Mail Notices.

Mails close for the following places, as under, subject to the necessary alterations: MONDAY, Oct. 13.

For Australian States due Melbourne Oct. 18th), India, China, Ceylon, Straits Settlement, Japan, South Africa, etc, also Continent of Europe and United Kingdom \ (due London November 23rd), via Brindisi, j at 12.30 p.m.

Mining.

United Press Association—By Electric | Telegraph Dunedin, Oct 10 Dredging returns :—Hartley and Riley 3720z5; Electric I 2-llozs ; Cromwell 182ozs 9Jwt; Junction Electric 72ozs Idwt; En terprise I 41ozs 7dwt 17grs; Alpine II 4-lozs: Waimumu 44ozs ; Enterprise II 42ozs 18dwt4grs; New Alpine Consols 34ozs 15dwt 20grs; Central Mitaura 300?.s 16dwt; Charlton Creek 27ozs lOdwt; Chulton Valley 20ozs 3dwt; Prince Arthur I7ozs 13dwb; Central Charlton 16ozs 2dwt; Waimumu Central I4ozs lldwt; Ihchdale 12ozs lldwt Inch Valley 12ozs; Lower Enfield llozs; Waimumu Extended Bozs Bdwt. West Coast. — Premier Buller 28ozs ; Reeves Proprietary 14ozs lOdwt. Dunedin, October 11 I To-day's sal6s~Alexandra Lead 16s, Golden Run 1 s 6d, Hartley and Riley 50s. Returns—Royal Maori 51oz, Spec 12oz 2dwt. Electric 11. 7oz. Golden River lloz 14dwt, Endeavour 9oz lodwt.

MARRIAGE.

Davis—Donaldson.—At Flemington Pres byterian Church, on October 2nd, by the Rev. J. C. Patersoa, Charles Edward, second son of Mr Davis, Highbank, to Sabah Elizabeth, second daughter of Mr Hugh Donaldson, Waterton.

DEATH.

BrsHor.—At Tinwald, on the 12th October, 1901, Elizabeth, wife of F. "W. Bishop, and eldest daughter of John Small, Tin wald. Aged 34,

IN MEMORIAM.

Love never dies, and though the months Hare slowly passed away, i We think of thee, and speak of thee, And miss thee every day. Dear one in our hearts enshrined For ever thou shalt be, Until Heaven's glorious morning breaks, And Earth's vain shadows flee. No more of fatigue or endurance she ■ knows, Oh ! weep not, Oh! break not her gentle repose. j —Inserted by her sorrowing husband, children, father, mother, brothers, and sisters.

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1902. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Commercial news will be found on the first page, and Cable news on the fourth page of this issue.

Weather Forecast. — Captain Edwin wires : Gale from between north and west and south-west; glas3 rise after 12 hours from now; indications of rain.

Baptist Church.—The Rev. J.J. North will preach at tho Baptist Church to morr^w, morning and evening.

Just Before the Battle.—We under stand that the Oddfellows' Hall has been secured by tho Ashburton No-License Council fur tho three nights previous to election day.

rl'as Date Oi' the Elections. —It is ao-V "si^f-cicj ou excellent authority that the Gonera'l Ekctjo.n xvjill not be held tijll the end oi Moveinb,or, qv feisginnipg of De'cem b»e. " " -~ ' I.NTBBEiSi.'[N« to HousF.iroLOEß^.-—'Messrs T. 11. Uiidrill ftn4 Co, aßnounce a clearipg sa'o of household furniture and furnishings, which are to bo sold regardless of gogt, "#(; tlieir old promises, also at the new hall, next to Mr Claridge's stable.

EbTTEUING THE AuENA.—Mr W. BlOCk, oie' of tJ^o cand^datts for the Ashburton seat, owened'the electoral campaign last evening in the O,ddf^llows' J?^J, created a very favourable impression, His speech £s Im ported at length in ftnothep parj; of thig issue. The questions were niiroppous and varied, from tho Bible lo Schools to tkd New Zealand Cup. But generally th© <s»u didate dealt with them with tact nndreadi- and in some cases scored off his

Oa« Extension,—An a4yer^sement ap pears in another column caJUng £or tenders for excavating shin{rle,.aad 'laying th.c foun dation of a new gas holder. It may be men tioned in this connection that this holder will have a capacity of 30,000 feet, and the <sstiit#£fced cost, including placing it in posi tion, is neariy #210.00. The Ashburton Gas Company has re©en% l#id.down a consider able length of wains in yarious parts o£ £hg borough, and to meet the increased con sumption it has been fouud necessary to increase the plant.

4.13- FjLective Executive.—At Mr Brock's mee&ißg *fc Pl}§ Oddfellows' Hall last even ing, an elector asked, the candidate his reasons for supporting tlie proposal for an Elective Executive.' Mr Brock haying dealt with the question in his speeclh, 'de c^innd to recapitulate. The questioner evidently dfsgatis^ed, took the ."'boards" a»d 4rove a few nails in this Eleptive Exe cutive coffin on his own account^ and lefjb perfectly satisfied that he had answered _a " plane " question.

A. and P. Show.—The following addi tional prizes for the Agricultural and Pastoral Association's annual Show have been presented by Mr D. Thomas:—.£l le for the best Shorthorn bull of any age, £1 is fop tba best draught gelding over three years old, £'jL'is foj- the best draught mare, three yeara or over, in foal or otherwise : £1 Is s^ded. to the Association's pfiie, £p£ best gig horse.

( No-License and the Elections.—At a jprejl attended meeting of the Ashburton No-License Co#n.oil held on Thursday, in the Baring Square schoolroom, it v*s resolved, with practical unanimity, that the'Gouncii concentrate its energies in tho direction of No-Licensis and in no way deal with the question of a candidate for Parliament, which practically means that the vote of the temperance party will be a " go-as-you please " action.

The Dairy Industry. •—Mr W. E. Bond of Flemington informs us that he has x)£dere<i a plant making butter, and ex pects to have it s/brk'^ng in about a month's time. The plant will Kg c^pa'blo ot'^urning out 200 tons of butter per annum, aq.'d'ij; js expected that creameries will be established in the district to supply milk to the factory, Mr Bond intends to stop oheuse making. We wish him every success in his new ven tute.

Sunday School Anniaersary. —To morrow's services at tho Baring Square Church are to be conducted by Rev. C. H. t/awp 3 8.A., of Christchurch. Mr Laws is ono of tiie' ifcokb' gifted- ministers of the Wosleynn Church fS"Q&B, Zealand, and along with scholastic ability, Ue'is what our American friends term a "live" man and an excellent speaker. \\a is essentiir ally a i'young men's man," and his influence among the youth of his church at East B^lt, Christchurch, is beneficial in tho ex treme. ' "iifac^ralhr with such a minister in tho rostrum' ana the' usual i^tival hymns to be sung 'by 'scholars' and tehoii?, thfi Wesleyaiis' are expecting a croVded chure.li to-morrow.

Personal.—Mr John McLachlan, M.H.R, arrived by the express to-day.-At the quarterly meeting of the Wesleyan Church, held on Thursday night, it was decided to leave the matter of Rev. Thos. Fee's successor to the annual Conference. Mr Fee's three years' ministerial term expires in April next. Ashbubton Gas Company.—The Ash burl on Gas Company invite tenders for excavating shingle, and for laying the foundations for a new gas-holder. Full particulars and specifications can be ob tained from the manager nt the works.

'C'arnkgie" in Ashburton. -Wg no tice that the steel parapet girder in the new building in course of erection for Mr T Bullojk bears the impress " Carnegie," and must have come from the great steel works in Pittsburg, U.S.A.

Thk Late North-West Gale.— The fierce nor'-wester of Thursday last was ex ceptionally strong at Mount Somors, Meth ven, and al(ing the banks of the Rakaia The gale when at its height carried every thing before it, in one instance blowing over°a heavy draught horse.—Our Mayfield correspondent writes :-A strong north wust gale was raging all day on Thursday, which did not end with heavy rain, as these gales usually do.

Timabu Show.—ln the list of judges ap pointed for the Timaru Agricultural and Pastoral Association's coming show are- Sheep—Lincoln and Eomneys: J. Withtll (Ealing). Downs: T. E. Upton (Ash burton). Inbred half bred: M Stitt (Ash burton). Fat sheep :T. Do .vling (Rakaia).

Ashburton Mounted Rifles.—A. meet in? of the Ashburton Mounted Rifles was held in the camp at Lagmhor last night for the purpose of electing officers for the company. Captain Buckley cabled his resignation, and Captain Fooks was elected to fill the position, and it was decided to ask Mr J. Studholme, junr., to accept the recent lieutenancy.

The Manawatu Line. —The agreement between the Government and the Manawatu Railway Company comes into force on the 13th. insfr. It provides that passengers, parcels, horses, carriages, etc., may be booked from starting point to destination over both lines on continuous mileage rates computed on the Government scale. The rolling stock of the company will run right through to New Plymouth.

Cute Cbown Settlebs.—A Press As sociation telegram from Auckland states .that the settlers in the Waimamaku Valley at Hokianga have resolved that no rent shall be paid to the Crown Lands Board until the roads are in a condition to enable them to get their milk to the factory.

Madame Melba.—A Press Associa'ion telegram from Auckland states that con^ sequent upon the demand of for the Canterbury Hall, Mr T. P. Hudson, the manager, threatens to cut Christchurch out of Madame Melba's New Zealand tour,

An Examination of the 1902 model Rudge-Whitworth bicycle creates genuine enthusiasm. It is far ahead of anything ever shown in a popular-priced machine, and so nearly absolute perfection in a cycle has been obtained that it will be a long time before rival makers can hope to equal it. Inspect for you s selves at R, D. John ston's Cycle Depbt, Burnett Street.

News in Brief.

Mr D. Thomas notifies that the clearing sale on account of Messrs Davis Bros,, Highbank, is withdrawn for the present,

Miss Allen, Tancred street, advertises in this issue that she is now ready to teach ladies the 'Frisco dress-cutting system, and will be pleased to see them on Thursday afternoon and Saturday evening. Particu lars will be found in another column.

The Mnyfield Saleyards Company will hold their usual four-weekly sale on Friday, October 17th.

Mr G. Meddin*, the people's ironmonger, announces that he has landed sheep shears, branding oils, lawn mowers, and all garden ing tools. Ho invites inspection of his stock of tools, which .are Taylor's first qual-

|ty. " r It is stated ,that a number of Shropshire rams and ;ewb3 are being sent over from Tasmania' for Ixhibijbion: 'at thß Canterbury I^etrop.oj.itaiji Show, ijnd for sifle ajPtferwardi.

The Hon. W. Hall-Jon,eg, to one gf hig constituents, .says tlj^jb a' fair pffer ha^ beau «#*<J.e for jhhg wll9}s P? W. 9 t/QY^i Estate for settlement pi+rp&sfes.

A farewell social will be tendered to Mv G. Murdock, of Lauriston, on Friday, Oct, 17th, by the residents of the district. The music will be supplied by Terris' band.

Messrs F,riedlander Bros, will offer for sal.c .on* Tnesid&jLy •s!££& ajb Jhe Ashburton Yards JL2SO we'therp "and '5^ hoggets 5 also Aysf?ire gpw anqi fat ajjd stpfre sheep, ©attle aod pip! The Timaru A. and F, A-ss.Oß}#tj°n FfH hold their annual show on Wednesday and Thursday, 29th and 30th October. Entries for sheep, cattle and pigs close on Saturday, ,Qctober 18th, and all other entries on the ai'st' Gatalogues. with full particulars, can bg had .onaMica.tfon to pha secretary, Mr a. p, woo*; ' ■'•.-•■.. -

Messrs Maling aud Shallerass, Geraldine, will hold a special sale of station sheep at Mr W. P. btudholme's, Kakahu, on Thurs day next, when 1000 4, 6, and 8-tooth Ir^jeed ewes with lambs at foot, and 500 f-brsd fyoggsfc, s?^ be cfered in lots of |rom3oQto3oG,

A lease of Deschler's Hotel, Inyercapgili, was applied for by thirty-onu tenderers last week. The successful applicant's price was* an increase of .£2OO per annum upon the price paid by the late lessee.

Election News

$Ly John Shidholme, junr., in this issue juvites all WII9 s^n&d the requisition to him,, or are desirous o£ seeing iiiin" jso'nteaj; the Ashburton seat, to meet him on liies'r day asxt at th^ Longhpach Rgad Boarcj o!fice, at ?30 p.m., o..nd so gjye him an opr portunity of conferring with thjsm before coraiDg to a docision on the matter. He will give a definite reply at the close of the meetiug.

MAGISTERIAL.

ASHBURTON.—SATURDAY.

(Before Messrs R. Alcorn and W. H, Rule, J's.P.) J^OTJIBITION ORDER. A prohibition order was g^ntad ftgajttst a resident on the application of his wife. ' ILLEGALLY ON PREMISES. Jane Stephenson was charged with being found illegally on fche premises of Mrs Steele, Alford Forest Road, on the 10th October, with intent to commit a crime, to wit, theft. Accused pleaded not guilty. Mrs Steele said that she lived on the Aif'ord F, orest Road, and kept a store there. iCw'aco.u^ed'y^terday in-'her store, behind the counter ablcijt 1.30 p.m.' -'Aftybody going to the till would base pq 'go. behind the counter. Hoard the alarm bell at the till aud went out 5 hep son 3-lso ran out. There was about in the till. Would have heard anybody knocking. When wit ness saw accused the latter said fl I thought I would get somebody to come," Accused asked for ginger ale, which was served, and she appeared to have had some drink. She did not pay for the ginger ale. J 1 John'A- Steele, son of the last witness, rememb&otf yesterday,, when he saw the accused behind «?* 99^^ < -Nobody j 6l«e was in the shop, Witness corroborated his mother's evidence in other particulars.. Grace Walker deposed that she was at Mrs Steel's on Friday at dinner, where she saw accused. To accused: Did not see her at the till, bx& heard tho JjfilJ FJ n?-. , . , Accused made a statement m liqv orrn defence, and said that it' Was drink that fed her to be in 1 the position she waj. > The Bench were of opinion that the ac cused intended to tyke 'money out of the till A list Qf'cony^on^ wejee'put n a-ainsther, which showed that she w ass jj old[offender in Dunedm. She w* s s - en , ten Jd to two months' imprisonment,

POLITICAL.

Mr W. Brock at the Oddfellows' Hall

The political campaign in this electorate ,vas fairly opened last night, when Mr W. Brock, a Liberal candidate for the Ashbur ;on seat, addressed a meeting of electors n the Oddfellows' Hall. At the commence, rcient the attendance was not very large, but shortly after the candidate had com menced his address, the number "was con siderably augmented by late arrivals. Ihere was a good many ladies present. The Mayor occupied the chair, and in introducing the speaker, said that it was an important occasion, one like the present, and he regretted that there was n-'t a larger number present. It was important that every individual who possessed the franchise should come and hear the views of those candidates who seek their suffrages. It was to be regretted that there was so much apathy among the people regarding the politics of New Zealand, and especially in regard to the Ashburton constituents. Mr Brock was the first candidate to come forward, and others would come forward later on. It was the duty of the electors to make a choice of the best man. The making of our laws wa3 an important matter, and it was the duty of the electors | to send the best man to Parliament to see that the laws made were righteous laws. It was very important who was sent to Par liament, and it was also important that every adult should study political economy. There was a time when those who had not a vote were guided by the intelligence of those who were sent to Parliament. They had known Mr Brock for a considerable period; he had been teaching their children for a time. His Worship then asked for the candidate a patient hearing. He then introduced Mr Brock. Mr Brock, who was received with ap plause, said that he had much pleasure in addressing those present. He came out simply because he had a hankering after political life. He had heard many things regarding his candidature. It was said that he would represent one class of the community, and not the other. That was not right. He would show them that he knew as much about farming as anybody. The first twenty years of his life was spent on a farm, and he had studied the interests of a farm. He had au interest in a farm, and if anyone was curious about that matier, he could apply to the Land Tax Department. As he had been forty years a colonist, he claimed to know something about the requirements. Although forty j years a colonist, he could not claim to be a ! New Ziealander. It was by pure accident that he was not born in the colony. In coming out on the first occasion, he asked for their sympathy. He would address them again later. The candidate then! dealt with the various political topics as follows j—=• ■ POLITICAL PART?. In setting out, I think that it is only i right that I should make my political position clear to all I am, and always have been, a Liberal. True liberalism has always meant progress and prosperity. It has always elevated the people find increased the welfare of the nation. I am prepared to give a general support to the present Government.—(Hear, hear.) It has done a great deal for the people of New Zealand. I admit the mem bers of that Government have had shortcomings, but in spite of that New Zealand has made great progress. When the Liberal party came into power New Zealand was certainly not iv the position that it is in to-day. People were leaving our shores, our railway fares were excessive, and we knew what deficits meant, We have a different picture to-daj, Our arrivals exceed our departures, surpluses are shown, railway charges have been lowered, penny postage established, telegrams reduced and old age pensions established. But I wish it to be distinctly understood that I am not a " neok and heels " party man. I shull not trim whether I lose or gain votes, but shall be perfectly honest. If the Government brought down measures which I-thought were not in the best interests of the com munity, 1 should certainly vote against such'measures! No intelligent-community would ask a 1 * man to vote a-* a mere' machine. A man who is 1 not prepared ■to do his duty js not worth "sending to the House. It'mem berl'slioy'i'BuffiditeJ; 'anjouht of'"bask bone, i' feel certain fctiat'tho p.r'eseiit adriiinistra |ion will pontinue to work'for the advance ment at our c.q Ighy'.' Xjb '\a $he man 'who shows that hs is not a mere timber man that makes his influence felt on legislation. If you have a business concern you do not select the man for manager who shows that he will be influenced by everybody. The members of the Liberal party who have shown independence have done much to check 1 hasty legislation; 'I?hey hav^hadro largely take t&TpJace 'of an' Composition. 1 t^in^tliap'a 'Government. V^en'it has a jktng reigii of''power-""becomes top autocratic, ana Mr Balfour's idea that a change of (jdvern ment every six years is for the good of the country, is not far wrong. I cannot for one moment agree with those who state that the present Government has increased the bttri'ens on the people. While the Govern ment been* ih;:;offic<e they have made obnQessioijs "to' i he ' amount bt about £1,445,000 -~ railways 'mortgage tax .£25,000, Customs 4740,000, Post and Telegraphs .£IBO,OOO. Surely with con cessions such as these all classes of the iommuaifc^ wusjv have benefited.—(Ap plause).' ••"■'— LAND POLICY, I shall now address myself to the ques tion of the land. In New Zealand, at the present time, we have three tenures. (I) Cash in which one-fourth of the purchase money is paid down at once and ths I? ---iBaiucUj; within thirty days. (2) Lease with a'puYchasing''clause;&fe a 8 per^ pent rental On the value of 1 th«s' land: ;;'(3) Lease in perpetuity, at a rental of 4 per cent on capital Value 1. In the tho land ques f ion was the dividing hrje Conser vative and Liberal' The|ease in perpetuity Vas introd4ce4 b,y the late Sir 'John Me- Kpnzie fop fch,e benefit of tlie man ■with small sapifcal who wished to get on to the land, It is the tenure for the pgor man. (Loud applause). It gives the mortgage© no hold over the land. It also prevents the aggregation of large estates. In November 1893, the first eatate was purchased by the Government, S,'nd"ei»s6 fcben 107 properties have been acquired at acoßt'of .£2,289,128, and of this sum £112,000 has been spent in roading the land purchased. Those "who were opposed to the land settlement scheme prophesied | dire disaster. To purchase back land at ] m market value was looked upon as sheer madness. 'Eygn'tfce. sjinporterr, of the igohgme" hardly exppcted''the results tfyat f have beei} obtained. When for a year- or more fcho initiatory pxpensos cajjsed a defigit, the very wis§ opppnentg gf the scheme saw tfre consummation of their predictions. Soon however, the returns began to show a very different state of things, Jand the last report of the Land Purchase Inspector shows that not only has the interest on borrowed money been met but * all * other expenses ,also, and a substantial ptofit 0f*.£89,278 has been .made on fhe' transactions i}f the Department. Cheviot alone sftowEj a profit of io,Oop a year. The land policy of t'tie present ad ministration is one. of the chief rea sons fq'r the popularity of the present Government. (Hear^ Hear). It has been eminently successful; indeed, so great lias been ita success that it has attracted the attention of other countries. The ques tion of providing land for the peoplo is as pressing now as when the scheme was first broupi^t down. The increase of our debt t&rb'agh•pujfehas&'Gf: estates. has : been held up as a bogey, b,ijVtyKifp i''tljQse transactions pay interest-*, all expense's, and return a profit, I think we are justified in advancing. Let us bear in mind that every settler placed on • the land is a valuable asset. Closer settlement increases the productive capacity pf-pur country, and makes our| railwaiys mora>omuineEay;ive; .Th^ Hon. Mr D uncan has not displayed 'the same energy as the late Sir John MeKenzie.- People urerstill crying out for land, and although we are 'told'that there is land to be 'got in the Ngrth island that Janq is nojboF phe type to which % Canterbury farmer \s acoqstfqm

cd. There is room for a vigorous policy. The Ashburton electorate seems to have been singularly unfortunate. No estates have been purchased for closer settlement. Had Lagmhor, Mayfield and other estates been purchased, what & difference it wou'd have made to our district a districtmost suit ed for closer settlement. I trust before it is too late, Government will secure some of the estates which are open for purchase at the present time, fn our neighbourhood I think there is a splendid opportunity for suburban areas. Near Ash burton there are blocks of good land on which numerous industries would thrive. Divide blocks in to five and ten acre lots and you will do away with the congested state of our towns at tiiue3. lam sure that such small farms would minimise our unemployed difficulties. In addition to this, here would bo an oppor tunity for the farmer to obtain labour. At the present time in harvest it is impossible to get men. With a class of small farmers this want could be supplied. Again suth small farms would empty our riverbeds of a certain element which is by no means de sirable. These small farmers between their , farms and casual employment would be able to make a comfortable living. Lands pur chased by the State should be retained by the State. In connection with the lease- in perpetuity there is one direction in which it should be altered and that is that there should be periodic re-valuation. I do not mean to break faith with those having hold ings now, but this should be done in future allotments. (Applause). PUBLIC DEBT, BORROWING AND RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION. The gross public debt on March 31st last was £52,966,447. This is certainly a large and heavy debt for a young colony like ours, but I do not think there is any ground for the cry that we are on the verge of bankruptcy, and all such statements are damaging to our credit. But in consider ing the financial position of a business man, we would not consider only his liabilities, but discover what waa*-the relationship between his assets and his liabilities. Tho Colony's assets were— Private wealth, including rpal estate and personal property £229,000,000 Public property, Crown lands 14,079,993 Local authorities'lands ... 4,704,412 Education lands ... ... 2,969,438 Church lands, etc. ... ... 2,274,051 Government railways ... 18,230,057 Telegraphs, lighthouses, har ■ bors, etc. ... ... 4,766,511 Total assets for the Colony .£276,000,000 Our Colony under such circumstances can scarcely. be said to be bankrupt, but we must remember that assets may fluctuate in value, while our liability must be met to the last shilling. Although there is no ground for fear of bankruptcy, still our debt has increased by £3,375,202 for the past year. This looks very much like going the pace. Weihave departed a good long way from the policy laid down by the late Hon. John Ballance. At his death our in debtedness was .£39,257,800, so that in nine years it has increased .£13,700,000, or by about £1,500,000 a year. If the expendi ture and revenue of the country are not properly managed, we shall soon find ourselves in a very awkward position. The revenue lfist year from all sources -was £6,152,839, and the expenditure £5,895,915, leaving a surplus of £256,925. Bnt by the Appropriation Bill, the Government, recog nising that borrowing should cease, pro vided that £5.j0,000 should be transferred annually from the consolidated revenue to the Public Works Fund. When that am ount is transferred this year, I am afraid there is a substantial deficit. We must get back, and aa soon as possible, to the self reliant policy of Mr Ballance, We want care and prudence in administration. We must praotice the strictest economy. Al though our revenue last year was .£221,000 in excess of the previous year, our expendi ture exceeded the previous year by no less a sum than .£416,211. Besides the receipts from land sales are getting less each year, and accordingly our receipts from other quarters must be increased. Ido not think it is advisable to stop borrowing altogether, but we must spend our borrowed money on remunerative works only. All over the colony a number of small lines of railway are in course of construction, and a great many of these will not give return? for years to come. Instead of tinkering with these lines why not push on the main trunk lines As this is the year of an election, large sums are being'spent on railway con struction; but ibis still on- the System of a little bit We're and a little bit;th'ere. ' Evid ently these little sums soothe certain dis tricts, but why iire We left out 1 Jf the Spriiigb'urn |me wer.ia cph|tr]|cted to the coal deposits 'a{; Mount 'Corners, then the earning powers oi the whole miclrCante.rbury section of railway would be increased. The people of Ashburton and surrounding dis trict should never rest until this iine is made right up to the pits. Such a railway would benefit not only Ashburton, but the whole of Canterbury. It would onable one of the best .'lignites in New Zealand to be sold at' ja re'as'onab,fe: rate.' |t' would als6 holp to' develop' oj;her-'- industries/in bur town and district;. . ..? ' : ; THE BAIiWAYS. The total amount expended on railways to the close of the financial year was £18,501,967. The revenue for last year was £1,869.488, and the expenditure £1,280,771, or equal to 3£ per cent on the money spent on railway's.'' > TKis s)?6w'3' a 'very creditable stat«t of things,' ana* blears rwitne|s to'the business capabilities of Sir 'Joseph Ward. One thing, all his Departments were capa bly managed. (Hear, hear, and applause.) Iv, Ashburton, we are suffering from some of tjhe anomalies of the railway tariff, but by"'agiltlttcjnV'l an\ |ure ih.afc'in, 'tune we shall "receive' atten' tiqn to, th§ grievances under which, we. aye sufepins,l aVyery pleased to sea. that $ reduction ha.s been made in the freight qf wool, w4 I SW give credit to the Minister for doing a great amount t© benefit tne ianuLu & v—_ * I am very sorry that it was considered necessary to order locomotives and carriages from America, and locomotives aiid waggons from England.' 't ast year, £46>|000%ent out of the colony 'that mjght have been retained. The article itnpqrteji was not anything like as gqqd as gqr own nianufac'r ture, and the 'cQ3t was considerably more than if manufactured afc Aldington and Hillside. It has been stated we had not all the appliances. If such is the case, it would be cheaper to import appliances than loco motives, carriages, and waggons. LAPSING OF VOTES All who study the estimates as they pass through the House, kno «r that each year large sums are allocated for certain works, but'if'Hftese-votes aye- flowed up what do we find—a portion and a'p'ortfon -only of many of these votes is spent; the rest is saved to swell the surplus or spent in ano ther district. If members were true to their duty/ such a state of affairs could not con-, tintte. totes, sh. 654 no} be a> tke. fill of the Minister tq 4^> as h,e pleases. _f f a sum is allocated tq a certain work, let it be spent on that work, Mr Carroll sfcated recently aj> Q-is,bqrne that he was in sym pathy with this veiw of the matter; but stated that members would have to be less extravagant in their demands. Evidently these votes are placed on the estimates to soothe members' constituents. A mem ber may then boast how much he ha? pro cured for .his district, and get kudos for votes which there is ,no intention of sp£haing. l it v°tßS are spent as allocated by' %' House, VI am s&re;' ■qft'b it Wil} tend tq ecqnqmy, as the Minister cbiild not spena mqney as he pleased q-nd pleased; gIVII, SERVICE EEFQB3J The number of civil servants, is papidlj' increasing and assuming vast proportions- Appointments at present are dependent up on patronage. Members of Parliament have frequently gone to their constituents and enumerated the numbers they have 3,an,ded in tho Civil Service. Such a system is-wrQiig. The s,mar,fc man gets, no chance. Q'o'our f§ sqm'etiijifes §ai4 to.hav.g. a great ( deal tq 4<3 wit-h appointment, t thl^ $i© ,i time has arrived when a Civil Service Board should be appointed. Suoh a Board should control appointments, and would relieve a .member from begging for appointments •foi-i the'Spps an 4 <d>u{jh;terß.of his consti tution^ and" would! give fche best m«n- a|id Women chances* of* entering the Cral Ser vice. (Applause.) ■= ' • '■*■■ ABSOLUTE MAJORITY BILIi f an} in f^your of Mr McNab,'s 4 bßP JH t 9

Majority Bill, and hope to see some such measure become law. At the present time it is net an uncommon sight to find a mem ber representing the minority instead of majority of his constituents. It would give a good maa an opportunity, as he would not be jost'ed between two factions. (Hear, hear,) In New Zealand we frequently have a member representing the minority, and the sooner that it is done away with the better. (A Voice •• "And quite right,.too.") REFERENDUM. I would favour the referendum, and not only apply it to measures passed by the Lower and rejected by the Upper House, but give to it the right of initiative. At the present time we have an approach to the referendum in connection with the licensing question, but we should apply it to other questions. At the present time, a Government, which is hostile to any parti cular measure can prevent it from passing through the House. The referendum would cause sound legislation, and is.a truly liberal measure,being government o£ the people by the people.

ELECTIVE EXECUTIVE. "i would support the elective executive. It will give men of merit an opportunity of holding positions in the Ministry. Under such a state of affairs we would not have such a spectacle as two or three strong men linked with very second-class politicians. If we had the elective executive, the talents of such men as Sir W. Russell and Hon. W. Rollestcn would be recognised. It would also guard against continuous government. A change of Government puts the House in order, and counteracts the shortcomings I which creep in under all long-continued administrations. Mr Balfour at Home said that there should be a change of Govern ment every six years, and I think it would be a good thing if there was a change here. ! (Cries of No, no, and dissent.) UPPER HOUSE. I am in favour of an elected Upper House. Ido not think we can congratulate the colony on many of the nominations^ to the Legislative Council. If the election were by universal suffrage, we should get a better class of councillors. For purposes of election, two or more electorates might be combined, and return a member. An elected. Upper House would be in touch with the country, and pass legislation, which would be for the good of the community. (Ap plause.) i THE HOUSE IN SESSION. * ; At present, a great part of the legislation of our colony is transacted at a late hour at night, or an early hour of the morning. Now, members cannot be in a fit state to work at such times. Why should not the House meet in the day time, and the healths both of Ministers and members would suffer less. They would be in a fit state to work. Again, when a member is elected, he should be prepared to remain in Wellington until the whole business has been completed; At present it is the rule to sit for about four months, and then "slaughter the inno cents." Constituencies should insist upon the members carrying out the business of the country, the business for which they were elected. LICENSING QUESTION. With regard to licensing matters, I believe in placing the power wholly and entirely in the hands of the people to say whether licenses shall continue or not. I am opposed to any attempt to increase the local option areas. I shall also vote against any attempt to extend the term between the local option polls. As a Liberal, it is my duty to oppose any legislation which curtails the rights of the people. I am opposed to all attempts which will give increased facilities for the sale of liquor among the Native race. The Maoris are opposed to it, and I think we. would be sadly wanting in our duty to one of the finest of aboriginal races, if We allowed drink to be introduced contrary to their wishes. MORTGAGE TAX. . I am very glad to see that the Acting- Premier has reduced the mortgage tax by 25 per cent., and I hope that before long we will see the repeal of this tax, and I-am sure that such an repeal is in the interests of the community. FORESTR7 Native forests are fast disappearing from our colony under fire and axe. In Canter bury they are almost extinguished, and the work of destruction is still going on in parts of the North Island. Our early set tlers thought? only of getting the iand inso cultivation, arid hewel'down the f(ires£"to ia:ikeTrooni 1 forearm" }ah4s." "So far 1 has 'the' destritetfoii of forests gone, tha't'tfefdre lori* we must geti our "supplies from-autifiqusj forests; or' foreign Warces. !- every "encouragement should b.c. §ive|}.' tP, planting. Deciduous tree.s WQuld be the, most serviceable for our polony. Canter-: bury ash has already been used by coach builders, and given great satisfaction. Can terbury is particularly destitute -of trees, in spite of the efforts of the late Mr E. G-. Wright, of this county, and Mr T. H. Adams of Greendale.; The Government} tiave iureeries,''andHii i's':tk>b§ trus^'that^hVy w|ll supply' |arrae;fs''a f t; $ small'cost 'with, young trees for planting. Planting' wastje }ands by prjspn jfchpuj: |§ an excellent idea, and 'one that will yet bring a good return. Pamphlets ehould^be issued giving instructions. Tree planting will have a beneficial effect on our climate, and in our own county already proofs are seen of thiß. The fierce nor'-wester no longer/ha^he v.eloSi^'aai" d&trijctfoA 6$ twenj;y'jv!ga*s %£q. \ ..*./•:.'; '~V. ' LABOUB liEGISLAIIQiJ. I am not in favour of the repeal of any of the labour legislation passed by the Govern ment, (Loud applause.) Ido not think there i| any ground'fo^ t^e pry $|at Qi|r \ndjoW: tries are to: be pampered" a^nq CFippled ay thig legislation, During the last St© yesrs the advanoe in all our larger towns has been marvellous. Buildings have sprung up in every direotion, and this in spite of .the increase :9jJwMj of material.';Kijhe wages of the artisan increased, btSmlSifelsed spending power will benefit not only the tradespeople, but ajso the farmer. The troiibleat !the.present time; i| £rart pi leeUrig of trust. *The; 'charge is hwled bi §mplqy§rs that Unions have tried to ifeis| the wages of'tW'members, but is it not fafp that wa'gas sh.oij}d incfefiae i» a Ifmeqf prpsperity £ atye; Uniqns haye; 4pnp gopd work by showing their employers what can be done by uniting, and I am sure that in the future they will continue to do good work, by seeing that their [members are properly ; trained. They will encourage diligence and excellence on the part of their members. The employers can scarcely blame the men if they have not trtwted them, seeing that the employers do not trusts one another. If>employers were united, there would berfeweni.attempts to iqutdß each other In Cutting lines. Wlould w« H;id among us a true spirit of the brotherhood of man.' I -know some employers. telL'u| Jibw 1 weft they treated their* meif m vth§ goo"4 ql^ ilx^es, b^tore labour lgg|slatio| was fibe order o,f l tj}9 day r J 4r? supe thas ' those whQ ' treatp4 QQVF employees,, well then will never fiftd fault with what is demanded by labour legislation. At the present time f find thafc numbers of employers, touched by the appeal of Dr Torreyy have feeeu treating their employees in a more handsome manner. They ns longer think labour legislation is oppressive but do much more than it requires. I wjab, ,a feeljng p-ould spread thFOugh\^ll ov,v land, I haye» however, gueat^opes.for, the future of our, bet'w,een enjoloyer.S Und/etyplqyeq: The emptpyer must trqst hi| em.plfty^ n>are, and t|ie employee will repay tßat tpust bjr Increased diligence. 1 feel gurg that there will came a time when profit sharing wiU be the opder Qf the <Jay. Then phe workman will have every incentive to work, and he will also know that his em employers are not being enriched by sweat ing him. (Applause.)

TRADE, ETC. In New Zealandj where we impose a high eustoins duty>;we can hardly speak o| frser $r£le." '\h ayo^ng'oQlonylike^uw an l.*s» tempt should be. made to foster those industries which are likely to prove • a Bucoess..' If we do notget money through the customs, -we must get it'from the4»ud: jpjTjtb; i free- ■ irada < our-; artisans 'oould '"Hot oSrnp'ete with: ttte-ptssduots" oP latflfj i<Wi^e lalTour* is ■cheap.'*: : A' marvelloris ■ example 'of fostering industries is seen in the United States, and with' what result I' That to day England fs 4n4i n^ a cq^netitor who Cftß

THE ASHBURTON GUARDIAN : SATUBDAY, OCTOBER n, 1902.



F. FERRIMA.N. ' A Cursed Inheritance. A S far back as the days of Plato and Aristotle, it was believed that drunken tteaa ran in the blood, tins is now nn axiom ia the scientific world. Dr. Robeitson Ua lafces-this case :—" A lady welt known to Me took a great interest in tbo Sick Children's Hospital, and wished to give ttch of the inmates a Christmas gift. By Wj,? of adding to the pleasure of the children, she asked each one, some days bs£j.?'\ what lie or she would like best. There was great excitement among the ife ties ones—one choosing a doll, another a p ioture book, another a Noah's Ark, and so on. One little one, with an eager face, said A wjf d which the lady did not catch. ' Say ifc a?ain, my dear, she said. And this time there could be no mistake. The word was whiish; Scarcely believing her ears, the visitor turned to the nurse, who said " Oh, yes, it is too true. The tiny thing is five years old—what we call a whisky baby. It has been nourished on whisky,- and we are trying to wean it, but too probably ifc will die in the process." BUSINESS NOTICES. : WE : THANK YOU. FOE "TT7 E are accomplishing: our w object an4^^T^^cdily selling out our 1^ '}*■>&?'' BOOTS AND SHOES AT COST PRICE. You secure TWO PAIRS for the price ot ONE and also spend you Surplus Cash (really money in hand from your own foresight) in buying our new Drapery & Millinery . &6w OPEN FOE THE SPRING AND SUMMER. W orthcote | H efford THE COKNER, •WXT ANTED KNOWN,— Where are you going with your Eggs and Butter? Why to J. T. COOCH'S of course. He always gives the top price in Ashburton for all Dairy Produce, and I find he is the Cheapest Grocer to deal with. His shop is just opposite the Railway Station, and so handy to all Trains. "fTIT ANTED to Sell—Good farm of 200 VV acre?, really good buildings. Land in capital order. 1 can sell this cheap and on very easy terms. For particulars apply W. Stonyer. 3 SIX PEN NY Cakes best Toilet Sonp for Is; 3 Gd tins Enameline for 3s,' 4 tins'Everbriglit Is, 3 packets Matches Is, 3 tins Pepper for Is, 3 packets Brown and Poison's Corn Flour for Is, 3 bottles Wor cester Sauce for Is. Hundreds of other lines equally cheap, at Carson and Co.'s, Tancred Street. SEED Sowers on hire or purchase ; also new stock of all varieties of Mangel, Carrot. Turnip, and general Garden and Farm Seeds—Carson and Co. MEN'S Smart Black Glade Kid Boots, sewn, in sizes 6, 7, 8, 9,10, at 12s 6d at Grant and Moore's. WANTED Known—That Kerr Bros. are giving a handsome Teapot away to the purchaser of a 51b bos of Suratura Tea. Come early, as there are only & limited supply left. Don't forget—Kebs Bros., Burnett street ! WE have in stock sheet celluloid for gear cases, etc. Price on appli cation.— Kclipse Cycle Co., Tancred Street. "VTEW SPRING GOODS now showing. J3I New Prints, New Blousings, New j Dress Materials, and a general .assortment of New Lines in each department. Cash Discount at the rate of one shilling in the i pound off all purchases from nineponce worth upwards, .ifc H. C. Barrett's Drapery, Clothing, and Boot Warehouse, East street. CASH for Skins, Hides, etc., at Hehry j Garner's. Best price given. Attends ] «9tt Tuesdays and Saturdays; premises frehiuad Hitching and Miisom's, West St. Tf A WJST MOWERS, in variety, just JLJ landed at 22s 6d, 2os, 27s 6d, 32s 6d, S7<s 3d, 40s, 435., 50s, and 555, including New Easy, F and N, Eclipse, Mouark, and Steams, with ball beariogs. Gardening Tools of .every description..—<Gb Meddins TkQ Peejslee* Ironmonger.. TTIHE "Stearins" Bali Bearin Law;n JL Mowea 1; a child ,can push it. Prices from 35s.—EeHpse Cycle Co. v Agents,, Tap ered Street, i



__ BUSINESS NOriCES j FURNITUEE SALE. TN CONSEQUENCE OF OUR RECENT LOSS BY FIRE W E WANT MONE V, so have dett»rniined to sell the. whole of .our large stocks of Household Furnishings at great reduction 3, (Begardless of Cost.) A mini' er of slightly damaged articles at your own price. . | --^orawwwKßao, Dinner Sols,. Tea Sets, Bedroom Sets, Jugs, Vases, Orna „ , ments, Etc., (almost given away.) Crockery and Linoleums, Oilcloths, Carpets, Rugs, Mats, Bedsteads, Bed ding, Chairs, Drawing Room and Dining Room Suites. Glassware. Couches, etc., nil reduced. fin fact no reasonable offer will be refused.) A lot of Bamboo Pole? and Blind ! Rollers at Half Price. T. H. UNPTMLL & CO., Cabinetmakers, Etc . Tancred Street. Old premises next Building Society Office, and at new Hall, next Claridge's Stables. ' i-mimii __- J --_---| t - B - a - n^B j ßßß gawj M ßia-Bw-wwi* •■ Wire Netting! Wire Netting! WE have just landed "Ex Aufchenic," 20,000 yards Wire Netting, all size 3 and all guages. Sheep Netting (centre 3trand). PIG NETTING, | FOWL NETTING, | CHICK NETTING, I • BIRD NETTING, I'RUIT TREE NETTING. Prices from One Penny pev yard. Hurdles, Gate?, Barb Wire, Plain Wirp, Tron Standards, Stakes, Posts, Etc., always in Stock. W, H. COLLINS & CO., Ironmongers, Painters, Timber and Coal Merchants, Sawmillers. LADIES ! Why drink bad Tea? r< Mffii! China Tea is not necessarily bad, bat BBkyLjgr ¥%i tho great chance is that it is. Certainly M^J m\ psyfe%m"yoi\ never get the best China Tea, nor Y^iNrW^y^ V'H "V^^«^ -Vefc ttie second or even the third best. r^r^'/ J>^L Pi/1 The best never leaves China, the second \yiWif f^^\ \\f4f/i best is nearly all sent to Russia, the /i- A W:fis third, fourth, flffcti, afcd other descending Ty\% lrJr&\r4\\ W*?£ Ki'rdes come to Australia, Happily, the w&® lFt\})) $twiimp°Tta of china Tea are lßsimiu% Wit>% JtfA I J I If' Fd*2\\ steadily, and correspondingly those of <Mf*\ C^t! / ij-\ MMji Ceylon are going up. All Ceylon Tea is Wm ts^ il^Vft gaod. The best is exquisite. Try V«® ) 'ASi^ igS?^ "NIRVANA," which already occupies gfS^ % L^- f ,^^; : ;tioa top ln the f ront rank of Tea* MM i Mm imported into ¥ew 7mU^ and the Mk ijl^rrCWi: W£k Australasian States. fe#iiij^ '$i\siM SoLD UY gil^fe^^ii^ JT. COOCH, wiM^^'^'^^i^ uders' Buildings, Ashburton.



SHEEt^ SHEARING BEATON. jHAVE JUST LABTDED MY SEASON'S SUPPLY OF •*" FHEEP SHEARS, including TU S and 8.8.A., N.Z., with plain and perforated grips, Turkey Oil Stones 1 a B Sid .ample. Sweet Oil. Branding Oils-K^, Black, uri Blue, in 1 and 5 gallon drum*'; la Idle, Lamp Black, Etc. , LIWN MOWERS in great variety, from 22s 6d to oos each. G YRBESING TOOLS of every description at reduced prices. . BOWLS! BOWLS! BOWLS! As the season has just opened, I cordially invite inspection of my stock-Taylor s first quality only kept. SEWING MACHINES lam sole agent for the celebrated " Davey " Machine; 7 years' guarantee ; Hand £3 103 Treadle frcm M 10s to JB 8 10s. Call and inspect. They are worth looking at. G. MEDD IN S, | The Peoples' Ironmonger, Burnett Street, or>Bosite Arcade. ZEALANDII CYCLES Simply Perfect. m ,^^ am mßßS 2. ' '" "'* iyj-.ADEfromB.SA. Parts, specially to New Zealand Roads. Better than any im ported machine for the every day cyclist. Fitted vift latest Gnrrard Free Wheels, with pitent Back Pedal Brake, Dunlop Vulcanised Tyres, Brook's Saddles, .style Handle Bars, Pedals, Gear, Eta Our 1903 Models now on view. OATES, LOWRY & CO., Largest Cycle Makers, and Importers in New Zeaiand. Ashburton Branch.—Burnett Street J. WILSON'S I *«L2™EL N6WSE ws .f- WALL PAPERS Have Arrived- And will he Opened _«pThis _Day, September 12th. Simply perfect i* D«ag» and Colour. The Papers are quite SKt to anything of the soft before imported into this .town, and vastly supmof. m The Prices are gaS^SSW Paperhangings. o i v«.,e rhoosine from the full stock, but not intending to «se FeX nVap s;™ for some tLI may have them laid aside until required. - .1 .i. .nil. i«mrr"T "R*sw»v.re-,'>-W „ wmml irTiimhiyi-T'"'*""'-''l'B'*7''"^^^"*^^^ (-w'WT'ANTED —Everyone requiring General YY Drap.ery, Clothing, etc., to try tho Ready Money bliop, T^red Street, j^B.—Tho business is rui^ o^ ready I money lines throughout. Best tennis a^-e "* \ secured when buying, losses by book debts y OANS OS ANTED Vlt 0 M fIS i2,'and upward, a t «m.t ■*» ZAPA^S'™ '"^ Full particulars™ arpliction. Keady xLy Dr.p^and Cloti.te,_ ALBERT ROBERTS, Manager. and Milsom's, West Street. Give him a 1 ■ ' ' ' ' trial. 9 °



M.Z. Mai^i? I^icyoLKS.—There is now on yiew 'at Messrs Oates, Jjojsrry ' and Col's showrooms several samples of tlieir nbw B.S.A, Zealandia Bicycles, There' is doubt that for easy running and strength, combined with neatness and design, these famous machines are by far the best of any yet sold in this county.—Advt,