address was chiefly devoted to details of her own experience in rescue work in the chief cities of these colonies. It is needless to say that these were extremely interesting and well calculated to enlist the sympathy and practical help of every rightthinking individual. There can be no question that in seeking out and raising the fallern, the degraded and the miserable of both sexes, the Army are doing a great and very necessary work, while the large measure of success that attends their efforts mast be highly gratifying to them and to all who have the cause of humanity at heart.

There was a large attendance of graduates and under-graduates at the Choral Hall, Dunedin, on Friday, when Sir James Hector, Chancellor, presented diplomas of tbe New Zealand University, to graduates of Otago. There was one thing the Chancellor said, he did not know how to account for. -There had been 102 different individuals from Otago who had taken honours in the New Zealand University, and that was an enormous proportion considering that there were only about 180 graduates altogether who had taken the higher degree with honours. The diplomas were presented as follows: — one doctor of laws, one M.D., (Dr Chapplp, Wellington, was not present), three M.8., 13 Master of Arts (three ladies), four Bachelors of Science, one Bachelor of Laws. The addresses were given by Professors Gilray and Sale, and Mr Justice Williams (Chancellor) and E. B, Cargill (Vice-Chancellor), Otago University.

One of the Premier's finest stage properties is (says the Tuapeka Times) bis old man and old woman, who, after a long wedded life, are being torn asunder to end their days apart in different wings of a charitable institution. The horrors and pathos of this part of the serio-comedy are hair-raising. But the old age pension, one of the most splendid efforts of Liberal legislation he contends, has henceforth made the continuance of that unnatural separation impossible, and that, too, in spite of the hostile efforts of the Opposition. Captain Kussell's reply to this is that the Opposition, so far from being opposed to an old age pension, are determined on raising the pension to 10s a week and making its bestowal independent of any conditions except those of residence and age. Nevertheless, the Premier continues to repeat his charges, and tells his audiences that if returned to power the Opposition will wreck the old age pension scheme.

A horrible case of death by burning recently occurred at Warrigul, Victoria. The victim was a child, four years of age, daughter of a man named Backman. It appears that the father went away from home early in the morning, and that in the afternoon the mother also left to visit a neighbour, leaving her children playing together in a paddock near the house. After some time the girl ran into the house, after which the play of the other little child' en was interrupted by the sight of flames darting fiercely through the side of the house. The children ran to the house, but could not enter. Before the neighbours arrived the house was reduced to ashes, and to rescue the child confined within the building was utterly inrpossible. When the fire had sufficiently subsided those present saw tbe sickening spectacle of the charred remains of the infant burnt beyond recognition.

Woods' Great Peppermint Cure for Cough and Colds never fails, Is 6d and 2s 6d.

The following extract from the published proceedings of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Tasmania will, wr believe, be of interest to ourPuerua and other readers. "The Board of examination also desires to report that Mr T. B. Bannerman has submitted to it copies of certificates from the Registrar of the University of Otago that he has attended classes in English, Greek, Latin, and Mental Science. He has also had a full curriculum in the Theological Hall of the Presbyterian Church. Through failure of health, he did not proceed to the completion of his work. As the result of his residence in Tasmania his health is now restored. The Board recommends that, in view of preparatory training, and the efficiency of his pastoral work for some years, the Presbytery ofHobartbe authorised to take him on' trial for license." A similar recommendation wfc^s made by the Church Extension committee who at the same time reported that "Mr Bannerman still carries on the work in the extensive district of Swansea, and his services are, as in former years much appreciated." The recommendation of both committees was agreed to, and had effect given to it by the Presbytery of Hobart on the 6th inst., by conferring license upon Mr Bannerman after passing a satisfactory examination.

His cold not cured, his head on fire, With Drinking whiskies neat, He swore and cursed to vent his ire, And raved just quite a treat ; But now he's swore off drink for good He knows a thing now sure, For .coughs and colds its understood, Woods' Great Peppermint Cure.

We regret to notice the death of Isabel Jane, eldest daughter of the late Bey. John M'Ara, formerly of Balclutha, which event took place in Dunedin on Tuesday. We understand that she has been ailing for some considerable time.

A lady fortune-teller who had just arrived at Milton in pursuance of her calling, was arrested, there yesterday afternoon and taken to Clinton,' where we hear there are some charges against her.

Mr Earnshaw attempted to address a public meeting in Wellington on Wedneßdaynight on political questions, but after striving against continual clamour and interruptions for over two hours gave up the struggle, and retired, with his speech only half delivered. He announced his intention of standing for the City, notwithstanding the opposition shown.

Speaking at Gore, Mr Scobie Mackenzie said when explaining away the enormously increased number of forfeitures in the land settlement of the Government Mr M'Nab had said that " forfeitures were the test of settlement." — (Laughter.) So that if every Crown settler in the coloay were evicted, the land system of the Government would reach the pinacle of perfection.— (Laughter.) Mr Seddon came down to>thcm and boasted of the number of settlers who had been put on the land. Then Mr M'Nab pointed with satisfaction to the number that had been put off. — (Laugher.) And to finish the whole business Mr Seddon explained at Woodville a few days ago, that the settlers couldn't be said to be evicted for they never had gone on to the land at all.— (Laughter.)