BIRTH.

McClatchie.—On February 25, at East Belt, Ashburton, the wife of Thomas McClatchie, of a daughter.

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 1893. THE "ZONE" SYSTEM.

Few men have so abundantly the courage of their opinions, or have so persistently kept before the public the assertion and reassertion of fie sound ness of the ideas they hold, and the benefits to be derived from their adop tion, as has Mr Samuel Vaile, of Auck land, the now well-known advocate of railway reforia. Possessed of implicit faith in the zone system of working railway lines as one the adoption of which by the railway authorities of New Zealand would result in vastly increased traffic, revenue, and profit, he has never ceased to impress upon the New Zealand Government, Parlia ment, and people the advantages to be derived by working the New Zealand railways on the system he advocates. For a time his zone idea was treated by most people as the crude notion of a one* ideaed man who had railway reform upon the brain, and he received the customary cold shoulder which is the portion of most m«n who tender what is held to be gratuitous. advice, and of all reformers in the beginning of their crusade. But the coldness of hi* re ception did not daunt Mr Yaile. Successive Governments damned him with faint praise, or pigeonholed his communications for a more convenient season, no doubt thanking their lucky stars, as Sheridan did with his bill, that " that was done with." But, like the bill also, Mr Yaile came again and again, and ceased not his agitation, lie kept the press of the colony fully supplied with leaf literature in which he clearly explained what he was advo cating. It would be idle to say that most people in New Zealand knew what he wished the authoriii^s to do. Most people did not; for most people passed his figures after reading the more popularly treated parts of his letters, just as they suddenly jump to another column, after reading the interesting quarter column article introductory of a patent medicine. He essayed the Railway Commissioners, and found that to convince them was about as easj an undertaking as to procure a new station for Ashburton or a cross ing at Moore Street. Not at all certain are we either that he was received by the triumvirate with the suavity of the genial McKerrow when that worthy Commissioner met in conference the wisdom of Ashburton county, and noted how very much they did not agree as to what they wanted in the way of railway reform here. The expert Maxwell pronounced the zone scheme impracticable for New Zealand, and most nten would have been satis fied with this as the end. Not so Mr Vaile, whose nil despemndum motto was not by any means obliterated, and next we hear of a proposal in Parlia ment to have the system tested on a portion of the New Zealand lines. Mr Vaile finding that a prophet has no honor in his own country tried countries elsewhere, and had the satisfaction of finding the ears of the Hungarians open to his words, and their minds amenable to his 'reason. The zone system was tried there, and varying were the reports we heard of its success —varying with the "color" of the filters through which they came to us. Now, however, Mr Vaile is able to give us something more certain and autho ritative, and in the following letter, which speaks for itself, tails the editor of the " Auckland Herald" how his scheme has fared in Hungary, We give the letter in its short entirety, and only add that when the full particulars he expects are to hand, they will be potent factors in the conversion of many of our politicians to a beluf in the zone system : — " Sir, —By the mail just to hand I am in receipt of a letter from the Hunga rian Consul in Sydney, in which he informs me that the result of t!ie first year's working of the "Zone Tariff" has been to increase the passenger traffic 4@4 per pent, (four hundred and sixty-four per cent), an 4to double the revenue. 1 his is a wonderful result for three years' working, and it con firms me in my often expressed opinion, that we poujd do quite as much, if not more here, I expect to receive the official reports from Hungary shortly, and will then send you full particulars."

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Rev Q. H- Bradbury, of Linwood Congre gational Church, has resigned in order to take part it> mission work at Wellington. The arrivals in New Zealand during February were 2625. and departures 1913, The figures are subject to revision. The oftertory at the Ashburton Catholic Church on Sunday, for the Queensland Relief Fund, amounted to the highly credit able sum of £37 7s. Mr George Burgess advertises that he has fenced in stock paddocks at the Selwyn. This will be a great convenience to those tj?af filing stock. The Oani.erl?py Industrial Association is considering the advisableness of holding a purely New Zealand exhibition $,t f Christ church. The " Taieri Advocate " has the authority of a Gore gentlenian for saving that he has a definite pwnrtse from Sir Robert Stout that if hie is a candidate at the gpnerai election it will positively be for Afata#ra. At a meejtiog of tUe Dunedin Ghainber o| Oomwepce on 'H^ck 3, a telegram was received fr©i» tfee Hm« ©epartme# asking that the chamber aho»l4 uude^take to procure an agricultural trophy fop £he opening of the Imperial Institute, It was intimated that Mr A. S. Paterson had undertaken to get up a grain and seed exhibit *t his own expense. A visitor to Wan^amp and New Ply mouth states (says the " Wajcarapa Star') that he never found the colony and the settlers in anything like as prosperous a £oaditw?u as Ithey ,ar,e at the present time. The setters ev#rywh,ere appear to be not; merely phased, b#t o»er|t»yed at their! prospects, and the busings people p £he towns are sharing in the general prosperity. One country settler informsd him that he averaged about £50 a month for his butter, and afc ISOV Plymouth it was represented to him that vhepeas the farmers four or five years ago were glad to regeiye |d and 3id a pound for their butter, and then had to take it out in gtoree, they are now able to get B_<l per pound from the exporter, cash down, * I

Mr J. C. Dolman, late of Ashburton, has again secured the W*se of the Danevirke Town Hall. A Christchurch telegram to-day tells us that the Queensland fund now amounts to £1349. By the Wakatipu, L 530 worth of produce, etc., was *ent. to Brisbane. The list closes on Saturday. The " Sword and Shield," organ of Primitive Methodism in Victoria, says that " of the 37 stations we have m Victoria and Tasmania, 35 have voted in favour of union with all the Methodist churches, and two against." It is only of late yeirs that the existence of indiarubber in any quantity on the Gold Coast has been discovered. In 1882. the total amount exported from there was valued at £1 only ; the value of th* yearly export of this article now is over £160,000. The total oat crop in Canada this year is calculated at 85,000,000 bushels, against 90,000,000 last year. The total barley crop will be something like 17,000,000 bushels, against 19,000,000 in 1831. The " Wairarapa Star" says :—The Hon ! R. Seddon, as a Minister of the Crown, appears to be an extremely hard worker. He is to be found at his office frequently at seven in the morning, and his duties encioach into au advanced hour in the evening. ' The Grey mouth " Star" in a succinct article commends the proposal of the Go vernment to precipitate the general elec tions to October, on the score that every thing good, bad, or indifferent threshed out on the floor of the houve will be fresh in the memory of candidates and the electors. In India there is still burning a sacred fire that was lighted by the Parsees twelve centuries ago. The flame* are fed with sandal and other fragrant woods. The fire is replenished five times a day. 'The Columbus postage stamps to be used throughout the United States will be of a very unusual oblong shape. In order to give room for the emblematic designs, the stamps will be twice the length of the present series. Bismark introduced the practice of smok ing in the German Diet, where, until he cook a cigar from his pocket and coolly asked the president for a light, no member had hitherto enjoyed the privilege of smoking except the president.—Academy. A man named McCaul, an engineer em ployed at the Wellington "Evening Press" drank some nitric acid by mis take for an effervescing drink. Fortu nately he took too much. He was sick and escaped with his life and considerable internal pain. The committee to enquire into ths question of the minimum bze at which flounders should be taken, and other matters affecting the fishing industry at Lake EUesmere, opened its sittings at Christchurch yester day. Evidence was given by Mr E. G. Wright, M.H R., and Mr Durant, President of the Canterbury Fishermen's Union The holders of Oamaru Municipal honds met in London on January 27, and provisionally agreed to " consolidate." The loans comprise two "general," £25,000 at 7, and at 5 per cent; one " gas," £9800 at 5 per cent; four " waterworks," three totalling £120,000 at 7, and one of £14,000 at 6 per cent} in all £173,800; total interest, £21,730. Mr Muller, secretary of the Ariel Bicycle Ciub, has received a letter from McCombe, the Australian rider, stating that he will arrive in Ashburton on Saturday, and intends training on the Domain track up to the day of the bicycle races—March 15. Nominations are coming in freely, and competitors are reminded that nominations close on Wednesday at 9 p.m. We learn from an exchange that Mr G. W. Ell, of Chrisrchureh, having now sent in to the Government a formal statement of his charges against the registrar of the Supreme Court at Christchurch and the late Official Assignee of the same j>lace, the Royal Commission of Enquiry will be issued very shortly, the commissioners being Mi Thomas Thompson, M.H.R., of Auckland, and Mr C. C. Grahiin, Official Assignee of Wellington. At the Aldington saleyards on Friday the English Leicester flock of the Hon Ernest Gray was sold by auction by Mr J. T Ford, in conjunction with the Naw Zealand Farmers' Co-operative Association. There was a large attendanc of buyers, and the sale was a very satisfactory one, every line except the ram lambs being s >ld. The ewes sold from lfgs up to ]3gs and the rams from Sgs to 40gs. Mr J. C. Wason, Mr T. N. Digby, and Messrs Mawson Bro. were large buyers. A small Napier lad of scarcely 15 years, says the "Telegraph," who is not very much higher than an ordinary table, has a pocket book in which is gummed the weights or acceptances for any race meetings that might be in progress. He lays the double or against a single horse in shillings. A grown-up person whom he accosted the other day elicited the fact that he made plenty of money this way, and not only that, but had " been at the game " for over twelve months ! Talk of juvenile precocity after that. As announced in our advertising columns the Steen-Smith company of refined enter tainers open a season of two nights in the Oddfellows' Hall on Saturday evening next. The clever and almost incredible perform ances of this company have astonished their patron's in other parts ot the colony, and good houses should greet them here. From an article in the " California Illustrated World " we notice that Mr and Mrs Steen have now played together for eighteen years. Mrs Steen is acknowledged to be peerless in the mysterious science of second sight. Mr and Mrs Steen claim no supernatural power or communion with the spirit world, but they boldly say that theirs is an art which they have perfected by long continued study and hard work. They are now making a grand tour of the world before settling down at their home in America. The Christchurch Meat Company com pleted their twelve months' work op February 28, and the figures show that fqr the twelve months they killed for freezing 344,162 head of sheep and lambs. These figures would have been exceeded { but in the month of January a new casting put into one of the 'freezing machines gave way and reduced the month's working foe January by fully one 'half, otherwise the figures would have been 365,000 head, equal to 1000 pep day for every day in the year. These figures represent sheep (frozen on account of growers, and largely sheep bought by the Company for disposal direct to the butchers in Great Britian, By this means the farmer is able to end his risk at this side, with the satisfaction of knowing that he has obtained good prices. The total number killed for February was 45,016 head, and the Company is in full swing killing up to 2500 per day. The "Oamaru Mail" says:—"The new nonage stamps with advertisements on the uu.uk have made their appearance. The advertisements are not what might be called artistic, bufc there is plenty of ink about them, which may be a pleasing feature of the new arrangement for those who have te lick them. We shall' not aay what the constituent parts' of printers' ink are, for tjfe do not' know, but we can say this much: %at the ftuff unlike Mr"Sed don's ham, i« n.9* roeant' %" human' food, and to haye to allow one's tongue to glissadl over- these stamps, drawing "with it a collec: tion ®i my $»<! Ppiilteni' ink, is hardly an agreffabfe ifyi^g ft} gontempjate, unless one is giftod with » storriaeh l%e th§ e|dgs of an ironclad. So far, however, as Qdun&r'ii ig concsrned, we believe the Government will provide an official whose duty it will be to lick all stamps submitted to him for that purpose This official will be pumped out at stated periods, and the result will be in cluded firstly in the tmsa $ the colony, and secondly in thd Government surphis aji the end of the year. If he cannot bfe efee* lively pumped out he will be disposed of to a (dating opce to be run down for the ink' and g«nV%# a,rp in him, 1 l v

School Committee.

SOUTH RAKAIA..

The usual monthly meeting of the' South Rakaia School Committee was held j on Monday evening. Present—Messrs Hardy (chairman), Oxley, Dowling, Liddy, Dixon, and Riddle. The headtHHibfcjr reported an increased attendance. Miss Ansley has taken up her duties. Sonus admission forms would be of service in the school. Accidents constantly occur through the ink wells not being level with the desks.—The Chairman was instructed to attend to the requirements. The Board wrote accepting the appointment of Miss Thompson as pupil teacher an from March 1. a leak in the roof was reported by the master in the new portion of his house.-7-Thd matter was left to Mr Oxley to .attend to. The bub-Committee reported having visited the parents who are keeping their children from school, and a number of promises were made. The sub-Committee were asked to con tinue in office. The meeting then ad journed. ,

THE WEATHER.

ALtORD STATION.

The following ia the Meteorological report for the week ending March 5, 1893:—

Rainfall in February—Alford Forest, 3 66 inches; Alford Station, 153 inches.

TO-DAY'S TELEGRAMS.

[per press association.]

X_»« MsMwal. - I Wellington, March 7. The Union Company has received advice that the Monowai left San Fran cisco for Auckland at 2 p.m. on the 3rd inst. The Wei ling-ton Boa* Accident. The body of Osborne, who was drowned in the boating accident in the harbor on Saturday week, was found on Petone beach this morning. The JPwhlatu-i Murder Ca*ei Smith, charged with the murder of Jacobsen at Pahtatua was before the R.M. Court this morning, and was again reminded for a week. Kempthorne, and Co. Dunbmn, March 7. Kempthorne, Prosser, and Co, show a net profit on the year, after making full provision for the Christchurch fire, of £6227, out of which 7| per cent dividend is to be declared, absorbing £3285.

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

THE HOME RULE BILL.

[PER PBKSS ASSOCIATION]

London, March 5. The " Times " says th*t the Ulster men are rapidly enrolling themselves to resist Home Rule by force. Mr Lecky, the historian, has pub lished his opinion that autonomy in its present form will be ruinous; that the retention of the Irish members at Westminister is grotesque; and that a suggestion of the employment of soldiers only will compel Ulster to accept. London, Mnnh 6. A meeting, which is expected to be attended by 10,000 unionists from Ulster, Oork and Dublin, is convened at Albert Hall, London, for April 29. The " Daily News" says that the Home Rule Bill will be read a second time before Easter, whatever means of obstruction the Tories may use.

The Homestead Poison ing.

The trial of Hugh Doropsey, the Labor leader, and of the men Davidson and Beatty, who are charged with the poison ing of the non-unionist workmen at Homestead, was continued at Pittsburg on January 16. Several witnesses who were called testified to the illness of the men, and various medical men described their treatment of these men. Patrick Gallagher, the self-confessed prisoner, gave his testimony in a oalm manner. He said —" I know Dtmpsey,' pointing to the prisoner in the dock. *' I saw him last August in the hall of the Knights of Labour, when both Beatty and Davidson were with me. Beatty addressed Demp sey and said : " These are the two men." Dempsey then turned to Davidson and me and said : '' You know what we want." We replied that we knew a little about: it. Dempsey said, " We want to make the men in Homestead Miil sick." Beatty suggested the use of croton oil, and Davidson and I replied that we would use it, Dempsey then said that powders had beea used in breaking the strejet car strike at Chicago, and that if we would use these powders at Homestead the drug would make the men ill and break tne strke in ten days. He, moreover, guaran teed the payment of fifty dollars to each of us, and told us to get work at the mill. I first met Beatty on the previous day. when I was talking with a man named McKenna< Beatty trooped ns and ssked if we wanted to y > tn Home stead to do a special j jb, which he explained was to dose the men work ing there, and said there were two or three dollars a dry in it for us. McKerv • had gos a job on board a, boat, and I was told Beatty would try to get another man to take his place. Davidson and I met Beatty the next morning, when we went! to see Dempsey. I got a job as second cook ab the mill on August 30. Before entering on my duties Dempsey told me that he would furnish me with the powders to put in the food, and stated that they were often used to weaken prize-fighters, that ib was impossible to analyse them, and that a Chicago man was to furnish them. I got the first three packets of powder on bejjtember 7 or 8 from D, empsey, who intimated to n^e how I was tnuse them. Thepowcbr was a dark yell jw hue, ' On the following day I put the first ' packet into thirty gallons of soup, 1 and qn the second and third day I put the two remaining packets into thirty gallons of tea. I then got nine packets of the powder from l^ompaey. 1 left work or* October Is, up ]to which date I goj; |hij;ty powders* from "["jernpsey, but never received any money djregt from him." The testimony of this witness, however, went to show that he w«s paid indirectly by Dempaey, who also endorsed Davidson's bill. Dempsey, he said, sug gested to him that if compelled he should go ilito eotjrt and swear point blank that he di«i J not ? jinoV him (Dempsey), Dempsey similarly Would swear that { he had 1 never seen Gallagher. That'witness An being" cross-examined said that "tjempeey told Him that a fool had seen him who wanted to go to Homestead and kill the men. Davidson arid lie (witness! refused to have anything to do with the scheme if it were dangerous to life. By cable yesterday we were ' informed that £fempspy f and jße^ttyhad been sentenced to seven years, Gallagher to five, and Pavidaon tQ three para' imprwwro«tf»

FARM NOTES.

We are sorry to learn from many directions that the results of the harvest in point of quantity are prov ing very disappointing. We have heard of a thousand acres of wheat on onf property, which was expected to yield fully 22 bushels to the acre, thrashing out only 10, and of 120 acres on an adjoining property whrre the yield was only 7 bushels. This up Rakaia way, while in other directions we have heard of 4, 3, and even 2£ bushels to the acre. No doubt there are also instances of a large bushel&g*l, but even from the Wakanui, which contains some of our best wheat-grow ing land, we hear of very disappointing results in numerous instances. Nor is the trouble by any means confined to our county, for we are informed that on some of the best wheat land in the Province, at Tai Tapu, a crop expected to yield over 40, only threshed out 22 { bushels. There seems to be a difficulty in accounting for this, the appearance of the growing corn having led to an expectation of widely differing results, there being a very heavy crop of straw and the ears of good size. It appears to be generally thought ihat the light ness of the yield is due in some in stances to the rust which prevailed in the early part of the season in some localities, and in others to the mischief done by nor'westers in breaking the stem and so depriving the ear to a large extent of the necessary nutri ment. Be the cause what it may, how ever, the fact is, as we have stated, many farmers will have to contend this season with the adverse circumstance of a light yield as well as that of ex ceptionally low prices. The one crumb of comfort that remains is that, gener ally speaking, the sample is good and will command the best price going. Altogether the result of the season goes to emphasise what has long been, ap parent that farmers must not trust to grain growing alone, but depend rather upon stock and other products of the farm.

It will do no longer to put all the eggs in one basket, but there must be a system of mixed farming if farming is to be made pay. This has come to be recognised very clearly in the Old Country where wheat-growing, in face of the world-wide competition, is and has been for seme years greatly on the. decline. According to an excel lent authority Cumberland and West moreland are at the head of the list of counties in which this decline has shown itself during the last ten years, those two counties having each lost two-thirds of their wheat area, Ches ter, Monmoutb, and Northumberland have lost one-half. In Derby, Devon, Durham, Hereford, Lancaster, Leices ter, Notts* Rutland, Salop, Somerset, Stafford, and the North and West Biding the diminution ranges from one third to one-half of the acreage of 1882. In Cornwall, Dorset, Gloucester, Kent, Middlesex, Oxford, Surrey, Warwick and Worcester the decline is ftom one-fourth to one-third, Beds and Hants have lost one-sixth, Essex one seventh, Norfolk one-eighth, and Hert ford and Suffolk each one-twelfth; while Cambridge has suffered a dimi nution of only one-fourteenth. The general result is to demonstrate that during the last decade the wheat area has undergone shrinkage in every county of England, also that the rela tive decrease has been greatest in the out-lying counties of the North and West, and luast in the compact group of Eastern counties lying between the Wash and the Nore. The case of the English farmer is, however, worse than that of his brother agriculturist in New Zealand, as the latter is cutting him out in his own market in the supply of meat and dairy produce, and so long as the present prices for the latter are maintained the New Zealander need not despair even though wheaf con tinue at its present abnormally low range of quotations.

We referred recently in one of our editorial notes to the mischief that is being wrought in many d rections by the spread of noxious weeds, and re turn to the subject for a moment because the necessity for watching for the appearance of any such pest, and on such being discovered taking imme diate steps for its thorough eradication, is becoming increasingly apparent. Our Australian neighbors are keenly alive to all that is going on in this colony, and our Oatnaru evening con temporary very properly draws atten tion to the fact that both Victoria and New South Wales are alarmed at the spread of the insect pests in New Zea land, and their farmers are agitating against allowing the importation of grain or live stock from this oolony, the reason in the one oase being fear of the introduction of the Hessian Jiy, and in the other of the bot fly, *^Jt would only lend weight to such an agi tation were this country allowed to become noted for the prevalence of the Oalifornian thistle and other noxious weeds, and therefore, for the protec tion of our export trade as much as for the maintenance of the productiveness of our farms, every effort should be made to prevent such a contingency. We hope that Mr McKenzie, as Minis ter of Agriculture, will not lose sight of this matter, but that he will endeavor to make his Noxious Weeds Bill a work able measure and get it placed on the statute-book next session.

According to an exchange "the fly which causes so much annoyance to sheep owners at lupine by breeding maggots in tlie wool has made its ap pearance at Hawke's Bay." "We think* it quite possible that this may be a development sijeh as that which oc curred in the case of the kea, or ground parrot, \yhich, naturally a seed or fruit eating bircj, has acquired a ta^te for inuttpn fat ai^d deyjelqped the hab.it of attacking the sheep to feast in the fatty covering of their kidneys^ In deed it has always been a marvel to us that the New Zealand blue-bottle, which is to be found in such myriads ail ovfcr thp colony, and which doposits its eggs or" blows " on all sorts of sub stances, from the digger's shirt drying on a bush to fruit growing on a tree, has hitherto abstained from striking the sheep, md Y° ve fy m!?P^ f?*F f^ at *Jj is the 1 case of development of "intelli gence," 8s Mr PurnellwQuld put it, or j of "instinct," according to the n^pre popular yie». If so, or even if the UjiaohiefUdue to the iwjwtatiw of

another species of fly, the news is very bad news, and may mean serious trouble for the flock owners of the colony. The matter is one worthy of very careful attention, and we shall be glad to receive any information on the subject which any of our readers may be able to afford.

MAYFIELD.

(from our correspondent.) The harvest is now over, and ihe crops, taken as a whole, are good, and were got in during the tine weather, so the sample is clean. The oats in the district are exceptionally good in new land, and the wheat is also a fair crop. At Mr Ballan tyne's Hi < crops are good and feed plentif, . Mr Elmslie has also a fair crop of wheat out of turnip land broken up last year. Mr Mayberry's crops are good, also Mr John Payne's, and his feed I plenty. Mr 'fait had one good paddock of wheat. Some of the crops on Hack thorne ettate *re very good. Mr Hand cock is as ueual rolling in sheep feed. This district has made great progress the last two years, and is unquestionably the coming sheep country of Canterbury, owing to the soundness of the land and its marvellous grass-growing qualities. Mr Wilson and Mr EUery had very good wheat crops on Anama Flat.

ROAD BOARDS.

WAKANUI,

The adjourned meeting of the Wakatiui Road Board was held on Saturday Present—Messrs M. Bruce (chairman) G Ooe, D Johnston, G. W. LeadUm and J. Quigley. * CORRESPONDENCE. From the Commissioner of Crown Lands, approving of the proposals sub muted by the Board respecting manner in which the Board purpose expending the thirds accruing from Resserve 2165 and informing the Board that the Re ceiver of Land Revenue has been autho rised to pay over to the credit of the board the amount due from this source From Mr T. G. Russell, solicitor, Chrwtchurch, re grubbing gorse on Sea side road. The clerk was instructed to put on a man to do the necessary work and charge the cost of same to the Mer cantile Finance Company, Christchurch. From ihe Ashburton Borough Council, enclosing a notice of the rateable value of the Board's property in the borough. From Mr John Hurrell, requesting that his name might be taken off the Wakanui valuation roll for lots 90—103 part R.S, 23387, and that of William Broker substituted, to whom he had sold the property. Alteration to be made. ROADS. The olork was instructed to Write to and interview two ratepayers respecting certain roads running through their res pective properties, and used solely by them, and to demand from them a cer tain annual rent for the urn of the same. THI3Tf.ES. The olerk was instructed to have the thistles cut, rff parts of Leadley and Stanley roads. OVERS FER's REPORT. The overseer reported as to the comple ! tion of certain minor works, and of ! others that are in progress, which were , ordered to be undertaken, and other matters connected *ith the routine busi j ness of the Board. : ACCOUNTS. Accounts to the amount of £26 12s 10J were passed for payment and the Board adjourned.

Fires at Wellington.

PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.

Wellington, March 6. The cooperage works of W. Chalmers, on Waterloo qua >, were totally destroyed by fire at six o'clock this morning. The building was full of stock, including six hundred tons of cooper's staves, which were stacked ready for shipment to Queensland by the brigantine Sarah Pile. The machinery, which" was only recently erected, was, Mr Ohalmers says, the most valuable of its kind in the southern hemi sphere. When the firemen were returning from this fire about eight o'clock, the bells rang out another alarm, the outbreak being on the ship Auckland, which was lying at the Railway Wharf, about three hundred yards from tht> site of Chalmers' buildings. Dense smoke was pouring out of the stern portholes, and on board ing the vessel, "the tiremen ascertained that the neat of the fire was in the pantry, the names having a firm hold. After some stubborn work the fire was subdued, but not before a considerable portion of the cargo, which consists of wool and flax, had been saturated with water. The ship's crew had been fighting the flames for half an hour before the alarm was given. The vessel was fully loaded, and it is expected thai most of her cargo will have to be discharged. The damage to the vessel is estimated at £100, but the extent of the damage to the cargo cannot be ascertained until it is discharged. Captain James was out of town when the fire occurred. The insurances on Chalmers' property are £600 on the building, £500 on the machinery and stock, both in the Phoenix, and £250 is re-insured in the New Ze». Und Company, Wellington, March 6, The damage to the ship Auckland is not so serious as at first supposed. It is be lieved that £1U will cover the damage to the vessel. The cargo is being examined to ascertain if it has sustained damage by water.

SPORTING.

DUJXEDIfI ANNIVERSARY MEET ING.

PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.

DrauDiN, March 6. The following handicaps have been de clared for the Dunedin Anniversary Meet ing :— Hurdle Race, of 60 soys. One mile and a half.—Bebcl 12st 31b, Jack Harka way (late Grosvenor) lOst 61b, Satyr lOst 41b, Moonlight lOst 21b, The Chief 9st 9lb, Wild Irishman 9st 51b, Highland Chief 9st 2lb, Hanlon 9st. Anniversary Handicap, of 120 soys. One mile and a quarter.—Tempest Bst 121b, Galtee B*t 51b, Mariner Bst 21b, May B,t, Lustre 7st 121b, Captive 7st 71b, Con jurer 7st 51b, Paramu 7st 21b, Catamount 7st, Reftection 6st 111b, Tangi Maid 6st 91b, Maribyrnong 6at 71b, Remembrance 6.st7lb. ■ ■ i .: .;.■ ' Cliffs Handicap, of 8Q boys, Siyq furlongs.-Huguenot Bst 121b, 'Conjurer Bat 12lb, Captive Bst 101b, Glencairn Bst 71b, Paramu Bst 51b, Forbury Bst 5Jb, Beadonwell Bst 2lb, Reflection Bit, R^on4i nella 83t, Rothamsted 7st 111b, Taqgi Maid 7st 11lb } Qitano 7st 101b, francoite 7st 71b, Langley 7st 6'lb, Ladj Mab 7^t 21b, Cactus 7 it, The Changeling Qst 71b, Lady Ralfe Qst fib, Wisdom 6st 71b, -Handicap Trot, of 60 soys. Two' miles.—Tommy scr, Beaconsfield 17sec, Ravenswinsf 24sec, Grainer 24sec, Julian 27sec, Birthday 27sec, Prince 32sec, Colac 32sec, Gaiety 35sec, Amateur 35sec, Mies Letty 4lsec, Myrtle 4isec, Present Ti»nes 145.cc, 'Lugnaouilla 4^sec, Native Boy 47sec, Dawn oOsec, Little Bob sQiec. * Handicap Trot, of 5Q soys. One mile,. —Tommy scr, Beaconsijeld 7sec, Ravens wing IQsec, Julian 12$ ec, Butterfly 13se«" Brince 14sec, Cdlac 14sec, Maori J^ck' 14sec, Amateur 16sec, J|ane l^aec, Rem nant 16* ec, Bexterinalßsec, Pirate 18ser Marion' 20scc, Sliss Letty 2(Uec, Present Times 22sec, IjUgnaquilU ggsec, K*ttt M4Ci D»wn towt Wtttt Bob HwQ|

THE ASHBURTOJN G.UAttDIAJS : TUESDAY, ftiARCH 7, IMS.



Shi

cle. I

High in Sun.

Date.

State of weather.

Low.,

iHigh

Monday ... Tuesday ... Wednesday Thursday... Friday Saturday ... Sunday ...

45 --- 4-1-37. 36 --- 3-6-40" 36-

\ t

72 --- 6-- 7-- -6- 6-- -6-2--73-74-62.

148 --140' 141 --1- 3-3- -1-- 44--143-135'

Bain, S.E. Fine, N.W.

„ S. „ N.W. „ S.W. toN „ calm



Wanted. VlOLlNS,"BoV^nd^asV^™^, ■ V from 30s; Strines and other requisites Accordeons.Whi.des Autoj turps, and Zithers.-vH^^^Jjy -ViTaNTED, Members of the Ladies" W Orange Lorlge to meet at the Orange Hall Wednesday next, at 7-W-^ '? T OTIOE ~ The *' Madam Deans IN Corseta will be deliver**! early in March. 5 \\? ANTED, two respectable Boarders, VV three minutes walk from Po»t Office, west of the line. Apply W, office of this paper. ________ TjIANOFOHTbi and Organ Show JT Rooms. Best cash value obtain able. Extended terms; reduced sca'e ; Ohri-tchurch prices,—H^[_j[o^l____. WANTED Known—lee Creams, Ice Creams, for the hot weather, •lwaya ready at H. G. Fmwbb's, Confec tioner, East Street. T~HE Good Samaritan, for ihe imme. diate relief of pain.— Light's Cash Store : _2 oo SOMERSET Meat Mart. The oldest the largest, tha best, and the cheap M t. Small Goods a specialty. Ful weights guaranteed. A trial "ohoited. —w. J. Simoon. ________: 11/ ANTKD, at once, a Boy, ha T ing W passed Standard V. or VL, as ipprantioe to thi» printing trade. Apply Milt Office. __ 1 H*OMKOPATHIC Medicines, price Is. Sol« agent for $&$&• Light's Cash Store. •>-*•■ 2 3* 10 yCLi-S, Ordinary »nd Safety Cycles, Star Humber .Roadster, Racers—Star Diamond Frame, Star Cross Frame (Adan.s, Curfcies and Go's Ma chines.) Oash or Terms. Christchurch Prices.—H. M. .lonbs. 284 WANTED Known—Andrew Oir has Removed to the Old Town Hall Cor one month, during the re-building of his j premises. Drapery, Clothing, and Boots greatly reduced;-ANDRRW Ork. 2§lot /^iHEAP Fruit—Pluma for jam Havinsr v> bought \l£r Mayor orchard, I en sell Fruit cheaper than any one in town. Orders may be left at East Street Shop. —Mrs James. 2§61 (^IHEAP Firewood—Short Dry Gum / Firewood, at 26a per cord ; branches 3s per load at Mayo s, Trevor ton.—Apply, Mrs Jambs, Fruit Shop. the Public to know that S. "W. Alcorn and Co's Summer Sale is now on. Great Bargains in Millinery, Underclothing etc^ _^ I WANTED Known that S. Salek, Watchmaker and Jeweller, has removed to new shop near New Zealand Glcthinsr Factory 10 213 "TITANTED Known.—Come and see VV our dress lines at 4|d and 6d, leather shirting 6jd, three-quarter cloaks 12s 6d.—H. 0. Segbrs, Melford House, WANTED Known—Dr Scott's cele brated Electric Corsets can only be obtained in Ashburton at W. H. Colubr's, "Tho Corner." WANTED— Purchasm lor Bargains in Summer Dresses,. Prints, and Delaines, Sunshades, &c, at S. W. Aloorm and Colgate. __^ THE Misses Adams' new Refreshment Rooms now open. Tea, Coffee, Cocoa, Lemon Squash, Soda and Milk and all the new eumraer drinks ready at all times. Coleman's Buildings, East Street. _„__ _— . - ■_ WANTED everyone to come and ccc the beautiful presents we are giving away for .every 5s and upwards spent —H. C. Segers, MelforU Housa. f™UST Opened.—A splendid asaort »J ment of Ladies' and Children's jickets and ulsters.—H. C. Segbks, Melford Hou^e. VITANTED Known—New Flannelbtt.es VV at extraordinary prices; 3s lid tnd 4s lid doz. Thirty per cent under ptice.—W. H. Collikr. DON'T let the rain water destroy your buildings. Get Spouting fixed at 4d per foot and buy a tank, complete with tap, tested before leaving workbhop, for 30s ; at J. VV. Hardlby's.- WHY not Bake your own Bread when you can get 501bs of the Best Roller Flour for five shillings cash or five shillings and sixpence at Robert aloorn a, Saunders' Buildings. I 11 31 liHE Missing Word Is. Books on Sheep and Dairy Farming, The Horse, The Dog, Poultry, Gardening, Athletico and Training. Back Numbers of Graphic, The Queen, Sporting and Dramatic News and other illustrated papers at half prio«, at L. F. Ahdrbwes & Co., Stationers' Hall. DON'T Forget che Borough Bye-Lawa re Carr ago Lamps, and that Hardle , tw large Stock «'»n hand, also • large assortment «i Tinware and Iron mongery, Scythes, Reaping- Hooks, Hay Knives, Forks, etc., of best quality, and all at lowest possible prices. J. W. H-iRPLEY, East Street, Ashburton. EAR in mind that J, W. Hardlby, Plumber and Gastatter, 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 chance for a cheap Pump ; improved No. . Price, 16s. Larger sb.es in proportion. /CHRISTMAS Suits. Boys, three Kj garment longTrouser Suit* at 15b. Boys, (Jolonal-made Knicker Suits from 10s. Men's nicely made Colonial Tweed Suits 30.i. Colonial Tweed Suits to measure from 50s—Ashburton Clothing Mart, Saunders' Buildings. Robrkt JLwjorn, _^ ____________ **TtaNT~RD Kaowu—Th_t J. Moisosr W keeps the best stock of Boots in A*hburton, for this reason that ho pays cash aud is not under or bound to a«v 'one firm like many in the-trade, which enables him to procure and supply rlie public with the Best Colonial and English makes ; and his well-known make ueed.s 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 Houae _ I- . . WHY NOT CUT A D ASH IN TH-E HOLIDAYS ? WHEN you can get a good fit, good workmanship aftd good material _,t the Scientific Tailoring Company, where you know LußiLOwis capable to thoroughly tie you out at a low «=jst for cash. New and splendid lots of fancy Trouserings, Coating, and Twewds of gteat auso^wents to chooae from N<»te the old address--- i TAWOBED STREET., Near Arcade, ASEBUBTON



NEW ZEALAND CLOTHING FACTORY. NEW GOODS. ' NEW GOODS, FOR WINTER, 1893. New Overcoats in Men's, Youths', and Boys'. , New Waterproof Coat*, Mens, Youths', and Ladies'. Made to measure. One hundred patterns to choose from. Hats. Hats. Hats. The Largest and Best Assm-tec' Stock we have ever had. BOOTS. BOOTS. BOOTS. -NEW GOODS ARRIVED— Prices that will astonish the people of Ashburton. NEW ZEALAND CLOTHING FACTORY AND SVATERPROOF MANUFACTURERS. ALEXT" HENDRY, Manager. QTJ riKNSLASDn_^]_JEF^ FUND. COMMITTEE: His Worship the Mayor and Borough Councillors, The Chairman and members of the Ashburton County Council, the Chairmen of the Hampstead and Tinwald Town Boards, the Chairmen of the Road Boards, the Clergymen of the several denominations within the County, etc., Subscription Lists are opened at the Borough Council Office, the Banks, the Office of the Mail and Guardian, and in the hands of the members of the Com mittee. A Meeting of the General Committee will be held at the Borough Council Chambers on TUESDAY NEXT, the 7th inst., at 7.30 p.m. All persons who have subscription lists are requested to forward the same to the Mayor on or aefore that Votice is also given that Mr D. Thomas has kindly consented to store any produce, etc , that may be contributed to the fund, at the Arcade. Persons desnous of con tributing in this manner are requested to forward the produce as soon as possible. R. BIRD, Mayor. March 4, 1893. 2t"7 IJOOTT~SOMERS COAL MIKES. IWILL NOT be held responsible for Debt contracted on my behalf without my written order. All Co*l obtained from these mines will be charged for by me, no other receipt than my own being a sufficient discharge. 0. B. KNIGHT, PROPRIETOR, I WEST STRJSFX. ASSBURWtf



Kead This. These »»r*alnil e jJ^" e * d bc Bee" *° bC New Dress Goods 9id, now 4|d All Wool Summer Serge In, now 7_d l , Summer Drees Tweeds worth Is, for o_d Plaic? and Stripes for Children's Dresses 6*d Flannelette 3s 9d dozen Heavy Twilled Flannelette 4s lid dozen Cotton Shirtings worth 81 foi o£rt Cotton Shirtings worth 9Jd for 6*d , Double Bod Sheeting, white twilled, IOJd "White Uce Curtains from Is 9d a pair Good twilled Cretonne 4_d yard iSC™.". 3^.hjn ß «fcjj .3 3d, reduced to •). Striped Dimity for bed valhnces 6^d yard CLOTHING. CLOTHING. Men's Strong Tweed Suitf 32s 6d reduced to 19s 6d Men's Colonial Tweed Suite 23s 6d Men's Serge Suits 20s Men's New Zealand Tweed Trousers 8a lid K.W MMton .»d Wh.• W*. *» «»»P ---[.. ( . Boya*Tweed&uit»4slli. Come and see them, f' ■ ' BOOTS. BOOTS. BOOTS, 1 Men's Colonial made Bluchers, 5s ?£^<fi£s£ffi£Sr p^ -d -"*l2a 6d Meri's Oookham Boots, worth 255, for Us 6d W^TSSSSS-SS W»««AI N S » BOYS' * OXKLS. s^rK« l d^ r|«fd to l 6s f ."e d d Lndies' Glove Kid Boot* 10s 6d, reduced to 7s 6d __.__):(—— i.i. J. S BILL and CO., FRIEDLANDER'3 BUILOINGS _,„, WATCHMAKING AND JEWBtLMITKEViIRtNG DEPARTMKNT __s_s_st£as_^S£Si--t £ T^s_l_S__-SS_S-«rJrta_! InE'BBLIABLB WORKMANSHIP. 8. BALES, Watchmaker, Jeweller, A Oculist



"UNMERCIFUL DISASTER followed f *st and followed faster" upon the fortunes of pu^r Queensland until that unfortunate Colony is now in the moe>t miserable condition imaginable. Gaunt famine may stalk over the land, frtm failure of the soil to give its knnual increase, or from other of the many causes of that distress : the destroying plague may be let loose and grip wiu his cold hand the vitals of the young f.nd strong, leaving sorrowing widows and wa:ling orphans everywhere, and painful olauks in every household ; or the demon of war may send fire and sword over a country, and leave desolation in then track in place of smiling scenes of peace and plenty—all cad enough and sickening I enougti if you will; but what must be the feeling of a whole people when they find their country covered as the waters cover the sea, their homes wrecked and ruined, and their hopes for the future sunk in one mournful and inretrievable disaster ? These feelings can only be imagined. And what ought ours to be in regard to the sufferers —we who dwell in the most slorious country under the sun, and enjoy such blassings as are only enjoyed by the dwellers in a wcond paradise ? Such feelings, to be sure, as ate prompting the thousands of meetings, and plans a->d organisations of the people of this Colony, to send help to the afflicted. New ZuaUnd has come notfy to the front in this matter, and her Canterbury sons have been well in the van at the first call. And we of Ashburton shall be in the front of the foremost if we belie not our past history. . _ SO THINK HtuMiley JBros., who are giving special value this month in Drapery, Clothing and Boots. ]20 Dozen large Towels to be sold at from 24 9d a dozen. Splendid white Calico at 2s lid a dozen. Dress Tweed 4s 9d a dozen. Ertra largo grey Blankets only 10s 6-J. Sheeting at 10W. 94 Men's Suite from 19a 6d. Woollen Socks at lUd. Men's and Boys' Straw Hats, best quality, only Is. A special line of Women's Leather Shoes 6s 9d. Mens nailed Shooters how only 8a lid, worth 12s 6d ' ■ -E_r NOTE THE ADDRESS niKDLEY BROS, ARCADE, ASHBURTON. Hampton's TTIURNITURE WAREHOUSE, TANCRED STREET, Is Opposite Mitchell and Turner's. TRY HAMPTON'S FOR Perambulators from 22a 6d Perambulator* Reversible Hoods from 355, Patent Kubber Tires Basket Ware Chest Drawers Chairs aud Tables Bedsteads Cheap Furniture All Repairs \ Colonial Couches Wire Spring Mattrasses BRANCH BUSINESS. VAST STREET, Below Patching's. GREAT ASSORTMENT OP CROCKERY, AND FANCIf GOODS. ---2J35 CHE IP. Honey. nnAAA of Trust Moneys to lend abOUv'l./ upon Freehold securi ties, in sums of not less than £1000 AlPlyt° Mr 0. W. prJRHELL, Solicitor, 239 " Montgomery's JtaUding*.



The OssiiOW Biscuit. The latest and most delicate biscuit manufactured by Awtebx** and Co. *



The Best Tea IN THE WORLD 11} slop's peyfon, NINIAN HYSLOP, and CO., Tea Importers, I'lß Oft^hel street, Cbfiatchurch.