Mail Notices

Malls close for the following placed &b I under, subject to the necessary alterations: I SATURDAY, Deoember 21 j Foe Northern Porte and Wflstport, per ' Rotomahana, at 6 30 p m j

MINING

Dcnedin, December 21 Today's saloß—Bendigo 12* 9', Boundary Greek sa, lachdale ll;, 11s; Leaning Rock 16? 3d, 16a 6d, 16* bi ; Meg and Annie 20?, 20j 6d, 2Qi 9<l, 20s 9d, 21s ; Monte Ohrißto 31s 6d, Paotolua 30a 6d, 303 6d ; Rise and Shine 15s 9d, Roxburgh J abilae 4a, Royal Maori 21s 6d.

COMMERCIAL.

The Ashburton Agency of the New Zealand Farmers 1 Co-operative Association of Canter' bury, Ltd, quote as follows on December 20, 1901:— Wheat- Prime milling Pearl - 2s 6d to 2s 7d „ „ Tuscan— 2s 7d to 2s 8d Hunter's 2s b\ to 2s 7d Oats— Duns 2s to 2s Id „ Danleh 2s to 2s Id „ Sparrowbilh 2s to 2s 24 „ Canadian 2s 2d to 2s 31 Barley—Malting, prime 2s to 2a 3u Inferior la 6d Peas—Blue Prussian 3a „ Partridge 3s 6d to 4s Chaff—Good oateheaf 45* to 47a 6d Grass Seed—Farmers 2 s to 2s 31 The above are prices current paid to farmers on trunks at Ashburtou

DEATH

Habding.—At Willowby, on Deoember 21, Julia Mart, the third daughter of William and Mary Harding Aged 21 years.

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1901.

Since the Land for Settlements Act was passed seven yf a**s ago estates have been acquired by the State in various parts of the colony, but so fir only^ a very limited area has been thrown epen in the county of Aabburton, Mr MoLachlan and Mr A. Pringle, mem bers of the Canterbury Land Board, stated at the Rapuwai ballot the other day that the earth hunger is as keen as ever it was, and we think the Govern: rnent might well open negotiations for the purchase of some cf the estates in this county, or contiguous to it. We believe that more than one valuable property has been available, but the authorities have not seen their way to come to terms. There 8e cm 3to be eomsthing in this which indicates that the purchase of private estates by the Orown is a much more complicated aff*ir than might at first sight appear, for we believe that more than one estate has been obtainable at reason able pricps in this district, but the negotiations have come to nothing. That the methods of which land for settlement ia acquired by the Orown aro not always understood by the ordinary landowner may be gathered from the history of the sale of Mr McLean's property at Waikakihi, which was offered to the Government at a lower price than fchat at which it was subse quently purchased. Howtvei, there is no reason at all that we can see why Urge landowners in this district should not be able to come to some terms with the Lands Department, so that closer settlement may be promoted. We might indicate more than one estate which might possibly be dealt with under the Lands for Settlement Ac 1", 1894, bat the owners' values seem to bar the way to business being done. The success of the Waikakihi eettlerm nfc should be a good illustration of the wisdom of not carrying out a penny wise policy in the acquiring of laod for the people. Aehburton is a very con venient county for close settlement, and we have no doubt whatever that if the Government can acquire land within a reasonable distance of Ash burton it would be taken up at once.

At iast the Government have awakened to their responsibilities regarding the welfare of the na qoternment and tive race of the the Maoris, colony. The fact forcibly reminds one of Rip Van Winkle. The speech of the Hon J Carroll, at Patoa, the other day, during which he announced the intention of the Government to prohi bit the excessive drinking of intoxi cants by the Maoris at meetings, will doubtless be gratifying newu to many colonists, particularly to those who jhave lived for any length of time in the Maori populated districts. It ia to be regretted that measures of a similar nature to those indicated by Mr Oar rol wore not instituted during the terra of office of the late John Sheehan as Native Minister. During tfee early seventies, regular sittings of the Native Lands Courts were held on the West Coast of the North Island. Several hundred natives, representing varioa p hapus, would assemble in the towns for the purpose of giving evidence in support of their claims to the blocks of laud to be purchased by the Govern* ment. During the hearing of the dis* putes, which in some cases lasted for a week, camps would of course be formed. Beer by the hogshead was stacked in the camp, and day and night the scene was one almost resembling that after the Siege of Badajoz, In this half drunken state ©C the Maoris the trade sharks were keen to do business, and fabulous prices were charged for goods sold, the Maori paying the piper. These orgiea ended with the aettle merit; of claims, and each hapa hoisted its quota of notes on a pole near the chiefs tent at their portion of the oamp, The proceedings terminated with a grand " feast" to sheir white ] brethren, when, of course, delicacies ! were plentiful. During the co&tirt •aance of these " meetings," the natives held absolute swsy of authority in ; the towns. The Europeans were compelled by varioae t&rents to allow

, them full use of their gardens for their I horses, iC necessary, and the run of the houses. By the time the natives were . prepared to leave for their homes very ' little of their money remained for their i future use, and the general publics were gently reminded of their viaib by the smell of dried shark *Dd rau-ran, (Maori, tobacco), which remained. During recent years these exhibitions hfive somewhat diminished, not because of the Maori dislike, bat because their best lands h*ve been sold. But tha drinking habits which these ' functions s formulated remain, and hence the race has year by year degenerated. By de generation, is meant what some people would call civi'isation. They have carefully acquired many of the vices of the European, and ignored matters con* cerning their welfare. The Maori cares nought for sanitary laws, and recent re ports go to prove that unless stringent i measures are taken there is the risk of their contracting contagious diseases, and consequently endangering the lives of Europeans* A finer race of aboriginals in the matter of physique could not be found, and any steps to preserve them should be taken by the Government, or only a remnant will in time remain. The Rev T Q Hammond haa certainly improved the Maoris of the West Ooast of the North Island in many ways. Twenty years ago, foot balling, card~plcying, and of course drinking was common on Sundays, bub they now f*ithfully observe the Sab bath, thanks to his teaohings, but their liking for • waipero' anchored him. It is to be hoped the Hon. J Carroll will fulfil his promise.

Local and General.

Weather Forecast: — Captain Edwin wires:—Moderate to strong westerly winds ; glass rise. The Rifle Rakgb—We understand that the authorities are about to make immediate erquiries into the matter of providing a better rifi.3 range for Aehburton, as Buggeet #d in our artiolo of 18th mat. Temoka Caledonian Sport 3 — The annual sports of the Temuk% Caledonian Society wilt be held ia Victoria Park, Temuk», on Boxing Day. There are reoord entries tor the various events, and some olose finishes are fxpeoted, Tha Canterbury Pipe Band has been engaged to play during the day, and will appear ia full uniform. The Town Clock—The Mayor of Aeh burton, Mr W H Collins, rtquests subscribers to the new town clook fund no forward their subscriptions as promptly as possible, and requests donations for the balance of tho amount, v!z, £45, still required. The olook has been ordered by the Government, and thould ba in the tower of the Posb Offioe within a few months* It will be one of the best finished alooks of its kind, and will chime every quarter of an hour Ib is to be hoped that the balanoe of the purohase money will soon be forthcoming. The Eighth Contingent - The physical standard of candidates has been fixed as follows :—Height, sft 6in to sffc lOin ; weight, nob exceeding 12*t; age, between 19 and 35 ; usual medical examination ; to be fair rider ; and to be unmarried. Prefeieoce will begiven boretnrned officers aod troopers, except; those on sick leave or who hive been invalided by enteric or malaria within tho last twelve mouths ; and to members of moonted corps Height will not disqualify. The rate of pay from the data of leaving Wellington will be a^ follows :—Lleutenan*-colonels, 2ji • ma jors, 23s : captains 21s, subalterns, 15s ; adjutants, 21"; (officers have a'so a field allowance in addi ion ro pay at army rates.) Tiie pay of the N 0 O's and men Is : - Staff farrier and saddler sergeants, 8i 61 per dayj company and quartermaster-sergeant &»; sergeants, 7a ; corporals, 6s; bugWs 6s ; troopers, 6s; orderly room clerks, 7s Cheviot RflMBB 1 Fond—A conoerb was given by the MaySeld Minstrels in the Staveley Hall en Wednesday last la aid of the Cheviot} Relief Fund. The attendance was nob nearly e~) good as might have been expected, coisiderlng the oVij-ot, but this is aooounted for by the fact that) ib was originally intended b > have the concert (n the previous Saturday, and thab it had to be postponed on account of the heavy rair. The first p*rb of the programme consisted of the usual minstrel entertainment, the oomio songs and dialogues being woll given by the end men—Messrs Ryan and Saweli—and the sentimental soags sad pub ohormes by the rest of the Company, In the seoond part, the fun was kept) going by the comicalities of Mr Byan and Master Whiting, The entertainment! closed with the screaming f*rce • Runias from Romn,* the parts being well played by Messrs Ryan, Bewell, Cooper W Dellow, Griffin and Hampton. The Minstrels wish to express their indebtedness to Mrs Nell, [the accompanist, and to the Ashburton papers for their liberal terms for advertising; On Friday the concert was repeated for the game objacb at Lismore, to a small audience, the attendance being interfered with by the heavy rain thab fell during the day. The following are the results of the two oonoerfcs s—Sbavelay— C»sh at door? £3 13s ; expenses £1 7a; net proceeds £2 6u Lismore—Cash ab doors £5 Is; expenses 19a sd; neb proceeds £2 Convention—Ab the half-yearly conven tion of Sunday School teachers connected with the Ashburton and Wil'owby (Wes legao) circuits, held ab V?illowby, on Thursday nighb, there was a good attendance Rev Taoa Fee presiding, and Rev J D Jory was also present. An exhaustive report was read by Mr J E Purchase, the Union inspec tor, who detailed some commendable features {n the schools visited, end, with equal fHe'iby, pointod out sundry weaknesses and defects. He made various suggestions re garding management) and discipline, and sought to fQ3ter a spirit) of practical sympathy on the part of the larger e.ohools towards the smaller ones, especially In tfte direction of contributing requisites which, for the time being, were nob in use ab the central eohocip, Mr Purchase was heartily thanked for his work, and ib was decided that the report be submitted to the Aehburton and Wiliowby pirouib quarterly meetings for their infor mation and consideration. A paper was then read by Mr John Havman, who summarised an essay on Sunday School Reform prepared by Sev 0 U jLaws, a few months ago, for the North Canterbury Sunday School Union* Mr Hayraan gave an exoellenb synopsis of tha eae&y, and a followed. While ib wasjthoughb that some of the developments desired by Mr Laws were hardly practicable in email eouafcry schools, the opinion was unanimously expressed that agitation on the Subject generally was designed to bring abouo a forward movement In Sunday eohcjpl matters, During the evening Ib was resolyad to ask the North Canterbury Sunday School Union to take into consideration the appointment of a paid inspector for the provincial .distiicb, whose whole time would ba devoted to the work ' ? and, if found feasible, that the Annual Conference be approached to give effect to the suggestion. Se'ronhniants were provided by the WHlowby ladies, ta whom, and to Mr Hiyman, votes of thanks were | heartily Recorded,, | The Leeston Spores— At the Leeston^ Cycling Club's meeting on Monday, A. Davidson, of Ashburton, won both the amateur cycling events on the programme. He was mounted on Britain's Best Bicycle, ths Radge-Whit worth. Prtkd PBcrrs--Ib seems strange to us thab New Season's Dried Fruits, such as currants, sultanas, etc, wq sold cheaper in Ashfeurbon than by any of ttoe Christ church houses, which any of our readers"wi!£ readily see by | comparing Messrs Fletcher Bros advertise ment with any of the Christchurch stores j keepers' advertisement We consider they ' should be well patronised on account of their keeping the prices of groceries to the lowesb payable level. (There is no doubt about ib, if they were #®,b doing business in Ashburton our readers would fa aye to pay far higher for their goods, So therefore ib ia to your interest to give tHm »H the business yes aetojj«

Omi-.sion—ln tha reporb of the Saored' Heart High School the name of Ha P»ul, one of the Seventh Standard pupils, and winner of the fireb pr'ze for algebra and mapping, was omitted. ASHBUBTON TELEPHONE EXCHANGE— On Christmas Day, the telephone exchange will bo open from 9 to 10 am on!yi Oa Boxing Dmy, and New Year's Day it will ba opsn as visual Holiday Resohts—We reproduoa today from the Lyttetion Times an artlele on • Holi day Resorts' oon-nbuted by the Mayor of Aahburton, in whioh the advantages of the town and district of Ashburton are fully set forth. The artiole will be found on our j fourth pige» Eohools* Sports—ln consequence of the rain this morning, the Committee of the County Schools' Sports haa postponed the bahnoe of the items on the programme until the end of February, when it is probable Boma extra competitions nny be provided to etnble more oountry Bohoole t« come in' Obituary—We muoh regret to learn that Miss Julia Harding third daughter of Mr William Harding, of Willowby, died this morning. The young lady eiughb a severe chili about two year* ago, from whioh she never recovered. Universal sympathy is felb throughout the district with Mr Hard ing and his family in their sad bereavement. The Dairies Act—For the information of all interested, it may be us well to remind the proprietors of hotels, boarding-houses, and other places where bonders are kept for payment, wl ere one or more cowa are kept to supply milk to the boarders, that they ac rtqijired, under the new Dairy Act, to register their premises aa dairies, The Guabds Tkam for Doneotk—Th Guards team in camp is making vigorous preparations to uphold the credit of their corps at the Dunedin tournament on Boxing Diy. Last evening, the Misses Sparrow provided refreshments to the team, whioh i were heartily appreciated and gratefully acknowledged Cantata —There was a fair attendance at the Primitive MsthodisG Ghurch on Wednesday nighb to hear the cantata 1 Bethlehem.' rendered by the choir assisted by frienda The choir, as a body, and the members who oontribnbed the solos, gave an excellent account or them selves and the audience frequently showed their appreciation by hearty applause. i Ohbistohurch Electoral Boll—Tha Ohristchureh electoral roll is in bad condition just now, owing to the neglect of electors to have their names registered. The polling at the recent by-election, when Mr G J Smith was returned to Parliament, was very ligh f» Only 9806 electors voted. Of the 7350 or so who were s'rnck off, barely 1200 have registered again. The resnlb is that the roll now comprises aboafc 11,000 names as againtt 21351 (nearly doable) at the general election in 1899. The Pbice of Flour—lnconsequence of the increase In the price of wheat the New Zealand Flour Millers' Association, Limited, has raised the price of flour, and until further notica the prices will be as follows ;— Ptjr 200.b sacks, £7 per ton ; per 1001b baps, £7 10i; per 501b bags, £7 105 ; per 25'b bag?, £8 The price of oatmeal has also been advanced to £13 per ton In 251b bags ; pollard to £4 per ton ; bran to £3 10j per ton, and semolina to 9j per dozan 4'.b bags. A Meteorite—At Perth a brilliant meteorite was witnessed about eleven o'clock recently. At that hoar the southern sky became brilliantly illumina ted, and a luminous body of enormous proportions was seen descending with great velosity. This notable sight wasr vwibla fur about five seconds, and a minute after iss disappearance a report like acannon was heard, accompanied by an unmistakable earth tremor. Smallpox~Dr M&ion, considers that smallpox is a greater danger to this oolony than plagu*, because of the unvaceinated sta'.e o! iha community: Should a ciee escape tha sanitary cordon we should have & heavy penalty to pay. There can, in hie opinion, be no possible doubt as to the efficiency of vacoination. Satisfcios, he says, prove io oonolu'ively, antf the cjlony, in his opinion, never made a greater mistake than when it introduced the 'conscience clause' with reipact t) vaccination. Ma MoLachlan and the Fabmers —Mr John MoLachlan, member for Ashburton, addressed about a hundred formers and others in the Arcade this afternoon, ocom* mencing a little after 3 oclock. It was, abundantly evident from the outset that Mr MoLaohlan'd attiuda in the House towards the Farmers' Union has effaoted his popularity with the agricultural and pastoral community. A report of the pro' o.elings will appear in our Monday's isaur> A Voltjkteeb Trophy — The Gjlf Club havo kindly donated a trophy to the local infantry vojaoteera, which will be fired for some Thursday afternoon in January next, At a conjoint meeting of officers and members cf the shooting committee of each corps, held on Friday evening last, ib was proposed the G M Ciab trophy be fired for by a team of ten men aside, from the Rfba and Guards, 300 and 500 yards, 7 shots, slghter optional, Bialey target; the trophy to be the property of the winning corps. This should oause greater interest in shooting matters. Who Woutb not Indeed?— The exten sions to the Fairfleld Freeing Works are being pushed on with vigor, and with the high prices now rnling sheep farmers should have quite a good season ahead of them. With lambs up to 421b?, worth 4§ I per pound, and over 42lbs, worth 4d per ib, second class at 3| 1 per Ib—skins and fat given in—who would not be a sheep farmer, and mutton up to 64iba 2|!, 64 to 72tbs 2scJ, and over 72lbs 2§\witn second olaea worth 2£ i per Ib—Bkios and fat given in— no wonder the farmer wears a smile when he surveys his • Prime Canterbury.' These prices, we are credibly informed, are eff red by a shipper for sheep and lambi delivered at Fairfield

News in Brief.

Thp train service for Christmas Holidays will bo found Id our adpertislng columns. There will be no goods traffic Our readers are reminded that the'r visit to Chriatchurch during tha holiday season will not be complete unless they visit the Glasß Works. The exhibitions are welt worth a visit, bacauee they are interesting and practical Messrs T H Undrill and Ccv have a large assortmenii of useful and 3 ornamental pre sents on sale at their furniture warehouse, Vapored Street, and invite the public to call and inspect) them. Their display of vases, Japanese ware, silver plated goods and glass ware is very fiae

The High School Scholarships

The following is the record of the marka obtained by each of the candidates for the High School scholarships, the first six being the BUoOoßßfsl ones ;—

John F. Sheridan

1 FUN ON THE BRISTOL. 1

Ltsb evening the Sheridan Company appeared in tho favorite piece, ' Fan on the BrlstoV The ftttendacee was good, but considering the excellence of the entertain ment the Hal! should have baen filled* The leading character, 'Widow O'Brien,' was | welt sustained by Mr Sheridan, but owing ' probably to the dtf dive acoustic properties of the Hall, combined with his extremely rapid entrano-', mary of the beeb poiots in the part were loaf. It might be weil if alt the member* of the oompany would remember that> the buiUing handicap* rapid speakers. The other characters were well BU'tained, The burletqie of II Trovatore was nicely rendered, Mica Mavis being accorded merited applause. The living pictures served bo draw out and emphasise the patriotic feelings of the audience, which haveevidemly ! received a fresh impulse from the call for more men for the front. Altogether, the performance was distinctly a buooper We musfe nob omlb to mention the remarkable whistling exhibition givea by Miss D»isy Ohard, wheb was a revelation. There will be a complete change of programme this evening, when the pipoa to be staged will be ' A Trip to Chicago.' Want of epaaa pre c'udea our naying all that might) tie satd of this, but we can safely advise all who on go and see thia excellent oompany to do bo this evening.

SOUTH AFRICA.

United Press Association—By Eleottlo Telegraph—Copyrigh

THE FEDERAL CONTINGENT.

THE CASE OF DAVID MARAIS

• London, December 19 The Federal Contingent resolution adopted in the Victorian Assembly is commented upon in the newspapers; The Australians' magnificent services are reviewed, and the hope is expressed that every offer of farther help will be accepted. The Judicial Oommittee of the Privy Ooancil, considering it impossible : under tmrtial law to impugn the I military authorities' action, have re fused Marais leave to appeal against the decision of the Supreme Court of .Cape Colony declining to order his | release. Marais was an auctioneer residing at Paary in Cope Colony, and a notary public of the Supreme Court of the Cape, He was aneated in August last under instructions from I the military authorities, and lodged in ! prison. Marais appealed on the grounds that he was detained without trial, and that no specfic charge was made against him, but the Chief Justice refused the appeal as the arrest was made under martial law, and the Court could not exercise jurisdiction over a prisoner so long as martial law lasted The case waa then taken to the Privy Ooancil.

ARMY CONTRACTS.

Melbourne, Dec 20 Large army contracts for hay and other produce for South Africa have been secured locally.

NARROW ESCAPE OF A BOER COMMANDANT

ir i BOER FARMERS IMPRISONED

London, Deo 20 When Badenhorst was captured, Oomtnandrnt Bezar narrowly esopsd. Fourteen farmers in the Ondtaboo'rn district have been imprisoned and fined for not reporting the enemy,

AUSTRALIAN CASUALTIES.

London, December 20 Tho following c«BU»ltie3 among Aus tralians are reported ; — Victorians—Privite Wholan, died of wounds; Farrier Sergeant Wailac, severely wounded at Grootbi. Qaeehsltnders —Troopor Roberts and Lance Corporal Murphy, died of enteric. New South Wnles—Private Oltlham, killed at Witkraus; Private Pitt, died of enteric, OPENING OF THE JOHANNES BURG EXCHANGE. The opening of the Johannesburg Ex change has created a favourable effect to the Paris Bourse; CAPTURES OF BOERS. Colonel Steele's ConstabuUry it Magliosberg captured thirty ono Boers. General Methuen, at Allonby, captnred thirty two. FURTHER REINFORCEMENTS. The War Office has ordered the em bodiment of six battalions of militia and the enlist men t of 2000 Yeomany, accepting married men with a prospect of Bottling in South Africa. KRUGER'-S OBSTINACY.- The Standard's Brussels' correspon dent states that Kruger's obstinacy is increasing daily. SPEECH BY MR ASQUITH. Mr Asqaith, speaking at Bilston, said that if Lord Rosebery's spaesli had not transformed the situation, ifc h«d, at any rtto, clear and defined it. The union of all partß of tho Empire, conse crated by imperishable memories, i demanded an honourable and durable peace. Meanwhile the prosecution of operations must go on with unflagging valour and alertness. He eulogiaod Lord Kitchener *s a great, patient I general.

Sporting.

United tress Association—By Eleotrio Telegraph Auckland, December 21 Formula wae scratched at 1g.20 today for the Auckland Cup

MOUNT SOMERS SPORTS

•'Skipper Jones" tips the following as probable winners at the Mount Somers Races :■— Maiden Plate — Xmezsment or Primrose Maiden Trot— Bertha or J^ck Nimble Cup—No. 9 or Waiukuesi Staveley Trot—Monkey Brand or Abdal lah Shales Welter—Barney or Artilleryman Cavendish Trot—The Doppleganger or Monkey Brand

TINWALD RACING CLUB'S ANNUAL MEETING.

Owners and trainers are reminded that nnininationa for the Annual Meeting of the T.nwald Racing Club, £0 be held on the Tinwald Racecourse on New Year's Day, close with the Secretary ab the Tinwald Hotel this eveniDg nt niue o'clock,

Produce for South Africa.

United Pree» Association—By Rleottrlo Telegraph Wellington, Df cumber 21 The Otarama, sailing on Monday for South African ports, takes tho following cargo from the olony:—lo4fi boxes of butter. 1 ca^e of cheese, 321 crates of poultry, 648 sides of pork, 3 caars of «gKB, 6 eases of ten k ya, 20 sacks of oatmra'* 90' crates of rabbits, 40 casks of cider, 2@ sacks of malt, 2500 Backs of oats, 492 cases of preserved meats, 9 packages of sundries,

CABLE NEWS.

United Presit Association—By Etaotdo Telegraph—Copyright

UNREST IN IRELIND. London, December 19 The Dublin Corporation, by fifty votoi to seven, conferred tho freedom of the city on" John E Red mood upon his return from America, where he has been conducting a vigorous campaign against EDg'and Mr KedrnoDd, speaking io Dublin, defied Mr Wycdham to use coercioni There wer» plenty ready to enure Conor O'Kellj's fate. Ireland' was sever better (quipped for a fiaal fi^ht with England* The more menacing and dangerous the movement the more tho Amerionu masses would help Mr Wynd.ham, speaking at Exeter, minimised the movement in Ireland. He Baid the Irish League had only established forty branches Messrs Tally and John O'Donnell, I members of the House oE Commons, and three others, are being prosecuted a(s Millaghoe, Sllgo, under the Crimes Act, on charges of unlawful assembly and incHng to the nonpayment of rents, A SUGGESTED NAVAL RESERVE. Lord Brassey suggests a scheme for providing a naval reserve of 100,000 men at a cost of £2,000,000. He advocates 100 school shipa for training apprentices and subsidising shipowners to train officers for the Naval Reserve. WIRILESS TELEGRAPHY* Mr Edison believes Signer Marcoas will achieve commercial success In hie experiment in wireless telegraphy. Sir W. H. Preece and Sir T. Laoder Brunton, Professors Sylvanus Thomp son and W. Ramsay, eminent authori ties on electrical science, are optimistic. PETROLEUM AT SUEZ London, Dec 20 The Daily Telegraph states Jhtfe petroleum has been discovered near Suez at a depth of 2115 ft A SURGEON'S BEQUEST Surgeon David McCosb, of Bridge of Allan, bequeathed £50,000 to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary CAPITAL AND LABOUR. New York, December 20 A conference of leaders of capital and labour in New York elected a com mittee, with Senator Mark Hanna as chairman, to try and harmonise the interests of both parties, avert strikes and resort to arbitration when both sides are agreeable t THE FEDERAL CAPITAL. Sydney, Dec 20 In the Legislative Assembly, Mr See moved a series of resolutions asking the Federal Government to .express an opinion on various areas under offer, with a view toaccelsratiog the selection, of a site for the Federal capital. The Assembly having aired its grievances over the delay that had occurred in connection with the matter, the reio* lutiona were dropped. THE STREM SWEEPERS' STRIKE A number of street sweepers ha?e been dismissed. Others have resumed at the oM wages. AN EX&CtmOtf Campbell, who was found guilty of horrible outrages on children, has been executed. Death was instantaneous. Campbell left a statement confessing he had committed the outrages CLOSTNGr A BROKEN HILL MINE. A notice has been ported at the Broken Hit! Block Fourteen ra ne to the effect that; tho directors are sorry that owing to the prices of lead and silver falling to such an extent they have no option bub to eeasg working the sulphide ores on the 2 tab Inisfc, when tha operations bjlow the two hun dred feet level will cease. They will shaft down until prices improve. About three hundred men will be thrown out of work. ! MEMORIAL TO THE REV, J. CHALMERS. Melbourne, Dec 20 A representative meeting discussed the progosed memorial to the late Rev, Jsmas Chalmers. It was suggested that it should tike the form of a mission steamer for New Guinea rivers and the evangelisation of the district where Mr Ohalmets was murdered.

CRICKET.

London, December 20 The Mary Ie bone Committee have approved of the proposal to widen the bowling creaso one foot each way, and have decided that it is undesirable wlckefca should be prepared artificially. The deel< slon of 1900 with regard to Illegal bowling has done so much good thab it is utmecss« eary to suggest any t'rastic measure, but it is hoped the conntlea will decline to play doabtfal. bowlers.

ENGLISHMEN v GOULBURN TWENTY TWO

Sydney, Dec 20 In a match against MacLaren's team * Twenty-two of Goulburn made 190 (Gart 33. Carew 43, Gribbls 26 t ) Lilley took two wickets for 33 rans } Gana cix for 62, Jones ten for 49. The Englishmen lost cix wtaketi for 134 (McGahey 55, Hayward 24, Gone Dob oati 20.)

CYCLING.

THE AUSTRAL WHEEL RACE.

Sydhky, Dec, 20 The Melbourne Bicycle Club withholds the prza money in the Wheel Race at the Austral meeting, pending the result of the inquiry that is now proceeding. Martin, the winner, threatens a legal action, Sydney, December 21 The Bicycle Club, after examining various riders In the Austral Wheel Rice, decided to shift tha farther enquiry on to the shoulders of the League of Wheelmen, and informed the League that the evidence taken,disclosed such sn undesirable state of affairs, that, if allowed to continue, would destroy cycling* Ths club pajra over the stakes today.

&Jlas MfLean, principal of the Welling ton Girls' High School, advocates that la tha case of young and growing girls time should be taken from pianoforte praotlca and devafced to merry, open air exercises* ■ Th a Hastings Standard haa Ib on the best authority that a claim for £500 has been sent in to the New Zealand Shipping Company for the services of the Hastings Fire Brigade in connection with the recent fire on the Waimate ab Napier. Masßrs Fletcher Bros ere giving seyenpsnee per do^en for fresh eggs ia any quantity until farther aotioet

TBE ASHBURTON GUARDIaN : SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1901



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L'otal

10.00 837 760 738 731 729 727 726 723 691 691 669 669 646 623 614 611 £47 520 497 497 4-14 438 425 407 375 321



F. FKRRIMAN ' "* FOR SALE, . ALFOBD FOREST ROAD. f* HAVE received Instructions (rcm Mr JL Alexander Bingham, who fa leaving f..r Moigie! At an early data, ti> Sell bis House <! tit rooms nod | of qd acre of kml Alao If eons of latid, a^j inlng Mr Henderson. A capital p&ddook with a good mop of hay qd part ot it I Also J acre Section, m?j .iirrg Mr R F j Steekloß, oq th« AUord Fore*t Road ' Pull particular may bo had on^pp'icauou P FE-RKISAAN, Land and Bmlr^o Ag^i.t Haveloo't Sdeet IHaVE the following sun's nv^l'ablrt to lend on &t*b ohes Freehold Kupl Lands-£7OOO, £6000. £4000 «nd £1000 »t A| per oeat, also other sums on least old. F FERRIMAN, Llcenwed Land Broker JffOß SALE, AT. ALLBNTON. ABOUT 2| Acres, situated on the conlinaatioa of the N.K Town Bolt, upon whch Is erected a first class Bcuse of 6 rooms, and good Stablea. P*»rfc of the land ia k!d oat in good orchard, Terma or oaeh F FERRIMAN, I Land and Estate Agenfc i . FOB SALE, ■ i I TAHOREU STREET, ' 1 GOOD BOUSE, close to the Masonic J\. HiH. The Propery raueb be sold as the owner la Ipaving for Ohriatchurch. This property will let well F FEBRIMAN, Land and Estate Agenb FOR SALE, WAKANIJI ROAD, A PROPERTY consisting of 1 rood 20 perches with h«.use o£ 4. rooms »nd garden whioh is well laid oat. F FBRRIMAN, Land and Estate Agent _______ ~ A BARGAIN neir the Woollen Factoiy J\. — j Acre ol Land, with a 8 roomed fioase and Scullery, pump ihßide. If you are e&ekiofif a good home on easy terma see this F. FERRIMAN, Land and Estate Agenb ~ : FOK"SALi7~~ AT HAMFSTEAD, HOUSE of 4 rooms and 1 B'Jh aore cf land. Price £85. F FERRIMAN, Lind and Estate Agent _ ______ , AHOOSE of 7 rooms and Sonllery comer of the N ETown Belt F FERRIMAN. Land and Fstate Agenb __ TTOUSE in Peter Street of 8 rooms. F FERRIMAF, Land and Es'ate Agent gS!g!WWA'llil'Jll'l'l'' l|l'lLl l!UL lL'E 11 ""I"1"J'! IL"*-" IS BUSINESS NOUOKH MEMBERS OP FARMERS' UNION I RE Informor! that arrangements are now completed with the Commercial Union loeQrAuoe Corporation for insuring aft fcedaeed rates Employees of Members of the Ualon, Poliolos may be isBURt! ah cnoe. Mes es Fbiedla: Dsa Bros, Ltd. are tbe Lood Ageatis for the O nunercial UnsoD bmp&ny. O Haiidy & Co, Agentu at R kUa. (Signed) G. W. LKADLEY, Chairman North Canterbury District) 11 166 N Z Farmers' Union FABMERS EMPLOYEES' AOOI * DESTINSURANOE WITH reference to tbe above, we wish to direct attention to the faob that the Refiaccd Rate of Premium Is duo to the enterprise of the Oommeroial Ualon Offi jo «nd now that) tha Contract is in force, we ttatt (he Members of iha New Zealand F armeirt' Uriion will loyally standby the »gceemeat entered! into. We shall be glad o receive proposals FRIEDLANDER BROS, Ltd, Pet HUGO FRIEDL&NDBK. j Managing Dirrctcr. i Asbbarton, Kov, 30,1901 11 216 TO MEMBERS OP FARMERS' UNION AND OTHERS IMPORTANT NOTICE RE WOBKERS' COMPENBAIION ACT, fto. THE "OCEAN Accident Corporation Capital ... ... One Million Revenue job 1900-£878 : 492 5s lid. A RE INSURING FARMERS—Whether Members ef the Farmers Union or not—at the same rate auJ with the enxaooooceusionpi Individoa'.ly, as aDy other Company oflers them collectively, ABSOLUTELY LOWEST RATES GUARANTEED. Prompt and liberal settlement of nil juafc a laimß efeobed locally TO FARMERS lyrffi may state that the Reduced Rates of Preminme bow prevalent od h!1 clasaea of btisiaoss are due to the enterprise of the Ooean Acoldent Corporation, who have been eteadtly bringing down the Rates since they oomraeiaoed eperationu in the colony, and Farmers will Hod ib to their advantage to sail Mid bob us before oomp'eling bueiness Isswhere. mO'JLL BROS., District Agents



_____ BUSINEBB NOTIOEB ' |GOING TO THE BAZAAR ? NO«!! WHY, TI3-THB THING OF THE SBASOK, DOK'T YOU MISS IT. IT OPENS »<. 2 o'clock p in. on CHRISTMAS EVE IN MR D. THOMAS' AUCTION R X)M (kindly lent for the occasion). A SPLENDID DISPLAY OF ART NEEDLEWORK, OIL PAINTINGS ON CANVAS & SATIN, UII.YIKG, CHIP, RffiLIBF & FIRE, INDIAN EMBROIDERY In Gold & Silver Thread, MECHANICAL & OTHER TOYS. Just the plnoe to procure Christmas Present* for yonr Friends, and Toys for tho Children, willi Sots of fan thrown in. KE-OPENS on Boxing D*y and subsequent evenings till New Ye»r, at Tho Admission licket, Is, will be accepted as » Shilling by tho Stall Holders. 12 152 A MERRY OHRISTMV* TO ALL BOTH USEFUL AND OBNAMENTAL, MAY BE HAD AT ALL PRICE 3. r*i&Lh AND SEI OUR GRAND DISPLAY OF YASEB, FANOY GOODS, JAPANESE WARE, SILVER PLATED WARE & GLASSWARE, / Al . T. H. UN DRILL & CO., FURNITURE WAREHOUSE, TANORED STREET. CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. SPECIAL "SHOW NEW GOODS. "VTEW LINES io Ladies' Ties, Fancy Silk Collars, Laco Scarfs Glovfß of ill k'nde at Special Prices Pretty Veilings, Hem-stitched Handkerchiefs Ladies' Scmshckdos and Corsets W«-hing Silks for Bloasea and Dresses 12 Drz«n (loots' Tics, tho latest styles 84 Collars and Cuffs, just opened <3eniß* Hats, up-to-date stylo Ladies' and Gents' Travelling Trunks, Portmantoaas, various shapes Lidios' and G-nts' Biots »n-l Shoes, all kinds, also the latest in American Styles, very nice goods. ANDREW ORB CHRISTMAS. CHRISTMAS. CHRISTMAS. TO PRESENTATION COMMITTEES AND OTHERS, "TfTE have just landed tho Finest Sanctions of Goods suitable for Presentation W ever Imported into Ashburton. COME AND SEE FOR YCURSELVES. Pennine Electro Pla'ed Silverware from the very best English Makers Knives, Forks, Spoons, Oruata, Teipote, Sahd Bowls, Jams, Butters, etc 1 CASE Eagllah WATCHE3 ; grand value 10 CASKS CLOCKS of all descriptions. Imported direct from fchn makers, and will be sold at 25 per cent less than the usual retail prices. We are Importers of these Goods and mean business. If yon want a GOOD Watch or a GOOD Clock visit; our Establishment*. 10 Oases of V*Ben ani Flower Pots direct f com Japan, from 6i each ; must be sold to make room. Now la your opportunity. "W. H. COLLINS & CO,, MERCHANTS AND IMPORTEBS. A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR. WHILE wishing our many Friends the Compliments of the Season, J, MFLLOB, of the ZealanJia Boot Store, begs to inform his many Customers that during the Christmas Holidays ho ia oftering some Wonderful Value In Footwear Having bought at a big discount 300 Pairs of up to date Boots and Shoes, he Intends giving his Customers the benefit of this "Special Purchase by clearing the lot at startling feale Prices-. The Following are a few of oar Prices :— Gsnts Boots 7h lid, nsnal priae 10< 6J j Mens Shooter Boots aroatly reduced Girls and Boy 8 School Boots 3j 111, usual j Ladies Tan Shoes at 7» 6d, usual price 10s 6d price 6j 6d j Meos Good Bluchers 5j lid Ladies Prebty Walking Shoes at 6s 63, usual | 5 Dcisan Pairs of Damaged Boote almost price 8^ 6d j g yea away Childrena Ankle Str»p3 from 2i j Our very large Stock of Amorican, E«factor, and English Goods will be greatly reduced during the holiday season. Now's your time to bay. Remember that Meilor's Zja'andia Boot; Store is a household word. Atkyour friends where they get the beat value in Boots and Shoes, and they will tell you to go to Mellor'a Z a'.andia Boot Store, the Leading Boot Shop, Tancred Street, Aehburton. SMOKE ONLY. NEW VENUS. A PERFECT TOBACCO.



NOTICE 10 SUBSCRIBERS AS3D ADVERTISERS. CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. rnHE " ASHBURTON MAIL" will NOT be published on THURSDAY, December 26. Tha •• ABHBURTOH GUARDIAN " will NOT be published on WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY, December 25th and 26bb. EGBERT BBI.L, Manager



Smoke .New Venus



Before the BoLiDAY3--Cyolißtß are not 5 lied that the bead plage to have their bicycles thoroughly overhauled or repaired is at Oites, Lowry and Co*e, Burnett street Id does not matter to them what make the machine is, they can either manufacture or replace any parts required, and their work is turned out neatly dans and guaranteed,