Untitled

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 11, 30 September 1879, Page 2

Held Ovek. — We are compelled to hold over some interesting matter, including several locals and a letter to the editor. Political. — The Address in "Reply ■will be moved to-day by Mr Andrews, one of the members for Christchurch, seconded by Mr Hurst, of Auckland. The Hon. John Hall will follow, and will move the following amendment. " That while this House is prepared to give effect to the liberal measures desired by the country, it feels bound to submit to his Kxcellency that the Government as at present constituted does not possess the confidence of this House." It is probable that Mr Ballance, Mr Turnbull, and other Liberals, who object to Sir George Grey, will vote with Mr Hall. If they do so, the defeat of the Government "as at present constituted " is almost certain. Bonded Goods. — Our attention has been drawn to the fact that with the exception of Messrs Thynne, Lin ton & Co., hardly any of our local dealers import goods under bond. This fact is to be regretted. A long fight was waged before Foxton was proclaimed a port of entry. That position has been gained, and for the credit of the place, those who are interested in it 3 wel* fare should assist as far as possible in making the Foxton returns show up well, by paying the duties at the 1oj:iI Custom House. Cattle. — Several persons have complained to us that on Sunday evening, as the bells were ringing for Ohurch, a herd of about 30 cattle were driven through the township. We certainly think the persons in charge of them might have waited outside the town boundary until the services had begun in the different churches. No. 1 Line. — The settlers on No 1 Line are longsuffering people, but pitience hus a limit. Last year they sent in several ap plications to the Local Board, asking for better drainage, as a quantity of water was almost invariably " backed " on their land, owing to the outlets not being sufficiently large, but their appeals were unheeded. Last week, the old story was repeated, and we hear Mr John Symons suffered to such an extent that he has sent in a claim for i'ls, as compensation for losa sustained. This will probably have the effect of inducing the Board to improve the drainage. Narrow Escape. — A narrow escape from what might have proved a fatal accident, occurred yesterday. Mr S. S. Quinn was crossing one of the large drains which open into the river near Wirikino, when the plank which served the purpose of a bridge, suddenly collapsed, and Mr Quinn was precipitated without a moment's warning in o the drain, wlrch at this point is seven or eight feet deep, and in consequence of the heavy rain was running with great force. He immediately struck out for the bank, but the sides of the drain crumbled away in his hands ; lie then fortunately managed to seizo a small bu*h, and pulled himself out of his dangerous position. Beyond a severe ducking, Mr Qainn was luckily none the worse foe his adventure. Tub Avenue Bridge. — The heavy rains of last week have tested to the utmost the carrying power of the various drains and culverts in the district. A vast quantity of water has rolled down the Awahou Creek, and the bridge on the Avenue road has been undermined by the wat^r to such an extent as to bo in danger of fulling-in, unless speedily attended to. The expenditure of a few pounds at once would pcevent this. Heavy supports should be erected under tha bridge at each side, and the cavity be tween them and the bank filled up with metal. This would materially strengthen the present bridge, which is quite strong pnough for the traffic over it. Karly aotion is necessaty, not only because it will probably save greater expense, but also because the Local Board would be responsible for any accident that occurred. Highways Board Finances. — The Highways Board finances are in a slightly bettor condition, but *re still very low. Sandon has a balance in hand of £408 14s 6d ; Carnarvon, £67 17s; Foxton, £72 19s Id ; and Kiwitea, £11 Is 2d, giving a total credit balance for the four Wards mentioned of £560 11s 9d. But although the accounts show this credit balanoe, it is more apparent than real, for the remaining three Wards are deep in the mire, having debit balances as follow : — Karere, £99 10s Id ; Fitzherbert, £272 Is 8d ; Stoney Creek, £173 4s Id; being a total debt of £514 Ids lOd. The real balance at the bank is therefore only £15 Ids lid. The Sandon and Carnarvon Wards will certainly be entitled to " interest " when they divide ! The Wharf. — The recent heavy rains have oaused a strong fresh in the river, and as a consequence a quan'ity of driftwood has gathered at the south end of the wharf, lying amongst which may be seen the carcase of a sheep. We notice that between the new portion of the wharf and the bank the sand bas sUtedup^mu^^yMtariM

the last few days. A wingdiiin should certainly be run out to throw the timber away from the wharf into the stream. Captain Wills informs us that at one time there was over 12 feet of wator alongside the wharf at low tide, and that now there is little more- than half that depth. >;'cnool Committee.— A meeting of the Foxton School Committee was called for Friday last, but fell through, owing to there being no quorun*. A fresh meeting is called for to-day, at 3 p.m , when the desirability or otherwise of separating the two divisions* of tho school, and placing the girls under a mistress, will bo considered. Maciiijjwiiy.— Wo notice that Messrs llobertson and Co., of the Plicutiix Foundry, Wellington, have just completed a boiler and engine for Mr J. 13. Roots of Feilding. The boiler is constructed on the multitubular principle, and is capable of driving a 50 horse power ergine. The engine is horizontal, and of 90-horse power nominal, fitted with equilibrium throttle valves for tho governors, which render the governors re« markably sensitive. Tho ergine has been carefully fitted and finished throughout, each pnrt being constructed on tho latest principe, with a due regard to strensrth, and is specially adapted for sawmill purposes. As a specimen of our colonial in. dustries (says the Evening Post) the plant will bear favorable comparison with those of tho best English makers, and goes far to show the capabilities of our engineering establishments. Wool. — We notice that Mr GBorgeHadfield is the first to scud in this season's clip for shipment, two waggon loads having arrived in town from his estate at Moutoa — one on Saturday, the other yesterday. They were shipped by the lluia. Ck.wcoeh Hands.— The Rnngitikei Advocate has changed hands, the new proprietor being ifx Ncrthover. Blair Amor.. — In another column will be seen a notice announcing that Mr David Knight has determined to travel the sire Blair Alhol through the district, during the coining season. He will visit alter--1 nately all the townships and centro-. of , population in the district, his headquarters being at Palmorston. The horse arrived in the district, about a your ago. Ho is a really fine animal, being IG hands high, and well-proportiond, throughout. His racing career in the South Island was good, and ho also gainod a high reputation as a sire during two seasons in the Hutt district. The fee is moderate, and we hope to see Mr Knight's enterprise rewarded. HoftTicutvrunAi. -Feilding is going ahead. A Horticultural Sooiety has been started there. Two shows are to be held in each year, the first in December. Sudden* Death. — Mr James Leydon, of the Hibernian Hotel, Wanganui, died suddenly on Sunday morning. Reimfositiox. — In the House of Representatives, on Friday last, Mr Murray asked whether the Government intended to move for the reimposition of the grain and timber duties. The Premier replied that full information would be given in the Financial Statement. On Thursday next Mr Murray will move — That this House is of opinion that the repeal of tho duties upou grain, flour, and timber has been injurious to important interests and industries in this colony. Accident. — A sad accident has happened at Greek's Gully, Ahaura, on the West Coast, by which two boys named Wilson, aged respectively 6 and 8 years, lost their lives. They were playing on a terrace 46 feet high, when the bank gave way and they were buiied under tho fallen earth. An hour and ahalf elapsed before they were extricated, when life was found to be extinct. Racing. — It is intended to form a second Racing Club at Wellington, many persons being dissatisfied with the management of the existing one. Salvage. — A Salvage Corps has been started at Wellington. It is intends I as an adjunct of the Fire Brigades, and will consist of directing and working divisions, the latter to be paid according to a scale to be fixed by a sub-committee, appointed for the purpose of considering the matter ; expressmen engaged also to be paid a fixed . scale. The corps to consist of sixty mem» bers, divided between the four wards, and to be under the command of a captaiu and four lieatenants. Invention. — In another column Mr J. T. Love, who is well known in Wellington, draws the attention of the public to an invention he his patented. It consists of an iron box, so constructed as to be entirely fire-proof, and available also for carrying valuables at sea, when, if shipwreck occurred, the box would not sink. As a safety " aea chest," air takes the place of water, and, in case of wreck, when thrown into the sea, the chest, acting as a buoy, will support several persons in the water, and a number of the buoys lashed together will form an admirable and strong raft. Persons may thus, at a minute's notice, preserve t'.ieir valuables, and save not only their lives, but the lives of others. The box can also be used as a despatch box, for the purpose of carrying valuable document*, jewellery. &c. Mr Love bns forwarded three of his " chests " to tho Sydney Exhibition. When this invention becomes more widely kno.vn, we have no doubt Mr Love will reap the reward of his ingenuity, Immigration Dodges. — We have been shown a letter received by last mail from Mr G. M. Reed, who recently went home in connection with emigration, and who at present is stationed in the North of Ireland. The writer says :--«' You can have no idea of the extent to which the system of ' nomination' in New Zealand is prostituted. You are aware that for various, and I believe good reasons, all the agents throughout Ireland, some thirty or forty iv all, were last year suppressed, with the exception of two still remaining. But to suppose that this suppression has removed them from active interference with emigration Is a huge mistake. Besides taking fees from emigrants, ostensibly for filling up their paper*, but roally for promises to obtain free passages for them, they have developod a new form of industry, to wit, obtaining' nominations' in New Zealand. I have in my possession the written admission of one of these exagents that ha received £5 for obtaining nomination by a friend in New Zealaud for « would-be emigrant, who is now crying for his money. The ex-agent will probably suffer for his candour when he gets out of gaol, where he is doin^ nine months for a similar sin against a sister colony. But this is only a single illustration. I have intimation of similar practices from soores of applicants ; and on telling persons that people of suoh and such a calling cannot obtain free passages, I have been saucily told, "Oh, Mr So-and-so offers to get us nominated in New Zealand for a couple of pounds.' My conviction is that a very large proportion of the nominations in New Zealand are dishonest, and the direct work of dismissed sub-agents, who use their knowledge of the ropes in putting emigrants up to all sorts of dodges." Election op Education Boards. — We have repeatedly referred to the absurdity of the present method of the election of Ith^Education Boards, aod to the inequali■HHHtttatetion anised by it. It is

therefore gratifying to know that the matter will come bofore Parliament, tho Committees in tho Wellington district having drafted the following petition for presentation to the Lower House : — The humble petition of tho unde signed members of local committees of High Schools, and of Common Schools, situated in the Educa tioual District of Wellington, respectfully showeth — 1. That tho system of eleofciug Education Boards.establiuned under the 1 5th section of tho Education Act, 1577, is unnecissarily cumbersome and complicated — 2. That the system referred to is more-, over unsatisfactory, becausa from ita very nature it does not afford to the country committees', which are widely ssattered, and have not the same facilities of inter commn nication as the town committee?, that free dom of choice which is absolutely necessary to ensure the return of. members who will make it their special duty and business to attend to the wants of their own specific districts, as well as to the educational district of which each Board has chaige as a whole — 3. That a more simple and satis factory method of election, to ensure a fair and just representation, would be to divide each educational district into a convenient number of electoral districts, and to enact that each of thess electoral districts should return a member or members sufficient in the aggregate to make up the whole num. ber of which the Board of each educational district consists. — 4. That the present divisions of tho colony i.ito local districts afford ample facilities for effecting this change iv the law under which the national system of education is administered . -j.thoufc expense, and with little trouble or diffi cutty. — a. That by thi3 means the local committees, who at present form the elec toral bodies by which the members of the Bjnrds are returned, would be enabled to act more easilj' in concert, and a very much more faithful representation of all parts of each district would bo secured. — 2. That under this system, if established, the election of each Board should take place annually, as soon as possible after the annual election of the looal committees. — Your petitioners therefore pray that your honorable House may be pleased to amend the Education Act, 1877, in suoh a manner :is may be neoessary to bring into forcj a system such as is herein suggested.