The Marlborough Express PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 1889. THE WHEAT MARKET.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXV, Issue 119, 22 May 1889, Page 2

The Marlborough Express PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 1889. THE WHEAT MARKET.

There is a little bit of a stir m the wheat market just now. The Australian drought, which caused a fierce demand on that continent, was followed hy a rattling good harvest m New Zealand, and our wheat growers at length had their patience rewarded by a substantial advance m prices. It is not surprising that under such altered conditions, and with such golden prospects, our farmers should pin all their faith to the outside markets, and refuse to sell m the place. A good many local dealers, with whom perhaps " the wish was father to the thought," predicted that " a time would come," but of course uobody minded them, while the cable kept Hashing over fine prices, upward tendencies, cjutiuuod firmness, and all that was gladdening and encouraging. Suddenly, however, came a check. Dubbo farmers wouldn't look at New Zealand wheat. They had tried it and found it wouldn't germinate. They were not to be had again, those good men of Dubbo, not they. Down went the barometer and the spectacle has beeu not a little curious. Farmers all over New Zealand were refusing good prices here, and sending away their grain to Sydney, only to find on its arrival that New Zealand grain was out of favor, and the market choked with Californian wheat. Such has been the case even m Blenheim. Wheat, for which 3s 9d per bushel was offered m this town, and was refused, was sent to Sydney, where it realised only 2s !Jd per bushel ! There are granaries full of wheat m this colony now ; we hope stocks will not be found difficult to move off. Growers should lay this matter seriously to heart. It is not improbable, we may add, that Yankee influence has been at work among the farmers of Dubbo, to the detriment of our grain. Won't " germinate !" Bosh ! How is it we never heard of this barrenness before? We observe that a southern journal of considerable standing m the colony has got itself into very bad odour with grain growers. Some time ago when prices were touching 4s, it urged people not to sell, as the limit of 4s Gd would eventually be reached, and even wont so far as to accuse a person who wrote urging farmers lo sell— of having some private end to Serve. "Hold on," the paper cried, and the farmer held on, just a little too long. Of course the paper has now to bear the curses of the farmers .and the indignation of the other writer and his friends. There can be no question about it ; persistent holding-on generally results badly, and 100 greedy growers will have learned a sad lesson, by which we trust they will profit. The competition m wheat production is now reaching a point almost alarming, and New Jicalanders will view with something very like dismay the fact that America threatens to swamp the markets with her produce Grain will have to be produced at infinitely smaller cost to the grower, and that cannot be m New Zealand, while laud stands at fictitious values, and i:"i taxed as it is now, and while the country ia without a peasantry. The pinches that this competition will soon subject us to will surely goad New Zealand into some action m her own dofenoe,

LOCAL AND GENEKAL NEWS, . , _^

Tins .Tgijun'aj,. — There will be no publication of the E:a-!iKSs on I'mlay next illh inal., boiu',' thu Queen's birthday aunivci Sill'V

Pkkson.Ui. — Mr Stephen Tapp wishes us to notify that it was lie who on Duffer, the well-known hurdler, followed the hounds at lienwick on Saturday last.

Lanh to Lkask.— Mosbi-s Holmes & Bell invite tenders up to noon of Friday, May i)l, for the Iciisb of 31-1 acres at Wairaij West, very rich agricultural land.

IXkxck.—A. dance will be held m Lho Grove lioail Jiall on Jj'riday evening at b o'clock. i''or particulars see advertise-

ment.

Boxinu.— Dick Ellis of Wanganui, was to airive m Blenheim to-day, to " come up lo the scratch" with Bob Mat-hews on Saturday night at EWarls' Hall, for the gale i noi ley.

I'm: Kink.— Patrons of Hie llink are reminded LliaO this evening Professor llolliuson champion bicyclist, and Mr A. E. Woolcofc, the woiidsTlul skater, will perform various feats this evening m Ewart's Hall.

Alm-:g£i> FoiitiEiiv. — On dit that the name of a well-known wealtby citizen of Blenheim, has been forged to a promissory note m Picton, and tendered to a tradesman of that town. It is further slated that the alleged forger has decamped, but as yet nothing very definite is known.

Havelock School Comjiitteb. — Tbe Ilavclock School Committee met on Monday morning ; present Messrs Smith, Vennimore, Brown, Dorecn, Parker, and Mills (m the chair). Resolved, " That the Education Board be requested to appoint Miss Mary Picard pupil-teacher m place of Miss L. Matthews and that her salary date from May 1." After passing a few small accounts the Committee adjourned.

Thk Customs' Act Cask. — An information has been laid against Arthur Fisk, merchant, Picton, by Edward William Pasley, collector of Customs, for the port of Wairau, for that he (A. Fisk) " did not upon the entry of certain goods (to wit 1 case of cigars of the weight of 24 aud a 16th pounds) to be cleared from the warehouse for home use, pay down to the proper officer the full duties payable thereon, viz., £6 8s 2d. The case will be heard at the R.M. Court, Blenheim, on Saturday next.

New Ske» Disiia. — We have pleasure m announcing that Mr W. A. D. Sutherland of Grovetown has just imported into the district a new Triumph seed drill, with all the latest improvements. Tbe machine was got through Messrs Booth and McDonald, and it is a great acquisition to Marlborough. Mr Sutherland is prepared to sow any kind of seed with the drill at reasonable rates.

Mahakii'Awa Dic.oings.— lntemann and party for 11 days sluicing got 42ozs lOdwts 12grs including 2£oz and 3oz Hdwts nuggets. Kermodc and party got an Boa 7dwt nugget. After seven weeks hard work MiThrush has abandoned his claim on the Takaraki Hill viz : The pride of Havelock. Ifc has been voted a duller, the quartz not being gold-bearing, but is burnt and broken. Thrush has taken au alluvial claim m Snow's gully Mahakipawa.

Footbamj. — The Union team for the Nelson matches on the 24th and 25th respectively, will be selected from the following ; — Shaw, Shaud, Tim White-side, tfpeed, Shepheard, Simmons, Simson, Greig, Mclvcr, Redwood (2), Mowalfc, Fulton, Bcauchainp, Speakinan, Halo, M'Callum, and Thompson. TJiu parly leave to-morrow by Clark and Pickering's coaches, at 15 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Jack thk Riium-.i:.— Wo. may imagine the scare caused m Melbourne by tlie alleged presence of " Jack the Ripper " m that city, but one can hardly imagine there is any foundation for it, boyond a rumour. When this winged ghoul has "done" the Australian cities perhaps he will pay New Zealand a visit, and then who knows, but he may nip over m tbe Kanieri some fine morning ?

The Dunedin Exhibition. — His Worship the. Mayor calls for citizens to meet and discuss the question of Marlborough representation at the forthcoming Exhibition m Dunedin. Up to three o'clock only the Mayor and the Hou Capt Baillic had turned up, but subsequently Messrs Srnale, H. Douslin, Williams, Foster, Hanna, Vercoe, Wilson C.E., and J. B. Green attended, and the Mayor having been voted to the chair, the rules laid down bo the executive were discussed. Itappeared that 10ft spaces could be had or a bay 12ft x 15ft could be secured for the representation of Marlborough products, and the question for the meeting to cousider was whether the province should be represented or individuals should exhibit each on his own account. The Hon. Capt. Baillie had received a letter from Mr Vincent Pyke M.11.R. asking for specimens of minerals. Nothing definite had been done when we went to press.

Omtuakw— By the death of Mrs GlyuDallas, rctat 64 (recorded m a cable message yesterday), another of the fast II 1 inning band of Shakespearian actors of the old school is removed from the stage. The deceased Jady was, m her day, famous and popular, being for her timu a scholarly and accomplished actress, as many now living can remember. She was born of Presbyterian parent!; m 1825, m Edinborough. and early evinced au inclination for the sla»e, which, however, she was obliged to euvb, an her parents had a traditional dislike to theatricals. Hhe began her career as an amateur, and afterwards went to Paris, where she studied for the stage under the oelebrated Michelot. In 1847, having been trained by Kemble, she played under his direction many great Shakespearian characters, Constance, Margaret of Anjou, Portia, &c. She was soon taken into the permanent company at Drury Lane, then the model theatrical company of the Kingdom, and the charmed circle on which the aspiring and longing eyes of all members of the dramatic profession were fixed. Here she distinguished herself, even m that galaxy of talent, aud a few years later she varied her labors with public readings, which she gave with much acceptableness to the public and profit to herself, so much so that she was iuduced to go to the United Sfcatos and give readings. As ago came on she quitted the stage, and lived m seclusion, dying as above. She was married at Glasgow m 1853 to Mr Dallas, but the marriage was annulled by the Divorce Court m 1874.

A Model Referee. — A popular merchant m this town told the following story to-day m our hearing. Football matches between the Detroit and another club used to be frequent, but the referee was so roughly handled always that at last they couldn't Jill the o/Hce. The captain of the Detroit club was strolling -down the street the day before a match, when . ho saw a tall pale stranger of meek appearance looking 'earnestly at some bible pictures m a shop window. A thought struck him — " Say stranger," exclaimed the captain, " we'd take it kindly if you'd referee for us m the football match tomorrow." " Wall friend," replied the meek man slowly, " I'm afraid I aiu't got grit enough for that. I'm only a huiublo preacher, and not used to football scrums." "Put it right there, stranger," cried the captain, " you're just the man to keep the profanity m check," and having settled on hour and place the pair parted. Next day there was a large crowd of players and lookers on, and tlie captain had told his side they had a soft thing on. About three o'clock the tall stranger, metamorphosed, strode on fcho ground dressed ma sleeveless jacket of leather, trunk*; and jack-boots, carrying m his belt a Colt's revolver and at bis side a lasso. Taking his stand amid profound silence ho blew a call. "Play!" he exclaimed pimply, and they played. Presently a dispute arose about the softness of the ball, aud the referee whipped* out his six ahootur, ( and as the' leather camo near him quietly " popped " it. "New ball," Lo cried softly' as he put another cartridge m, anil a new bull was provided. Later, a player cried that he'd be d if he'd play again among such a lot of ." In a twinkling the Kt ranger got his las;;o ready, and w»i!; a practiced hand, throw, lightened, and hauled m. When his prey was at his feet he quietly chipped his Colt's culd barrel to the offender's car, and exclaimed, "Quit cursin', my dear young man," and untied him. The game was finished m the most friendly style and nobody questioned !,ho referee's* decisions, but they voted him the beat referac on record.

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