JOTTINGS FROM ASHBURTON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXII, Issue 7413, 2 December 1884, Page 5

JOTTINGS FROM ASHBURTON.

("FROM OCE OWN CORRESPONDENT.! Dec. 1. The little village of Tinwald has become a Town District, and last Friday the " Commissioners ** held their first meeting. All the officers in connection with the concern have been appointed and bear the stamp of legality, except one. That one Is the “ chucker-out.” Ho is, I believe, self-appointed, bat there are few institutions, from the Salvation Circus downwards, requiring such an officer, who have the good fortune to enjoy the services of a more aristocratic checker • out than does the Tinwald Town Board.The checker - out they have secured is no less a personage than Mr Ivan R. C. C. Graham, who, in his wisdom, advised the not very erudite Board that the Press ©light to be excluded from the meeting. What the aristocratic Graham had to do with the matter, not being a Commissioner, I fail to gw; and that the men who have been gazetted as Commissioners should have been such arrant fools as to listen to his most extraordinary and, in this Colony at least, very novel advice, is to me much more extraordinary. But then this is a country in which very extraordinary things happen, and Mr Graham is an extraordinary man. Anyhow, he has the courage of his opinions, and for that 1 respect him. He mid the pluck to oppose Messrs Walker, Wason, and Jolly in the

last Parliamentary election, and only scored one vote. Ho must have had his courage screwed well up to sticking point to tackle so unproductive a campaign as that. One* more effort is to be made to infuse some life into the Ashburton farmers. Mr Newlyn, of Pendarves, has been shaking them up on the question of cheap money, and he and his Committee appear to be making some headway among the men of the soil. But the institution most neglected by the main body of Ashburton formers is the Agricultural and Pastoral Association. This is not at all to their credit, for the Association is intended for their benefit, and theirs alone. From the County farmers the Association ought to have at least 100

members, exclusive altogether of the merchants. lawyers, doctors, auctioneers, and tradesmen generally, who now form the mass of the membership. But farmers who are members of the Association axe the exception, not the rule. The Association's Committee now have under consideration the advisableness of holding monthly meetings of the Association. At these meetings, papers on subjects interesting to farmers would be read, and questions affecting their best interest* would be discussed. I hope the Committee will be* successful in getting up a series of good meetings, but however good the paprs read, however interesting the discussions in themselves, no benefit will result unless some more enthusiasm v* U P »nwng the farmers. My recollection* of the last series of such meeting# held in Ashburton are not encouraging. For ituaedtobenoted that tiie farmers would come in and sit

down, blit long Indore the mooting had finished they had dropped out one by cue, and only townsmen wore loft to do the talking—uion who were great in paints of law, and in the quality of shirts or sugar; hut whoso opinion on faming matters was about as valuable os my own. Our Choral and Orchestral Societies deserve great credit for the excellent performances they gave, during the show and racing season, of Pinafore,” I hear now. that either ** Patience” or the " Pirates of Pensance “ will be essayed by the amateurs, the successes scored with “ Pinafore ” warranting another Sight. I heard some time ago, a performance of "Pinafore” in Timaru by the amateur*

talked about, but that talk appears to have ceased again. The district is now beginning to turn its attention in dead earnest to the sports season. The programme posters of the Canterbury Caledonian Society, for their sports meeting on Anniversary Day, at Lancaster Park, are out. and, side by side with them, the hills of the Ashburton Society claim the attention of athletes. Th» Ashburton Caledonian Society holds its meeting on Boxing Day, on its own ground on the North-west Town Belt, while all over the County, from Boxing Day to New Year's Day, little local sports

meetings are to be held. Nor is the holiday season to close without a fair share of horw * racing. The Committee who’have charge of the Bummer Races hare Want d»Je to offer some good money to I*. row* p* ted f.,r. by district horawi only, on Dec. 29. while on Dec. 23 the Methven Riv ing Club hold their meeting, and offer no mean inducements to owner* >.f a bit of blood to test ite mottle. The Winslow race* come <•4 on New Year’s Day, and promise to h« the .Roirciw tbD year they have been in previous year*. ( I notice, however, that, m yet, the ormmttce have not advertised their intention to hold athletic sports in connection with the races, I fancy they will do n *"*” thing if they do without the sport* altogether, tut, with a programme of idx hors*, events U, get through, there i.« quite enough work fr, r „ m day—certainly quite enough for anyone to go to Window to

Interest to far greater extent i* being taiten by onr youth in the Volunteer morettlent and the U- 1! < orm U now composed 01 a l .t of m smart looking young fellow* aw on# would wish te, *i-e in a company. On Sunday there was a remarkably good bhister of the member* at Church parade, and the Ashburton {.rasa iiand kindly paraded with them. Fite Band, unfortunately, had to sever it* connection with the rr.rpu when the new regulation* into’force, bat the members of it still . h<-r.«h in their memory the plewnnt s**ociation.* oirrounding their connection with the o,r>*, and when occasion require* they are always to the front.