LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1890, 23 April 1892, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Mr Pyke, jun., has become proprietor of the "Dunstan Times."

Influenza has reappeared in Sydney, and numerous cases are reported.

THE London wool sales were re-opened on Thursday. There was a large attendance, and prices were fully maintained.

At the Education Board meeting on Thursday, the appointment of Miss S. Williams as teacher of the Raes Junction school was confirmed.

The "Courier" reports that the Kelso factory has put through on an average 25,000 rabbits per week since operations were commenced.

The football match, Masterton v. Alhambra (Dunedin), played on the latter club's grouud on Thursday, resulted in the defeat of the visitors by 18 points to 4.

On Wednesday next there will be a total eclipse of the sun, partly visible in New Zealand. It begins at 7.26 a.m. and ends at 8.34 a.m., the greatest obscuration being at 7.55 am.

There were twelve patients in the Tuapeka Hospital last evening— eight male and four female. Three patients were admitted into the institution during the week, none being discharged.

A telephone-office, connecting Bald Hill Flat with Alexandra, has just been opened at the first-named place, much to the satisfaction and convenience of the settlers and others at both ends of the line.

The Board of Reviewers for the Tuapeka Oounty under "The Land and Income Assessment Act, 1891 " are Messrs Jas. Bennet (Raes Junction), Alexander Fraser (Clarks Flat) and Robert M'Ara (Waitahuna.)

Says the " Fielding Star ":— The murderer, Deeming, parts his hair in the middle, yet the London agent of the Press Association has failed to wire that important piece of news. All New Zealand thrilled when the intelligence was flashed over the wires "that the murderer took in the milk with his night gown on."

We are advised by cablegram that in the Sydney grain market milling wheat brings 4s 9d per bushel, and chick wheat 3s 9d to 4s. Oats : Feed, 2s sd.to 2s 6d ; send, 2s 7d to 2s Bd. In the Melbourne grain market, milling wheat is quoted at 4*, and stout oats at 2s Id. la the Adelaide grain market wheat brings 4s 2d, and New Zealand oats (prime quality) 3s 4d to 3s 4d.

The " Bruce Herald " says that so far as public opinion in Milton and the neighbourhood is concerned, it is so apparent that Mr Jas. Allen is the favourite candidate that a large majority in that part of the district may be reckoned upon with certainty. The practice of betting on such an evcut is highly improper, but tbe fact that very long odds are being offered in his favour without meeting any response is significant.

MUCH amusement was created by one of Mr Allen's replies to a question at his Waitahuna meeting on Monday evening. "Is the candidate," asked Mr John Cowen, "in favour of tbe establishment of distilleries in the colony?" "No," replied the candidate; "not if the whisky is intended for human consumption. a have been told that it should be good for killing the rabbits.; and as a, poison for the rabbits, 1 have no objection to the manufacture of whisky. But not for poisoning the people." "The answer completely "fetched" the audience and, in theatrical phraseology, fairly brought down I the house.

At a bankruptcy meeting in Napier recently a creditor proved in the estate for i' 64 for liquor supplied. The debtor was a blacksmith, and averaged 13s per day for beer.

The Wellington " Post " states that Ministers have determined to insist on the retirement from the civil service of every officer who has served for 30 years, irrespective of age, ability or health.

The following is a list of the duties on produce imported into New South Wales : — Grain and pulse, including barley, beans, ra»ize, oats, peas, wheat, etc., 10J pnr 1001 bs ; flour, bran, pollard, sharps, Is per 1001 bs ; hay, chaff, and straw, 10s per ton ; oatmeal, 40a per ton ; potatoes, 10s per ton ; onions, 20s per ton ; butter and lard, 2d per lb ; bacon (cured or green), bams, oheese, or meat extract, 2d per lb ; honey, Id per lb.

At the Land Board meeting on Wednesday, James Paterson applied for a grazing right over section 141, block 1., Waitahuna West (raining reserve),on condition of keeping down the rabbits.— Declined. The .Receiver of Land Revenue reported that George Ranger had now paid arrears on deferred-payment section declared forfeited on the 6th inst; also, that William M'Corkindale had paid up his arrears.— The resolution of the 6th April was rescinded so far as it related to those two persons.

It is stated as not being improbable that Mr Seddon, instead of Mr Buckley, will leave in the Hinemoa for Sydney to welcome the new Governor. We thoroughly agree with the decision, and feel sure that as a vice-regal bear-leader the jovial Richard takes the cake among his colleagues. It will be a fine opportunity to introduce his famous "Presbyterian cordial," the same seduotive tipple that Lord Onslow is said to have liked so well, to the notice of Lord Glasgow, besides giving him some notion of the rough-and-ready mateiial out of which Ministers of the Crown are fashioned in New Zealand.

We have reason to know that Mr H. S. Valentine, M.H.R., has not lost sight of the extension of the telephone line from Beaumont to Raes Junction, but still continues to urge the matter on the notice of the authorities, and there is every probability that his request on behalf of the settlers will be eventually conceded. It would undoubtedly be a decided convenience, and it strikes us that money might be better spent in providing necessaries of this kind for settlers in the remote or outlying parts of the colony than in providing the leisured, as well as the commercial and wealthy, classes in the cities, with cheap postage at an immense cost to the country.

Mr Apollos Dale, for many years stationmaster at Port Chalmers, died in Dunedin hospital on Thursday night from injuries sustained while proceeding from Dunedin to Port Chalmers by the 6.15. p.m. train. He appeared to have been late in arriving on the platform at Dunedin, and had just time to jump on the guard's van as the train was leaving the station. It is surmised that when he got to Ravensbourne he was desirous of shifting into a carriage, and had caught hold of the iron stanchions of the carriage he wished to enter, when the train started and he fell between the railway platform and the train. The wheels of the carriage passed over both his legs. Both limbs were amputated at the hosipital, but he died a few hours after his admission.

A meeting of the Otago Education Board was held on Wednesday afternoon to appoint a chairman for the ensuing year. The retiring chairman (Mr Macgregor) moved that Dr Hislop be chairman for the current year, which was seconded by Mr Borrie. A number of members spoke in support of the motion, but he declined to accept the office on account of bis deafness and of his relationship to the secretary. Mr Macgregor then moved that Mr Green be chairman, which was seconded by Dr Stenhouse. Mr Borrie moved that Mr Fraer be chairman, which was seconded by Mr Clark. On being put to the meeting, the voting was as follows : — For Mr Fraer, 4 • Messrs Borrie, Clark, M'Kerrow, and Dr Hislop) ; for Mr Green, 3 (Dr Stenhouse, Messrs Ramsay and Macgregor). Mr Fraer was therefore declared elected.

AT a sitting of the Police Court, Lawrence, on Thursday morning, Thomas Monaghan was brought before Mr Thos. Pilling, J.P., charged with being drunk in Ross Place on the previous evening. The accused admitted the offence. Constable Daubeny, who arrested the accused, said Monaghan bad become quite a nuisance in Lawrence. This was the third time within three months that he had been brought before the Court on a similar charge. A fine of £2 was imposed, with the alternative of seven days' imprisonment in Lawrence gaol. — On Thursday afternoon a young man named Henry Heaps was brought before Messrs F. Oudaiile and T. Pilling, justices, charged with being of unsound mind. The reports submitted by Drs Withers and Nicoll showed that Heaps was in an unfit state mentally to be at large. Constable West (Waitahuna) deposed that he arrested Heaps at an early hour that morning at Waitahuna Gully. The poor fellow was in a very bad state. — The justices made an order for Heaps's committal to the Lunatic Asylum. Seacliff.

At his meeting at Waitahuna on Monday night, Mr Jas. Allen bitterly complained of the tactics employed by Messrs Pinkerton and Earnshaw, M.H R.s, in travelling over the railways through the Bruce constituency with their free passes, canvassing for his opponent, Mr Lee Smith. He regarded that as anything but fair, and he believed his opinion was shared by a very large section of the public, who not improbably would take their owa way of expressing their feelings on the matter. Those two gentlemen, be said, had travelled from Milton to Kaitangata on the "nod," as the saying goes, or by the magic of those muchabused privileges that M.H.R's are permitted to dangle on their watch-chains. But when they reached Kaitangata the guard demanded their tickets, and for reply one of the gentlemen, in quite a superior style, pointed to his watch-chain and uttered the cabalistic word, " pass." " Now, look here, gentlemen," said the guard, "this won't do ; just fork out a shilling, pass or no pass, and have done with it." And accordingly the two legislators had ' to folk out a shilling just like other ordinary passengers. The relation of this incident in the travels of the two "parsimonious" politicians, to borrow Sir Robert Stout's favourite term, sent the audience into roars of laughter. Indeed, right through, the meeting was in the highest humour, and thoroughly enjoyed the capital hits made by the speaker, just as they loudly applauded the more pointed and vigorous portions of his address

The Victorian elections, which were held on Wednesday , have resulted favourably for the Shiel'a Ministry. Sir Graham Berry, Sir Byran O'Loghlen, Messrs Gillies, Deakin, Duffy, Patterson, Bent, and Premier Shiels have all been returned. The one-man-one-vote principle, which loomed very large in the elections, will have fifty supporters in the new House, and forty-fivo opposed to it. But, looking afc the recent political experiences both of this colony and New South Wales, the feature of importance in the Victorian elections is tbe position it leaves the labor party in. In the last Parliament they had six representatives, in the new House they will have eleven, which gives them a gain of only five seats as the total result of the elections. This is very significant, particularly when it is considered their organisation was in a state of thorough completeness, and that for months past the M elbourne Trades Hall people have been moving heaven and earth, as the phrase goes, to emulate the example set them in the neighbouring colony. But the farmers threw themselves into the fight as they never did before, and outside of the city constituencies the labour party had not the ghost of a show. No doubt also the defeat of the labour party, for it can be called by no other name, is in a large measure the result of the reaction, the inevitable swing of the pendulum, which has followed the tyranny andexcesses of that body during the past few years. Where parties are evenly balanced and tbe struggle for power is keen and Ministers weak, or not overscrupulous, eleven labour members may at times be in a position to extort concessions ; but however that may be, the verdict of the country is significant, and shows that it needs only a serious effort to demonstrate either in New Zealand or Victoria that political power is held by the country and not by the towns. During the life of the present Ministry, at all events, the Victorian policy will be one of drastic retrenchment— a time of penance, of sack cloth and ashes, after the long debauch, political and com mei rial, in which she has been ateeped.

At the quarterly meeting cf the Lowburn Miners' Association, the matter of occupation licenses was fully discussed, and the following motion' was carried (subject to the vote of tbe branches) :— "That whereas the occupation license system has been greatly made use of by persons already in possession of large areas, and as this form of settlement was evidently only meant for miners and others holding small residence areas on the gold fields, as a means of subsidising their earnings, it is highly desirable— (l) That no person holding land to the extent t>f 100 acres or over, under any land tenure should be permitted to take up or hold any occupation license. (2) That as a security a«ain3t diiiinnyism, a penalty not exceeding £100 and forfeiture should be imposed upon any person miking any mis-representation in connection with the taking up or holding any occupation license. (3) That the residence clause should be struck out, as it is both unfair and unsuitable to bona fide applicants."