PHASES OF THE MOON

American authorities, ''all tend to show that when an artificially infected oyster is placed m pure water, raor* 1 especially moving water, it gets rid of its inf(.c ion wuhia ten days,"

NOYEMBIiR

Loca! and General.

* # * On the first puj»e to-duy will be found reports of the Addingioa and G.iraidine live stock markets and an article headed •'Klee'.roid G;ts " ; on the fourth page mi'C«llaneous items. Electoral—Mr John MoLaohlan will ad'lroai the olectors m tho O.ldi'elicws 1 ITall this evening.—Mr 0. J. Harper speaks at Orecnsti-eul, and Mr W. >S. Maslin at Wak-mui—each meeting ai 8 o'clock. Funeral.—The funeral of the late Mrs W. B. Cooper took placa en Wednesday. The last rites of the Baptist Church were conducted by the Rev. YV. L*rnb A large number of friends attended as a last mark of respect to their late esteemed friend. Four members of the Baptist Church acted as bearers. WagbsPkotection Act.—The Otago Daily Times says the efieob of the Wages Protec tion Act, passed last session, is already being feifc by employees who have hitherto enjoyed the benefit of j >mt 4 insurance. We understand many of tha large mining com paniea have given their men notice that, owing to the drastic provisions of tb.6 act, all joint insurance will cease as from the next pay. The companies will cover them selves against ri*k under the Employers' Liability and Mining Acts, leaving the men to make their own arrangements to meet this new departure m Liberal legislation. Tvs Author of " The Christian.—The London correspondent of the Sydney Daily Telegraph writes : —" In answer to a poiite request for confirmation of the information which reached me last week, to the effect that Mr Hall Came proposed to make a lec turing tour m Australasia at an early date, the famous novelist has sent tho following characteristic letter from Greeba Castle, his Manxland home :—' lam sorry to Bay there is no present likelihood of my going to Aus tralia, much aB I could wish to go, and long as I have looked forward to that pleasure. It may occur that on my return to England from Arneric* m the autumn of 1900, or tho spring of 1901, I shall be able, God wiping, i to carry out a long cherished wish to visio j Australia ; bub m that evsnb I shall have ' ! something better to do than to travel as a lecturer (whether with or without "sliies"J I m a country so full of interest, so valuable I to study, and containing so many of my friends and well wishers.'" | Decoration of a Nun—Ring Leopold has just bestowed on Sister '/Jeresa Hickey, an ! English nuu of the Apostoline community ! established m Belgium, the CiTic Medal of I the First Class (j, decoration instituted as a reward of conspicuous civic merit), m recog j nition of her heroic services to the people I during the outbreak of a terrible epidemic which ravaged the district of Oordegem, m. Flanders. So great was the consternation of the inhabitants that no one would ven ture to approach the houses m which the victims Uy dying. During the panic Siater ! Teresa volunteered to go and tend the ' unfortunate sufferers, for nurses could nob bs found. For several weeks she devoted hersoif, day and night, to the noble work of ministering to tha sick and dying, | receiving no other assistance than that 1 given by the clergy of the pariah. Wich iurfligging devotion the brave woman | remained unflLachingiy at her post of duty | until the epidemic abated, although almost broken down by her untiriDg efforts. Public manifestations of gratitude for her inestim able services were rendered by the people ; and her conduct having come under the .notice of the Government, the King has rewarded her self-sacrifice by bestowal of tho honour mentioned. Sister Teresa has been iv Belgium for nearly 30 years. The rise m the price of wool and the firm state of the London market will mean in | ere ising returns of many thousands of pounds for the farmers of Canterbury alone this i year. As a natural consequence, following the advanced cost of the raw material, all the principal manufacturers of woollen goodl have recently issued revised price lists ahow jng a considerab. risa iv the prices of all Tweeds, Coatings, Vicugnas, &c. MrcssßS Ckaiqheap & Berryman of thia town, how ever, with their usual foresight, took time by the forelock, and cabled IJouje direct early j m M*y for a large shipment oi" the moat I fashionable Suitings for the approaching j Spring season. They also secured large parcels from the principal New Zealand mills vat before the rise, aud wiil give their 1 customers the full benefit of their timely i contracts. Messrs Craighead and Berry - | i|:*.ir invite an early inspection of their New Goods. Thjjr leading line of Men's Suits to measure for £Sis iOs," made up m their well known style and fit, should convince the most sceptical of their sterling values Smoke New ye.u.us

Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1899.

In big entertaining " Farmer's Year," Mr Rider Haggard recalls, m tho b'ep tember Longman, a RSDER HAG- prophecy of his cor- GARD'S PRO- cerning tbe future of PIIECr. the Transvaal. It was written m 1876, when most people thought the bank rupt South African Republic of no value. After describing the " mono tony and dreariness of the great Trans vaal wastes," he said I—"Andl—"And yet those wastes, now so dismal and deso late, are at uo distant date destined to support and enrich a largo population. Before us lies (he country of the practical future, of the days when the rich mm wiil have his estate m Switzerland to gratify his eyes, and his estate m the Transvaal to fill his pockets, This vast land wiil one day be the garden of Africa, the land of gems and gold, of oil and corn, of steam ploughs and railways. It has an assured and a magnificent future." What has followed this prediction, uttered at a time when the Rand was innocent of gold mining, may lend greater weight to Mr Haggard's eulogy of emigration which appears m the game paper. He says :—"Whyshoud people continue to be cooped up m this narrow country, living generally upon insufficient means, when yonder their feet might be set m so larg-i a room 1 Why do they not go to where families can be brought into the world without the terror that they will starve or drag their parents down to the dirt ; to where the individual may assert himself, and find room to develop his own character, instead of being crushed m the mould of cus tom till, outwardly at any rate, he is as like bis fellows as one brick is like the others m a wali 1 Here, too, unless he be endowed with great ability, abnormal powers of work, and an iron constitution, he has about as much chance of rising as the brick at the bottom has of getting to the top of the wall, for the weight of the thousands above keeps him down, and the con ventions of a crowded and ancient civilisation tie his hands and fetter his thought. But m those new homes across the seas it is different, for there he can draw nearer to nature, and though tho advantages of civilisation remain unforfeited, to the happy con ditiond of the simple, uncomplicated man. There, if he be of gentle birth, his sons can go to work among the cattle without losing caste, instead of being called upon to begin where their fathers left off, or pay the price m social damage; there his daughters wi!i marry and help to build up some great empire of the future, instead of dying single jn a land where marriage U becoming more and rnora a, luxury for tho rich. . , , II I were youn\» again I would practice what I preach."

TRANSVAAL EDITORS.

Me W. F, Monypenny, the editor of the Johannesburg Star, whom the Transvaal authori ties wished to arrest but who succeeded . m getting over the border lato Natal, was up to Febru ary last one of the assistant editors of the London Times. He left England m that month to assume the position of editor-in-chief of the Star. Born some thirty years ago jin County Armagh, he proceeded from Dungai> non school to Trinity College, Dublin, subsequently going to Oxford, whore he greatly distinguished himself. He was, it is understood entrusted with many delicate missions on behalf of the leading daily journal. Mr Money penny was an officer of the London Irish Rifle Volunteers. Mr R J Pakeman, the editor of the Transvaal Leader, who was m custody at Johan nesburg, but who was released on bail, was formerly editor of the Johannes burg Star. Some two years ago he went to England and engaged m journalistic work at Derby j but a few months back he returned to Johannes burg to assume editorial control of the Leader, a newspaper started m the Uitlander interest. He has, it goes ! without saying, been exceedingly out- Bpojxen m his criticisms of the Boers and th^eir (Joings. The charge upon j which he wag wrested was that of j high treason, but it wag «La^.oe^ to at breach of the Press Law, Mr Pafeb- I man, however, deemed it prudent to ! quit the Transvaal, and is now m Natal.

THE OYSTER.

The luscious oyster has for many years been grossly libelled. Popular ignor ance has enveloped it with such a cloud of undeserved dis repute tbat even many educated per sons shun the oyster as if it were an almost invariable medium of conveying typhoid fever. But the oyster is hav ing its true character fully rehabili tated by the House of Lords. The oyster season m England has only just commenced, when a Parliamentary Blue Book opportunely appears with all the evidence which was taken by the Sslect Committee of the Upjer House last session upon the provisions of the Oyster Bill. The witnesses examined were to a large extent ex perts on public health, fisheries, and oyster culture. Dr Bulstrode, a medi cal inspector under the Local Govern ment Board, admitted the abso lute impossibility of the typhoid bacillus being communicable by the flesh of tho oyster - f in the gills it nrght be mechanically suspended : but it could not become portion of tha fiesh I except by the process of digestion, which, of course, makes it uncommuni- 1 cable to the consumer. The intestine cf the oyster, or the liquor m which it lives within its shell, might contain the dreaded bacillus on account of the mollusc having been m an unhealthy bed. "The organism of typhoid," 1)> Bulstrode said, " does not apparently live long m the intestine of the oyster, and it does not live any very great period even m the liquor." Bacter iological experiments, conducted by Dr Klein and Professors Berdm&n and Boyee, and also by eertaia French and

THE LATEST. Home and Foreign.

United Press Asß<,fci&tfi<;i?-rßy Electric Telegraph

! (Received Wakapuaka Nov 2, 9,45 am [ This Office 10.44 a.m) Earty Closiijo". SfDSE? NOV, 2. In the Assembly the B^rly Oloaipg Bill was read a second time, (Received Wakapuaka Nov. 2, 9 45 a.m, This Office 10.44 a.m) Old Age Pensions. Melbourne, Nov. 2. Tn the Assembly Mr Turner said he was anxious to pass the Old Age Pen sions Bill, but unless a reasonable sch erne was proposed for raising ft con siderable portion of the required money lie saw &o fSe.'ins of proceeding with the Bill." '■' "

CORRESPONDENCE

(Wa do n«.i iitwii a*sijive£ responsible for the opinions expressed by our CGi-jfegpotidentß)

COMMERCIAL PATRIOTISM.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,— On noticing the holidays advertised ia this morning's Mail by the local grain merchants, I could nob help being struck by the " patriotiam " shown by thoee firms m deciding to keep their places of business open on Thursday, November 9, the Prince [ of Wales' Birthday.—l am &c, ! BaiTISHBR.

CABLE NEWS.

United Presa Association— By Kleotrio Telegraph—Copyright Cairo, October 21 Lord Kitchener, who has been arranging the expedition against the Khalif<», is shortly expected to arrive here.

THE GERMAN NAVY.

The Kaiser's Proposals.

United Press Association-—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright BsiUjiN, October 31 The friendly reception by tha Lon don newspapers of the Kaiser s pro jected increase of the navy is appre ciated m Berlin. The German grain duties will be lnrge«y increased m l!) 03, to defray the naval expenditure.

THE ELECTIONS.

Mv W. S. Maslia. at ths Odd fellows' Hail

Mr W. P. ".'onlin addressed the electors m the OJdft.liowii' Half, Ashburton, on Wednesday ivenirg. About two hundred peop'e were prcaeut, and the Mayor pre side 1 and bri(fi,' introduced the OAiididato, bespeaking for him a patient hearing. Mi' Maslisi, who was roco:ved with ap^lauae, b gun by spying that it wss throe yearstincehc had had t iiephai-.ure of oddress ing the electors of Abhburton as a candidate. He made no apology for doing so again. He was nob living iv i heir district, but he bad had the honor of representing a considerable portion of the district m IP9-1-6, and had therefore a claim on at least a considerable portion of it. Ho hoped the election would be carried through without ar.y personal rancor, and that when it was over good feeling would prevail. He expected the other candidates would criticise his opinions as Iha woald do theirs without scruple. Mr Harper based his claim to their suffrages on the fact that he was a local man. He himself had been a local man for six years, and every turn of fehe census wheel brought them nearer to the district m which he lived. Ashburton and Geraldine had a com muQity of interes's. From the port of Timaru large shipmenta were made by the Ashburton merchants, and a ioan was how being wanted for the improvement of the harbor, bo that shipping should be facili tated. In regard to ihiu harbor question he could help the Ashburton interests there, and there were other questions, such as the Rangitata stock bridge, m regard to which he couid work ia unison with the member for the adjacent district for the furtherance of that much needed improvement. But these were parish politics, and he had no wish to secure election on a basis of that kind. There was no really burning question before the electors. THE OPPOSITION The Opposition did not seek to repeal any j of the legislation passed by the party m power, notwithstanding that they had so severely criticised many of these measures. What, then, did they really want ? They simply wanted to get back again to power. And the chief charge they brought against the present party was that it had been guilty of maladministration, which had been too muoh on the "lines of party. Bub ib would be m no way different if the Opposi tion were m power, 'ihere was no more backbone m the Opposition than was m the other side. In the past, under Major Atkin son and his predecessors party had been as rampant as ever it was m the ranks of the Liberals. Mr Rolleston had been several times rejected by Canterbury constituencies for hia loyalty to party, and the charge of raising the grain tariff, which was done by his p*rty, was brought against him per sonally, and he was made to feel by rejection at the hands of the electorates whose suffrages he sought that he was held respon sible for the doings of the party he belonged to. No one could defend the pirty system, buft while both sides of the House recognised the evils of it, both were opposed to any change. ELECTIVE EXECUTIVE, Mr Maalin went on to speak of the Elec tive Executive Bill, introduced by Hon Misjor Steward. Though this Biil was nob wholly a means of abolishing party govern ment it was a step m the direction of removing many of its evils. At some length he described how this proposed measure would work when it came into operation if it ever did, and compared its details with those of the party system now followed. Afc present the Premier selected the Cibi uet j but why did the House have no voice m its selection? The Elective Executive Bill provided that it should by making the Cabinet elective by the House, r(quire each member of the House to be electee! by a clear majority of all the votes recordable, The Cabineb thus elected, elected its chair man, who became the Premier, but under this Bill the Premier would have no right, as now, to dismiss any Minister at will. The speaker dwelt o;i NO CONFIDENCE MOTIONS. Many of which were treated as such by Government with a view to avoiding a straight out vote of the House on the merits of particular questions. The marine scandal was a case m point. Oa this question Govern ment took refuga from the criticism of this scandal by making a motion that had been ; moved on the subject one of no ■confidence, and so compelled the patty to vote, not really on the merits of the question but on party lines He did not say what was the right; or the wrong of the marine scand.il He had his own opinion about ib, but he would keep that to himself; yet he thought that there was reason to complain when it was found possible for a man like Jone3 to ride through all the safeguards of the regu lations and obtain the certificate that uas granted to him. The issue of that certificate WftH a gross scandal, but when the question should have been dealt with by the Houso on its merits the Premier made a no-corn dence question of it, and the vote thit followed was reajly not oh the merits of fcho question, but on whether the party was to remain m ppwer. OLp 4<BE £SNBipHS Speaking on the Old Age Pensions Bill! he said that under the Bill m its original form all members of friendly eocieties were pena'jbed. Sick and funeral funds paid to applicants for old age pensions were included m the income supposed to be received by the applicants, ajid th^s thsrp was & handicap pub upon thrift. There were many Liberals who voted that this provision should remain on the Bill, bub the Opposi tion thre\y their weight into the scale,' and it was not uiade la??. Then the shearers who go to Australia eyery year to assist m getting m the Australian clips were dis qualified by the Bill, though they have their homes m New Zealand and are essentially New Zealanders. Mr Moere, of Kaiapoi, moved an amendment to give these men a chanoa under tbo Old Age Pension Bill. But because Mr Moore was a member of the Opposition the motion was rejected, and so called Liberals voted against it because they would permit no improvement to be made upoa the Bill, the credit of which improvement would go to a member of the [ Opposition Mr John Hutchison of Wel lington wanted the sailors to be admitted .»iauj and it was carried; but for exactly tbb**' B&tpe i'w«Bcn $s the shearers were excluded, strcii Liberals as Major Steward and Mr Flatman were- found voting against Mr Hutchison's motion. This was . the way the party 'system K7.erkpd, sn^ incidentally here he mentioned fchat the Elective Executive Bill provided for a vote of no confidence m the istmoje Oabiaet or a*»y op.§ member of it, and it' the yotjs were carried the ouatsd one left his portion, and the House eleoted one m hia place. Ho would have the Upper House elected for six years-^half to retire every three years—so that the business wopld go on just the same and be conducted always by men experienced m the work. Party government was wrong when it was used only to keep certain men m office. He believed m men standicg j shjulder to shoulder for principle, but had no sympathy with sacrifice of principle for party ends, THE REFERENDUM, He had read a speech by the Premier, m winch the referendum was laid down as a j plank m the Government platform, and that ib was the intention of Government to give effect to the referendum, This had not been done, and Mr Maslin feared there was a want of sincerity behind the utterance of the Premier on the subject Mr Seddon had i-atlefl the referendum a Conservative measure k It was ons of the most democratic! that could be imagined, £or ib was simply a measure to refer the matter by the glebisei^o to the people. If a measure were passed twice by the Hou:eand thrown out by the Legislative Council, it would be referred to the people, who could safely be trusted. Bisides the Referendum Bill provided for the two houses of the Legislature meeting together for the discussion of questions on vvbioh the^ did pot see eye to eye, and this ! would go a bug jyajr t-o the settling of j differences. FEDERATION j He was nob greatly m love with |federa- I tion, so far aa New Zealand was concerned. We occupied an insular position that did nob lonii itself readily to close union with the Australian colonies m a way likely to be advantageous to ourselves, and he fancied we should be lo»ers by federating with the sister colonies. Australia did not take much of our produce, and when she did take any

large quantity, it was because an exception al y dry season compelled her. With federa tion the would take no more—without it she would take no less. Here was an instance m which the referendum would come m, for the question of federation or isolation was one which the people should be asked to decide. T»B UPPER HOrSB He r(*grettfcd lhat. over the recent) appoint ments to the Legislative Council the House of Representative*) had not risen to the occasion. He did not bdi-ve m the Liberalism that hoisted politic-.' n jx;ts itito the Legislative Council ovar the head of people and beyond the influences of the people's votes. He did not be'ievo m a man being hoisted into such » posil ion, simply hectue he ran a rag for the political purposes of his party, but failed to secure the confidence of thee cctois amongst whom he lived. He b-lieved m the election of the Legislative Council by the people —not sa Mr .Harper had said, by the ratepayers, but on the same principle as the Lower House wae elected Ha thought that the members of the Upper House should number jusfc half those of the Lower, and be elected for six years : one-half of them to retire every three yearp, which would always leave m the Council one half of its memberß, who would be fully acquainted with its business. He would make it a sine qua non that Upper House members should be men of experience, and would require them to have served at least one Parliament m the Lower House. This wou'd enable them to be truly the revising body that an Uppef Houae should be. He would always support the elective principle because he thoroughly believed m it. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE Mr Maalin then went on to speak of how the time of the Houee was wasted by such discussions as the Address in-rep'y, which enabled the Cabinet to get B Us prepared that should have been prepared m the recess, but were not. During the first week or two some sixty or seventy Bills were introduced and read. They were then printed at considerable cost and circu lated, but; a large number of them never saw the end of the session. He instanced the Master and Apprentice Bill, which came up year after year, and was dangled before the eyes of a certain portion of the labor party m the colony to please them ; bub ib never got any further, and was nob yet law. What with no-confidence debates, and the discussion of Bills that were to be dropped after all, ib came to be that towards the e'ose Bills were ruahed through very hastily, and when passed wanted amending next year He would limit the order paper to bix B'lls at a time, and private members' Bills to only one per man. FINANCE He was pleased to notice that the colony had a buoyant financ?. This was due partly to the present prosperity of the colony, and partly to the revision of the tariff, which was made m the last Parliament. Mr Harper, m bis speech to the electors, wanted to know where the surplus was. There was not any doubt about there having been a surplus, and what had become of it was easily explained by the expenditure on public works, the figures of which only wanted a glance to Bhow how the surplus had been absorbed. Mr Harper had evidently taken the finance of his politics from the Christ church Press, and papers of that color, aod had not seen for himself what was going on. He musb admit, however, that it was not good finance to have surpluses, which pointed to the over-estimating of the ex penditure and the under-estimating of re venue. Bab the surplus was made out of the taxpayers' pockets, and he was againat finance of tbab kind' In the little war dance m the Afeade between Mr McLachlan and Mr McKeague on a recent Saturday Mr McKeague h^d told Mr McLachlan how often he had voted m directions that were nob pleasing to Mr McK>agus. But Mr McKeague forgot to tell the electors that Mr Seddon voted just the same way, and Mr McLachlan simply followed his leader, which Mr McKengiie would be expected to do if he went ai a supporter of Mr Seddon. Mr McLaohlan said he voted m a certain way against his conscience to help ihe Government out of a hols. The Government was not m a hole, and Mr Maslin voted just the opposite way. A finance lhat had so much surplus pointed to ihe necessity for a , revision of the tariff, wiih the objsct of lightening taxition to the people. ADVANCES TO SETTLERS. j Government had promised to remove tho I mortgage tax, but had not done so, with ihe result that whem a man lent money on mortgage, he fixed the in'.erest he wa3 to charge at a rate to cover this, and the borrower had to pay it, not the lender. This tux was a direct tax on improvements, and the Department of Ad ances to Settiera charged the tax just the same as institutions who had nothing to do with Government. He favored the cheapening of money to those who required to borrow, and this w*a the direction m which reform was still needed, i LAND ! He gave the Government every credit for j its land 3 for settlement scheme, hut it was capable of very considerable improvement. There was a dual system m operation—one under the Land Act and another under the Lands for Settlement Act, and these placed the land under different kinds of tenures. The money realised from cash sales was put Intp the consolidated fund, but he held that ib should b,e pub into a fund for the purchase of land for further settlement. The present system was only a roundabout way of increasing the consolidated fund with borrowed money. He held thab the first tenure should be leasehold, but after a probation to show the bona fides of the farmer as an intending permanent settler, the settlor should be given the right to acquire a freehold* Just now the Land for Settlements Act was a rent-collepting machine for the English capitalists. Why nob give our own people a right to invest their own sayings m their own land s He would pub all freehold money into one proper fund, and use ib again for the purchase of more land for closer settlement. He had no fear about the aggregation of estates. If this fund were provided there would be plenty of funds to carry on the land settlement scheme of the colony, and after a man had occupied his land for a certain time he should be entitled to buy his land right out if he oared to do bo. There was nothing m the land nationalisation cry. So long as the State bad the power to tax land as ib had now, that was all that was [ necessary. LAND ADMINISTRATION, Mr Maslin then dealt with the system of land administration, which he held was not equitable, aa some men with money could evade the residence requirements by placing a two-roomed cottage;with some furniture upon the holding and living elsewhere, while btheK—poor struggling' men—who could put up only a cod whar| and live m ' it, were Worried to f|eat,h by*\he Land Board to fulfil the vexatious condition?. If there vyereany Justification for a noin'nated Board, it was m the case of the Land Boards. LOCAf, GOVERNMENT There had been two bills for local govern ment prepared and printed, but their only recommendation was their bulk. The Premier mastered most things, but he had not apparently mastered this question, and he never reached a second reading speech with ib. Mr Maslin thought there were too many local bodies, and local government could be very greatly cheapened. He took exception too, to the Government valuation, which m many cases had been undertaken by incompetent men, and he gave an instance that came under his nobice of how a sale under special circumstancas had been made at £2003 and the valuation had been raised at once from £900 to £1900, while the land ad j lining, remained at its original valuation of £900—no consideration having been given to the special circumstances which caused the enhanced price m the first case. There would be no equitable valuation until quali fied'men were placed upon the work. hVIihXC DEiiT Mr Maslin went on to deal with the public debb, on which there was an annual interest charge of £1,832,691, with a debb per head of £62 17s 3d, and an annual interest pay ment per head of £3 16a 2i. These figures looked very formidable, but when it was considered thafc we had assets, such as the railways that paid their way to a fraction, ££(J the advances to settlers of two millions wWich coat the taxpayers not a penny, and other public ins'titutibns, suvh aa post and telegraphs, which all paid their way, the actual payment per head was reduced very I materially. After a reference to the excel j lent management of the railways under Mr Cadman, and the promise that had been made of cushions for the second class; car nagee, Mr Masliß wen* on to speak cf

EDUCATION He did nob believe m a Stafe Church, and as soon as religion was introduced into the State schools, something very near to a Stare Church was founded. The 8 ate was doing a great work as it was, and anything I hit taught a person what would fi . h m to properly dischatge the duties of life was a, -ptciea of religion—not a high one, to be sur;% but as much as the Sfaito should under take. Whenever the State look up tha leaching of religion m the schools there was fcuio to be fr?ction. Referring to Mr Has-par s remark * on the question of repre sent ion or. tSia Boards, Mr- Maslin said that is was ihe iarge schools io the towns who kept the small ones m the country, nod large Schools' Commit.tees had just the same voting power as the Committees m the country. Carrying out his idea m regard to the Legislative Counci', he thought the people should elect the committeeg 6 the committees the members of the Board, and the Board their chairman* LICENSING AND GAMBLING He was never *n favor of the clubs being excluded from the operation of the Licensing Act, and had never favored the taking of the triennial poll on the day of the general election; He regretted that the totaiisator | was still legalised, and that last year the Government had accepted from this source £13,000 of taxation upon the million pounds that had gone through the various totalisa tors used at the race meetings io the colony. The totaiisator was an incentive to betting and the time, he thought, was ripe for its extinction. CONCLUSION He said he would not ask them for their suffrages just then. He would do that at) a l>ter period of the campaign when he again addressed them. The question for them to decide was not what party should oem power, but was there to be a party m power that would push forward the best interests of the colony and pass useful legislation. What were wanted were men of principle, who did not go to the House to support any man or any party, but who went to support) high principles. If he went to the House he would go with his hands free to vote accord ing to his conscience. He would vote against what he believed to be wrong whether it pleased his party or not, and would not go into any lobby simply to make that lobby a whitewashing machine, as it had been made m the last parliament. They might call him a rail sitter if they liked, but he would nob vote against his conscience. Mr Maslin was loudly applauded at intervals during his address, and on resuming his seat. QUESTIONS. In answer to questions—Mr Maslin said he was not m favor of the State having any thing to do with the liquor traffic or enter ing upon the trade itself.—He founded his remarks about the inadvisableness of the State teaching religion on the evidence given by Rev. Mr Guy of the Primitive Methodist Church, the Hebrew rabbi, and a leading Congregational Minister. If it were the duty of the State to teach children re!i> gion, it was also the duty of the State to teach the adult, and this gave a State church at once.—He would oppose subsidising Sunday schools, and the admission of ladies into Parliament.—He would support a suffi cient subsidy for a stock bridge over the Eangitata.—Mr Seddon, with a strong curb, on him, was as good a man as they could find, but with a party of mere dummies b hind him, he wou^d be guilty of excesses. —He was m favor of reducing the tax on all necessaries of life, co mpatible with a safe revenue, and this redaction would include 6d a gallon on kerosene.—He did not approve of such patchwork buildings as the Ash burton railway station and the post office, and was m favor o| the penny post, bub objected to subsidising private schools for the teaching of technical education. On the motion of Mr R. Alcorn, seconded by Mr Pickford, a vote of thanks Was accorded to Mr Maslin, who declined a yote of confidence, saying the place to yote con fidence was at the ballot box. A similar compliment to the Mayor closed the proceedings.

Mr C.J. Harper at Tinwald.

Mr O. J. Harper addressed a meeting ab Tinwald on Tuesday evening. Mr Doherty, chairman of the Tinwald Town Board, presided. The hall was well filled with electors. Mr Harper spoke upon the pro minenfc subjacta of the day, and was exceed ingly well received, app'aute being frequent. Afer answering numerous question?.; ap parently to the satisfaction of the meeting, a hearty vote of thanks was carried, o<i the motion of Mr J. M. Hampton, seconded by Mr Meharry. A vote of thanks to the chair man terminated a very pleasant meeting.

TRANSVAAL WAR.

THE BATTLE AT LADY SMITH.

How the Disaster Occurred

The Eegiments Intercepted a.nd Outnumbered

I&ritisl}, Military Critics on th§ Situation

Anxious Enquiries at the War Office.

Boer Losses Estimated at a Thousand.

Attitude of the British Press

Praise of Sir George White's Candour

Boer Devices to Delude the British

Promotion for Colonel Yule

DurSlNj November 1 The battalions guarding the left ilank operated at a dfsfcanqe froßi thp line of the main advance. Both bat* talions were isolated, owing to the change of front to right, and the cen tral column ©f the Boera. heavily reinforcing the fighting line, both battalions were surrounded m the hills, and were hopelessly intercepted and outnumbered. Ihe strength of the enemy's right was apparently underestimated, or the British were caught m a trap. The departure from England of the 10th and 13th Hussars has been expedited. Lieutenant-Oolonel Yule has been promoted to the position of Major- General. The bridge over the Tugala river afc Oolenso is being strongly guarded; I London, November 1 Critics agpe tfjat'Sir [Qeprge Whjte must now act strictly onlKe defensive. Possibly Sir Reders Buller, instead of invading the Free State, and thereby creating a diversion, will proceed to Natal. ~ The War Office has been besiege 4 by dismayed and anxious enquirers; and similar scenes have occurred at Arrnagb ? Belfast, and Gloucester. The Stock Exchange reacted, bufc i» rallying. ' Some estimates place the Boer casualties at a tboasand. ' '' t Newspapers are unitedly calm &$$

IHB &BHBOBTON GUARDIAN? THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2 *9



Now moon «, Firtt quarter _ FnH moon „_ Last quarter ...

o 3 11 17 25

IT 9 1 9 6

M 57 pm 5 am 48 pm 5 pm



For Children's Hacking Cough take Woods' Great Peppermint Cure —Is 6d and 2s 6d Fqv bronchial Coughs take Woods' Great Peppermint Cure - Js 6d andga (?d



WILSON'S NEW SEASONS WALL PAPERS MATE ARRIVED;! Early choose your deil s fro» the full stock of new Gnods. Consumption It Can be Cured. There is no doubt about it. Begin early, take out all impurities froro the system, enrich the blood, and recovery is certain. If your child is thin and pale give Ayer's Sarsaparilla at once. Consumption only attacks the weak. Mr. Alfred 6. Stevens, of Parnell, Auckland, N. Z., sends us the photo graph of his daughter and says : "My daughter Emily t X 7 years of age, was m a very low state. She could not sleep because of her violent cough.' Two doctors said she was m the first stages of coasump tion. She was bo weak she could not go out by herself. A friend induced me to try AVER'S Sarsaparffla In less tiian two weeks our daughter could sleep well a* Right. Her mother and I would go into her rooiu at; all hours of the night, it seemed so good not to fcsar that awful hollow (cough. She raised great quantities of blood, yet notwithstanding all this I can nqw say she Is entirely cured." Take Ayer's Pills with the Sarsaparilla. Prepared by Dr. J. C. Ayer & Co., Loweli, Mags., U.S.A. WANTED Known-Thab the arrival of the lonic completes our season's j mpnrtations, which are fully double those of j >revious seasons. Each department ready or big buaiaejg.—MiiCHSLb & Xtrsjuisa.



R. T. CLARK, GRAIN AND PRODUCE BROKER, AND GENERAL COMMISSION AGENT, Tancred Strket, Next to MoConnell and Cumpton's Stables Samples of Wheat, Oate, Barley, Clover, and other Seeds submitted to Buyerß, and highest price obtained AGENT for all kinds of Farm Machinery. 2£ per cent commission added only to cost prioe I am a purchaser of all kinds of Farm Produce, Butter, Eggs, Poultry, Bseawax, Honey, Horse Hair ; Cash given WANTED, this week, 200 Pair of Table Fowls for Chriatchurch Carnival week; prices hot; do not misa the opportunity ; delivery at Tinwald preferred Farmorn' and Tradesmen's Books k'»pt, Debts collected, Houses let, Farms sold; Trust Money to lend at current rates I AM AGENT FOR - Howden and Montcrief'a Famous Garden Seeds ' Murchison'a Scrub Exterminator—Sudden ' death to the Californian Thistle Jardoo Fertiliser—A new discovery for growing Pot Plants, and for gardtn use Field and Gardan Manures supplied from five tons down to £-cwt bags Knowle's Reliable Insecticides for destroy ing Scale, Bight, etc, on Fiuit Trees and Flowers; grow Fruit, not diseased stumps ; i death to (he green aud black aphis now attacking Roses ; information given re all insect and fungoid pests Clark's Calf Feeder—One of the greatest successes of modern dairy appliances j Preßervatis, for preserving Butter ; greatly üßed now m all factories m Victoria Tickery Egg Preservative—Will keep i Egga fresh for J2 months Roberts' Simplex Incubators — Poultry Farmers should see this machine A and W McCarthy's FishiDg Tackle and Guns Kemp's Patent Sheep Branding Liquid— The Australasian says this branding fluid is the best we have ever used BICYCLES—I hare been appointed Agent for the Raleigh and Hollis Bicycles. The Raleigh is one of (he highest grade machines made ; it is not a chfsp machine ; do not buy cheap machines ; the best is always the cheapest m the <?nrt. The price is—Specials £28, Racers £26, Road Racers £25, Light Roadsters £22 10j ; Ladies' Bicycles from £20 to £25 The Holms (now all the rage m the North Island) is made by J. Hollis and Sons, Birmingham, England, Gun and R fi: Manu facturers—(HoUia' Guns have a world-wide reputation, and need no advertising). This machine I can recommend, as it is impossible for this firm with their reputation to make an inferior article. The price ia exactly the aame ac the English factory figure, vz—£2o for Lady's or Gentleman's Easy termi em be arranged for either machine ; a 12 months guat-itttee giveu. i oJufer you as follows c Potatoes (table) la 3d par saak ; O*t Shea' Chaff £2 10i per ton, whole Oats 63 per sack, Crushed Oats 6s per sack, Chick Wheat sj.sj. per sack. Factory Cheese 6 1 per Ib, Bacon (winif) 7J, Californian Onions 13) per case of lOOibs [net; Batter Cases', for cxporr, 2< each; all delivered free, Sacks to ho re turned. 10 264 ' Fok~B ALk. fT7 ATERTON SECTIONS. Moa. 9, 18, 29,?30, 31, 38, 39, 59, 60, C 2,576, 77,178, 90, 92, 93, 94. OEVERAL Baildiog Sections ?fc F*irtcn. Prices from £8 to £18 GOOD Family House and £ acre j ccn venient to the railway aud schools. /~\NE Acre, well fenced, West Town Belt. For particulars and prices apply H. W. BARRETT, ARCADE.



CHURCH SERV CES. I ST. STEPHEN'S OHOROH.j Aahburton. I THURSDAY-730pm, Bible Claa { E'RIDAY—? 15 p m, Evening Prayer . 8 pm, Choir Practice i 23rd SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY (November 5) 11 a m—Matins, Holy Communion, and Sermon 3 p m-GREBNSTREET 6 30 p m—Evening Prayer and Sermon E A WOODTHORPE, MA., j



JOHN ORR AND GO'S REVISED -•■PRICE LIST-w WE Cliim to be the Loading Firm of G-ooers, Ironmongers,"and Crockery Merchants m Aahburton. Wo import all our Stock from the Home Markets for Spot Cash and are therefora m the best position no supply the public with only genuine goods at the lowest possible prico for cash. We guaran'eo all our goods fuM weight and finest quality. We never charge for p\ckmg delivery, all goida at the Railway Station free. Any person leaving aa order smh m c%n got a pircel ticket, and therefore always be|sure of having their go.ris at tha station m time. No charge for ticket. V JLiV./ U H "PER SACK 13a, — BUGAU — Sid per ll> -wltti Tea ! MAR A VILLA GARDEN TEA— Is lOd, §2s, 2a 4d per lb 51b Box .- 8a 9d, 9s 7.1, lls lOlbßox .- .- .- 16s Bd, 18a 4d, 21a 8d KOZIE TEA — 101 b Box, 18s 4d ; 51b, 9s 7d GOLD LEAF TEA 101 b Box, 18a 4d ; 51b, 9i 7d -PROVISIONS - FACTORY BUTTER—Fern Leaf and Sufcton'a always In stock. CHEESE—Finest Factory, U per lb BACON AND HAMS —•• Lewis'," " Morepork," "D. McOallum." Mild Cared Bams, Sides and Bolls, 7^d. ' GORE OATMFAL—2SIb Bag, 2s 6d i Van Houten's Cocoa, Jib, lid ;|AJb, Is Carraway Seeds ... ... 8d per lb 9d :11b, 3s 3d Pimento, whole Is „ „ Frf's Cocoa, Alb, BA.d ; lib, Is 4|d Pimento, (rronnd Is2d „ „ Real Oood Candles, 4jd per lb; 8a 8d Mix^dSpiee ... ...Hd per packet per |j OX PlCKLES—Hayward's Mixed, lOd per Parafine Candles, plain and fluted, 6|d bottle, 9s 6d per dozen per lb ; 12s 6d per box Cross and Blaokwell's, Is 3d par Fairy Night Lights Is 2d per box bottle Flake Tapioca. 71bs for la Captain White's, 2s 3d per bottle : Pear', 6!be for Is Can 7 Powder lid per bottle «»go, 71bs for Is Borax — — — Sdperlb Mixed Peel, L-smon, Orange and Cit- Alum 6d „ „ ron, Sdperlb Saltpetre... 6d „ „ Lemon Peel, 71b tins, 3a 6d Tartanc Acid ... lalOd „ „ lib Tina Assorted Jams, 5d per lb ;4a Carbonate Soda, 3d per lb, 2s per doz lbs 9d pet dcz Whole Linseed 3d per lb 21b Jars Assorted Jama, 143 61 per doK Linsmad Meal ... .. 4dl  Lea ard Perrin's Sanee, large, 2s 6d MATOHRb—Plalda, 4£d per dos, 4s per bottle : OCA , / .. per gross Mellor's Sauce, Is 3d per bottle 250 s U«d per do^en Worcester Sanee, small, 5d ; large, 91 1000 ssd per bo X , 4a lOd per Brown's Corn Flour, 3d per lb dozen Mazlna «d per dozen 5s 6d Bryant and May s Safeties, 83 per Whiting, / b for Is doaen Morton's Cream of Tartar, la 3d per lb Yarmouth Bloaters 9 for Is Preserved Fruit, 2|lb tins, 8d per tin, Maconochie s Fresh Herrings, 6Jd per 7b 6d per doz tin Bngllßh Cut Loaf Sugar, 3sd per lb  Herrings m Tomato, 101 Tomato Sauce, 9d per bottle per tin Golden Syrup, 2lb 6d, 41b Is, 561 b lls „ Hernnga m Shrimp, 101 3^ per tin Treacle, 21h 6d. 41b Is, 71b Is 9d „ Kippered Herrings, 10J Fb.wt Raisins 6Adperlb pw}in nt Finest Sdtanas 7|d „ „  Preserved Bloaters, lOd Finest Currants 5d „ „ per tin percale 4|d „ „ Auckland Mallett 7d per tin Stewing FM ... ... 7*d „ „ Oysters ... ... ... 8d „ „ FreiJt* Pk-ais (choice) ... 1» „», Sardines, large Alberts ... Is „ „ Stewing Plams ... ... 3d „ „ Sardines, large 8d „  Finest Mvf.catels UJd „ „ Sardines, small ... ... 4d „ „ Californian Moamtefo ... Is „ „ Salmon, Holly leaf ... lOd „ „ Dates, extra fine, 31b boxes, la 9i per Salmon, other Brwida ... 8d „ „ l^ x OlL—Lucca, 2s 4d per bottle Almonds, Jordan ... ... 2s 4d per lb Salad, A pint 53, Ipint lOd Almond,, Valencia ... la 6d „ „ Castor, A pint od, :Ip in;lod Alroonds Sicily 1b 4d „ „ Sheepa Tongues, lib Is, 21b 1» lOd Bara'inaNuta 81 „ „ Corned Bee^ Mutton, bpwad Beef, 2lb DftfandllartL's Paste "Blacking,' 4|d Croaae and Blackwell'a assorted Pastes, per doe 8 Per bottle, 14a 6d per dozen Day and Martin's Jar Blacking, 6d per Potted Meats, waorted, 6d per tin bottle Bovnl, 2-jz, Is lOi. French Blacking, 2d per tin, Is 9d per Leiberg's extract la 9d Pfrlbottle ,j 0!5 Patent Groats. Robin6on's,,lod.;J Har- Nixey's BUeklead. Id *te% M per dee pert, Jd per tin JamßVlDomelßlackkad, 6d per dr.a 1 Welline IFood, ls.Bd per tin



WAYERLEY CYCLES. T^T E B W SHIPMENT [JUST TO HAND ALL LATEST IMPROVEMENTS Two or tnree 98 Ladies Models yet on hand, will sell at £20 A few good second-hand machines for sale at prices from £3 up. /^\ SOLE AGENTS FOR NEW ZEALAND. JOHN ORR & CO.. ASHBURTON,