Untitled

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 11687, 21 February 1902, Page 3

No Nihilist will ever' get a chance at the Czar of Russia with a razor, at least in the guise of a barber.' The autocrat has his beard carefully trimmed, but with scissors. Eveu this is treated as a responsible and important function, and of the four Grand Masters of the Court, as they are called, one always attends the Czar when his Majesty is under the barber's care. Not that any doubt is felt as to the fidelity of the tonsorial artist. The family of the Guelabovski have .been barbers to the Imperial house of Romanoff from the time of Czar Paul. A merchant in one of the large border towns recently experienced some anomalies in his dealings with Sydney and Melbourne wholesale houses. On one occasion a Sydney firm quoted him £2 8s 6d for a copper, when he found that the Melbourne branch of the same firm was prepared to supply two coppers for an additional ss. On another occasion he wrote to Sydney for a 120Ckt wire rope, and was informed it could not be supplied except in two lengths. The firm promised, however, to make inquiries in Melbourne. Meantime the country dealer wrote to the same firm in Melbourne, and was told they could supply what was wanted in three weeks. By and by the Sydney branch again wrote, saying that inquiry in Melbourne and Adelaide showed the thing to be unobtainable. Since the introduction of the Commonwealth tariff, he was quoted £lO a ton, with a duty of 25 per cent, added, for such weights by a Sydney warehouse. Not satisfied -njith this lie appealed to their Melbourne branch, and was offered the goods duty paid, at £8 10s per ton. That is the story.