County council: The Sec.-Treasurer informed the Council that Mr. Barry had been instructed to make a demand on Mr. C. Lafremier for the amount due for the maintenance of his son in the Lunatic Asylum. Mr. Lafremier replied that in case he should be obliged to do so he would pay from the first of March next. The Sec.-Treas. also stated that Miss M. A. Hodgins, of Shawville, had paid $50 on account of the amount due for maintenance of Mrs. W. H. Hodgins in the asylum for the year 1895, out of her own funds, as her brother had no means and was unable to pay anything.

What we Have to Face: Commencing with the present week we shall be obliged to pay about 40 per cent more for the paper on which The Equity is printed than we paid during the past year. We need not point out to our readers that this is a very serious increase and will make it difficult for us to keep pace with the world unless our subscribers are more prompt in coming down with the “needful.” We have a great many names on our books that are from one to five years in arrears, and we hope sincerely that the parties concerned will make a vigorous effort to assist us in having a clean sheet to show when the 20th Century dawns. Let us hear from them all, and soon.

Local news: The Christmas rush is now in full swing and our merchants are fully prepared for it with large stocks of staple and holiday goods of all kinds.