CLYDE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2356, 20 April 1899, Page 29

CLYDE.

j April ..17.--Mr C. C. Rawlins, M.H.R., ad3 I dressed the electors of this portion of his con- ■ . stituency on Tuesday evening last,, Mr ft. S. 1 Gilkison.occupying the chair. There was a fair I attendance of the free and independent of ; Clyde«and a very patient hearing was accorded { the speaker. Mr .Rawlins traversed the policy * of the Government at some length, and quoted ? ( voluminous evidence in support of his contention that the colony was galloping to financial ruin under the present administration. " Of course the majority of electors present failed ' to view matters through Mr Rawlms's glasses. Rank optimism on their part, no doubt, out i>iobably 'tis justifiable all the same. Anyway, e r Mr Rawlins's auuress fell flat and tame, and _ was uninteresting throughout, save in that part ■ where reference was made to the M'Kenzie ' ' testimonial. The subject was one peculiarly outside the region of politics. One would , think, nevertheless, "it was particularly interesting-, inasmuch as it provided material for Mr " Rawlins to reveal the more shady side of his nature to his audience. " Mrs M'Kenzie," said * ■ Mr Rawlins, " will go home to England with " i rings on her fingers* and bells on her toes." '• The expression, taken from an old English ' ) ballad of the seventeenth century, was vulgar _ • in the extreme in its application to those re- < ferred to by the speaker, and there was not - wanting a murmur of disapproval amongst the » . few electors who were present on the occasion a of Mr Rawlins's address. Mr Rawlins must = i have formed an erroneous idea of the intelli- " \ gence of his audience if he considered that such inane ribaldry was at all acceptable to them. ' J. P.'s Wanted.—lt is not often we hear , of the lack of this official in any corner of , our colony, nor is it the lack of material g . locally that inspires the present note. The j fact is we have got our share of the J.P. g j commodity, but unfortunately the gentlemen so j awiointed in our midst, through their various I ; avocations, may have reason to be all absent i from Clyde at one and the same time. Any" i such occurrence happening would, of course, I give rise-to much inconvenience at some time; therefore it would be well if the possible incon- • venieuce was provided against by the appointment of some sdttled resident to the position of a justice of the peace. I might, indeed, y b», pardoned for suggesting to the authorities n the name of Mr John Smart, a worthy resident, b and one capable of filling the position admirl ably. g Sudden Death.—A sudden and most unex- , pected death occurred here on Monday morning - '■ last, when a young woman named Sutherland, - j a native of Matakanui, died from the effects s of internal inflammation after a very brief c period of suffering. Deceased *was of a very t kind and amiable disposition, and was much f ! esteemed by her young girl friends, and indeed o j by all who knew her intimately. The remains - , were conveyed to .uatakanui for interment iv t the local cemetery. Great sympathy is exn , pressed with the parents and relatives in their 8 sad bereavement. k I Illness.—l exceedingly regret to record that s ' Mr Willie Holt is confined to bed, suffering c from an attack of rheumatic fever supervening - on facial erysipelas. I hope to learn of Mr o - Hope's .convalescence at «n early date. . Removal.—l have heard it stated that Mr Irong side, inspector of stock, residing at Clyde, has it got notice of removal to Mosgiel. Mr Ross, agent h under the Rabbit Nuisance Act, also leaves }- here for Naseby. c Sheep Worrying.—At Saturday's sitting of . the Magistrate's Court, Clyde, A. Iversen reLt covered £t0 damages, coats, and witnesses' ex■s penses from George Field, who&e dogs,'it was jf proven, had worried plaintiff's sheep. In. his t, evidence before the coiirt Mr Iversen stated that :s he loses between 300 and 400 sheep annually c by stray dog 3 worrying hi 3 flock. To show r- now far Mr Iversen has been a sufferer in this ie way, he mentiored to rce in a conversation I y had with him i\i .t he purchased pome purebred Romney r?'us and ewes for ptud mirposes, n and though his lambin<r percertage ha 3 been ;e exceptionally good since he purchased the stud ie flock, he iq still in the position of being unable to record any increase owiim to the del- predations of the wo-ryinq cur Mr Ivei^en is c- not the only hheep farmer in this neighbour- j ' hood who complains aloud of the lavaeee done

the flocks by prowling ours. And there seerrt* to be small remedy for the evil unless a preventive tax be levied upon all dogs irrespectiv« of breed. If the farmer desires to have the cur taxed out of existence, he must be prepared to pay a like amount in tax for his collie. A differential do" tax will always fail to attain the desired end.