The Oamaru Mail TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1903.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8286, 15 September 1903, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1903.

One of the most fruitful causes of wasted time in the House of Representatives is the outrageous abuse of what is spoken of as "the sacred right of question." That abuse has now attained such dimensions that it has become imperatively necessary that some reform should be adopted so that the real work of the session may be proceeded with more expeditiously. No one would care to •see the right of" members to interrogate Ministers abolished, but the exercise of the right should have reasonable limitations. Questioning Ministers upon the floor of the House should be confin-ed to matters of moment. But instead of that we find the Order Paper burdened with questions upon small matters, and the time of the House taken up by trivialities that could well be disposed of by other means. It is not necessary to enter into details to show what a ridiculous appearance of importance is given to comparative trifles. Of course it is of consequence to the residents of the localities affected to learn what the Ministerial mind is with respect to an extension of telephonecommunication to some particular point, or anent the construction of a bridge somewhere or a bit of road somewhere else, or the necessity for stationing a constable where the need for police protection has not hitherto^ been deemed necessaiy. But these and scores of kindred matters that bulk the Order Paper and Hansard and block the progress of business cannot be deemed of such moment as to justify the importance given to them. Moreover, the desired information could be obtained in the simpler way of a note to the Minister in charge of the Department. That is the method adopted in the Mother Country, whose Parliamentary system we profess to admire and copy. Why is not a similar course pursued here? The answer to that question speaks more eloquently of the prevalence of parochialism than of the wisdom individually and collectively of our legislators. At the root of all this questioning of Ministers in the House lies a desire on. the part of members to be deemed assiduous in their attention to the little wants of their constituents. Quite as much attention might be given by the less ostentatious means of a brief letter. Bat then the fact that the member had been giving heed to the little things would not receive publication in Hansard, and in that fact is found the secret of the whole matter. If there were no .Hansard there would be fewer questions and fewer speeches without point or acceptable purpose, and consequently a great saving of time, to the advantage to the country tilat more and better woTk would be done at considerably less cost. But Hansard is an established appurtenance. :pf a Parliamentary session, and members cannot resist the' temptation to figure frequently, comprehensively, and profusely -in -its limit-less pages. Some people may be inclined to attribute their unfortunate penchant for publicity to vanity; but any such conclusion would be erroneous. ItiSnot vanity that moves members to get- themselv-es into Hansard with all their inquiries upon trivialities"affecting their constituents; it is anxiety to make votes secure by gaining credit for close attention to the little needs of their constituencies. Precisely by what metTiod the evil can best be remedied we are not prepared to say. Probably the most. effective cure for the wasting of time would be found in compelling members to remain ai-their post until they , had completed their work. The Premier has threatened to adopt that remedy, and it will be interesting to note the effect if he carries out his threat.

On the 11th instant, before his Honor Judge Ward, in Chambers, on the application of Messrs Lee and Grave, probate of the wills of Hugh Wallace, late of Georgetown, deceased, and of Mrs M. E. Watts, lafce of Oamaru, deceased, were granted. - A correspondent writes from Waiareka Junction.:—"l planted some trees upon a piece of land upon, the town belt, where I intended to build some day, and when 1 went to look at them a few days after I found that they had all been pulled up and laid carefully on the (round. In addition to this wire fences had been cut and .posts cub out : of the fences with a tomahawk. I have put- the case in the hands of the police, and unfortunately this is all, I can do, although I assure you I should very much like to do a little more."

Mails for Australia, Tasmania, Ceylon, India., China, Japan, Straits Settlements. South Africa, Continent of Europe, and the United Kingdom will close at Wellington on Saturday, at noon; per Moeraki. ■Following the method, adopted by South Canterbury, the Farmers' Union branches in North Otago are proposing to "register" as one body representing the whole] of the farmers this side of the Horse Shoe Range to the' Waitaki, and it is expected this proposal will be carried into effect at the quarterly meeting of the branches, which will be held in the Council Chambers on ..Saturday next, at 1.30 p.m. Farmers-are asked to bring forward any matters. of general . interest at this meeting. ,s: On-Saturday.Tiextj jat .their Wairaate--Sale-' brooms. Messrs . Guinness oEferfori-sale v Criwford-farmsrfcu/rfed -cl oseto -the ;®edcliff .-. creamery and - township:! "Die owner,.<Mr; A.vDayis) -is only celling be- , cause of ill-Tiealth, and as the property is -in good'-hfeart and . first-rate; "-anyone Te--quirmg a - "farm" of, about ' which "will grow grain or fatten stock will d 6 well to inspect it. ' For some time 'tlie owning the North Road Cricket Ground have been ne- . gotiating for its sale, and a number of speculators Rave had intentions of purchasing the property, as a building site. It will be re-

membered that, when the ground was in the market before, several gentlemen, realising the serious blow the sale would be to cricketers, formed a syndicate to buy the land and keep it intact for various athletic Bports. Now that there was extreme probability that the property would fall into the hands of someone who intended to build, Mr A. G. Greagh has come to the rescue and, feeling that the North Road Recreation Ground should be conserved to the youth of the town as a "breathing space," has purchased it solely with the object of conserving it to the use of cricket and other outdoor games. We understand that here will be no objection to arrangements being made for a transfer to the Caledonian Society if that body find it expedient to treat for the property as a sports ground, the feeling being that their operations would not in any way interfere with the maintenance of a firstrate cricket pitch in the centre of the ground. The thanks of Oamaru "sports" are due to Mr Greagh for his tlioughtfulne'ss on their behalf.

Mails for Fiji, Lord Howe, Norfolk, New Hebrides, and Banks Islands, per Waikare, will close at Auckland on Monday next, at 4-30 p.m. His Worship the Mayor, by advertisement wllleh appears elsewhere, invites the public to assembly at the Post OiSoe on Thursday, at a quarter to twelve, on the -occasion of the town clock being started by Mr St. John Buckley, Bequests that they should be present have also been sent to Sir J. G-. Ward, the 'Hon. Cr. Jcnes, and the Hon. T. Y. Duncan,- but up to the time of going to press no word had been received as to their intentions. It has been stated that the fitting up of the clock will not be finished on Thursday, and that it . will only be set going temporarily to make a holiday, but. we understand that everything will be completed by Mr Burton by tliat time, and the official timepiece will be set going in real earnest, with strict injunctions as to futui'e good behavior. On Thursday evening Root's cantata, "David the Shepherd Boy," will be rendered by Wesley choir in the Church. The cantata is one of the composer's best efforts and abounds .in pretty airs, tile obbligato numbers being specially' striking and attractive. The items for the full chorus give scope for spirited rendering and mostly have a marching rhythm, and the whole work is marked by a pleasing brightness. The preparation has been carefully attended to and the performance is expected to give every satisfaction.

Our Duntroon covrespondent writes: The annual general meeting of the Duntroon ! Caledonian -Society was held. in Orr's Hall :on Saturday night, when there were 31 ■ present. The report and balance-sheet were . adoptedas read. Although, last Boxing Day ' was very wet and prevented a great many , people from turning out the Society is in a : very good position financially. The -election ; of officers resulted as follows .-—President, :Mb Thos. X&eid, juar. (Kokoaano); VicePrseidents, Messrs: John M'Phee (senior vice),, Alex. Smith; (junior- vice).,, and H. A. DoveyT; Secretary,. Mr W. M'Leod (reTreasures; Mr S. Poeklington (reelectedji-- A committee of 30 were appointed, including representatives at- Oainaru, Papakaio,. Ngapara,. and Otiake. , It was resolved to hola the sports as usual on! Boxing Day on Mr Francis' grounds, atad to have a 6peoial train from Oarnaru and. also a band, and a. sub-committee was appointed to make'the necessary arrangements in. connection therewith. . Every' preparation will be made to ensure a good day's sport and amusement, but of course everything will depend; on th« weather, wiuch will. surely be good this time.. It was decided; to Have an entertainment in the Defence' Hall on Boxing- Night. It was stated in 'Wellington on Thursday that a manager has actually, been appointed: for the New Zealand State iFire Insurance Department—a department not yet cttated—and further, that the appointment has been conferred upon Mr ©rindley, now in Sydney. Mr Brindley was formerly manager in .New Zealand for the Victorian Insurance Company. Rumor has for some time past associated his name with the State Department of Fire-insurance.- In reply to an inquiry on the subject, the (Premier said: "There is no foundation whatever for the statement. No appointment is yet possible. The State Fire Insurance Bill is still before the 'Legislature."

So keenly is the advantage of close settlement felt in Victoria that a Society for the Promotion of Land Settlement lias been formed. The recent wholesale emigrations from the Stat? have induced the Society to issue a manifesto advising' the public that there is plenty of land in Victoria suitable for settlement. According to the latest returns there are. 12,164,981 acres available .for occupation, and official figures give 7,500,000 acres as reverting to the Crown from_pastoral tenants in December next. In the north-w«6t there are 2,000,000 acres, and '5,700,000 acres in different parts of the State, now available for settlement. Altogether the manifesto, by a series of calcuiations, comes to the tonclusion that there are altogether 18,000,000 acres awaiting settlement (as distinct from "available for occupation"), and asserts that the Government could, if its machinery were in order, grant it at once to bona fide settlers.

The Bruce Herald has the following example of the working of tha railway tariff : —A well-known amateur gardener in Bruce, lately got a tin of crude kerosene oil to spray his trees. Ths friend who sent the tin told him that the total cost landed in Dunedin was only 6d per gallon. Naturally the lover of flowers thought he had struck an extra soft thing in oils, but he reckoned in his haste without the Government railways. On arrival at its destination, about 44 miles from Dunedin, the four-gallon tin had more than doubled the price, and the consignor had to pay 2s 3d for railage freight from Dunedin. On inquiry he also discovered that, in the gentle irony of the language-of tils railway tariff, the tin of oil had been carried at a "reduced rate!" 'He points out that the Standard Oil Trust can send crude kerosene oil across American railways, across the Pacific Ocean, and sell it for 6d per gallon in Dunedin, but the New Zaaland railways charge 6f d per gallon freight for sending it about 44 miles.

The total membership of the New Zealand 1 Farmers' Union, according to Mr M'Curdy, the organising secretary, is 19,800, and of this number South Canterbury contributes 500.

In spite of prohibition in the Ashburton electorate, a merchant stated to an interviewer the other day that his cash takings for August were £l5O in advance of the corresponding month of last year. Regarding the discussion in the House on the flourmillers' trust, -Mr T. E. Taylor,. seen by a representative of the Christchurch Press on Saturday, said that he was not inclined to give an interview on the subject. A dispute of this kind could not, he added, be decided in the columns of a newspaper. The only method of ascertaining the facts of the case was an inquiry, either by a court of justice or a Parliamentary 'Committee, as in both cases the power existed of calling for persons and papers. Mr Taylor is confident of being able to prove to the hilt, before the Committee, the accuracy of his statements regarding the trust. "Whatever may be said in the newspapers," he remarked, "I will be able to to prove my ease."

Tli& Hon. Gathorne-Hardy thus discourses in the Badminton Gazette on trout fishing in New Zealand : —"During the past few years Fate has three times led me to New Zealand in the fishing season. I'was fortunate in having plenty of time to travel aßout and amuse myself ; and, being a been fisherman, I neglected no opportunity of testing the sporting qualities of the rivers. In New Zealand there are countless streams of the bright, clear water which trout love. Born of the mists of rugged mountains, they dash white and foaming down the. gorges.; fed by the springs of lower hills, they wander through the pastures calin and peaceful as a Hampshire trout stream. East from the Southern .Alps they flow across treeless plains ; or west, and are lost in the bush through whoso tangled growth the river-bed is the only road. Till recently-these streams held only a few eels and native fish, insigni- , Scant alike in size and value: but now there is hardly a suitable stretch of water, between Auckland and the Bluff-, in which trout are' not to be found, often in great numbers, and of phenomenal size." ■ The Ladies' Guild of St. Luke's Church will hold a 'supplementary sale" of ■ work' on . the afterhoon 6f:;Friday,--September ;25thj in' order', to. pay off the ' remaining, debt of £3O on the'stone wall. In ithfe -evening of the same day .Mrs Darling has kindly undertaken* to -provide a dramatic • entertainment, in vwhich she- has the: assistance of-the best local .talent'in"Oanuiru., In" order to: obtainthe best seats tickets ; should >Tie obtained beforehand from the performers, the Guild, or Vestry., There will be no sale in the evening.., _ • . - _ ■ i . -Not. how- to make machines cheap, but hoyr to makethem valuable hap ever been the watch-word of tho M'Cormick. •

MOST POPULAR BECAUSE IT IS THE BEST.

Messrs Philpotts and Soil, storekeepers, Picton, N.Z., say: "The best selling cough mixture 'in this district is Chamberlain's Cough Remedy. Everyone likes it and speaks well of the results alter using it." For sale by all Chemists and Storekeepers. Price, Is 6d and 3s. KUROW.—MR SWINDLEY, Resident Dentist, will visit Kurow on Thursday next, 17th instant, and may be consulted at his rooms at Mi- Munro's Hotel. The florist is curious until the season reveals its mystery, and can be excused the outburst of ecstasy when a new plant throws opens its petals. The spring season is full of mystery to the dry goods "people. Wo think we! know what's coming, yet constant surprises greet us at every turn. We are charmed and puzzlecl at the same time. This season the surprises have been many, and the end is not yet, though it is almost a sure thing that a big lot of spotted goods will be worn, and that muslins, wonderfully pretty though they are, will have keen competition from the all-wool delains, a great number of which are bordered on the one selvags. Vcile dresses are remarkably pretty, .ijid in demand. Following closely the vogtlo of larger towns there is sure to be a great quantity of cream dress stuff worn in Oamara this season. The best assortment of choicest dress muslins, delains, voiles, etc., is to be seen at PENROSE'S Cash Drapery Establishment.

In all tilings that go to make up a scientifically constructed machine, the M'Cormick lias always held first rank.

Now that gloomy winter is fast vanishing, the bright spring sunshine make 6 the trappings of winter dark and dingy. At the Polytechnic we have just opened a very choice selection of muslin window draping, in' white with lace, and frilled edges, also some lovely designs in printed art muslins. Ex "s.s. Waimea" we received 12 cases floorcloths and linoleums, which are marvellously cheap, while the designs are amongst : the best which we have ever shewn in Oa- - maru. We ask your inspection and comI parison of qualities and prices and we know 'we will please you. See our new prints, muslins, hats, ribbons, collarettes, gloves, laces, etc. Everything new and fresh and lowest cash prices at THE POLYTECHNIC, the Ready-Money Drapers, Thames street..

.Extra' Special Supplementary 4 Sale.— L. H.- Tempero begs to announce that, owing to alterations to the Showroom, which will'be in hand next month, ho will' hold a (3re.it .Clearing Sale of drapery, clothing, etc., consisting of Ladies' Jackets, Waterproofs, Mhntl'es, Underclothing of all descriptions, Hate and! Bonnets, Corset 3, Aprons, Flowers-, Prints,. Muslins, Flannelettes, - Sheetings, Blankets, etc., at desperate prices, to save 1 stock from damage during the progress. OS the work. For 10 days only can you get drapery at un-heard-of prices. li,v H. TEMPERO, London House.