MAIL NOTICE.

Mails close for the following places as under, subject to (he necessary alterations :— SATURDAY, February 11. For South America, United Kiugdom, and Continent of F.urope (specially addressed correspondence only), (to connect with Aorangi at Auckland, and Northern Ports of New Zealand, per Penguin, at. 0.15 !».m. ; parcels post parcels, at 5 p.m, on Friday, 10 instant. Due London March 11.

ENGLISH MAILS.

HOMKWAKD—DIJWCT MAOiS, Tongariro, bailed January 20, due I«ondon February 20. Arawa. sailed February 2, due London March 15 Aorangi, leaves February 16, due London M-irch 31. OUTWAKB— TMREOT MAILS. Rimntaki, sailed January 7, due colonj February 22. lonic, sailed. January 22, due colony March 15. The letter-box will be cleared for des patch of correspondence from Ashhtirton Post Office to the under-mentioned places as follows: — For am, p.m. p.m. Burnham and Dunsandel daily) ... 315 Chertsey and Rakaia (daily) 6.30 3.15 620 Ohristchurch and North (daily) 6.30 3.15 6.20 and on Mondays, Wed ! nesdays, and Fridays... 10.30 Oromore (daily) 6 30 Biffelton and Willowby. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays 10.30 Elgin, Wakanui, River bide, Seaview, Seafield, and Kyle, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Satur days I. 630 Flemington Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays 4,45 Geraldine (daily) 10.30 Greenstroet, Winchmore, and Forks, Tuesdays, i Thursdays & Saturdays 6.30 - I Hackthorne and Lismore, : Tuesdays, Thursdays, : and Saturdays 10,30 Methven (daily) 3 15 Mt. Somers, Springburn, Bushside, and Alford Forest (daily) 4.0 Mayfield and Ruapuua, Mondays and Thursdays 4,0 Newlands, Tuesday?, Thursdays, and Satur- » days ... ... -. 630 Timaru, Dunedin, and South (daily) 12.30 Selwyn (daily) 6 20 Temnka A Timaru (daily) 10.30 12.30 and on fuesdays, Thurs days and Salurdays ... 3.15 Tinwald, Winslow, Hinds, ■ and Waimate (daily)... 10 30 \ and on Tuesdays, Thnrs- _ | days, and Saturdays ... 3 15 Wheatstone, Ashton, Waterton, and Long beach (daily) ... .. 4.45 N.B. — Letters containing" anything ot value should be handed to the Postmaster to be registered. Letters containing coin, or bank notes, if posted unregistered, will be cotnpvlsorily re gistered »ni chirued double registration fee.

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1893. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Premier went home to Wanganui, from Wellington, on Wednesday, and stood the journey well. Under a change in treat ment his health ha« taken a decided turn for the better. There was qui*e a large attendance of the public at Baring Square east last night ,to listen to the music of the Ashburton Band, who went through the full programme as promised in a most pleasing manner. The night being still and warm it was quite, a pleasure to be among the large audience. The fire bell rang out an alarm yesterday afternoon shortly before five o'clock, but as the fire turned out; to be only bouh goroe in the riverbed it was not considered worth taking the engine out. Last night there was a red glow in the western sky some where up the river, but we learn ifc was only the reflection of the fire of tome stacks j of straw. At the close of the Primmer v Stewart case Mr Justice Denni3ton made some remarks about the practice of suitors making large claims for damages in order to entitle them to a jury of twelve, when one of four would answer the question. His Honor said that the practice ought to be checked and in the case in hand allowed coats for a jury of four only. Athletes and the many friends of Mr L Broad v.'ill be very sorry to hear that the leg which troubled him at limaiu has broken out in boils, and it will be impossible for him to run for some time—indeed, his doctor has ordered him complete rest. Canterbury thus loses a good representative at the Amateur Championship meeting at Wellington on Saturday, and this is the more to be regretted as Mr Broad waa in such excellent condition that his prospects of success were second to none. .Mr D. Matson left for Wellington last night to compete at the meeting. In che 220 yards race on the swimming bath yesterday afternoon, seven competitors Btirted. Grubb, the scratch man, was dis qualified lor breaking away, and the next to him Upton—ssecs on the handicap, but really only 2secs from rcratcb, as the original scratch roan not coming to time left Grubb (3secs) iv that position—went away with a steady swift stroke, and soon overhauling the others, went through them and won by four oi five yards. Time—4min lOsec*. Cnlirerhouse was second, and Pauling and Burns tied for third place.

The Auckland correspondent of thd " Otago Daily Times, ' Bays :~-The manager of the Loan and Mercantile Agency Com pany has been indefatigable in his efforts fo promote the fruit ejcport industry, whicH after tna rebuff met w jth last season has shown signs of decline, but in *pifce of his efforte he had considerable difficulty in find ing among our logal growers % sutfrcient number who are prepared tp ensure the shipping oompany a full cool phamber if the latter went to the expense of erecting one. He has, however, succeeded in getting a few go-ahead orchardists to guarantee some 1300 cases of apples, and en the strength of this he has induced the iJew Zealand Shipping Company to build a cool chamber on the s s. Aorangi, which is to leave Auckland for Lowd^n pn February 16. jjfj^"'gj3#&^y J.tft>4 an(* respectable pony * **«• Sweti, asjimo^firej,- made a bolt ii,.c 01 A — -"A bad a most e?ti'&prdjnary forenoon, a*-- *■* «treet, ftiid up Bast gallop along Burner , <. fxk Btop the street A good many tneu . A.. ttonv ' and a good roapy more told it t. t™l' andin a high tone of V«^ ha served to increase its speed, At taat a yard of Henry's Hotel where he was taken care of, and" kindly hand. • moothedl^s ;| tancrled mane and calmed his turgid emotkms, while the "War Cry "man r# covered his emotional literature I

On Wednesday evening it was discovered that the plantation in front of the station master's house at Chertsey was on fire. Owing to the quantity of tmisocks and gorse about it could not be extinguished and s-pread rapidly towards tta hotel. As the wind was light some Sors, c *&$ *° the fence of a cleared flection lower dowu yas lit and by this means the fire was stopped ■it' Mr Doia's section, and soon burned itself out. An old lean-to, beto«gi»g to a man named White, said to be living atwie of the Bunks Peninsula bays, was desi jr >yed. This will be a great loss to the swagger fraternity; tor among them it had become a popular and much freouented hou.e mi ««« kcown in *be locality as "The .Cggerrßetreat." This ws.the third|flr« within a very short time and was probably caused by some careless or nialioioua swagger.

It is ttaed that a Bill will be introduced into the General Assembly next «e3sion for regulating the liquor traffic on what is known as the Gothenburg system. The Bill is to be entrusted, it is' said, by its p o noten- into the hands of Mr J. M. Shcra, M.H.R. tor Auckland, ihe object is to test the feeling of the LegUlatute on the question of experimenting on the liquor luws in the direction above indicated.

A list of the insolvencies, compositions,' and liquidations by arrangement durim' 1892 has beeu prepared by the officials of the Melbourne Metropolitan Insolvency Court, ihe figures referring to ooly that and nut the county courts. The insolvencies -.lumber 509, the aggregate liabilities being £2,10i,,!53, and the assets £1,372,423 ; •le niencies, i' 824,101, and surplus £95,141. There were 84 compocitionß, liabilities €5,072,007, assets Jb'2,140,696, deficiencies C 2.931,650, surpluses 1369. There were 18 liquidations by arrangement, liabilities i.643,721, asao^B 1444,257, deficieuuie.-* t-01,498, surpluses £2034. The total liabilities of insolvencies, compositions, and liquidations by arrangf-ment were £7,817.112 and the dtsets £3,957,378. The total diticiencies were £3,597,279, and Bur pluses £97,545 The London correspondent of the " Man chester Guardian" thus describes w hat has been termed & "Palace of the Poor": — Decidedly the best-equipped model lodging house for the poor in the world will be that which is about to be opened by the London County Council. They have spent nearly £j 7,000 on it, and it will provide for upwards of 300 lodgers, who will each pay 5d for their nightly bed. It will have the ! luxury of electric light, heating by hot air, bathrooms and shower baths, perfect sanitary appliances, hot and cold water basins, a steam laundry, dining and recreation rooms, with a good library, and a cheap cook shop on the premises for those who do not care to be at the trouble of cooking their own provisions. Everything is being done to make the place cleanly, wholesome, and attractive; tmd there are not likely to be any lack of applications for accommoda tion.

It is probable that an attempt will be made shortly to change, the terminus of the Pacific mail service from San Francisco to San Diego. The advantage claimed for San Diepo over San Francisco as the ocean terminus for the Pacific are two fold. It is 480 miles nearer to this colony than San Francisco. This is equal to thirty-six j hours' steaming. It is also nearer to New York by railroad. The Fant» Fe rail route is some forty-eight hours nearer to New York than the route from either San Francisco or through the Dominion. It is calculated Viat the mail service between New Zealand and London could be ac complished via San Diego in 2Udays, It is believed a trade could be developed with San Diego, and a market found there for dairy produce and frozen meat. Ihe surrounding country ia devoted to fruit growing, and as there is scarcely any rain for nine months in the year the land has to be irrigated, and is therefore too valuable to be devoted to the usual purposes of farming or stock raising, The best medicine is Sander and Sons' Eucalpyti Extract. Test its eminent power ful effects in coughs, colds, influenza, etc. — the relief is instantaneous. Thousands give the most gratifying testimony. His Majesty the King of Italy and medical syndicates all over the world are its patrons. Read the official reports that accompany each bottle We have no occasion to offer rewards in proof of the genuineness of our references. The official reports of medical clinics and univer sities, the official communications of the Consul General for Italy at Melbourne; the diploma awarded by the International Exhibit\on; Amsterdam —all these are authentic docu ments, and, as such, not open to doubt, We add here epitome of one of the various cases treated at the clinic of Schultz, M.D. Pro fessor, etc.—"C. 8., 24 years old; conges tional abscess on the thigh Incisions made in two places. Although Lister's dressing was applied, the secretion became, two days later, very copious, and had adopted a foetid decomposed character. The temperature rose enormously. In consequence the dressing was removed and in its plcice were made during the day-time repeated irrigations with Eucalypti Extract. The offensive fceter dis appeared very soon, the fever abated within a few days, and the patient recovered after the lapse of several weeks. In this instance we mus>t not lose sight of the fact that the latter treatment saved the patieut's life.— (Advfc.) 3

The Queensland Floods.

[per fkkss association. J

Toowoomba, February 8,

Queen street, Brisbane, is now free of water. Victoria bridge collapsed with a fearful crash on Sunday, shak ing the build-'ngs in the vicinity as if an earthquake had occurred. Nothing is left to mark the site of the structure. South Brisbane is in a terrible state, and on'y 25 houses are left standing in Stanley street which is one stretch of ruin. At Kangaroo Point families clung tenaciously to their belongings, but they were eventually forced to flee for their lives losing all their posses sions. Rescuing parties are at work day and night, Many families are living in boats covered with sails; while less fortunate ones are sheltered behind logs and timber. There having been great destruction amongst live stock the stench from the carcases lying in all directions is terrible. A portion of the residents in Oxley were in a critical condition for some tiiua, but a torpedo boat towing a whaleboat conveyed them provisions and ren dered them assistance. The Botanical Gardens are a complete wreck. The names of those drowned so far as is known are Messrs Power, Gray, Ray, and Rankio,

(Receivsct February 9, 11.50 a.m.) Toowoomba, Feb. 9. M*ny exciting scenes occurred in Brisbane during the flood. A number of women were rescued scantily clothed, and carried tQ high ground where they camped under verandahs. The wailing of wqinen and children and crjes of distressed animals could be heard over the noise caused by the roaring river ; The steamer Belle broke away frpra her moorings, and after she rounded Kangaroo Point a crash was heardj and it is feared the vessel sank with her crew of four hand?. £ t Sandgate, immense quan tities of debris, including portions of houses, are coming ashore. Two men named Keogh and Young, were

drowned, m& several others are known to hay? been losi, but their names are not obtanu* IMamage'in North alone will reach hundred? of tho^an4s of pounds, Over one hun dred houses were washed down the river within an hour, tjeing shivered to pieces a$ they collided with Victoria bridge. 3£any haye been made that huoian beings wejfe gashed dovn the river ciinging tQ wreckage and if correct all o»ust haye perished, A i»ft» and womaii werp t»en o» the roof of ft n°use, which capsiszed »t a bend in the river, aud both were drowned. The authorities b»v« «8r cured all the disinfectants in Brisbane, and gangs of men are employed re moving the deposit of mud from the streets. The same tales of disaster come f ronj vhp outside districts to the southward of Xtookkajnpton. The whole eastern portion of the coio^y is almost ljjterally under water. Late last night it ip-as that fifteen bodies bad been fou#4 ;in Fanby street, so#th Brisbane. AJI t,he njiues in MonklaiKi are flooded, and the esti mated, damage is £200,090,

Boom and Boomers.

(New Zealand Herad.) J (Continued). The Freehold Investment and Banking Cwmptnf was a Drtvies institution, Its assets were set dowi at £1,982,733. r)h« nominal capital was £10,000,000, in 40,000 £25 shares, of wh'ch £272,461 was paid Uf>. Sir ftlatth«w Davus, J. IS. Davies, ' and J. Moodie held £1,000,000 worth of shares, on which they m-ver paid utiu farthing. The total receipt* of t!i com pany ainuuaieu ro £212,583, and tin ux pendituiv to £371,15 J. Yet the directors declared hve halt yearly dividends, ab Morbing £111,148 out ot the deposits. Mr Ji-hn Munro owed ihn bank £160,000, with £38,000 interest. H* had bought laud from die bank with its own money, .iiid the proceeJs of this were set down nn profit.- There *»«« a fieticiuncy of t'1,019,27>. The shrinkage in the value uf properties was £300,000, and in share investments £1,000,000 At the last hill-yearly meeting the directors repre sented that a profit of £21,000 had ac crued during the preceding six months. Out of this they declared a dividend of eight per cent., and carried £5000. to the reserve fund. (Shortly afterwards the company was hopelessly insolvent, with a deficiency of £90,000 even after confis cating the entile capital and deposits. Many of the properties were sold to notoriously bad marks. Mi John Munro ha j made a pretended purchase from the company of the La Rose estate, on which he never paid a penny. Yet the directors entered in the books a fictitious profit of £53,000 on this transaction. This Davies Company also made fictitious siles to another Davies Company, the Melbourne Property Company, and took credit for large profits. It bought land from another Davies Company without paying a shil ling, and the latter, when it failed, took credit for a pretended protit of £150,000. The whole business was confined to a few speculators. Even after the boom col lapsed, the direct era continued to effect bogus sales, representing fictitious profits. Is it any wonder that when a £1 call was made upon 60,000 shares, it only realised £6000? Perhaps the biggest swindle of all was thd Mercantile Bank. Its very name was deceptive, because it conveyed the idea that the operations of the institution would be confined to safe commercial business, and would eschew risky specu lation iv the land boom. We shall presently see how these expectations were ialsified. Sir Matthew Davies, who dominated the bank, at once entered upon a series of the most astounding transac tions between this institution and others which ha controlledll In fac', subsequent disclosures proved that the Mercantile Bank was real'v started to buttress up those other sh».>j> concerns, by means of bogus exchanges and advances; The bulk of the advances were made to companies in which Sir Matthew Davies was a large shareholder, and which were at the tiii,e practically r insolvent. At the end of February, 1892, the directors declared a dividend of eight per cent., and a glowing report was presented to the shareholders. Sir Matthew declared that with the ex ception of one smill advance to a director, for whJGh he could give his cheque next day, no other director had personally ob tained au advance (com the bank, that he himself, though a large shareholder and depositor, had never received a shilling of the bank's money, had a biil discounted, or git an overdraft, and 'hat neither tho Real Estate Hank nor the Colonial Invest ment Company owed a penny to the Mercantile. Six days later, namely, on March 5, the Mercantile B.»nk suspended payment, *nl it transpired thai tho divi dend had been paid out of the depositors' money, and that, the institution was h pc- K'ss'y oankrupt. Sixteen days pricr to this Sir Graham Beiry, just arrived from ISugland, wih all his hlushins? honors thick up ;n him, was put up lo do somo rallying, and many people were induced to buy shares. Liquidators were ap pointed on July 11, and their interim re report was a startling revelation. Out of advance* amounting to £1,830,000, £835,000, or 4ojper cent., had bee;i lost. The shareholders who had paid up £400,000 would, when the unsubscribed capital was called up, stand to k.se between £750,000 and £1,000,000. Eighteen institutions with which Davies was connected had received advances ti> the amount of £659,789, out of a total of £1,830,328, and the estimated loss on the Davies advances was £512,117- Moodie, another director, had guaran teed £13,000 overdraft to Arm[ sttong, which money was afterwards transferred to the credit' of Moodie, in reduction of his own overdraft of £59,615. J. B. Daves, another director, owed the bank £66,151, on which the estimated loss was £38,991. Three institutions known as Gascoigne and Co., the Gas coigue Investment Company, and the Gascoigne Trust and Agency Company (afterwards called the Victorian Trust and Agency Company), in which Sir Matthew Davies held 325 000 shares out of a total of 400,000, owed the Mercantile Bank £101,295, on which there was an estimated loss of £62,752. The Aus tralian Mortgage and Finance Company was debited with an overdraft of £30,175, £18,000 of which it had paid over to the Colonial Investment Company. The Henry Arnold Company, another Davies concern, had sjld shares to the value of £8000 to tho Mercantile Bank. Tha latter resold these to the Gascoigne Company (Davies) for £13,250, but the alleged protit was somehow paid over to another Gascoigne Company. J here was a special open account in the Mercantile Bcnk's books on which the manager speculated, and he actually bought that bank's shares with its own money in order to boom the p:c rs. At tho meet ing held in October la-. , :.!> Ducker, the liquidator, reported thao the last dividend was paid out of deposits, the profits being shown by writing up interest on accounts known to be bad^ Prjoi l-> issue of the balance-sheet, some of the Davies banks were insolvent, a fact which was ponpealed from, the shareholders. Mr Ducker thought the Melbourne directors had used the London directory as conduit pipes to convey the money, of the deluded English depositois. Everybody con nected in any way with the bank, evan its solicitors, had been accommodated with advances. This led to criminal pro secutions being instituted against Mr P. Millidge (the manager), Sir Matthew Dr/ies, J. Bell, M.L.C., W. Anderson, and T. B. Muntz (the local directors), and against C. W. Ellis ?nd C. J. Richardson (the auditors), Sir Graham Berry was legally e^oherated, not having been on the directory when the false balance-sheet was issued.' The case is expected to ppen up the whole of the network of transaction a bptiyeen the Davies banks, and result in even more shocking disclosures than have yet come to lighr,

Jlollqway's Ointment axd Fills.— A fre^ueujb cajpe of gout and rbeumatisin is the inflammatory state of the blood, attended With bad digestyon and general dpbilitjr, A tew dosss of the piljs taken in tinje are an effectual pi-eypntatiye against gout and rhoumatiatn. A»yoj»p who has an attack of either should use Bolloway's Ointment also, the powerful action of w!u«h combined with the operation of the pUls, must Infallibly effect a cure. The pills act directly on the blood, which they purify and improve. Having once subdued the severity of these di:%afce», perseverance with the ointment, after fomenting pj&z affected joints with warm brine 1, will sp&dity vein* all stiffness and prevent any permanent don'tractioik The Onslovv Biscuit. The latest and . most delicate biscuit' nwnufofctured'by

THE RELEASED DYNAMITARDS.

, . -^- r Tub release by the Gladstone Govern ment of ligan and Daly took most people in the Colonies by surprise, and numbers of Howe Conservative jour nals Tiave made it the text,for very ! sweeping condemnation, it being roundly asserted that the liberation of these offenders was the " blackmail " j paid as a quid pro quo for political ' support. Bat the action in question was defended by Mr Gladstone so successfully as to scatter to the winds such an allegation, and it now appear* that not only the present but the previous Administration also was con vinced that the step just taken was one that ought to be taken, inasmuch as the Salisbury Government had it in contemplation shortly before they resigned office. According to an article in the "Fortnightly" by Mr J. E. Redmond, it appears that Egan and Daly were not dynainitards not tried as dynatnitards, being prosecuted under the Treason Felony Act—in a word were political criminals only. It is true (to quote a summary of Mr Redmond's article given by the " New Zealand Times") that "there was a dynamite count in the indictment, which affected Daly directly and Egan indirectly, but the evidence was un supported by probabilities before the conviction, and that evidence has since been declared on the authority of a respectable head constable to have been manufactured by the police. Against Egan there was nothing in i the matter of dynamite except his association with Daly—Daly having lived in his house for some time —and I there was sufficient doubt in the mind ' of the Judge, Mr Justice Hawkins, to make him reduce the term of imprison ment to twenty years in his case from the life term imposed on Daly and McDonnell, tried and convicted with him. That is the case as stated in Mr Redmond's plea. The leading features of the dynamite part of it are very succinctly summed up by him. On the 11th of October, 1883, Daly went to live at Birmingham with Egan, under an assumed name. Up till the 9th of April the police, as two inspectors swore at the trial, never lost sight of him; and during that time never saw him do anything to arouse suspicion. On the 9th of April he went to Liverpool after receiving a telegram to meet a friend ; and for two days the police, who had never lost sight of him for seven months, were off his track. On the 11th they suddenly found him at ! Birkenhead buying a railway ticket ; j twenty of them found htm at once, surrounded him, searched him, found on him a parcel of dynamite, placed the dynamite in a bag, which one of them conveniently happened to have, and arrested him at once as a dyuamitard. It is a story on the face of it suspicious, and it was nsver in any way tested in court, Daly not being represented by counsel. Why was this man who for seven months had never done a suspicious thing searched at Birken head ? Because his pocket appeared to be bulging, said the Irish head constable who had ordered the search Why had the police lost sight of the man between the 9th and lith of April, tho'igh they never had any difficulty in keeping him in-sight for the whole seven months? How was it that when they did find him they were in such force at Birkenhead, all in good order of ambuscade, with plans cut and dried for his search and arrest ? These questions we«-e neither asked nor answered at the trial. But an answer of a remarkably startling character came three years later, as most news paper readers will remember. In 1887, Mr Farndale, the head constable of Birmingham, solemnly stated that Daly was, as he had declared on his conviction, the victim of a police plot, and that the explosives found upon his person at Birkenhead had bsen purchased by the police, and handed to Daly by an informer kept in their pay, without any knowledges on his part as to tha contents of the package, just before the final' discovery scene' < so dramatically arranged at the rail way station, Mr Farndale told the story, with many expressions of regret for his share in it, to Alderman Man ton, of Birmingham. The Alderman wrote a long, scathing, moving letter on the subject to Mr Matthews, then Home Secretary ; Parliament got hold j of the subject and debated it fiercely j j the Home Secretary declared that he had made enquiry privately, and found that Mr Farndale had been mistaken, and, the Government majority being obstinate, the matter ended there.' But the head constable of Birmingham has never withdrawn one word of his story, and he is head constable of Birmingham yet." Now, if all this is true—and it appears .that both the Salisbury, and the Gladstone govern ments must have held it to be so, or at least that the conviction had been obtained on insufficient grounds, then it follows that in so far as the charge of carrying about explosives for im proper purposes is concerned the prisoners vyere unjustly sentenced, an,d as they have already served ten years ! in prison their political offences may ; well be regarded as having been adequately punished. In view of the facts disclosed the conclusion is there fore inevitable that their release is an act of iustice rather than of mercy. [

How Sambo Understood French.—find sws to the runaway negro on the raft, •• Jim, what'd you say if 'twas said to you « Parly-vous-frangy V " " Wouldn't bay nuffin. I'd just bust him over de ear j if he, wasn't a wite man. 'Low no nigger to call me dafc.' Einn says the words only foean, f rDo you speak French?" Jim inquires, 1 "If they mean that why don't they Bay that?" Dr Forest; says, ip "Health, the $S Tew Method;'? ye might maks similar in quiries of the professors ot Maseptherapy; but he goes on to explain massage, robbing, aod its beneficial results so that it might eyen enter the skull qt the densest negro; aid his mußcle-ro.ller and other new method are inyaluable. edition of hiai book n>uch enlarged, « published jat Truth 2nd '^Health?' Publication Offices, 16 ) tnam stieet, 6hristchurph.~|:Ap.VT.] Colpmaub AW So,r KucAtYPTK Er tkact is the only genuine w the market, and was a-f»rded raed»l» and diplomas at Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide, beating all competitors. For nil affections of, the Chest and LunRS; Oonaumption, Asthma, Cousrhs, Colde, Gravel, and Kidney Com plaints, i» has no equal. AgenU- AsasF»TO» Phvo Coy» * »• ' The Okslow Biscuit The latest and most delicate Hiscuit mwufatturw by ' Awtaforook and Qo. • '- f ■ J*

COMMERCIAL.

- ; ( [TSB. PBKSB ASSOCIATION  ; London, February 7.. \ {, At the wool sale* to-day, prices for ■': medium sorts were weaker, and »con- ' diderable quantity was withdrawn. For Qeelonq wools there was strong com petition, American buyers being particu larly eager, and prices ranged from Is o£d to Is lid. (Received February 9,11 a.m.) Lonuok. February 8. The total quantity of wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom is - ) 2,904,000 quarters. Shares are quoted—New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency £l 15s, New Zea land T ust and Loan £4 10s. U. i fine quality avenge 265, common sorts 245. Beans 355. Peas 30a. At me wool sale greasy medium lambi are selling well, other sorts steady. The butter market is depressed being over supplied. Svdnby, February 8. Wheat, chick, 2s lOd ; milling, 3s 6d to 3* 7d. Flour, New Zealand, £8. Oats, Danish, 2s 4d to 2* sd; best feeding, scarce, 2s BJ. Maize, firmer ; New Zea land, 4a 4d to 4; 5d ; none at hand. Barley, Cape, 2s lOd. Peas, Prussian Blue, 4a 2d. Bran, Bd. Pollard, Bd. Potatoes, local, £5 to £5 10s ; Circular Heads, nominally £6. Onions, Victorian, £1 Ids to £4. Butter, dairy trade, 6d to 7d ; factory made, 8i to 9d. Cheese, prime sorts, 4£d per lb. Bacon, prime New Zealand, Bju to 8H; hams, nomi nally lid. Melbourne, February 8. Wheat, active, 3s 2£d. Flour, stone, £7 ; roller, £8 10s. Oats, stout white, 2s o£d. Potatoes, prime, £3 2s 6d. Butter, factory made, 7d to lOd. Adelaide, February 8. Theat, offering freely at 3a 4d ; buyers will give id leu. Flour, roller, £8 Mta. Oats, 2s 4d. Barley, malting, 4s 3d to 4s 9d. Bran, B|d. Pollard, 9Jd,

Addington Stock Market.

Christohubch, February 8. There was a fair entry of stock at the yard* to-day, but an harvest operations are stilteun fall swing there was not such a large sttends>nce of farmers, Cattle.—A smali supply of fat cattle met with fair demand. Prices remained about on a par with those of last week. There were but few st< re cattle yarded, and sales - were unimportant. A fair entry ot dairy cows, for which there was a strong demand. Good sorts cold at a considerable advance on late.rates, prices ranging from £8 to £9, second quality,.£s to £7 10s. Pigs.—About the same as last week, the high range of prices then ruling being' fully maintained. Porkers 18s to 30s, baconers to 48a. Stork Sheep.—A good entry of store sheep and a satisfactory demand. Good crossbred ewes sold up to 14s 3d, and cross bred lambs up to 11s Id; Fat Lambs.—The entry of fat lambs was very large, and the demand was again good, though a little easier towards the close, . when requirements had been batiftfied. Best pens sol" from 12a 6d to 14s, medium 10s 3i tollsCi. Fat Sheep.—A medium entry of fat sheep, inciuding some very coed quality ; lots. Prices for all descriptions weje about 'on par with last week's sale. Crossbred . | wethers 14s 6d to 17« 2d, wethers and maiden ewes 12s 9d to 15s 6d, dry crossbred ewes 14s 9>i te 16s 3d, merino wethers * l.)s 4d to 11s Bd, and some prime sorts up to ! 14« Id.

Ashburton Markets.

MESSRS MILKS AND CO. Messrs Miles and Co. report on the weekly Rtock sain held at the Tiuwald yards on Tuesday, February 7 ?—rConaider ing the season, and. the fact of farmers being still busily engaged harvesting,' there \ was a fairly sizid market at Tinwald. The entries of last week in sheep being more than trebled, the total* yerded were 5509 sheep and 26 head of cattle. The attendance was not very large, but competition was fairly animated, and values were well sustained in all classes. The butchers' pens were chiefly occupied by merino wethers of good quality, and for these satisfactory sales were made to buyers for export at Ba, 9s 3d, and lid. Merino ewes cold up to 7* 4d. Fat lambs for freezing changed owners up to 12s 6d. The entries in Btore theep included several lines of turnip sheep, in which class we topped the market with a grand evcu line of halfbred two-tooth wethers from Mr Harper's estate at 13s 7d and 13s Bd, Entries of ewes and lambs wero not numerous, but those brought forward met with satisfactory trade, merino ewes with lambs all counted selling up to 8s 9J each. Store lambs ranged from 5s 9d for smallest descriptions, up to 9s 3d for . fairly grown. Crossbred ewes were en quired for during the day, and a number of buyers were disappointed at being unable to fill their requirements in this respect. The quality of entries in cattls was in different, .but good stores sold well. Our tales were—B9 crossbred ewes at 12s; 50 halfbred wethers at 12s 3d; 140 merino wethers at 10s 6d ; 200 halfbred two-tooth wethers at 13s 7d; 354 halfbred two-tooth wethers at 13s 8d; 129 maiden ewes and wethers at 13s Id; 60 crossbred ewes at 15s.

MR DAVID THOMAS. Mr David Thomas reports upon the lire stock market in the Aahburton district for the week ending February 7, as follows:— On Tuesday at the Tinwald yards the usual weekly live stock sale was held. There was a large yarding of sheep, say about 5000* and 29 head of cattle, of which my entry comprised 3702 sheep and 29 head of cattle. There was only a small attendance, b»t there was a keen demand for all good sort*, and bidding was brisker than has been the case of late. I disposed of all the sheep I had yarded, with the exception of about 300, at prices very satisfactory to vendors. I sold on account of numerous clients—4l merino wethers, 8a 6d; 190 merino wethers, 9s 3d j 20 merino ewes, 2s Id; 63 halfbred awes (mixed* ages), 6s 7d: 15" sound .mouth merino ewes,' 7s 4d; 193 merino ewes, 4s 7d; 122 first cross lambs, 9a 3d; 240 cross, bred lambs, 115,3 d; 144 halfbred latnbs, Qs sd; 41 crossbred lambs, 5s 9d; 125 fat lambs,' 12s 3d; 3 fat lambs, 14s; 124 sound month merino ewes, 7s ; 603 hoggets, 12s 0d j 100 crossbred ewes, 13s 6cl ; 305 crossbred ewes, 10s 9d: IQS two-tooth ewe hoggets. 13a 6d. "• There seemed fewer purchasers for oattle - than there were last week, but I disposed of my eutry at very satisfactory prices. My sales in cattle were—2 fat steers, £4 ss; 2 fat steers, £3 17s 6d; 3 two-year-olds, £2 15s; 1 cow and calf, £6; 7 yearlings, £1 13a j 1 cow and 2 calves, £5. There seems a scarcity of prime beef, and if vendors brought in their fat stock now I think they would realise full values. I have sold privately during the week—6l4 lambs, 10s 6(1; 100 crossbred ewes, 13s 6d; ' , 700 crossbred ewes, 13s 9d; 125 crossbred i ewes, 13s 6d; 1000 crossbred wethers at owner's reserve. Horse Market — The entries fcr the horse sale -for the past two Saturdays have been rather meagre. Put now the bust time of harvesting is over, the' Arokde \t;i{l soon resume*'its usual busy appearance, and purchasers will hay.c the opportunity oi getting some, good st&unch stoc\ which/they can rely on.

WANGANUI RAM FAIR.

Wakoakci, February 8. Itfetsrs Freeman B. Jackson and Co. s annual rani fairbega.n to?day, and was largely attended by buyers from tht» oowt. Lincoln studs were keenly competed for, Mr J f B. Sutfcon's i Southland) topping the TwarHot with feur.toothu at 06ot. His average for ten was £35 15s. Mr Fred Button's fifteen averaged £24 14s 3d, the highest being 38gs. Hon.M. Holmes' (Oamaru) eight averaged £17135, the highest being 28&£s. Good flock Lincolns sold very well, a pen of twenty four by Mr W. Wilson (Klslea) averaging £9 lls. Medium Lincolns were fully 10a / 6dto2ls lower than last year. Mr C. W. Reid's (Onmaru) seven Uomneys, th« only ones in fhe market, averaged £6 15|

THE ASHBUBTOft QUAttBIAN: THURSDAY, FEBRtJARY 9, 18M,



'J.HS MUST CLBAi IN- SA'J «. J. WBtlLl. ft Co. full price* on other W™*- «auTiiTRTC)N BEFORE KNOWN IN ASHBUKIUJS. Ladies' Covsew 4« 6d, now 2s 63. Dr Warner's well known CWs 10s M^ now 6, fad. Double width Sheeting, white twill, lOfcd Good washing Motim, 8* Hd dozen White Muslins, satin stripe, 7£d now 4^i children's d^ses, wonderful value at 6i 1 . CLOTHING. CLOTHING. I Men's Tweed Suits, 19s Jsd Bovs'Tweed Suits, 4s li« , Mf a Colonial Tweed^ern BjlM &c ., A large stock of Men °y oU R OWN PRICE. BOOTS. BOOTS. BOOTS. Men's Colonial made Bluchers, 5s , jif sfin Kontß and cannot get ready made Boots to fit pricwa TERMS CASH. .-KEMEMBER THE ADDRESS- U # J. SiEILL and CO., # FRIEDLANDER'S BUILDINGS.



Z^nna WATCHE» WATCHES. WATCHEft^^ ANNOUNCEMENT BotUertoam fß_Watclie!i. S-^AIiEK, WAT C H M A % » « AND. J E W E L L E R, tha well-known and reliable fhm of "RotlierlmnCljofi- HASinat received from tn« .o« watc hes specially made by Rotherham for S don," a large consignment ,o . _ me *; t collxilits of _ IBcfc Gold Hunting Saxjsk (as engraved on works.; itfeo igct Gold op^n face and Hunuug, with Lever Keyless | plate, opeu n {a<je ftnd keylesß Levors, Sterling Silver - centre seconds. Lady s xoc, r j^j^g,!,,-,',. Hunting Levers, key-windiug ; Rotherh_m's Hunting ev^, *°* R O therham's Open Face, key-winding. Msoa Rotherham« Open tace, Keyi.y atcneß to select from. T<> racng men. members of choice stock of Ladies *>iiver * C i UDS arv d all who have occa ioi» to uae a watch fo' Athletic, Bicycle, and Swimming viu, Open Face STERLING SILVER timing, SS. has ju r t rece^ ed t^y minutes in fifths, The advantage of having a Race timers-will time "PJ^^igjjs, with superior works for timing purposes only, good race limer in blJ^v r^tx v<* te j la the time of day nm4t bo a pp are nt; instead of being combinedlW .a *». w& never m% of orde _ watchmaker a?( jeweller, SL" and Jewellery Itop^ »* "^g?



BOOTS. BOOfS, SHOES. SHOES. THE i tfEW ZEALAND Clothing Factory BOOT AND SHOFi WAREHOUSE. before purchasing elsewhere. A Single P«r of Bo^s at the WhuhwUt; Price. All new goods. 200 Pairs of BoyTand GirW Strong School Boots audioes from 2s M. LADIES. Buy your Boots and Shoes at the Factory, you will save 3s in the pound. THE AUGITfiIiTOVE MAT, Only a few left; just the thing tor pre serve making : only 2-j. TROUSEK3 fou 9» 6d. NEW ZEALAND Clothing Factory. ALEX. HENDRY, Manager*



THE HARVESTJS PLENTEOUS. \ 1? any rate it is up to the average— *> and the laborers are—well, a good de*l more than plenteous. I have never before seen so many men in Mie country on the''outdtok for harvest work- For a time tha towu was "stiff wid 'em," as Pat said about thft river and the fish, "out a tfoorl many h-ive **een absorbed since the vrcathe • became harvest weather, and allowed the machines.to jjo ratllins along, CUTTINt* I>OWN the wealth of Ceres'srolden reign. I trust the farmers will get s'unplhi'ig like a favorable return for their year ■* toil, and that when they come into town with j their little i OAL/ICO— (2s Hd a dozen)— bags'of'samples of grain, representing th crop, on the growing and in-gatherntg o which they have been concentrating at their energies since last harvest, they wil be able to receive from the grain more ujls that will enable them to live themselves <»nd LET OXHBtftM JL.IVJE. The farmers are the men who feed v* all, who grow out* grain, our meat, our dairy produce, and the wool to make cur UJJOXHI^fCA— (suits at 355). They are the men who, with their wives and families, the tradesmen must depend upon to make their living, and we have the most solid reasons possible for re joicing when the farmers are prospering. fco thinks HARRY HARDLEY Manager for HARttJLKY BROS. Who are selling fcoods very cheap. Beautiful dress tweed 4s 9d a dress j striped ginghams 7M. BOOTS IN ENDLESS VARIETY. Men's Colonial made shooters 9s 6d; slippers 3s 3d. COMB AND GIVE US A TRIAL.



A. Naffflrlniff WU© A FACT. A speaker was holding forth on woman and ho made out that sho was just a little angel on earth. In gl .wing words he pictured how patient she was in suffering how courage >us in trouble, and how alto gether gentle, loving, and good sho was under all circumstauces, and closed hw peroration by declaring that any man who laid his hand on a woman, save m the act of kindness, was a monster. After the lecture, a pale haggard. woe-b«gone, looking man shuffled up to the speaker and said, " Look here, mister, I've heard what you've been saying about woman ; nil about how nice and sweet she is, why, one would imagine that you believed all women were jusfc blushing full blown roses; I guess you don't know my wife. Well she haint no blooming rose. She's a daisy, a reg'lar daisy, why mister my wife a a nagger, and there is'iit an hour, when she's awake, but ihst she's nagging someone. If it i»'nt "11?»lt8 the cbrdren, it is'nt the childrtn, it'h the cat. There is nothing that escapes her naming tongue, and the only time a.iy of us gets. any rest is when she has naeged herself 10 sleep." How like the nerves of a man who drinks; tiny just nag, nag all the time, giving no rest until enou«;h liquoi has been taken to deaden all nervous sensibility, and the poor fellow goes on in that sodden, snoring, miserable state that is but the rattling skeleton of a healthy sleep. „ T R. T. Booth's Golden Remedy No 3 puts an end to all this nagging pi the nerves by destroying all desire foj liquor. R. T. Booth's Golden Remedy No, 2 if the best Brain and Nerve Tonic on thife earth. All chemists.



The Best Tea IN THE WORLD Bf.yslop's Ceyßon. NINIAN HYSLOP, anb CO., Tea Importers, ISB Oa hel street. Chnstcburoh. Hampton's ■pURNITURE rj^AREHOUSE, TANORED STREEr, Is Opposite Mkchell and Turner's. THY HAMPTON'S FOB, Peram'.ula'.ovs from 22s 6d Poranibuiatoif Reversible Hoods frdin 35.i, P»itent Rubber Tires B-.BketWare- . Chest Drawer* Cli ills ;i!id Fables Ki-dsteads Oho i) F'irnituro All Repairs Ci)!itninl Cuuebcs Wire Spring Mat trasses BRANCH BUSINESS. K4ST STREET, LV'low Patching's. GREAT ASSORTMENT OF OROOK«RV,AXI> IMNCn COODS.— 435 CUE IP.



1T\"» ANTED Known—Good Em- VV broideriPH, 2£d ;3er 7^A.— MITOHKLL AN I! TIJRJfBR. «J> P'~lA7oS~from £26 to 70 Guinea. Ssolii t»n our, two, and three year.-,. Ter-'is to nuit purchasf.rs. Reduced sc»lp. — R. M. .Ton* 8 ANTEI) the Public to know that S. W. ALCORJf *nd Co's Summer Sale is now on. Great Bargains in Millinery, ! Underclothing etc. \\l iINTED Known-Ice Creams. Jce V V Creams, for the hot weather. always ready *t IT. G. Flowbr'j*, Conftc tioner, Eajt Street. \\/"ANTED, at once, a Boy ha\i ■« VV passed Standard V. or VC, as apprantine to thn printing trade. App'y Mail Office. __ _ SOMERSET Meat M-irt. Th^ oldest, the largest, tha bast, and the cheap est. Small »»oods a spfccialty. Full weights guaranteed. A nial solicited. —W, J. SunocK. 4t182 WANTED Known that S. Salek, Watchmaker and Jewsller, has removed to new shop near New Zealand Clcthini? Factory. 10 213 IXrANTED Known.—Come and see » our dress lines at 4£d and 6J, leatlior shirting 6£d, three-quarter cloaks 12s 6d. —H. C. SECiBRS, Mslford House, \\f ANTED Known —200 dozen VV Ladies' Gloves from 4^d.— Mitchell and Turner. 2 9 W' ANTED Known—Good White Calicoe 3s 9d per dozen.— Mitchell anu Tcrnkr. _2_7 WANTED Known—Dr Scott's cele brated Electric Corsets can only be obtained in Ashburton at W. H. Colubr's, "ThflCornar." WANTED everyone to come and see the beautiful presents we are giving away for every 5s and upwards spent.—H. C. Sbobrs, Melford House. WANTED Kaown.—A great variety I ofhiah class dress goods to choose from n.;w selling under regular wholesale prices.—H. C. Segers, Melford House. WANTED^Purcnasers tor Bargains in Summer Dresses, Prints, and Delaines, Sunshades, &c. at S. W. Alcorjse and Co's Sale. _^ WANTED Known—New Flannelettes at extraordinary prices; 3s lid *nd 4s lid doz. Thirty per cent under price.—W. H. Collier.



DON'T let the rain water destroy your buildings. Get Spouting fixed at 41 per foot" and buy a tank, complete with tip, tested before leaving workshop, for 30s, at J. W. Haudiey's. WHY not Bake your own Bread when you can syoc 501 bs of tho I test R>ller Flour itv five shillinga cash or five shillings and sixpence booked ac Robert Alcorn s, Saunters' Buildings. __________ 11 31 DON'T Forget the Borough Bye-Laws re Carr asra Lamps, and that FJ .vud.lk . xa 1 irge Stock «>n hand, also a Urge assortment • f Tinware and lrcn mongety, Scythes, Reaping Hooka, Hay Knives, Forks, etc., of beat quality, and all at lowest piswible prices J. W. Hardley, Bast Street, Ashburton. _ NEW YEAR'S GiFTS.—Card, Book lets New Ganv<B in great varietj Beaut fullotofVaaes, FancyGlassware,and Fauy Lamps Boys' and Girls' Annuals, and < ther new Volumes. Piizj Books at reduce iprices. JSew Birthday Reward and Wedding Carda -L. P. AJSDREWE3 # 30,, Stationers' Hall. rpUR Misses Adams' r,ew Refreshment -L Rooms now op^n. Tea, Coflfee, Cocoa, Lemon Squash, Scda and Milk and all the new summer drinks ready at all times, Coleman's Buildings, East Street. ,____ . BEAR in mind that J, W. Hardley, Plumber and Gasfitter, East Street, has the largest Stock in town of Pumps, Pipes, and Fittings, and that he is selling them cheaper than ever at prices hitherto unheard of in Ashburton. Now is the ch.mce for a cheap Pump ; improved No. 4. Price, 16s. Larger si".es in proportion. /"CHRISTMAS Suits. Boys, three l_y garment long Trouser Suits at las. Boya, Colonial-made Knicker Suits from 10s. Men's nicely made Colonial Tweed vSuits 30■;. Colonial Tweed Suits to measure from 50s.—Ashburton Clothing Mart, Saunders' Buildings. Robrkt Aicorn. 11TaNTRD Kuown—-Thit J. Moison YV keeps the best stock of Boots in Ashburton, for this reason that he pays cash and is not under or bound to any one firra like many in the trade, which enables him to procure and supply the public with the Best Colonial and English makes ; and his well-known make needs no recommendation. Always on hand Best Sole Leather, used for repairs and done at once.—J. Moison, Impermeable Bootmaker; Town Hall, East Street, next Court House _



Public Noiioai TDEOPL^i about to marry and furnihh X. their houses, are invited to call on Pickford & I nclrlll, AT THB ASHBUSTON FUBNITUBE WABEHOUSB, 'fABJCRED STREET, $est B«iW*9g Society. -HOW d 5 «"*-„, Dining-room Suites in Rimu, ow Suites in Rimu, Iron and Brass Bedsteads, j Chests Drawers, Washstands, Spring Mattresses, English and Colonial Peram bulators, Horse Hair, Kapoc and Flock Mattresses, Duchesse and Fancy Tables, Floor Cloths and Linoleums, Carpets, Hearth Rugs, and Mats. Furniture Repaired, Restuffed, and Repolished on the Premises. ! —Note the address— TANCRED STREET, Next Building Sojiety. FRANK J>|AJUY, Late ot Ashburton Forks, LJTORSE SHOER, General Black .LJL smith, Wheelwright, &o. REPAIRS IN TEL BRANCHES. WAKANUI ROAD, behind i>ost Office* opposite the Wesleyan Church. Orders attended to with promptitude and despatch. HOFSB SHOEI NG~A SPECIALTY.