Ashburton Guardian. Magan est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 1897. TRAINING SHIPS.

There is" now on foot a fairly active movement in the direction of establish ing in New Zealand a naval training | station. As yet the movement had for the most part been confined ta speeches at public meetings until last Saturday when the Hon. Mr Jennings, M.L.0., waited on the Acting • Premier for the purpose of bringing under the notice of the Government the desirability »f estab lishing some effective mode of nayal drill and training for the youth of the colony. The Hon. Mr McKenzte said the whole matter of training the youth of the colony was under the considera tion of Ministers. The subject, he agreed, was a matter of great import ance. Correspondence had been re ceived from all parts of the colony and from persona of great experience. He assured the Hon, Mr Jennings that the subject would not be lost sight of. It will thus be seen that the Govern ment was not without some indention of moving in the matter, even without the agitation which is being carried on in Wellington, Ohristchurch, Auckland, and some time ago in Dunedin, The subject is one of vast importance to New Zealand, as if the movement be brought to any sort of practical result an opening will be given to hundreds of young men in this colony whose out look for the future is very far indeed from being bright or promising. There is a great desire amongst the youth for " genteel" employment, and this de sire is not confined to the males only, for in the case of many of the girls there appears to be a deep-seated »Wlioa to doiSMfcie service, becc« tfej

congestion of the ranks of the teaching profession, the ea&e with which drapers and others c-un if they choose pUce an unlimited number of girls behind their counters at almost nominal wages, and the piles of letters members of Parlia ment receive containing urgent re quests to find places for gtrls in the telephone and other offices of th> public service, until the monotony be comes irksome of having to reply that all probable vacancies are promised ten deep. This is essentially an agri cultural country, and will coutinue to be so, if not "to th*) last syllable of recorded time," at least longer than the present generation will endure, for we can see nothing as yet to indicate that our manufacturing industries are likely to very largely extend them selves in the near or even distent future, And while we continue to be an agricultural colony, anrl endeavor by every means to " settle the, people on the land," farmers and farm workers will be necessary ; but we cannot all be farmers, nor do we all want to be farmers. Even if we did, as things j are the farmers cannot absorb all the labor that is in the market, and few of them find any real difficulty in supply ing themselves, and at moderate wages | too, with suitable men for their work. ! The master artisans can obtain plenty of boys who are not too proud to soil their hands with the dust of honest labor when a practical trade is to be learned, and this fact has caused nearly every trade to be overstocked with workers, in consequence of which the other colonies have received large numbers of our young men who have had to seek other shores in search of an opportunity to exercise the crafts, the knowledge of which they acquired here. The "genteel" occupation of the com positor has been crowded until hun dreds of good men have had to leave it and seek other employment wherever they can find it, and the Typographical Societies of the colony are continually appealing to Government to so arrange the Government Printing Office work as to let the all too many unemployed in the trade have a chance to earn a few shillings during the session of Parliament, Clerical work of every kind is rushed, shop assistants are fir two numerous for the employment ob tainable, and as a consequence the price of " labor" of every kind has fallen. In every town and country district there are young men whose time ia not half employed. They are willing to work no doubt, but having no particular calling in which they excel, or can be called expert, they have to be content with what they can pick up, and anything permanent they may secure is at remuneration which pre cludes the possibility of settling down in homes of their o#n. In the labor circumstances of the colony, a meat s of fitting young fellows for a seafaring I life should be welcomed. It is a peculiar fact that though we are islanders, we are not, like most other islanders throughout the world, in love with the sea. We do not seem to have inherited that love for a Jife on the ocean whiph is so strong a character istic of the Anglo-Saxon race, and the sentiment which has impelled so many of the young men of Great, Britain, both of good family and of humble birth, to seek a '* home on the rolling deep" is strangely absent from the breasts of most young New Zealandere. This is perhaps more owing to the circumstances of the colony than to any degeneration of the maritime in stinct of our fathers, and we fancy that the old love for the sea would be rekindled were |he opportunity given to the lads to qualify in ft training ship for a seafaring life, especially on board a man.of war. With the tremendous fleet that Britain must soon possess— it is tremendous now, but an adjective expressing greater magnitude than " tremendous." will ere long be required to characterise it —we shall not be astonished to hear of the Home Govern ment making overtures to the colonies for men for the fleet, and to prepare for such an invitation the Government of New Zealand should take steps to I found a training station, and not one only but several—certainly two kinds. Up to this point we have been arguing for a training station, as we would for a technical school, but we would prefer to see two classes of ships or stations established—one for lads and youths who have gome out of respectable homes, and have never run counter to the law in such a way ag to desgrfe jto be classed as criminals; and one for the youths who, having served a term in a reformatory school, care to accept naval training. For instance a de mand is being made in Ohristchurch for an enquiry Into the working of the Burnham Industrial S.chooij, and in connection with that demand the estab/ lishment of % training ship has been urged. Hundreds of children have found their way to the Burnham and similar schools, whose only fault was that they were "neglected" in the eye of the law—-they were not criminal in the ordinary sense of the word Just as those poor children had no right to be sent to-an establishment in which they are compelled to herd with other children who , were certainly criminal, so youths with an ascertained criminal tendency should not be sent to a training ship with others, whose training has been moral and according to the lines of rectitude. Let there be a training ship to receive the lads from the reformatory institutions—but the lids only who hafe been criminal, not the lads whose pasgporfc to Burnham was their misfortune, not their fault. The Sobraon, in Sydney waters, is a most encouraging success as a training ship, and the lads who leave it to follow the sea are welcomed by the officers of the ships of Her Majesty's navy as excellent recruits, who uni formly turn out well, as well as by the skippers in the mercantile marine, who find that they make excellent sailors, and #?any of them who " came through the hawse-hole " of the Wolverine, and her successor the Spbraon, have now positions " aft " in imp«r#an|i vessels. The recent movement towards strength-, ening the navy ai the best means of ' defence for the colonies will, we trust, give an impetus to the effort to estab lish training ships in this colony, and we ijopo tjbs project will speedily be brought to # pja^tjeal issue. j

Local and General.

Commercial news on fourth page. Attention is called to the Asbbnrtcr j Drapery Company's new advertisement in this issue. < The next quarterly meeting of the Licen sing Committee for the Aabburfcon L'eeasing district will be held on Thunday, Septem- Masterton is possessed of some heavy weights. Three men were seen together the other day, the combined weight of whom was 62 stone, or nearly 8 owt. The monthly meeting of the HainpateaJ Town Board which was to h&ve been held last evening lapsed for want of a quorum,, Messrs Mayuaid, McElrea and Keeley only beingpresentyand the meeting was adjourned for a week. Lieutenant-Colonel Francis, Christehurch, was last night presented with the Imperial deooration for officers for long service. The presentation was made by Mrs Lieutenant* Coloßcl Gordon and General Fulton, In the election to fill the two vacancies on the Board of Directors in the Christchurch Co-operative Association, Mr Lyttleton, of Rokeby, Rakaia, and Mr Herring, of Alford Station, topped the poll in the order named, and were duly elected. The Illustmtod, London News had five artista and w*r correspondents at the seat of the reoent Turko-Greoian war. Twenty thousand a year would not oover the cost of these men to the proprietors of the illus trious serial that commissioned them to give to the world a verbal and pictorial idea of the position of affairs from time to time. The San Franoiioo mail arrived in Ash burton last night by the eight o'clock train, and in about an hour and a half the bags had been all sorted, and delivery over the counter was proceeded with. A special train was in waiting at Ashburton to take on the the southern portion, and the mail generally was one of the heaviest that has ever arrived in the colony by the San Francisco service. The Tinwald hockey team, which has already been so successful this season, has added another win to the list, having yester day defeated the strongest team of the Christchurch Hockey Club by two goals to one. Details of the play have not yet reached us, but it will be satisfactory to the local players to know that a prominent Christchurch player admitted that the best team won and won well. Particulars have been published in Vienna of a projected canal between the Baltic and the Black Sea. The canal, which will be over 200 ft wide, and 20ft deep, will start from Riga, on the Baltic, and follow the course of the Rivers Duna, Beresina, and Dneiper, entering the Black Sea near Cherson. Its total length will be 950 miles. The canal, the approximate cost of which is placed at twenty millions sterling, will, it is expected, be completed by 1902. A miner named Harris, employed at Mr Park's Mount Somers colliery, had a narrow escape yesterday. A large block of coal fell upon him pinning him by the leg and burst ing an artery. Four men were required to remove the block and release the sufferer. Mr Park had him temporarily attended to, and he was to have come to the Hospital to-day, but owing to the bad weather and snow falling heavily, it was thought bettor to delay his departure. News has just come to hand of the death atKiiinacree,near Ballyhaise, County Cavan, Ireland, of Mrs Eli^beth Humphreys, a centenarian. The deceased, who was born in August, 1797, waa married at the age of eighteen to the late George Humphreys, owner of the freehold farm ou which the family still reside, and although she waß never twenty miles from the place she en joyed good health until some eight months ago. Mr Mulligan, of (Javershatn, oear Dunedin is one of the deceased's grand children. The Taranaki Herald has received word that the first beef thawed in London by Peck's patent process had been sold in the open market at 6 i per lb, and considers that this information opens up great possi bilities for the trade in frozen beef. It will be remembered that Mr Peck went Home some months ago with the intention of' introducing to British capitalists the process which he had patented for thawing out frozen beef. Collie dog trials are announced to take place at Methven on Friday, August 27. There are five events, viz :—(1) Heading and bringing back three merino wethers about 500 yards ; (2) heading, bringing back and yarding three merino wethers—about 320 yards ; (3) hunt away with slew, five cross hreds | (4) five proßsbredn to be driven through two sets hurdles and yard. Entries —members, 2s 61 each entry ; non-members, 7a 6d first dog, 5s afterwards, close with the Secretary, Mr C. F. Lock, on August 20, at 9 p.m. The Wellington correspondent of the P>ess says he has good grounds for the statement that the prices of bicycles are likely to undergo a considerable reduction before many months are gone. |b may not be generally known that a ring or trust has for some time pist controlled the price of bicycles in America, and the Pope Com pany, one of the largest firms has now withdrawn from the trust. The influence of this secession has already been felt in the adjacent colonies, and Columbia bicycles, which formerly sold for £25, are now reduced to £20 in Sydney. In Southernltaly rats are a great nuisance to fruit-growers. They climb the orange trees, and £he unerring judgment of connoisseurs ajbtapk firit of all the blood oranges. Thesß are etript bare 'of fruit. They don't ea|b tha rind, but skilfully scoop Out a}} the pulp and juice, leaving the ajkin a golden globe, a gilded deceit. Jn the course of day or fcwo th§ gtalk withers and the h*liow rinds fall to the ground. Not; until these learned rats have cleared tha b'ood-orange trees do they turn their atten tion to the commoner orange. For lemons they have no taibe. Tha monthly meeting of the linwald School Committee was held on Tuesday last. Present~6|!essrß Plothjer (chairman), F. Bonnington, Jas. Hampton, C. Qcherty, Jaa. Gudsell, J, Stephens, and J. M. Hamp ton, The master's report was read, which showed the present roil numbers to be— boys 74, girls 72—fatal 146; and th» average for the past four weeks had been— boys 63-8, girls 604—total 1842. Mi s Bonnington was appointed assistant mistress out of fifteen applicants. It was decided to advertise for a caretaker, applications to be in by next meeting. Accounts were passed for payment to the amount of £3 17s 10d, and the meeting adjourned. , An influential and well attended meeting , of wool growers and shippers, representing oyer g0 ? 000 bales, called by the Freight Pro tection Gomr»ifebea was held in Christohurch last night. Mr John Grigg jyas chairman. The following resolution waa carried s-r ---" That in the opinion of this meeting, the ports of Lyttelton and Timaru should be placed on equal terms with the other ports of New Zealand; that the New Zealand Shipping Company and the Shaw Saville ana Albion Company be requested to reduce the freights on wool and other produce to the same level as those ruling ab Wellington. Failing the above mentioned concessions being given, wool guarantees be invited from wooLgrowers and shippers,''

The anniversary of the Pride ot Wakanui Lodge, No. 32, will be celebrated on Friday, September 17, by a tea meeting and concert, of which due notice will be given. A widow, in her 104lh year, took a turn • t stripping osiera at Sonmng to show that she could still hold her own with the young ones. One woman in Auckland has been con victed 170 times. Her offences include drunkennes (111 convictions), vagrancy (37), malicious injury to property (9), assault (1), theft (10) and breaking and entering (1). The cantata, "The New Jerusalem,' to be given by the Wesleyan choir cm a date to be advertised, promises to be a groat success. The choir, under the coaductorehip of Mr E. A. Peachy, have been busy practising, and are now well on towards perfection. The accident sustained by Mr 8. Chapman about six weeks ago was more serious than at first reported, a surgical examination having subsequently showed that a bone of the foot had been fractured. Mr Chapman's many friends will be glad to know he is now able to be about again. The total receipts in connection with the three matches which the New Zealand foot ball team played in Sydney wew (says the Wellington Pott) about £2600. After de fraying the coat of toe tour, the New South Wales Union will, it is expected, have a credit balance of £1600 from the three contests. The only money which the New Zealand Union will receive from the tour will be half the net proceeds of the match in Auokland last Saturday, Holioway's Pills—The Great Need.—The blood is the life, and on its purity our exist ence depends. These Pills thoroughly cleanse the vital fluid from all contamina tions, and bjr that means strengthen and invigorate the whole system,' healthily stimulate sluggish organs, repress over ; excited action, andnstablish the circulation and secretions throughout every part of the body. The balsamic nature of Holloway's Pills exercises marvellous power in giving tons to debilitated and nervous constitutions. These Pills remove All obstructions, both in the bowels and elsewhere, and are on that account much sought for promoting regu-1 larity of action in young females and delicate persons who are naturally weak, or have from some nause become so.

FARM NOTES.

PIS-RAISING, A small farmer in this district (says the Feilding Star) has been good enough to consent to supply us with a few particulars showing what pigs will return with comparatively little trouble. Ouring the past year he fattened 86 pigs and sold them dead, They were fed on eight acres of peas, two and a half acres mangolds, had the run of two acres of beans (not a very good crop) and had the run of about three acres of grass land. When killed the average age of the pigs was about twelve months, and the average weight was 1241bs j they were sold at B|d and 3|d per pound as pork, the average return being 34s for each pig. "From these returns it will be seen that there is money in pigs when properly attended to. A NEW FORAGE PLANT. Sacaline {yalagonum aacalinense), the great forage plant which is creating a sensation all over the world, is per fectly hardy, even in Siberia, yet flourishes in the tropics. It requires no ploughing before planting, needs no cultivation, no manuring, no replant ing. The roots penetrate deep into the soil, and, once planted, the sacaline stands forever. It endures the severest drought with impunity, grows in the' I poorest soils, and luxuriates in we' lands; in fact, it thrives where no other forage plant will grow. The young shoots and leaves are edible, like asparagus, and the leaves—green or dry—are greatly relished by cattle and sheep. The plant, which is said to be more nutritious than clover or lucerne, gives three or four cuttings per year, and produces 90 to 180 tons of forage per acre. In Siberia it grows 14 feet high by June. It can be planted at any tim« and is an excellent soil en richer. It affords shade to cattle in Summer and protection. against storm in Winter. 3?ire will not kill it, floods will not destroy it, and cattle cannot tramp it out. AH AMERICAN WHEAT. The Batburst Free Press makes re ference to an American wheat which has been introduced into that district, and known as tf Hard Duluth." This wheat is said to possess properties al together different from any New South Wales wheat, and has already been proved to be suitable to the district, two local farmers having grown some last year with excellent results. The grower* Bpeak very highly of ifc, and consider that the yield will be thirty to forty bushels per acre, given a favor able season. This is deserving of attention, coming from so considerable a wheat district, and backed by the favorable report of the two growers. It is stated, in addition, that the Sydney millers are largely using this imported wheat, and that the flour pro duced from it commands 10s to 20s per ton more than that made from colonial-grown wheat; also, that the fpur commands a higher price in the borne market. THI BEST PAYING BREEDS OF FOWLS. f A Poultry Fancier" of twenty years' standing writes to a Sydney paper ; •* In breeding fowls I have, found no breed pay like the Plym@uth Bock, which T have bred for the last ten years, I have also bred black Spanish, brown and white Leghorns, colonial game, Andalusians, Orping tons, and Langshans, but like the Rocks best, for the following reasons : They are good winter layers, and lay young, pullets laying at five to six months of age. They are good table birds, and are hardy and quick matur ing, the chickens being little or no trouble to rear. The greatest trouble I have found in Making fowls pay is getting rid of the culls. No matter how good the parents are, there will be culls in every clutch. Eyery bird that you bredd will not be the Simon pure. It is like drinking boarding-house coffee. You have to drink a Jot of water to drink a little coffee, and in breeding fowls you have to breed a lot to obtain a champion. Of course, everyone knows that a typical bird will sell at a fancy price. But if culls have to be sacrificed it brings the average down very low. The Plymouth Rocks being large, fast growers, and good table birds, I find no difficulty in selling the culls for table birds when three or four months old for 5s to 6s per pair, which pays for'rearing then), and leaves a good profit on the first class birda."

THE EFFECT OF THE NEW TARIFF.

Oiuuaru Hail. That (he revision of the taiift in 1895 largely increased the taxation of the people through the customs h.-.s been asserted by Opposition speakers and writers with sue)) persistent iteration aB aimo«t to lead people to accept the Statement as having some degree of truth about it. In support of their aasamption they have pointed to the substantial increase in the Customs revenue, which they claimed could not have been obtained without the adventitious aid of increased tax* 1 ion to draw more money out of the pockets of the people. They defined to believe—or professed to disbelieve! which is not exactly the same thing—that the increase in the revenue derived from the Customs was the natural result of a growth of population and an expansion of the spend ing power of the people. But their igDor ance or obstinate refusal to look at the matter from a rational point of view will no longer avail them, The figures are now available to enable a dear view of the posi tion to be obtained, and they demonstrate beyond the possibility of serious question that the alteration of the tariff did aot impose additional taxation upon the people. The increased Customs revenue has been oocaiioned by a remarkable ex pansion of the import trade. This is made perfectly clear by the carefully prepared returns compiled from the records by the New Zealand Trade Review. From these it is only necessary to take a single set ot figures in order io make the matter clear to our readers. We give a table showing the value of the imports for the past four years, omitting specie, which has no bear ing upon the question, together with the total Customs revenue for eaoh year, m follows:—

imports last year upon those of the previous year amounted to £1,229,139, or nearly 19 percent., the increase in the Customs revenue was only £188,667, or a shade ovar 11 per cent. To put the matter in another form, the Customs revenue for 1896-7 was only £24 3s per cent on the imports, as against £25s 16s in 1895 96. As, however,, the new i tariff was in operation during a part of the year 1895 6, it might be urged that the com paritoa is imperfect. We will, therefore, apply the test to years under the old tariff aud the new. We find that in 1894-5 under the old tariff the Customs revenue was £27 2s per cent upon the value of the imports, or £2 153 per cent higher than under the new tariff in 1895-7, when the percentage was -624 3a. The incidence of taxation per bead is lower now than it was prior to the revision of the tariff, and there is not the slightest justification for the assertion that the tariff changes have increased the burdens of the people.

Fatal Balloon Accident

By cable we were informed at the time of the fatal consequences at Berlin, on the 12th June, of the testing of an aerial machine, Dr Wolffert (the inventor) and hie assistant being killed. It seems that the inventor sought to improve upon the balloon by attaching to it a eteeiiug machine worked by benzine, and furnished with wings by the motion of which the balloon is driven in the direction required for the purposes of any given voyage. Apparently (says the Spectator) the failure was not due to any fault in the instruction of the unwieldy flying machine itself, but to the blunder of the inventor, who opened the gas valve of the great balloon in order to begin the descent, before he had extinguished the fire iv the driving machine by whicih he directed its course The result was a shot of flame upwards from the motor car to the escaping hydrogen, a loud report, and the conversion of tbe balloon and car into furnaces. The car was at once detached, and fell with frightful velocity into a timber yard, where the bodies of the inventor and his machinist were found terribly mutilated.. The balloon had, however, ascended from between 2500 ft to 3000 ft, advancing steadily for some time against a north-west wind, before the inventor made the fa'al blunder of attempt ing to descend before extinguishing the flame in the moter car. It was indeed a most clumsy air carriage, for the balloon was 240 ft long and 90ft la diameter; but the explosion was not the fault of the construe* tion, but only of the constructor.

CABLE NEWS.

Home a&d Foreign. Press Association—By Electric Telegraph- Copyright. The King of Siam, Le»»ow, August 12 The King of Siarn is on a visit to Welbeck Abbey, Notts, (the residence of the Duke of Portland. His Majesty, when being shown round the stables, went into raptures over Carbine, and requested a photograph of the animal, The Australian Squadron- London, August 13 H.M. cruiser Mohawk will be com missioned for the Australian station early in September. New Zealand Shipping Act. Tfye Tiroes advises that negotiations should be opened up with the view of arriving at a friendly understanding between the British shipowners and Mr Seddon respecting the New Zealand Shipping Act The Sultan Plays Another Card. Constantinople, August 12 The Sultan has despatched an envoy to India with the object of stirring up strife there. Senor Ganovas's Widow. Madrip, August 12 The widow of the late Senor Oanovas has been created a duchess, with a pension of 30,000 pesetas. Anarchist Threats. August 13. f Golli stated under examination that President Faure would be the next to suffer at the hands of the Anarchists, and many others would follow, until mercy was asked. Duty on Imported Meat. Capetown, August 13. A meeting, attended by a thousand persons^ passed a resolution urging the opening of negotiations with the Orange Free State to secure the aboli tion of the duty on imported meat. The Rinderpests The rfnderpest in South Africa has had the effect of greatly increasing the price of meat. The Capetown people are loudly demanding the abolition of the duty on imported meat, Dr Koch, the German scientist, is returning to the Cape to conduct a seiies of experiments with the rinder pest. Australian Federation. Washington, August 12. The American Government h&s pub lished an interesting and sympathetic report in respect of the Federal move ment in Australia. The report was supplied by Colonel Bell, the American Consul in Sydney.

THE LATEST.

Home and Foreign.

Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph- Copyright. Received Wubapuaka An :ush 14,10 i.m., ■ Gvabman Office 10.25 a.in. : Mr. Ilerz's (Jiaim. Washington, August 13 The American Government fris declined to suppo"t the claim of Dr. Cornelius Herz for the recovery of a million damages froo» the French Government for his prosecution and arrest in connection with the Panama ;. Lottery Loan Bill in 1893. Curious Precautions, St. Petersburg, August 12. The Russian Government has adopted precautions with a view to preventing the popular enthusiasm during the forthcoming visit of President Faure from eclipsing that displayed at the recent welcome to the Emperor of Germany.

Australian.

Press AnooifttioD—By Electric Telegraph— Copyright. Received Walupuaka Aujrait 14, 10 a.m., Guardian Office '10.50 a.m. The Shooting Case Sydney, August 14. The girl Willis several time* threatened to shoot McFayden, and recently followed him into the northern districts, and because he refund to hare anything to do with her threw herself into the river. The shooting was the outcome of rumours that McFayden intended to marry another woman. McFayden admitted at the inquest that be had seduced the girl. A Peculiar Case. A peculiar case has come before the Molong Police Court, A local land surVeyor laid a criminal information against the members of the District Land Board for murdering a Mite Lemon. The latter conditionally purchased a piece of Grown land, and the Board twice cancelled the applica tion and forfeited the deposit money, because it was alleged that she was acting as an agent, and each time the Minister for Lands reversed the Board's decision. Miss Lemon died shortly after the second reversal. The ground of the charge is that the Board's decision broke Miss Lemon's heart. The Bench refused to take action till a doctor's certificate as to the cause of death was produced. Rain in Victoria. Melbourne, August 14. Further soaking rain hag practically assured the wheat crop. The Ship Gulf of Sfartaban. Adelaide, August 14 The discharge of tha Gulf of Marta bau's cargo is proceeding. The damage to both vessel and cargo is very extensive.

THE GREEK INDEMNIIY.

Aii Unsatisfactory Outlook. Pi-ess Association—By Electric .Telegraph— Copyright. Lowdost, August 13 , Greece has made no attempt to raise an indemnity loan. She offers every obstacle to the proposal for international control. The outlook ig considered to be exceedingly unsatis factory.

Strained Relations Between Austria and Bulgeria.

Press Association—By Electric Telegraph— Copyright. Vienna, August 12 Owing to M. Stoiloff. the Bulgarian Premier s not having apologised for the reflections cast upon CountGolochowski, the Austro-Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs, in connection with the murder of Anna Simmon, Baron Kuro bach Rosenburg, Austro- Hungarian Minister at Sofia, has taken indefinite !ea\e, and diplomatic relations bee tween the two countries are therefore suspended.

LABOUR QUESTIONS.

Fress A aocwtion—By Electric Telegraph— Copyright. London, August 13 The Society of Engineers admits that tha struggle with employers is developing into the most gigantic in the history of labour. They claim that the prospects of their success are favourable, and consider that the eignt hours demand has been won in London.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BUDGET.

Press Association—By Electric Telegraph- Copyright.

Adxlaipe, August 13. In the Legislative Assembly, Mr Holder delivered hia Budget speech. The revenue for the past year exceeded the estimate by £44,000, and the ex penditure exceeded the amount voted by £26,000, but the year ended with a surplus of £23,600, and this despite the worst wheat yield tho colony had ever known. The railway revenue had increased by £34,000, compared with last year, while a saving of about £18,000 in the annual interest was made by floating the last conversion loan. The borrowing this year would be contingent on passing new public works. The Treasury Bills would be consolidated in due course, and he esti mated the surplus for the forthcoming year at £5450. The main items in the increase of expenditure would bo £5000 for the mining and prospecting vote, and £6000 for increases due to the Civil servants, It had been found impossible to remove the duties on the necessaries of life, but the Income Tax exemption had been raised from £160 to £200.

THE ASHBOBTON GUABDIAH: SATUEDAX, AUGUST .14, 189 T.



Year. Imports. Customs revenue, 1893 4 ... £6,485,610 £1,634,970 1894-5 ... 5,679,467 1,566,428 1895-6 ... 6,460,522 1,669,088 1896-7 ... 7,682,661 1,867,756 It will be seen that while the increase ie the



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DRESSES & DRESSMAKING = EXTRAORDINARY. = AFTER AF EXCEPTIONALLY SUCCESSFUL SBASON§WE ARE NOW PREPARED TO JTAKE VEBY MUCH BEDUCED PBIGES FOR OURfFEW REMAINING COLORED DRESSES; A LOW PRICE quoted for Dress Complete, Beib Biyls and Fit. MITCHELL & TURNER.



TIMBEE! TIMBEE! TIMBEE! 50,000 FEET OP WHITE WNE MATCH LINING AND FLOORING, aow landing ex "Giaborne" from North Island, BRICKS! BRICKS! BRICKS! SUPPLIED IN ANY QUANTITIES AS Ri QUIRED. W. H. COLLINS & CO., GOAL AND TIMBER MERCHANTS, IRONMONGERS & PAINTERS,



Public Notices. mm JlB ''■ I'l^B ■■ AGENTS FOR THE ANGLO-NEW ZEALAND OYCLti COMPANY. WE have just opened out a full stock of the following high grade, up-to d*W, Ladies' and Gentlemen's Bicycle^ all English make, beautifully enamelled and very heavily plated parts. THE GLOBE-Very high grade machine, D shape tubing, 3£in tread, 346 in chain, patent head lock, and all other latest improvements, English Dunlop Tyres. THE MELTOW-A beautiful oyle, 3iin treaa, fitted with the patent 316 in twin roller chain, English Dunlop Tyres, a pleasure to ride on. THE TOWN ElVD—Another high class machine* On account of the large number we have sold of these cycles we can fully recommend it. English Dunlop tyres, oval tubing, 3&in tread, large barrel hubs oil retaining, heavily plated, "and strictly up-to-date. Any of^these machines will be sold for 1 cash or on the easy time payment system. Inspection Invited. HALLENSTEIN BROS., A. G. BARTON, Manager;



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Church Services. ST. STEPHEN'S CHURCH Ashburton. SUNDAY SERVICES, AUGUST 15. 11 a.m.—Morning Prayer and Holy Communion. 3 p.m.—Tinwald (Rev. T. A. Hamilton.) 3 p.m..~Dromore (Mr T. A. Gates.) 6.30 p.m.—Evening Prayer. RE¥ T. A. HAMILTON.



METHVEN, LATEST NEWS. rpHE ASHBURTON "GUARDIAN," JL with the day's telegraphic and cable news from all parts of the world, can be had from MESSRS HIBBS' BROS., daily, immediately after the arrival of the evening train.



You have ruined your eons<bitution sufficiently by drinking inferior tew, recruit by drinking only Kozie Tba, It is pure and vß)i»ble,~MD Orr & Co.. Solt Ag nti



The main portion of the plant fop the Barrytown Fiat Goldmining Company-** some 150 tons—was on Thursday shipped at Dunedin for Greymouth. The steamer Brunner was specially chartered to carry the plant. The rest of the plant, some additions to which were only recently ordered, will be forwarded about the end of this mouth. Those additions would have been ready to go by the Brunner but for the fact that the iron required was not in stock in the cojiony gnd hail to be procured from Sydney. A .oontrac| to .supply 190,000 feet of heart of totara, for burning the race, has been let to a Greymouth contracting firm. The sncretary of the company yesterday re ceived a telegram from Government stating that a grant of £100 would be given to wards blasting some bluffs and making a track between Greymouth and Barrytown, sp thai; the Company will have no trouble now'in tajcing the whole of the plant over }and. Mr Sander (Chairman), and Mr Thomas are leaving for th* poaut oa Mou ldy U> $||* go»J wr»optm*nti,



Many Ladies complain that the Tei they have been using has neither atrengfch nor flavor. If they try Koni Xi& they will be



The true leaf of the Tea plant, vutatnpcred with and pure; this is Kozue Tm, try it.— Jol(8 Off * o?.i "P**^



He took my advice as he aat on the stile. Sat sneezing and wheezing and conghing; He hasn't a sign of that oold on him now, No sneezing or wheezing or coughing, 4nd he aays • there!t nri friend tohumsnity truer" ' ' ' * * ■ Than Wood's Great Peppermint) Cure, If a very bad oold you are forced to eadura With Bgeegiog, or wheegtng, or coughing,' •«89