Daily Circulation, 1474. The Oamaru Mail SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1885.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IX, Issue 2839, 28 February 1885, Page 2

Daily Circulation, 1474. The Oamaru Mail SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1885.

As we mentioned yesterday, a large amount of interest was taken in the election of Licensing Committees for the four Oamaru districts. The licensed victuallers were particularly active In bringing voters to the poll, aad had the satisfaction of securing the return of the whole of their candidates in three of the districts. In Hull district, in which there is not a licensed house of any description, only a very small amount of interest was taken, and the temperance party obtained the retarn of two of their candidates—Mr Meek and Major Evans. A list of the numbers of votes polled shows that a very large proportion of the burgessess; neglected to exercise their privilege. Thus of 220 qualified voters in Severn ward only 59 voted; out of 168 in Thames ward, 80 voted; cut of 110 in Jetty ward, 48 voted, six of the votes being informal; and out of 189 in Hull ward only 33 voted. The numbers polled by each candidate are published elsewhere, and it is made clear that the temperance ticket was not very closely followed, otherwise, Messrs Allan and Hay,

who were adopted by both parties, would hare been much farther ahead of the other candidates than they are. We are pleased to hear that applications for space at the New Zealand Inpustrial Exhibition to be held In Wellington in August next came in pretty freely to-day and that there is some prospect of the town and district being fairly represented. We _ are especially gratified to know that the Directors of the Oamaru Woollen Factory Company have changed their minds, and that space has been applied for for the vrry substantial representation of that factory by the exhibition of a large variety of the cloth produced by it. We are'sure that the public as well as the shareholders of the Company will be"well p'eased to know that the most important indusutrial entarprise of North Otago will take its proper place amongst the industries of the colony. We are thoroughly convinced that the result will be one of great advantage to the factory, which is now producing cloths that cannot be bea f en in Australasia. Already the merits of the Oamara tweeds are being recognised in various parts of the colony. Our shipping- news to-day records the shipment northwards of large parcels of these tweeds, and we that the better they become known the greater will become the demand for them. Oamara stone, grain, grass seeds, wool, cheese, and a variety of other productions of North Otago will also be well represented. Up to 3 o'clock this afternoon about 550 ft of space had been applied for, and it is possible that this may be increased. The applicants so far are—Oamaru Woollen Factory Company, Hon. R. Campbell, Mr H. Connell, Messrs Matthews and Glass, Mr J. Lemon, Totara Tree Stone Company, Waiareka Dairy Factory Company, Mr G. Sumptqy, Mrs Macpherson, Mr Gordon, Mr C. V. Moore, and Mr Donovan.

From our telegrams to-day it will be observed that "recruiting" for the Soudan is still being actively prosecuted in New Zealand. Seeing, however, that the Government are not likely to tender to the Imperial Gorernment the services of a contingent and that even if those services were tendered they would assuredly be rejected, it is difficult to understand why the farce should be longer continued.. The only explanation we can find is either that there are a nnmber of idle men in the colony for whom his Satanic Majesty has no worse employment, or that there are a number of individuals who are desirous of obtaining notoriety. A reputation for ralour they cannot expect, for as there is no danger there can be no ralour. To say the least of it the thing is supremely ridiculous, and men who have any care for the reputations should abstain from having anything to do with it. To-day we are told that Dr James Campbell, who was through the Franco-Prussian war, has "offered his services as surgeon to the Dunedin contingent to the Soudan," and that those services have been accepted. Accepted by whom ? Mr Fulton we suppose. Surely the warlike medico knows that this Mr Fulton has no authority to raise a contingent for the Soudan, and a regard for the reputation he has already earned should have restrained him from such flagrant folly as volunteering to go to the front ,with a contingent- that will never tee any front, except the "front" that Mr Fulton has shswn.

So far as we can gather, the return of Dr Brown to the Education. Board ia thoroughly assured, and thus one at least of the members of the little family party will suffer dismissal. That member, according to present appearances, will be Mr. James Green. Mr Fraer will probably be re-elected, and this we look upon as a matter for regret, as Mr Fraer has been one of the most obnoxious members of the Board.- For the third seat, so far as we are able to judge, the contest between the E ev. Mr Bannerman and Messrs Fraser and Ramsay will be very close, and it is difficult to say which will be returned. At the R.M. Court to-day, before H. W. Robinson, Esq., R.M., Charles O'Connell was brought up on a charge of larceny as a bailee of a horse, the property of John Molloy, at Omarama. The case was remanded to the 6th prox, bail being allowed, self in LSO and two sureties in L 25 each. Matthew G. Sharpley was committed to -gaol for 14 days for stealing-a box containing 23 cigars of the value of lis, from the Imperial Hotel. Mr B. T. Aitken, the inspector and colcolkctor of the Otsgo Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is at present in Oamaiu enrolling members and endeavouring to extend the Society's operations in this part of the provincial district. We learn that he has already secured the co-operation of a number of leading citizens, who have not only became members, but have undertaken to carry out the humane objects of the Society.

| A Government land sale was held in Dunedin yesterday, when the following allotments in this district were disposed of: — Otepopo—Section 56, block 1, Wm. Pollock, L2 2a (upset L2 2s) per acre. Kurow—Section 8, at the rate of L3O per acre (upset price). Moeraki—Section 7, block 13, LlO Ids (upset price L 10) per acre; section S, block 13, David Munro, jun., LlO (upset price); these sections were sold under the special Powers and Contracts Act. Section 5, block 16, Samuel Thompson, LlO (upset price); sections 13 and 15, block 16, D. Campbell, LlO (upset price); sections 17 and 18, block 16, same buyer, same price. Tenders close on Monday at the Land Offices, Christchurch and Timaru, for the different sections of deferred-payment land situated on the north bank of the Waitaki. The sections to be offered for cash wilL be sold by auction at the Courthouse, Waimate, on Tuesday. March 24. The first meeting of the new Licensing Committee for the district of Papakaio will be held at the Courthouse on Monday, at noon.

At the last meeting of the Waiareka School Committee, held on the 24th inst,, the Committee decided to vote for the Rev. Mr Bannerman, Mr Fraser, and Dr Brown for the Education Board, The Papakaio Committee have voted for the same three gentlemen. Over L 12,000 passed through the totalisator at the Dunedin races yesterday. The Clutha County Counoil yesterday decided to reduce the chairman's honorarium from LIOO to LSO. A motion to reduce the clerk's salary to LSO was lost. Says the Wellington Post:—We are sorry to see that a number of volunteers and ethers are making themselves ridiculous by offering their services for the Soudan. It is perfectly well known that offers of the kind cannot be accepted, and the making them with a foreknowledge that they will be refused is cartainly no proof "of courage, but really rather the reverse.

The Wellington Post of the 24th instant says :—At the close of the Eev. Mr Isitt's lecture on General Gordon last evening the audience were somewhat startled by one or two unlooked for incidents. When the vote of thanks had been proposed to the lecturer, the Freethought orator known as " Ivo " stood up, and in a loud tone asked the Chairman, Sir James Prendergast, if he would be in order in asking Mr Isitt one or two questions. Asa good many in the audience were aware of the little skirmish which had taken place between Mr Isitt and "Ivo " at Masterton a few days ago, there was some excitement manifested to hear whether the desired permission would be accorded. After a pause, during which Mr Oliver and the Chairman conferred together, the former advanced to the front of the platform and informed Mr " Ivo " that it was not a pub'ic meeting, nor was a public discussion part of programme, but at the same time if the audience were willing that the questions should be propounded, there would be no objection. The audience, on being appealed to, loudly refused to hear " Ivo " who there upon became very excited, and demanded the fair play due to an Englishman. Cries of "Sit down," "Turn him out," &c, f Sc., now arose, and for a minute or two a disturbance seemed immenent. Q iiefc was restored by the ( hief Justice advancing to the rail of the platform and evincing a desire to speak. Silence being ohtained, he addressed himself to the would-be disputant, and sailing h's attention to the fact of the meeting not be« ing for any other purpose than Mr Isitt's lecture, said he-must rule him out of order, Mr "Ivo"—"I bow to your decision, sir." Mr Isitt then said a few words to the effect that he should be happy at a more suitable time to answer any questions put to him by Mr " Ivo," and added that he had been told that he was to be tackle'd by him that evening. 'fhe organist now began playing the Dead March from " Saul," but the exeitemeht of the little incident preceding it, and the heat together, had been too much for some of the ladies, and two of them went into fainting fits during the performance, the . consequent commotion materially injuring hte effect of the music, ' I

At the meeting of the Waimate County Council on Wednesday, the Clerk reported that the LI.OO voted two years ago for the destruction of small birds waa exhausted, and asked for instructions. An Interesting discussion ensued, and it was stated that daring this time 6215 heads and 88,340 eggs had been collected. Mr Studholme expressed . the opinion that the birds did more good than harm in destroying caterpillars, insects, and grubs. Mr Hayes said that it was strange that the sparrows had not yet reached the Hakateramea Valley, and he thought the reason was the absence of shelter there for them The Engineer advocated the use of groats poisoned with phosphorous and Btrychnine. The Conncil ultimately suggested the formation of sparrow clubs, which it would subsidise £ for £ up to £IOO. Miss Arnold, a Zenana missionary from India in connection with the Baptist mission, will give addresses in the Athenaaam Hall on the evenings of Tuesday and Wednesday. Particulars will ba found in our adverti ing columns. To-day's Timaru Herald has the following : "We yesterday mentioned that the s.s. Hauroto was shipping horses and cargo direct from Oamaru for Sydney. We now | find that our neighbors hare actually gone farther than this, the steamer Indns, 2186 tons, being engaged to sail from the same port for Calcutta via Madras and Sydney. Now that the Burnside Kefrigering Works have ceased operations it is probable that there will also be a larger export of frozen meat to England from Oamaru, so that altogether that port is certainly going ahead."

" Ada Mantua " has supplied us with the names of the gentlemen who constituted her conncil of war, and of the principal prize winners. From this we learn that a professional musician in Dunedin drew the first prize, while the second went to an employee in an Invercargill brewery and the third to a carpenter in Dunedin.