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Southland Times, Issue 12023, 14 May 1892, Page 2

Cable News. —Another 10s has been added to the value of our " 3i's". Money is plentiful in London ; for short periods LIOO can be got for 10, but as low as 5s was accepted a few years back. Some of the Parisians are banding together to fight the Anarchists with their own weapons : this may not be constitutional practice, but may be effective. The disreputable ex-King of Servia has been mixed up iv a gambling house dispute, but showed more pluck than he gets credit for. It is said that a trust company has withdrawn L 150,000 from New Zealand because of " a threat " to increase the income tax : this is more likely to be "a fear " that the tax will be increased. There will be a chance of getting real brandy —not Edinburgh whisky that has passed through France — in these colonies as Victoria is acquiring quite a fame for cognac. It is said tha-6 the Canadian Pacific Railway is payings handsomely: its cost was largely paid for by the Dominion Government. General Booth is making a move with bis emigration scheme — the Cape and New Zealand being the favoured lands. The roof of a skating rink in Buenos Ayres fell upon the skaters and killed thirty.

COMPLIMENTARY TO THB PREMIER. — A contemporary, referring to. the fact that the Mayor of Invercargill deplined to take tbe chair at the Premier's meeting on Monday, hammered away at" Bain" and " Ballance" till he got muddled, .as witness the following sentence :— " Had' the Premier been Sir :Harry Atkinson instead of <Mr Ballance, Mr Ballance would have : been willing hot only to preside at his meeting, but even to black his boots for Mm, if necessary."

Southland A. and P. Society.— The J annual meeting of this institution will bo j held in the Prince of Wales Hotel this after- j noon. I

The Gorse Nuisance. — This matter received attention at yesterday's meeting of the Southland County Council, and vigorous action is likely to be taken against landowners who allow gorsc to encroach on County roads.

Anglican Church. — We understand that Bishop Nevill intends to take as the subject of his address at the Confirmation in St. John's on Sunday evening " The Doctrine of Baptism " ; and that he will refer to some of the popular errors which prevail upon this subject.

Removed. — In this issue Mr A. J. Rankin intimates that he has removed his watchmaking and jewellery business from the shop he has occupied for several years to that recently vacated by Mr Grant, hairdresser, near the Prince of Wales hotel. The shop has been put in complete order for the business to be carried on.

The Dog Tax.— The local registrar, Mr W. Garthwaite, had six owners of unregistered dogs before the Court yesterday. Four were fined 2s 6d each, costs, 7s, and a fifth, who had two dogs, 5s costs, 7s. The sixth case was dismissed, as it was not proved that defendant was the owner of the dog.

The Coming Light. — Mr Rosa informs us that he is lighting his twine factory by electricity, having arranged to take over Messrs Fleming and Gilkison's dynamo and auxiliary engine at the flour mills. The latter firm have decided to get a larger machine in view of a probable increase in the size of their buildings at an early date. The present dynamo is capable of supplying 30 lights, and the cost of running it is practically nil as a belt from the mill engine does it.

Friendly Societies' Demonstration. — The delegates appointed by the different Friendly Societies in town to arrange for the demonstration to be held on the evening of the 15th of June are making good progress with the work. The affair will be carried out on a scale superior to anything of the kind previously locally attempted, and the procession which is to form part of the programme will be of a most imposing description.

The Orchestral Concert.— Our visitor, the eminent composer, organist and vocalist, Mr W. H. Jude, has kindly consented to take part in the Orchestral Union's concert on Tuesday next, and will play a fantasia on Scottish airs arranged by himself as an organ solo. The following vocalists will also assist : — Mrs J. E. Read, Miss Grigor, Messrs J. E. Read, J. Taylor, and Mr W. J. McLauchlan. The orchestra will muster 30 strong.

Balloting for Land. — Balloting for the allotments referred to in yesterday's is&uo took place in the Land office yesterday with the following results : — Section 6, block 1, Alton, 315 acres, Hugh Erskine, perpetual lease, 9cl per acre ; section 1, block 17, Longwood, 290 acres, L. Finnerty, cash, 12s 6d per acre ; section 2, block 17, Longwood, 314 acres, Th'bs. Scully, perpetual lease, 7^d Ser acre; sec. 3,block 17,L f >ngwood,326acres, . Newton, perpetual lease, 7Jd per acre ; section 4, block 17, Lougwood, 309 acres, J. Newton, perpetual lease, 7^d per acre ; section 12, 295 acres, Sabina Scully, perpetual lease, 7£d per acre ; section 14, 360 A. A. Nickless, perpetual lease, 7id per acre ; section 15, 409 acres, John Arthur, perpetual lease, 9d per acre ; section 10, block 17, New River Hundred, 178 acres, J. H. Fosbinder, perpetual lease, Is per acre.

A Dipton Case. — At the Police Court yesterday, before Messrs C. C. Sproull and H. Carswell, J.P.s, Edmund Uosgriff, of Dipton, wus charged with threatening to take the life of Denis Riordan on the 3rd May, and complainant applied to have him bound over to keep the peace. — Mr Macalister appeared for the complainant, and Mr Rattray for defendaut. — It appeared that the two had been in partnership and that a dispute as to accounts had arisen between them which was now the subject of arbitration. On the day in question Riordan alleged that defendant caught hold of him in the house, aud said he would put a bullet through him if he did not get his just rights. — After hearing tho evidence the Bench said they diduot think the evidence was sufficient to warrant them in requiring Cosgriff to enter into sureties to keep the peace. The case would be dismissed, with costs, LI Is.

And Why Nor.— ln the Otago Daily Time 3 a correspondent says your shipping columns do not give a list of vessels in port, and in a sense it is as well, for it would look small alongside lists iv the other principal ports. We have one small vessel loading foreign, and one barque discharging from foreign, and one coaster loading. I hear from reliable sources that there is comparatively little grain comiug to this port this season for shipment, but that a much larger quantity than usual is going to the Bluff, where there are several vessels loading, many having been loaded and sailed. Lyttelton is loading vessels almost by the score. Has our Harbour Board at last succeeded by high rates in preventing our export trade expanding, which is the first step towards its contraction ? Is our Chamber of Commerce going to allow Bluff to become the export port for this end of the island ? If it does the export trade, it will soon do the import trade also.

Stewart Island Fish Freezing Company. — Writing to the Otago Daily Times Mr Murray Aston says : — " Having received inquiries from parties who have been approached upon the question of subscribing for shares in the above company as to the probabilities of success of the venture I beg to ask your permission to state that, in the opinion of men who are experts in the fish question, the capital is too large, and the remuneration to be paid to the veudors is in excess of the value of their services rendered. Stewart Island, no doubt, affords a good field for legitimate enterprise, but this concern, with LSOOO of capital, L2OOO of which is to be paid to the promoters for practically nothing beyond their 'experience' is^too heavy a loading." "Aparata Renata," who is writing articles on New Zealand fisheries for the Witness, asserts that the Stewart Island grounds are overrated.

A Bubble Burst. — The Victorian Government recently suspended their Railway Commissioners because they were "incompetent" said incompetency showing itself in the inability of these experts to conduct their business according to the fads and fancies of a lawyer whose constructive powers seem to end at the building of bombastic speeches. There are always plenty of men who could manage far better than their bosses, and to some of that class the management of the Victorian railways wa3 given — they would soon "side" matters up and show how the railways could be made to pay. But it is one thing to think and another to do, and it is not surprising to find. the correspondent of the Otago Daily Time 3 stating that the effort to retrench on the railways has not been a success. The Government suspended the Railway Commissioners on the ground that they refused to submit a scheme for making ends meet which would not attain the end by raising fares and freights. Yet, after all, they have to confess that it is only by this means that the thing can be done. Mr Shiels, in bis celebrated correspondence with Mr Speight, asserted that "there were other means of making the railways pay than by increasing charges aud decreasing accommodation." After a great deal of backing and filling the sum total of Ministers' recommendations to make both ends meet is as follows : — lncrease in freights and fares, L 202.000 ; decreased accommodation in train mileage, L 69,00 0; ecouomies, L 13.000 ;— total, L 284.000. It is no wonder that they kept back their scheme until after the elections, for already there are abundant evidences that the increased charges and decreased accommodation will be anything but popular.