North Otago Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7463, 10 September 1892, Page 2

North Otago Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1^92. It ia characteristic of bhe British people that whatever hard things they may say of one another in the heab of political strife, their hearty sympathy is excited the moment any combatant is disabled by sickness or otherwisp. For some time past there have been intimations that Mr Ballance was feeling the wear and tear of his po c i < tion as Premier and leader of the House, and it now appears that he is wholly incapacitated for his arduous dutie3. This is to be deeply regretted for more than one reason-— for Mr Ballance's own sake (we need not say that the whole country will sympathise with him in his illness), and also on account of the necessity of appointing an acting-Premier. The position of an acting-Premier is something like that of a Regent, and his rpign is seldom quite t atisf ictory We had ample experience of this when Sir Harry Atkinson was laid aside during his last session. Mr Mitchelson, his locum tenens 'did, we daresay, his best, but his best was but a poor substitute for the vigor, versatility, and authority of his chief. He was in fact almost ludicrously unfit for the position — a weak, rather sleepy-headed, though, we believe, amiable and respectable person. The man who takes the place of the Premier should be able to conduct the business of the House without constantly sending to ask his opinion as to this, that, or the other matter. S r Harry Atkinson was, ib is true, always at hand, but none the less did this practice demoralise the House j and it of course rendered Mr Mitchelson ridiculous. In the present case a much stronger man than the ex-Minister of Public Works steps for

the time being into Mr Ballanoe'a shoes. Mr Seddon is neither a statesman nor a genius in any respect, but be has a great deal of character, a firm will (except in presence of his masters, the trades unionists and the railway employees), and a superabundance of self confidence. He will not miss his i chief in the very least ; the last thing he would think of would be to wire him for instructions. The probability ia that he considers himself quite as much Premier as Mr Ballance, even when the latter is in his place. It is said there was some difference of opinion among the Ministerialists as to who should fill the quasi-vacant post during the Premier's absence ; but we should say there was one gentleman who had made up his mind on the subject. Wo mean Mr Richard Seddon, Mr W. P. Reeves, whom some one understood to be favored, knows more about grammar and dog gerel rhymes than the Minister for Public Works, and he has an equally glib tongue, but in respect of general ability there ia no comparison. Mr Seddon was never destined to play second fiddle to a sneering person like the Minister for Libor. He is in fact the only man in the Cabinet fit to take Mr Balance's place. How ho will get on with his colleagues in his new i capacity of principal is another matter. If they are not prepared to submit to his domination, scenes will be apt to occur in the Cabinet room. It re mains also to be seen how the House will like his rule ; but his robust com inon sense will probably enable him to keep on faiily good terms with hi^ fellow members. We wish che honorable gentleman all success in his new role, and hope that his additional duties will induce him to postpone his very absurd Railways Act Amendment Bill (twin brother of the washtub and mangle ditto) to a more convenient season. How the whirligig of tim brings his revenges ! Mr Seddon was, we believe, one of the men whom Mi G. F. Richardson proposed (not in the House, and perhaps half in jest) to ostracise by a new method of electing members — some two or thiee, or rive or six, more than the statutory num her were, if we remember right, to bo chosen, aud then the House, on its assembling was to vote out the two or three, 01 five or six, most objectiou able persona returned. The present Minister for Public Works was, we say, one of the objectionables aimed at in this ingenious scheme, which, had it been adopted, would no doubt have been kuown to posterity as Richard son's Purge, and now he is the chief man in the House, before whom all the supei fine unobjectionables have, metaphorically speaking, -to bow the knee.

Tirr, Oamaru Borough Council is on the fair road to being able to come to some definite arrangement with its bondholders, but it narrowly escaped a visit from a receiver. Not that anything is to be dreaded from a receiver, because he can only take what he can get. Mr Lowe, whose wife holds a number of the bonds of the L 20,000 loan, paid Oamaru a visit previous to •* isitmg the Old Country, and .satisfied himself of the inability of the borough to pay any tiling like the full rate of interest. He undertook, on reaching London, to place him «elf in communication with the bondholders, to point out to them the borough's financial position, and to advise them to come to an arrangement as ] to the late of interest to be paid in future. Mr Lowe has carried out his ■ promise, for at the meeting of the Council on Thursday night reference was made m the minutew to, what Mr Lowe had d< >ne, and to what he asked the Council to do. Mr Lowe suggested that the cuirencies of Hie loans — winch expire in 19f<7 and 1910— should be extended for, say, another 15 or 20 years i" order to give the bonds a greater value, and that new coup >ns should be forwarded to him with the rate of interest fixed, we believe, at 4 per cent. Mr Lowe has fully explained the position to the bondholders, and no doubt they a\ 111 now accept the late of interest offered by the Council. The Council, with Mr Lowe in London, will have no difficulty in reaching the ear ot the bondholdeis. So far Mr Lowe has been successful in pavmg the way fm an amicable settlement of the trouble which appeared to be brewing for both Council and bondholder. The Council I tv ill act on the suggestions of Mr Lowe, | who will no doubt continue tho negotiations to a satisfactory termination. We believe that a number of the bondholders, acting under an eironeous belief, had agreed to send a power of attorney to a person in the colony to take such steps .is would place him m possession of the securities attaching to particular loans. In the light of the know - ledge they now possess, it must be a source of gratification to those bondholders that they were advised in timo not to do anything .so fo ,1 ,->h. So far, the tui n of events appca '> be satisfactory ; and we hope the negotiations now outcried upon will k . 1 to the best arlangonienfc possible for all parties.

Mr W. Cowan's pri/e Ayrshire bull Curly is dead. Cuily won fi\e champion and fourteen first piizjs in the show ring. The South Canterbury Jockey Club races take place on Thursday and Friday next J'lieie is promise of a successful meeting It is evident that no further attempt was made to flo it the Elginshire on Thursday, as the local paper contains nothing on the subject. Owners of horses are reminded tba* nominations for the handicaps at the Kurow races close next catdiday, at 8 p ni., with the hon. secretary (Mr George Raven.) In the Legislative Council there are eleven members favorable to the female franchise, eight against the measure, and eight aie doubtful. The eight have the matter in their own hands. Mr Seddon denies that he intends to include in his Public Works Statement any scheme for the turning of the Molyneaux The statement that he did waa evidently a continuation of the Washing and Mangling Bill skit. We are informed that there are sixteen theatrical companies meditating making a descent on New Zealand within the next few months. New Zealanders should therefore have plenty to amus3 them if they take advantage of the opportunities. Ihe Lyttelton Times says : The condition of the bulk of the whe^t exported this «eason from Canterbury has been on the whole so unsatisfactory, owing to the bad weather at harvesting time, as to warrant the most careful inspection, ani a good deal of necessity has been rejected. Hence it has been a rare occurrence for a consignment to pass without any being rejected. Mr Charles Jeffs, of Templeton, has, however, just completed the delivery of between 3000 and 4000 bushels of prime wheat, without a bag being rejected. It is almost needless to add that Mr Jeffs had his stacks thatched immediately they were built <

In nil probability there will be another ingleside held about the beginning of October. The committge of the Caledonian Society, who have the management of th« inglesides, have thought it desirable to give another ingleside out of compliment to tlie ladies, who, by their energy and liberality, have contributed so much to the success ot previous inglesides. In a short article which appeared in yev iorday'a issue a couple of mistakes occurred in proof^ revising. The following is the sentence in which the mistakes occurred : " We take no aide ia miserable politics, feelsng that all do their best for the gsnead good, and we regret that a municipal party feeling shoul 1 hive been imported into the Council. The sentence should have read, 11 We take no side in municipal politics, feeling that all do their best for the general good, and we regret that * miserable party Rpirit should have been imported into the Council."' At the Addington sale yards on Wednesday a large entry of various kinds caused keen competition for good sorts of young crossbred and halfbred sheep. The sale of morinos was limited. The principal sales effected were 1260 4-tooth halfbred wethers at lGs 9d, a, small line of the same class at 17s I'd, sound-mouthed crossbred ewes and lambs at 17s 4d, hoggets at 12a 31 to 14s, aged merino ewes in lamb 1a 6d, fat lanrbs at 13s to 17s. In fat sheep the entry was very mixed, and there was nothing of special quality in the market. Buy. r? for export were chary of anything but cheep perfectly furnished, which they secured at from Is 6d to 2a 6d a head lesa than the quotations of a month as;o. urood merinos sold freely up to 17s 9d, best crossbred wethers to 19s to 225, wethers and nviiden ewes IGa 9d to 20s 9d. Th re were very few crossbred ewes offered. The pens of heavyweights sold up to I7t, We are in receipt of the Becond number of the Australasian edition of the Review of Reviews Th it portion of the Review devoted to co'onial matters deals with the progress of th<3 oolouies and this is introduced by a capitil portrait of the Hon. J. Ba'.lance. Other Australian celebrities are •'pututed," and in the diary for JuiyAugust the Hon. W J stfwu.l's photograph app ars It h a <„i,jit 1 p- idui-'ini. Puotngrtp.,B of Sir (J-o'i^ G. Cy m iSH and 1539 are given, a ..1 i pi'-toriul sketch of his fumiei hum-, at K-uau. Ihe caricatures of ihe month me a3 amusing as ever, and in tins brauch the Review is almost- as eatei uutimg as Punch. Sir Henry Parkes has a fine head an ' face for a caricatura, and 'he moat is made of this. Benjamin Harrison, Jas. G. BLine, David Hill, and Grover Cleveland are sketched. The number, it is needless to say, is an excellent one, and judging by its appearance, it ahovld prove a successful speculation to it-s proprietor. Another scone has occurred in the Ilonse. During Mr Seddon's remarks on the Land Bill Mr Fergui i-, uported to tuve said in an uudertone, " How he lies." Mr at once said, «v,d"ntly with his bristles up, " If any hon member ventured to say that outside the House in my presence I would take such steps th.it would prevent him from ever using those words again." ' his no doubt meaut that Mr Fergus would be asked to take his coat off, o« take it with hia coat on. Sir George Grey asked tint the Acting Premier's words be taken clown, Mr Seddon, in explanation, said what he meaut by the words was that he would have piosecuted Mr Itrgus for a breach of the peace, or brought the matter under the notice of the Speaker. He had nothing to retract, and nothing to apologise for. The Speaker asked Mr Seddon to retire, wh eh he did. Mr Fergus denied that ho rud Übed any words in r ference ro the Acting Premier. Mr R»eves said he heard the words complained of. The Minister for Education moved that the explanation of Mr Seddon be accep;ed as satisfactory. This was debated for a lonjj time, but eventually the Government majority settled the matter by carrying the motion against the Opposition. It might iot be out of place to suggest to the acting Premier that be should carefully weigh his words before u^iug them ; for if language ca,n be interpreted at all; his remaika meant that if Mr Fergus had been outside he would have had to submit to his head being punched. The Acting Premier of the colony should never even hint at undertaking such a t.iak as this, no matter how capable he may feel himself, or how congenial the p6ifoimanee may be. We are, however, bound to accept iho explanation of the Acting Premier and the member for Wakatipu. Ninian Hyslop and Co., Tea Merchants, Christchurch, sole Proprictois and Importers in New Zealand of •'Imperial" Teas,

James Gemmell has just opened out his Nm\ WisTMi Stock, and gentlemen should therefore have ittle difficulty in selecting their winter suits and overcoats at his Tailoring Establishment, tie variety of reliible and fashion xble first-class woolen and worsted suitings, overcoatings, a.ud stylish trouserings being very extensiv. Gents' suits to otder from 70s upwards. Waterproof overcoats at lowest ratea.