MAIL NOTICES.

Mails close for the following places as under, subject to the necessary alterations i— i

WEDNESDAY, May 11. For United Kingdom and Continent of Europe via Brindisi (specially addressed cor respondence only), Point de Galle, India, China, Japan, &c, and also for Australian colonies, per express (to connect with s.s. Talune at Port Chalmers), at 15.30 n.m. ; late fee letters, guard's van on express. 12.53 p.m. FRIDAY, May 13. for South America, United Kingdom, and Continent of Europe, (specially addressed correspondence only) per 8.8. Aorangi, at <},«3O "p.m. ; late fee letters, guard's van, express, 6.55 p.m., parcel post parcels, 5 p.m. WEDNESDAY, May 18. For United Kingdom, Continent of Europe and America, and West Indies (via San Francisco), Sandwich Islands, etc., and also for Northern Ports New Zealand, per Taka ptina, as follows :— Ordinary letters, books, and newspapers, 0.550 p.m,; registered letters, 5 p.m. ; money orders, 3 p.m.; late fee letters express van, 6.55 p.m. This mail ig due m London on Jums 22. ENGLISH MAILS. I HOMEWARD—DIH^CT MAILS. Doric, left April 2, due London May • 12. ' ■■'■■'.■ : Tongariro, left April 16, due London May 27. :' Ruahine left April 21, due London June Arawa, left April 30, clue London, ,1 nne 10. T , Aorangi, leaving Ma 14, due London June 24. ' SAN FRANCISCO MAIL 3. Mariposa, left April 22, due London May 23. Monowai, leaving Auckland May 21, tine London June 22. OUTWARD —DIRECT MAILS Ritr.utaka, due «oloriy May 16, i SAY FRANOISCO MAILS. Alameda, da c colony May 20,

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, MAY 10, 1892. LOCAL BODIES AND THE PRESS.

Occasionally—we are glad to say only occasionally—we hear of very shabby conduct on the part of those who are members of local bodies and thereby " dressed m a little brief authority," towards newspapers which as recordersand critics of current events have given displeasure to them or have disagreed with their political or other opinions. Two glaring instances of this have lately transpired. One was the work of the Dunedin City Council, I which, "m the interests of economy," . resolved that the Corporation advertise ments should appear m the " Otap'o Daily Times " only, instead of being, as previously, shared by the " Star " and the "Globe.' We believe it to be the general practice m places where there are two or more papers of good standing and circulation, to divide the advertising as equally as possible, either by giving it to each m turn for a stated period, or by giving an equal number of insertions of each advertisement to each paper. The " Star " has by far the largest circulation m Dunedin, while taking the town and suburban circulation alone, the " Globe " (which declares that the action was specially aimed at it) has a substantial number of subscribers though probably not equal to the " Times." In this case personal motives are freely attributed to the majority of the Council, and these it is profitless to discuss. In Oamaru the case is worse. It is well known that recently the Borough Council solved the difficulty of having insufficient money to pay the interest on certain bonds by paying the holders of these bonds interest at the rate of four per cent, instead ef their due of seven per cent. The " Oamaru Mail" strenuously opposed this course of action, and also some minor irregu larities—such as the purchase of coal by a committee of the Council without calling for tenders—and m consequence has brought down upon itself the ire of the gentlemen who were most prominent m those transactions. A councillor who is one of the largest ratepayers m the town, began hw vindictive persecution of the " Mail" (as that journal says m a statement of the circumstances) by stopping his sub- I gcription and withdrawing bis advertise ! ments. He then removed the field of warfare to the Council chamber, where lie got a resolution carried by a majority of one m a three-fourths Counciljthafc all the Council's advertis ing be given to the local morning paper. Now the " Mail" had done nothing more than advocate a certain course and criticise the opposite course fairly and m the public interest, and the argument of economy which was used m support of the resolution was merely a specious excuse, as if economy were ' desired it could best be obtained by giving the advertising to the newspaper which could give the greater publicity at the same price, namely, the "Mail." We do not suppose that the f( Mail " will die for want of the Corporation advertising, though m these times few papers can afford to to#e any part of their revenue, but the action of. those m power toward?' those that differ from them is extremely paltry, and will no doubt recoil upon the perpetrators.

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

We have "received from the Secretary, , Mr A. J. Rutherford, a copy of the seventh report of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, it contains a quantity of very i interesting information, and includes a plan of the fish-ponds at Mastertou, and the Society's rules. The bachelors who were invited to the ball recently given by Mrs Curtis gave a return ball last evening at the Orange Hall, Mrs Dr Leahy kindly officiating as hostess. The music was supplied by Mr Gates and Mrs Clarirlge and there were about thirty couples present, dancing was kept up uutill about 2 a.m. Robert Belfit, who deserted his wife and family at Palmerston North, and married again at Melbourne, has just been sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment. It appears that his second marriage was at the request of the woman, so the sentence was not made so heavy as if the prisoner had ■ deliberately entrapped her into a false ' marriage. It was leap year. A report is current m the North Island that the Premier will not offer himself for re-election for that constituency. As Wanganui will be constituted it will include part of the district to be tapped by the Central Railway, and at Kariori and Wahriarino not "even an archangel (says a local newspaper) would have a ghost of a chance of election it he failed to push ahead for the Central Railway. A peculiar incident took place m Quay street, Auckland, says the " Star." Two ladies were walking quietly along when one discovered that her head was sur rounded with a halo of fire. Apparently this was not attributed to a miraculous in timation of future canonisation, for the lady promply tore off her bonnet and cast it blazing from her. Some vagrant spark had landed m the trimming and fired the headpiece. While a number of butchers were cut ting up several pigs at the sausage works of Mr Harris, of St Johns-street, West Smithfield, London, they came upon a re markable discovery. la the stomach of one of the pigs was found a valuable diamond ring, which had doubtless been dropped by the owner and picked up by the pig while feeding. The ring contains two large diamonds, and is worth a considerable sum of money. A new pest has made its appearance among the chrysanthemums m the Rangitikei district, says the "Mercury." It is of the nature of a mildew, and kills all garden flowers and plants which it attacks. There is as yet no known remedy for it. Sir James Hector has sent to ; America for information as to the treatment of it, as it is supposed to be an introduction from that country. We are sorry to hear that the pest has appeared m some Ashburton gardens. Judging from the Bruce election (says the *' Globe") ie is not the intention of the Opposition to coateso future elections on political merits. Personal feeling, religious animosity, anything everything is to be made use of to secure victory. Victory is the one thing aimed at: the means by which it is to be attained are of secondary importance. This is an important aspect of the Opposition policy which Liberals will do well to lay to heart. It must be faced, and means must be devised to counteract, not mitate it. " Mr Wilson, general manager of the Midland Railway Company, writes to the " West Coast Times " categorically denying the Hon Mr Seddon's statement m a recent speech that land applications on the West Coast were delayed by the company, and that the Midland Raiiway contract gives no power to make regulations dealing with these lands. He again asserts that the Government delay m making assessments is the real cause, of settlement being retarded, and denies that the timber trade developed by the company was derived by the. timber cut on mining reserves. Mr W. Earnshaw, M.H.R.. speaking at the banquet to the Postmaster-gfrieral at Winton on Friday night, declared, as one wl.o had been m the Bruce district through out the recent election campaign, that it was not on the policy of the Government but on the question of education that Mr Lee Smith suffered defeat. During next session, he added, the country might again be appealed to lor an endorsement of the policy of the Government, and he had no doubt that the Ministry would be returned with a triumphant majority behind them, ond that their hands would be strengthened on every side.— "Otago Daily Time 3." Among our amateur chrysanthemum growers Mr R. Lechner may be congratu lated on having been one of the most success ful indeed, some specimen blooms, which he has kindly sent us, are the finest specimens we have seen this season of outdoor cultiva tion. Several of these measured upwards of seven inches from tip to tip of petals. They comprised the following choice varieties :— " Comte de Germiny, " bronze and ehocalate incurved ; "Bouquet Fait," rose and white with golden centre ; " Fair Maid of Ger many," very large pure white with long ribbon like petals ; Mr H. "Cannell," rich golden yellow ; "Mr Ralph Brouklebank," a beautiful bright primrose ; " Parasol," chamois-tinted ; and " William Stephens," a bright orange red Japanese, with reverse of golden yelloiv. One of the incidents of the later portion of the proceedings at the banquet to tha Hon. J. G. Ward ab Winton on Friday night was the fact that the Hon. John McKenzie was entrusted with proposing the toast of " The Press." In performing this task the Minister for Lands (says the " Olago Daily Times") delivered a happy and humorous speech. He complimented the press of th c colony on the energy it displayed, and, as an illustration of this, narrated a story of what happened to himself m the North Island. He had arrived, he said, m a country town about two o'clock one morning after having travelled for the whole of the previous day, and was knocking up the landlord of the hotel at which he proposed to stay, when a representative of a local newspaper intro duced himself to him and stated that l.c wished to interview him. The Minister pleaued that he was very tired and asked' the reporter to see him m the morning. It took ten or twelve minutes, however, to get the hotel proprietor knocked up, and during that time the Minister was industriously plied with questions, with • the result that before he rose from his bed m the morning he was able to read a full column of an interview with him. We clip the following important testimo^ Rial from the '' Illawarra Mercury " (N. S, W., of the 30th Afarch, ft needs no comment:— " Mr John Loveday, of the Bulli Mountains writes to us that after suffering for four years with acute gravel, he has experienced almost complete relief by using Sander and Sons Eucalyptic Extract. He says :—" Seeing the said Extract advertised m the ' Illawarra Mercury,' his intense suffering induced him to obtaiu a bottle of the medicine from Mr Hosking, chemist^ of this town, and that the use of it gave him groat relief at onge. He »tates that betweenlOth Maxell instV, when he obtained the first bottle of the extract, aucT the jL9th ? the .use of that' medicine continued |bo afford liiii> relief, to which he had been a stranger for four yeaf a. Mr Loveday wrifajs also that he has foiintl the Eucalypti Extract t curg foj' rheumatism as well as gravel. He requests i*s to jjuljiisfa this information through the' Mercury,' Wp have much pleasure m complying with Mr Lovedaw's request, whose word cannot be doubted, and wfeo pan have no object m view other than a pure desire £o benefit suffering humanity. "—(Advt.) 0 $upj?ok? Local Industry. — The Ijogenges, jujjjbes, Comfits, and London Mixtures roaiujfapttfred by Aulserrook Lsv Co. are equal to best imported, COLEMANE AND SONS EUCALYPTE Ex tract is the only genuine m the market, and wag a -yarded medals and diplomas ufc Sydney, Mejb£>ijrfxe,and Adelaide, boating all competitors. J?or afl affections of the Ghesfc and Lungs, {Jotjsumjjtjon, Astl)nyd f I Coughs, Colds, Gravel, and Ipd".ey jOom.-; plaints, ib has no equal. Agents— ASHBUUTON DfiTJG Coftir ANY. l fh# world is ever moving on towari perfection^ b^fcsieldom attains it, Consign fc improvement is heu^g n?a/jlo m every bpanph of industry, but JJ? j^ty"? Powdeiw Perifegtjofl' fr%s sheen reached m Warburton's Cart t Be Bsai,

THE POSTAL DEPARTMENT.

The postal and telegraph services of the colony constitute the best managed of all the public departments, and the facilities afforded are such as are not exceeded m any councry m the world. It owes its present position to the good administration of successive Post masters-General, aided by most efficient officers m the persons of Mr Gray and; his father before him as Chief Secretary of the Post Office, and of Dr. Lemon, as Commissioner of Telegraphs, whose name stands deservedly high as a practical electrician. But to none of those who have presided over its large and constantly extending business does the Department owe more than to the present Postmaster-General, Mr J. G. Ward, who is recognised by all his i officers, as well as by the outside public, as the best chief it has ever had. Himself an expert telegraphist, who has served m that capacity m the De partment over which he now presides, Mr Ward is possessed of "the qualifica tions of un expert, and being a merchant m a large way of business, and having a hand m a number of important commercial enterprises, he is thoroughly posted up m the require ments of the commercial world. He thus possesses unique opportunities for well administering his department, and he has made good use of them by bringing into operation a number of valuable reforms. Referring to some of these, and to the postal and telegraph services generally, at the banquet given to him on Friday last at Winton, Mr Ward instanced the increase of the maximum Value of postal notes from £1 to £6 a3 "a great reform which would prove of enormous advantage to people living m remote parts :of the country, as postal notes could be ex changed for ordinary money as cash. There was not a £5 postal issue outside New Zealand m any civilised country m the world. They had raised the maximum of money orders from £10 to MO, not only throughout the colony, but to Australia and England, and the issue had been increased during the year to 18,812 of the value of £49,900. Subscriptions -to the telephone service throughout the colony had been re duced to a uniform rate of £5, and though it was anticipated this would result m a loss of £8000 to £10,000 per annum, at the end of the first year the revenue was only £1700 behind what it was at the higher rates. The reduction of the European letter rate to 2|d was next referred to, and the speaker mentioned that since it had come into operation the inward letters had increased by 23 per cent., and the outward by 8 per cent. Registration fees had been reduced to 3d, and book and pattern rates by 50 per cent.; but, notwithstanding the latter enormous reductions, the revenue for the year was £1148 more than what it was when the rates were twice as high. Concessions had also been made m the rate& on ordinary telegrams, and the effect of the change m the forms the Telegraph Department had brought into existence was that the system as nearly approached secrecy m? the conveyance of telegrams as it was possible to adopt. The introduction on probation of young women m the telephone service and the classification of officers m the Post and Telegraph Department were incidentally referred to, and he claimed that every change that had been made by the Adminis tration was m, the direction of con ferring greater facilities on the public, of improving the position of the service, and of allowing it better to perform the important duties it had so well performed m the past, Though a large number of concessions had been made, the revenue at the end of the year was £52,686 m actual cash beyond the expenditure ; while, if the department took credit for other services which it performed, the revenue was £134,328 m excess of the expenditure. The post office had kept pace with settle ment, and forty-eight additional .offices were established m the last twelve months; and we now had what no other country m the world had— namely, one post office to every 520 inhabitants." Referring to the pro posed reduction of inland postage to a penny, Mr Ward said it had not been j abandoned but merely deferred, in timating that it would be brought into operation so soon as the Government saw that it could judiciously be done. With regard to the staff of the postal and telegraph service, he declared that " as a body no more honourable, pains taking, and energetic class of men existed m this colony or m any other colony. Drunkenness m the service was scarcely known. Serious cases of insubordination had not occurred during the time the Department had been under his control, and embezzle ment m the service hardly ever oc curred. The executive administration of the service, also, was very good indeed, and had, as far as possible, assisted m affording postal and tele graph facilifies from one end of the colony to the other." Ajil this is very true, and as satisfactory as it is true, the officers of the Department fully deserving the encomiums passed upon them. Our readers will be glad to seej too, that Mr Ward is fully alive to the expediency of obtaining as soon as possible independent cabbie communica tion with Austrajia ? stating m thi§ connection that "if j* ghange ;in the cable system was to be made, the Government thought it should be m the direction of establishing between New Zealand and Australia an inde pendent cable of our own, and of taking the profits. The cost \yould no.t exceed £115,000, antl tie revenue from jblie existing cable exceeded £30,000 per ,annum ? though the rates chargejd were excessive $o the ordinary mercantile community and to th§ press, ?J Accord ing to these figures a.cable, the property of the New Zealand Govern ment, between this colony and the island continent, would pay, and pay well, and we hope thafc Jhe proposal vyill be brought before Parliament at an eiarly date. To revert to the Post master-General himself. We may add that no public man has better deserved the honor accorded to him by his constituents, and we quite concur with his colleague, Mr McKenzie, m the pi'edietion th&t the day will come when Mr "V^ard will occupy $ still; higher position m the "'Government of fcl^e Colony than he does at the present time.

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The fortnightly meeting of the Ashbur ton Borough Council was held last even ing. Present —The Mayor and all the Councillors. FINANCE. The Mayor stated that the debit balance at the B ink was £106115s 4cl, aud income from all sources received since last meet ing had been £68 7s. The Bank balance did nob provide for the sum of £275 for pipes sold, which had been paid into the Council's account, so that the debit balance was less by that amount. RESERVE, The Commissioner for Crown Lands wrote stating that Reserve 1613 had been vested m the Council. The reserve gave the Council another two acros of land. The letter was ordered to be acknow ledged, and the necessary title obtained. FOOTBALL. The Secretary to the Football Club wrote asking that the Domain should be sec aside on May 24 as a close day for a match on that day between the local (Jlub and the Southbridge Football Club. The request was granted. HAMPSTEAD WATER SUPPLY. Correspondence was read between the County Council and the Borough as to the coat of the proposed water supply, the County asking for information on the subject to be laid before last meeting of the' County Council. The Mayor said the information had been supplied, and the County Council decided to inquire about a new route and source. CHARITABLE AID. The Charitable Aid Board wrote stating that the Borough's contribution cowards charitable aid for the year would be £72 7s lOd. The Council decided to make the payment m four instalments. engineers' report. The Engineers' report was read as follows :— Works Committee —Your Committee beg to report on the subjects remitted to them as follows: — Standard Survey of the Borough—Your Committee recommend the Council to sup port the Engineers' suggestion, and to urge the Survey Department to make the standard survey of the Borough as soon as convenient. Lighting the Town Clock—Your Com mittee regret they cannot see their way at present to recommend the lighting of the clock, as it is found that the cost would be too great. Planting—An appointment was made for the Committee to visit the plantations, but as a quorum did not attend, the meeting was postponed. Labor Gang—The labor gang have been engaged m maintenance work, cleansing side channels, ploughing the grass off the sides of the 'streets where found necessary, cart ing soil, repairing traffic bridge, attending water supply, etc. The Committee's recommendation re garding a standard survey was adopted Some discussion took place as to the lighting of the town clock, which the Engineer said coald be done at an annual charge ot £20 per annum, with a first charge of £20 or more for the necessary alterations. Crs Tweed aud Scaly favored the proposal to light the clock, and Crs Thomas and Bird were against it, the latter saying that he was not m favor of any alteration until a new turret had been provided. Cr Tweed moved that tenders be called for lighting the town clock, tenders to specify the mode of lighting it, during the hours that the gas lamps are kept alight m the town. Cr Thomas seconded this, which was opposed by thn 'Mayor, who twitted Cr Thomas with his non-attendance at the meetings of the Works Committee, and yet opposing the reports of his colleagues, Crs Flower and Jones opposed the motion, as the clock could not be seen from all points, having only one face. Cr Orr would support, referring the whole mattter back to the Committee, and CrPaul thought it would be better co do something to make the bell of the clock better heard. The amendment was lost, and the clause of the report was adopted, as well as the remaining clauses. The report as a wholfl was then adopted, inspector's report. The Inspector of Nuisances' report was read. It stated that the Inspector had cautioned several teamsters against blocking the pissage at West street, with tlie result that an opening had been kept. Notice to abate nuisances had been given to several residents. He drew the attention of the Council to the fact that many teamsters carrying grain into town deposited the straw they brought with them on the street. The straw was blown with the wind and choked the water channels. He also complained of poplar leaves from the trees at the school choking the channels. The Inspector wis in structed to caution the teamsters who brought the straw against leaving it on the street. Cr Scaly thought the whole question of West street was a storm m a teapot. It was by the grain that the townspeople lived, and the teamsters had to use straw to keep their loads dry. He hoped the whole thing would be allowed to drop. Cr Bird thought the whole matter could bs got over by the grain store men being asked to caution the teamsters about the straw Ultimately the report was adopted. Some discussion took place on the question of horses, used for hoisting grain m the stores, being allow ed to run out into the street when hoisting, to the danger and inconvenience of the passers by. The Inspector at last meeting had ( been asked to report on this matter, but had not done so, and the question of the right of the grain storft proprietors to use the footpaths for horses to run over when hoisting grain sacks was raised, and referred to the Borough solicitor for settlement. LIBRARY. Cr Cuthbertson reported that thefts of periodicals from the Library had been frequent of late. The matter was left with the Mayor to take criminal proceed ings against offenders. PRESS NOTICE. The Mayor quoted a " current topic " that had appeared \n the Asjjburton Guardian on April 18 (reprinted m the Mail of April. 19]. He said he took exception to no criticism (hat was fair, and based upon fact, but the question raised by the writer was not raised at the Council. He contended that the question discussed at that table was riot that the pipe money should be expended on drainage, or that it should be s&t aside for reduction of the overdraft, The con tention had been on his part that the channelling should be done at the proper time, and that the money should not be earmarked. Crs Tweed and Thomas were both certain that the question of reducing the overdraft had been mentioned, and the latter quoted a remark macje by him that the borough was quite' as happy wj,th an oyerdrafp of £1600 as it was with one of £9oq; ": * -' . A Jong discussion ensued, m which the Mayor reiterated his view of thec^se, and was supported by Councillors Cuthbertson and Orr, while Ors Thomas and Tweed maintained their ground. All the Councillors spoke to the question ; and ultimately the matter dropped. l,l<JtiT|Nft. Cr Flower asked that the matter of erecting a lamp at the gravel pit corner m the North Bel'b, be referred to the Lighting (jtomrtyffcbee.-^Granted. dOMMITTKEs' REPORTS. Cr Thomas book exception to a' remark made by the Mayor at an earlier parfc of the meeting that he did not attend We rks Committee meetings. He pointed out tli'at He whs pijt on thajt; Committee by " hocus pocus," and told the Council at;' the time that he would not attend them. / It was absurd to say that he should agree j;q tfoe,,work done by hie colleagues if he

differed froni them. Ir there were five members Of a committee, and three agreed to a certain thing, it was carried at the Committee, and the other two were bound by that decision. He did not approve of that. The Mayor . pointed out that had Cr Thomas been at the meeting of the Com mittee and dissented, lie could have come to the Council and raised his voice. LICENSES. A carriage license was granted to Mrs G, F. Scott, and drivaivs' licenses to Gr. Willers and Phelps. ACCOUNTS. Accounts to the amount of £45 were passed for payment. BY-LAW^. The Borough Solicitor wrote, enclosing copy of special order enacting a new code of by-laws fc.j bs submitted for adoption at a special meeting, suggesting a Gate (July 1) for the coming into operation of the new by-laws. The Solicitor also for warded proofs of by-laws and regulations for conduct of Council business. The Council adopted the special order, to be confirmed ac meeting to be held pix weeks hence. „» The Council then sat as a DOMAIN BOARD. The Domain Works Commitde's re port was read as follows :— Your Committee beg to report that since the last meeting they have personally in spected a large part of the Domain, and find there are one or two matters that appear to require prompt attention, namely, a con siderable amount of thinning is necessary m some of the plantations, and some of the paths are m a bad state. Your Committee, therefore, wish to make the following recom mendations :— (1) Th*t {the two rows of pinus insignia, nearest and parallel to West street,froin the custodian's cottage to the reservoir, be cut down and removed. That the plantation on the slope to the N.E. of the Sports Ground be thinned to the extent of cutting down every other tree of the lower rows, and the | remainder to have the lower branches re moved. That the detached plantations be also thinned, and that generally the pin us insignis be removed when interfering with the growth of the more ornamental trees. (2) That the two paths leading from the lower reservoir to the Sports ground be reformed (principally by tilling up the low places), and to have a coating ol" fine shingle. The path next the reservoir to have the pro jecting roots cut off. The report wad adopted. Cr. Scaly said there was a large amount of thinning wanted m the Domain, more especially near the macrocarpa fence at West street, and if some of the trees there were not removed they would senously injure the fence. The work of thinning was left m the hands of the Domain Works Committee. The tender at 25s per acre for cropping the Domain paddocks was accepted. The Board then adjourned.

SPORTING.

GERALDINE AUTUMN MEETING.

The weights previously published for the Orari Handicap and Welter Handicap were made under a mistake. The tollow ing are mide m pursuance of the pro gramme :— Weltkk Handicap. Seven furlongs.

st lb The Jewel... 9 9 Marten ... 9 6 The Chicken 9 6 Sebastopol... 9 4 Beach ... 9 0 Fire King... 9 0 KewHope... 9 0

st lb Bay Kin«j ... 12 6 Beau Nash 11 13 Kilmarnock 10 11 Ct. u'Orsay 10 7 The Chief ... 10 4 Springston 10 2 Me 1 ton ... 10 2 Masonic ... 9 11

Orvri Welter Ha.n ucap. Six furlongs.

Sfcjlb; Oarroiiade ... 11-4 Beau Nash... 11 2 Kiitnarnoek 10 0 C'ntD'Orsay 912 Victim ... 9 7 TlieJmvc! ... '.) 4 Countess ... 9 4 Launcelot 11. 9 4 Marten ... 9 2 Mailboy ... 9 0 The Chicken 9 0 Sebastopol... 8 10

St It) Morben ... 810 SirKoberl... .8. 9 Moderation 8 7 Sporting Life 8 4 Cumberland 8 4 Tho .i|iLior 8 0 Toney ... 8 0 Beach ... 8 0 ■ Oarsmaid'... 8 C Butterfly ... 8 0 FireKir.g... 8 0 Ringrove ... 8 0

THE WEATHER.

ALFORD STATION.

The following is the Heteorolog:cal report for the week ending May 8, 1892 :—

Eainfall during April, Alford Station 5"66. Alford Forest 5 50.

The Dobson-Kennedy Company.

"PYGMALION AND GALATEI" AND " O'OALLAGHAN."

Last night the Dobson-Kennedy Com pany gave their patrons a treat m a double bill made up of W. S. Gilbert's delicious comedy of "Pygmalion and Galatea," and the piece of broad humor with which everybody is familiar— "O'Callaghan on his last legs." There was a large audience, who appeared thoroughly to enjoy the performances, and doubtless a full house will reward the Company on their appearance this even ing wren " the Colleen Bawn " comes on. In '•* Pygmalion and Galatea," the several members of the Company vied with each other m giving point to the subtleties of humor m the piece, its satire, and its pathos, and whether it was " Galatea" (Miss Idrene Thornton) m her pourtrayal of the feelings and emotions of a woman suddenly called into life from the sculptor's stone, "Pygmalion" (Mr Collet fclobson) m his careful rendering of the artist who gave her form ; "Chrysos" (Mr J. J. Kennedy) the art patron with a vein of humor ; " Cynisca " (Miss Lily Hill) his wife ; or the others of the cast, all did well, and received the meed of applause they merited. Jn •'O'Callaghan on his Jjast Legs " Mr Kennedy, who of j pourse tool? the tith role, round which all the interest centres, paused repeated bursts of laughter from beginning to end of the representation. The Company have been eminently successful m their tour of New Zealand. It is seldom that a dramatic troupe can run a season of six nights m Ashburton — and successful nights at that, for Friday's and Saturday's performances, though giyen to houses thinner on accouut ()i the weather than were, those of the preceding nfghtg and lasb night, were played to houses exceptionally large under such circumstances. I}ut the following list will show how the "Dob^on-Kennedys have been appreciated m the colony. In Auckland they played two weeks; Wellington also two weeks ; Invercargill, ten nights'; Palmerston North, twelve nights ; Gisborne, twelve ; Napier, seven; Wanganui, t«nj New Plymouth, ten; Nelson, nine ; Westport, seven (twice) ; Greymouth, seven (three times); Reofton, seyen (twice) ; Hokitika, 'eight and six ; Blenheim, seven j IJawera, sis ; Gora, five ; Thames, six, &Q-

Imeoktant to Cyclists.—A good Safety Bicycle for £15 15s. Repairs and Cycle accessoi'ies ab exceptionally lovy rates at SAyiLLß's ?' Calliope" Cycle Works, 110 Colombo street, Ohrist : church

THE MARKETS.

PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] St. Pktibesbußg, May 8. The rumors that Russia will shortly ship a large quantity of cereals has un settled the wheat market.

CORRESPONDENCE.

(We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.)

ASBBURTON TRAFFIC BRIDGE.

TO THE EMTOK. Sir,—The deputation that waited on the County Council, appears, according to the report of your paper, to have met with rather scant courtesy. One member said he had rougher ground to go ovrr every day. That may be. We may all have rou"h ground fifteen or twenty miles out of town. Would that be tolerate* m Laut street ? And the traffic bridge is a con tinuation of Bast street. Another gentle man thought it w&s a sign of the luxurious tendencies of the a?e, to ask to have the planking of the bridge attended to. I humbly thing he is mistaken. An eaßy going trap with plenty of spring may not. be a luxury, but if I could afford such a one I would feel thankful, when I come to that bridge. There is an increasing .stream of traffic over it, including settlers from Montalto to Coldstream ; on Satur day the stream is almost continuous. Arty one knows that a plank an inch high placed at right angles ; to the wheeh of a trap will cause more of a jolt than greater roughnesses which are undulating. In the immediate neighbourhood of a large town there is a class of goods to be carried of a fragile nature, and women and children to be conveyed m various stages of delicate health. Are the bridges near other large towns m that state ? It ia a question of traffic and expense, not of luxury. If decking the bridge properly ia out of the question, then the use of the adze might remedy the evil. Unless something is done soon there may be a larger deputa tion still. And when they go it is to be hoped they may meet with more considera tion then the last one. As for fast driv ing that is a separate matter. It is provided against m the by-laws, and these should be observed. But let some of our County Council members, instead of an easy going trap, try a trip on some of the town expresses, it would nearly shako the teeth out of their heads.—l am, etc. A Frequent Passenger. Ashburton. May 9, 1892.

SOUTHLAND.

[from our correspondent.!

May 4. Harvest is now over, and every thresh ing mill available is m full work. The weather throughout was all that could be desired, and the grain m consequence is m splendid condition ; but unfortunately, the price obtainable here is very low, and either your merchants must be losing money hand over fist, our merchants here must be m a fair way of making their pile. With you, I notice farmers can get from Is 6d to Is lOd per bushel for oats, while we nud it hard to wring from Is 3d to Is 6d out of the merchants here for a much superior article to that produced m your district. Sheep are sheep here now; auction sales seem to be the order of the day, and anything with a fair mouth m the cross bred line meets with ready sale at from 10d to lot. So far we have had no frost, and the grass is abundant everywhere, and llio turnips are also good, which account no doubt for the nigh prices paid for sheep, especially wethers half fat. Good horses are m demand, and likely to be >so fur some months to come. At a clearing sale last week, I saw several horses sold at over £30 each. In fact all stock, with the exception of pigs, are selling fairly well. For several years past farmers and others have had no trouble m disposing of their honey, but owing to the fact that nearly every person is now a! producer the price has become very low. The past season has been a suitable one for honey making, for it is not at all an uncommon thing m the robbing to take from 1001 b to 1501 b out of one common box, ex clusive of comb. I expect to get close on half a ton myself, but none of my boxes exceeded 1001 b. If there was any sale for this product it would be a great blessing to many, particularly so the poorer classes for the man who only has a small garden could produce as much honey as his neighbour who boasts of his broad acres. The Wallace County Council are again m trouble. It seems the Council all along have been working under the wrong Act. The Act as amended m 1886 provides that certain moneys must be psid. out of the county fund account, whereas, so far as I can understand, each member has been expending the rates separately m their own respective ridings with as much more as they could get hold of, with the result that several of the ridings are m credit, while more of them are over £4000 m debt. ; The mistake was discovered m this way—a settler m the Wairio Biding met with an accident from 1h is horse falling through a defective culvert, and m an action for damages a judgment was entered against the Council for something like £1400, which of course was added on to that riding; but the member representing it thought that was hardly good enough, and werit for legal advice, which brought to light the whole thing, and so the matter stands. What the Council intend to do remains yefe to be seen. They will either have fco over haul accounts from 1886, or cry quits and allow all misdeeds to be forgo Hon.

TO-DAY'S TELEGRAMS.

(PER ER?SB ASSOCIATION.,) Xh« Setting' Honae* Cmt'ii. , Wellington, May IQ. Judgment in the illegal betting easels is further adjourned. 'A'lie JLtibor Bureau, Mr Tregear has gone south chiefly on business connected with the Labor! bureau, and also to make inspections under the Factories Act. The agent of the Labor Bureau for the Gisborne district reports that there will shortly be openings at bush work for men out of employment. Th« l'olhill Coolly »«mg-e. A petition, eigned, by seventy-one resi dents near Folhill gully rifle range, has been received by the Commission praying for the removal of the range on account of danger.

TELEGRAPHIC.

HOME AND FOREIGN.

PER PRESS ASSOCIATION

DEPRECIATION OF SHARES.

London. May 7. It has been calculated that during the last two years the securities ad mitted to quotation on the Stock Ex change have fallen two hundred and fifty millions m value. IRISH AFFAIRS. London, May 8. The Tory press mostly endorse Lord Salisbury's belief that autonomy m Ireland would involve a civil; war. The •• Chronicle "considers thespeech a mass of daring hyperbole, and the most reckless address ever uttered by a responsible statesman. The " Daily * News " tells the Premier that he will be personally responsible should blood shed follow the encouragement he has given to Ulster. Mr Half our, m the House of Com mons, said that,he was not aehamed of the coercion he had appliedNb Ireland, as he was persuaded it had copferred an enormous benefit on the country. THE QUEENSLAND LABOR QUESTION.? i Mr S. Smith, commenting on Baron de Worms' reply respecting tho em ployment of colored labor m Queens land, said that the Government had virtually sanctioned the renewal of the slave trade. His notice to bring up the matter again was received by the Liberals with cheers. Queenslanders at Home are gratified at the attitude taken up by Lord Knutsford on the subject of Kanaka labor, VACCINATION. The Royal Commission on vaccina tion has condemned the repeated in fliction of penalties for resistance and the treatment of the'offenders as criminals. FEMALE SUFFRAGE. The British Women's Temperance Union has declared m favor of female suffrage. ) LABOR QUESTIONS. The Durham miners have empowered their Federation to negotiate with the owners. The Executive of the -'Miners' Federation has advised the Forest of Dean miners to resist the reduction of 12^ per cent. The Conference between the cotton spinners and masters had resulted m a basis for settlement being arrived at. The members of the House of Commons have subscribed £200 for Hood, the station master who .was dis missed by the Cambrian Railway Com pany 'for giving evidence before the Labor Commission. London, May 9. Sir John Gorst, Financial' Secretary to the Treasury, advocates the estab lishment of Boards of Conciliation and Arbitration en similar Imps to those set up m the Australian Colonies, which, he says, have justly been called the paradise of the labourer. - COLONIAL STOCKS. It is believed that the recovery of colonial stocks is assured, provided loans are kept- down to a minimum and transactions confined to large business - and not to driblets. The press is assuming a more friendly tone. QUEENSLAND MINING. The 1" Economist," m an article on the Queensland mines, states that of the twenty-six companies floated m London since August, 1886, only four are at present paying divi dends. It advises merchants to be cau tious m supplying the limited lia bility companies. BRANDY. "The Times" thinks the shrinkage of the European brandy supply will form; the foundation for a new Austra lian industry.

THE ANARCHISTS.

Paris, May 9. M. Louvet, the Premier and Minister of the Interior, has issued a circular to firms using dynamite m carrying on their business, entreating them to use the utmost care to see that none is stolen. He threatens to inflict penal ties on those convicted of any careless ness m the matter. The Prefecture at Troyes, the chief town of the Department of Aube and the old capital of Champagne, has been burnt by Anarchists. .

UTILISING NIAGARA.

Ottawa, May 8. A Canadian company is inquiring into the practicability of utilising Niagara Falls for the production of electricity. CHINESE EXCLUSION. Washington, May 8. The President has signed the Chinese Exclusion Bill. Washihgton, May 9. The Chinese Minister hw officially protested against the Chinese Exclu sion Bill as a violation of treaty rights. HAWAII. The majority of the Foreign Com mittee of the House of Representatives favour the annexation of Hawaii \ny the U,nited States, Mr Secretary Blame is pushing the movement ahead, ANTLJEWTSH CRUSADE. Bekun, May 9. An anti-Jewish crusade under the leadership of the extreme Conservatives is fomenting m Germany. One Jewish firm is openly charged with selling to the Army authorities half a million of useless rifles by moans of hoodwinking the Inspectors of munitions of war. Despite the general clamour Count Yon Caprivi remains silent on the matter.

INTERPROVINCIAL.

Auckland. May 9. The Auckland Branch of the Educational Institute have passeda motion recommend ing a uniform scale of salaries for teachers m the public schools throughout the colony. A youth ■ named Ernest Lawson has been arrested and remanded on a charge of breaking and entering a house occupied by Mrs Morpeth, at Ponsouby, and steal ing jewellery valued at £23. ; Hokitika, May 9. Edward Hogan; a well-known miner, was found dead near his claim at Ritnu this morning. He went to work as qSual. His mates went' below two hours afterWafds,: looked for him, and found him a few yards away dead. A post mortem examination and inquest take place to-morrow.

TSE ASHBtJUfON GffIARDIATf : fXTESPATT, MAY 10, 1892.



Date.

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48, 40 --- 4-- 5-- -3- -320-9--4-40-

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1 80. 60 --1- 0-8- -1- -10--70-50, 111-

Sho.vers/KW. Overcast S.W. Fine, Calm s> • it Rain, S.W, >» »i Fine Calm



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.892 W INTER. 1892 ;. —NOW SHOWING— ..THE , Overcoats and Water proofs New Tweeds and Suitings LARGEST . „ ,_, L . I New Styles m Boys' Clot hing AND New Hosiery and Gloves New Collars and Shirts CHOICEST New Scarfs an<3 Bows New Travelling and other Caps StOCfeL New Soft Felt Hafcs New Flexible Hats EVER New Styles m Boys' Hats and Caps New Rugs and Umbrellas SHOWN New Oyde Capeß and Riding Aprons BY New Goods m all Depart ments Inspection Respectfully I fS. Invited NEW ZEALAND Clothlner Factory. W. H WEBBER, Manager. Agents for Wertheim Celebrated Sewing Machine. N~C TIC E. Communications on matters connected wLh any Department of the Paper, SHOULD NOT be addressed to any member of the staff by name. Letters relating to Advertisements or tther Business, to be addressed to THE MANAGER, Literary communications to THE EDITOR.



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Wanted. GASH Advertisements under this heading not exceeding SIXTEEN WORDS 1/-. Addresses may be Vftat this Office. POTATOES, Detwents, at fis peiv bn«. Apply W. Prebble, /Whealstono. ytf 5 66 ffiERRA Uotta Placques. New lines m 4- fancy China and Glassware. Ladies' Handbags, Fans and Ornaments. H. M. Jones. .'. FAMILY and Pocket Bibles, Prayers and Hymns. Various styles and bindings, Birthday and Textbooks. H. M. Jones. TUST to Hand.—A nice assortment of O Fenders and Fire Irons ; also House Furnishing Ironmongery. Worth inspection. — Stephens Bros., Market House, ____Q SELLING OUT—Furniture, Fancy Goods, and Building Timber at great reductions.—Jamb3 Baker, opposite Harrison's auction rooms. 5J19 -rr^ ANTED Known.—The nicest stock VV °f New Winter P ress Goods' Mantles, Millinery, &c, is at S. W. Alcorn and Co.'s 5 50 UST Arrived consignment of Kero sene. Further reductions. All Groceries at Christchurch prices for Ohriatchurch terms, cash. Stephens Bros., Market Houge. 5 15 SOMERSET Meat Mart. The oldest, the largest, the best, and the cheap est. Small Goods a specialty. Full weights guaranteed. A trial solicited. __W. J. Smxx>cs. , 41182 W~~ ANTED Known—Dr Scott's cele brated Electric Corsets can only be obtained m Ashburton at W. H. Collier's, "The Corner." "\ I/ANTED, purchasers of Blankets, VV Flannels, and General Drapery to remember that Best Value m the trade is at?. W. Alcornand Co.'s 5 51 |\/~ANTED Known.—lf you want VV pler»ty of first class Drapery, Boots and Clothing for cash, come to Melford House Sale.—H. C. Seoers. WANTED Known.—l have a large stock of Tin and Ironware Goods o sel«ct from. Register Grates, Stoves, °ortable Boilers, Spouting and Ridging kep*; m stock.—J. W. Hardley, East atreet. 6J202 TT7 ANTED Known.-Come and see VV the Bargains now on at Melford House.- H. 0. Segers. ANTED KNOWN.-250 Ladies Maids' and Children's Ulsters »nd Jackets (mostly good qualities) marked cheap to clear. Many one third and half the ucual price.—H. C. Seders, Melford House. WANTED KNOWN, Grand display of new Millinery, Ulsters, and Jackets, at most reasonable prices at *The Corneh.' ALL Wool Colonial Tweed Suits to measure; fit and workmanship guaranteed; from 50s cash. Robert Alcorn, Ashburton Clothing Mart, gaunders' Buildings WTHTTINGTON'S Tomato Sauce, together with testimonials, may be seen at Mrs Jambs', Fruiterer, East Street, and Mrs Pearson's, Fruiterer, Wakanui Road, where orders will be received and prices given. 3.165 /"CHOICEST new season's Figs and \J Cartoon Table Dates m 31b Boxes, 2s each. —H. G. Flower, Confectioner, East street. KTEW Supplies of Stationery, Account i-^l Books, Music, Fancy Goods, Slew Games, Ordors for Printing, Book oinding, Picture Frames, promptly ex ecuted Schools and offices supplied with pverv requisite. Magazines and News papers supplied.—L. F. ANDREWES & CO., Stationers' Hall. WANTED Known—That you will make no mistake for quality and varied m TCnsrli.sh and Colonial Boots, and his highly reputed make by calling at J. Moison's. During coming holidays dis count for Cash. "Repairs done at once. A staff of men always kept and best material and workmanship guaranteed. /pO Meet the Times.—l am oupplying X Galvanised Iron Tanks from 30s upwards, warranted for twenty years, Force pumps, deep well cylinders of «U descriptions, Inspection invited.— J. W. Hartley, Eas street. 6J201 BALL Dresses, Evening Gloves, Mounts m Silver and Gold, Muffs, Fur Collarettes, Ladies' Evening Shoes. Invigorator Corsets, with straps, V and 24. Zone and all other makes, just opened.—Andrew Orr. 4 57 W" ANTED. —Earn Money at Home, Hther sex; new work j ju*t started ; all earn good wages ; no walking or travelling required ; anyone can do the work ; boys and cfirla earn nearly as much as men. Write for particulars at once, before our list is full, and enclose addressed envelope and stamp for reply to James G. Sargood, Manager, P.O. Bix 986, Sydney; or, 65 Royal Arcade, George and'Pitt Streets, Sydney. 4 110