Ashburton Guardian MAGNA EST VERITAS ET PRÆVALEBIT. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1894. THE LABOR DIFFICULTY.

The interest Government has taken in the laboring portion of the popula tion is certainly commendable, and the supporters of Government have not been slow to take for their party all the credit possible for what the Labor Department has done. The Bureau has helped to send labor from coniested districts to districts where work waa waiting to be done, arid men were wanted, and in this way * more equit able distribution of men has been brought about. But the cry of the unemployed fetill rises, and during this harvest it has arisen from more than the usual number of voices. The question has been frequently asked during the past six weeks why it is that with all the provision made for finding work for men who have it not, Government should still find their hands full, and th 9 cry of the unem ployed as loud as ever % It must be ad mitted by even the worst enemies of the Seddon Government that an honest effort has besn made by that Govern ment to grapple -with the difficulty, both by finding land to place the people upon, and by providing work upon the cooperative principle. The village settlements of the Government have found homes and work for a portion of the year for a considerable number of men, while quite an army of laborers has been provided for on road and railway work on the co operative system. But unfortunately the very honesty of the effort Govern ment made has to some extent de feated itself, and to that extent frus^ trated its whole aim and object, Over thejr labor policy the Government awoke and found themselves famous] They could not be blamed for defend ing themselves against the adverse criticism to which their efforts to solve the labor difficulty were subjected; and that defence, as it was made by Minister after Minister and member after member on the Govern ment side, was taken up by the press of the polony in the Government's favor and eiabxjrat,ed fco. the utmost, and was echoed again and again pver the Australian colonies. A story told by many tongues in succession suffers op gajns in the telling, and so it was with ■the I^or policy of the ijTew Zealand Government. When it was initiated all Australia was suffering from one of the Jsyeregt financial .depressions %a,t eyftf

affected any colony, trade was stag-, nant, and many thousands of men paraded the streets of the leading J Australian cities, seeking employment \ that could not be found. Thousands j were destitute, and to those who could by any possible means raise enough money to secure a passage, New Zea land was a perfect land of promise. The fame of her Government works spread like wild fire, and the rush that set in of Australian laborers in search I of work was such as was never heard of before. Steps were taken to stem the tide by letting it be known on the other side that we had our own unem ploygd problem to solve, and that matters were only complicated, and the difficulty intensified, by a rush of Australian laborers to compete with those already on the soil. But all the warnings off that were given were fruitless, and the rush, although the volume of immigration was not so large, continued and continues still, as the immigration returns regularly pub lished only too plainly show. This is the reason why the country towns are crowded with men waiting for harvest work. And now there arises another question. These men have no means of their own, and their existence is one of hand to mouth. We are not now referring to the professional sundowner —the man to whom work is only an earthly and very temporary purgatory that qualifies him with a few shillings to enter upon what to him is a heavenly time, a spree. The professional sun downer is gradually dying out, and those who die the hardest are too old and feeble to be of any real use on farm or station, and become a sort of pensioner upon the few of the latter he includes in his round. The men upon the wallaby for work are not of the loafing class just excepted, but honest, true hearted fellows who mean work, and do it with a will when they find it. How are these fed when on the road stone-broke ? They are fed by the farmers and the station owners. Every man on the road takes toll of their food, and if it were possible to procure an exact statement of the cost to the farmers of finding this food, the figures would strike one as being very formidable indeed. We have had the number o£ meals so given by one or two stations in one year figured up to us, and those figures were a revelation. This is a phase of the question with which town dwellers are not familiar. Men who want bread in a town and ask for it are looked upon with suspicion, and a constable gets upon their track immediately. Yet when an honest man has failed signally in finding work in the country —an already overstocked market —he naturally wonders why it should be no offence to ask in the country for a morsel to eat, and that in the town the asking of the same question should be construed into an act of vagrancy to be answered for before a Justice of the Peace ? When all these things are considered one begins to fancy that cockatoo and squatter—"fat man" aud v lean man " alike—have a poor's rate to pay of which the town dweller is ignorantj a-nd that land, if it is the the souroe of all our wealth, has a burden of taxation to bear outside the levies of the local bodies or the de mands of the colonial exchequer. And this burden has been heavier this season than ever before, thanks to the highly parental character Government has earned for itself in the neigboring colonies as anxious for tho wellbeing of the working men, and successful in dealing with the unemployed difficulty. We are now saddled with a large number ©f visitors from Australia, but it must be said for the farmers of the county that, in spite of low prices in the past and lower prices threatening in the future, they are doing the best they can for the men who come to them—giving work if they can at all, but recognising the fact always that the wandering labor machine carries with him a stomach that must be filled, and filled it is accordingly.

THE CHINESE FLEET.

Australian waters are promised a visit from, of all craft in the world, a fleet from the Children of the Sun. This will be quite a new sensation for the Australians, as it has not hitherto been the custom of the Chinese men-of wac to cruise outside their owa waters, and the sight of a Chinese squadron officered and manned by full blooded Chinamen will be a fine illustration of the spread of civilisation in the ancient nation, which with its near neighbor the poet summed up in the lines— 11 Jealous China, strange Japan, With bewildered thought I scan— They are but Dead Seas of man." The Dead Sea of man likeness has ended now with both these nations, for Japan has become v quite English, you know," and China is beginning to j awaken to the fact that not all that is worth living for is to be found inside the Great Wall. If we judge by what we see in the Australasian colonies, where tbe children of the Flowery I^and have sought homes in thousands —-temporary homes to be sure, for John Chinaman toils en unweariedly In his mill-horse round of manual labor from daylight to dark in the hope that he may save enough out of his hard earnings to take him back again to the Celestial Empire, there to die, and I there to have his bones buried with I those of his ancestors—and by the way , £n isrhich the almond-eyed Mongolians have over-run America, the Chinese are very far indeed from being a E>ead Sea of mqn. In fact John is £o be ! found now everywhere, and though not perhaps as desirable a colonist as the übiquitous Scotchman, be travels.

quite as far aud into quite as odd corners of the habitable globe It has been said that if any Sassenach should ever be lucky enough to reach the north pole, a big burly Scot will step out from it to meet him with the salu. tation "Hoo's a' wi' ye?" Perhaps the hospitable Scot may also invite the foreign explorer to a breakfast of " po'lichee " boiled by a genuine Mon golian cook. At anyrate China has lined up with other great nations of the earth and possesses a fleet of a fairly good fighting standard, and many of her war vessels are of an advanced type. This fleet is divided into four squadrons—the North Coast, the Foo chow, and the Shanghai and Canton flotillas. The North Ooast squadron consists of four barbette sea-going armor-clads, two of 7280 tons, one of 9850 tons, and one of 2320 tons ; one turret ship of tons; five deck protscted cruisers, each of about 2200 tons; four torpedo cruisers, 23 first class and four smaller torpedo boats, and It gunboats of from 325 to 440 tons. The Foochow squa dron consists of nine cruisers of from 1300 to 2480 tons, three gunboats, and nine despatch boats the Shanghai flotilla, of an armored frigate of 2630 tons, a gun boat, six floating batteries and three j transports; and the Canton flotilla of 13 gunboats. From this naval strength, as recorded in the latest official works, it is obvious that China can send a respectable fleet to Australia. The Ping Yuen, an armoured coast-defence vessel, was completed at Foochow in 1899, and is said to have attained a maximum speed of 10.5 knots. She is armed with one 10.2 in, Krupp in barbette forward, two 5.9 in. Krupp on sponsons, one each side amidships, eight quick firing guns of small calibre, and four torpedo tubes. She has a complete water line belt of 8-inch armour, a protective deck of 2-inch, and {[5-inch on the barbette and conning towers. Her dimensions are length, 200 ft; beam, 40ft; draught, 16ft; engines of about 2400 indicated horse power. Two small cruisers—the Kong Bin and Kong Hi—were launched in 1892 at Foochow, and these are of about 1000 tons displaca ment. We have purposely gone into the above details as we are aware that very many people hold China as a war like power cheap indeed. But these figures, with others equally formidable, which we could easily quote, in regard to her military forces, ought to place her among those factors that have to be reckoned with in any war that may arise out of an Asiatic ques tion. We dare say when the Celestial fleet visits our waters the squadron will receive the same cordial welcome that is given by colonial people to all foreign naval visitors, but it would be interesting to learn what motive impels this visit on the part of the Chinese fleet to lands in which their countrymen are barred out by a poll tax, and whose people look upon the yellow strangers as the most un desirable colonists that could possibly wish to share our adopted home with us. Perhaps they wish to show that in the event of carrying this exclusive ness of ours too far they are possessed of a very strong arm for making re prisals. Who knows?

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The annual meeting of the Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade will he held this evening at 7.30. p.m., which all members are requested to attend in undress uniform. The Brigade's annual dinner takes place at the Meeting Room, Burnett street, to-morrow evening at 8 p.m. A daring feat has been performed afe Rushden, Northamptonshire. A man named Ingram, known as " Parachute Joe," having obtained possession of the keys of the parish church, was soon afterwards s«en on the battlements, and speedily commenced to climb to the top of the lofty spire by means of the stone crockets. A crowd of specta tors gathered in the street below. Having reached the weathercock, which he swung round several times, he pulled off his necktie and threw it to the ground. He then turned round, and placing his back to the masonry, waved both his arms to the horri fied audience. He succeeded in returning safely to the ground, to the relief of all who witnessed the dangerous exploit. A serious accident occurred on the 7th of December at Dtury Lane Theatre daring j I the preforniance of the drama "A life of Pleasure." About half-past 11 o'clock while | the battle scene was being performed, a Gat ling gun, which forms one of the " acces sories," was fired, with the result that two men were immediately seen to fall. Upon examination it was found that both had re ceived portions of the charge about the face. They were removed to King's College Hob* pital. The men were respectively the sixth and seventh who have been admitted to King's College Hospital suffering from in jnries received under similar circumstances ia " A life of Pleasure " —not much of a life of pleasure to them. A case of great importance came from his Honor Judge Lumley Smith, Q,C, in the Westminster County Court. A West End tailor sought to obtain a committal order I against the Marquis of Donegal for the non payment of a bill for clothes supplied. The tailor's representative said he had often seen the defendant at the National Sporting Club. He had promised to pay if time was given to him, but on one occasion recently he said, "I do not care. Do what you like." The defendant did not appear, but a solici tor's clerk pleaded that he was exempted from such process as this, as he was a peer of the realm. His Honor said there was no doubt that a member of the House of Com' mons was exempt, as he could not be taken away from his duties, and it might be the same in the case of a member of the House of Lords. But as the name of the Marquis of Donegal was not in the list of members of the House of Lords, he would commit him for two days, sus pending the warrant for two months, XI jt could be shown that the defendant was exempt he would reconsider his decision. The Marquis of Donegal was, according to " Dod's Peerage," born in 1822, and he sits in the House of Lords in virtue of his title 1 of B,aron FSfcerwjeH.

The cricket match, Albion CO. against j all comers, postponed from last Wednesday will be played to-morrow on the Domain, play to start at 2 o'clock. At the Police Court this morning—before Mr Robert Alcorn, Justice of the Peace —a first offender for drunkenness was fined 10s and costs. The offence was aggravated by the fact that accused waa, while drunk, in charge of a team of horses and a dray. At a meeting of the High School Board held on Friday, six months' leave of absence was granted to Mr Buchanan, the head master, and his son, Mr Edgar Buchanan, was temporarily appointed in his place. Mr J, E. Buchanan purposes taking a trip to England. Jn a cautiously-worded article in the St James 1 Gazette, "D.S." (?Mr Douglas Sladen) gives the important information that at last the long-missing proof of Sir Philip Francis' authorship of the " Letters ot Junius " has been found, and will shortly come to " D.S." by way of Australia, where a grandson of Francis was at one time a judge* The date of the first of Junius's letters is January 21st, 1769 ■' The Victorian Department of Agriculture is now about to take an important step in commencing the shipment of fresh pork to England. The meat will be sent in the frozen state in carcase, and arrangements have already been made with the steamboat companies for forwarding it. The same department has also arranged to forward the first shipment of cheese »arly next month. At the Timaru Supreme Court to-day there waa only one criminal case—T. Parks, for forging and uttering a cheque for £4. He^pleaded guilty, and as he had a bad record he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. To the Grand Jury's pre sentment, asking that the sittings be fixei bo as to avoid calling farmers from harvest work, Judge Dennistcn, in reply, promised that it would have his consideration. The only civil business in the diyorce case was adjourned till next sittings. The whole business concluded within half an hour. 5 A committee meeeing of the Ashburton Amateur Cycling and Athletic Club was held on Monday evening in Mr D. Thomas' office. There was a full attendance. Pre liminary arrangements were made for the Club's annual fixture on Easter Monday. The programme was drafted, consisting, of four running and eleven bicycle events, The prise money allotted amounts to over £60, which is, the largest amount offered this season by any bicycle club in New Zealand at a one day's meeting. The Ten Mile Amateur Championspip of New Zealand has been arranged to take place on Easter Monday. The Ashburton Forester's Lodge held its usual meeting on Monday evening at the Orange Hall. Bro Light C.R., occupied the chair. The woodwards reported no sick on the funds. Two candidates were initiated, One visiting brother from Christchurch being short of cash was granted relief by the court. After the business of the even ing had been concluded the members in vited the delegates of the late United Friendly Societies' sports to a smoke concert. The usual toasts were proposed and duly honored, songs and recitations were contributed by those present, and an enjoyable evening was brought to a close about eleven p,m, There is a good story " going round " with regard to the Foreign Office, A for merly well-known cricketer, whom (says the "St James' Gazette 1) we may call Me A. H. Smith, was lately travelling in Spain with his wife, and was at Barcelona about the time of the recent explosions. Nob hearing fromjhim, his relations, who were becoming anxious, induced the Yoreign Office to telegraph to " the authorities "at Barce lona to make inquiries. The first telegram was somewhat in this form: " Arthur Smith, British subject; in Barcelona during recent outrages. Kindly make enquiries and wiie results." To this came the answer after an interval: " The man Smith is in Barcelona. He is being watched." And again, a little later, came a further tele graphic report from Barcelona : " The man Smith attempted to leave Barcelona last night—is now in custody." Shortly after, Mr Smith himself wired to the Foreign Office: " Owing to your confounded tele gram, have spent 24 hours in a Spanish gaol. What do you mean?" It is believed that " the man Smith," who is an artist, was not altogether grateful for the anxiety of his relations on his behalf. Man, as we all know, is tending slowly, but inevitably, to a toothless and hairless condition. He is also (says the •' Globe ") if we are to place confidence in the statements of a paper recently read at the French Academy of Sciences, gradually undergoing other serious modifications. His little toe is disappearing; its average size has de creased materially in the last two centuries, while the nerves and joints controlling it are slowly becoming useless. What we should like to know, however, is this—are our feet as well as our little toe 3 becoming smaller ? The seriousness of this question may be estimated from the fact that our bodies judging by the unanswerable tests of mediaeval armour—are undoubtedly bigger than those of our remote forefathers. And if, while our bodies grow bigger oar feet grow smaller, pedestrianism in the dim future will obviously become % difficult matter, and the need for winga will be en hanced by the altered relations between the parts of the frame. It was just the other way with the ancient Picts, whose feet were so large that it was impossible to fell them on the field of battle. Their figures, in fact, resembled a capital L, and the kilt was a physical necessity. Was it; not of a Pict that the story is related how a foe presented him with a pair of breeches, and then slew him as he was endeavouring to put them over his head ? Relative to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, the " Nautical News " says :—Pro ceeding westward from the Irish coast the j ocean bed deepens very gradually ; in fact, for the first two hundred and thirty miles the gradient is about six feet to the mile. In the next twenty miles, however, the fall is over nine thousand feet, and so precipi tous i% the sudden descent that in many places depths of twelve hundred to Bixteen hundred fathoms are encountered in very close proximity to the one hundred fathom line. With the depth of eighteen hundred to two thousand fathoms, the sea bed in this part of the Atlantic becomes a slightly undulating plain, whose gra- j dients are so light that they show but little alteration of depth^for twelve hun dred miles. The extraordinary flatness of these submarine prairies, renders the familiar simile of the basin rather inap propriate. The hollow of the Atlantic is not strictly a basin whose depth increases regularly towards the centre. It is rather a saucer or dish-like one, so even is the contour of its bed. The greatest depth in the Atlantic has been found some hundred miles to the northward of the island of St Thomas, whsre soundings of three thousand eight hundred and seventy five fathoms were obtained. The seas around Great Britain can hardly be regarded as forming part of the Atlantic, hollow, They are rather a part of the platform banks of the Europe*o Continent which, the ocean has

Two vessels are being prepared under the direction of the Trinity House to relieve the lightships at ihe North jfoodwin Sands and the Kentish Knock. The new ships are being built under contract, and they em body many improvements upon the light" . ships of the older typeß, each being sup plied with powerful syrens, the one for the North Goodwins being worked by steam and that for the Kentish Knock by a caloric engine. Both vessels will be in direct electrical communication with the shore, the cable from the North Sands having its land connection at Dumpton Gap, and that from the Kentish Knock at Kingsgate Bay, The post office authorities will lay the cables and the cost of the work and maintenance charges will be defrayed out; of moneys specially [voted for the purpose by Parha. m«nt. We are commanded (says a Melbourne paper) to spread the Gospel, and a Mel bourne firm has hit upon a novel way of doiug it. They bought a line of Bibles, large in bulk but low in price, and put one of them into each chesc of tea they seat ou* this Christmas. It was really a humane ide* for many in the bush are no doubt perish- I ing spiritually for want of a Family Bible, while tea is the most common of bush bever ages. Further, it showed that the firm were concerned not only for the worldly welfare, but the future of their customers, and were able t3 take credit, too, for sending each of them a Christmas box. Yet will it be believed that one vessel of wrath wrote back to say that he didn't see the point in a Christmas box, when a 7|d Bible displaced two shillings worth of tea, and that he returned the firm's Bible in the hope that the firm would forward his tea. Some men don't know the meaning of gratitude.

THe Kanabooka.

Brisbane, February 5. The second steamer sent in search of the survivors of the Kanabooka has returned. One hundred and twenty miles of the coast line were searched without success, Heavy weather has been experienced in the Gulf of Car pentaria. Further search is to be made.

COMMERCIAL.

Pakis, February 5. France is parleying with the United States to lower the wine duties. Rome, Feb. 5. The Budget shows a deficit of £5,000,000.

The "Fairplay" Lebel.

[PEK PKKBS ASSOCIATION.]

Wellington, Februarys. la the libel action, Sir Robert Scout endeavored to obtain a special jury, but Mr 3 ellicoe objected, and Air Justice Rich mond ruled thab the application which was made last Thursday was too late. The case is therefore being heard by the common jury, Nine were challenged, seven by the defence. Plaintiff's evidence was a denial that he was exhilarated by liquor. Though supported by many prohibitionists he was not a teetotaller. Possibly he had a glass of champagne at dinner on the election day, but not more. He thought he was the salmesc person in the room when the result was made known. In thanking the electors he had said the election had brushed aside the scum and froth of political talk. Referring to what had been going on generally on platforms and at street earners, it was % perfectly proper speech. No witness was called for the defence. Counsel having addressed the jury his Honor summed up, He said with regard to th» froth and scum, it had been properly stated that such expressions suited the talk of men much better than it suited persons. This being so, defen dant hid misrepresented what plaintiff had actually said. If the imputation of exhilaration simply meant that Mr Bell was gay and cheerful, then no harm was done, but if he meant that he was so under the influence of liquor as to use language that was not decent, then there waa no doubt the imputation was calcu lated to injure him with his supporters belonging to the temperance patty. As to the plea of fair comment on public men. it had been ruled in all courts of New Zealand that fair comment must be com ment, and most not suggest as facts things that were Untrue. After fifteen minutes retirement the jury returned into Court, and asked what would be the smallest amount of damages that would carry costs. His Honor said he could not answer that question, and the jury thereupon returned a verdict for plaintiff with £1 damages. Sir Robert &tcrat anked for costs. His Honor said the amount was sufficient to carry costs, and as there had without doubt been a libel, he would give costs on the lowest scale.

Alleged Breach of the Shipping Act.

[pee press association]

Wellington, February 5. In the Resident Magistrate's Court, the master of the barquentine Linda Weber, William Donald, was charged, under sec tion 297 of the Shipping and Seaman's Act, with having brought an Indian cook, named Peter Sidt, to the colony and lefts him destitute. Counsel, on behalf of the Indian, eaid that his client lived at Rara tonga, where he had a wife and family, On the Linda Weber calling at the island the informant was engaged as cook, and understood from the captain when signing articles that he would be taken back to hia home at the end ot th« voyage; instead of that he was paid off at Welling ton with the rest of the crew, bub was allowed by the captain to stay on board the vessel for a period of two months in case the boat might return to Raratonga. For the defence the facto were admitted, excepting that informant did not live at Raratonga, but on an island adjoining, belonging to the British. Government. It was argued that, as tho informant was not an alien but a British subject, the provision in the Act; did not i apply, and, if it did apply to an inhabi , taut of British India, it was only in case the subject was left desdtute, because he had £6 4a when he was paid off, and had been kept on board the ship for a period of two months afterwards, .Sis Worship, in giving judgment, said, so far as ha could see at present, the provision as re* gards sending toreign seamen back to the place where they were shipped did nob apply to Indians, as they were not British subjects. The case wag therefore diai missed.

A Cruel Outrage.

Timaku, February 6. A moan and cruel outrage was perpe trated during last night. Three out of four cows belonging to a man named Whelan, enclosed on a small section in the borough, have been slashed with a sharp instrument. One haiateat cub off and a long scar on the side, and practically bled to death. Another had an ugly gash below the haunch, the third a light scar on the back. A few chains away. Messrs Peacock and Geaney, butchers, had horsea grazing for the nighfe on the public rohool grounds, and one of them has a long gash on the flank, ex posing the ribs and intestines. Tba owners do not expect to be able to save it. The raisehief baa probably been don^ with a sharp hedge knife. No due bm ret been foua4 to the peryetttttivr.

THU Agßßtmi'OiS fIUASDJAfI : .TUESDAY ffEBRUAH¥ 6, ISU>



fIIKTEJJT CHEQUES, OF 1894, WILL FIND THEIR WAY TO G. J. NEILL and Go's A3 THEY GIVE THE BEST VALUE IN ASHBURTON FOR READY MONEY. DRA.PJS2CTfr A3V£> CLOTHING. Women's Hats 6d Turkey Red s|d Women's Ribbed Hose 6d JVien't* Tweed Suits 16s 6d 'Jhiffoin in alt colors Is 3d, reduced to Men's Colonial Tweed Suits 19^ 6d B|d Boys' Tweed Suits from 3s lid Washing prints 2s lid doa A few Boys' Washing Suits left, to be White Muslin 3a lid doz cleared at 3s Pd Summer Dresses 3d lid Boys' Caps 6d each Cretonne 3|d Men's Braces 8d Double-bed Sheeting 9Ad 20doz Men's Merino Socks 6d Berlin Wool la lid BOOTS. BOOTS. The Best and Cheapest Boots in New Zealand are to be had afc G. J. NEILL AND GO'S. Men's English Balmorals 7s lid Babies Slippera Is pair Men's Strong Leather Shoes 7s lid Canvas and tan Leather Shoes, in all Men's Nailed Shooters 7s lid sizes at ridiculous prices Women's strong Leather Shoes 5a lid A very large assortmaat of Children's Women's strong Elastic-side Boots 8s and Maid's Gem shoes in Tans and 6d, reduced to 5s lid Black. Good and cheap WE GUARANTEE SATISFACTION. SMALL PBOFITS AND QUICK RETUBNS AT G. J. NEILL & GO'S, ERIEDLANDER'S CORNER, EAST STREET.



Re The Assigned Estate of Messrs Hardley Bros' - — "' ■■: o :— ——• <^EE the Value in Oar PRINTS REDUCED to HA^F PRICE WASHING DRILLED REDUCED FROM 9|o to 6jo. AH llren§ MaferUi§



UEDUCED TO NEARLY HALF THE FORMER PRtUES, FOR INSTANCE PLAIN CASHMERES, REDUCED FROM 16|d TO 9d. STRIPS AND CHECK ALL WOOL DRESS TWEED REDUCED FROM I4i> TO Bd, AND ALL OTHER DRESS MATERIALS EQUALLY REDUCED.



HECK GINGHAMS REDUCED FROM lO^d TO 6^o. ALL MANCHESTER GOODS SUCH AS CALICOES, STOCKINGS, FLANNELS, BLANKETS, HOLLANDS, TICKING, SHIRTINGS, SELSEIAS, FLOOR-CLOTHS, ETC., REDUCED TO COST PRICE. sbmwm* ■■■■iiiilu»' T



MEN'S SHIRTS, HATS, SOCKS, TIBS, Etc, REDUCED, TO COST PRICE, iJND IN MANY CASES VERY MUCH UNDER COST.



Men's and Boys 9 Clothing. EE OUR MEN'S ALL WOOLJ COLONIAL SUITS AT 32s 8D AND 35s 6t>, NOT TO BE BEATEN IN THE COLONY.



THIS HOUSE HAS ALWAWS BEEN NOTED FOR THE VEBtf BEST VALUE IN BOOTS BUT NOW COME AND SBf.



-. W. SPENCEF. A RCA DR. ASHBU UT O



Wanted I OST, one cap off wheel cf tmgine, bo! -Jt-i tween Hinds and Aahburton. Finder please leave at Gudsell's store or Hinds store. 2J25 TIT ANT ED to rent, a six or seven * roomed house with from ten to twenty acres of land, within a reasonable distance of Ashburton. Apply to 2§26 T. BULLOCK. OYSTERS, firbt of season. To-Ntabt at Deep Sea Company's rooms, Bur nett street. 2+27 ANTED KNOWI^BesT known Blood Purifier, most healthful, j Drink real Italian Lemons ; ridiculously cheap,—Stephens Bros , Market House. 2t28 mHURSDAY Evening, the Rev. E. L Walker in the Wesleyan Church. You just hear him. 2 3o VYTANTED, runner, Tor People's Jour^ ™* nal. New newspaper. Apply ten o'clock fco-morrow.—AuDREWES & Co., Stationer's Hall. 2§33 WANTED, all Farmers to reduce Hardlby's Large Stock of this Season's Oil, which he is selling at his usual ridiculous low price by the Gallon or Case. GOOD Kidney Potatoes, by sack or cwt., for sale cheap.—Apply, A. W. Randbjll, Ashburton. 1 4 (J UITS to measure, during the sale, 49s O 555, 60s, 70s, and 755, Fit and workmanship guaranteed.—R. Axcorn, Saunders' Buildings. iX i ANTED Known^To" Harvesters VV —Dungaree Jackets and Overalls, Harvest Hats and Shirts and Suits of all kinds, at prices to meet the times.— Mitchell & Turner. WAN TED~known -W. H. Cgllibk'b noted four-clasp Kid Gloves, 2s 6d, have just arrived in all sizes. WANTED Known.—Half as much again in presents given to each ?urchaser during Christmas and New 'ear. H. C. Seoers, Melford House. ULTANTED Known—Spectacles, eye VV protectors, Goggles, Folders, and everything in the optical line at S, Salek's, Optician. WANTED, tha Public to know that Hardlky's Tanks are giving univer sal satisfaction. Testimonials if required. Now is the time for Baths and Tanks, from 30d upwards. W' ANTED Kno^r,—Our Cheap Slippers aie selling in dozens. Children's from Is, women's Is 9d. Buy one pair and you will buy more. — Mitchell and Turner,, ANTED KnbwiT^No reasonable oiler will be refused for the balance of our Summer Dresses, Milli nery, and Mautles. —Mitchell and Turner. ANTED Knowi^—^tnT^aluTln presents now being given away for Christmas and New Year. Cheapest House in Town.—H C. Seoers, Melford House. W"~ ANTED Known.—Melford House cheapest shop in town, extra value in presents now being given to each purchaser till further notice.— H. C. Segbrs, /"CHOICE Ornaments, Folding Screens, \j Own make in ladies' and children's underclothing, Aprona and Pinafores. Mrs Alcorn, Saunders' Building. VI '* ANTED Known.—To make room VV for Spring; Boots I will give ten per cent for cash. Repairs done at once cheaper than ever to stay bad times over at J, Moison,. Premier Bootmaker. 8 18 WANTED all and sundry to know that Hardley is still to the front with all clasees of Tinware. Repairs promptly executed. Spouting and Ridging made and fixed at unheard of rates'. WANTED, by single Gentleman bo^rd and lodging in good private amily, near centre of town.—H., Guardian Office. 2 19 I{^OI)MMiSHAM will 7esume her usual Classes for Drawing and Pointing on Wednesday next, at her rooms in Saundert' Buildings, 2 12 tATA&TKD to Let, Business Premises * near post office. Also four roomed house, half-acre land.—H. •#. Jones. 2 8 WANTED, Canvasser People's Journal, New Zealand.—Apply Andrewe^ and Co., Stationers' Hall. 2 20 "VT7 AN'SSD' every°nßlo or^er " co" VV pie's Journal," large new penny weekly starting with 300 circulation in Ashburton. 2 21 GOOD Sheaf and Straw Chaff; very cheap for cash. Also, all kinds of Mill aud Farm Produce.-~J. Thomas. Havelock street. 22 PIANOS, Pianos, Organs, Organs, from 20s per month. Cycles, Cycles, cash or terms. Extras.—H. M. Jones. TpAUSODONOPTIC SPECTACLES, JL Pausodonopfic Spectacles, Pauso donoptic Spectacles, Pausodonoptic Spectacles, Pausodonoptic Spectacles —• Lusisden, Experienced Oculists' Optician, Tanered street. 1 136 IF yon want fiist. class fruit go to A daks' for Fiji,, Tahiti, Auckland and Sydney Oranges, Citrons, Lemons, etc. ANTED, Everybody to use Titan Soap, greatest marvel of the age. H. Zander, Sole Agent; H 181 MBS ALCORN" has on sale for the Holidays varied assortment of Toys, Dolls, Prams, Fancy Goods and Christmas Presents. Saunders' Buildings DON'T wash yourself. Titan Soap <lo«)6 the* work. No rubbing. No machines. H 182 DON'T Forget to send your Bicycles ; along to the Old Kindergarten to ' 96 repaired, at moderate rates. j rtOMBRSET Meat Mart. The oldest! t__) the largest, tba best, aud the cheap esfc Small Goods a specialty. Full yreights guaranteed, A pml solicited. _-VV, 5. Sijxsock. f^HaT which brings most light and X- hooe to poorest homes is Titan- Soap. __!.._ !ii* 3 »t<"kN TE 1> Known—That A. J. VV Walker repairs Bicycles, Sewing ■fachiswsa. Lawn Mowers, Medical Coils, j and all descriptions of light machinery. MEDICAL Cojils f»ade and repaired on the shortest notice at easy i prices at A. J. Wal£E#;B, OJ.d Kinder-, garten. li I A CARD. MR H. C, ORBELL, SOLICITOR, ASHBUBA'ON OFFICE: Montgomery's Buildings, f Corner East and Burnett Streets,



0 x3UbJLXj.ess Notices 8. SALEK, 'WATCHMAKER, & MANU FACTURING JEWELLER. T7IOR HIGH-CLASS GOLD & SILVER •JC JEWELLERY, PLATE* MARBLE CLOCKS, pay a visit to the Jewellery Establishment of S. SALEK, Prac tical Watchmaker, Manufacturing Jeweller,|and Oculist-Optician. ) __ SOLE AGENT for Lazarus' Patented System of Sight Testing and " Specialite " Spectacles, ensuring comfort and correct Sight. FIRST-CLASS WORKMANSHIP m WATCH, CLOCK, AND JEWELLERY REPAIRS. 8. BALEK, EAST STREET. NEW ZEALAND CiiOTiiiMet Factory. THE "BISMARCK," HIGH-ABM SEWING MACHINES, have all the latest improvements. A First-class Machine at a moderate price, IT IS SIMPLE, i DURABLE, LIGHT RUNNING, NOISELESS. OUR Mr B. Hallenstein, while in Germany, seeing the great success of the New " Bismarck " Sewing Machine succeeded in obtaining for our firm the sole proprietorship for New Zealand. HAND MACHINE, With beautiful polished cover and all ac cessories £5 10s. FAMILY MACHINE, With new and handsomely designed stand £8 10s. HAND & TREADLE COMBINED, Highly finished Table and Cover £9 10s. Any of thee machines can be had on the time payment system 2s 6d per week. Our Agent will have the pleasure of calling on you at an early date. NEW ZEALAND CLOTHING FACTORY HALLENSTEIN BROS.. ALEX. HENDRY, Manager] SALE, SALE, of Books, Stationery Fancy Goods, Music, etc.. Fire Screens, Pictured, Glass Ornaments, Christmas Cards, Cricket and Lawn Tennis Material, Pbotc Albums and Frames, and hundreds of other articles are to be sold a* a great sacrifice for Cash during this month only, at L, F. Andkewes & Co. Stationer 9 Hal!, TO LET. — Dwelling-house of five rooms, centrally situated, corner of Cash and Moore streets. Fossesiion can he given next week. T. BULLOCK