MILTON

Otago Witness, Issue 2690, 4 October 1905, Page 39

MILTON

Octobai 2. — The recent heavy rains have considerably delayed farming operations. Luckily good progress had been made with r.li faim woik dining tho previous spell of fhi-e- weathei, and a break in th^ weather is now not so serious as it wovld otherwise hav-e been. Tur-rip-s, which a. short lime ago were likely to be a drug on tho market, aie now sought after, as the gr*i c s is not coming on quickly as, v,nn anticipated.

Ambulance Examinations. — The oial ami piaclical examination of +>ie Ambula.net Cla;=j conducted by Dr Sutherland under the auspices of the Milton Firo Bug.ule, took place laTt Monday. Dr Fleming, ol Balcluiha, being tbje examiner. The xesulti. which, ate now

to hand, show that eight out of the 11 pieaented have passed, the names, arranged alpbabeticaJly, being. — Second year: Messrs G. Yv&kev,~J. S Inglis, J. W. Potrie; first 3'ear : Messrs G-. Bowie, jun., J. Breck, C. Kan® G. Scctt, and J. H. Shutt. As this is thei third ambulance class that has been examined m Milton this winter, there are now quite a number of men and women in the district who have successfully passed tho first-aid exarninaiion, and it is understood that as a resiilt of this tbeie is a possibility of a branch of the St. John's Ambulance Brigade being formed hcie.

The Coming Election. — Politically matters sa-e very quiet. From present indications Mr Allen is likely to have a walk-over. The Goveramtait party appear to recognise after tbe experience of last year that it is useless trying to run a candidate with any hope of success m such a strong Opposition centre. Even the Xo-license party appears to ba going to let tho election go unopposed, in which case strong efforts will have to be made on its part to secure tho necessary 50 pen: cent, of voters.

Temperance — Interest in the great No-license question seems to be increasing- as Ihe polling day draws near. Both sides are understood to be making quiet, but strenuous, efforts to consolidate their forces. We- have already had tbe opportunity of hearing several v;ellktewn prohibition leoturers-, and last Wednes Iday we were given the argvunents of the othar ftid'e ;by the 'Rev. W. Thomson, who was alr-eady well known by repute as the champion, on the platform and in the press 1 , of the luteiresta of "the trade." The audience iha.t gathered in the Corona-tkm Hall wa?i by no means largo, but it was very representative, including as it did! many of tli& leaders of the local JTo-lioense movement. Mi* Thomson had a mosb at/tentive hearing, and, although none of his arguments -were new (it is- probably impossible to say anything new on either side-), they were delivered with a good deal of forci and a certain amount of humour. The Eev. L M. Isitt ig our next lecturer, and a«i he is already well known here as ocne of the best, if not the bes"!, platform speakers' m New Zealand, a large gathering is anticipated on the occasion of his address.