South Canterbury Times. TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 1889.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 4988, 23 April 1889, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 1889.

To night the annual elcection of school committees takes place all over the colony. The operation, the reasons for it, and the results of it are well-known. They are all simple enough unless they, are made troublesome by faddists who know too much or too little, and in either case are not aware of it. The duties of committees are now pretty well understood, though not so clearly laid down by law as they might be, and the vagueness of the latter leaves loopholes through which unreasonable people who get on committee may annoy the board on the one side and the teachers on the other. Let the householders choose straightforward men, and eschew those who display the least tendency to bickering or Ishmaelitishness in any shape. A “ special ” wires from Auckland to his journal: —“ A rumour is current here that one of the Premier’s pleasant surpluses for next session is a reduction of the property tax, and with further contemplated retrenchment that it is intended to graduate it each year until it is finally abolished. The rumour is said to come from an Auckland member high in the confidence of the Government.” Pleasant Fiddlesticks ! The property tax is a give-and-take impost, as the income tax is at Home. If the I' property tax canbe graduated to abolishment by means of retrenchment, by all means let it be done. But the retrenchj ment ought to be effected if possible, ) property tax or no property tax, and ? nob merely for the purpose of getting i-id of an obnoxious impost. Is there to be no more retrenchment after the property tax is (if ever) got rid of ? NEWS OF THE DAYThe New Zealand Herald says:—We understand that the Government intend to bring in a Bill at the ensuing session of the General Assembly to amend the law of libel, both as regards civil and criminal prosecution. The measure will embrace the recent improvements in English legislation, and, generally speaking, will have the effect of -placing colonial journalists on the same footing as their brethren in the mother country. The annual meeting of the Timaru branch of the British and Foreign Bible Society is convened for this evening in the Barnard Street Hall. The Rev. H. T. Eobjohns, the travelling representative of the society, will be present, and will speak on the extraordinary work done by the parent society during the past year. A very serious gun accident spoiled the pleasure of yesterday’s holiday for several people, and, infinitely worse than that, mained for life one of our young townsmen. Two young friends, Mr Fritz Cullman, jun,, and Mr John Stark, drove out to Beaconsfield in the morning for a little duck shooting in that neighbourhood. Soon after they had started in quest of game Mr Stark happened to drop his gun into some mud. They cleaned it, as they believed all right, but from what followed it is probable that the barrel was not properly cleansed. Mr Cullman said he would fire the first shot from the gun. He did so, and no doubt from an insufficient cleansing of the bore the barrel burst, terribly mutilating Mr Cullman’s left hand; Ho was immediately driven back to town, and to the hospital, and then to his own house where ho was attended by Drs Reid and Lawson. The palm of the hand, the thumb, and fore and third fingers were terribly smashed, and later in the day towards evening the doctors amputated close to the hand, the thumb and forefinger. The third finger it was hoped to save. The case is a very serious one of its kind. It narrowly escaped being still more so, as a fragment of the barrel flew very closely past Mr Cullman’s face. Cadbury Bros, guarantee the absolute purity of their Cocoa Essence. Ask for it and do not be persuaded to accept a substitute.— [Advt.] Certainly the best medicine known is Sandbb and Sons’ Eucalypti Extbact. Test its eminently powerful effects in coughs, colds, influenza ; the relief is instantaneous, In serious cases, and accidents of all kinds, be they wounds, burns, scaldings, bruises, sprains, it is the safest remedy—no swelling i —no inflammation. Liko surprising effects produced in croup, diphtheria, bronchitis, inflammation of the lungs, swellings, etc.; diarrhoea, dysentery, diseases of the kidneys, and urinary organs. In use at hospitals and medical clinics all over the globe 5 patronised by His Majesty the King of Italy ; crowned with medal and diploma at International Exhibition, Amsterdam, Trust in this approved article and reject all others. FAdvx.]