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Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 41, 16 January 1880, Page 2

The land for the People. — Referring to our article of January 2, on the land purchases of the Government between Foxton and Waikanae, wo " interviewed " Mr Jas. Booth, Native Lands Purchaso Commissioner, a few days ago, and asked him, " What obstacle stands in the way of the lands purchased from the natives — i.e., negotiations completed — being thrown open for settlement ? " Mr Booth replied, " The only thing that is wanted is the completion of the surveys. We cannot hand the land over to the Crown Lands Department for sale until' the surveys are finished, and the maps drawn. Some of the surveys have been in hand between two a;id three years, and should no*v be nearly ready." We may remind our readers that we pointed out, from the return, that the Government had extinguished the native title upon 74,717 acres between Foxton and Waikanae, and that

that area should Bhortly be ready for settlement. We trust that the local bodies interested will urge on the Government the desirability of having the surveys completed at once, und the country thrown open. Also, our memtor should be stirred up to secure a share of the North Island vote for roads for expenditure iv that country. This would afford an outlet for the Wellington and Manawatu unemployed, whilst the whole coast would be vastly benditted by the opening up of seventy or a hundred thousand acres of good land. No time should be lost by the Otaki Highways Board in pressing the matter upon the Government. Shipping. — On Wednesday last four vessels crossed the bar on the morning's tide. The steamer Jnne Doiiglas'came first, and then the ketch Falcon ; she was followed in by the schooner Aspasia ; and the pilot's assistant, Mr Sciascia, brought in the third one-— the ketch Fanny Thornton. All the vessels sailed up without mishap to the place for discharging the ballast. Sweepstake. — In another column, Mr J, J. Cnwford, of Wanganui, announces a .€IOOO sweep on the Wanganui Cup. Particulars will be found in tha advertisement. For the Hydbahad.— A heavy portable, steam engine was lauded from tho Jane Douglas on Wednesday last, consigned to Mr Kelty, to bo used -in pumping out the ship Hydrabad. The engine has been brought from Dunediu, and will be carted down to the ship at once. We hope that it will not bejunsuccessf ully used at tho operations now about to bo started for launching the vessel. Accident to a Horse. — We regret to loam that an accident occurred yesterday, by which a valuable horse belonging to Mr Birchley had his leg broken, necessitating his death. Some few days ago, we mentioned that the Government intended to erect a very high telegraph pole on the hill at rear of Ihakara's Jcainga. Mr Wm Reeve was eugtiged to cart the pole to its position, and in order to strengthen his team, borrowed Mr Birchley's horse. Whilst ascending the hill, a capsize occurred, resultiug in the horse's log being broken. The horse was a heavy bay colt named Tom, and Mr Birchley informs us that the i price paid for him when purchased was £50. Land Court. — Major fleaphy, V.0., continues the sitting of the L:md Court at Otaki. After the Oourt has got through its work there, a further sitting at Pulmerston will be held. Wharf Accommodation. — The urgent aeed of more wharfage accommodation was visible in a very marked degree yesterday, when two vessels occupied the only two berths at the wharf, and three more were lying in tho liver awaiting a chance to load. Lf Major Atkinson presses on the execution of our reclamation works, the residents of this district will have one thing to be grateful to him for. Foxton School Committke. — A moeliug o: the Committee was held at the Athentcnrn yesterday, at 2.20 p in. Present — Messrs Gray (chairman), Stewart, and Al'Culloch. The minutos of List meeting were read and confirmed. The Chair mini rend a draft balance sheet of the Committee;' a finances. This showed that ou Jnnu-iry £G, 1879, when the Committee took ofh'ee, there was a credit balance of £2 Itfs 6:1, while the receipts included— Sir Wm. Fox's lecture, £3 1 4s 6il ; balance from fete, £3 Iss6d; captation fees, £28 3s 9d ; total, f;?6 17s 3d. The expenditure included a number of miscellaneous items for cleaning, gravelling, copying plans, advertising, &c , and after payment of them there was left a credit balance of Is lid. Some three or four aocounts are still outstanding, but these will be more than covered by the capitation fre for December, now overdue. The draft report for presentation to the householders at the meeting on January 20 was read and adopted. This concluded the business. Was it a Dream? .-A subscriber of ours, 'who, we may remark, did not attend the presentation to Mr M'Lean at Whyte's Hotel, is greatly troubled in mind over a certain event which occurred on that niy;ht. His tvatch had stopped a week before, and notwithstanding that tho owner nearly dislocated his arm in shaking it, resolutely refused to go. However, on the night of the presentation, he dreamed a dream to the effect that his watch had become ti actable once more, and was going ut full speed. On waking, he went straight to where the watch was hanging, and found it working quite regularly ! It had resumed duty about twojliours before it was found going. All Saints' Church. — Notice is given in another column that the above church will be closed on Sunday next and on every alternate Sunday until further notice. We regret that such a course has been f mid necessary, and hope that ere long arrangements will be inado whereby the church will be open every week. Ministerial. — We understand tho Minister of Public Works will shortly visit this district and other parts of the North Island. Collaring the Kuris. — To Constable Draper, the " lines have fallen in pleasant places," and he has received f.om « onstable M'Auulty " a goodly heritage." Not only has he had nothing to do since his advent amongst vs — owing to the orderly character of the community — but he has dropped upon two or three " pickings " of a not uni-leasani character. There is the dog tax, for instance. His urbane manner and friendly disposition havo charmed the own tits of 31 dogs to " register," the constable obtaining 0s for each " brand" with which he has parted, A a the registration officer receives a bonus of 23 for every dog registered, the constable lihs increased his revenue for tho last few weeks by the sura of £3 2s, which is a "nibble" not to be "sneezed nt" in those hard times. Now, we hear ho is to get another slice oflitck in the shape of an appointment as Collector of Agricultural Statistics. Of course these " perquisites " ought to have fallen to the share of " Mac.,'' but wo feel sure that with that fraternal regard which always characterises members of the Bluecoat Army, Constablo Draper will hand the permanent officer half the receipts when he returns ! . Property at Awahori.— After nil money cannot be so scarce as some people allege. We understand that Mr Alexander M'Donaid has sold his property at Awahuri, situated between Palraerston and Sandon, consisting of 850 acres freehold and a small leasehold, to Messrs Fraser Brothers, for the sum of £12,600. The land is some of the best in the district, but the price paid does not appear to warrant the oft-reiterated assertion, that property of every description is unsaleable. Messrs Fraser Brothers are thorougly acquainted with the district, and are not at all likely to have paid an exorbitant price for the property they have purchased.—N.Z. Times. The Run of the Australia.— The early arrival of the mail steamer Australia, which arrived at Auckland with the Frisco Mail on Monday last, disconcerted intending passengers for Sydney by her, nineteen saloon and seven steerage missing their passage through tho shortness of notice. The Australia's average npeed on the voyage was 330 miles a day, or 13£ miles per hour for the whole passage. It is oxpeoted that

the steamer will make Sydney on Thursday (last) night.thus completing the throiigh run from San Francisco in the unprecedented time of about (twenty-four days, including all stoppages. It was a determined trial, executed by the Pacific Mail Company for the purpose of ascertaining what the line is capable of as a mail service. With this view a good deal of cargo was refused, and tho steamer put in good trim for the run", stoppages were reduced to a minimum, and other preparations made for getting the best speed that could ba maintained, without in auy way unduly pressing the steamer or strainiug her inachinory. The result has been a remarkable success. The London dates by the steamer were the 4th December. Mails were therefore delivered in 38 days from London. A Thagedy.— All Dublin was recently startled by a most pitiful tragedy. Amongst the most popular of high-class pianists in that city was Mrs Joseph Robinson. Her husband was a professor of music and re eidedat3,UpperFitzwilliamstreet. People used to wonder at the mystery of her sudden and total disappearances for some months at a time from society, of which she was an ornament. That mystery was solved at the inquest held on her body. The unfortunate lady was subject to fits of insanity, and had been on six different occasions an inmate of a lunntio asylum. Her mania was a belief that sho could fly ; she had just returned from her last visit to the asylum, having been pronounced cured. Early on the following morning one of the servants going out into the back-yard was amazed at her mistress perched high on the extreme verge of the roof of the house, waving her hands wildly in the air. All at once with a great cry she leaped out into space, and fell prone on the stone pavement below, and never breathed after she fell. Earthquakes.— An earthquake is not a pleasant sensation (writes the Christen urch " Loafer.") It takes people all sorts of ways, and it is curious to observe the different effects it has on" different people. Thus in Port LytteUon the other day people got out of the train to s?o if any one was shaking it from underneath. At an hotel in Christchurch a man seized a gin bottle on the bar counter to save it from falling, anil emptied it in his excitement. In a cottage not fir from your office a young gentleman, at a quarter to one on Monday, was embracing n lady, not his mother, tie embraced her with a denl of solicitude, owing to the earthquake shaking along at the time. When they had recovered from thair alarm nnd discovered that nothing was broken, Jane was overheard to say, " That's the first earthquake I ever felt, and I don't think they are so dreadful after all." Death ov Serjeant ?akktt.— Serjeant Parry, whose death, followed under sucii melancholy circumstances by that of his wife, is reported by cable from London, was one of the u.osl. noted and eloquent leaders of the Horns Circuit. He was tho son of Mr John HumflVeys Parry, a barrister and eminent Welsh scholar, and w. s born on the 24th January, ISI6. In enrly life ho was in a merchant's counting-house, and afterwards hold an appointment in the Printed Books Department of the British Museum. Ho was called to the Bar 9th June, 1813, was made a sergeant 9th June, 1856, and received a patent of precedence in 1864. He contested, in the Radical interest, Norwich in 1817, nud Fiisbury in 1857, but was unsuccessful on each occasion. He was elected a Bencher of the Middle Temple loth November, 187 S. Probnbly there was no member of the English Bur who cariied more weight in his appeals to a jury than did Serjeant Parry. In addition to bis natural eloquence, his portly frame, massive, thoughtful features, and fine presence generally, no doubt, lent additional force to his utterances. Petroleum Foil Mange.— l am very glad to find you are now recommending petroleum as a euro for the mange. Your readers may be glad to learn that I have used it successfully for the last thirteen m >nihs in the following form :— Common petroleum three paits, and benzine two parts, well shaken together. I have found it difficult to get some of the remedies to thp skin of a rough colly, but the above I easily apply in the following manner : — I nee a small oil can, divide "the coat at intervals, place the snout of tho can against the skin and force out a little of the contents, which flows freely over the skin. By this means the skin of the dog is quickly nnd thoroughly covered with the mixture, without tho coat being soaked with it. 1 feel convinced that this not only quicklj checks the disease, but prevents the coat from falling off, as it otherwise would, which ia of vast importance to dogs such as the colly. Your instruction to dress with it three times a week is good. Should any of your readers be induced to try the above. I hope they w'll let you know the result. Your correspondent who complains of Irs dog smelling so badly since he used the petroleum, will find it pass off in a day or two.— M. Hauds, in the London Lye Stock Journal.