COLONIAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1418, 25 January 1879, Page 4

COLONIAL ITEMS.

(By Telegraph and otherwise ) A number of the men who for some time past have been engaged on Messrs Proudfoot and M'Kay'a railway contracts are now settling down upon doferred-payment sections. Invercargill, January 10th. A case of some importance to dairymen and others was heard in the Resident Magistrate's Coui:t this morning. Daniel Philips was charged by the Inspector of .Nuisances with having on the 10th inst., with a horso and cart, hawked, sold, or exposed milk for sale without having paid a license. Mr Macdonald, solicitor to the Coiporation, said the action was brought under clause 3of the 44th bye-law of the town. Mr Finn, for defendant, admitted having no license, but pleaded first that defendant did not "sell" in the streets in the ordinary sense, and that he merely supplied customers. Mr .Finn held that the bye law clearly contemplated there being a public market where defend int and others could dispose of their produce, aud the offence of selling would be outside the market, The Council, it was submitted, bad no right to prohibit sale or impose penalties unless it provided a market. The words of the byelaw were-" The market established by the

1 Town Council," &c, and there being no specific market, defendant had a right to sell wherever 'he could. Mr Macdonald admitted there was I no market ; but under the provisions of a section in the bye-law quoted, although no market existed, the defendant was not entitled to vend his commodity in town without paying the license fee. The Court thought the question a rather important one, and would consider the points raised, though it was of the opinion that defendant was liable. The point in his favour was that there was no market inspectorate receive any fees. The dues referred to in the bye-laws could, he thought, be only leviable from persons hawking to chance customers, and might not apply to a milkman ordered to leave a pint or a quart at certain places daily. As the case was ot some importance, Mr M'Culloch intimated that he would take it into consideration, and give his decision another day. January 18th. The Horticultural Society, for the first time for years, have a balance in hand after paying all prizes. The show this season was wonderfully successful. Oamaeu, January 17th. There is great stagnation in the grain market. Quotations are merely nominal, and remain as last given. January 20th. The weather has been showery, and the harvesting operations will consequently be retarded. TIMABU, January 17th. A marked improvement has taken place in the crops during the last fortnight or three weeks, and on the higher grounds some splendid paddocks are now noticeable. It is believed that the yield on the whole, partly owing to increased area sown, will be fully equal to last season. Messrs W. Priest and Co., the Timaru agents for M'Corraick'a reaping and binding machines, received by the schooner Alert 35 of these machines on Thursday last, and, with the exception of one or two, they had all been purchased by the end of the week. Chhistchurch, January 16th. Harvesting is becoming general^ and crops are a fair average, notwithstanding the drought. Jaauary 17th. Two lots of superior ewes and ramß, in excellent condition, imported from Tasmania, arrived yesterday in the Ringarooma. The same vessel brought 11 handsome specimens of shorthorned cattle. They are a valuable lot. The reaper and binder contest took place yesterday. The weather was delightful. The prizes offered were— L2s by the Association, and L 5 for the best hand binding. # The comm".3sioners appointed for the machines were — Engineers: Messrs W. Conyers, Allison, and Smith. Practical farmers : J. Lennie, J. Goff, T. Black, W. M. Ross, and W. E. Ivey, of the Model Farm. The machines started exactly at 10 o'clock. Each had to cut four acres, which were marked out. The points for competition were strength, simplicity of construction, lightness of draught, quantity of ground gone over, time occupied, and quality of work. At the close the result was announced, M'Cormickjr Ist ; Osborne, highly commended. The judges considered the hand-binders had not completed their work, and no prizes were awarded them. The announcement of the result was received with general satisfaction. During the day Mr John Anderson exhibited one of Arling Porter's traction-engines, and it went about the field rapidly, making sharp turns, and was steered easily. In utilising it in the hardest field, a specially constructed reaper is required, making a width cut of 12 feet, and -accomplishing about ?0 acres per day of 10 hours. About 500 persons were present. Mr John Grigg, of Long Beach, has bought one of the heifers imported by Mr Simpson f com Victoria for 400 guineas. The heifer was calved on July 25th, 1878, and is by Oxford Cherry Duke (32016, Eng. Eerdbook)— dam Moss Rose. January 18th. The first grain of the season arrived yesterday from Southbridge. During the present week no leas than 80 trucks were turned out at the railway workshops. Wellington, January 18th. Simpson and Co.'s shorthorns have been landed in excellent condition. The land eales for last month of the Wellington land district reached only 90 acres, the amount received being Lll9.