The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1891. CURRENT TOPICS.

The popular favor with which the • announcement of the engagement be tween the eldest son of the Prince of Wales and the only daughter of the Duchess of Teck (nee Princess Mary of Cambridge) has been received is a feature that lias not been visible m connection with some recent royal marriages. The Duke of Clarence and Avondale (Prince Albert Edward Victor Christian Edward) has not taken much part m public affairs, though he is nearly twenty-eight years of age, but if he h«s not distinguished himself he has at anyrate not been j associated with any scandal. Princess Victoria of Teck is m her twenty-fifth year, and is very popular, no doubt m part owing to being the companion of her very popular mother m many private as well as public good deeds, while her father, the Duke of Teck, is the only German son-in-iaw of our Queen who has ever become acceptable to the Binglish people. The popularity of the Prince and Princess of Wales is beyond question, and the betrothed ccuple have thus everything m favor of their having all the happiness that the regard And wisjies g( frhe nation can give them. Thn Prince of Wales is wellknown to have strong .opinions * gainst royal marriages with petty foreign princes and dukes, and jbh,e British nation is with him.

The school prize question is one that. y<sar after year «auses tribulation h:k! heart-burning to teacher**, committees, parents and scholars, 'Dm funds «r.? generally raised without a great 4e#4 <fi diflticulty, and m wavy places—

Ashburton one of them—the happy | thought has been acted upon of the scholars themselves taking a promi nent part m an entertainment which produces the desired funds while giving the patrons good value for their admission money. The allotting of the prizes is a more difficult matter. Some think that prizes should only be given to the best m each standard; others that every child that passes the stan dard at the Inspector's examination should have a prize; others that good conduct and diligence should be the principal recommendations to reward. We regard the last qualifications, together with regular attendance, with most favor. There must be some, system. If only a few of the smartest scholars are rewarded many deserving children are passed over, and if every child geta a prize the distinction has no value. A suggestion has been made, and we hope it will be adopted, that the Educational Institutes take the ques tion into consideration. They should be able to evolve some system that would be acceptable to all concerned. We are glad to see that a Horticul tural Society is to be formed m Ash : burton. The growing importance of the fruit industry renders such an institution almost a necessity of every district, to say nothing of the more •esthetic and sentimental influences which are fostered by the cultivation of flowers. Anything that will ; tend to induce the cultivation of gardens, whether flower, vegetable, or fruit, should have the warmest encourage ment. It is a department that! is luuch neglected, especially m the country districts, and we hope the new society will stir up the interest that should be taken m gardening, and that soon no homestead, however small, will be without itb garden and orchard. According to the Oaraaru papers a •somewhat interesting subject cropped up at a meeting of ladies m the White Stone City the other day—to wit, the state of the marriage market. From a calculation made, it appeared that m the North Otago capital there are over three hundred marriageable young ladies, as against only sixty, or so, eligible bachelors, of whom not irore than half are supposed to be matri monially inclined. The nett result, of course, is that for every ten possible brides there is only one possible bride groom—a state of affairs that might do very well m a Mormon settlement, but is decidedly unsatisfactory m a com munity which recognises the doctrine of " one man, one wife" as a more important bulwark of the State than even that of " one man one vote." And we fancy that Oamaru is not singular m presenting this spectacle of disparity as between the sexes, as very much the same sort of thing, if, perhaps not to the same extent, is beginning to be distinctly noticeable elsewhere ; and, indeed, m New Zealand generally, or at least m some parts of it the con dition of society m this resj e3t is m a fair way of bringing about a repetitk n of t'.i'e experience of Tasmania, whose fair daughters have notoriously to look beyond the bounds of their own colony to find partners m life. The prospect of the unwedded spinsters of "un certain age" forming an unduly large proportion of the population a few years hence may have its comic, but it has also its serious side, and if we are drifting towards this state of things the difficulties of the old problem, " What shall we do with our girls f promise to be greatly accentuated. In view of such a probability it is well that still greater attention should be given to the opening up of all possible channels for the utilisatiou of feminine industry and talent, and educationists should give the greater care to the training of girls m such a manner as to render them capable of being their own breadwinners-—to the cultivation of the useful as well as the ornamental —and, if need be, m preference to it.

"Passer domesticus" is a "cuss" who deserves, no doubt, a large amount, if not all, of the " cussing" bestowed upon him, but among fruit-growers just now, it is questionable whether " swear words" are not even more liberally and more deservedly bestowed upon the blackbirds and thrushes—the former especially. The morning and evening music of these jet-plumaged, orange-billed beauties is very charm ing, we admit, but it is beginning to be altogether too dearly paid for. The birds have been spared hitherto for the sake of their song, and many of our settlers have jealously guarded them from the gun of the sportsman and the nest-robbing fingers of the boys, but they are beginning to regret it, as the birds have become so numerous and mischievous as to be a downright pest, Cherries, raspberries, plums, even apples are ail levied upon by them with a merciless voracity, and as to the first-named fruit especially, it is hardly possible to save it from their depredations. They eat the cherries by hundredweights, and leave to the growers only a few hardly-rescued pounds. Is costs more than the fruit is wortl) to cover the trees with nets or to pay boys to watch them, and if we are to have the fruit, then there is no alternative for it but for the birds to be destroyed, It is a pity, Aye admit — but for all that the blackbirds will have to go.

Something, however, needs to be done, ajjd done promptly m tlie contrary direction-r-i.e, of saving instead of destruction—rin relation to the trout with which the rivers of the county are now so splendidly stocked. We learn that at the mouths of the rivers and m the lagoons netting is being openly carried on, large quantities of the best fish being thus scooped up wholesale to the threatened destruction of the prospects of legitimate fishermen. We heard the other clay of this sort of thing being done deliberately and defiantly m open daylight m the sight of member of the local Acclimatis ation Society, who are ? it appears, powerless to interfere because the necessary regulations by Order m Gounuil for the protection of the fish have nob been issued m respect of some of our rj.vers. fhe Selwyn is, we understand, provided for but not the A.sh burton, Rakaja, and JJangitata. Application will, however, be nude to the Government to issue the necessary regulations without delay, and it is hoped that they will appear m next yjj»ra4ay'9 "Gazette."

LOCAL AND GENERAL

j . ___. + The Railway Department invites tenders for leasing tho bookstalls at stations on the Hurunui-Bluff section of the railways, including Ashburton. The afternoon train from Christchurch to Ashburton next Wednesday, Anniversary I Day, will not start till 5.20 p.m., reaching Ashburton at 8.25 p.m. It is seated m usually well-informed circles that Mr V. Pyke will be "called" to the Legislative-Council when the next batcli of appointments is announced. Next Wednesday, Anniversary Day, th^re will be a railway excursion from Ashburton to Mount Somers and Springburn. Par ticulars will be found m an official adver tisement. The influenza epidemic is decreasing at Christchurch though there is some severe cases of relapse. It has attacked a large number of hordes m the Amberley district. . The Payne Family announce that they will appear at the Oddfellows' Hall next Tuesday m their popular entertainment, which is haying such a successful tour throughout the colony. In our advertising columns will be found Messrs Sparrow and Berryman's new business announcement. All sorts of men's and boys' clothing are to be found at the firm's establishment m East street. The North Canterbury Education Board have decided to forward to the Minister of Education a letter by their Secretary, criti cising the syllabus, and requesting the de partment to revise the new syllabus before sending it to the public schools. . The tableaux which are to be shown at the Swimming Club's concert, on December 23, are m full rehearsal, and the performers already approach perfection m the represent tation of the various characters. The 1 arrangements for the concert are also m a forward stage, and contain some novel and attractive features. A man half starved and wild looking, has been found m the bash near Bullumwood; Gippsland. . A trooper. discovered the wretched creature living m a hollow log. His hair was extremely long and his nails were like beasts' claws. Nothing was known about the mun. "Our Taieri contemporary says:—A peculiar individual died at Waiau the other day. He allowed the pigs to roam at will about his house; he existed upon soda scones and birds' eggs, lie sometimes allowed his letters to lie three months before be called for them ; and he died — regretted by none. In the course of a speech made at the close of the receht manoeuvres of the German Southwest Army the Grand Duke of Baden is reported to have said:—" The timeis near when Germany must again unsheath her sword m defence of her independence against an enemy who has not learned prudence by bloody defeat. It will be the duty of the valiant corps of Baden to support the fir3t onset, to fire the first shot, and to carry the palm of victory." - Captain Preece, R.M., gave judgment m a curious case at Christchurch yesterday. A boiler-maker named Ross sold a brooch set with atones supposed to be diamonds for £35 to Sigismuud Cohen, pawnbroker, who swore that Ross gave a guarantee. Ross denied this. Cohen gave him a cheque but stopped payment when he discovered that the stones were not genuine. Roa3 sued Cohen for the amount but the magistrate gave judgment for the defendant. The oldest man on earth, Hiram Lester, was married on the night of November 3, m the Opera House, Atlanta (Ga), a fee of twenty-five cents being charged to all who witnessed the ceremony. Hiram is 124 years old, and his bride, Mrs Mary Moscley, is eighty-one. The old man fell m leve with the old woman, who was matron of the Poorhousc when he was sent there ten years [ apo. He fell into the hands of fakirs, who hit upon the scheme of having them marry m the Opera House, they sharing the profits. A youthful San>B«»irna-mcd Herman Hoffer aged six years, lias been sent to the State Reform School, Brunswick (N.J.). The boy is a little over four feet high, with a blonde ! moustache, and can strike a blow from the shoulder that would do credit to a trained pugilist. He weighs 142 pounds, car. lift 200 pounds and set a barrel of flour on its end with the least exertion. The physician of the institution pronounces him a pheno menon, and the instructors have not yet decided what they will do with him. He is anxious to do very much as he pleases. Death has so far thinned the ranks of the Legislative Councillors since the beginning of this year as to have alnhOßt counterbalanced the appointments made by the Atkinson Ministry when on its political deathbed. Sir Frederick Whitaker's death is the sixth that his occurred within the year, the other deceased Councillors being Sir William l-'itz hcrbert, Messrs Reeves, Fraser, Peter, and Fulton. These were all alive when Sir Harry Atkinson added himself, Mr Fulton and five other gentlemen to the Council. A short time ago we recorded a strange friendship that existed between a pig on Mr V. Beeker's farm at Southbrook. Mr Becker now informs a " Lyttelton- Times ■" representative that a few days ago the cow gave birth to a calf, and, naturally feel ing some curiosity as to how the cow under the altered circumstances would act towards the pig, he narrowly watched the pair. Strange to say, the cow discarded the calf from its birth, and all efforts to induce her to suckle it proved fruitless. Her regard for the pig, however, suffered no diminution, and with the increased milk supply so generously placed at his disposal by his friend, the pig is rapidly getting himself into prime condition. One of the best concerts ever given m Tinwald came off on Thursday evening iv the Tinwald Hall, m aid of the St Andrew's Church funds. The Hall was filled to its fullest capacity and Rev Mr Farley was chairman, Mrs .Barley presiding with much acceptance at the piano. The programme was very choice, and comprised songs by Mesdames Williams, Tovey, and Gamble ; Misses Bonnington and Gates } Messrs Stevenson, Williams, Fooks, Black, Bonn ington, and Flower; a duet by Mi's Tippetts and Mr Cow ; pianoforte music by Misses Scott and Clarke j and recitations by Messrs Potter and Phillips. Every item gave satisfaction, and encores were frequent. The usual votes of thanks were passed at the close. The export of butter from Victoria last year amounted to 1000 tons, and the returns reached £100,000 sterling. The stimulus of the bonus system has resulted m increasing the number of butter factories and creameries from five to forty. It is estimated chat this season, owing to the late rains, and the ab sence of grass fires, the total export of butter will be about 2000 tons of a value of £200,000. Private cable messages received from London state that the sale of the first shipment of butter sent by the Frainlingham Butter ! Factory realised £(j per cwls, the Goorambat Factory £5 18s, and the Wycheproof Factory £5 14s. This was nearly an average of Is 2d per lb, the price m Melbourne at the same time varing from 7d to Bd. ■ ' ' ■ . The Ruahine, a new steamer, just launched at Glasgow, for the New Zealand Shipping Company, is a sljip o,f nearly 6000 tons, three decked, classed JQQ Al ajb .Lloyd's. Her dimensions are as follows:—Length between perpendiculars, 430 ft; breadth, 50ft; with a depth of 34ft Gin. from the upper deck. She is long rigged, and has her saloon amidships on the upper deck. She also has a cellular double bottom, capable of hold ing 1000 tons of water ballast, whilst there are eight watertight compart ments, divided by bulkheads carried to the upper deck, and two complete steel docks, each sheathed with wood. Shewill therefore be a very safe vessel. A few years ago capacity for 6000 carcases of meat was considered sufficient, but the Ruahine far surpasses this, as it is estimated that she can cany 70,000 carcases per voyage, v/hich means nearly 200,000 per annum. But this is not all the capacity of the freezing chambers, which can take beef, rabbits, poultry, cheese, butter, etc, if there is not sullicient mutton to hand. The freezing machinery.has been supplied by the Ha3lam''ogmnq.nir, If you want your Christmas Gakes to bo a success uso •'Can't Be Beat Baking Powder," acknowledged by all to be tho best. Leading grocers sell it m 6J, is and 2s tie,

ISLAND NEWS.

[PEJt JPKESS ASSOCIATION.! •Sydnkv, December 10. H.M.S. Dart returned from a cruise among the Islands to-day. While afc the N«w Her/rides a number of chiefs re quested thit the Islands should be placed ! under a British protectorate. The cap tain suggested' that they should memorial-"; ise the authorities. News from the Gilbert Groipannounces the death of Tenbinsk, King of Apamana.

SPORTING.

[per press association,j Auckland, December 11. The folio wins? are the acceptances for the principal events at the Auckland Racing Club's Summer Meeting :- Auckland Cup, of 600 soys, added to ai sweepstakes of 10 soys each ; second t 100 soys, third 25 soys out of the stakes. Two miles. st lb at lb Hilda ... 8 11 Queen of British Lion 8 5 Trumps... 7 0 Fraternite... 7 13 The Dreamer 7 0 Brigand ... 7 9 Patchwork... 610 Lebel ... 7 7 Pinfire ... 610 Leorina ... 7 0 Coalscuttle... 6 9 Steeplechase, of 300 soys. Second !»orso 50 soys and the third 15 soys from the slakes. About three miles and a half. st lb st lb Sentinel... 11 8 Good Day 9 11 Hopeful KatelO 10 Dan 9 11 Fishmonger 10 7 Tawhana ... 9 7 The Colonel 10 7 Justice... ... .9 7 Bit o'Blue 10 0 Tommy ... 9 7 Yardman... 912 Chance ... 9 7 Great Northern Derby, of 500 soys; One mile and a half.—The Workman, Silver Knight, Lebel, Clanraualc?, Dancer, Flinders, Fraternity Morion, LAdy Belle; Brigand. Great Northekn Foal Stake*, of 300 soys ; six furlongs.—Swiftsure, First Nelson, Puwerewere; Brown Alice, Waka watea, Stepniak, North Atlantic, St. Hippo, His Worship.

Horticultural Society.

A meeting, convened by Major Steward, of those favorable to the formation of a Horticultural Society, was held m the Arcade Chambers yesterday afternoou. There was a fair attendance. Major Steward, who presided, said it had been hia fortune twenty years ago to resuscitate the Horticultural Society at Oamaru, which, as had been the case here, had fallen into disuetudc. He had done the same m Waimate, and both societies were now m flourishing circumstances. He had through the Prass advocated the resuscita tion of. the old Ashburton Horticultural Society, but as nothing had been done to set the Society going, he hoped he would not be considered immodest m having c?*lled this meeting together, seeing that he had all his life m an amateur way taken a great interest m horticultural matters. The Major then detailed the preliminary steps he had taken by the issue of invitation circulars for this meetings'ontl read such letters as he had received from those he had written to, all of which were favorable to the movement. He also mentioned the names of a large number of thpse who had been \pitten to who had interriewed him and promised their sympathy and active support, but who, for business and other reasons, could not be present. He was happy to say that Mr E. (i. Wright, who had been president of the old Society, would be willing to be so again, if required, but would m any case be happy to further the movement as far as he could. Mr C. A. C. Hardy, of Rakaiai' an enthusi astic florist, has also written according his sympathy. It would be necessary.now before anything else was done to elect a chairman. Major Steward having been Unanimously elected chairman, gave an estimate of what funds would be necessary to'run a flower show, and indicated what course should be followed to obtain these. But the first steps to be taken would be to pass a resolution forming the Society, and after that to appoint an organising committee-. . He deemed an organising ? committee best as a preliminary measure, as the eighty-one residents he had written to did not by any means represent the number of people whom he did not know, but whoni he felt sure would join the Society, and all these should have a voice m the election of a permanent committee. : Mr E. J. Paul moved that a Society be formed to be called " The Ashburton Horti cultural Society." Mr James Porter seconded. Some reference having been made to the old Society, the question of having poultry combined with the Show was raised. The Chairman pointed out that, to begin j with, the Society would have to provide icself with the necessary show coops and benches, and this ran to considerable ex pense, He had no objection to caged birds, such as canaries and qther singing birds 9 parrots, &c. ■ Mr John Henry thought the question of poultry was one more fitted to the A. and P. Association's scope of work. Some further discussion took place, and Eev. E. A. Scott moved " That, an Organising Committee of twelve members with power to add to their number, lj>e formed to canvass for members of the Society." Mr J. Broomfield seconded, arid the following were appointed—Messrs John Henry, \V. W. Smith, F. Ferrhnan, J. M. Cambridge, H, W. Barrett, R. Lechner, C. Ward, Stevens, Biekerstaff, J- Talker, J. Porter, Tutty, Steward, John Cochrane. Mr H. W. Barrett was elected Secretary liratmi. ] ■ . „;' :s On the motion oif Mr John Henry, lOs was the sum fixed as the annual subscription of members, against an amendment by the Rev. E. A. Scott that 5s be the aumi : . The following geutlemen were appointed a Committee to draw up rules for the Society and schedule of prizes for the first show, and submit the draft to next meeting :—Messrs W .H. Rule, J. Thomas, Porter, W. W. Smith, and Major Steward, The next general meeting of subscribers was fixed for January 5, —the first Tuesday of the New Year. Some detail business was then transacted, and the meeting adjourned.

new SOuth Wales Parliament.

I'Klt i'IIESS ASSOCIATION. Sydnwt, December 11. The Press roundly condemns Sir H. Parkes' action m assailing Mr Reid and siding with the Government. The " Telegraph " terms him the Premier's newest recruit and characterises his attempt to justify the Protectionist vote as a reeking mass of bad logic and worse taste. ;■. He did a crueller wrong to his political reputation than his worst enemy would have been able to inflict. The " Sydney Morning 'Herald'" says Sir H. |»arlces exceeded the utmost expectations both m the way he assailed and humiliated his own party and m the way he at once grati fied his opponents arid did their work. Sir Henry Parkes explains that m the warmth of debate he said that he would vote for the Government; whereas what he meant to say was that he would not vote for Mr Reid's motion, and could not support the Government. He explained the posi tion he took up to the Opposition whip before he left, but that gentleman apparently said nothing, m order to make matters look bad against jljim'.

The "KINDERSPIEL."

THE FLOWERS O' THE FOREST. H\MPBTISAD SCHOOL ANNUAL CONCERT.

About five years ago it dawned upon certain enthusiastic friends of education m the Old Country that, as an attraction for the public to patronise euterLfiininuJits arranged wibh the object of providing funds to defray the expense of school treats, or to supply the wherewithal to find prizes for the'children attending the Board Schools, the old stereotyped con cert was effete. The amateur concert had lost its charm. People had listened so often to the village tenor, the village soprano, and the village bat>s ; to the village choir and the village orchetra; to the village soloists oh their several instruments, that their power tocharm had departed. Their right hand had lost its cunning and their left hand its skill. So that something new under thu sun had to be invented. It seems that it was to the mind of a Scotchman that the idea of introducing m Great Britain a " Kinder spiel, " or "children's play" occurred. The name " Kinderspiel " is essentially German, and simply means "the children's play." One can easily imagine the stir, the questioning as to how the little ones would acquit themselves as actors and actresses, as soloists and choristers, as embryo operatic singers and ! character impersonators, that would ensue upon the first announcement of such a thing projected. Knowing the opposition that 'everything theatrical met m puritan Scotland, one can also easily imagine how dubious old Presbyterian Granny would ba about allowing her lassie —no matter;how well she could sing—to appear m anything at all sounding m name like-a stage play. But all these objections have * been got over, somehow or other, and, if our Scotch exchanges speak truly, there is at the present time, no more popular enter tainment m the " lind o' cakes" than the '* new fangled " Kinderspiel. Human nature is human nature all the world over and Scotland is no exception to the rule, sio that, one can readily understand that, once a Scotch mother found that, as Burns puts it m his " Cottar's Saturday Night," , <! Her bairn's respected like the lave," she had no objection to the Kindevspiel, But the Kinderspiel has travelled far and; wide m these few years* and is now made use of m every part of Her Majesty's Dominions. Many musical compoders have enlisted themselves m the ranks of those who fight f^r the children, and many bards, too, have provided the little songs sung by the little singers, so that to-day there id as wide, a choice of children's plays as" there is of the well known " service of song." It is the good fortune of the Hampstead School to. be the first m this district to introduce the Kinderspiel, and the staff have to be congratulated on, the success that has attended not only tieir selection, but the efforts that have been made to carry it one proparly, The; piece chosen —and there were many to choose from — was Grieves " Flowers o' the Forest." We have already given a sketch of the machinery of the piece, and need not here repeat it ; but wo have yot to notice how the little play was produced. Before, however, we deal with (his, let urf say tint the play itself was scarcely long enough to occupy a whole evening's entertainment for grown people, so that theiiid of bevecalof our local sinj/ers was sought to make up a first part. -These comprised Mrs Gamble, Mr Black, Mr Brooke, and Mr Millar. Mr Charles Wood, violinist, was also ataong the number of" adult perfoniiei's, ant th . mere mention of these names, besides the Misses Brown, from Christchurch, who played a brilliant pianoforte duet, is suffi cient assurance to the pubUc that the " concert" part of the entertainment was ao small thing. In that part also was a vocal waltz, " See-saw," by the children. The little ones were ranged tier on tier on the stage to the number of about a hundred. The girls were all dressed m white, and wore as their complexions suited either light or warm colored sashes, so that the effectwas veryipleasing. The girls occupied the gentre of the gallery, and the boys flanked them m equal strength, Illustration was given to the w»ltz by the introduction on the space behind the footlights of two see-saws, and upon these four pairs of little boys and girls swung m cadence to the musics The see-saw planks and the "horses" they rocked on were nicely done up with garlands of evergreens, and altogether thia item, which was the opening one of the concert, was very effective. The now well-known " Japanese Fan " action song was also given by the girls at a later period, and both items won tremendous applause, and deserved the tribute, for the music was well given, and the action m excellent time. The Kinderspiel was the second part of the entertainment, and the singing and action of the little characters m ie was greatly aided by the Orchestral Society, led by Mr Charles Wood, and from which the name of Mr Horace Gates must hot beomitted. Mr James Gamble has had sole charge of the training of the children m the choruses incidental to the piece and the songs that the individual characters had to .sing, while the whole stage training devolved upon Miss Shirfccliffe, the mistress, although disciplinary aid was always at her disposal from the ofaher members of the teaching staff. The members of the Orchestral Society, Mrs Clarjdge particularly, gave cheerful assistance during the rehearsals. Masters Jack Sprat and Tom Tucker who gave the little fete to which "Uncle Ned,'' " Tom Thumb," " John Gilpin," " Tain o'Shanter," "Lady of Banbury Cross/ "Jeannie Deans," " Black -eyed Susan," "The Lays o' Richmond Hill," and "The Colleen Bawu," came as invited guests, and to 'which as uninvited but very anxiously expected guests the fou* " Flowers o' the Forest" were intro duced by " Wanderin' Willie " to the intense delight of „ " Bessie Bell and Mary Grey, They were twa bonnie lasses, They biggit a bower m yon burn brae, An' theeckit it ower wi' rashes," —these two young entertainers gave the connective dialogue from which the I audience caught up the-' thread of the story, with considerable power, allowing for their youth, and, for so very young lads, acquitted themselves very well indeed. There was a total absence of obtrusivfiness on their part, and having said before the audience what they had to say they modestly retired to their log m the corner of the stagp wood thafc had b,een allotted tq them, and thp audience saw no more of them till the business of the piece called them out again. Of the characters above mentioned it would be easy to point out instances m which were manifest promises of future success from possession of good voices and quick ears, and special native stage talent, but such discrimination is not called for m this I instance. Still the libertymay bpp&rd,oned of noticing the excellent singing of Bessie ' Bell and" Mary Gray, two of the elder ; scholars, and the sweet telling voice of ■! Tamo' Shanter. The choruses were nicely taken, thanks to Mr Gamble's painstaking training, and the stage business wefit with-1 out a hitch, thanks a^ain tq the pangeyer-1 ance of the. clever, stage manageress Miss Shjrtciliffe. The c.hprus m thel V see saw" formed the chorus for the, Kinder spiel, so that but little room was left for £hg action of the latter piepo j but it was enough, and the characters were not at all cramped }n what they had to do during their brief hour upon the stags. Some attention had beca paid to decoration of

tho staa;G, too ; and here and there a preen y bo.ogh or two showed out, while over the heads of the little choristers were suspended two rows of pretty Chinese lamps. So well did the audience relish tho entertainment given by the guests of". Tom Tucker and Jack Spratt that many bouquets were showered upon the soloists, Eily O'Connor coming m for a large share. Some very pretty and effective dresses appeuxd m tho little play, Leaving out of the count altogether the character dresse3 ot the hoys, many of which were very striking, the four " Flowers of the Forest" (two of whom, however, were boys) have to be specially men tioned, as well as the " Lady of Banbury Cross," *'Jeannie Dedans,'' "Black-eyed Suson,". "Lass o' • Rich mond Hill," '•' Colleen Bawn,": " Bessie Bell and Mary Grey," besides hot a few among the pretty little girls of the chorus. Once more let thanks be paid to Mr Gamble and Miss Shirtcliffe for; their ad- j mirable training of the children, and before closing let us express our pleasure at the decision of the Committee to give those who could not gain admission last night—(the hall was crowded to the door, and even standing room was riot available at half-past eight)—an opportunity of anjoying the Kinderspiel on Monday evening next.

TELEGRAPHIC.

HOME AND FOREIGN

[JPEB PRESS ASSOCIATION. RURAL REFORMS. Lonuon, December 10. The .manager's, of the Radical pairty have.arranged... a,' Conference, during cattle show week, between- farmers and laborers to discuss the question of rural reforms. It is expected there will be a preponderating attendance of labor representatives. Fares will be paid for all who attend. Mr Glad stone will address the Conference. SHIPWRECK. The collier "Drumblair" from Car dift to Adelaide has gone on the rocks m the Bristol Channel. The crew were saved. THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE. The Duke of Devonshire has rallied again. ROBBERY FROM A BANK. Eight hundred pounds m gold and cheques were stolen from the counter m Glyn's Bank. HOME POLITICS. In the course of a speech to-day, Mi" Goschen declared that the Unionists were not afraid to face a general elec tion, and they would carry the war into the enemy's camp; THE EUROPEAN SITUATION., Sir John Lubbock, when addressing the London Chamber of Commerce, said that be had calculated that, owing to the compulsory imitation by neigh boring States of the gigantic armaments of Russia and France, every citizen's work was. extended half an hour per day. THE STOCK. EXCHANGE, There is no market for colonial stocks, the balance of former loans not having been digested. The condition will be worse if, any loans are forced; Ky ttie coTonie.3; The; market simply wants resti ; <■ INSURANCE LOSES. London, December 11. Nine more underwriters have re signed connection with Lloyd % m con sequence of losses, and some Alarm is felt. M : TERRIFIC GALE. ! The Barque Dominion, bound for Port Pirie, has been wrecked m a gale m the Channel. The Durham, bound for Sydney, Kooringa for Adelaide, and Timaru for Auckland have all had to put back owing to a terrific gale.

THE GERMAN BANKING CRTSIS.

Berlin, December 10. Adolph Albert, banker, of Gorlitz, a town m Silesia, has absconded. His liabilities are two million marks. One depositor alone loses eight hundred thousand. FATAL COLLIERY EXPLOSION. By a collier}^ explosion at Herein's dorf, m Silesia, twenty miners were killed and many injured.

UNITED STATES POLITICS.

Washington, December 10,! In his message to Congress President Harrison said that the Behring Sea difficulty had been favourably arranged; He advised joint fixtures regardingthc frontier between Canada and the United States, and expressed regret that the boundary of British Guiana had not yet been settled, He opposed free, coinage. Referring to the Euro , pean situation he said that he rejoiced, that affairs were peaoeful.

December 10,

MORE TROUBLE IN BRAZIL.

New Yokk, December 10. Advices from Rio Janeiro state that an agitation has broken out lin the Province of [? Piauhy]. The Gb vernor of the province, F. Portella^ holds Victheroy [?] while those who are seek ing to bring about the downfall of the present administration' have; estab lished a temporary government" at Paranahyba. Both parties arearming. Jiio de Janeiko, December 10. The provinces of Rio Janierp are m a state of ferment. Riots have oc curred at Campos, m which ten persons are reported killed and thirty injured.

CHURCH AND STATE IN FRANCE.

Paris, December 10. M. De Freycinet, addressing the Senate, stated that the Government were determined that the Church should bow to the authority of the State, and revolt on the part of the clergy would compel the separation of j Church and State, i

AUSTRALIAN.

THE RIVERINA HARVEST.

Sydney, December 11. The harvest m Riverina is nearly completed, and .though yields are hardly as good as m the past year, the bulk of the grain is much better m quality. AQUATICS. Sullivan wishes to row the champion for £2QO a side. He states that if Stansbury will not make a match for this amount he will claim the champion ship.

THE SOUTH MELBOURNE FRAUDS.

Melbourne, December 11. Larkin is charged with defrauding the South Melbourne Permueut Build*

ing Society of £55,000. Bail was' fixed at £14,000. It is believed that the total defalcations will eventually roach £100,000.

INTERPROVINCIAL.

Oamaru, December 11. The three public schools have been closed owing to the prevalence of in fluenza. . Duneoin, December 11. In Chambers Mr Chapman moved to set aside the proceedings m re Scott, arrested on Friday last at the instance of the Government. Sir R. Stout opposed on behalf of the Quaen. After three hours' argument Judge Williams' quashed the proceedings on a technicality. His decision was that the service < f the writ and subsequent proceedings thereunder, ircluding the bail bond, must be set aside, reserving by consent the question as to whether it should be a condition of the order that no action be. brought against the sheriff. : Invercargill, December 11. The farmers m town for the show are unanimously of opinion that the season so far has been most; favourable- Since the industry attained any considerable I proportions the fruit <crop is abnormal, and the town is full of strawberries. Wellington, December 11. vßy the Tekapo news(is received of the saddendeath at Brisbane of Mr Arthur Stirling; formerly South Island agent of the Mutual Life Association of; Austral-: asia. His death resulted from heart disease, and he was attackedJu'st prior to embarking on a visit to New Zealand. Mr Preyburg, a recent arrival by the Aorangi, has patented an ivention for utilising, the snow produced by the re frigerators on freezing vessels and now thrown overboard as,useless. He claims to have discovered economical and effec tive means of preserving dairy,produce,: fruit, and similar articles m transit. | The discovery will shorty be subjected to an exhaustive test at one of the local freezing works. ' ' At a meeting of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association the balance-sheet showed that when all expenses m con nection with the recent show and th* working of the association were paid, there would be a debit balance of £GO. The next annual ram ana ewe fair will be held m the third week m February. The question of a new site for the annual show was referred to a committee. ■ Considerable interest is taken m the election of the council of the Public Service Association of New Zealand* the nominations for which close here on the 3lst December^ The 'Hauroto;,, which leffc for- Sydney to-day, took sixty passensrers.

LATEST CABLE NEWS.

HOME AND FOREIGN.

U'UE, PKESS ASSOCIATION.] •(Rec«ived' December 12, 10.30 a.m.) SHOCKING BALLOON FATALITY. Bombay, December 11. Lieutenant Mansfield ascended m a balloon to-day, m the presence of Lord Harris, Governor of Bombay, but when :he,hatl readied a height of 400 f°et the balloon burst and ho fell to the ground, and was killed instantaneously, his body being horribly mutilated. He had made a previous ascent and de scended by means of a, parachute from a height of 1100 feet. Lieutenant Mansfield was an enthusiast m the use of balloons for political purposes.

INFLUENZA.

San Francisco,, December 11. Thousands of people are Suffering from influenza m California.

AMERICAN LEGISLATION.

Washington, December 11. Senator Stewart has introduced to Congress a Free Coinage Bill, and is confident he will be able to secure its passage through that branch of the Legislature, but fears it will be vetoed by the President, Senator Stewart has also introduced a Chinese Exclusion Bill, which is more drastic m its pro visions than previous measures.

THE KING OF GREECE.

Athens, December. 11. It is reported that the King oi Greece is suffering from a mild type oi smallpox.

(Received December 12, 10.35 a.m.)

THE EUROPEAN COMMERCIAL TREATIES.

Vienna, December 11. ' The Austrian Government has. rati fied the commercial treaty with the other two countries oi the Triple Alliance. Berlin, December 11. The Reichstag is debating the treaties. Speaking on the subject Hen: Capriyi said that Austria would probably imitate the example of the United States, and close her frontiers against the trade of thafc country. It is reported m the city that the Vienna Commercial League would be willing to include England m the treaty, on condition that the latter isolated Prance.

THE GALE.

London, December 11, A fierce south-westerly gale is rag ing along the coast of England and Ireland. The French barque Lenore was wrecked off Mumbles Head, on the Welsh coast, twelve of those on board being lost..

A STRIKE CLAUSE.

The Eastern Shipping Companies are becoming alarmed at the Peninsula and Oriental Company inserting m its bill of lading clauses fortifying itself against loss on account of, delays occasioned by strikes and other com binations, ashore and afloat.

THE DISTRESS IN RUSSIA.

S.T. Petbrsburg, December 11. The Russian Government is- spend ing 300,000,000 roubles on relief works, which will give employment to 1 800,000 men.. The St. Petersburg Town Council has voted 800,000 roubles for the im portation of flour into the capital, j

AUSTRALIAN.

(Receive^ December \2, 11.20 a.m.) THE INVALID MARRIAGES, I Sydney, Depembjer IS*. The Government *r» considering the advisableness of introducing a bill to validate marmgos rendered illegal by the recent decision of the full court.

THE SOUTH MELBOURNE FRAUDS.

Melbourne, December 12. Cleary, late accountant of the South Melbourne Permanent Building Society, has been arrested OU a, charge

of conspiring to defraud that Institu tion.

LABOR UNIONS.

Brisbane, December 12. Tlie Queensland Shearers' Union has drawn up a" scheme for amalgamation with the Laborers' Union. The new Union will affiliate with .the? Australian Labor Federation.

POLITICAL.

(ISS ?K£S» ASSOCIATION.) New Plymouth, December 12. The Premier arrived by express train last evening, and lefbfor Auckland by the Tiikipuna this morning. He will addresn a meeting on his return from Auckland on December 21.

Great Thunderstorm.

(per press association.) Mastertok, December 11. The most violet thunderstorm ever experienced m the district ragied for hours this afternoon. The lightning was very vivid and the rain descended m torrents, fl wding the streets and doing consider able damage. . A ball of fire ran along the wires and exploded m the telegraph office, fusing the instruments, but fortu nately the operator was absent. The atmosphere was- filled: with a strong sulphuric odor, and the : storm was sufti- . ciently alarming to stop." proceedings m the District Court for some time. Very serious damage is reported.

(I*OM OUR CORRISIONDENTB.) Mbthven, December 11. After two days of great heat a heavy thunderstorm passed over Methven this-, afternoon, the rain being. vary., heavy for about half an hour. Mayfirlo,. December 11. A heavy thunder shower is now (three o'clock) passing over the district. We have had splendid weather for the crops, having showers just whenever we wanted, them. The hot weather has drawn the crops up, and the farmers are expecting something good this harvest, if the weather continues favorable.' Baling, December 12. The heaviest thunderstorm that has visited this district for years passed over it yesterday. Rain fell r m torrents and the crops will benefit greatly thereby. Aiforo Forest,: December 12. The intense heat of the' last few days culminated yesterday m a violent thunder storm. The rain fell m torrents for mor» than an hour, and'was the heaviest that has fallen for many years;

THE MAKETS.

♦ , [per press association.] London, December 11. The total amount ot reserve m the Bank of England is £15,168,000, nnd the pro portion of reserve to liabilities is 43"34 per cent. Consols, 95|: New Zealand 4 per cent inscribed stock 10H; 3| per cent" do, 914; «' months" bills 2J per cent. * . New Zealand long-berried wheat, 455; 6J. The market Jq q«iet. -Kor offcoaste cargoes sellers ask 44s 6d, bukbuyeis are only willing to give 435. •- - Colonial barley, 31s 6d. j\ Oats, fine, 30s 6d. -. - -J Adelaide wheat, 46s 3d. The market is flat. Victorian, 45s 9d. Hie {market is weaker. Canterbury mutton, 3fd. Beet, fore qucrters, 2|d. New Zealand hemp is quiet, and prices are unchanged. Wool remains firm, and prices are un changed. ' No. 1 best Scotch pL* iron f;o.b. m the Clyde 47s 44d. -'

The Canterbury Frozen Meat and Dairy Produce Export Corapjttiy, Limited, i have received a cable advice fcrom London' quoting North Canterbury mutton ab 4 l-16d per lb, market steady.

Oamaru, December 11, The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company held the first of their series of wool sales to-day,.. The bidding was spirited, and the prices, realised were equal to those obtained at other sales m the colony. Greasy went. to., B£d, and •coured to 1b 4cl. Several of the vendors, however, would not, accept- the prices ruling, believing that the Home market would improve, !

At the Cuiverden wether sale, on Friday, merino wethers (shorn) sold at 4s 7d to 6s 6d, and one small line at 8s 3d. One line of crossbred wethere (shorn) sold at 10s Id, the others of. this class being withdrawn,. Fat. half bred maiden ewes sold, at 12s lid; . '?

Ashburton Markets.

I MX I>. THOMAS. i Mr D. Thomas reports upon the live stock markets for the Ashburton district for the week ending December 11, as follows-—On Tuesday at the Tinwald Yards the usual weekly sale of live stock was held. The catalogue for the day consisted of 2562 sheep and 38 cattle, of which my entry consisted of 2307 sheep and 30 head of cattle. The attendance of farmtafu aitd others was a small one, caused no doubt by the late hours many of them kept at the wool sales the night previously. Fat sheep sold very well, but for. good stores those present did not appear able to make up their minds to give the values required.. They will do so shortly. My principal sales were as follows, viz. :— 20 fat ewes, 11s Gd; 4 fat merino wethers, 7s 6d; 20 fat merino wethera, .10s j 2 fat crossbreds, 15s<; 32 fat four-tooth ewes, 13b Id ; 18 crossbred ewes and- lambs, 15s 3d; 41 crossbred hbggeia, 12s 6d; 119 dry merino ewes, 3s Mj 88 merino $wes and 72 lambs, 9s lid; 180 merino ewes and 116 lambs,i 9s 8il;,-G94 merino ewes, 11s; etc. In cattle the demand was not as good as it has been latterly, . My principal sales m beef were—2 at £6 j2at£s 7s 6d; 2at £4 15s; 4 at £3j \ at £8 2s6d; 2at £3 JS S . store yearlings, £1 2s 6d to 20* j IS months' ■•£?' A If s to £2^ 3sj springers, £2 10s to £4, Market very flat. On Tmclay morning I held my i ISTm I fort ' nightly, sale of sheepskins, fat, hides, an* tallow, cataloguing about 1150 skin?, 2O hides, U bags of fat, and 5 tins .of tallow all of which wcre^clearedat prifl^»as under' —Best crossbred skinft brought 4a'to 4s 7d - second quality, 2s 6d, fe, to 3* 10d'; inferior Is 3d, Is lOd, to 2s 2d i, ; beet, merino skins brought 3s 6d to 4s |dj second quality, 2s 6d, 3s, to 3s 4d j inferior, la 3d to 2s; dry skins, crossbreds, 5d per 1b; merino skin/ 4§d pw lb - T lamb skins, 8d to Is 2d each • pelts, 2.1, sd, to Bd, Rough fat, IM. Hides, Id to 2d, as per condition and weighs Tallow m tins, lfcd. A very; heavy drop must be reported m the values of sheepskins, m m,e i» merinos fully 15 per cent, ihe first wool sale of the seaaontook place on Monday, the 7th i»s.tant, at the Orange Hall, when the various brokers submitted catalogues fur about 1900 bales which were well competed fpr and acid at values rather better than those obtained hi Christchucrli for similar wools. My catalogue consisted; of 800 bales, of which I sold 798 at prices as follows;— Merino wool, Sid to 7d per lb: dingy crossbred, 6£d to" 7Jd; first-croas:' hoggets, 7d to 9d; first-cross ewes, 73d to. 9|d ; second-cross, 7d to Bjd ; long wool,, &$ to 7£d j rams, 5Jd to. 7d ; pieces iv bo,l«s, 3d to 5Jd; m bins, 4fd; locks m b»les, 2d to 3Jd; m bins, 4Jd ; bellies 3/i *o-6d ; merino wool m bins, s?d; cros*Wed wool iv bins, 7d; bhtck wool, art, Uuyeiy were well represealodj n,\\<.\ Itiduiuga were keen. Durina »he w«ek I have sold 183 merino, evros andf lambs 10s 9d, 201 do. 9s 9d, 321 crossbred two-tooths 10s 6d. U8 uroMbred «w« flfttt aUmbßlßßid,&c, •*QWIWWW»^

*fiE ASHBURTON GUARDIAft: SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1891.



Anl| f^r Ninian Hyt-lop, and Co. Imperial new seasons Pure Ceylon tmd fndian Teag. Snecial jjiipos.—(A4vt,) -Niuiiui Hyslop and Oo.'a " lifc^erial" pure Ceylon and Indian Teaa ar© th© pcs m tb^ i«wket.-r(A«ivfcO



Wanted ; "■■". —— ""..< CASH Advertisements umier ch:a ■heading not exceeding SIXTEEN WORDS 1/-. Addresses may be left at this Office. DON'T F;iil to attend the Sale of Work iit Primitive Methodist Church, next Friday and Saturday. 12 83 PRIMITIVE Methodist Church Set-' vices To-morrow. Preachers :— Morning, Rev. S. Lawry ; Evening, Rev. J. H. Gray. 12 B<t XMAS Graphic, London News, Peara Annual, Holly Leaves, Harper's Young People, Boys' and Girls' Annual', Sunday at Home, Leisure Hour.—H. M. Jones. NKW "Hooks just m. Wallace's Rural Economy, Capital, Labour and Trade, Stepping Stone to Socialism, Noah's Ark, Ciesiir's Ooluniu (9J), rim.—H. M. Jones. /"IA.MERON Street Wssleyan Church. V 7 Preachers for To-Morrow : II a.m., Rev. J. H. Gray ; 6.30 p.m., Mr J. E. Buchanan, Everyone cordially welcome. TVTOTHING will Cool you so quickly and ■J^ invigorate the system so much as Ice Cream. —H. G. Flower* Confectioner, East Street*:.; ; : ■" ; ■ . ; : • ANTED Known.—Groat Bargains m Ladies' Cashmere Hose, Under clothing, Pinafores, &c. Come and see them. Handsome Xmas presents now ! giving away.—H. C< Seoers, Melford House. ■ WANTED Known-For first-class Drapary and Millinery goto Melford House ; cheapest shop m town. (See windows.) Beautiful Xmas presents being given away.—H. C. Segebs. "TTTONDERFUL Success of Tuckahoe .VY Baking Powder. Requires no painted daubs to sell it. But the best Almanac m Ashburton, will be given, with every half dozen tins of Tuckahoe.— H. M. Carson, East Street. 12 66 M" ONEY TO LEND, upon Freehold security, m sums to suit bor rowers. Small amounts can be repaid by instalments, if so desired. Apply to Mr C, W. Pubneix, Solicitor, Mont gomery's Buildings. 9 130 W* ANTED KNOWN, a special lot of Hearth Rugs at Is lid, 2s 6d and 2s lid ; worth about doable. W. H. COLUER. A"~ LL Wool Colonial Tweed Suits to measure; fit and workmanship guaranteed ; from 50s cash. Robeei Alcorn, Ashburton Clothing Marl, Saunders' Buildings. WANTED Known—That you will make no mistake for quality and variety m English, Colonial, and his highly reputed make by calling afc J. Moison. During coming holidays dis count for Cash. Repairs done at once. A staff of men always kept and best material and workmanship guaranteed. SHEEP SHEARS. Having secured a Stock of the celebrated 8.8.A., and as there are very few m the Colony, Shearers are requested to call early. — Robert Alcorn, Saunders' Buildings. WANTED, a sixth standard Boy, as Apprentice to the printing trade. Apply Manager, " Mail " Office, between the hours of 10 a.m. and noon. WANTED Known. -At "The Corner' now selling LadieJ French Shops. 5s lid. See them. —W. 11. Colmeb, """"■"-^^^NTED~Known —A Beautiful Line.. ™* of French Dress Goods, double width, Is 10|d ; original value, 4s. —H. C. Seoers, Melford House. - . \\/ANTED Known.—l have a large V V stock of Tin and Ironware Goods to select from. Register Grates, Stoves, Portable Boilers, Spouting and Ridging kept m ftock.—J. W. Haedley, East •treet. : 6|202 fPO Meet the Times. —I am .supplying 1 Galvanised Iron Tanks from 30s upwards, warranted for twenty yeara, Force pumps, deep well cylinders of all descriptions. Insp^cfcicn itivited.— J. W. llardlky, Eas street. 6|201 WANTED Known.--H. Bairstow has opened those premises m East street next J. Orr and Co., as a Furniture Warehouse. Latest designs m Vienna Chairs, and Iron Bedsteads on visw. Having a good stock of well seasoned figured Rimu and Kauri, he is prepared to take orders for Furniture to any design. Inspection invited. 11+61 """" : j Public Notices. J^EW ANNUAL VOLUMES, Mew Xmap Cards, NEW BOOKS for PRIZES and PRESENTATION. FANCY GOODS, etc. L. F. ANDREWEB and CO. )