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South Canterbury Times, Issue 6235, 6 June 1890, Page 3

The Levels Licensing Committee meet at noon to-morrow at the Courthouse.

The New Zealand Shipping Company have purchased a new steamer of 4,200 tons gross register, steaming 11 knots on a daily consumption of 30 tons coal, water ballast, carrying 50,000 carcases mutton with all the latest modern improvements. She is to be launched on 30th July so that she should be out in the colony in a few months’ time. She is of light draft, and will, with others, make regular trips to Timaru in the interests of her owners.

Ducks are by no means scarce this year if we may credit the assertion of a sportsman who says he saw “ thousands ’’ fly over the Washdyke yesterday morning. As ho brought home nine grey ducks out of the numbers whichwere flying high and wide, there must have been a good many on the wing that morning.

At court this morning a Temuka man helplessly alcoholised at the railway station yesterday was fined 5s and Is costs. J. Dunn, summoned for allowing four head of cattle to be at large in Heaton street, said a high wind blew his gate down during the night ; he had paid 4s poundage. Fined 2s 6d, and cautioned to have a sound gate fixed.

It is stated that only about half a dozen of the master bakers of Christchurch have carried out the terms as to wages offered to the men by the Master Bakers’ Association. The remaining employers have declined to pay the wages agreed upon, alleging that they cannot afford to do so. Some few of them have discharged men who insisted on the rates being paid. Some of the men, on the other hand, have left work because their employers refused to carry out the agreement.

Our Fairlie Creek correspondent writes: — “ The trotting stallion Leotard well-known in the Fairlie Creek district, has had tb be destroyed. He was pul in a paddock for exerche, and jumping a fence got among other horses and was found with his leg broken, no doubt from a kick. Leotard was brought to the district by Mr McLeod, and at the time of the accident be belonged to Mr J. Sims of Limebrook Farm, Hs first stock are now four years old and are all very promising carriage horses, so that his death * 8 a I° BS 1° koe district os well as to his owner.

There are in Europe over 13,00 beet sugar factories, using 20,000,000 tops of beet, grown on 2,250 OQO acres. About 2,000,000 tons of sugar and 600,000 tons of treable are supposed to beextracted; while theresiduumisS,ooo,ooo tons of pulp used for cattle food, and 2,000,000 tops of scuta, used for manure,

Messrs T. and J. Thomson are now opening some first class goods for winter wear.

Mr Wray the Resident Mugistrale this morning signed the revised Geraldine County and Road Boards else!oral rolls. No objection was received, and indeed no one had ever been to inspect the rolls at the county office. A dissatisfied producer writes; -Doubtless there are a largo number of people in other countries, who at the present time would enjoy New Zealand grain and mutton, and who could pay for such articles. There is only one obstacle to their doing so, that is the ocean. The publio works policy has constructed hundreds of miles of railways, but it has never contemplated the final transport of goods to their destination. And yet in the present position of the colony—l say ad. visedly, the present position—the steamer is of more consequence to its progression, than the railway.

A Wellington writer, discussing the chances of the coming session on the supposition that SirH. Atkinson will bo obliged to retire by illhealth, asks, Who then will bo Premier? The Hon. Mr Mitcholson posscsess the claim of long service, and therefore of official experience. His stability of character and Judgment have made him a thoroughly confidential colleague in the Cabinet. The Hon, Captain Russell, however, is said to possess more personal force in the House. He is also supposed to represent the “ Young New Zealand ”or “ Middle Party.” Mr Mitchelson’s seniority and Captain Bussell’s personality are the competitive elements in the solution of an expected crisis. Sir Frederick Whitaker’s advanced ago puts him outside the probability of being Premier. It is further said that the Hon Mr Fergus-and the Hon Mr Hislop are likely to be disturbing elements in bringiug’about complete Ministerial accord. The present Minister's have retrenched, and, ns they say, will continue to retrench as far as possible. They say that to save £20,000 by obviating of a second session is an important element in a policy of retrenchment. If Sir Julius Yogel is likely to be in the colony in a few months, as Mr T. McKenzie says, his name may combine some elements of the opposition that would otherwise have no cohesion. The above are the speculations of the hour here. Another story is that the Hon Mr Fergus will retire, and Sir John Hall will come into the Cabinet in his placo, but the Hon Mr Fergus will hardly consent to be made the political Jonah of the day.