The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-26

ever. 1t appears that the Chinese. or some of them. are determined to have 1t. and resort is made to all kinds of devices to secure it's introduction. A recent case was that of Chinaman who has . corDulent pigtan bke sausage. which contained opium in- side Fines were inflicted. The value of seizures was considerable.
 The Chinese, many of whom are very well of, give any money for opium. and some Europeans are now known to be concerned in the trade. Tn fact regular system has been es- tabiished. and, although seizures are frequent. yet the profits are so enor- nous that the incentive to engage In the Illicit traffic is very great Any man can easily make $50 or SO py running" few tins. as It Is so very profitable and conceaiment so easy The vice of the opium habit never had anv hold worth speaking of on whites. and the loss of revenue seems not to have been very effectual. With Aus tralIa,s great coast line of 10000 miles. the difficulty Of adequately prevent. ing Illegal landing is very great
 Favors New Road.
 A favorable report on the South AustraIian portion of the route of the East and West Transcontinental Rail- way has been presented by Mir. H. Desne, consulting engineer to the commonwealth, He states that ai- though the sandhill country presents the greatest engineering difficulties for the main part firm, sound valleys between the hills, there are few spots on the line where drifting Is prob able. The hills are mostly coyerej with scrub or splnifex. and trial holes in many of them show limestone only a few feet down. Where the tapielano country is crossed, heavy earthworks on the ascents and descsnts VIII pc necessary. From pastoral point oi view the country traversed, wttn the execution of the sandhills and siat lake areas. Is well covered with salt bush. muiga, and other edible brushes and in the winter much of It grows herbage and grass. Between Tarcoola and Port Augusta there are large salt lake areas, mostly dry. Close to Fort Auwusta the destruction of the busr has left unprotected sand. which drifts badly, hut Mir. Deape has no doubt that steps can be takentto protect the rafl- way. He anticipates that the water difficulty, though troublesome, will be satisfactorily met.
 No fewer than TOT licensed houses
 
 parts of New Zealand, as the result of the local option poll taken in November last. Of this number sixty six were closed by the no-lieense vote in six new districts, and twenty ght by reduction. while thirteen others through being thrown into alrea 1y existing no-iicense electorates by the alteration of boundaries. have also lost their licenses. The loss of houses Is evenly hard, In a numerical sense by the two islands. In the North Island fffty-four hotels have failed to obtain renewals of their licenses. while in the South Island the "closure" has applied to fifty-three houses. The mo- license vote has on this occasion made its power felt to a greater extent in the North Island, where the ratio of closed houses. owing to the three fifths" vote, Is exactly two to one as compared with the South Island "Reduction," on the other hand. has claimed the heaviest toll in the South. Among the districts where the whole of the licenses premises have been shut down. Bruce (Otagol heads the list with twenty-two houses, followed by Masterton with fifteen, and Ohinemur with fourteen. .No-license" Is alse responsible for closing the four hotels In Eden seven in wellington suburbs and four in Wellington South. In most of the places where reduction operated inc maxim of twenty-five per cent or .hs honses have haen closed Auck- ,an3 City has lost five, Dunedin ten T,he ioss involved to the trade in the Auckland. Parnell. and 0hinemuri. IS estimated at s450.00o. while the az gregate loss throughout the Dominion ss saId to be about $l,7be.0O0.