The Inangahua Times, PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. MONDAY, MARCH 30,1885.

Inangahua Times, Volume X, Issue 1528, 30 March 1885, Page 2

The Inangahua Times, PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. MONDAY, MARCH 30, 1885.

The political situation in Europe grows alarming, and after the lapse of thirty odd years England has once nu re reached the verge of a great Continental war. By the cable news thia morning it ia evident that England and Russia have reached altffost within striking distance, and that a rupture may be hnurly expected. The peril of the hour ia sufficiently shown by the intended despatch immediately nf war vessels to Melbourne and Sydney, to protect those ports. The end of the beginning is sorely near. An adjourned meeting ef the Reefton Athletic Club waa held at Williamson's Hotel on Friday evening, Mr Potts in the chair. The canvasser* reported having been promised donations to the extent of nearly £30, which was considered highly satisfactory. Mr Connolly said that the Jockey Club were willing to grant the use of the race-course and all privileges connected therewith for Easter Monday nn condition of receiving one third of the gross receipts from gates, grandstand totalisator and sale of booths. It was resolved that the offer of the J«>c_ey Club be accepted. The suh-cotimiittee appointed to draw up a programme then presented the result of their labors, and the programme was amended and adopted. It was resolved that Mr G. C. Bowman sell the right to booths, refreshment stall, and games by auction on Thursday, 2nd April. Messrs J. Connolly and W. Noonan were appointed Judges, Mr J. Nagle starter, and Messrs Lecher, Twohill and Nagle, handicappers. The following were appointed a committee of management for the sports :— Messrs Connolly, Noonan, Nagle, Lecher, Twohill, Cochrane, p. L., James, and Irving. It was resolved that all competitors appear in proper racing costume. Nominations for the Easter Handicap w w re fixed to close on Thursday, 2nd April, at 8 p.m. It was atated that the Fire Brigade* had arranged to hold a competition on the ground on Easter Monday for a trophy subscribed for by the members of the brigade, and it was reaolvod that the item be inserted in the programme. The Secretary was instructed to inquire as to providing music for the occasion. It was also decided that there be no free admissions to the ground en the day of the sports. The advisability of making provision for dancing on the ground waa discussed, and postponed till next meeting. ■ The meeting then adjourned till Thursday evening, by which date all canvassers lists to be closed and club subscriptions to be paid to the Secretary. The annual meeting of the members of the Reefton Football Club was held at the Southern Cross Hotel »b Thursday evening last. Mr Thos. North inthe chair. The secretary submitted the balance-sheet which was adopted. MrT. North was elected Captain and Mr Blakley ViceCaptain for the season. Mr J. Montgomerie waa elected President of the Club, and Mr P. Butler Vice-President. The following were appointed a match auo managing Committee :—Messrs Ballantine, Campbell, Balmer and Rwbinson. Resolved that the opening match ef the season be playe I on Eaater Monday, on the race course grounds, from sides to be picked by the Captains. The Captain was empowered to enterview the secretaries uf the Grey and Hokitika Clubs with a view of arranging matches with th.me clubs, to take place, if possible, on Queen's Birthday. It was decided that upon the arrival of the Club'a uuiforn.s the Captain and Secretary should receive a deposit and I. O. U. from each member. Thursdays and Saturdays wore fixed as practice days for the season. A vote of commendation was passed to Messrs Durbridge, Blakley, M'Kay and Campbell for their energetic action in connection with the Club and grooud. The meeting then adjourned. On Saturday last the depth of water in the reservoir had fallen to only about a foot or eighteen inches. The quantity of water running in the feed race* was not large, but certainly more than sufficient tv provide for evaporation, so that the leakage from the reservoir must be extensive. That this is the case is shown at once by the moist ure on the hill side under the, dam. The ground is fast becoming saturated with water, and the possibilities of a land-slip taking place will have to be considered. The ground ia fortunately pretty firm, and the strike of the strata seems to be into the hill, but . even theso conditions would oot wholly remove the danger ef a slip occurring. ' The matter is therefore one of serious moment, and ought imt to be neglected. Grapes are reaching a good state of perfection in Reefton thia season, and some of the vines a-e astonishingly prolific. Experience is showing that grapes are a much surer crop here than either peaches, cherries and pears. They can lie profitably cultivated in the open air, but of curse ripen better under glass.

A poll of tbe ratepayer* waa taken at tha Council Chambers on Saturday last, ' under tha Local - Option clanae of the Licensing Act, aa to whether there should be any increase during the next three years*in tha number of publicans license* 1 issued. The poll resulted aa follows : — Against the issue of new licensea 33 For the issue of new licenses 31 The • opponents of increased licensing thus stained the day by a majority of two votes. The number of votes recorded on the occasion is a sufficient indication of the amount of interest taken in the poll by the public, and anything more utterly farcical as an index of the popular wish, it would be difficult to imagine. According to the ballot seven out of every eight persons in the community do not care a straw whether additional publicans licenses are granted or not. and it may pretty safely be assumed that those who did take the trouble to record their votes consist largely of those who hold licenses and those who wish to do so. It cannot be denied that " Local Option " has now had a fair trial, and its advocates, if any remain, ought to be satisfied with tho experiment. The Government who will rid the statute book of this absurdity will deserve well of the country. The great contest for the aquatic championnhip of the world betweeii Beach and j Hanlan came of at Sydney on Saturday | last, and since the great pngilistic contest between Sayersand Heenan/a quarter of a century ago, nothing probably hns occurred in sporting annals which haa awakened Buch a world-wide interest. The aronuut of money staked on the result too must have been enormous, for it may be pretty safely said that everywhere out of Sydney Hanlan had the majority of backers. The result of the race was cabled through to us on Saturday evening, and immediately afterward made public, and during the rest of the night little else was talked of about town. Peach had many backers in Reefton, and some of them landed good pools. The particulars of the race did not reach us until last night, aud caused some disappointment. The time completely spoils the Victory. With both men in go.»d form this water smooth, and all the conditions thns favourable for fast work comes the announcement of 23m in. 56secs. It is hardly too much to say that there are scores of men in Sydney to-d;\y Who could beat such a record. The time in the former Beach Hanlan contest was lmin. 51seca. faster, the former winning by eight lengths. Satnrday's performance was only * waterman's wherry time, and unless it can be satisfactorily accounted for, is quite unworthy of a championship contest. The s.s. Iberia left Aden on Thursday, (Wednesday) evening lust for Sunkira, ' and by thia time . the Now South Wales contingent have probably reached the j "theatre of war." As the general ad- ' vance of the British army upon Osman j Digna is to take place in about a week or ten days time, tho •' Cornstalks " will not be long before they sniff powder smoke. Mr G. C. Bowman announces that he will aell by public auction, on Thursdny next, at 4 p in., the right to booths, refreshment _tall and games at the sports on Easter Monday. The public having responded promptly and liberally to the project of holding sports on Easter Monday, the Athletic Club have acted energetically, aud to-day we publish the programme which has been drawn up for the occasion. The amannt | offered is unrPcient to attract competitors from all parts of the district, and with fine weather, which can almost be depended on owing to the lateness of the season, a large attendance may safely be counted upon. To add to the attractions of the day the foot ball club have arranged. i to play their opening match between the events. The Dunedin Herald asks who should pny the expense of fortifying the ports, ami thua answers itself ---Not the majority, who have nothing to lose. ; The burden should.be laid nn those who, ifor want of defences, would have to ! answer the eugmy's requisition for a cool j couple of hundred thousand sovereigns or so. Parliament should be immediately convened in tho event of a war, and power taken to assess the banks and finance companies in the moderate amount jof one per cent, on their deposits. This j would provide £10C,000, a sum amply | sufficient in the meantime. To defray j the expenses of interim measures of pmj tecfion a patriotic fund might be at once I npuued for subscription*, tn which our [.colonial milliomvires might easily contribute £20,000 among*', them. -Mr Ballance seem* to hold somewhat strong opinions about the iuadvisability of sending troops for the Soudan from this Colony. In the course of an interview with a correspondent of the New Zealand Herald he is reported to have said : "It is of little advantage to England tn send her soldiers from the Colony, if the Colony is left by such action defenceless ; but if the Colonies put themselves in a satisfactory state of defence England would be relieved of much anxiety in respect to them, and of the burthen of a constant vigilance which entails on her a great deal expense. Her liberty of action at a oriais would be rauoh enhanced. There would be no use sending her men for a foruign campaign who were not trained for active setvtce. Raw soldiers would be mora or less in the — that is, she could not use them because she could not depend upon them, aui they would required to be officered by superior men. Such soldiers or such officers as would be required are not to be picked up evtry day in the street. There is a great deal of what is commonly called humbug in the talk we hear every day ab«ut sending; m*n to ansiat England. We know some of the persons who have applied to the Government, or proffered their assistance. They are known to many aa mere loafers. Tf the Colonies were in a complete state of defence, Eng land could rely upon the men they would send her as being trained and prepared for war, ready to her harm* at the' right time."

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