Jottings from Ashbourton.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5180, 9 December 1884, Page 3

Jottings from Ashbourton.

« [prom our own correspondent. J Dec. 8. Everybody has been growling about the weather. It is an Englishman's right to grumble, and all last week the right has been fully exercised. Scarcely one hour of respectable weather has been vouchsafed to us for six solid days until this morning, which brings us once again all nature bright and beautiful. In the wet weather our streets were deserted, but, with the return of Bunshine and the gnats, have come back again to gaze upon the drapers' temptations all the grace and beauty of the "hub." Saturday was anything but a fine day, and in the evening, in a pelting rain, I went, with others of my kidney, across the river to Tinwald, to attend the meeting of the young 1 Town Board. "We were admitted, or rather we were not "chucked out," for, though late, we reached the hall before the Commissioners, and as there were only Commissioners duly elected and gazetted present, with the reporters, when business began, the latter were allowed to remain. lam given to understand, however, that a certain party was anxious to have the meeting postponed, because the reporters had rolled up. Why this gentleman, a person having no locus standi at the Board, should be so anxious to exclude the Press from the Board's meetings, I cannot understand. At the recent sitting of the Unemployed Commissior 1 . at Ashburton — by the way, this title is an offence and a stumbling 1 block to the worthy members of the Commission. They are not an Unemployed Commission, but a Commission re the Unemployed. I beg their pardon. At their recent sitting at Ashburton, one unfortunate man came up, not so much to ask for work or to growl about its scarcity, as to ask the Commission to do what it could to have Mr Eolleston's pet leasing scheme retained. The man was a portable engine driver, and he felt that, if he were able to lease from Government a bit of land, he would be able to do something for himself during the winter, and he preferred Government for a landlord to a private individual. He said he had .£lO in the Savings Bank, and this he was to stick to in the event of having to clear out. No sooner had he uttered his faith in Mr Rolleston than one evidently ultraRadical member of the Commission remarked that whoever trusted to Mr Rolleston trusted to a broken reed, but a flabbergasted look came over his Radical features when the engine-driver gave a reason for the faith that was in him, and showed how Mr Eolleston's scheme was not without its value. Along with other districts, our curx-ants and gooseberry bushes are beginning to feel the effects of the paroquet visitation. The wretches come down upon our gardens about daylight, and in quite large flocks, eating up everything they can, and leaving the prospects of jam very far off indeed. There has been a stiff slaughter going on among them, too, and several hundred of the green-clad thieves have turned their claws up after a few discharges of " sparrow hail." The Early Closing Association arc taking a course which I scarcely think is the correct thing. They are sending out little sandwich boys, with boards hung fore and aft, appealing to the ladies not to shop after six o'clock. This is all right enough, but they have no right to fix the boys' beats at a single chain, and that chain having for its cwitro the doorstep of a shop the proprietor of which elects to keep open beyond the Association's hour. One of these lads planted himself on the doorstep of such a shop, and was refreshed with a ewerful of water poured down his neck by the mistress of the house. At any rate, the promoters of this system of boycotting need not make vie- | tims of the boys ; they might take round the boards themselves, when it would bo seen that at least thej were not ashamed of doing this not very dignified ' sort of work. I had sent me last week by Rome friend or other a copy of Mr Vincent Pyke's prize Scotch tale of ." Craigielinn." I read the little story with great pleasure indeed ; it is remarkably s interesting and exceedingly well told. It is written in brond Ayrshire Doric, and it was some time before I found out that the writer was an Englishman, so well has he mastered the Scotch language. I would commend the Scotchmen in the district to get a copy of " Craigielinn." It will well repay perusal. Tho Borough Council has shifted its quarters, and the great brick building of which our late Library Committee was so proud has opened its portals and taken the whole of the Council staff under its roof, as well as found a new meeting place for the Councilloi-s. This arrangement is an improvement in many ways, but especially so in the fact that there is always at hand a librarian in tho person of the Town Clerk. We are promised .1 Ecason of three nights by the Pollard's troupe of juveniles. The season commences ou Wednesday.