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Oamaru Mail, Volume XIX, Issue 6049, 14 September 1894, Page 4

Items.

"I once had to run into Chatham Island, in the South Pacific Ocean," said an old sea captain, " and was amused to see the way in which the people accepted their fate in regard to the jumping of time. This little island is just on the line of demarcation between times and dates. In order to keep right with the remainder of the world it is necessary to skip from noon Sunday to noon Monday every week in the year, and hence the joke that it is possible to spend a whole day at dinner without eating an average meal. The island is so near the Antarctic region that days and nights are altogether mixed up from the idea of an ordinary 1 individual: but this plan of jumping the i afternoon of one day and the morning of the next, so as to keep in line with the almanac, is something that none but a seafaring man can appreciate or understand the necessity of." A young man at Feilding the other day intended to commit suicide by drowning himself, but he thought better of it, and now is in gaol waiting to appear before a Magistrate. The following letter, which he left, explains itself:—"August 31st, Dearest Mary,—"l feel sorry, dear, I put you and your family to so much trouble last night. I did not think of doing so my darline. I did want to have a little talk with you. but you seemed so afraid. Oh, Mary, Mary, dear. I could never hurt you. I caught a glimpse of your dear f.-ice in the doorway as I passed. I wish you had come out to me. I would so much easier, dear. Mary. I wanted to have a last talk to you, my love ; but your family would not let me, and now I pass into eternity without saying good-bye personally. I am tired, weary, and hungry, and now I intend to drown myself in the Oroua river, just above the bridge. I freely forgive your mother and family all the worry they have done me. A last and final good bye, my own true darling Mary." Here is the Victorian unhappy state of affairs as given by the Melbourne Argus : " It is at once impossible and improper to hide from ourselves the gravity of the present position of the colony. In the language of soberness it may be said that we have no modern record of a country suffering a reversal of fortune so sudden and so complete as that which has hefallen Victoria. In 1889 90 the Treasurer came down with a sum of L' 10,000,000 at his disposal to spend. And the total revenue had dwindled by last year to L 6,719,000. The British revenue in the first year in question was L 89,600,000, and if the British revenue had dropped, in the Victorian proportion to L 59,000,000, instead of rising as it has done to L 100,000,000, there would be a sensation through the world indeed. And this drop of 33 per cent has occurred despite the almost frantic efforts to increase the revenue by new taxation. We have sent up duties to a height" which would have astonished the earlier Protectionists. We have doubled nearly all fees, we have doubled-the postal rates, we have increased railway frieghts and fares, and yet the shrinkage has continued and.; continues. On the other' hand, wo have reduced the public service'oufclay until'the suferers.are now .in mild revolt againSfc any further savings at their expense; ; Our accumulated deficit is now over L 3,000,000, and the Bills' floated by Sir Graham Berry and Mr Shiels to tide over their miscalculations are about to fall due at the rate of L2p0,000 per annum, thus'adding gravely to tha national