The Oamaru Mail. MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 1909.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10043, 11 January 1909, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail. MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 1909.

The Ministerial party, which consists of Sir Joseph and Lady Ward, Mass Ward, and Master Patrick, are enjoying & real holiday at Elderslie as tlie guests of Mr John Reid. Sir Joseph and Lady Ward have already visited Corriedale audi Windsor settlements and Burnside, the rasi-' denoe of Mr J. B. Reid, who accompanied them on their trip. They are much pleased with the appearance of the State leaseholds and tho fertility of the whole countryside. It is something to get any Minister of tho Crown to visit us. When, therefore, a Prime Minister comes amongst us, even for a holiday, we should feel highly grateful. But Sir Joseph knows what we are in North Otago and what we can do. In him we have always had a ready helper. This we do not say in view of favors to come; because, of course, we have nearly everything one could desire in this world. When we get thfe railway into the interior and .are able to join hands with our friends across Dansey's Pass we shall have crowned the sum of our happiness. We believe that this will be one of the first extra lines constructed, though its cost will be 60 modest that, perhaps, it will be viewed of less importance than its usefulness would warrant. (May we not hope that some day the whole Ministry will igo through the country that would be served by this connecting link, so that they may enjoy its unique sights, and be confirmed in their good opinion of the scheme. But, we had forgotten—Sir Joseph is here enjoying wefl-earned! respite from the consideration of State affairs. There is promise that his party will have beautiful weather fer ■their trip to Mount Cook. " The New Zealand. Shipping Company is advised that the s.s. I'aparoa arrived at Plymouth on the Bth instant, and sailed the same day for London. t The New Zealand Shipping Company s s.s. Papanui (Captain Weston) is due at Oarnaru on January 23rd to load wool and frozen meat 'for England. The Papanui's final port of departure from the Dominion will bo Wellington, which she will leave on February 11th. We hav-} received from Mr W. Siraiutcr, locnl agent for the Royal Exchange Assurance Company, a handy blotting p;id in hook form and a most useful file. The same firm has sent us their annual artistic calendar.

On Saturday night the Sergeant of Police, with Constables Madden and Langmuir, made use of the powers conferred by a search warrant to investigate the interior, of the preimses of John Curran, but were unsuccessful in their quest of liauor. A scrutiny of the environs of the adjoining shop of Duncan Gillies, grocer, disclosed 15 bottles of whisky, and ro

! doubt an information will be laid against somebody upon whom the police will seek ; to throw the onus of ownership. One day last week Mr W. H. Williams, of Timaru, met with a painful accident at Geraldine (says the Timaru Herald). was on his way to the Orari Gorge Station to asssist in the valuation of. the land- for the Lands for Settlement Department, and as the conveyance was leaving the stables in Geraldine he stood up to wrap a rug round himself. The horses started forward, and Mr Williams was thrown out on to the concrete floor of the stables, falling heavily on his 6ide. He was taken on to Orari Gorge Station ,that night, but was so severely injured that he had to be brought into Timaru for medical attention.

A fine specimen of Waitaki trout was on exhibition on Saturday afternoon and evening in Mr James M'Diarmid's display window. The trout, which wan caught at the mouth of the river, afforded a fitting refutation of the opinion, based on the result of recent unsuccessful efforts, that there was nothing now in the Waitaki worth fishing for. The fish in question was not remarkable for its weight, being only 161b, but for symmetry and quality was a perfect model. It was presented to the Jubilee Home, where it afforded a delicacy for the old people. A prominent officer of the Wellington police force, in. conversation with a New Zealand Times reporter, said; that it had come to his ears that many men were carrying loaded: revolvers about the city, in caw tbsy should be attacked by garroters, or some other mythical individuate. Such a practice he characterised as very dangerous, and extremely silly. He knew of no more dangerous thing to the man who earned it than a loaded revolver. The dangerous criminal was alwaya a quick, smart fellow; the chances were that a man would never get an. opportunity to fire a shot at him.- He would! grab the weapon, and force it out of a man's hands, and then in all probability -us© it against its owner. ''l have been in many a tight corner in my time, as you know," said the officer, "but I have never carried a toadied revolver, and never will, for that, very reason. Arid if some of these men do put a. -bullet in somebody's head some night, whether they are being attacked or not, what are they going to say to us about it afterwards ?"

On the "return journey from Palmeraton North on Thursday evening a: telegram /was ianded the Hon. T. Mackenzie from a corjstituent.. which read as follows:— "Joshua, chap. 1, verso 6 and 7, Congratulations." One of the. half dozen who were pasengers byZ.the special train produced a copy of the Bible and the verses referred to were found to be as follows : —"Be strong and of good courage; for unto this .people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the_ land which I Bware unto their-fathers togive them. Only be thon strong "and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all ths law which Moses my servant commanded thee; turn not from it to the right hand or _ to the left, that thou may prosper whithersoever thou goest." The engine attached to the train which left Oamaru. at 7.40 this morning for Dunedin :brbke down at Shag Point, blocking the line and considerably ; dteJaying the fcraffio. !Aa ertra iaiipxm was. procured foom 'Palmerstoß, with ae much despatch--

as possible, but the delay occasioned ui getting the line clear caused the morning s northward-bound •express to be held up at Pahnerston .for -nearly an hour and a-hal£. Consequently it was half-past twelve before the train got through to Oaanaru. «« . The Hon. Dr Fnidlay went North on the first express train from Duncdin to-dav. Mr W. Coffey, Secretary of the Wellington Boxing Association, has been advised that Mr W. F. Corbott (-'Amateur of the Sydney Heforeo) will in all probability accompan- Burns, the pugilist, to New Zealand. That gentleman writes that Burns lias" accepted" a lucrative flve-weeka engagement with Mr Harry Bickards, and his recent defeat has in no way atiected the popularity of the Canadian boxer with the public. Sir J. G. Ward, speaking to a representative of the Mail on Saturday evening, said that ho was not prepared to make any statement concerning wo intentions of the Government in the matter ol asking the House next session to sanction the payment of another Minister bo that Mr Thomas Mackenzie might be recompensed for his work in the Cabinet. It would be time enough to talk of such matters when the House met. The Hon. B. M'Nab went north by the second express from Dunoiiin on Saturday. In conversation witii all , Cama.ni Mail reporter hj„ s.iid lit) had -iiot beru approached In regard to contesting the '1 bamas seat, as there might, be local' men who desired to succeed Mr M'Gowau. Ho said he was not aware of the conditions, but inferred that if approached by leading men in the electorate he would give the matter favorable consideration. Mr M'Jio-b said he would be busy preparing his book, for the printers during the next few months. • _. When questioned by a Lyttolton limes reporter on Saturday with regard to the mining trouble, Sir Joseph Ward sairt that he had received word that tho minerswere satisfied with the solution of tho difficulty offered by the Government. The proposal, as announced ill the papers that morning, was that the men should bo insured in the Government Insurance Papartment without the medical examination to which so much exception had been taken, the State thus taking the .risk hi connection with the minors' special disease. He bad not yet heard what attitude the mine-owners were taking- up in regard to the proposal, but d£ they dad not accept the solution offered, then he could only assume that they wanted trouble Tli?' Government hod done its best to inset all parties. "There has bemn no 'climb-down' on the part of the Government," said the Prime Minister, in answer to a further question. "The suggestion comes from people who would rejoice to see difficulties created. There was a difference of opinion in. regard to the interpretation of the law, ami it was evident that the country was threatened with labor trouble of a very 6enous character. Under these circumstances we decided to come to the assistance of the parties with a baftis for a settlement that would prevent further friction until Parliament had considered the position." During the Premier's visit to this district Mr George Livingstone waited upon him and represented to him, as Minister for Lands, the desirability of arranging fortnightly meetings of the Gtago Land Board. This was urged upon tho late Minister for Lands bv the Crown tenants of North Otago, and Mr M'Nab, recognising the reasonableness of their contention, agreed that the step should be taken, >t being understood that the alteration would date from the beginning of this year. Many people are aware that strawberry culture is one of the things for which Waimate, South Canterbury, is noted, but few have any idea of the extent to which tho industry has been developed. A gentlemen who recently visited tho district supplies the Christchurch Truth with some information he had gleaned on the subect. It appears that the growing of strawberries has become a very large industry, and it is estimated that in and around Wailiiate the area in strawberries is over 100 acres. The straw berry patch visited was about 17 acres in extent, and the healthy and luxuriant plants laden with fruit in different stagcß cf growth made a very pleasant eight. The picking is done chiefly by young men and boys, who earn good wages. As to the amount of fruit eaten by the pickers, the visitor was informed that after the pickers had been at work a day or two scarcely a pound is eaten. At tho time of the visit there were twenty pickers,

and each one had a row to operate upon. After a picker has filled his tray it is taken to a shed, whore. the berries are sorted and put into pound baskets, or on to large trays, according to tho orders that come in. These trays and baskets aro then fixed up in crates ready for sending away. Everyone is very busy, and each has his own work to do. The life of each plant is eetmated at about three years. After this time they do not produce so much fruit, and bo are pulled out and renewed bv younger plants. Roughly i;pcakine, it takes about 10,000 plants to the acre, eo that with a good season the Airomc is about £l6O to £l9O per acre, exclusive of expenses. How much do you care for your head If it is worth much to you, don't lot it ache. Steam's Headache Cure relieves all kinds of headaches quickly and without bad effects. 10 Mr S. J. Davys, dentist, will visit Kurow on Thursday, 14th instant, and may be consulted at Mr Spiers' Hotel. '"'Red Cross" Ointment has stood tho test of time. Relieves all skin diseases. Is 6d, chemists and grocers. A Bpecial purchase of 600 pairs, thanks to the vigilance of our Horn* buyer wo can now offer you the choice of 500 pairs of curtains, which he has secured from a Nottingham manufacturer at a considerable reduotdon off usual price. All these curtains are now marked at one quarter less than regular value; moreover, they are quite new, and include the latest designs. White lace ourtains, 24 yards long, usual price 2s 9d, 3s 6d, 4s 6d, whit« sale price Is 9d, 2s 6d, 3s 6d; white lace ourtains, 3 yards long, usual price 4s 6d, 5s 6d, 6s lid, white sale price 3a 6d, 4s 3d, 5s 3d; 34 yards long, usual price 5s 6d, 7s 6d, 9s 6d, lis 6d> white sale price 4s 3d, 5s 9d, 7s lid, 9s 3d; 4 yards long, usual price 10s 6d, 15s, 178, 21s, white sale price 8s 6d, lis 9d, 13is 3d, 17s 9d. Keen competition.—3oo sample towels; good enough for an exhibition. Towels sent out to order from every one tested and examined before leaving the mills. Those who appreciate a good towel should inspect tlwse sample towels. They are greatly reduced for the white sale.—Penrose's Drapery Establishment.

Eugenie Cristorefos, Princess" Paleolofuao - Nicephora - Commanae, .Hereditary 'rincess of Mitelene, Enos, Chios, and Lemnos, a descendant of the threo great houses of the Byzantine Empire, is at present living quietly in London, unknown save to a few who regard themselves as her subjects. The Princess claims to bo the rightful heir to the Byzantine throne, and a proposal has been made to provide her with a kingdom, even though a small one, by making her the Queen of Samos, whereby, it is suggested, some measure of peace may be brought to that much troubled island. Tho Princess' father, Prince Theodore Cristoforo Paleologus, was an unsuccessful claimant for tho Greek throne in 1863, and in connection with that claim she ha 6 had many adventures. Born in Malta, the Princess married an Englishman, Colonel Edmund Wickham. She has four sons, and it is suggested that if the Princess does not become Queen of Samos, one of her 6ons shall reign in her stead. "I have been approached with regard' to Samos," said the Princess to a London Daily Express representative, and I hold that it is only a step towards my rightful position. Hundreds of years ago my ancestors ruled in Gthte over all that part of the world. I am a direct descendant of Constantine the Great and many Greeks resard mo as tho one who' is referred to in the old prophecy, that someone shall arise to bring power and prosperity to Greece again. I have had my pedigree and descent carefully -tabulated by many authorities, including tho Chancery at Malta." At the top of the document appears the name of Leone Catacalone Ambusto, and the first date shown is that of the marriage of ' his grandson in 1078. "..Mr GEORGE ROBINSON Dental Surireon, may bs consulted at his residence, EDEN STREET (opposite Wesley Church), Ely6ian—A Guaranteed Cure for Influenza. Obtainable from Milligan and Bond and Adam Mackay. 636

"Throw physic to the dogs'* is a course that might wisely be pursued by Rheumatic subjects, who; injure themselves by taking nostrums which profess to relieve every kind of ill. The only method of Cnre for Rheumatism. Lumbago. Gout, and Sciatica, is to clear the blood of urio acid, and BHEUMO has cured thousands of sufferers. AH Chemists and Stores, Zs 6d and ds sd. .. _ Puny boys and girls need careful attention Pbthing quite so good for them as Stesmrf Wine, which makes new blood, sharpens their appetite, and restores child-hood's-happy vigor. 11