LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1792, 6 May 1891, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The population of Victoria according to the census returns is 1,333,000. Mr John Michael has been appointed chairman of the Gabriels Licensing Committee for the ensuing twelve months. The result of the local option polling for the Gabriels licensing district yesterday was against an increase of all kinds of licenses. The Upper Waipori Alluvial Gold Dredging Company, Limited, obtained 240z 3dwt 6gr of gold for four days nineteen hours' dredging last week. THE Hon. Mr Seddon proposes to visit tho goldfields so as to be able to judge what steps should be taken to develop their resources, as it was his intention to ask Parliament for a vote for introducing the best gold-saving appliancesiand processes. The match between the Roxburgh and Heriot football clubs, played on the latter's ground on Saturday lust, resulted in a win for the visitors by two points to nil. The game was very stubbornly contested from start to finish. Perhaps " Richard John " is trying to run the whole show. The " Post " , says :— The " man at the corner " has heard from some unexplained source that a tremendous rumpus baa occurred between the Premier and the Hon Mr Seddon. We wonder if that straightspeakin? indulged in to the unemployed by the genial Richard has ruffled the feathers of his chief. AMONGST the victims of \ the M'Kenzie pruning knife (says the Wellington " Press ") is MrR. K. Simpson, stock inspector for the Rangitikei-Manuwatu district. Mr Simpson is one of the oldest and most efficient officers in the department. It is not saying too much to assert that the new Chief Inspector, Mr Ritchie, might go to school to him and profit largely. ENORMOUS quantities of grain are being sent from tho Gore district by rail for export. So great, in fact, is the rush that the railway authorities are unable to provide transit accommodation, and at every station large stacks of grain are awaiting transport. Prom present indications it looks as if the holding back policy is not going to be much in favour with producers this season, and that there will be an early rush for the market. THE Island Block Extended Co. 's claim appears to be now about to justify the faith of those shareholders whose judgment and resolution saved it from & very ugly fate a month or two since. The result of a wash-up on Monday last for three and a half days, work reached the handsome figure of 360z. of the precious metal ; and from the splendid prospects which are now being obtained in the mine, there is good reason to assume that this is but the beginning of a long season of big and regular returns.

A Chinaman named Ah Hung was found dead in his hut at the Chinese Camp last Saturday morning. An inquest was held on the afternoon of the same day before District Coroner Revell and a jury, of whom Mr J. J. Gibson was appointed foreman. The evidence of Dr Withers, who made an external examination of the body, was to the effect that deceased was afflicted with heart disease, and his death was due to that cause, accelerated by opium smoking. The jury's verdict was in accordance with the medical testimony.

The annual harvest home soiree, concert, and dance will be held at the schoolhonse, Waitahuna West, on Friday evening next, and if only the weather is favourable a large attendance may as usual be expected. This annual gathering has become very popular, and never fails to bring a large company together, and to afford all those who patronise ifc the fullest opportunity of enjoying themselves. It is intended to donate the proceeds to the school fund, and no doubt this consideration will not be without its effect in contributing to the success of the festival.

THERE is no line of business in Melbourne at present, which is not very considerably overdone, bnt the farmers and pastoralist's agsnts are making, says the " Leader," perhaps the greatest struggles to obtain new business. In the wool trade this is particularly noticeable. The wool companies are sending out additional travellers for the coming season, and there are so many of these representatives on the road at present that the wool growers of Victoria are inclined to almost resent having to suffer being canvassed, perhaps fonr times in one day, for their wool.

Winter appears now to have set in in dead earnest, and, if the last few days may be taken as a sample of favours yet to come, it is safe to predict a winter modelled somewhat on the lines of that which the people at Home are just now wearily emerging from. During tie past few days the weather has been exceptionally bitter and severe, cold enough for a snowstorm or a blizzard, and the roads, owing to the continuous moisture of the atmosphere and the entire absence of warmth, are exceptionally heavy and not in quite the best condition for the heavy grain traffic which will soon commence.

We have been informed that Mr H. S. Valentine, M.H.8., has been successful in arranging for the restoration to their corps of a number of Lawrence volunteers who were some time ago suspended for some alleged breaches of discipline. Mr Valentine's good offices in the matter were first solicited by Captain M'Keich through the Mayor, and on Monday the latter was the recipient of a communication from the member for the district stating that his Excellency the Governor had been recommended to allow the parties in question to reenter the service— a recommendation which he has thought fit to comply with.

We understand an effort is about being made to form a debating society, or some other association not yet quite decided on, of an intellectual and social character in Lawrence during the winter months. The idea is an excellent one, is deserving of ' every encouragement, and there should be no difficulty experienced in giving practical effect to it. There is abundant material here of the right kind for such a purpose ; all that is needed is that some gentleman should take the initiative and set the ball rolling. PiThaps, the proper course would be a meeting of all those who take an interest in such a matter, when the subject could be discussed and a decision arrived at.

Mr H. S. Valentine, M.H.R., has lately been the recipient of a requisition from a number of Bankleburn settlers soliciting his influence towards getting the Government to provide a punt for the Molyneux above Tuapeka Mouth. The punt at present in use at Mr Tyson's saw-mills is considered to be too far out of the way of traffic to be of much use to the settlers. Besides, the present road is regarded as unsuitable, and the settlers have in consequence asked that the punt, should one be provided, be placed on the river opposite the school in the most central and suitable location for the settlement. This, we understand, will receive every consideration at the hands of Mr Valentine, who has placed himself in communication with the Government on the subject.

The "Southland Times" devotes a leading article to a report current that Mr Henry Mujsen, Crown lands ranger, has been dismissed on the plea of retrenchment and his place taken at a higher salary by Mr Duncan Campbell. Tt says the change has not been made directly, but by sending hither and thither all over the colony a host of unhappy officials. Mr Campbell our contemporary declares to be " notoriously the henchman and clacquer of the Minister of Land?, and we feel perfectly justified in saying that to this fact and to nothing else he is indebted for the position he has attained. And if we are correct in this account of the transaction, we are entitled to say further that a gross job has been perpetrated and a political scandal occasioned for which heavy reckoning will yet be exacted both from the Minister implicated and the party to which he belongs."

The Lawrence District High School Committee on Friday evening, appointed Mr M'lntosh chairman, and re-elected Mr Jeffery secretary and treasurer for the current terra. The Clarks Flat Committee h:ivo re-elected Mr G. S. Walker chairman, ami Mr Jno. Robertson (Craigie) secretary uud' treasurer.— The Millers Flat Committee have appointed Mr W. Waugh chairman, and Mr J. Kerr secretary and treasurer (re-elected.) The Roxburgh Committee have re-appointed Mr Mercer chairman, and Mr Waigth secretary and treasurer.

Mr HuiiKß, of Wellington, who was called as an expert witness for the defence at the Shelly Bay inquest, caused, says the " Times," much amusement by hisreplies to Mr Jelliooe at the beginning of his cross-examination by the learned counsel. Mr Jollicoe, whose evident wish was to bring the witness into ridicule, asked Mr Hulke what trade he first followed. "Well," replied the witness, my first vocation was sucking — (laughter) — I then learnt squalling — (renewed laughter) — and then I took to crawling.' This last announcement was received with roars, and Mr Jcllicoe had to change his ground.

LATEST cablegrams.— B3rry Sullivan, the well known actor is dead.— A mass meeting is to bo held in Hyde Park in support of the eight hours 1 movement.— Mr Parnell, speaking at Newbridge, said he intended to keep in reserve, In Pari3 banks, £450,000 to assist tenants whose needs are not provided for by legislation, or are unable to make terms with their landlords.— Permission to bury the remains of the late Prince Napoleon in Corsica was refused by the French Government, because it was feared the occasion would be seized hy the Imperialists to make a demonstration. — General Booth has opened a match factory.— The Canadian Pacific Company ran an express train from Vancouver to Montreal in 89 hours.

The following civil cases were dealt with at the Resident Magistrate's Court, Lawrencr, on Monday last: — Herbert and Co. v T. Sheehy : claim of £34 83 7d on a dishonoured promissory note. Judgment was given for the amount claimed, less £9 paid since the sum nions was issued, with costs £2 10s 6d. Mr Crooke appeared for plaintiff. — James Stevenson v J. Kirkpatrick: claim of £9 18s for damages and impounding plaintiff's cattle and for a refund of trespass and driving fees. Mr Gooday for plaintiff ; Mr Finlayson for defendant. After hearing evidence, His Worship held that the cattle were illegally impounded and gave judgment for £1 and costs (£3 175.) Mr Revell, R.M., presided.

The annual meeting for the purpose of appointing a school committee for the current year wns held in the schoolhouse, Evans Flat, on the 27th ult. There was a small attendance ; Mr G. Brook was voted to the chair. A statement showing a credit balance of £10 18s 5d was read and adopted. Ths chairman explained the new Act regulating the election of school committees, and regretted the lack of interest taken in school matters in the district. The following were nominated as a committee and declared duly elected * — Messrs J. Buchanan, G. Brook, A. Clark, T. Hogg, J. Hopkins, G. Leslie, and T. J. Rickard.— At the first meeting, the committee appointed Mr Brook chairman, and Mr Rickard clerk and treasurer.

Some further retrenchment in the Native Land Court Department, resulting from the recent arrangements between the Native Minister and the Chief Jndge, was decided upon in Cabinet. The Registrar of the Court in Auckland and the Wanganui Registrar are to be retired on compensation, together with a messenger in the Auckland office. It is intended that the work in Auckland shall be done with the reduced staff, and in Wanganui a junior officer will perform the duties that lately fell to the gentlemen now retrenched, The saving in salaries will be about £640 per annum, but the compensation will swallow up the first year's savings. It is understood that no further retrenchment -will take place in the Native Department until it is seen what will be necessitated by the coming session's legislation.

The robust style with which the Hon. "Dick" Seddon strokes down the unemployed and hits out generally, regardless of friend or foe, is getting him kudos on every hand. Here is how the Auckland " Herald " serenades the honourable gentleman : — It is really a grand thing to have a Minister who is not afraid of anybody — not even of the working man. And whatever people may say about "Dick" Seddon, as every West Coaster calls him, there is one thing that was never said about him. He never was a coward. • A' better example of the regular English bull dog— brave, tenacious, and absolutely without fear of any human being than the Hon. Richard John Seddon, M.H.R., is not to be found in New Zealand. He may make mistakes, and he probably will, but at present he seems to be going the right way to work, and doing what few previous Ministers have ever dared to do, telling the people the truth.

THANKS to the care and ability with which the colony's finances had been handled by Sir Harry Atkinson, Mr Ballance and his colleagues find themselves in the liappy condition of being able to meet the House with a surplus for the financial year of close on £150,000. This, it should be hardly necessary to explain, they are in no way entitled to claim credit for. It came to them in the form of a legacy, as it were, from their predecessors in office, those men, by the way, whose extravagance, corruption and incompetence Mr Ballance and his gentle followers were never done quoting and denouncing. It is very doubtful if the ministerial records of the colony, in later years, at all events, can show anything approaching this laat splendid tribute to the administrative success of Sir Harry Atkinson. In his last statement of the colony's affairs, just before his retirement, he figured out this surplus to within a trifle, but his opponents, pooh-poohed and ridiculed his estimate as usual.

"BISHINESS is bishiness " was one of the . axioms of Mr Davis in the Flying Scud, and it seems to be also the motto of the great house of Rothschild. Otherwise those magnificent children of Israel would not have helped the Russian autocrat at this juncture toy financing a loan for him of £20,000,000. The wail of the persecuted Jews has gone forth from the Ural to the Balkans, and has elicited a sympathetic response everywhere save from the Czar, and, as would now seem, their co-religionist financiers. Thege Jatter personages are bankers first and Israelites aftewards, and rather than forego a little lucre would strengthen the hands of the despot who is driving the Jews out of their homes and compelling them, by the thousand to seek shelter in the London slums. When the Mayor of London writes to ask the Czar to be merciful his letter is returned unopened. When the Czar writes to an Anglo-Hebrew for an advance he gets £20,000,000. And by and by the senders will go and fast and profess to bewail the loss of Jerusalem, though, for the matter of that, they would bewail the loss of anything by which they might make more money.

It is now asserted, fchafc three out of five judges whom the Government consulted relative to Judge Edwards' position have 4/spided in his favour, both on legal and constitutions} , grounds. In the face of this testimony, the ■ action of the Government savours very strongly of political rancour, and is clearly inspired by a determination to drive him off the bench, regardless altogether of the legal or constitutional aspect of the question. There can be very little doubt that they have been strongly influenced in the attitude they have taken up by the advice of Sir Robert Stout, who has from the outset of the controversy on * the subject exhibited almost a feeling of personal bitterness and antagonism against the judicial appointment of tho late Government. U seems that he is mw to appear with the Attorney' General on behalf of tfce Government to conduct the proceedings to test the validity of tba appointment before the Chief Justice in Wellington. The position of the Judge is one of a most unprecedented character. Appointed in due form by one (Government, he is flouted and ignored by their successors ; his judicial standing publialy questioned} no provision made for the payment of his salary j and, finally, his authority is disputed by a conyicted forger, \ybo takes from the Government the responsibility of testing the validity of the apppjptraenfc, At the proceedings that are, now about to take place, the Government, represented by the Attorney-General and Sir Robert Stout, will occupy 'the dignified position of playing second iddle to the convict.

A FAKMBR of over twenty years' practical experience iv New South Wales writes to the Bureau of Agriculture of that colony thnh f ho system of wheat growing he has pursnfd hns insured his crops against rust. He works tho land in hot weather, burns off tho stubble immediately after harvest, ploughs deep, steeps the seed wheat in a solution of vitriol and arsenic, dries it with wood ashes before sowing, and uses only half a bnshol per acre of seed. This system tends to destroy the spores of the rust fungus in the soil and also in .the sqed.

AS a specimen of the views entertained by gutter orators regarding civil servants, the following from the "Wairaropa Star," of which Mr A. W. Hogg, the member for Masterton, is editor, deserves to be embalmed : — The civil servant of tho higher grade has three stages. In his first or chrysalis condition, he ia a cadet ; in his second, when he bursts his shell, he is a crawling insect confined to the departmental currant buah ; iv his third, he is a pensioner, takes wings and flies to the uttermost regions of the earth to lecture labor on ita duties to capital.

THEChnrc'h of England people at Lumsden arc fortunate in having secured the ministrations of the Rev. T. L. Stanley, whose zeal and ability during the period of his recent temporary charge of Trinity Church, Lawrence, created so favourable an impression. The Rev. Mr Stanley is a man of exceedingly active habits, indefatigable in promoting the interests of his church, and, if we may judge from the energy with which he threw himself into his work here, and the splendid results of his labours during the brief period of his sojourn, his new pai'ishioners will have reason to bft proud of him. He is besides a gentlgman of warm, gonial manner, a graceful and impressive preacher, and in every respect nn admirable clergyman under whose guidance the spiritual interest of his people will not be allowed to suffer. His many friends here wish him every success in hia new sphere of work.

Speaking of Sir George Grey the Wellington "Post" says: — The impression seems to be gaining ground that his political course is run, and that he will probably not retain his seat for Newton long, if, indeed, he takes it at all. It is well known that Her Majesty, who has always been his warm friend, has intimated to him her desire to see him once more, and that she is most anxious to heal the domestic estrangement which has so long existed between Lady Grey and Sir George. Efforts to do this were made when he was last in England, and if they failed it was understood that Sir George was not the party responsible for that result. The persuasions of Her Majesty and other friends.are said now to have more favourably disposed Lady Grey towards reconciliation, and if Sir George can be induced to go Home, this happy event would probably taks place at once. Its doing so would give unfeigned pleasure to the very large circle of friends all over the world who know and esteem both Sir George and Lady Grey.

A contemporary tclla the following story of one of the census sub-enumerators. He had left the official "form" on Saturday at the residence of two sisters, and on calling for it on the Monday fonnd that it had not been filled up. His duty, therefore, was to fill it up, and he proceeded to do so in the usual style, but on coming to the third column he met with a difficulty. Looking at the ladies, he said " married or widow ! " " Married, indeed!" exclaimed one of the ladies. "All right," said the sub., and tben w< ntori to write the word " married," when one of the sisters jerked the pen ont of his baud and indignantly asked "Do I look like a married woman ?" The snb. looked and then meekly inserted the word "never" before the word "married." Then things went on smoothly until the question of age had to be considered. This tho ladies flatly refused to give, and the sub. at last told them he would hnve to judge I y appearances and put down 40 and 60. This did not meet with their approval, and they told him 24 and 28, but upon being shown the declaration at the bottom of the form, which they would havo to sign, they allowed him to put down 39 and 41.

There are some persons we are told who "do good by stealth," but a philanthropist who has been sent to jail in Melbourne a week or two ago for twelve months by an unfeeling bench oE magistrates sought to do good by stealing. His vocation as a rogue was that embodied in the term " confidence man." He had got holtl of a confiding new arrival fresh from New Zealand, whom he was proposing to victimise to the extent of £5 under pretence of securing him a situation on a squatting station, when a wily policeman appeared on the scene, and persuaded the sharper to accompany him to a station of a differcut description. Thereupon ho upbraided the constable for not allowing him to complete the little transaction for the benefit of the other pai'ty. "If new arrivals from Maoriland," he urged, " are taken down to the extent of a ' fiver,' it gives them an experience of the place and saves them, perhaps, from being fleeced to the extent of a £100." There is much philosophy in this remark, and it is a pity the philosopher was so summarily dealt with. Who knows but what if he had been left alone he might have realised a little capital, and, perhaps, turned mine broker or company promoter and earned an honest living. ' People who are accustomed to talk lightly of the benefit of a rabbit preserving factory will likely enough be surprised to learn that the money spent in the maintenance of the Gore factory exceeds £4,000 a month, the whole of which is spent in the district. This, possibly enough, may appear somewhat incredible to some people, but that is only because they have nover given the subject closo or intelligent study. Just fancy the expenditure of sjlch a sum monthly round about this districts how many storekeepers and tradesmen of all kinds it would benefit ; what an impetus it would give to business, just now none too lively or too brisk ; how much more it would add to the weekly earningsand, consequently, to the comfort of many families, and to no clasa in the community would it be of more substantial benefit from many points of view than to farmers. Of course we do not expect that such an establishment, for some time at all events, in this district would result in such an enormous expenditure of money. But even though the sum amounted to only £1000, which it certainly would, at the most modest calculation, should not that be a strong inducement to warrant some further steps being taken to bring the matter to a practical issue ? The country settlers are certainly those who should be the first to set a practical example. Their interests are more closely connected with the rabbit question than are those of any other glass, and for this reason their indifference is all the more marked and unaccountable. Were the farmers' clubs in the district to take the matter seriously in hand they would find their efforts backed up substantially by the traders and business people. But those organisations we refer to, though they profeßS to be deeply concerned in the rabbit problem, as no doubt they aro, have as yet done nothing i but talk, and now they appear to have given the subject the cold shoulder altogether.