The Oamaru Mail. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1905.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXI, Issue 8961, 9 December 1905, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1905.

To-day's Mail supplement will be found a particularly good one, comprising foar very readable 6tories by prominent authors, entitled -'The First of All the Line' (\v. 15. Macllarg), ".Miss Ellen" (Grace Elie:y Channing), "Interrupted Probation" (Helen it. Givens), "The Deciding Silence" (il. Hamilton Carter). Among the interesting selection of articles included in to-day a publication are "The Sacred Animals of 1 .1dia," "At War with the Clouds, 1 "1 ne Rothschilds of France," and ".Marked for Death by the Mafia." The Mail supplement Ls rapidly growing in popularity, and those who once begin to read it are invariably numbered amongst it loyal devotees. . The division of the cities, Mr lJuthie

savs, has helped to keep Oppositionists out- of city seats throughout the colony. That is a confession that there is, in each

city division, a majority for the Government, and that it is only when the Oy>- > position supporters are massed tliat tln-y are numerous enough to secure a candidate's return. -Mr JJuthie also attributed the Opposition's defeat to the organisation ' of the liquor trade in the interests of the ' Government. The activity of tho traou was due to its determination to protect itself in view of the local option poll. Mr Duthie suggests, in describing the caU'-vs of the Opposition's discomfiture, that his friends have been the champions of liquor reform and that the Liberal Party, uiKi-.T Mr Sieddon, has done nothing but earn tho everlasting gratitude of the licensed victuallers. Facts do not bear out ti.is view. Whence did our liquor laws, whis-h are admitted to be the most progressive in the Empire, emanate? They were parsed during the administration of the fcsi-l--don Government, and, if that Government had succeeded in the whole of its designs, colonial option would have been added to our existing law. But the Conservatives in the Legislative Council defeated this principle. J lave the Opposition a reeoid like this to shew? Did they to grant local option, or did their party favor it? The Conservatives everywhere have a singular reluctance to take any action which would improve the condition of the There was a very numerous attendance at the Horticultural Society's show l;-.-;t night, and the exhibition was generally admired, more particularly in the rose section, Kngla nd's emblem having apparently lost none of its power to charm. The refreshment department appeared to meet with favor, and was well patronised, the ladies being well repaid for their labors. In our report of yesterday the Xonh School should have been credited with tho first- prize in the children's competition under 12. The judges, to whom the thank;; of the Society are due, were, ill the oecorations, etc., Mesdames Gould ;uid_ Burbury and Miss Keid (Klderslie), and in the other classes Messrs George Knowles and Lewis (Timaru). Mr Macpherson's victory for the Mount Ida seat was sigpnlised by the success' ill candidate being "carried shoulder high ;ip the streets in Xaseby, the brass band Leading the procession. During the last session of Parliament (snvs tho Duncdin Star) opinions were very much divided as to the probable position of parties after the pending battle was decided. On the occasion of a 6tonewall in the House Mr Massey crossed tho floor and discussed the matter in a friendly way with the Premier. This was before the present. Electoral Bill, which makes wagering on parliamentary contests il_leg.il, had the force of law. Mr Massey said he was prepared to bet a hat that the Government majority -would not be ten. The Premier promptly took up the challenge, and then (in what he admitted subsequently was intended for "bluff") turned the tables by offering to bet that his majority in the new House -would be at least twenty. Of course tlie Opposition leader took up tho -wager. At the time it looked as though Mr Massey would have to provide a hat for the Premier, and tliat- 'Mr Seddon would be called upon to meet a similar account on behalf of the member for Franklin ■ but, as events have proved, the Premier lands the double very easily. A pleasing ceremony took place at Maheno recently, when several of Mr George Macdonald's* friends met to welcome liiin home after he had completed a nina months' sojourn in the Old Country. Mr Lindsay, on belialf of the people of -Maheno, presented the guest wiih a'chair, expressing tliie pleasure of the residents at Mr Macdonald' s Teturn and wishing him future health and prosperity. A further sale of 1500 Borough bonds at 101 is reported as having been made in Christchurcn within tho past week. In Chambers yesterday, Mr Justice Williams granted probate in -re Robert Ferguson and Hugh Barclay. Both applications were made by Hislopand Creagii. There is still some doubt as to the actual position in respect to the no-license poll in 3ruce (says the Otago Daily Times). The returns published in the local papers tend to aid to the .confusion. The returns from some of the booths do J>ot- correspond, and while the totals in each' paper -agree t'fe totals given are in neither case the correctaddition of the figures given for the various boot lis. The Bruce Herald declares that no issue was carried, -while the Mirror states that reduction was carried. The totals given by both papers are Valid votes, 4029; for continuance, J£o6; reduction, 1976; no-license; 2i)90. If these totals are correct then no issue has been carried, which is tantamount to continuance. In another portion of the paper the Bruce Herald says"Up to going to press this afternoon, -we learnt that the following is the result of the Bruce licensing poll to date, counting in absent voters as below: Number of valid recorded, _ 4045; continuance, 1614; reduction, 1933: r>&liccnjg, 2404. At the counting of tlie absent voiufs' permits, before Mr A. Nelson, J.P., the following- were the results Number of valid votes, 16 j continuance, 7 ; reduction, 6 ; no-license, 8. A few more have yet to come in. If ths latest figures are approximately correct, no issue has received the necessary number of votes.

At a meeting of the Otago Cricket •Association last night a letter was read from the North Otago Association stating that a team would visit Dunedin, and •would be •willing to play a two days' match on Christmas Day and Boxing Day against an Otago team, or a one days' match against a country team.—The first proposal wap approved, play to start on

Christmas Day at 2.15 p.m., a charge 6d admission to be made, and the secretary to write to the Dunedin clubs, asking tor names of players available to play w t 10 match. , Mr H. B. Crawford, who has been absent in the North Island for t 6OI P® con " siderable time recruiting his healltn, returned to Oamaru to-day. Mr Crawforf has physically profited greatly as a result of his respite from work. Mr A. Henderson, who has been travelling Tc-presentative for the D-I.C. in Xorth Otago and South Canterbury for the past twelve years, having severed his connection with the firm and purchased a pro- | pertv in Xew South Wales, was, in the D.I.C. warehouse, presented by uie emI plovces with a handsome travelling bag and Tug as a mark of appreciation and respect (savs the Daily Times). Mr and Mrs Henderson and family leave Duncan for Sydney by the s.s. Maheno on Decernher 14. . . In the course of an interview with, a Christchurch Press representative, the Rev. R. S. Gray, speaking in regard to the Ashburton no-license poll, said he was of opinion that the local prohibitionists had perhaps under-estimated the fighting strength of the enemy, and from their vantage ground thought themselves more secure than they were. He thought t.iat this would probably be the case in Oh.: - mers and Newtown, and Bruce also. Ihe Ashburton Club vote was also an impoit■•nt factor the 600 members having doubtless resented the removal of their charter The New Zealand Herald reports thatstocks of American potatoes in Auckland are verv lirrht, after good sales since la.it mail steamer arrived. Another large ship-mc-nt is due next week The recent thy weather is having a beneficial effect on t..<. potatoes now growing, ripening them o!t without the blight developing. Some growers now think that t<iey wl.l get a good crop. , At the declaration of the poll at Lnlchitha on Wednesday night, Mr Daniel Stewart, referring to the rumor in circulation that his opponent was not eligible on a-.-oount of being a salaried servant or t.-ie (Smgo Education Board, and therefore a "contractor" within the moaning of t;.>Disoiial'.tication Act. said lie would not i,any to claiming the seat unless lie got a majority of the electors. _ A <iond election story is going the rour.i.s of tl-rt Taieri. It seems that a prominent !adv member of the Temperance party, with a feminine anxiety to mark what the ■•valued, struck out the bottom line of t : io rating paper. On leaving the booth, and Ij,.m,ir t hown her mistake, she was inconsolable until she learned that a well-known hot el keeper, who is somewhat- shortsighted, had accidentally turned his paper bottorn upwards before striking out the two bottom lines, with the result that he voted for no-license only. And now they find abso lute comfort in each other's misfortunes ! How are immigrants induced to come to the colony? This question prompted a Xew Zealand Times reporter to inquire among ilio passengers who arrived at \V ellington from England by the lonic on Wednesday. In several instances the new arrivals were young tradesmen who hud been attracted to make inquiries at the High Commissioner's office, London, by interesting paragraphs referring to the prosperity of the colony appearing in newspapers in the metropolis. The news that acceptable immigrants would be assisted in paying their passage money gave the . inquirers a. favorable opinion of tiie methods of the Government in seeking to obtain suitable colonists. The only thing new that moves in the electoral world (says t-he Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Times) is -i rumor that Mr Aitken has determined, if tiie present nearness of the balance turns in his favor, to Tesign so tliat -Mr Taylor may have another chance. An Ashburton correspondent of the Lyttelton Times writes:—The Premier lias telegraphed to Mr John M'Lachlan stating that- the Land Purchase Board has been instructed to enter into negotiations Ki-t-he purchase of the Laghmor Estate. The estate comprises 20.0C0 acres, and comes up to within a couple of miles of the town ot Ashburton, and its acquirement by the Government for cutting up under the Lar.d for Settlements scheme would materially assist the progress of the town. Several years ago the estate was offered to tii-3 Government for close settlement purposes, but the price asked was considered too high arid the purchase was not effected. Sales of portions of the estate at various times since then liave proved that tiie Government lost a great bargain in not closing at the price asked, and it- is hoped here that no sucli hitch will occur on this occasion. The- Premier in his speech at the railway station on Tuesday, mentioned Laghmor and Springfield Estates in the districts suitable for subdivision, and since then a portion at Laghmor (6900 acres) lus been advertised for sale. By accomplishing a journey from Brigh ton via London to Edinburgh without ones changing gear .Mr Cecil Kdge has accom plished an achievement unique in the an--nals of aiUomobilism. his mean rate of speed being just under twenty miles an hour throughout. Wherever necessary the car was slowed down by means of the throttle. A pretty constant smoker does not consume more than four ounces of tobacco a week, and at this rate he would have to smoke steadily for 172 years before he got through a ton. Some men smoke as much as six ounces a week, and at this rate itwould make 115 years to consume a ton. Basing Ins progmatications on the habits of the mole, an old mole-killer in Oltcn. Switzerland, announces that the coming winter will be the longest and severest for the last fifteen years, the moles having added two deeper galleries to their usual winter quarters, and laid in double tho ordinary i)rovisions. "I do not believe in sandwiching courtship with religion," said the secretary of the V.-M.C-.A. in New York recently. "2\o man can hold a hymn-book with a charming young woman and pay attention to what the minister is saying." He advocates separate churches for the two sexes.

A curious custom with regard to marriages existed until a, very recent period in Suffolk, that if the younger sister married beforp the elder she must dance in the hog's trough. In the West of England, where the custom also existed, it was a fixed rule that the lady should dance in green stockings. There was at least one case of dual voting in the Wellington East electorate (says the Post). A young man, after recording his legitimate vote, found himself in the adjoining booth, and there, on the usual request, again gave his name ;uid address, and received another set of voting papers. JJp was go jnuch surprised at the liberality of the polling officials that he commented on the fact subsequently in conversation with his father. "These new changes in the law," he said, "are peculiar. "How?" asked the parent. "Why, they gave me two votes to-day, and I had i"j u" 6 election!" The father startled the son by informing the latter that he was in for some trouble, as it was a case of dual, and therefore ill-pea}, voting. The young man made an explanation which indicated that he had taken the goods the gods (the deputy returningofficers) had offered him. Had the deputy in the second booth put the essential question to the elector, "Have you already voted to-day?" the trouble would have been avoided. The young man wrote an explanation to {-he totuvniiig office?! It is understood that those two votes were cast for Mr Aitken.

™ EATI SE ON CON SUCTION. —This interesting and ins Pamphlet published in connection with SACCO, the marvellous South African Consumptive Cure, will be posted to any address, in plain envelope, upon receipt of a penny stamp. Chabi.es F.letch'sr, Saico Agency, Willis street, Wellington. 15-77 Pinafores in endless variety, as real barSaiAs, at the ART DEPOT. The M'Cormiek Binder has no weak spots; it is at home in any sized crop. Agent; *.O. Farmers' Co-op., Oamaru. Extensive preparations for the ChristMYf at 'Penrose's Establishment. An exquisite asI? i fancy goods have come out irom England and the Continent, and special attention is directed to the stock of lace work Teneriffe, Taoro, and Irish, w? - showing at most reasonable prices. Half-dozen lace table Tu 18 - x 18 linen centre and heavy lace edging, sell Is lid ; i-lozep, qll lace tabids centres," size i 8 x 18 inch, sell Is 9d; table centres, size 18s x 18 inch, with plain linen centre, and scolloped lac? fdging, spll 2s 3a j I, dozen all km tablp cenites,'size~2o"x ■©} inch, sell 2s 6d ; £-dqzen'2o x 20 inch table centres, witli linen centre aild fancy lace ill??! ' i-dozen lace Duchess cloths, size 12 x 40 inch, sell 3s 3d; 2 large occasional lace table covers, v.jth J™* n centre, and scolloped lace edslne.— Drapery Estfiblisliment: Do not allow that. .consMpaiion to con-- : tinoe; check it while''there is vet a chance, indigestion, flatulence, acid risings, - bad breath all follow in its train. Cure the constipation with Dr Grassland's Notol. 4s at chemists }'4 stores.

"Good gracious, Mary, what a sallow complexion you have got! For goodness sake take some ,of Dr Crossland s oxo 1, and get your liver right, and you will soon be as rosy looking as I am. I took it." 2s bottles, at chemists and stores.