The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, SEPT. 12, 1891.

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 32, 12 September 1891, Page 2

The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, SEPT. 12, 1891.

There is no stopping science. The latest discovery, or invention, is a machine to produce a cloudy sky so as to prevent frosts. But then some people want their frosts regular to kill aphis blight, and other little garden pests, being too lazy to exterminate such things by their o*wn labor. Out of this will arise no end of litigation ; and a new Police Offences 1 Act will have to be made, providing for the new crimes and offences seit nDifically created. The Sheep Act will also have to be amended, and probably a lot more Acts. We expect at no distant day to see men doing their " seven days hard " for preventing frosts without a license, or ior producing frosts without giving notice of their intention to do so by advertising the same in the local paper. The " rainmakers " in Texas, no doubt adventurous men who have studied under the best masters in Africa, are already a—telegraphic — success, and we may expect them in New Zealand at any time to produce complications, especially on washing days. Suppose one lady wants her garden watered by gentle showers, while her neighbor is hanging out the clothes, the prospects of a wholesome shindy are pretty patent. No, we don't want too much scientific tinkering with the weather, and as it would, under the new system, come within the region of "'practical politics," which means a new lot of highly paid officials, we shall strongly oppose tbe weather being allowed to get into the hands of unscrupulous men, who would levy blackmail on every person who had a blighted cabbage, or every laundress who hung out a sac de nuit to woo the balmy breezes.

At the last meeting of the Manawatu County Council the matter of the death of John Hooban, at Awahuri, and the rider added to their verdict by the Coroner's jury, was considered. The chairman of the Council, it appears, visited the scene a few days after and formed an opinion as to the cause of the accident, which did not agree with that of the jury who heard the evidence, and who also inspected the place immediately after the sad occurrence, when the wheelmarks of the vehicle on the road-bank were clear and distinct. When they added the rider to their verdict : " In tfaeir opinion that the part of the road where the accident happened is not made according to law, and recommended it should be widened and altered i<i shape," the jury were yery much in earnest, and in onr opinion there was not a man among them who was not well qualified to form an opinion* from the evidence and facts, deserving of both considfra'.ion and respect. The re. ection now indirectly ca^t on these gentlemen by the Council was, we do not doubt for a moment, entirely unintentional, but we fe«.l that the resolution should have received greater con.dderation before being

put, when, possibly, its terms would have assumed a different shape, and consequently have been incapable of misinterpretation.

The election of three Borough Councillor which took place ou Thursday last passed off very quietly , and resultf-d in the return of Messrs Lethbridge, (Javthew and J. 0. Thompson. All of these gentleman are experienced m the management of Borough affairs and will no doubt assist loyally in promoting the best interests of th^ir fellow burgesses. General regret has been expressed that Mr H. Rutherf< rJ, who has been a member of the Council since its inoeptton, should have made up his mind to retire from taking part in the public affairs of the Horough. His only reason for this is, we are glad to say, that he is desirous of devoting the whole of dis spore time aud attention to his farm. The defeat of Mr Fowles was not unexpected because he neither canvassed, nor solicited a vote. While we admire his sturdy independence we think that, in justice to his supporters, as a candidate he should help to "paddle the canoe." However, we hope he will have better luck next time.

The distributors of charitable aid are 1 Hot always soft hearted, and soxnetimes they like to get rid of a troublesome subject at any cost. In this connection the " Manawatii Standard says : " Some people have queer ideas of bushfelling. The 1 Wellington Benevolent Trustees sent an epileptic subject to Eketahuna to cut down trees." Of course the Trustee*? mtay s not haye known the poor fellow's -weftk- [ ness, but that is very unlikely.