Gore.

Southland Times, Issue 13430, 16 April 1896, Page 4

Gore.

(VROM^OUB OWN COBBESPONDENT).

"Now, this looks like Gore" was the farmer's observation on coming into town "on Saturday. The lar-ge salea of Jand attracted and the end of our harvest permitted our country friends to visit in force the town and baziars. The result of the saks you have already published, and it may be added here that the wisdom of selecting Gore as the centre for holding snch salea was fully justified. The school Commissioners and Dunedin magnets do well in holding the sales in proximity to the land. The threshing mills are unfoitunately demonstrating that the high winds about the ripening season did a good part of the threshing ; still the yields are not to complain of, and most of the farmers are scoring in view of a better price than fifteen pence a bushel with bags in at Gore. The failure of the Borough Council to secure the opening of the traffic bridge before the carting of the praia commenced . is not paßsiog the farmer w ithout an observation. Th».re is no delay in collecting the county and borough rates with 10 per cent, added : no indulgence there. The Road Board elections are now on, and the Local Government Bill brought forward last year should be receiving the attention of ratepayers and candidates, but there is nothing heard of it. There would be some temerity on the part of the Government in passing so sweeping an Act befote a dissolution. The proposals are not understood ; the proposed changes are radical, and threaten the extinction of our borough council. The ratepayers have not been convened to discuss whether that might not be the best thing in their interests.

The Natioual Association, which is forming branches all round, has not yet evoked a response from us ; those of us who were somewhat of politicians, are now nothing and sit on a rail, locking for plums which do not grow. Our young men have gone to athletics. Vi hen our member, Mr McNab, quoted Dicey as an authority at a meeting the other day, even our local pundits were heard to ask whether that gentleman was a contemporary of Moses or ot'ly an liiah Home Ruler ? We must get up a National Association ; no doubc we have our people ia too many tections and too many ministers, but we surely could respond to something national.

The Presbytery of Mataura met here the other day, but the oDly topic of public importance was a notice by Dr Copland to ask the Synod to rescind tbe resolution passed last sitting re tbe deceased wife's sieter. Now that we bave got among us the new woman she might henceforth be left to take charge of her sister. In the Wealeyan body the Rev.

Mr Tinsley, who wmt out and ia among us for some years unostentat ously, and teaching the young all round with his magic lantern, has been replaced by tb.B Rev. Mr Eliis, who will be introduced at a congregational soiree shortly. The amount for which we in Gore voluntarily assess ourselves for our religion is only equalled by what the Prohibitionists tell us we spend in

whisky. The net amount devoted to each in Gore would" be worth comparing, the number of churches and hotels being equal — six of each. *~ The fund for the Brunnerton widows and

orphans is being busily canvassed for, and the newest phase is holding dances to devote the proceeds— dancing over dead men's graves ! The Gore Teachers' Institute meets occasionally, but no stranger is invited. They met the other day and intimated a desire to affiliate with the Southland Institute and to joia the Teachers' National Defence League. By Jove, or J upiter, bad we not better have socialism at once than an association for every purpose under heaven ? The season has been very favourable for the propagation of rabbits, with the result that the numbers put through- the works at Croydon and Mataura border on the fabulous. What price they bring in London is a matter of hope. Anyhow, one thing is clear : that the rabbits will not be exterminated under the present Act of Parliament. The East Gore Domain Board — one more

of our local government bodies — has just bad its annual meeting — receipts L4l ; expenditure L 43. This Board deseives the palm among us for the management of it 3 reserves and the beautifying of East Gore. If the West Gore Domain Board had done aa well we might ere no w have bad the most beautiful domain in Southland. The Btories of runaway borees endangering our street passengers are too numerous and weird to detail.

15th April.