Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 - 1954), Tuesday 3 August 1897, page 2


dIje aorsal~m ximes. [ PUBL? ED EVERY TUESDAT AND FBIDAT. 5f6tt Year. TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1897. A local contemporary, which has attuined an accidental yet quite alarming proficiency in the gentle art of saying nothing in. telligible in many words, devotes space in three columns of its last issue to what would appear to be an attempt to testify to the influence of The Horsham Times, but which no doubt is meant to be an indict. meet of. the consistency of this journal in its treatment of a matter of great district concern. For the compliment, not implied but actually expressed, we are becomingly grateful, though we could wish that it had been made more widely public. We do not intend to examine the article in which this compliment is enshrined, simply because, as we frankly confess, we do not understand it and cannot apprehend what it is that after all the painstaking writer intends to convey. He must have some other purpose than to tell his readers that it was in obedience to representations made in this journal that the municipal conference, to consider the question of the abolition of the Western Wimmera Irrigation and Water Supply Trust, was held, and that the Times is responsible for the consequent abolition movement. But what the something else is we confess to be quite at a loss to discover. As for the compliment itself, we must, in the intereste of truth, modestly disclaim it, and indeed, further, be so ungrateful as to say that it is introduced by a positive and what must be a wilful misstatement. "A "short time before the conference of shires " held in May our contemporary was," says the writer of this, in all other particu. lars very obscure article, "all for ' bursting " up' the trust and transferring its fund: " tions and liabilities to the shire councils." That statement has reference to this jour. nal, and it is positively and absolutely untrue. The only comment on the purely local purpose of the conference we made was the following, the italics are used now for the first time, and in order that the falsity of the impeached statement may be emphasised :-" Later on the propriety of "handing over water administration in the " district to the shire ounlalis will be one "that will call for earnest consideration. " Atthe present it dWhou not be discussd at "all. At this time there should be no "divisions in the camp. Local feeling must "be sunk,local grievances must be forgotten, "and an united effort must be made, by ' "trusts, municipal couocils, and ratepayers, i " to wroug from Government and from I "Parliament the concessions to which they "are entitled and of which they are in ' such sore need." How anything in this c comment can be construed into a declara- . tion for the " brating up" of the trust we are at s loe to cenelive. As a matter of

fact the writer of the article under review probably never. read the comment. He is plainly being made use of by those who are interested in burking what may appear, to be the will of the constituents of the trust and of the councils, and has been so venturesome as to take their words upon points upon which it is his duty to personally inform himself. We do not propose to defend our consistency in this matter. That we have been consistent throughout, from the time the comment above quoted was made to the present, is known to our readers, and for the opinion of the newspaper that has been so indiscreet as to call us to account we really do not care a jobt. That paper within the past few years has voiced every possible opinion on every possible question. It is one of the privileges of a journal quite without influence to change its politics and its opinions with its editors, to be of one way of thinking under the direction of one gentleman to-day and of quite another under a new director to-morrow. That is the unenviable privilege enjoyed by our contemporary, and it is one that it has exercised to the full.

On the fourth page of this issue will be found Sheep Breeding in the Wimmera, Rifle Shooting and other matter. Our Melbourne correspondent writes:Mr. Max Hirech has announced that he will be a candidate for the Borungelectorate at the forthcoming election. Boreng will, therefore, be the conotituency in which most public interest will centre. Mr. Hirech will have the bitterest opposiu tion from the " Age " and the protectionists. It is said that no money will he spared to secure his defeat by the monopo. listic party. That this is true is more than .likely; because no freetrader has been so fearless, vigorous, and successful in expos. ing the fallacies of his opponents, as has the " Foreign trade agent." " Wlatevei weak. nesses Mr. Hirsch may have as a single taxer-as an advocate of a proposal quite outside the range of practical politics-all freetraders recognise that he, more than any other single man, has made it possible to unsettle the " settled policy of Victoria." By means of lectures, newspaper articles, leaflets, and controversy, Mr. Hirsch has left nothing undone to assist in breaking the chains that shackle the Victorian people. Whilst more rain is greatly needed by graziers, what has fallen has caused co'nsiederable activity in the district market for store stock, whilst the long continued drought has had the effect of greatly appreciating the value of fat sheep and cattle. On Saturday Mesers. Young Bros. yarded at Horsham about 1300 store sheep, all of which were disposed of at highly satisfactory prices. During last week thesame firm sold privately 3500 store wethers at 6s 6d, and 100 young store cattle, for Mildura, at £1 per head. On Saturday they yarded, at Horsham, between 600 and 700 fat sheep, all of which sold readily at good prices, fetching up to 24s. About 30 head of fat cattle were also sold, bullocks fetching, up to £9 2s 6d, and cows up to £8. Last week 13 fat bullooks were sold at from £10 to £10 10s, and 150 fat sheep at 16 6Sd. The outlook is a cheerful one for those holding fat stock, as the scarcity of supply that characterises, and is likely for some time to come to characterise the market, is an assurance of the reign of high prices. John Widdison, the young man who was injured on the football field at Horsham on Wednesday, sustaining a fracture of the skull and slight concussion of the brain, has now quite recovered. The business at the Horsham Police Court on Friday was exceptionally light. Jones &t McCann, for whom Mr. Cathcart appeared, obtained an order against D. Wright for £2 3s lid, goods, with 10s 6d coats." One man, proceeded against by Trooper Sargeant, Crown lands bailiff, for cutting live timber on Crown ladda without a licenue, was fined -Os; and an inebriate, who had been arrested the previous night by-Police-constable Ransom, was let off with a caution. - - -Mr. W. Asquith,-who for the past eight years has been attached to the Postal and Telegraph Department at . Boraham, as officer in charge of the telegraph line repairing branch, is about to be transferred to Ballarat. The transfer has been effected at the request of Mr. Asquith, whose health has not been goodof late. Mr. Asquith has made many friends in Horsham, by whom his departure will be regretted. He will be also greatly missed by the St. John's Gymnasium, of which he has since -its insDti tution been the honorary inst ructor. He will be succeeded by Mr. L. Hopkins. Preaching, at the 11 o'clock mass,' on Sunday, at the Horsham Catholic Church, upon the virtue of Christian Prudence, the cultivation of which was inculcated in the gospel for the day, the Rev. Joseph O'Brien, P.P.,made a passing,but suggestive reference to the approaching general .elections. It was, he said,highly desirable that Catholics should exercise prudence in connection with Parliamentary elections. This was their duty as colonists, as citisens of the empire, and members of the Catholic Church. He particularly urged that the choice between opposing candidates should not be influenced by personal likes or dislikes, by what' appeared to particular persons to be "their private interests or by a sense of personal obligation. The franchise should be exercised under a great sense of responsibility, both to the nation and to the church, and no pledge of support, a pledge that might later on be found to be very embarrassing, should be given until those who were seeking election had publicly deo. clared their. views, especially upon. mat. ters of particular concern to them either as Irishmen or catholics. At the present time there was an especial need for the exercise of this prudence, because there were questions of peculiar moment to Irishmen and Catholics agitating the public mind. Newspapers that should certainly' know better .were practically advocating that the old penal laws against Catholics that once operated so cruelly in Ireland, should be enacted in this colony, and that because a certain society elected to make an offen. sive and peace destroying display in the way of a party celebration, Irishmen as a whole should be forbidden to wear the national color; that, as it was once in Ireland so in Victoria the wearing of the green should he construed into a crime. It was not necessary that he ashould say more under that head. 1e had, he hoped, said enough to remind his people that,as well as being colonists they were Irishmen and members. of the Catholic Church-that, as electors, they had a duty to their faith and nationality to fulfil-and to show the need of the warning he had given them. The report presented to the adjourned meeting of the Natimuk A. and P. Society shows the society to be in a sound floancial position, having a small credit balance in hand. The president and secretary have been instructed to take the necessary steps to obtain a title to the show ground, which is at present mertely a recreation ground. An estimato of the cost of necessaryim-r provements and repairs on the ground is to be obtained. The ceremeny of closing the winter ae-sion of the Longerenong Agricultural College will be peiformed on Thursday afternoon. At it the Council of Agricult-. ral Education invite the attendance of all interested in the development of agriculture in the district. "Strange," says the Balmoral correspondent of the "Spectator," ' that on the ae ae day and hour that the "Australasian" reached Balmoral containing a photo of the Soldest man in Victoria, Aaron Weller, and I

giving a abort sketch of his life, friends were conveying through the township his body to the place of graves. Mr. Turnbull tells me that the old man was remarkable for his kindly nature,his activity and energy, his appreciation of the slightest kindness shown him,and in his thought and considera. tion for others; he was not devoid of wit, and had the bump of humour largely developed. About a week ago when asked, when did you begin to smoke? he replied, 'just before Waterloo, when I was in the militia.' ' Did you ever see Wellington ?' ' Often.' ' Was hea bigman ' ' Hehad a big nose, and the boys used to call him old snuffy.' He had often seen George 111i and, William 1V;, and remembered the ' bells ringing when the young. Queen was pro-claimed.. During the last thiee weeks his head and mind were usually quite clear, but' sometimes he was what he himself termed light-headed.- He one morning- within` a week of his death .said:-' I am: going to Melbourne to-mniorrow.' 'What for! '-' To get money.' 'What money ' ' Some left me.'n: , How: much !' ' £40,000.' '.who by? !' The Mariuis of Westminster and Birdett-Coutts, Theyrgave mou £50 each just before my coming out to Circular Head.' His last wish was carried out, that he'might be laid as close' as possible to the old gentleman-the late Mr. Macintosh, of Glendinning, in whose service he was for nearly 30 years, and of whom the old man' frequently, spoke in terms of love and respect. The Arapiles Shire Council has agreed to co-operate with the. Marong Shire Coiincil in its effort to secure the institution of voting through the post at municipal elections, .and the paesage of the bill to regulate the use of traction engines now before Parliament. The council has decided to take no action- upon .the .request of the Melbourne City Council for co-operation in opposition to the proposal ito vestthe control of the hackney carriages plying; sn lelbourner ini an indepeiident board.: The bill in which? the proposal was embodied has, as a matter of fact,.been.withdrawn ?by" the gentlemen by wiom.it was introduced in the Legislative Assembly.. The council has appiro:ed of the action of the president in authorising Cr. Walter to take part in a-'deputation to the Minister of Railways in obedience to the representations of which a train is to be run from Geelong to Ballarat to connect with the Melbourne to Ade'aide express, which runs by way of Ballarat. No action was taken on an invitation to the council by the Ballarat City' Council to appoint a delegate to a conference to consider desirable amendments in the Fire Brigades Act. Mr. McLeod has, it will be learnt with general pleasure, decided to again offer himself for the Parliamentary representation of Portland. Mr. -John Anderson, manager of the National Bank at Natinmuk for the past eight years, has received notice that he is to be removed to the charge of another branch. He is to be succeeded by Mr. C. E. Furshaw, accountant at Dimboola, who previously held the same position at Natimuk. Mr. Anderson is.to be entertained at a valedictory banquet. The Stawell and Wimmera District Agricultural and Pastoral Society will hold their twenty-nintli annual show on the 2t1st and 22nd September. Entries close on 16th September. Prize lists and all information may be -obtaired from Mr. R. W. C. Grieve, secretary, Stawell. 'The ..recent outbreak of scarlatina at Noradjuha was referred to in a report to the Arapiles Shire Council by the health officer. Dr. Cross characterised 'the cases that had occurred as mild, and expressed the opinion that the observance of proper precautions would prevent the epidemic from spreading.

Acconots are awaiting payment at the Hotshbam Sub-Treasury for W. L. Lamb, Permewan, Wright and Co., A. Dalton, R. Hobsoon, W. \Vall, W. Sack, Western Wimmera Irrigation and Water Supply Trust, H. F. W. Kruggr, E. L. Teague, W. H. Meredith, H.- Hastely, Rupanyup Mechanics' Institute, C. M'lonald, J. D. Heckle, Murtoa Park Committee. Parcels care on hand at the Horshatn Railway station for Nialdcr, -Squire; Mere: dithi Gillies, Gray, Halbot, Fincham, Bushby, May and Millare Correspondence on Protection v. FAcetrade is, with One Thing and Another and other matter, held over. Messrs. Young Bros. will hold'a sale of sheep on Saturday next. The same firm announce a special sale of fat stock for Saturday, August 21st. Tenders are invited for supplying wood to the local Government ollices. Cheong Sing, Chinese doctor, mtay beh consulted next Crown Hotel. Mr. W. Edward Nickels, auctioneer, will sell by auction on Saturday next at Beauifot the machinery and plant of ttheBeaufort Butter Factory, From an announcement in our amusement columnn it will be seen that the residents of Dooen North will hold a concert, to be followed by a ball and supper, on Wednes. day, September 11th. The proceeds are in aid of. the Horsaham Ladies' Benevolent Society. : Attention is directed to the announcement of Mr. G. Park Frayling, music teacher. A grand orchestral ball is to be given, in aid of the funds of the Horsham Orohestra, in the Mechanics' Hall on the evening of Friday, 27th inst. An experiment with fish, made at the Port Fairy Preserving Works, was stuccess. ful, but the supply cannot be relied upon. Under the influence' of the recent rains feed is spsinging up everywhere throughout the northernaireas:of South Australia. Victorian Parliaments have averaged in duration about two years and a half each. The shortest was that which opened on the 11th May, 1880. It lasted only 40 days. The longest was that which ended in April, 1892, after.a life of 1093 days.; Alexander Cowie, 29 years of age, was suffocated by foul air at the Berry Consols Extended mine, Allendale, on 8aturday. He was missed, and search being e.ade his dead body. was found testing on a truck in the main east drive. Joseph Hartley,. 48 years of age, was found dead in a huge vat. of beer at the Castlemtaine Brewery, South Melbourne, on Saturday. He was night watchman aod it is believed that while testing the beer he became dizzy and fell into the vat. The following transfers of railway station masters have taken place :--J. W. Strang. ward, Nhill, to Box Hill ; C. Wells, OCrdons, to Nbill; M. Daniel, Serviceton,' to Raywood; J. Harding,' Cheltenham; ,to Tupanyupa F. Stevens, Rupanyupi to On Saturday John Faulkiner, aged 27 years, employed by a Chinese named Ah Lum, was repairing fences at Kellalac and dragging loose wire with a rope, when he was seen to fall. On being picked up it was found that a piece of fencing wire had penetrated the side of his head to a depth of four inches. Faulkiner, who was unconscious, was conveyed to the Varracknabcal Hospital, and died an hour after admission. It is supposed that the wire caught on a stump, flew up and struck the deceased. About three o'clock on Saturday morning flames were seen issuing from the bell tower of the State School near to tihe Collingwood raiway station. A considerable portion of the building was burnt and fell in, and damage to the extent of £2000 was done. A thunderstorm was in progress about the time the ontbreak was noticed asd it is regarded as certain that tile building was struck by lightning and the fire thus caused. A tin-kettling party visited the farm of Mr. Daniel Devlin, at Egerton, on Friday night, wishing to see his daughter, Mrs. T. Shannon, who, with her husband, had just returned from their honeymoon. All efforts to persuade them to go away having proved fruitless, Mr. Devlin, 70 years of age, took a gun, with a view of firing it over their heads and frightening them. George Sims, one of the party, seized the gun, which was loaded with shot. A struggle ensued, in the course of which the gun went off, and a charge of shot was lodged in Sim's thigh. The man's condition is serious. An extraordinary criminal scandal has been disclosed at Sofia, tlhe capital of Bul. I

garia. Three persons, namely M. Boitcheff. formerly aide de camp to Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaris ; M. Novelitch, prefect of the Sofia police, and a gendarme under the command of the latter, have been tried for the murder of Anna Sonin, the mistress of Boitcheff, of whom he wanted to get rid. Boitcheff and Novelitch were found guilty of the murder, and sentenced to imprisonmoat for life. Thie gendarme, as an accomplice, received a sentence of six years' imprisonment. The settlers of Curyo, Vatchupqa, Cronomby and Minapre are making a determined effort in the direction of bringing before the notice of Parliament the urgent-necessity, of constructing a railway from Birchip to Miniipre- Statistics of the area under cultivation and -the distance from 'market' are being collected, and a petition signed bty every ratepayer along the route, and theseo;will be presented to the Minister of Railways by a. reprecscntative deputation in the course of a week or so. The- Port Fairy Presetvingv . Company will suspend -operations for the season on August 7, .the supply of rabbits having fallen off to such an extent as to render the working unprofitable. During the six months the concern has been working 680,818 rabbits have been received and preserved, the product of which has been 7,688 cases,: or 330 tons of canned rabbits, the skins of which alone have yielded a return of £15,000. In wages, etc , £2,400 has been expended, £5.174 has been paid for rabbits, and XC337 in the purchase of poultry, of which over 12 tous have-been tinned. John O'Leary.a warder in the Castlemaine gaol, was stabbed in the train when on his way to the gaol on Friday night. He was, on examination, found to have four distinct wounds on the chest, one ona.hc groin, and one on the left 'elbow ; the wounds being half an inch long and three.eights of an inch deep. .. It seems that O'Leary entered the train at Spencer-street. Leaving St. Albans station, an altercation arose between O'Leary and another man as to the rights and wrongs of, the Brtinswick riots of the 18th ultitmo, and the. other man asked O'Leary. what his rcligicnv was... O'Ccary replied,°.! I:"a: 'i Cajholio," wehereupou .the obther;'?iarked ,-'46u'r- ano??-- go0d." -A -struggle ensued,-in .the course of wlich O'Leary received the wounds. No serious consequences are apprehended.