LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 136, 9 June 1905, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Captain Edwin wires: — " Strong winds to gale from between east and south and south-west; glass, rise; tides, very high; sea, heavy; rain and very cold weather."

The Ashburton Guardian reports that sheep owners in the Ashbnrton County are beginning to find themselves overstocked, there being a large increase* in sheep compared with last year. The matter may become serious if a severe winter is experienced.

The programme foe Miss Baokmann's concert will be a most enjoyable one, ag some of the leading musicians of this town are taking a great interest in it, and hope to make the concert a big success. We feel that Miss Buoktnann is one of our own, and as she is soon to leave v«, to go on with her musical studies in London, the people of Blen heim should roll np in goodly numbers to give bier a right good send-off.

A branch of the Alliance Francaise has been formed in Dunedin. The avowed object of this institution is to foster among the French themselves a love of their own language, as well as to create and develop a similar appreciation of French among foreigners. The Alliance Francaise has its head* quarters at Paris, %nd branches are in existence in practically every large town in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.

Mr W. Miller, who on behalf of the Motukarara settlers has undertaken to let out Lake Ellesmere for £100, has' so far been unsuccessful. He has started operations with five three-horse teams and scoops, but owing to the heavy snrf the opening was closed again as soon as it was scooped. Mr Miller and his co-workers have camped on the spot, and will re-commence operations as soon as the conditions are favourable.

Referring in a speech at Ashburton this week to the statement that trade is depressed as the result of no-lioense, the RevL. M. Isitt said that Ashbarton was in a transition stage. When surrounding districts were captured, men would not have a chance to go ont of Ashburton to spend money where they could get drink. The result of next local option poll at Ashburton would be of great importance, and an increase in the no-license majority must be polled to do any good.

Journalistic enterprise (says .the New Zealand Times) is not lacking in Blenheim, where Mr Furness, proprietor of the Marlborough Express, is keeping pace with the march of improvement. Commodious new premises for that well-conducted journal are now approaching completion, and it is the intention to instal new machinery, inclnding linotypes, which have done so much to cheapen the pro 'notion of newspapers, and thus enable the proprietors to cater more acceptably to the tastes of the public.

Mr Seddon declined to commit himself to a definite pronouncement as to who would have Ministerial backing for the Speakership of the Legislative Council, but he leaves little doubt that it will be the Hon T. Kelly. He said, in reply to a question on the subject: —"I may tell you this: The candidates mentioned are the Hon C. C. Bowen, the Hon G. M'Lean and the Hon T. Kelly (who was Chairman of Committees in the House for many years). Mr Bowen and Mr M'Lean are Opposition. Mr Kelly is and always has been a Government supporter, but nothing is yet decided. The matter has not been even considered."

Some nasty **pot" boles in the Blenheim-Nelson road at the Wairau and Opawa fords, near Renwicktown, should receive the early attention of the responsible authorities. The worst place is the approach to the Wairau River; in fact the stretch of road from the Kaituna-Tua Marina road to the bank of the river seems to be a kind of no-man's land, and it would be well it the point were settled definitely. There is a good deal of traffic at this point, including that of the Nelson coach, and it has to encounter a series of mud holes. The cost of making the road good and maintaining it so should not be great, as there is plenty of metal in the vicinity.

The necessity for closer settlement in Central and Northern Otago was emphasised by the Premier in conversation with a southern interviewer* *• It would be improper fer the Government," said the Premier, "to construct railways and bring in water supplies, and make the country fit for the people, unless, prior to this, such estates as are necessary and suitable are acquired, and it will be a necessary duty, inoumbent on the Government, to initiate a vigorous land for settle ment policy in Central Otago. I cannot say more on that subject at this juncture, since to say more would simply mean increasing the cost to the Colony, and I am not prepared to go in for an extended railway policy or irrigation policy, and by that means make the Colony pay more for the necessary estates."

The delegates attending the Dental Conference at Wellington were given practical demonstrations on Tuesday morning in different phases of dentistry. The' Post says the exhibition of dentists

becoming the victims in the chair of operating dentists was witnessed by highly-interested students and greybearded veterans in the rooms of the

Consolidated Dental Company, in Jervois quay. Mr E. A. Smith, of Invercargill, for instance, submitted

himself to Mr Arthur Hoby, of Wei

liflgton, as a patient for an operation in " aold-fllling." Mr G. C. Tripe, of

Wellington, demonstrated upon Mr

Balfour, of Greytown,inthe extraction of a nerve by a painless method. Two ladies were also operated upon in the presence of the delegates.

A Chrißtohuroh motorist, writing on

the subject of the improvement of roads necessary for economical and comfortable motoring, quotes a report by an English rural district engineer and road surveyor, who gives a comparison of the cost of making and maintaining roads with tarred and with untarred

metal. He found the average annual cost of about 200 miles of *'tar-mac" road to be £825; while the average annual cost of the same length, untarred, was £1820, or more than twice as much ; and the users of the "tar* mac" roads were not inconvenienced by dust in dry, or mud in wet, weather. An experiment with "tar-mac" is

being tried in Timarn, and will be watched with interest.

Coalbrookdale Coal overrides all competition, as one ton of this coal is better value than 25cwt. of most other coals. *

Woods' Great Peppermint Cure for Coughs and Colds never fails, s 6d.

Rheumatism is one of the most painful diseases. Many are bent and physically disabled by the torture and suffering inflicted by this dreadful scourge The disease may settle in the large muscles of the back, neck, ov thigh; in the joints of the arms or legs; or the pains may dart from one muscle to another. The pains may be constant or occasional, bat all are produced by the same cause—excess of uric acid in the blood. RHEUMO is the best, the only cure for rheumatic pains. It neutralises and driv s out the poisonous acid, relieves the pain, removes the swelling, and effects a speedy and permanent cure. A trial will satisfy you of its merits. Sold by all chemists and stores at 2s 6d and 4s 6d a bottle.