West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 1895.

West Coast Times, Issue 10123, 5 June 1895, Page 2

West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 1895.

lt is difficult to say whether the Licensing ilill drafted for the Prohibitionists is iiosfc calculated to inspire a feeling of wonder or of amusement. Our friends >,re evidently determined to get hold of the thick end of the stick if they can possibly manage it. This is noticeable throughout. In the provision for a local option poll they only contemplate having a periodic poll in the event of licenses being permitted ; when once a vote for " no license" has been carried there shall bo no more polling on the subject unless upon the petition of one-fourth of the electors on the roll, all of which signatures are to affixed within 30 days of its presentation. Even in such case the licenses are to be limited to one for each thousand adults in the ' district. Were the people of Westland ever to be so foolish and misguided as to vote for " no license,'' they would be compelled, did they desire to reverse this decision, to send a petition to the Governor signed by one fourth of the electors, and should they eventually carry the poll for a license the Licensing Committee would be able to grant about three or four licenses for the whole of the district. Under j;his happy, condition oi affairs we might bo allowed one hotel in, Hokitika and one each in Kumara and Ross. The provision foi the colonial option is framed on somewhat similar lines. The poll for colonial option is to take -place on the same daj as the general elections, but should it be carried, no further poll will take place unless with the aulhorty of a resolution carried in both Houses of Parliament, This, it will be noted, has a tendency tc cut away the ground from the feet oi . those who have been inflicting us with so omen m'anctlin sentiment and calling upon us to trust tho people. The people arc to be trusted so long as it is possible cc gain anything from them, but as soon as they have pronounced for prohibition they are to be given no further voice until specially permitted by their representatives in the Lower- House and by the nominees of the Council: If the Prohibitionists were consistent — a somewhat unreasonable thing to expect fi'om them after past experiences — they would make the provisions tor procedure aftei " license " or " no license " and "license " or " prohibition," precisely identical. 'A homely proverb tells us that " what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander," but prohibition ik one of thfe new things of this world, and old time proverbs do not apply to its. votaries. Stil^ the common sense of the people will tell them that if they ever go so far as to assent to a local option poll every three years, that poll should not cease as soon as one of the proposals has been carried. If it applies to one it ajjplies to both. If the triennial poll of the electors is to be the arbitrament, that poll must continue to be taken every three years, no matter which side wins. If the major question of "license "or (# no license "is to be submitted to the test of the ballot boxes, the minor question of free and unrestricted sale should |be left to the same decision. The principle that the Pro hibitionists claim to enunciate is that the whole question of the manufacture, sale and consumption of liquor should be referred to the people. We can have no half measures .about this. If it is right to refer this question to the ballot box it is equally right to refer the question of whether there shall be any licenses, or any control ; whefchqr the man who sells a glass of -beer shall not be placed in the same position as the man who sells a glass of milk. It can very easily be seen that the prohibitionists only seek the support of the electors under false pretences. They are not willing to trust them more than they can help and only advocate their votes being given on questions where they cannot lose but may gain. If they are successful in one district or the whole colony they place very substantial barriers in the way of a popular vote being again given against them. In this they exhibit the wisdom of the serpent, but it is not likely to avail much.

The general public are invited to be present at the public interview between the Member for the District and the Executive of the Goldmining League, which takes place at the Town Hall at 2 o'clock this afternoon, it being impobsiblo t6 arrange for a meeting in the evening, owing to Mr Seddon's other engagements. Advice has been received that the Prince Albert (Nelson) football team Will visit Hokitika on the second Saturday in July.

An excursion train will run next Saturday afternoon in connection with the Oriental-Hokitika senior football match at Hokitika, leaving Groymouth shortly after one o'clock. A goodly number of visitors are exoocted down.

It is probable an art union will be run in conjunction with the approaching Poultry Slioav,

A mating \4 i)i9. ftuWUti iljtvluw , Board, was held last evening. Present^ the Chairman (Hon J. A. Bonar), Messrs Churches, Hawkins and Wade. The minutes of the previous meeting were road and confirmed and the outward correspondence approved. Inward corres pondence —Letter from General Post Office, Wellington, acknowledging receipt of £250 interest and expressing a hope the £250 now due would also be paid. — Received. From Premier, Wellington, re towage of tug Westland, stating that the Government had no control over the Grey Harbor Board, and suggesting a conference — Receiver!. From Premier, Kuraara, slating he would be in Hokitika on Wednesday — Received. Report from Finance Committee involving payment of accounts amounting to £32 19s 6d was rocoivei and adopted. — (The Mayor here took his seat)-Report from Harbormaster was read sho wing bar in good condition running a IS.W.^direction, average depth from 9 to 12 foot ; entrance to river wide and easy of access — Received and adopted. Mr Hawkins brought undor notice the encroachment of the river on Gibson's Quay. — Resolved the matter be referred to the Public Works Committee with power to expend £15 or £20. The Board then adjourned.

Mr James Murphy, tho well-known butcher from Stafford, announces that he ha^ taken over Mr John Doiyjing's old established business iv Reyell street. Mr Murphy is an old experienced butcher, having a thorough knowledge of the trade, and customers can rely upon getting the very best quality of meat from him. A young fellow named Jas. A. Briscoe arrived from Greymouth yesterday morning under sentence of two months' hard labor for vagrancy and drunkenness.

The concert and ball at Stafford this evening promise to bo a marked success. A very' attractive programme has been arranged a very successful entertainment is Anticipated. The members of the Cam era -Club have boon ,busy for the last ,day, or two preparing the Princess Theatre for their fitbt exhibition, which will be opened this afternoon at 2 o'clock. The photographs not only include contributions from West Coast, artists but nearly, the whole of the colony will be represented, in fact t|ie ahow will equal those of the larger low iis. When our reporter visited the theatre last night thp'work of arranging" |iacl not been completed but the shov/ was very fine and we have no hesitation in, saying the exhibition will be worth a visit. Amongst the local exhibits are forty prepared by Mr James Park, a considerable number of which are views of scenes in the Whitcombe pass. Tho formal opening ceremony will be performed by the Hon. the Premier at 3 o'clock this afternoon, aud numerous^ additional attractions, especially in the way of lantern slides, has T e been arranged for each evening.

lye learn with, very deep , regret of the death of Mr Richard, Hilldrup, which tools: place at seyen ( o'clock last evening. Deceased has been in a very delicate state for a long time and the sudden death of his brother, some month's ago, acted as a severe shock on a constitution already enfeebled, by disease. Mr Hilldrup was a man of parts and formerly held the position .of librarian to the Westland Institute. He was very generally liked and respectedby those who knfew him. ■ Art the Magistrate's Court yesterday the indecent assault case was called on but the prosecution finally decided to abandon the major charge and 'substitute one of common assault. -The Bench held the

latter charge prpved and the three accused

were each fined £5, or one month's im--prisonment, oosts were allowed^the police against them amounting to £3 19s. They may congratulate themselves en having got off so lightly. On dit that tha Bank of New Zealand, as a part of their recently adopted policy of retrenchment, will no longer insure their properties. It is probable that they will form an insurance fund of their own. The departure of this evening's train for Greymouth will be deferred from 5.30 to 8 o'clock for the convenience of visitors to the Camera Club's exhibition. The Hon. Mr Seddon met with a very cordial reception at Ross on Bfooday. He spoke for about a couple of hours at the Totara Hall in the evening, the Mayor "in the chair, whilst several prominent citizens

were on the platform. The speech was mainly a repetition of that delivered in other centres and the references to the proposed Local Government Bill were of a vague and general character owing to the draft not having yet received the approval of his colleagues. At the conclusion some questions were answered and a vote of thanks and confidence in the Government unanimously carried on the motion of Mr Yorwarth seconded by Mr Hirter. The Ross Borough Council presented him with an address of welcome and he was subsequently entertained at a social. Mr Seddon left Ross yesterday morning and arrived at Rimu at about midday where he was met by the miners who strongly urged the necessity for a large water supply for sluicing purposes at Back Creek and Scddon's terrace. He drove through to Blue Spur in the afternoon and returned to town last evening. He meets the Borough Council at 10 o'clock this morninsf and will be occupied with deputations till 1 o'clock. At 2 he meets the Goldmining League at the Town Hall and opens the Camera Club's exhibition at the Theatre at 3. This evening Mr Seddon will probably return to Kutnara by train and leaves Greymouth for the north to-icorrow.

A meeting of the provisional directors of the Kokatahi dairy factory and the farmers of the district was held in the Public Hall, Kokatahi, last evoniiig. Mr Duncan, the chairman of directors, ad-d'-ossed the meeting explaining the different clauses of the prospectus and strongly urged that the capital should stand at the figure agreed upon, A discussion then ensued, several of the farmers being of opinion that the capital should not exceed £900 Finally it was decided to postpone the Sigitlement of this point until Saturday, loth inst. and the meeting adjourned till that dale.

A Greymouth co'rresp6nde'nt writes that it is asserted the Midland Railway Company are secretly pleased at the action of the (government 'in seizino 1 their line, as it will strengthen their pos£ tio'n before the arbitrators. Jf 'this ih th& case it is probable they will not go to the Supreme Court under section 124 of " The Railway's Construction and Land Act), 1681,"

open at the Thea;^ra Roya|^on Mjanday nexij in the comeq^f pur^qUer," JEl^els " have had, a most successful season in the South Island, finishing up with a record house at the Theatre Royal, Christchurch, on the Queen's Birthday ; more recently we learn they have been playing to splendid business in Westport and GreyniQUih. . The pieces to be .played are both light comedy burlesques, bright, sparkling and clever, and full of up-to-date specialties, such as colter songs, topical song?, skirt and eccentric dancing, etc, etc. The principal artistes are ably supported -by a strong and clever Company, and the bevy of beauty in jbhe, umbrella; mpdley in "Revels" js .w.orfcli going a long way to see. Family tickets f oV llyo front seats Will be sold at 155,, and many should avail, themselves of this concession.

The they River Argus says that Barrytown Jias been visited by one of .those snoaking despicable ildcveg who brey on the unfortunate gold miner. About a week ago Messrs Hillery and Walsh had their tailrace robbed; it being estimated that they had lost L2O worth of gold ; and last Wednesday Messrs Quinlan and party had their boxes cleaned up for them, and they, suffered bo> the extent) ,of abqut £60. Constable^ T^ildermbth has gone to the'scene of the rbbhery , and,^ is to be hop3(i that the rascal will not escape with his ill-gotten booty.

"Willie Waslcy has ,Csays the , fti^maya Times) had an extraordinary adventure which vvil| nigh, terminated, 'disastrously. He was sent one evening to tell" one of the Morgans that h|s father was ill. The lad reached j;be. shaft, ljpwever, af^er th t e Morgans had left. He., descended' the" ladder, some 68 . feet, and ( lighted. h.j? candle at the bottom. He th'en gTOpect his way up the, driy ( e, but the cajiclte went out and after exhausting all' t^ie matches he had a!bout him, ho was left in total darkness. Feeling his way along, he ran. into the face ai!ter>, a .time, ajad fjien started to return co the- shaft. -TjVheii.lae reached it night had fallen and the darkness rendered it impossible to, see, ove,r, : head. Shortly after, he came into violent contact with^the swinging bucket, the blow staggering and preventing }>un from finding the ladder. Eventually, .he swarmed up t^o puppet rope tq ,the brace. Afcera laborious clinch, he , reaches! the level of the platform, buL here presumably his strenth gave wa_y,, and he pipped do^n the rope again gathering su'cli .impetus as he fell that he 'struck the bucket at, . the, , ) bottom, wi% .Wflsiderabl? force. The poor lad must nave passed a long night at the bottom of .the shaft; if or itj was only th^ following morning at seven o'clock arid after a long search that he was found by his anxious parents.