MAIL NOTICE.

THURSDAY, January 7. For South America, United Kingdom, and Continent of Europe (to connect with s,s. Coptic at Wellington), for South .Sea Islands (to connect with Rosamond at Auckland}, and also for Australian colonies and Northern ports ot Now Zealand, per Hauroto, at O>SOp.in. ; parcels, 3 p.m.

DEATH.

Costeixoe. —On January 7, at Ashbur ton, Debokah, the dearly beloved wife of P. Costeixoe. Aged, 33 years.

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 1892. LOCAL AND GENERAL

A man named Baker was, at the N«weistle (England) Assizes recently, sentenced to ten years' panal servitude. As he left the dock he swallowed the contents of a bottle which he must have purchased when out on bail, and fell dead into the warder's arms. It has been decided to wind up the affairs of the South Melbourne Building Society. A committee of investigation has reported that m consequence of the defalcations of M, Lwkin, the secretary, there will be nothing left for the shareholders when their affairs are settled, and that there might be aboat 16s m the £ for depositors. "Puck," the leading American comic paper, is said to have an office at the Chicago World's Fair, m which the staff are to work M they would do m their ordinary premises. If this exhibit is to be at all realistic there will be a choice assortment of pipes, beer cans, and highly-coloured language. The joke-making department should make an ideal representation of the acmeof melancholy. The lonic arrived a*- Hobart from London, via the Cape, afc seven o'clock yesterday | morning, and sailed at six o'clock last nighjt for Wellington. She has thirty-five passengers for Australian ports, antjl. one hundred and seventy-two fov New Zealand. , The Earl and Countess of Leith ar^e amoijg the passengers for New Zealand, the &oa signmeut of lobsters all died before the lonic reached the tropics. At Dunedift yesterday the Hon J. McKenzie was waited on by a deputation from the Dairy Association, who asked his a*«istance m securing the proper branding and recognition of their produce iv fche Home market, and also asked for a subsidy Co push the produce. The Minister promised to give due consideration to the first request and, as regards the second, pro mised a subsidy of £(£ to £1 up to £200, as was done last year. The London correspondent of roe btar says;— Frozen rabbits are not wiping to look a*, but this drawback notwithstanding^ the New Zealand importation is coining into favor m the loH'er quarters of London on account of the law price (6d to 7d) per carcase. As boiled rabbit and pork is a favourite alternative to beef and mutton with the working classes, and ihe pptees of Belgian and English "bunnies" rule bigfr just now, the frozen rabbits sell pretty rapidly. A short time ago a four-footed patient was brought to St Thomas Hospital, London. I He was a collie dog named Mac, and his mktress related that while out walking he had been attacked by another dog, and dur ing the fight was run over by a brougham. Examination slewed that one fonsltsg w»# badly fractured, wfl the other biuised i whereupou cJhloTofor#j was administered, and the brofceu limb encageiji ;u plaster of Paris splints. Recently the spiii'ts were removed and the dog dfoehargsd cured,. The patinsot was entered m the books as " fclac : occupation, pugilist."

t In consequence of the broken weather the | second series of Ashburtou wool sales has been postponed to Tuesday, February 2. The earliest harvested wheat m thi? district was that on the farm of Mr Isaac Sargent, Ashburton Forks, which was cut m the end of last week. Messrs W. H. Collins and Co. advertise a new fuel, iv another column, called "Briquettes" made from the celebrated Grey Valley Coal. Its advantages are cleanliness, no clinkers, no waste. Mr Plimsoll has been ill. The seamen purposed raising £1000 by a half-crown levy for presentation as a thanks-offerinjf to him as a recognition of his efforts on their behalf. The completion of the Waitohi water- { races, which are upon the same system as those at Waihi which were described by us a few daya ago, was celebrated on VVedues day by a luncheon at the outlet of the main race on the Waitohi Flat, the Hon W. Rolleston presided, and Messrs Rhodes and Hall-Jones, M.H.R.'s, and about seventy of the landowners of the district were present. The Resident Magistrate this morning granted a prohibition order for twelve months, to oem force throughout the borough of Ashburton and the S»uth Rakaia licensing district, against Mary Petty, Chertsey, on the application of her husband. There was no criminal business before the R.M. this morning, and only one civil case, the hearing of which was adjourned. An American physician advocates the Tapom of vinegar as a valuable remedy m croup. The liquid is pub into a pan, placed on heated bricks or irons, so that the air of the sick-room becomes speedily saturated with it. This seems to be a partial revival of old ideas, for the vinaigrette used to be carried by ladies as a remedy against faint ness. But it may possibly be serviceable m the new way indicated. The officers of the steimship Sussex, which has arrived at Victoria, British Columbia, from Yokohama, bring a curious story of a tragic event reported to have have taken place on Fusiyama, the sacred mountain of Japan. Five English naval officers, the account states, with three young Americans from Philadelphia, hired two native guides and set off to ascend the mountain referred to. At the end of the second day the guides protested that they would commit suicide rather than continue the journey. As the travellers did not turn back, the guides fulfilled their threat, each walking m front of the party and disembowelling himself with a stroke of a sword. Both died instantly; and the horrible occurrence had such an effect on the younger of the Americans that he pulled oat a revolver and shot himself. The rest of the party then turned back and decended the mountain, carrying the young American's body with them. The wet weather ha 3 done very con siderable damage m the County, more especially among the oats. The storm, how ever, was not m any way general m its viru lence,as while m Ashburton at midday every body was driven indoors and the streets m the centre of the town were impassible m parts and like a pond, there were parts of the County where work went on all day, the rain being intermittent and a mere drizzle. Where the rain was heavy the oat crops have been badly laid, light as well as heavy, but the damage m this way has not been so bad among the wheat. Where the wheat stood high and carried a heavy ear, much, of it has bf».i laid, but there are large tracts which have stood up well. Should proper harvest weather follow the recent wet, the wheat will profit much, and fill out- gre itly, but we know of crops that present as green an appearance to-day as they did three weeks ago. Dr. J. M. P. Meiklejohn, of the St. Andrew's University, who has just returned from Russia, writes that undoubtedly the plague originated m the churches and cathedrals of Russia, which, although the most frequented, are never thoroughly di - I infested. The air of these cathedrals is effete dead, clay-cold; and especially m the corners and side chapels. The air, such as it is, has been breathed over and over again thousands of times by the dirtiest and most deprosscd people m Europe. A poison of the intensest virulence is brewed and the bis decies dis tilled result is imported into this country ly the steamers that carry the trade of the Baltic. Hull was the first pace attacked, and Parliamentary witnesses from Hull im ported the disease into the House of Commons. He suggests "waves of fresh air " m the Houses of Parliament and other public buildings. On Tuesday and Wednesday n*xt the Oddfellows Hall will be occupied by Mr George Kelly, the well-knowu Christclmrch elocutionist, who has boughtf rom the Macma lion's the New Zealand rights of Erlison's phonograph. The machine Mr Kelly has secured is of the very latest pattern, and has all the great iv vendor's recent improve ments. New records—histrionic, vocal, in strumental—will be submitted, a large number of which have been supplied by singers and players m Christchurch, white celebrities m Australia, America, and Europe have been laid under requisition to supply the list. Mr Kelly's descriptive lecture on the phonograph is highly spoken of by the Christchurch papers, as well as the machine itself, which gives out its records with a clearness far surpassing that of the machine which was last exhibited m Ashburton by Professor Douglas Archibald. The machine will be exhibited at Rakaia on Monday evening. This evening Barlow, the celebrated "Blue-tailed Fly," commences a season of two nights m the Oddfellows' Hall. " Billy " Barlow is a fund of amusement m himself. A paymaster m comic singing, he is also a musician of no mean order, and his audiences are usually not only delighted with, but astonished at, the wonderful music he brings from the most impossible looking sources. Fancy a man playing " Home, Sweet Home " with variations on a gridiron, or making a homely.-looking pair of bellows warble out some such melody as " The Harp that once m Tara's Hall." Possibly Barlow does not place himself on the programme for thos,e particular tunes on those particular instru. ments —implements, perhaps, ought to be the proper word—but he plays tunes equally pretty, and perhaps more difficult. How he does it we are not prepared to say ; our readers had better go and see. The old nigger ditty "The Blue-tailed Fly" most people are familar with who ever bothered to look at the £hristy song books of five and twenty years ago, and ijj. itself there is not very much to cause a smile, Bu£ J^arlow's imitation of the fly's buzzing is perfection jtself. He chases the fly everywhere— catches it; you can hear the buzz suddenly cease when h# jtjnsea his palm upon it with a snap. He gently p-pfeiis his hand a little, and the fly suddenly' begins again, to cease as suddenly. The fly appears to be held by one wing, and gives out a lame sort of a drowsy b.un\. Then it appears to get away again, aijd bugging is as perfect as ever. If there happens to b.ea bald head handy the fly is sure to alight there, and just ass slit'ely to be caught. Prom the above ii will Ifc gathered that "Billy " Barlow is no mean mimicjand whenweadd that both his character songs and his dancing are as good to-day aa they were when he drove the men on the A«st*'*Uan goldfields wild with delight, we have said enough to show that acquaintance is about to be made with a grand old enter tainer.

CRICKET.

(PBB PRKB.S ASSOCIATION.)

MKLnoxrtiNß, January 6. The match between Lord Sheffield's team and Australia was concluded (o-day, the latter winning by 54 runs. The second innings of the Englishmen closed for 158, Abel making 28 and A'tevvell 24. MclJeod secured one wicket for 39 runs. Turner five for 51, Trotfe thro3 for 52, and Callaway one for 7.

THE CALLS TO THE COUNCIL.

"When there is no news otherwise obtainable, make your own" seems to be the motto of some of our con temporaries, and really we feel more than half inclined to condone the vagaries of their imaginations m view of the undeniable dulness of things political, social, and commercial. Si non c vero, ben trovato is the natural exclamation of the reader on finding anything worth perusal, and hence not only the Press generally, but the public at large will be grateful to the Dunedin " Evening Star " for acting upon the motto we have above indicated, and boldly declaring, eoa animo suo, the intentions of the Cabinet m respect to calls to the Legislative Council. It has given the slaves of the pen some thing to write about—no small matter m times like these, when the task of the journalist resembles that of the ancient Israelites, who were required to make the usual tale of bricks even when there was no straw forthcoming —and by consequence given to their readers something spicy to read. But, this said, all said, or nearly so ; for as to the authenticity of the information nobody imagines for a moment that it has any. It is too ludicrous a thing altogether to imagine that the " twinkler " of the southern city, which is at all times hostile to ths present administration, its personnel, and policy, has been chosen above and before all other organs as the means of making known the proposals of minis ters ; and, more, the odds are that even the Government itself, as a whole, has not yet agreed upon any proposals, seeing that its members have been and are now scattered about all over the colony. Such matters as the advice to be tendered to the Governor have necessarily to be determined m full conclave, and when we hear of full Cabinet meetings being held we may begin to give credence to reports as to decisions having been come to, but certainly not till then. Meantime, however, it rcay be interesting just to see who it is that the Dunedin " Star " says the Government intend to recom mend the Governor to call to the Council. There are, says Rumor (whose mendacity is proverbial) to be eleven, but the " Star" is not able to disclose more than six, and those six are; The Hon. J. A. Tole, for Auckland; Mr W. C. Smith, for Hawke's Bay ; Mr W. C. Walker, for South Canterbury ; Messrs John Mac gregor and Dr Fitcbett, for Otago ; and Mr H. Feldwick. for Southland. Now as to the first three it required no genius to discover the probability of their being selected, and without knowing or pretending to know any thing of Ministers' intentions we imagine that so far the " Star" lias correctly '' spotted the winners." For, as to Mr Tole, m selecting an Auck land name or names, Mr Ballance could hardly have passed over that gentle man, who has undoubted claims upon the Liberal par^y, while all through the latter part of last session almost every special correspondent m Wellington picked out Mr W. C. Smith as a certainty. For South Canterbury the selection of Mr Walker is a very good one, and, moreover, as the old whip of the Party, he has a claim which could not be ignored. As to the other three, we know little of Mr John Macgregor — who may or may not prove to be a good selection, if he be selected—while Dr Fitchett m point of ducation has some special qualifications, and Mr Feldwick possesses the claim of long and steady Party allegiance. As to five out of six names, then, there is nothing to complain of, and as to the sixth we offer no opinion. Anyhow ! the whole half-dozen are quite as good as a good many more of the recent. additions to the Council, and the present Government, which is m a majority, has certainly a better right to ask for additions to that body than had the Atkinson Ministry when m a minority, and at whose instance a batch of seven gentlemen were added rather more than a year ago. Indeed f.t seems to us that if anything like a fair adjustment of the representation of the different schools of political $hougfrs m tl)e Upper Chainbej? is to be attempted, then that a larger num? ber of accessions to the very small knot of Liberals now to be found among our M.L.C.'s than six, or even than eleven, will be required.

Addington Stock Market

Chbistohtjrch, January 6. The n>ar]|.et was fairly well filled m the sheep department, and business was brisk. The sale of cattle was small and unsatisfac tory. There was a good attendance. Stoke Siikki*— About 3000 were yarded, comprising two and four tooth croasbreds, which were sold m large lines as follows :— 1500 two-tooths, 10s; forward conditioned four-tooths, Ils6d; another big line, more forward and large framed sheep, realised 13s. Fat Lames— Good demand existed for fat lambs for export, and prices remained firm, frbrn J. 1.3 tjd to 13s 9d Being obtained for best ijuaUty. A laj.ge number sojd from 8s to 10s fld. * Fat Sheei'—There was renewed activity m the sale of fat sheep, several buyers for export being present. Values improved for best sorts of crossbred wethers and maiden ewes, which brought from 12s 6d to 15s. The sale of old ewes and merino wethers was slightly improved, Fat Cattlk —Of 205 yarded more than half were old cows, for which there was a slack demand. Best steers sold from £6 to £6 10s ; and heifers up to £6 ss. stork Cattlk—The entry comprised only 65 head of mixed sorts, which sold pretty ffecjy at improved rates. Pros—Only 5Q of, 911 sorts of stores, with less than a score of'porkers, formed the entry. They met with a ready sale at 3Jd to 3|d per lb.

SPORTING.

HORORATA RACING CLUB.

" WHITE CHOKER."

The above race meeting will take place at Hororata op Friday next, and as several of our Jocal horses are engaged, and it is the intention of owners and members of our sporting community to journey thither, I will venture to tip for the various events. Mr Cresswell, the handicapper, is to be congratulated on the success he has achieved, very few horses having been eliminated. All that is iiow required is Captain Edwin to be on his good behaviour, and a good clay's sport may be looked for. My selections are '.— BANGOR PLATE. Ilium ... ... ... ... 1 Lady Zetland 2 Young Cheviot 3 WELTER PIATE. I Gillie 1 Beau Nash 2 Aquarius ... ... ... 3 HORORATA CUP. ; Bay King I cannot recommend, Except to backers for a place; Regina is the one I take, To finish second m thi3 race. Old Quibble meets more than his match, Crown Jewel he will never catch, Coinage the po*^ may chance upset, Aud Ilium won't the distance get. Inez will finish close at hand, But Silver Pine I cannot stand. And as for May I guess you'll find She'll be with those that are behind. So when the Cup race has been run, CROWN JEWEL should be number ONE; REGINA, second, as you see, With BAY KING next as number THREE. NEW YEAR'S GIFT. Missile... > 1 Regina... ... ... ... 2 Inez ... ... 3 FARMERS' PLATE. Beau Fash i Maria Martin... ... ... 2 Diver 3 TROT. Taipo 1 lolanthe ■.. -2 Star of Honor... ... ... 3 NOVEL RACK Glenlora 1 Hebrew Maid 2 Calliope ... ... ... 3

TELEGRAPHIC. HOME AND FOREIGN

[per press association.

SHIPPING DISASTER.

London, January 5. The vessel which collided with and sank the barque Child well, off Flushing on the 3rd inst., was the Nordland, and she has returned to Antwerp m a dis abled condition. Fifteen of those on board the Child well were drowned, and the survivors make bitter complaints that no attempt was made by those on the Nordland to rescue them. COLONIAL BORROWING. A cable message received from Mel bourne, stating; that the Victorian Government intend to place a loan on the market instead of issuing Treasury bills, has upset the market, and caused disgust at the unstable policy of the Government. There is a widespread opinion among bankers and brokers that Treasury bills must be issued, as it is doubtful whether the colony could raise half a million at 4 per cent at par by means of a loan. CAPTAIN FOX. Captain Fox, the newly-appointed Commandant of the New Zealand forces, will inspect Elswick, Woolwich, and other arsenals before leaving for this colony, '^INFLUENZA. John Dillon, M.P., and Victorien Sardou, the celebrated French drama tist, are suffering from influenza. BRITISH POLITICS. The general election will probably take place m August. The " Times" quotes the distinct cleavage of the constitutional politics of the Parkes and Griffiths schools at the Federal Convention to prove that Mr Gladstone's Home Rule proposals will not secure unity and finalty. Sir Charles Tupper considers that the McKinley tariff of the United States will draw England and Canada closer together m trade.

THE FRENCH ARMY.

Pakis, January 5. " Le Sieele " states that the Russian officers report that the French smoke less powder renders the army of France I (superior and more powerful than other European armies. THE REVOLT IN MOROCCO. A French cruiser has been despatched to Tangiers where the hill trjb,es, haye revolted. THE DUC D'ORLEANS. It is reported that the Due d'Orleans is starting on a tour through Asia Minor. FRANCE AND THE VATICAN. Pabj£, January 6. The cordial parleying which is taking place between M. Ribot, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Vatican is likely to end m a solution of the diffi culty which has arisen m France with regard to Ohurch and States. THE PANAMA CANAL. The French Chamber of Dqputics has resolved to punish those responsible for the collapse of the Panama Canal scheme. The Government decline to give a financial gurantee to enable the completion of the work.

RETRENCHMENT in GERMANY.

KstuJitf, January 6*. The German Government is reducing the wages and dismissing a number of men engaged on the State railways,

THE SITUATION IN EUROPE.

Vienna, January 6. The Emperor Francis Joseph, m closing the Hungarian Parliament, stated that all the Powers were on friendly terms without an exception.

FRANCE AND BULGARIA.

Sofia, January 5. Tlie Bulgarian Government, in' a note to the French Government, ex plains the incident which led to the expulsion qf the French journalist frqm Bulgaria, and expresses $ hqpe t>hat friendly relations will bo restored.

CHILI AND THE UNITED STATES.

Nbw 1!ork, January 5. It is reported that President Harri son is angry at Mr Biaine, the Secre tary for State, for pacifying Chili. Mr Blaiue will possiblj? retip?

The "Herald" asserts that Chili has made a complete apology to the United States for the outrage on the sailors of the warship Baltimore. THE REBELLION IN MEXICO. It is reported here that General Gorza, the rebel leader m Mexico, has surrendered.

EMIN PASHA.

Zanzibar, January 5. It is reported that Euiin Pasha has concluded six treaties with the natives pledging German protection on the basis that slavery will be abolished, commerce will not be molested, and order be maintained.

THE DISTRESS IN RUSSIA.

London, January 6. The delegates from the English Quakers who visited the famine dis tricts m Russia confirm the reports as to the sufferings of the peasants, and implore aid from all nations on their behalf. Washington, January 6. The Senate has voted £20,000 to convey corn to Russia for distribution m the famine-stricken districts. A RAILWAY HORROR. Two passenger trains collided m the fog at Aladdin, m Illinois, and the debris caught fire. Three persons were killed, four roasted to death, and several injured.

RUSSIAN FINANCE.

St. Petersburg, January 6. It is reported that Russia will place an immense loan on the Parisian market m March.

AUSTRALIAN.

THE MINERS' DISPUTE.

Sydney, January 6. Twelve hundred men are idle at the Wallsend mine. All the other miners have resumed work, which is taken as a recognition of the new reduction. On the other hand, when the result of the ballot on the subject is known it is understood there will be a large majority m favor of resisting the reduction. The Board of Delegates meet to-morrow 1 to receive the voting returns and discuss the result.

THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MINISTRY.

Adelaide, January 6. Mr C. C. Kingston takes the Chief. Secretaryship, while the other port folios are allotted as follows :—Premier and Minister of Lands, Mr T. Play ford; Minister of Agriculture and Education, Hon. W. Copley ; Colonial Treasurer, Mr W. B. Rounsevell ; Commissioner of Public Works E Mr J. G. Jenkins.

INTERPROVINCIAL.

Auckland. January 6. The National Association have passed a resolution expressing' the opinion that m order that New Zealand residents only should exercise the franchise, the right to vote at Parliamentary elections should be restricted to persons who have been living for not le.^s than twelve months m the colony. An amendment was moved by Mr R." Monks m favour of womanhood suffrage, but was withdrawn. j The " New Zealand Herald " states that it is likely an action will shortly bo tried m which Mr George Hutchison, M.H.R., will be the plaintiff, and the Hon Mr IMlance, the Premier, the defendant. Mr Ballance, m a speech delivered by him on the question of the payment of mem bers, stated that Mr Hutchison had signed a paper asking the Government to bring m a bill to increase the amount paid. Mr Ballance also printed the statement m his paper, the "Wanganui Herald." It is alleged that it is contrary to faofc, and therefore libellous, hence the action. Haweka, January 6. At the Magistrates Court yesterday, W. Buckley, of Waitara, was charged with stealing sheep at Eltham. He was com mifced for trial, bail being allowed m one surety of £100, which was obtained. Wellington, January 6, W. H. Lockwood. a. station cook, who is supposed to be related to the famous firm of Lockwood Bros, was found dead m his room at Orr's hotel, Martinborous;h, this morning. He had been suffering from an aggravated attack of influenza during the past week.

Ashburton Horticultural Society.

A well-attended meeting of the Com mittee took place last evening, at which sub-Committees were appointed to pre pare a prize-schedule, to enquire as to obtaining a suitable place for the Show, as to a place of meeting for the Com mittee, etc., and to report severally at a meeting to be held on Wednesday next at 8 p.m. The following additions to the Society's membership were reported, viz., Messrs A. W. Randell, lid win Watkins, and J. Al]i.qoi}, Mr W. H. Rule intimated that he would offer, as a special prize for best kept cottage garden (not exceeding | acre m area), a filter of the value of three guineas. The offer was received with thanks, and the Committee adjourned.

The Governor on the West Coast.

(I'El! I'RESS ASSOCIATION.) Hokitika., January 6. The Governor arrived yesterday morn ing, j;eing driven from Kumara by the County. Chairman. He was me,b by the Mayor and Councillors, and received ad dresses m the Town Hall. An excursion was made to Lake Mahinapua, where luncheon was partaken of, and he was entertained at a dinner m the evening. He left for Boss at noon to-day, and starts South to-morrow morning, Mr Redden wjth him. The weather, is very threatening.

TO-DAY'S TELEGRAMS.

[per pbess association.]

Tlic Paliiatna Poiiioiiing- Caa« Wellington, January 7. The inquest on the victims of the Pahiatua poisoning case, which was to bo resumed to-morrow, is further adjourned for a fortnight, as a number of the principal witnesses are not sufficiently recovered to give evidence. Inspector Thompson and Detective Herbert are still m the district.' The rumor that the poison was contained m the lamb eaten is generally discredited,.

School Committee.

ASHTON. A meeting of the Ashfcon School Com mittee was held on Monday. Present- Messrs Taylor (m the chair), J. Shearer, J. Crossan, and J. Croy. It was resolved to give five week's harvest holidays, and the t times.of closing was left m the hands of the 1 chairman and master. The report on the school was received from the Board of Education, which expressed _ itself as pleased at receiving so very satisfactory a report. It was considered at some length i by the Committee, after which Mr Shearer proposed, and Mr J. Croy seconded, the following resolution :—That the Commit tee consider the report highly satisfac tory, and agree that both teachers be thanked for "the good work done m the school during fche past year. They also expressed a desire that the report be pub lished m full. The following is the re port :— Pass Subjects.

Percentage of passes—sl "56. Percentage of failures—l3*ls. Mai'ks Class Subjects. {0 to 100) History 70 Geography ... 75 Elementary Science, Object Les sons, etc. ... ... 65 Total ... - - 210 Percentage on class subjects—7o. Marks Additional Subjects. (0 to 20) Repetition and recitation ... ... 13 ] Drill and exercises ... ... ... 14 Singing ... ... ... ... 15 Needlework ... ... ... ... 15 Subject-matter of reading lessons... 14 Extra drawing ... ... ... — Additional marks 71 Thomas Mitchell, master, Ss. 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 ; Alice J. Lusk, ■ mistress, Ss. 2, 1 and P. Remarks—This school is ably con ducted, and the results of the examination are very satisfactory. The generally even quality of the work and the small number of weak passes indicate sound teaching and careful preparation. Arithmetic (Ss. V and VI). was the only subject m which any difficulty was experienced by the pupils. The answers given m the oral examination m class subjects show that the intelligence of the pupils has been carefully trained. The preparatory classes are well ad vanced, especially m writing and counting, and the quality of the work m these classes and m Standards I and II is a hopeful indication of the --prospect of a continuance of good work m the higher . standards. T. S. Foster, ; Acting Inspector.

THE MARKETS.

The Now Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, have received the following cable message, dated Lon don, sth instant :— " Wheat—Stocks heavy ; market has a clownw.ml tendency. Spnt, and c.Lf. qaotidoua a vj dcuiiaj 1 od pji -itJGlb and 4801 b respectively since last report.

Ipek press association.] London. January 5. The balance of the Doric's butter was disposed of at the same figure as the first portion of the shipment. ("Received Jaunary 7, 10.30 a.m.) London, January 6, The total quantity of wheat and flour afloat for the United kingdom is 2,468,000 quarters. Money is declining continu ously owins; to the cessation of the export of gold. Three months bills discounted at 2^per cent. Bank of New Zealand shares, new issue, £8. National Bank of New Zealand, £10.

THE FARM.

ASHBURTON SALEYARDS COM PANY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir.—lt is now, I think, over ten years since the above company came into ex istence, and up to very lately their mode of management seems to have given general satisfaction to the stock dealing public. Dealers m sheep are now, however, be ginning to think that some alteration bj' way of reduction, might be made m the charges on store sheep when yarded for sale, without materially lessening the profits of the Company, The idea is that lower charges would encourage the bring, ing forward of a greatly increased number of sheep to theyards, as it is well-known that to avoid the yard charges, every one who can sell privately outsideis nowdoingit. It is, with good reason, believed, that the extra number of entries the Company would get, would make up for any loss m revenue incident upon the lowering of their scale of charges, A shilling a score, (the present rate), would not be so much out of the way if vendors could always be able to sell at f. profit; but this they cannot do, and the consequence is they must take their sheep out again. As matters now stand, a ven dor having to remove, say, 1000 sheep out of the yards unsold, has to pay £2 10s yard fees, the same as if he had sold $hem j now undtsr tho circumstances, I contend this charge }s double wl * it ought fco be. tJut, at the same time, I admit chat every on« conversant with the business will understand that it would be impossible for the Company to discriminate between the straightforward man and others of a less scrupulous nature, who would only yard their sheep }n order to find gut their, market value, and then take and sell them outside, to save yard fees. I would therefore respectfully suggest that the company take into consideration the advisableness of making a, reduction on all lines of sheep exceeding, say 200 m number, and I believe that m the long run they would gain considerably by doing so. The company, at present, charges a shilling a score or under. This is all right, because a whole pen may be occupied by less than half a dozen sheep ; but Avhen twenty or more scores are sold m a line, and, say, there may b,e three odd sheep over the exa^ qaoveq, to charge a shilling fqr. t^oni is yery illiberal. T-iiey oi^ght only be 'charged at the rate of \\ shilling per score. On behalf of the Company we must, however, ftdmjt th,a,t all things connected with the receiving, sale, and delivery of stock, are conducted m the best possible manner, and that it "would be very hard indeed to find more oivil and obliging caretakers them Messrs Tippett and Littlecott. Then, lastly, though by no means least m importance, wo have to thank the Company for letting their refreshment rooms to such competent people as the Kellers. It is a. marvel how- Mrs Keller, whq i§ obliged to pack and oniivey '^e,r. good"' to the yards every Tuesday mornmg, let the weather be hot es'coty'w^ wcU'ii <$ft gupply us with

such an excellent lunch--fi)ir Is 6d, in cluding as it does, beer, or from one to three cups of tea if asked for. Trusting that others engaged m stock dealing may favor us at an early date with their viewo on the subject of yard charges through the medium of your much read paper — I I am etc., I). OIIVEB. I Chelmsford, January 4, 1892. John C. 'Morton, m his Cyclopedia of Agriculture, says that by liming land you cause the clovers and fine grasses to grow stronger each year till they cover the whole of the ground. Au English paper says that if two lots of horses are *ted respectively on large oats grown on rich land, and- on small grained oats grown on poorer land, the latter will be found to produce the most energy. ,

The following quotation from the seed circular of one of the largest establish ments at Home, dated October, will show that farmers who have ryegrass seed this season have excellent prospects for its disposal:—"Ryegrass Perennial. — The crop is now all out of farmers' hands, and the yield has turned out rather shorter than anticipated, With no stocks held over, we expect to see a brisk trade during the spring at advancing prices, as all the seed will be required for the season's trade. Present quotations : — Fine, per bushel, 4s to 4s 6d ; Pacey's, fine, per bushel, 4s 9d to 5s 6(?."

In many parts of England, especially near to large cities and towns, wheat straw is worth £3 a con. In'other wheat ■ growing areas, not so favourably situated, ie is hardly worth anything at all. It may even be a source of danger, and is, there fore, got rid of by burning, as m many parts of the colonies. - It has recently been discovered, however, that farmers and wheat cultivators " up-country " can turn it to better advantage. In the United States the farmers have found out how to make " straw roads." Those already made are pronounced excellent. They take the straw after thrashing and scatter it over the roads. After a while, when it is settled down, the straw makes the road like papier-mache, and ifc is smooth and dustless. H<jre is a hint for road boards and county councils.

We are sorry to hear that the bot or gad fly has again made its appearance. Last summer, it will be remembered, it caused more than a little suffering to horses and loss to their owners, and this season the flies appear to be far more numerous and, consequently, the need for precaution is greater. Washing the horses uader the jaws and down the throat (outside of course) with a carbolic wash, or diluted Little's dip, or turpentine, .keeps off the pest and also destroys any eggs which may have been deposited previous to or m the intervals between the washings. A Chertsey farmer has adopted the plan of protecting his horses' necks with a strip of calico and finds it to answer well. During the summer months the head, neck, shoulders and forelegs of horses should be frequently examined, and if necessary a more powerful insecticide applied to affected parts.

In a recent speech Lord Salisbury said: —I see Mr Morley raised it as a great re proach against our party that we are not able to do anything to remedy the agri cultural depression, a»id he reproaches us because we have no legislation to prevent the thistle-down growing m Esfeex and Suffolk, where golden grain ought to grow. Mr Morley is too exacting. Of coarse, if we had an unlimited license as to legislation 1 have no doubt that we could correct that evil at once. That evil could be corrected by a measure which ;I should not recommend to y&u, and which you would not accept at my hands. But undoubtedly the fact that land that formerly grew corn m Essex and m Suffolk is now abandoned to thistle-down is due to nothing else than that you have withdrawn the protection under which that land formerly grew wheat. Sou have abundant compensation for that. Free trade has been a most admirable and m the main successful policy. But you must take it with its disadvantages, and one of its disadvantages is that the less fertile districts m this country will no longer grow corn to profit. Nowhere m the world will you find any region that grows corn to profit without protection which is> situated m the fifty-seoond de gree of latitude. That those countries were formerly great corn countries are due to the policy of protection with its evils. The policy has been repealed. The improvement of rapid communication has brougho freetrade into its full exercise, and the result is that the less fertile lands have been thrown out of cultivation, and where they are situated on the dry parts of the island, where grain crops cannot be profitably grown, ne3essarily a good deal is not cultivated at all. But it is absurd to imagine that you can correct that defect without abandoning the great policy to which you are all attached.

LATEST CABLE NEWS.

HOME AND FOREIGN.

(PER PIU3SS ASSOCIATIOK.)

(Received January 7, 11.30 a.m.) THEATRICAL. London, January 3. Mr Henry Irving's revival of Henry the Eighth, at the Lyceum, is a great success. The pieoe is splendidly raountedj and the dresses are described as the most magnificent which ever Mp Irving has commanded.

JUDICIAL REFORMS.

Lord Coleridge, Lord Chief Justice of England, proposes that a council of Judges meofr the President of the High Court of Justice and the Marqui^ of Salisbury to discuss desirable amendments m procedure practice m the Supreme Court, including the re view qf sentences imposed on criminals, costliness of litigation, and the ex penses attached to appeal tcs the House of Lords.

THE DUBLIN OUTRAGE.

The bomb used m the explosion at Dublin Castle is similar to that made by the Fenian dynamite school m New York.

(^Received January 7, 10.30 a.m.)

BULGARIA AND RUSSIA.

Sofia, January 6s, Prince Ferdinand is joining- t>he Greek Church m order- to, conciliate Russia.

THE INFLUENZA.

Vienna, January 6. Influenza is ravaging Presburg, and the mortality is equal to that from cholera. Constantinople, January 6. Influenza has made its appearance here.

AUSTRALIAN.

1 (Received January 7, 12.40 p.m.) , THE MINERS' DISPUTE. Sydney, January 7. The Premier considers that the Associated Colliers did n,ot need to

reduce the price of coal, and their object was not so much to increase the export trade as to drive the non associated mines out of the 6eld. He thinks the men would be justified m offering resistance if the reduction affected their wages.

THE LABOR PLATFORM.

The central executive of the Labor Electoral League has called upon the labour members elected by the League to unite and carry out the platform of the League. A conference of the Ex ecutive And members will shortly be held.

THE VICTORIAN GOVERN MENT.

Melbouenr, January?. It is virtually settled that Mr Munro will take the Agent-Greneralship, Mr W. Shiels becoming Premier and Colonial Treasurer.

THE CRUISERS.

H.M.S. RINGAROOMA AT TIMARU.

(per press association.)

Timabu, January 1, H.M.S. Ringarooma arrived this morn ing, and steamed straight into the harbor. The Mayor and Borough Council and the Chairman of tho Harbor Board went aboard and welcomed the visitors. Capt. Bourke replying, said he would be able to pronounce a favorable opinion respecting the harbor to any one asking. Any vessel would be perfectly safe at the mooring. The only drawback was that the entrance was not good for rough weather. It is intended to entertain the captain and officers to lunch and a drive round the country to-morrow.

Educational Institute.

ANNUAL MEETING,

[PER MUSSB ASSOCIATION,],

Chrxstchuroh, January 6. The Council of the Educational Institute to-day decided to place on record its appreciation of the efforts of the Minister of Education and the Education Depart ment, to give effect to the Council's recommendations re syllabus. It was resolved that the new syllabus should be tried for a year before any recommenda tions were made thereon • that the Minis ter be thanked for his courteous reception of the Institute's executive, and for bene ficial amendments to standards ; that the appointment, removal, and payment of Inspectors be under the Central Depart ment ; that a Court of Appeal for teachers, is urgently needed ; that a moie uniform scale of salaries throughout the colony should be adopted ; that it be part of the routine duty of the police to prosecute parents of absentee children ; that the employment of any child under thirteen, who has not passed the fourth standard, be illegal; that the education grant should be calculated on the working aver age instead of on the strict average. Christchtjbch, January f. The session of the Educational Institute resumed to-day. The coimpAttee on uniformity of school books re-ported that as private enterprise m New Zealand and England supplies the profession with choap, varied and excellent sets of school buoks no necessity exists at present for a uniform set specially compiled, ■ by the Government. Mr Fergusson, Otago, m supporting the report, said the Govern ment should not enter into competition with private enterprise. There would have been no need to discuss the question if the Minister of Education had not said m the House he was favorable toGovern~ ment issuing uniform text books. Hft thought teachers should be consulted as. to text books and also the children, and was m favor of boards of education drawing up text books for their respective district? every two Qr three years. As to the Government issuing books lie thought the Council should protest emphatically. It would cost from £60,000 to £100,000 per year, and it was not likely that Parliament would vote that araeunt for a new series. Mr Wilmot (Marlborough)* said they had a lot of girls and boys growing up, and should encourage local industry m providing books. He did not want to see them importing anything they could produce. The report was adopted..

The Ashburton district contributed to the Salvation Army's «elf-denial week fund the respectable sum of £43. The! highest amount) for any district was only £62. A correspondent of the " Oamarn Mail" states tha.t at, Awamoko the hailstorm of last Thursday consisted of lumps of ice two or three inches m size, and m a very short space of time the ice lay upon the road some three or four feet deep. From the hillside it rolled down m. great masses, and com pletely filled the water race. Some of Mr Aitchison's crop was threshed very badly, and m Mr Maoleod's ground it wrought complete havoc —destroying potatoes, m&a. golds, and everything else, and leaving the whole m a perfect wreck. Next morning the ice was lying 3ft deep at the back of Me Macleod's. Mondays Kumara Times'* has the folio-w ---ing sarcastic paragraph •.—Hokitika is mak ing great) preparations for the reception of the Governor. The banquet tickets have nearly all heftu sold, and arrangements for » trip to lovely Mahinapua duly completed. The mowers have been bu&y i& Weld street with their scythes, and the long grass ha» given place to read metal. Patriotic citizens have bought a few square yards of bunting u,nd erected flagpoles on their houso tops. The. banquet speeches are all hatched, and the black ooats and slight trousers are home from the tailor's. A special- coia»ittce has inspected the resources of thtt hotel where the Governor is to lodge> a»d ascer tained that the sheets have, been aired and: the cellar capable of standing a strain. Alto gether, Hokitika will be en tote to-morrow. The. ps<6*eni depression m Melbourne is b,csny very severely felt m the suburb of. Brunswick, which is the. oentre of the brifli ; making industry, a.nd quite an exodws of brickmakcra nftd oartcrs has taken place to the country districts. Many of tkte brick yavtti* are closed altogether, while others are | employing quito a fraction of their former hands. For instance,, the Hoffman Comppny which m full work requires, about 450 men, now has only sixty, and other yar.dk »**• similarly placed. There is a strong i&>v. n ~ m Brunswick against the Cov«rM&*- lt f a ° their »conomic policy m the- matt*' „* nnWip works. Mr 1). MetW, M.t A * Jjfljj been a consent support*- of ' t ' he M Government swcUt^^. bar^uet that , Xb^ Government were praptlo*Jly(.wv>- jg the peopie out of em . ploymeat, *>\ d were bringing disaster on YiQtwiai,. These sentiments are largely shared by tho electors of East Bourke l^^ugh, and already an active canvass is leing made on behalf of Sir Graham Berry to return him to Parliament at the coining general election. This is on the understand ing that he will oppose the Munro Govern ment if returned.

THE ASfiBtfRTON GUARDIAN : THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 1892.



4> U ®

•6 Si e3 & 02

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a a> 3

T3 -2 '8

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2 4 5 8 9 8 5 23

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Wanted. x —> CASH Adverfciseoien^s under thia heading not exceeding SIXTEEN WORDS 1/-. Addresses may be left at this Office. f nHE Greatest Delicacy of the present I age. Button's Famous Fruit Sauce. Solo agents for Ashburton.- Stephens' Bros., Market House. 1 40 WANTED, a good General Servant. Apply at the Bank of New South Wales, Ashburton. USO WANTED Known.—Great Bargains m Ladies' Ca3hmere Hose, Under clothing, Pinafores, &o. Come and see them. Handsome Xmas presents now Giving away.—U. C v Sbcusrs, Melford , House. . WANTED KNOWN, a special lot of Hearth Bugs at Is lid, 2s 6d and 2s lid ; worth about doable. W. H. CoiXIER. ___________ "ivrOTHING will Cool you so quickly and ■jJi invigorate the system so much as Ice Cream.—H.G. Flowbr, Confectioner, East Street. _____ ANTED Known.— At"The Corner' now selling Ladies' French Shoes. 5s lid. See them.—W. H. Colmeb^ WANTED Known—A Beautiful Line of French Dress Goods, double Width, Is 10M ; original value. 4s. ~H. C. Seoers, Melford House. WANTED Known.—l have a large stock of Tin and Ironware Goods to select from. Register Grates, Stoves, Portable Boilers, Spouting and Ridging kept m stock*—J. W. ■ Haedlby, East ■ treet. 6t202 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. ALL Wool Colonial Tweed Suits to measure; fit and workmanship guaranteed; from 50s cash. Robert AI£ORN, Ashburton Clothing Mari, Saunders' Buildings. WANTED Known.—For first-class Drapery and Millinery go to Melford House ; cheapest shop iti town. (See windows.) Beautiful Xmas presenl s being given away.—H. C. Segers. fTiO Meet the Times.—l am supplying X Galvanised Iron Tanks from 30s upwards, warranted for twenty years, Force pumps, deep well cylinders of all descriptions. Inspaction invited.— J. W. Hartley, Eas street. 6J201 WANTED Known—That you will make no mistake for quality and variety m English 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. WANTED Known.--H. Bairstow has opened those premises m East street nextJ. 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 JPW YEAB~GIFTS, •'Hew Yoar Cards, AND BOOKLETS. NEW BOOKS for PRIZES and PRESENTATION. FANCY GOODS, etc L. F. ANDREWES and CO.