Untitled

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 69, 29 April 1881, Page 2

The Foxtoit-Otaki Road. —It is stated to us on good authority that the Hon. Walter Johnston is opposed to any further grant of money beiugtnade by Parliament for the construction of the inland road from Foxton to Otaki. The reason stated is that Mr Johuston considers that as the West Coast railway is likely to be made, a road alongside the railway would be unnecessary. We do not vouch for the correctness of thi rumour, but hive every reason for believing it ia true. The Raxgitikei Circular.—Comparisons are perhaps odious, nevertheless we could not help comparing yesterday the circulars issued by the Manawatu and Rangitikei County Councils respectively, when we saw the one just issued by the latter body. The Manawatu circular ia without doubt rather long, but it is comprehensive, and suggests the outlines of a scheme of locul finance. The Rangitikei circular, on the other hand, is ungraminatical, illogical, aud bald, the only ideas in it being those borrowed from the Manawatu circular. It seems evident the Rangitikei joint committee set to work with no purpose in view, and consequently, although they have stated iv their first resolution that things at present are not what they should be, the committee have been unable to suggest a remedy. Speaking of it either as a literary production or as a scheme for promoting a solution of the local government difficulty, the Rangitikei circular is a complete failure. Education Board. —The Bwd met at Wanganui on Wednesday, Mr Sauson in the chair. The Inspector reported that Herbert Sanson had been appointed a pupil teacher at Marton. Miss Buckley, cadet at Otaki school, had resigned, and two monitors had been appointed in her place. The Moutoa school was opened on March 28. Mr Watt was selected Chairman for the ensuing year. Tndkcent Assault. •— The boy John Smith, wl.o was committed for trial some months ago by Mr Ward, R. M., for an indecent assau It on a Maori child at Motuiti, was tried at Wanganui, before the Chief Justice, on Tuesday, but after being j locked up for 12 hours from 1 o'clock that afternoon the jury were unable to agree and were discharged. On Wednesday morning, when the Court opened, Smith was brought up and discharged from custody, a nolle prosequi being entered in thipresentindictment, and the Crown Prosecu tor deciding not to go on withasecondcharge of the same nature. Referring to the case the Wanganui Herald of Wednesday says : — " The disagreement of the jury in th« casn of the lad John Smith, who was tried yesterday for an offeree, which, however disgustinir, thi annals of criminal courts in N.Z. record to be only too frequent, was by no means to be wondered at, and the jurymen are to be congratulated upon escapim/ with only 12 hours' consideration of a peculiarly disagreeable subject, and with not being compelled to dwell npon it during a whole night in a cold room at the Supreme Court House. However suspicious were the surrounding circumstances iv the case, there was little or noevidence which brought the charge directly home to the lad, and it is easy to understand therefore why (as wo are informed) there were 8 jurymen for an acquittal and only 4 for a conviction. The Crown Prosecutor this morning, with the assent of the Chief Justice, very judiciously decided not to put the lad again on his trial for the same offence, or to go or> with an indictment for a second charge of a similar nature. His Honor suggested that the lad should (in his own interest, and with a view to procuring him an honest living) be proceeded against by the police under the provisions of the Neglected Children's Act, and we are glad to find that Inspector James has already taken steps to act upon the Judge's humane suggestion." "Ouida." — Madame La Ramee, who wrote so mrny brilliant novels under the norn de plume of "Ouida," is dead. The fact is announced in a cablegram dated Loidon, April 11. Very little is known <n her personal history. She was 41 years of age when she died, having b«en bora in

1840. Har first novel was written w'aeu ' she was in her teens. It was first called "Granville de Vigne," but is now known as •• Held in Bondage." Hernom de plume, "Ouiil.i," was derived from a childißh effort to proHounce her Christian naniu, Louisa. Thou h many of her writings are »f a questionable character, there can he no loubc that they emb >dy a deal of the better side of human nature. She deals with human nature as it is, and not as we would like to find it, whilst no impartial person o-iii fail to admire the sublime unselfishness she embodies in nuch characters as IVicotriu and B-rtie Cecil. "Under T*vo J?lai» " and .".Irioutfin." - will, probably <ecure her fame to future generations. Apology. —We apologise to our Oaki md Wellington subscribers for the delay in receipt of their copies of last issue. The bundles were placed in the o >achhouse an •isual, but were unfortunately left behind, Th . Duke of Manchester.— His Oracn he Duke of Manchester arrived in Feillng on Monday, having been driven through fn»m Miisterton by Mr J. Micari. He wa« icc'impanied by fie Premier, Messrs Pearce 10. 1 L-svin, the colonial directors of th. F.-ilding corpoiation, and C»lo el Reader. lie visited Htlcombe and looked over hi* property between that township and Ki«arjki, and stayed in FeiMing until Tu™lay morning, when he proceeded to W.ui<anui by the early train. The Giardiiu « ; iys the Duke expressed himself as highly pleased with the progress of the township, i>ul wa* quite surprised at the excellence •f the country through which he passe. l. Tiie Feiiding drum and fife band serenaded lie Duke ou Monday evening, and he gave -him a handsome donation. Freights to Wanganui. —For some tim«>;isb thvfo has been considerable competition between the steam companies trading ■i.i Wanganui from Wellington. It has culminated in a notice issued by the N. Z. 8. S. Co. that their freights from Wellington to Wanganni will be in future five shillings per ton, and passengers 10* each ! These prices ought to satisfy the most exacting. Rifle Shooting.— We understand a scratch rifle match will be fired tomorrow morning, at the Foxtoh range, at 7 o'clock. Amongst those who will compete are Messrs J. W. Liddell, Birchtey, Freeland, Jonson, and Robinson. The ranges will be 200, 400, and 500 yards, five shots at each range. It is proposed to make a sweepstake of 20s each, to be divided into two prizes, the lir3t being £3, and the second £2 ; the lowest scorer to pay the marker. Any Government pattern rifle will be allowed to be used Methodist Conference.— An EcumeniCril Conference of representatives of the Methodist Churches throughout tho world is about to be held; in London. The Rev. A. Reid, one of the ablest preachers in Nhw Zealand, was appointed the clerical delegate from this colony by the last colonial conference. He left Auckland in the last San Francisco steamer. Mr Reid is extremely popular in the colony amongst all denominations, and will be a worthy representative of New Zealand at the coming conference. Selling Land for Rates. — We observe that in Rangitikei the local bodies are putting in operation the provisions of the Rating Act empowering them to sell or lease land belonging to persons who have not paid the rates. The Taura"ga County Council are also adopting a similar course, having passed a resolution to proceed to sell the land of all absentees who have not paid any rates for two years, and it ie understood this will bring a large area of good land into the market. Why do not the local bodies in Manawatu adopt a similar course ? The Foxton Town Board annually loses a good round sum of money through unpaid rates. Und-r the provisions of the Rating Ac t k they can either lease or sell the land, add thus recoup themselves. We hope to see some action taken in this direction, as it is a crying shame that residents should be made to pay rates which are spent in improving the properties of absentees who never contribute one penny to the frown revenue. The Boers. —Owing to the outrages committed by the Boers upon those of their countrymen who, during the late war, remained loyal to the British Crown, retaliatory measures ha'e been adopted, and civil war in the Transvaal is now feared. Trespassers Beware!— ln another column Mr A. J. Whyte warns persons from trespassing on his farm in the Moutoa District. He has receutly suffered considerable loss by the burning down of a cottage on the land by some persons who had no business there, and he is determined to make an example of the next trespassers. Our Fourth Page.— On our fourth page will be found an interesting article on New Z *aland flax and a descriptive article — " A Mule Kicks a Beehive." Tub County Electoral Rolls. — Thp new County electoral roll will show 218 voters for th<* Awdhou l-idinjr, an.l 76 voters for the Horowhenua riding. Contract. — Extensive works are just mow being executed on the Ormt D-.>wn-Mtittion, under Mr iVl'Lenuun Uecenth thirteen miles of drain were advertised to be deepened, and in this msm tenders nc advertised for tba erection of six miles of f-ncin!?. Highways Election at Otaki.— As a Highways Board election will take place at Otaki in a fe-v day*, <ye call the attention of the Returning Officer to the fact that in 1879 an Act was passed by the General Assembly determining the number of votes tWat should ba possessed by ratepayers in the Wellington Highways Districts. The Act is No. xiv. of the Local Statutes of 1879, and defines the voting power as follows : Rateable value up to £50, one vote ; £50 up to £100, two votes ; £100 iip •:u £150. three votes ; £150 up to £350, funvotes ; £350 and over, five votos. Tiir same Act also states (section 8) : — " Every parson rated under *Tne Riting Act, 1876 ' or any Act amending the crime, shall in entitled to vote at the election of a warden for the ward in which he is rated. " The Tramway. —Mr Saunders now has the ballast-engine Skunk running between the gravel pit and the reclamation works. The engine is expected to make fourteen trips per day, and to haul one thousand yards of gravel per week. At the quantity required is about 9.000 yards, it will take between two and three months to get all the gravel laid. Rain. — At last the drought ha* broken. Early yesterday morning several very welcome showers fell, and there are indications of more to follow. This season has been one of the driest during a number of years. The Conference.— The Clerk of the Manawatu County Council on Wednesday posted no less than 399 circulars to as many local bodies in New Zealand, announcing that owing to the delay which hid occurred in receipt of replies to the original circular the conference was postponed for one month, viz., until the first Wednesday in June. Fatal Accident at Kaiwarra. — An elderly man named . William Peckham, a resident of Tawa Flat, met his death at Kaiwarra on Monday evening last. It appears the bridge ie being altered and ve-

hides have to ford the river. Deceased, who is a woodman, was returning home from Wellington about half past seven p.m., when his horse took the wrong ro.id, ami instead of going to the river went alin;s the road towards the HCuoolhou<e. This ro id is cut in the hill above the Kaiwarra str< am, and after goin^ some dist ince the horse turned towards tho water, into which iioth cut an I horse fell, the mm bein^ drowned tinier the cart, which upset. Hi was about 55 years of age. The jury reniirked strongly ou the ne*li>rence of tin responsible persons in uot sueiu^ th it th > road to the strea n was properly lighted md guarded. > - -

Birds of Passage. — The Premier and Mr \V. H. L-viii, vvho ha I accompa ii*l the Duke of Mmchester from Wellington, to Feiiding via M isterton, arrived in Foxton on Tuesday night en route, for Wellington. They stayed at Wuy te's H itel for the nitght, and proceeded ou per coach on Wednesday.

Hotel at Awahurt. — The Feiiding Guardian mentions that Mr Simuels intends to erect a commodious and complete iotel at Awahuri, on the site formerly occupied by the one which was burned down.

To a Correspondent.— A piece of poecry healed "Durßibv," ami written after he style of the "Gornvui Biudmaster" <oni», has been sent to our office. Whether it is intei tiled for insertion or for the editor's private edification is not stated. 0 ir rules preclude its publication in thii j 'Urnai. as (1) The copyist's n-une is not *ent, (2) We saw it in Green's Ainiricia A'iiuh.ic for ISSI » f Wiliys *,;>. aiil (3) It. is not a piecj we would publish uuler my circumstances.

Ar-L Saints' .Church.— The Rev. J. L. Kea ing will conduct services at the Foxi,t»u C:iurcli on S in- lay week, instead of next Sunday, on which day the Holy Communion will be celebrated at Palmers ton, for the special benefit of the persons confirmed last Sunday.

A Roland foe his Oliver.— Not long ago two gentlemen from North Manawatu, when in Wellington, called on the Hon. the Postmaster-General, otherwise called " our member," to prefer sundry requests. Thus began the spokesman : "We wish to thank you, Mr Johnston, forgiving us back the daily mail so soou after your accession to office." " Oh," said the Minister, " this is an unexpected show ef feeling from your part of the district '." and he smiled serenely, as if to say, "That's into you." " Well, you know," responded the spokesman, "we should often have been in to thank you before, but it has nevei previously been deserved I" This time the Minister did not smile, but enquired the particular business upon which the deputation had called to see him !

A Reply. — The Manawatu Standard having challenged us to prove chat its article on our subleader was what we described it to be, we willingly do so. First of all, we said it was abusive, which means insulting or reproachful. To prove this it has only to be rein irked that the article, in addition to an insulting tone throughout, referred to this journal in almost every instance not by name, but as "the Foxton bi-weekly" — evidently intended as an insulting epithet — varied bj a description of ns as " our lachrymose contemporary." We also said the Standard ignored the pith of our remarks, and so it did. We pointed out that no mention of the specifications being on view in Manawatu occurred in either of the Wellington papers, from which we argued that the calling of tenders in this district at all was an afterthought, and showed that in this instance the Government had intended to ignore the claims of Manawatu. This the Manawatu Standard deliberately ignored and suppressed. Lastly, we si id the Standard imputed to us unworthy notices in writing as we did. This is proved in the following words : — " The Foxton bi-weekly utters a dolorous lament because some contract for railway sleepers lias not been advertised hi its columns. Thus it weeps." We have now fully produced the charges we made, and leave the public to judge.

Rifle Volunteer Corps Meeting —A meeting was called for Wednesday evening, at 7 o'clock, to form a rifle volunteer corps at Foxton. At that hour some seven or eight persous were present, Mr Thynne, who by request covneneJ the meeting, amongst the number. The persons who promoted the affair, and at whose instigation the meeting was called, never showed up. About half-paat seven the Foxton bras* band marched down the street to the railway platform, where they began playing, but though several messages were sent asking them to desist and crime to the meeting they ignored them all, and continued performing. At eight o'clock the persons in the Athenaeum, tired of waiting, vacated the hall. As it is understood the members of the band were amongst the prime movers in the calling of the meeting, their action in playing until eight o'clock was extremely cavalier, and provoked a general expression of surprise. As both the advertisement and " local " paragraph in Tuesday's issue distinctly stated the hour fixed for the meeting to be seven o'clock, there is hardly any excuse for any supposing it was eight o'clock. la any case when a message was sent them they should at once have ceased playing, as they must have known the bulk of the people would stay while the music lasted. It is to be regretted this fiasco occurred, as otherwise there would without doubt have been a large and successful meeting. The band gives sign of great improvement, the muaio played on Wednesday evening being excellent considering that only nine persons were performing.

A Retrenchment Commission !— Oae of the richest jokes we have seen for some time occurs in the last number of the WWtport Times to hand. It says : — " Messrs Seed anil Bit kin, the • Retrenchment Commissioners,' arrived in Weitport by the p.s. Charles Edward on Tuesday morning, and have since inspected the Government offices in town. They visited the Cipe Fmilwind lighthouse on Wednesday." Whatever object can the ConamUsior have had in vUiting the Cape Foulwind lighthouse ? Did they hold an enquiry into the management of the lighthouse with the view of ascertaining whether, under the combination-of-offices system, the keeper's wife could undertake the duties of assistant? or was it to scrutinise the books of the keeper owing to imaginary defalcations in his oil account, on the supposition that he has been stealing lighthouse oil for his private use ? or was it to become initiated into the working of the lighthouse with a view of qualifying for another billet, Mr Seed as Inspector of Lighthouses, and Mr Batkin as Comptroller of Lighthouse Oil Books ? This visit to the lighthouse is a complete puzzle. Seriously, this retrench* ment business is a gigantic farce. It is bad enough to take away civil servants from their duties at all, but to send them touring round to the lighthouses as retrenchment commissioners is ludicrous to a degree. The only serious part of the business will be the payment of their bill.

Hardware. — On our third page will bo found a column advertisement for Mr Alexander Ferguson, the well-known ironmonger and hardware merchant at Palstoa. Mr Fergusen'* thorough Ihmumm

habits are an assurance that he keep* everything on baud that he while hia prices are so low as to have ystine I hiiu a reputation for cheapness throughout the entire county. A glance at the advertisement will allow how extensive Mr Fer^uson'd stock is. Timber Tariff. — From the Feilding G i in li an wru learn that a meeting of sawmillers was held at Feil lin^ on M mday, for the purp.M ? of drawing up a petition t> the Government, praying for a re luction } of the present rates of railway carriage on | white pine. The utmost secrecy was ohserved,.and, reporter* were ,aut. admitted. A deputation consisting of Messrs Bull and Birtholomavv waited upon the Premier on M mday evening, and it was finally agreed that, a petition einhodying their re,- . quait should be for war led to the Minister' of P.ibHc Works, to which Mr Hall promised hid support. Palmerston Statistics. — Th M inawatu Tunes furnishes the following statistics, which prove that the B>rough of P^lmernton has made substantial progress during the past three years : — " Ou referring back to the statistics of the laot census, as supplied to us by Mr Ward, then enumerator, we fin 1 that Palmeraton had 470 males and 401 ferailes, miking a total of 874 inhibitints. Since that time and on the 3rd of April of this year, the numbers hid i'icrease'l to 721 mules and 613 females, o=i to al of 136 1, showing an increase of 490 in three year-). Then, again, upon contrasting the number of buildings, we find tli.it there were 199 houses which were inhabited, 20 uninhabited, brfins| a total of 210, while there were none in course of Hrectiou. Tulay thero are 274 houses inhabited. 22 uninhal>ite<l, making 319 in til. and 91 in excess of the number at thttaking of the last census." We may sta f «* that some time ago we applied to Mr Deighton for information as to the results of the census at Foxton, but were informed it would be beyond his powers to give it to us. Mr Gisborne on Education*. — During Mr Gisborne's recent speech to bis con* stituents at Ross, he spoke as follows on the education question : — " And now I come to a very important question ; it is the education system, in which I do not altogether believe. The chief points of my objections are, first : In my opinion, unless the present system is materially altered, it will not stand, on account of its heavy and increasing cost. Does it follow that because the State allows and pays for free education to rich and poor alike, that the system is fair and equitable? No. I aay if a liberal education is to be extended to all, let those who are able to pay for their children do so. Another very important matter, I may call it a grevious wrong, crops up constantly : Is the system a national one ? No, it is not, for it excludes a large minority, who, for conscience sake, are obliged to refrain from participating in a system of school training which they at the same moment are called upon to maintain. I ask you, gentlemen, is this anything like justice? Are the religious feelings of a lan;e minority to be sacrificed because a majority wills it? I say no, emphatically no ! I will always raise my voice against it. Let us rather have a change, aad revert to the old system before 1877, which granted aid to private schools of an approved standard, and were subject to Government Inspectors The State school would then enjoy a national character such as under the present system it cannot enjoy. I believe a change in that direction will be the ultimate result, for already the idea is gaining countenance. A new Minister — Mr Walter Johnston — will strongly recommeaJ it, and the Colonial Treasurer has lately expressed his individual views to the same effect." Bonuses.— The Government offer a bonus of £500 for the first 25 tons of butter or the first 50 tons of cheese (produced in a factory worked on ths American principle, and to which factory any farmer, subject to certain conditions, may send his milk), which shall be exported from New Zealand, and sold at such prices in a foreign market as shall show that the articles are of fair quality. A bonus of £500 will also be •.riven on the first 100 tons of fresh meat exported from New Zealand in vessels titted with refrigerating machinery. Such meat must have been collected in a refrigerating chamber in this colony, and must have been landed in Europe in sound marketable condition. The Government aro prepared to receive proposals from any person willing to establish a factory for the manufacture of blasting and sporting powder. The proposer to state what amount of bonus he would require to induce him to undertake the manufacture. The place where the factory is to be erected to be subject to the approval of the Government, the plans and specifications of the building to be also approved by Government. All the internal fittings and the arrangements for carrying on the manufacture of the gunpowder to be subject to the inspection of an officer appointed by the Government. Melbourne Exhibition. — The attendance at the Exhibition on Easter Monday was 22.000, being the largest yet recorded. The curved Maori house behind the New Zealand Court of the Exhibition has been presented to the South Kensington Museum, London. Auction sales are being held and the Exhibition is rapidly being cleared. Outdoing Tanner. — A telegram dated London. April 14, announces that a womin ie the State of lowa declared her determination to attempt the wonderful feat of fasting for forty days, successful!} performed by Dr Tanner. She fasted for forty-seven days, but the result was so serious that she died from exhaustion immediately afterwards. Steam to England. — At a meeting of the Committee of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce a few days ago, a deputation was appointed to wait on the directors of the Union Steamship Company, in order to ascertain how far they deemed it practicable to establish a monthly line of steamers trading between Great Britain and New Zealan 1. Mr McKerras proposed that the Government should discontinue , the subsidy granted to the San Francisco service, and instead grant it to a direct line of steamers. Mb Ormond's Speech. —Criticising Mr Oraiond's speech, the Wanganui Herald says : — " It is not surprising that Major Atkinson wants 'political rest.' He can conceive nothing better than his abortive scheme for the local bodies, but is quite prepared to drop it if only allowed. Mr Ormond in this instance faithfully interprets the feeling of the country. The question of placing local finance in its relation to the work of opening up the country is the greatest that can possibly occupy the time and attention of the Legislature. It is the most pressing of all questions. _ It is even more important than the question of continuing the main arterial works without farther borrowing. . Yet nothing is offered in the shape of a policy but 'political rest,' forsooth. The progress of the colony is to be brought to a standstill in the midst of its difficulties, with its system of local government only half matured, in arder to I satisfy th* Ministerial craving for rest and I quietude I"