CORE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2046, 11 May 1893, Page 23

CORE.

May 5.— A number of recruits have joined the volunteers within the past few weeks, and the Gore company is now 50 strong. At the last drill meeting Mr Domigan was elected to the position of second lieutenant in the place of Mr P. Souness, resigned. The company intend having some demonstration on the Queens Birthday, with a concert in the evening. Temperance.— The temperance cause does not Beem to flourish particularly well in this town. Very few attended the last meeting, which was held in the Temperance Hall, when a new committee for the year was elected. Regret was expressed at the fact of the temperance choir not having kept together. Some of the church choir leaders, with what may very well be termed an unchristian-like spirit, refuse to allow the members of their choir to sing in the temperance choir, thereby causing it to be considerably weakened. The Sheep Trade.— The business done in sheep in this district is enormous, but within the last three months a great change has come over the aspect of affairs. All confidence in the trade has vanished, sheep having gradually receded in value, to the disgust and loss of all those trafficking in them, till now there is no sale whatever for anything- but good store wethers fit for turnips. , _ . Amusements.— The people of Gore cannot grumble on the score of lack of amusement. Almost every night there is something to go to see or hear. Locally, however, very few concerts or theatrical plays are arranged, the residents being content to trust to the itinerant amusement p'oviders. , „ Fire Tower.— The new tower for the fire bell is almost completed. It is a substantial wooden erection 30ft high. Up to the present the bell was hung only about 6ft from the ground ; consequently it could not be heard any distance. The new tower should result in its being heard all over the town. . May 9.— The season has at last shown itself inclined to be seasonable. From the middle of March no wind blew, no rain fell, no cold was experienced till Monday morning, when the Hokonuis put on their white cap, and a southwester gave residents a foretaste of winter with a specimen of ail three. Volunteers. — Our volunteer movement has advanced at the "double" since Captain ßoyne took command, and every Tuesday night now sees the accession of a fresh batch of recruits. In addition to the ordinary drill, the captain— a great admirer of the noble art of defence— is giving great encouragement to bayonet practice ; and I am informed that a consignment of short sticks with some basket work attached to the end —to prevent the boys hurting each other, I suppose—has arrived, and the music in the drill hall after hours is said to be quite exhilarating. A box of winter gloves— not kid— is expected to be forward immediately, and a local upholsterer is preparing a nice circular pad of some 24ft diameter for the use of the corps, so, with a noncom.—the biggest of them— as referee, matters are decidedly on the forward march. Public Works.— The progress of public works has had a rude shock this week, and, tell it not to the unemployed at the corner, the shock has come from the old leaders of the labour party in the borough council who were wont to back expenditure so freely. The Works Committee recommended certain works ; the Mayor reported the overdraft as £950, and they had power to spend up to £2225, and he thought that £400 might be spent. The labour party objected, but agreed to do a small part of the asphalting requested by the ratepayers, and even that to be postponed for three months. The council by five to three carried the reduced quantity, but doing , the work at once was carried against the Liberal ! representatives ! m , , A Sign of High Civilisation.— The progress of the people goes on apace, as you many conclude when I tell you that the Gore newspapers last week actually contained advertisements— Lost, a £30 diamond brilliant from a gent's gold ring ; reward," &c. And this in a township,, mark you, where a few years ago there were neither kirks, pianos, nor buggies. What next ? Temperance.— The advantages of temperance were not much in evidence at the annual meeting of the Gore Blue Ribbon Society last week. The year'sreport was full of "discouragements anddiffi- j culties of a very manifest order," members sadly lukewarm," &c, balance due treasurer on the year Is 4d. Fault was found with members running away from the monthly meeting to anything else that turned up, with the want of a choir, and a suggestion was made that unless they could get members to attend they had better close up. The election of a committee caused some lively— indeed some would say very intemperate—wording of sentences about insinuations and that sort of thing—" ratting "from, the sinking ship, <& c. E ventually the Rev. Mr Asher was elected president and the Bey. Mr Tinsley and Mr John Mac Gibbon vice-presidents; but to get a secretary was a big contract. Messrs 'Beg-to-propose" and " Beg-to-decline ' had it all to themselves. A committee of four absentees and two present were elected. Before the meeting broke up Mr Bust accepted the secretaryship, and after the benediction the ship weighed anchor for another voyage.