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Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 9, 1 October 1880, Page 2

Thb Paikaxabiki Him. — The worst places on this dangerous road are now being fenoed with a substantial two-rail fence. The fence gives a much safer appearance to the road, and passengers by the coach say j that it quite takes off the feeling of danger. The Stormbibd —The b.b. Stormbird is to be again placed in the Wanganui trade. Mr Charles Manning, the well-known and popular mate of the Jane Douglas, has received the command, and that gentleman's many friends on the coast will heartily join with us in wishing him every success in his new position. Mr Manning has well earned the promotion, and we feel sure the confidence shown in him by the owners of the steamers will not bo misplaced. An Auctioneer in Court. — At the Wellington Police Court, on Tuesday last, Mr T. K. Macdonald, the well-known auctioneer, was charged with a bfeabh of the Auctioneers Licensing Act, 1842, in selling certain goods by auction after dark. The charge was admitted, but counsel for defendant stated it was defended in order to bring the matter before the Legislature, with a view to having the law so altered that auctioneers could sell at night. It appears chat in Duuedin auctioneers Bell up to 9 p m , and on several occasions recently bazaar auctions for religious purposes have been permitted at Wellington in the evening. Mr Macdonald thereupon appears to have thought the law in question had beoome effete, and despite warnings from the police held sales of jewelleiy on two separate evenings. Hence the prosecution. In delivering judgment, Mr Manaford made the following remarks, which completely cover the ground, and appear to us to be unanswerable. He said: — "No doubt there has been a breach of the Auctioneers Ordinance of 1842. In the hands of a respectablo man like Mr Macdonald there would possibly be no great harm in allowing sales to take place in artificial light, but, on the other hand, there is no doubt that in the case of unprincipled auctioneers they might dispoßO of most inferior articles if they were allowed to sell by artificial light, and it was the intention of the ordinance to prevent this being done. I think myself that this is a very salutary law, and I should be very sorry to see it altered. No doubt the intention of Mr Macdonald was to bring a certain amount of prassure to bear in order to get the law altered as he wished. This appears to be the first case of its kind. It cannot be called a 'test' case, because there has undoubtedly been an open breach of well-de-fined law. The penalty under tho Act is £50. My brother magistrate and 1 consider that in this case a small nominal sum would be scarcely sufficient, therefore we have determined to inflict a penalty of £5 aud costs, with this intimation — that if this offence is repeated the full peualty will be inflioted." Cheap Bread. —In Wanganui, the bakers are advertising that after Ist October tbey will sell the 21b loaf at 2^d, and the 41b loaf at sd. Education BoARD.—The monthly meeting of the Board was held at Wanganui on Wednesday last. The business done was mostly of a routine character. Some discussion took place regarding the conduct of Mr Malcolm, teacher of the Stoney Creek school, in Sdverely whipping a boy named Jacob Shapulsky, but no action was taken in tho matter. A letter from Palmerston in reference to drainage required to the local playground was received, but consideration deferred until the Board possessed more funds. The same course wits resolved upon with reference to the Foxton Committee's ' request for the erection of a schoolmaster's residence. A letter was received informing the Board that the Moutoa Committee intended opening the school on an early date. The closing of the school was not caused by the state of the roads, but bj the treatment of the children by the teachers, and the irregular hours of the school. The Committee professed themselves misled in regard to the resignation of Miss Grace. It was resolved that a copy of the letter be sent to Miss Grace. The Wanganui Rivkb. — The river at Wanganui seems to be in a bad way just now, at least bo far as its shipping capacity is concerned. A small steamer named the Oreti was to have left there on .Saturday, the 18th instant, but by some mismanagement of the authorities who look after the depth of water in the river, she had not got out up to last advices. The Wanganui Herald of Wednesday, with a truthfulness whioh is mostoreditable.Bayu : — " The Oreti left the wharf for North last night, but grounded on the lats on her way down the river." That brief paragraph has a decidedly mournful tone. The passengers who had been waiting on board for eleven days, and then found themselves " grounded on the mudflats,'' would probably feel sad like, at their troubles. The Wanganui Chronitle, with great discretion, lets the Oreti " rip," and saya not a word about her difficulties in reaching the ocean. One doesn't like to kick the Wanganui river now it's down, but really the present state of things does not look like Wunganui be coming a young Glasgow on a colonial Clyde! Appearances are certainly just j now decidedly against direct trado between Wanganui and London. The only feasible plan we can suggest to our northern friends is for their English ships and steamers to call and load at Foxton, being the nearest and most accessible port to the town of Wanganui. The railway communication between the two places will of course greatly simplify matters. Only for tho difficulty of joining the two rivers, we would be glad to let them have a few Government "heads" of tho Manawatu to scour out those dread ful mudflats. Count* Council. — The usual monthly meeting of the County Counoil will be held on Monday next, at Foxton. Contractors are reminded that tenders will close for the formation of portion of the f'uxton-Sanson road. It is to be tendered for in sections, which should enable small parlies of men to secure the work. Cricket. — The cricket season hag now come round again, aud we are glad to sea the Foxton cricketers are bestirring themBelves early in the season. With steady practice the Foxton men should be able to give a good account of themselves. Should the weather be favorable tomorrow, the se«son will be formally opened by a Horatoh match, when it is hoped a good muster of cricketerc will take place. Sudden Death. — Information reached Pftlmerttoa on Tueid»y that • Dane, named

John Basmusserii dged thirty years, who was working on a contract at Ashurst, had been found dead in his tent in the morning. On receipt of tho intelligence Conatablo Gillespie repaired to the scene, which is some five miles from Ashurst, and had the body conveyed to the Otangati Hotel, whore Dr Marriner held * poet mortem examination. According to his mates, deceased complained on Monday of ilizziness in the head and knocked off work before the regular hour to go to "nor, and upon being advised to see a doctor, si : ' he had some pills, and he would take thorn. After dinner he turned to work again and seemed to be all right. On Tuesday morning his mates, who lived some little distance away, called him as usual, but not receiving a reply, and observing no smoke, entered the tent and found the poor fellow lying on bin face, cold and stiff. It was quite evident that on entering the tent on Monday evening he must have thrown himself on his buuk, and rolling on the floor died shortly afterwards without a struggle. The reason for this supposition is that no preparation had been made for supper, and after falling to the ground, had be made the slightest struggle it would have been observable, as all round tho bed billies and tins were lying undisturbed. The deceased, who oame from Queensland, w&s a Bingle man, and had no relations in the Colony. — Manawatu Times. Statistical. — Mr Baker, Registrar of the Foxton district, informs us that during the quarter ended yesterday there were registered at his office 25 births> 2 marriages, and 6 deathst Customs Retubns. — In another column we publish the Customs returns for the port of Foxton for the month and quarter ended yesterday. They show a most gratifying improvement in the trade of the place, as will be soon by the figures. If all tho dutiable stuff Used in tile district were imported under bond, the local returns would compare most favourably with miny older ports. However, the steady improvement made during the last twelve months is exceedingly hopeful. Auction SAfcg. — ft£es*rs Tbynne, Linton & Co, held a sale of milling wheat at their , auction rooms on Wednesday last, when lUO sacks of an inferior quality were knooked down to Mr Chamberlain, of Feilding, at 3s Gd per bushel. The remaining 50 sacks, a prime sample, were then submitted, and Mr Chamberlain again became the purchase^ at 4s 10id per bushel. Subsequently the book debts" in the estate of F. K. Crowther were auctioned, Mr W. G. Robinson, of Foxton, being the purchaser at £48. Thundekstom. — Yesterday afternoon, about a quarter to five o'clock, a thunder storm of terrific violence broke over Foxton. During the day the atmosphere was peculiarly hot and oppressive, and the heavy murky clouds hanging about betokened something, which au.ateur Captain Edwins pronounced to be rain. About half-paat four the wind sprang up trom the northwest, and in a very few minutes the most violent storm experienced in the district for several years began. The lightning: was most vivid, the flashes following one another in extremely rapid succession, whilst the thunder-peals which accompanied it wore terribly loud and frequent. The rain fell in torrents, and >n Ja very few minutes the streets were almost covered with water. la about half an-hour the storm had expended its fury, and the night was both clear and calm, a light air blowing from N. W. Meeting. — A meeting of creditors of Mr F. Loudon ia called for Thursday, October 7, at Welliugbon, to consider the" propriety of granting him his discharge. Trndkes. — Thd Foxton Local Board invite tenders for 60 chaiun of formation on the Moutoa road. Tenders close on Thursday, October 7, at 4 p in. Sale, Tomobrow. — Messrs Thynne, Linton & Co., advertise a sale of sheep at Foxton, opposite the Ferry reserve, tomorrow, at '2 pm. As the animals in question are part of the property in the estate of H. Isrown, a bankrupt, they are certain to be sold "a bargain.'' Small farmers are specially invited by the auctioneers to attend the sales. The Phice of Butter. — Wo understand aomi of those who are engaged in butter making are incensed at our recent remarks as to the high price charged in Foxton for that article, compared ffith other places. This of course was to be exi>eoled, as person* never like their profits to be interfered with. Still, if a newspaper does not take up matters of that kind, where so large a difference exists, it would not be doing its duty to the public as a whole. Our remarks have done good, however, as we learn that butter is now selling in the shops at Is and Is Id per pound. The dairymen around Foxton must j not expect to obtain more for their produce than persons in other places, for if they a3k more than the ruling price, tnoy will have outside competition to contend against. A •'oxton storekeeper informs us tbat he calculates that during the last three months no less than eighty pouuds of butter per week have been brought into Eoxton from Caanarvon, Palmerston, and other neighbouring districts. A Rich Marriaoe. — Medemoiselle Blano, daughter of the proprietor of the cele b rated gambling salons of Monaco, has just contracted v marriage with Prince Roland Bonaparte, and brings to her husband an estate worth £40,000, and a dowry of £1, 000,000 sterling. M. Blanc a few years ago kept a small restaurant at Nice, and Madame Blanc was a well knowu flower girl in the same town. Such a large dowry, however, is sufficient to cover ovor a multitude of shortcomings. Knighted. — We clip the following from an exchange :— " Governor Weld, late of Tasmania, and now administering the Government at the Straits Settlement, has been knighted, and is now Sir Frederick Aloysiua Weld, K.C.M.G — This distinction has been very hardly earned, and those who have known what Sir Frederick's services have been in connection with the settlement of the New Zealand native difficulty, and subsequently as Governor of Western Australia and Tasmania, have wondered why the recognition of Her Majesty has so lonsr been withheld. Sir Frederick in n scion of ooe of the noblest English families, und cousin to Archbishop Vaughan." A Thrift.— lt appears from the official returns that in New Zealand 1 person in every 18 13 a Savings Banks depositor ; in England and Wales, lin 14 ; Viototia, lin 10 ; New South Wales, 1 in 38 ; Scotland, lin 70 ; and Ireland, lin 79. New Zealand therefore shows well as regards frugality. The Whale and the Steamek. — Sometime since during the present month a telegram was received iti Grahainstown, from Miranda, just opposite, across the Firth, stating that a number of the settlers bad succeeded in capturing a large whale stranded on the mud ; and also asking a small steamer to tow the monster to Grahams town. The "Vivid" was sent over [ for the whale which, it was statod.was about j 70ft long The natives of *he Miranda hearing of the capture attempted to lay claim to it, on the ground of ila lmving come to tangi over the remains of one of their tribe who had recently died. The settlers resisted their claim. Several telegrams from Miranda stating (bat the

'* Vivid ''started with the whale in to#, but she hud nob proceeded very far before the whale began to Bhow Bigns of vitality and evinced a disposition to make off with the stoamer, and it was then decided to put back agaiu. Towards evening of the day thn whale became quiefc again, aud it was intended to make another start early in the morning. We have not heard yet whether the steamer towed over the whale or the whale towed the steamer out to sea. Tub Staib of the German Army. — The review held by the German Emperor at Berlin in May last (says a London paper) has attracted considerable attention from the increased number of troops in the field, and the continued exertions of the military officers for their improvement. The German army has now a war strength of 2,000,000 men ; and if the troops recently reviewed me y be taken as specimens of the entire army, it may fairly be eaid that it lacks none of the qualities thought moßt iodispensible in soldiers. Foreign military authorities who witnessed their evolutions and examined their accoutrements are quite ready to admit that the German army has reaohed the highest point of effectiveness; and \rhat is especially noteworthy, is the evident determination of the authorities to keep the machine from rusting. The officers are, indeed, losing " blood;" that is to say, the great demand for their services has necessitated the employment of men of inferior birth. Jews are now to be seen as lieutenants, and the older form of the Prussian officer Who could be picked out from a thousand of the rank and file by his breed and boaring, is gradually disappearing. Thb Oxford Cembnt. — Samples of Messrs Ingram and White's cement, made from the Oxford chalk, are now in Christchurch, and are spoken of highly by practical men. The Press says : — Ie is intended to subject the cement to an analysis, and practically test it against the celebrated Portland cement, all the good qualities of which arc claimed for the colonial article. The weight of the latter is 118lb3 to the bushel as against UOlbs to the bushel of Portland cement. The teat; is anxiously looked forward to by those in favor of fostering local industries, and as the area of chalk and blue clay in the vicinity of the works at Oxford is practically limitless, and as the cement can be sold cheaper than the imported article, the hope may be reasonably expressed that the time is not far distant when the money expended on the great staple of the buildiug trade will be retained in New Zealand.