The Timaru Herald. THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 1886.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3577, 18 March 1886, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 1886.

More than once within the last few weeks it has been made a ground of complaint against Major Atkinson, and the other leading men of the party which he represents, that they have not come forward at the present juncture and placed their views plainly before the country. The Ministry has not been silent. Sir Julius Yogel and Mr Stout have both had their say, and even Mr Tole has mounted the platform m Auckland, and told his constituents what he thinks about the situation. And now we have Sir George Grey " stumping " the country m his old style, and drawing large audiences m the principal centres. He has not yet completed his tour. It is believed that he will speak at Oamarn, and, we dare say, if he were asked he 1 would have a meeting m Timaru. His politics are not held m great esteem m this part of the xolony, and his land scheme is specially distasteful ; but nevertheless he would here, as elsewhere, secure a crowded house and a patient hearing ; and if, as we believe, this community has little or no faith m him, that should, from his point of view, be a strong ground for delivering an address. Wb presume that his object is to make converts, and if so he Bhould come where there is the largest number of unbelievers. "We would suggest that Sir George be invited to speak m Timara on his way northwards, and it is possible that a portion of his programme may prove more acceptable when coming directly from his own lips than it has proved when filtered through the columns of the newspapers. But, whether Sir George Grey stops to speak at Timara or not, there is the fact that he has taken the trouble (no light matter for a man at his age) to travel the length and breadth of the land for the purpose of disseminating his views and stirring up the people to a deeper sense of their political responsibilities. We give him credit for having fall faith m the doctrine he preaches, and even those who differ from him most widely, may profit by an earnest consideration of his proposals, and the arguments by which they are backed. Probably Sir George will never lead a New Zealand Ministry again, but m spite of all that has. been said to the contrary, he is still a power, m the land, and every Ministry which takes office has to a certain extent to reckon with him. "We have no means of knowing why Major Atkinson has so long delayed the address, or perhaps we should say the series of addresses, which is expected from him. We understand that he intends to speak at Auckland on Tuesday next, and he will have the advantage of coming after Sir Julius Yogel, Sir George Grey, and Mr Stout. Sir George Grey has spoken very distinctly regarding the points to which he thinks the country should first turn its attention. Sir Julius Yogel and Mr Stout, if not equally explicit, have given the constituencies a good' deal of food for reflection, and have raised more than a suspicion that a large and well-marked policy will be elaborated daring the coming session. It is now Major Atkinson's turn, and he has a very wide field before him. We trust that he will not content himself with the delivery of the promised address to the people of Auckland, but that he mill be an imitator of Sir George Grey to the extent of making a political tour of the colony and speaking at all the principal centres. It is well that the community should ,be afforded the fullest opportunity of learning the views of those who occupy the position of political leaders, of listening to their rival criticisms, and of judging between their various systems. - It cannot be contended that the speech which Major Atkinson delivered at Hawera m December last meets all the requirements of the situation as now developed. On that occasion he .said:— "lt was his opinion that thepolicy of the Government had never yet been revealed. Sir Julius Yogel had declared that the House Was not prepared for his policy, and therefore he had simply waited < his : time m order to seize the opportunity for' developing Ms jrolioy, which; (m hie,

Major Atkinson's, opinion) was one of enormouß borrowing." A ver y lar S e part of the speech from which those words are taken was retrospective. Major Atkinson sought to show that the premises of the Government bad not been carried out. That really waß the sum and substance of the speech. Now, however, tho fatnre policy of .'the Government has been more or less accurately foreshadowed, and the country is anxions to hear what Major Atkinson has to say aliout it. ' - ' ~

There are-rumours that Sir George Grey will be asked to address a ixfeeting at Timaru before Mb return to the Worth Island. The Colorado Minstrels announce m an advertisement they will appear again! m the Theatre Boyal thin evening. \ . The 0 Battery Trent under canvas last evening. Some particulars relating to the camp will be found elsewhere. : . . A report of the onnualraoa meeting of the Pleasant Point Bacing Club will be found m another column. -The races were,: rery successful. •' _■ - ' • ■■,'•' '■' ■■'■[ : : - ' ' We understand ihai •Mrf Kolleatpn : ..will address his constituents m the ..course of a few days — probably, towards the end of next week..,;-..- .':.:■ '■'■•- \r '.''■'. '.)';'■ . .-. •.Two men were taken, m charge ■ • yesterday for being incapable of behaving themselves, through drinking tho health, of Saint Patrick more frequently than there was ■ occasion for- ' ' ;. ,' < j A boy named James Cowley was arrested yesterday on a charge of stealing the Bum of £1, from the shop of Shappere, jeweller, Timaru, He will be brought up at the Magistrate's Court this morning. A correspondent asks — "What is a bond fide farmer ?. Wonld you consider a ' cropper" that pajß no rates a bond Jide farmer?" We don't see how the payment or nonpayment of rates affects the question. The officer commanding the Timaru Riflo Volunteers notifies that the Company will parade m review order at half-past ssven o'clook to-morrow evening instead of this evening. Every member is requested to attend. Mr W. H. Triggs, who, until the recent change of proprietors, filled the poßt of Editor of the Timaru Herald, and m that capacity enjoyed and deserved tho full confidence of the Company, has accepted a position on the editorial staff of the Christchurch Press. We feel sure that m his new sphere of action he will be as successful as he undoubtedly was m that which he has just relinquished. Our best wishes go with him. A great improvement to the shops from Mr Frubauf s premises to thoße occupied by Wood and Co., stationers, m the Main South Road, is just now being made by Mr Moss Jonas, who is having verandahs with handsome glass roofs put up. When the work is completed the public will be provided with shelter from the rain almost from "The Corner " to Woollcombe street. We learn that an accident occurred yesterday afternoon to the dredge Progress, caused by tho breakage of tho large spur wheel. Fortunately tho probability of such an accident has been foreseen, and the spare gear to supplant that which has now broken was brought up from Oam aru some days ago. It is anticipated that temporary repairs can be effected sufficient to enable the dredgo to commence work again without delay. ' ' A somewhat miraculous escape occurred about ten o'clock yesterday morning. A domestio servant m the employ of Mr Orwin, of the "Littlo Dustpan" shop, next to the office of this papor, was cleaning the upstairs windows fronting the street when she slipped and fell through tho glass roof of the verandah. On being picked up, eho was m a semi-insensible state, but soon rerovered consciousness. The only injury eho received was a cut on ono of her fingers. It is a wonder she was not cut |moro severely, as tho panes she broke and passed through were jagged m all directions. The following fact m connection with the Waikato Co-operative Association is suggestive: — The capital is £4000, and the book debts £7000. Of this sum it is estimated that 20 per ceent. cannot be recovered. Some shareholders are m favour of doing less business and giving no credit. About time. Francis Abraham Montefiore has been created a baronet. He is the eldest of two grand-nephews of the late Sir Moses Montefiore. The centenarian had one brother, Abraham. By his second wife, a daughter of Meyer Rothschild, of Frankfort, he left a son, Joseph Meyer, who died m 18_80, and left two sons, of whom the newly-created baronet is the elder. He was born m 1860. A London Times correspondent at Malaga asserts that the large sum of money contributed m England for the relief of tho sufferers by earthquakes m Spain has been diverted to the restoration and reconstruction of churchos convents, and other religious establishments. It was placed m the hands- of the -Archbishops, and none of it has reached the destitute and suffering people for whom it was intended — indeed, they have been kept m entire ignoranco of the existence of tho charity. At tho ordinary meeting of the New Zealand Land and Mortgage Company, held m London on the 15th January, the following information was included m tho Directors' report : — Exclusive of tho amount brought forward last year the net profit on the year's working was nearly £17,000, as against a net profit of £9165 for eleven months of the previous year. A dividend at the rato of 7 per cent was declared, £6000 carried to a reserve fund, and £3000 carried forward. Lamb m January is as rare with us (writes a London correspondent of the Argus) as "snow m harvest," and, indeed, has been hitherto unknown. Someone m Birmingham, however, received a New Year's gift of a frozen lamb, sent by a dutiful daughter m New Zealand. It weighed 40 lbs, and . arrived, after a six weeks' voyage, m excellent condition. The freight, however, cost a guinea. What a fine dish this would be to receive a prodigal son with, whom one wished to welcome with " all the honours!" It would be less coarse than a fatted calf, while the fact of having once been frozen would delicately suggest the alteration m our relations towards him. Lord Norton, writes to tho Times respecting the House of Lords: — "It not being elected m its ohief and inimitable merit as a chamber of review of the impulsive action of the elected body." When the elected body recently desired to prevent Irish peasants being thrown out on the roadside to die their impulsive action was restrained by, the chamber of "inimitable merit"; when they wished to put an end to the mutilation of birds their impulses were similarly restrained. Truly we ore a happy people to possess a ohamber so ready to check tho House of Commons m ill-doing. — Demoorat. '■■'■■

A resident. of Gore this mail received a letter from a lady at Bothesay, m the West of Scotland, m whioh she Bays:— "A shop for selling New Zealand mutton has been started m town,: sellingit at 6dandßdper lb. : A change from lOd to Is 2d, is it not ? The butchers aro very angry, but have not reduced the price yet, and of course the New Zealand man does the trade, bo m a short ; time we expect a reduction m price. I Since the reduction of the rate on the i telegraph-line from Victoria to New South < Wales from 2s per 10 words to Is per 10 I words, the increase of the number of - messages has been 24} per cent., and the increase of revenue 14} per cent. Since the introduction 'of the 6d ■ telegram system m Victoria on Ist July, 1885, there, has been f a Considerable* increase m the business done. Daring the first half of the year 1885 the number of messages sent m Victoria wiis . 606,228. DuriDg the latter half the number ! : reached 854,639— that is to Bay, there was m increase of 41 per cent. '."■ ' -.'.. :