THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 1890.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8821, 3 June 1890, Page 2

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 1890.

On April 17 the Chancellor of the Exchequer delivered the annual Financial Statement in the House of Commons. We are inclined to regard MrGoschen's presence in the Government as the most valuable Ministerial asset, and certainly thero has been no Chancellor of the Exchequer of equal ability since the days when Mr Gladstone held that office. The new Budget evinced no decline in importance, interest, or ingenuity. "VVe shall nob attempt to summarise the Statement in its entirety—it occupies nine columns of The Times—but a brief account may be given of the most salient points. The expenditure for last year was LllG,ooo more than the estimate, and Mr Goschon wa3 justified in claiming that on an aggregate expenditure of L8G,000,000 so small a difference indicated, the businesslike manner in which the administrative departments had forecasted their requirements. The revenue, on the other hand, exceeded the estimate by close on three and a-quarter millions, of which sum nearly twoanda-half millions, says Mr Goschen, " were due to an absolutely extraordinary circumstance"—viz., "an " extraordinary rush to alcohol." For 11 years the revenue from this source had been declining, and for two years it had remained stationary; but during the year just past beer, spirits, and wine, especially spirits, all produced a largely increased sum. " Some have " rushed to the beer barrel, others "to the spirit bottle, others to " the decanter, but- all classes " seem to have combined in toast- " ing the prosperity of the country." Hum, curiously enough, shows the largest increase—an increase of no less than 12 per cent.—though Mr Goschen says that, after taking some pains, ho has failed to find out who drinks the rum. He recognises that, save from his official standpoint, this large increase in the consumption of alcohol cannot be regarded with cordial satisfaction, and he feels bound reluctantly to draw the conclusion that lack of money rather than voluntary abstinence was responsible for the previous decrease. "It is an extraordinary |" historical fact that in the year " 1875-6, which was the greatest " drinking year on record, there was " precisely the same rush in precisely " the same proportions of these differ- " ent classes of spirits ; and at that " time, too, the'eonsumers of wine fol- " lowed generally in the wake of the " consumers of spirits and beer; and "so it appears that, notwithstanding " all our hopes, increased prosperity " means, not an increased consumption " of all the other great articles, but " has unfortunately meant and does "mean a great increase in the con- " sumption of alcoholic liquors." This large realised surplus on the transactions of last year is, of course, entirely distinct from tlie prospective surplus, and it goes towards the reduction of the national debt, making a total of more than %\ millions applied in that direction during the financial year, and a total of more than 23J millions during the last three years.

Mr Goschen had to make the somewhat disquieting announcement that the prosperity reflected in his Budget was chiefly observable during the first nine months of the financial year, and that there had been a considerable check during the last quarter. Consequently he had to frame his estimates for the current year with much caution. Ib is noteworthy that in regard to alcohol he accepts as a basis the revenue of 1888-9, anticipating no great further increase and no sudden fall to previous standards. The estimated expenditure for the year is something under 87 millions, and the revenue something under 90-|, leaving a surplus of a little over 3|- millions. Fortunately Mr Goschen has no exceptional claim to meet, such as those in relation to the forces and the local bodies which hampered him last year, so that he is able to devote his large surplus to the relief of the taxpayer and the supply of certain pressing needs. The comfort of Mr Thomas Atkins is to be furthered by an expenditure of L 300,000 on barracks, and the efficiency of the amateur Mr Atkins by a grant of LIOO,OOO for volunteer equipment. Then there is the LSO.OOO for colonial and Indian postage—a sum which Mr Goschen will probably be able to add to his security balance. The most important remission of taxation consists in striking off 2d (or one-third) of the tea duty, which will take a million and a-half. Mr Goschen observed that he was enabled to reduce taxation mainly by the consumers of alcoholic beverages, "but," he added, amid signs of amusement and approval, " no man in the House would be pre- " pared to say that they should be •" relieved . . . The tipplers shall

" relieve tea." At the same time he deprecated the idea of abolishing the tea tax altogether, since it was practically the only channel by which those of the working classes who neither drank nor smoked contributed to the revenue. A reduction of the currant duty from 7s to 2s per cwt. takes L 210,000, this being a concession to Greece, while a similar concession is made to India by abolishing the duties on gold and silver plate at a cost of L 200,000. A reduction in the house duty upon houses between L2O and L4O takes no less than L 540,000; the purpose is to relieve the men with incomes ranging from L 1.50 to L4OO. Mr Goschen says it is | not fully realised how heavily the income tax and the house tax fall upon this class. For instance, " I thought " at one time it might be reasonable to " allow every income tax payer to " deducb L4OO from his income before ■" paying iucome-tax, bufc I was stag- ■" gered to find that this would "involve a los 3 of L 4,700,000 out « of a total receipt of LI3,000,000." It is conjectured .that the present reduction in the house duty will affect some 800,000 persons. The additional beer duty imposed last year is to be handed over to the local j councils, involving a loss of L 386,000 to the Imperial Exchequer, and thus

Mr Goschen finds his surplus reduced to 1,233,000— "as small v margin as I " think circumstances will justify. 111 c " in retaining." The latter part of "Mr Goschon'a exhaustive speech was of the naturo of a supplementary Budget dealing with tho relations between Imperial and local finance. An additional tax of Gd a gallon on all spirits, British and foreign, is to be imposed and handed over to the local councils, along with tho beer duty just mentioned. A considerable part of tho money thus obtained is to be applied to the purchase of licenses. Lord Eandolph Churchill's Bill in regard to the liquor traffic had not been introduced when the last mail left England, and we shall ■wnifc for the next papers before giving an account of the posi'.ion. It is quite evident, however, that Mr Goschen has been strongly impressed by tho striking increase in the consumption of alcohol; and not only does his speech show no tenderness for tho liquor interest, but it evinces a very clear appreciation of the importance of the liquor problem. As an instance of sincerity we may quote the following in conclusion : — " I may hore state that it would cer- " tainly be useless to give money for " the purchaso of licenses if at the " same time we did not stop the issue "of new licenses. We propose, there- " fore, and we shall hope to carry " , . , at least this suspensory

" measure, that until the whole qucs- " tion can be dealt with there shall be " no further issue of licenses at all, " unless in exceptional circumstances, " such as the development of new " populations or new wants which may " appear here and there."

The discovery of a heap oE bones was made on Sunday evening by some boys, who happened to bo on one of the sandhills near St. Clair, and was repotted by them to Constable Groves, of Cavershani. The constable proceeded to the spot indicated, which was not far distant from the St. Clair Hotel, and had the bones removed to tho Cayerßham Police Station, whence they were yesterday conveyed1 to tho hospital. At the latter iu&titulion Dr Copland examined them, and found them to be part of tho remains of a human body. A portion of tho skull, portions of tho backbone, tho small bones of the leg and of the arm, two pieces of the collarbone, two kneecaps, a number of ribs, and the bones of tho fingers and toes were among the number, but there were not sufficient to indicate whether they belong to a malo or female, nor was there anything to enable the doctor to arrive at any conclusion as to the height of the person. -All tho bones were bleached with exposure, aud some were much corroded, while others were in a fairly good state of preservation, but as sand would have a tendency to preservo them it is a difficult matter to form any opinion as to the number of years they were lyiDg where they were discovered. Various, theories have been given out as to how the bones came to be on the sandhills, but the matter is merely one of conjecture. The police intend to make a further search of the spot in the hope of finding additional remains.

The criminal sessions of tho Supreme Court commenced yesterday, and a number of charges wero dealt witb. Truo bills were found to all tho indictments. Robert Goudie pleaded guilty to two indictments of forging and uttering, but the offence being practically one, and the circumstances such as in a single offence would have rendered the Probation Act applicable, his Honor dealt with the accused by ordering him to give security to come up for sentence when called on. Four young men, who pleaded guilty to stealing rabbitskius, and Selina Callighan, who pleaded guilty to a charge of forging anil utteriDg, were admitted to probation. Amy Bock pleaded guilty to a charge of obtaining money by falso pretences, and the maximum sentence of three years'penal servitude was passed upon her. Michael Murphy and John Chapman, who were charged with assault and robbery, were acquitted, and Alexander Rogers was found guilty on an indictment for embezzlement. There are only six cases undisposed of, but theso include the most serious ones on the calendar, which comprise one charge of attempted murder and_one of arson. Tho sittings will probably extend over several days.

Mr T. K. Weldon appeared at the City Police Court yesterday for the first time iv the capacity of a Justice of the Peace. The annual meeting of tho Maori Hill Licensing Committee was held yesterday at noon' Present—Messrs A. Steven (in the chair) R. Long, E. M'Donald, and L. Lamon. An appli cation for transfer of the Hcouse for the Woodhaugh Hotel from Robert M'Kinlay to Terence Danne was granted. The police report was favourable. Mr B. H. Carew, R.M, occupied the bench at the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday and gave judgment by default for the plaintiffs in the undefended cases of Alexander Fisher v. John Anderson, claim 15s for balance duo on a suit of clothes supplied, and Kincaid, M'Queen, and Co. (for whom Mr Stewart appeared) v. Tho Ida Valley Deep Lead Gold Mining Company (Limited), claim £23 Is 4d for goods supplied.

The following new patents have been applied for: —Thomas Begg (Dunedin), for sap-extractor aud timber-bleacher; Lluncan Campbell (Wellington), for an improved meat label or ticket, and method of fastening the same; J. H.Noding (Christchurch), for the admixture or combination of the essential oil of eucalyptus or eucalyptol with menthol; Louis Rodgers (Invercargill), for " The Pegasus Tin-opener "; Lotis Weigert (Berlin), for exciting fluid.for galvanic batteries for electric light; Alexander Mathieson (Christchurcb),for an improved apparatus for straining wire fencing; John Hempstalk (Canterbury), for raising sunken or stranded vessels embedded or partially embedded in mud, sand, silt, shingle, or other material,

A novel and importaut point in connection with the service of a summons upon a defendant cropped up in tho Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday. A firm of iroufounders w.ere the plaintiffs in an action in which a gold mining company was defendant. Mr Don-hie Stewart, who appeared for the plaintiff.-*, stated 'hat sonis difficulty had been experienced in effecting service, as the legal manager of the company had apparently left the district. Under the circumBtanceE advantage was taken of the provision of section 11 of " The Mining Companies Act 1886," and a registered letter, enclosed in which was tho summons, was sent to the manager addressed to the registered office of the company. The portion of the section in question which applies to the case reads as follows: — " Service of any notice or legal process shall be deemed to be good service on the company if enclosed in a registered letter addressed to the manager of such company at its registered offira, or if left thereat with any person in charge of the same, or delivered to the manageror clerk personally." Mr Carew, R.M., having stated that ho had first to be satisfied of the existence of the defendant company, tho deputy-rogistrar of the Supreme Court proved that the company hßd been registered in 1883, and that the registered office was at Ophir. The certificate of registration, Mr Carew then intimated, was conclusive evidence of the existeuce of the company, and the evidence of service wa3 completed by the production, by au official of tho Postal department, of the office receipt of the registered letter addressed to tho manager of the defendant company.

The Oamaru Mail states that in discharging a truck of sand ballast from tho Warwickshire Mr Bockie discovered a live young carpet snake, which had apparently come by the vessel from Port Elizabeth, South Africa. A man named Me.rton, alias Skenadriclc, who has bees missing from IJunrobin station, Southland, since the 16ch uit., has be.eu seen in the bush st the .Takitimos, but cleared away from the person who encountered him. The Wakatip Mail reports that eovne vandal recently shot a pair of golden-crested grebe at Diamond lake, and there is now only one pair left As there is a penalty of £20 for shooting theso birds it is to be hoped the offender will be discovered. The resisnation of Captain E. M'Nab, of the North Dunedin Rifles, is gazetted. Constable N. Miller hag been eppoinjed clerk of the R.M, Court at Mosgtel, and also clerk of the licensing committee,

Tho Southland Acclimatisation Society havo parsed resolutions requesting the Gcvcniracn* to place a sum on tho intimates for tho purpose of enabling tho r.ooiety to import dark coloured opossums from Tasmania, and for tho purpose of procuring v fresh shipment of salmon ova.

A despatch from Cairo, April 25, in an American paper states that a Coptic clerk, rm employes of Emm Bey, wliilo Iho latter vims nt Wadelai, has made a sworn statement before Mason Bey to tho effect that the revolt of ISiniu's forces was duo to the discovery of his pian to surrender his province to El MahdiBiniu, according to tho clerk's statement, sent messengers to tho Mnhdi offering to surrender. They were seized by Jjmin's officers. A revolt followed tho discovery. Mason Bey considers the discovery credible. Superintendent Robertson, of the City Fire Brigade, has received from Messrs Findlay and Co, a cheque for £20, to bo divided pro rala amongst the brigades who assisted at tho late fire in Stuart street, A letter of thanks accompanied the donation, Mr Duncan, M.FI.K, has received a letter from th» Government intimating that it has been decided to off or the Lower Station Peak country in eight small graziug runs, while sections SI to 51 will bo relet as a pastoral run uutil March next. Referring to this reply the Oamaru Mail states that tho policy of the Go. verument seeniß to be to concentrate all settlement in the North Island, and to stagnate sottlc-meut in tho Middle Island.

Tho demand for passages to Now Zealand (says the Sydney Morning Herald) is great just now. The demand is mainly due, as was pointed out lately, to tho low fares. Tho Tokapo, of the Union Company, is running against tho Jubilee, Mr J. C. Ellis' steamer, and both vessels carry large uumbera each way. From New Zealand there is no tioublo in finding cargo to fill these vessels for Sydney. This colony is a larger buyer of New Zealand p'rodueo than ordinarily can bo fouud room for in the steamers employed in tho trado. The cargoes taken to New Zealand from New South Walos, however, consist nearly altogether of coal, and in this respect some surprise haa been expressed that a more general commercial business is not represented in the outward cargoes from Sydney to the New Zealand ports. Tho outward manifest of the Tokapo this time is more varied as to contents than is usually the case.

Tbo book agent appears to be having a bad time of it in New South Wales at present, and some of the agents of the Picturesque Atlas Company have resigned their positions, one of them stating that by a recent decision in the Police Court his life is in jeopardy,.as any unprincipled person has now a licenso to present firearms at him, which might accidentally or wilfully result fatally.

, The retreat, which the Hon. and Rev. Father Plunkett inaugurated at St. Joseph's Cathedral on Saturday evening last, was continued last night, when ho preached to a large congregation, including tho members of the Confraternity of the Holy Family, who were present in great numbers. Father Plunkett is an earnest and forcible speaker, endowed with the gift of eloquence, and possessing in a marked degree tho power of engaging the mind 3of his audience, as may be judged from the foot that a discourse of nearly an hour and a-half's duratioa was listened to with tho utmost attention. The reverend gentleman's remarks were isainly directed to an exposition of the wickedness and folly of eiu, and of tho necessity of a belief in God before one can obtain salvation. He aptly illustrated and emphasised the various points of his discourse by anecdotes, of which ho has a raro fund, and concluded by an earnest exhortation to his hearers to avoid sin. The rttreat will be continued up to Thursday night.

The Manawatu Standard is responsible for the following:—" Most of our readers will remember the man Egan, who was convicted p{ stealing a revolver from Mr Flood's residence at Karere somo time ago, and who, during his spare timo in gaol, completed a model of a torpedo boat, which he had invented. After he wa3 liberated, ho brought his invention under the notice of the proper authorities, which resulted in his being called Home. On arriving there, he received £12,000 as his share of the invention. Then by some means he contrived to obtain an entry into society, from which lie presently emerged with a young and pretty wife. After three weeks of perfect happiness, ho took it into his head to inflict a severe chastisement on the lady of his love. From the proceedings which followed, it was elicited that he was a married man, and the upshot of the whole affair is that his London wife ha 3 instituted a unit for bigamy with £10,000 damages, while his forgotten spouse in New Zealand has also icstituted proceedings, so that he has a lively time in store."

The Presbytery of Dunedin meets for ordinary business at tile First Church to-morrow morning, at 11 o'clock. Messrs Reid, Maclean, aua Co. sell 80 grain-fed pigs to-morrow at Burnsid^. Messrs Wright, Stephens*, and Co. sell 35 four-year-old bullocks to-morrow at Burnside. The Dunedin Orchestral Society give their first concert for tho Beason to-morrow evening at the Garrison Hall. Notices to consignees of goods ex barques Diana and Alice appear elsewhere. Messrs James Samson anil Co. sell drapery, clothing, blankets, boots, and two tons potatoes to-day, at 2 o'clock, at their rooms. Mr D. M. Spedding sells Bast Indian merchandise on Thursday, at half-past 2 o'clock, at his rooms. ■ We are requested to draw special attention to an suuoimcement iv another column concerning coromodiou) promises la Wellington which Messrs Baker Broi. are offering for lease. SpriDg flowering bulbs Bhould be planted at once. Socure a supply from George Matthews, Moray placo. Every bulb offered has been proved, therefore reliable.— [Advt.]

The dying wish Of a 50 years' smoker was that he should have a Purity cigarette era he expired.— [Advt.] Public Caution. — Gikoeb Alb — University Laboratory, Dunedin, 12th August 1885.—1 hereby certify that I have analysed Thomson and Go.'s Ginger Ale, and find the same to be of excellent quality, comparing very favourably with the best Imported brands of similar beverages; the ingredients are pure Jamaica Ginger, finest Cane Sugar, Carbonic Acid, and flavouring of various fruits. All the ingredients are of a very pure quality, aud are skilfully blended, with the result of producing a very wholesome and refreshing beverage, containing not a trace of alcohol.—l am, &c, (signed) James G. Black, Professor of Ohemlsty and Colonial Analyst. All our goods are labelled " White Cross Brand,"— Thomson & Co., Crawford street.—[Advt.] Barry s Tkicopherous for tiie Hair.-The i oldest and the best in the world. Will be famous us long as fine hair is an object of desire to man nnd woman, Apply it daily and a splendid head of hair will be the certain and permanent result. 16