Manamatu Herald. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1889. THE BOROUGH.

Manawatu Herald, 12 February 1889, Page 2

Manamatu Herald. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1889. THE BOROUGH.

The Advocate, a newspaper which is published at Marton, and which has a circulation over a portioiTof the Sandon district, through which it secures the advertising of the Manawatu County Council, thought it advisable, from a business point of view, in one of its late issues to make the following remarks concerning the Borough of Foxton :— " The creation of a borough has not resulted in any of the financial or other advantages predicted by those who labored to bring about the change. The Borough is, indeed, in financial straits." This dictum would be ex-

tremely alarming if it could be supposed that the Advocate knew anything of the circumstances it chose \ to express an opinion upon, but the absurdity of the statement shows that it has been misled by some i person having a personal animus against the late holder of the office of Mayor. The simple fact that because the Borough has not as yet paid to the Manawatu County the award made upon the separation of the two bodies, does not necessarily prove that the Borough is in "financial straits," and as a fact we are aware that they are in a very excellent position. If the Advocate had taken any interest in the Foxton district, it would have been aware that a great inconvenience was caused to the newly formed Borough, by the delay in the production of a balance sheet from the County, and that when it was obtained it misled the new Borough upon a material point In the statement of the liabilities due by the County, of which the new Borough had to take ita share, a copy of which was duly advertised in the Advocate, there appeared a sum of £2000 odd set down as a loan obtained by the County froik the Government, the interest of which, was fixed at five per cent, equalling some £100 a year, a sixth share of which would be the amount to be paid by the Borough. The late Mayor had also predicted, that when an adjustment of the accounts took place between the two bodies, there would be but little difference on either side, excepting the annual payment due oil the loans owing by the County, and the payment for whatever property the Borough might purchase in addition. Now this prediction proved to be the case on the datethe ropresentatativ es of both, bodies met the Auditor-General. The Borough, during the first months of its existence, made many improvements, and spent the income as it was received, and it will be remembered that the Anditor-General gave no decision until October. After the representatives had left "Wellington, and the County Chairman and Treasurer had returned to Sanson, then, and only then, they discovered that the sum of £2000 (which they had published as a fixed loaa from the Government) was not a loan under tbe Government Loans to Local Bodies Act, but was one which the Government could demand at any time. Owing to this very serious mistake (and to prove how great an error it was, wemay mention that the County Chairman informed his Council that he held a letter from the Colonial Treasurer stating that this loan ' was granted), the County obtained an award equalling the one-sixth of this £21000 as a cash payment, instead of the County handing over the one-sixth of the yearly interest of the same calculated at five per cent to the Borough to pay. This claim, being as unexpected by the Borough as by the County, no provision had been made to set aside any portion of its income for this purpose, and the award being made in October, seven months after the commencement of the financial year, the Borough necessarily had not the amount on hand to pay. Since then, owing to changes in the holder of the position of Town Clerk, there has been a period in which little effort has been made to get in outstanding debts, but this has now been altered for the better. The last bod}', however, to complain should be the Manawatu County Council, as the Borough haa been put to the most inconvenienceby their delays at the start arid by the incorrectness of their statements. Let the blame be on either side, partisans may choose to put it, the delay in making a payment does in no way prove either being in " financial straits" or that "the creation of a borough has not resulted in any of the financial or other advantages predicted." If we had more space We could anow that the creation of the Borough has resulted in the ratepayers obtaining all the advantages they trusted to obtain when they petitioned for its formation; and they have the financial advantages of paying rates of only fifteen pence in the pound, where under the Town Board and County dual control they paid equal to two shillings in the pound; and they have freed themselves from any liability which may arise from running the Carnarvon-Sanson tramway under the present hand to mouth principle. There are few public bodies who can cay that the only debt they possess is Of an amount equal to one-naif of its yearly revenue, and as the Foxton Borough can, it is straining at a gnat to proclaim it as being in " financial straits." To test the position properly we would reccommend the Advocate to compare the present position of the County, from whose management it deems the Borough unfortunate to have escaped from, with the position of the Foxton Borough. When that is done we need not expect to have a repetition of the statements we have taken exception to.

It is with regret wo learn th»t Miti Little the head mistr«B» of the Foxton School, has resigned her situation- The reason for her taking this itep arises from her being offered a better position in the Waitftki Girts High School in Oamarn. She will leave as soon as th« Board will permit her. In our Stock and Prodaoe column Mr D%vidaoo notifies he has for sale Purebred Romney Marsh Rarrm, bred by Mr Cobb. This is a capital opportunity for small sheepfarmeri 10 aeoure one or two fre»h , rams «b they will be told as desired.

The estates of Moutoa and Carnarvon have changed ownership lately, as Mr Larkworthy has sold them to a large Melbourne syndicate. We regret the same, as during the years these properties have been in the hands of Mr Larkworthy very large sums of money have, been spent in altering them from the rough stale of nature, into valuable stock producing pastures. There has been no attempt ever made by him to take all he could out of the soil and return nothing, if anything it has been the reverse, and he will always be looked upon in this district as an holiest ho'der of property and a benefactor to the colony. The Carnarvon Estate was a wilderness and the Moutoa Ksta'e an impassable swamp, when occupation wag first taken, and it was frequently averred that the swamp could not possibly be drained. Facts have proved that the swamp was drainable, a» the whole area can now be ridden over, and in its most developed portions, a very grand growth of grass is obtained. It will also be remembered that Mr Larkworthy was the first to introduce into this district direct shipments of purebred stock, for which he gave, and aho received high prices, Ho turned out. some. years,ago«bms deer on the Carnarvon estate and their descendants give eport, at times, to the adjoining neigh bora. It will therefore be seen that in losing Mr Larkworthy as an owner of property, we may find it hard to meet with another whi^ will do so much for the development of the properties and improvement of the Btock. Mr Larkworthey Jr. who has had the local management of the estates, will be leaving shortly, to take up his residence in London, and this will make a void in social circles hard to fill. We may probably have more to say on this subject on an' occasion later on.

News travels alowjy to the Wanganui Chronicle, as in one of its last issues it states " We hear there are no less than eighteen flax mills in the Manawatu district in close proximity t&- the river." By the time it has ascertained the number there are now, there will probably be twenty more.

Our attention was drawn to the grounds surrounding the R. M. Court house last Saturday, as reposing gracefully on its shafts laid a bran new batcher's cart. We are aware that the Court employs a Baker, but we had no idea it intended to start in the meat trade also. Is ia a dry 'old corner, though it has a Tapp.

When growing grasa on his land at Heatherlea last Autumn Mr Davidson also sowed a quantity of raye. Owing to the land not having been stocked early, the rape got ahead, and now Mr Davidson has reaped a heavy crop of noe rape teed, which he ha 3 had offers for already. The storage of water is. a question of much interest, and the ÜBual custom of depending on iron tanks U hard to shake. We would direct attention |o the fact that excellent tanks can be made of timber, with a larger holding capacity and costing less than the old seed tanks. Mr Nye has one erected by his house, which is well worth seeing, it is raade out of two inch totara planka tongued and grooved, is bruit on a framing of four by four scantlings, and measures seven feet sir inches deep, eight feet wide, -and- twelve feet long, and has. a. holding capacity for four thousand-gallons of water. He states that the cost of building it, including iron braces, did not exceed £15.! This it will be noticed is much cheaper: than finding ten, tq.ni; hundred gallon tanks. Some care U necessary in building them,, but a good ship's 'carpenter should have no trouble. The Messrs Warden received their portable engine last week by the s.s. Napieand expected to again be in full work yes terdiay.

We learn from a visitor to the Ram Fair at JPalmeraton, that the Romney Rams did not sell well, with the exceptiou of those brfid by Mr Cobb. He was rather unfortunately placed in the order of aale, at m ( st of the other Romney breeder's rams v?ere tfferred first,. and pawed away without competition. When Mr Cobb't came into the ring the bidding woke up, and all were sold, the highest realising six guineas and, an average of 2^ guineas was obtained. The next morning after the sale, he received an early visit, and the balance of his rams, which were for Bale, were purchased ~by Mr Studbolrae, for the use of his flock in the Murimutu plains. Mr Prendergast, alga disposed of all his Romney flock at this sale, and the old ewea went for 8s 6d, and the four tooth ewes for 8a 9d to 8s lid and the two tooth ewes wer.t purchased by Mr Davidson for 98 6d. These are big price*, and shows what sheep are fetching now, to what they w«re this time Uat yew.

Mr Tennant is the last new hemp milUr, and he has secured one of the belt flax sites, on the Oroua Downs eatito, very nearly opposite Messrs Lind & Coa. mill. The advertising of a flax site on the Oroua Downs caused the other morning a desperate rash of npplioanti, one having started from the town at five o'olock in the morning, aud secured the refustl of a site for three days, and returning about eight o'clock passed two others on their way to the same place and on the same business. }t is rumoured that the rentals from hemp mills on this one estate will represent some £1500 this year. ' We learn that Messrs Lloyd and Rogers bft''e their mi 1 nearly ready foe t start. They;h«rye » site, on Mt> MoK elvi?s .prp. party at Carnarvon. " „ '. The paths of the swagger do nut always lie in pleasant plaoea. ibe experiwioe of one of these eun-downera oh'tha rott<l f <>m IFoxton to the Oroua Bridge oco&s'onM him such a shock, that for * time »< lea.*', he will accept the w T g» for dniiy i<«l, rather th&u run the riak of couutrified ranr blinds. Od'o day last week a mob of fat bullocks were driven up to Lonjjbui n to be sent to Wellington, bat one, a Urge 1000 pound bullock steadily resisted all efforts to induce him to proceed beyond the Oroua Bridge, and he had to be loft behind. For a few days this animal lived a life of misohieviousneaa on the road, and greatly resented any one else using it. A swagger was weDdintf his way, when to his terror he saw a little ahe«d of him, this big fellow of an animal coming towsrd&.him at fall gallop ; he dropped hie bundle and fled with lightening epeed through the nearest fence, paying not the slightest, attention to the barbs which projeoted on the j wires , the bullock finding hi a enemy-man ' gone, loooked at the sw»g, atuck his. .two horns into it, and thus carried it ,to..the fence through whioli the man had fled, and chuoked it contsmptuously over to him. The rest of the jouiney of man and «wag TO performed with a fence between them and the road. Th« bnllosk has Rino.H 'neen Becured, and paid the penalty of hi* misdeeds, by being daoently interred in r.h, interior of those mwy upon whom he hod made such decided opposition to.

la onr Stock and Produce column Mr Bowe offere the whole of hbt stook, now grazintcou his farm up No 2 linn. The cows should be good bargtiog for any one wanting milkers, w for many yaars he h« a run a ospital dairy fern.

Mr ft. B. M Kenzie, who has only lately come forward aa a shaep breeder,, entered some Lincoln rams for sa'e at the PalmerBfcon ram fair, and sold 15 2- ootb runs at good prices, tho average being If guineas. Mr M'Lennan, at the same time purchased 25 pure bred Lincoln ewes( bred by Mr A. M'Lean, of Auokland, at 3 and 3 » guineas each. The Shropshire Downs met with veiy litlle demand, and those that were sold only fefcohed 1 guinea each. The solicitor for the liquidator* of the Manawatu C.S.S. Compnay (Mr Henkina) gives notice that the District Court has made a call of 15s per share on all the con* tributaries of the Company, and tfaa same beeornbs dus on the 28th mat. Notice is given by Mr Cox, the Returning Officer for the district of Awahon, that an election for the return of five members as a committee for the district, will be held on the 28th February. Nomination* must be left at Mr Canning's store, Campbelltowi, by : th9 20bh init. . , . We much regret to record the closing of Mr George Cray's store. Until matters are made public we cannot Btate the causes that has necessitated his taking the decided step of seeking the protection of the Bankruptcy Court, but we may be wire that unless, imperatively compelled, he would not have taken such a step, sloes the times have so much improved lately. Mr Gardner lost no. time in getting hltf new mill at'Paiaka at work, as it has been working for a fortnight, though at present, owing to the delay in setting the timber it is not covered in. The engine is new and of 12 horse power, and; rant two strippers easily. The cattle shipped from . Taranski to Sydney a few nays ago, by the Taupo sold at at average of £10 per head. Mr Thynne has a letter in last Friday's Advocate in reply to the paragraph we quoted. in our last issue. The natter, is not worth farther reference to. Te iCooti held an interview with Mr Mitchetson at Auckland on Thursday last, when the Natire Minister urged that -ho should defer his proposed visit to Gishome, as there was some feeling against him by both Europeans and Natives. Te Kooti said ho had given a pledge to Tisit Oisborn'e, and he was going ' there in tho interests of peace, for he had promised hot to repeat his former deeds. The danger to himself did not weigh with him, and he had told his followers that if he were killed they must not avejjge.. him, as he was subject to the law. Neither he nor his followers would carry arms. The interview ended without Te Kooti statins whether he would postpone his visit.

. It is rumonred in Weatport that the coal leases of Messrs Bayfield, Roland apd others, at Mokibinui are about to be floated as & registered limited company, with a capital of £30,000, under the name of " the New Cardiff Coal Mining Company." Mr Proctor's Emerald did uot succeed in winning any event at the Tiirakio* rams last week, • . Mr McLennan brought up from South some humble bees and DM' liberated them oq the Oroua Downs estate. The drawing in thfc art uuion for Mr Russell's engravings takes plac« tonigkt at Mr Fume's store at eight o'plook. Mr Honore advertises elsewber* a hemp mill ia good going, order, with firewood and water, for salej Mr Edwards the well known briokmtker at Palmerston has an adverfcisemant , in •this issue: For those who desire to take advantage of the produce market at Sydney, an admirable opportunity is now presented, as Mr Wylds the owner of the sahooner Clyde, is prepared to place his vessel on tha berth for thut port if sufficient inducement offers. Farmers should communicate with him at once, as the vessel is expected in r«rjr soon.

To cleanse gins*, simply use warm .water diluted with ammonia ; doa't u«e soap. A small stick will get the dost ont of the corners, then wipe dry with a piece of cotton cloth— do not me linen, as the hot stickg to the glase. The bes way to polish is with tissue paper, or newspaper. To clean windows in thit way takes much less time- th&n whea soap is used, and they appear much brighter. Kissing, in England, was certainly known and practised in th» lizteema and seventeeth centuries, and practiced with an easy familiarity which shows the custom was general. ladeed, so general vas the vie of the kin that it was as uiual «■ the bow. A gentleman taking a lady to her seat from the dance invariably kissed: her. and if be had not, would have been toted a ve?y badly bied fellow. There is a story retailed m the " Broad Stone of Honour of, - an English knight riding; through Fnnce to the Field of the Obth of Gold, His horse cast a shoe at a certain tillage, the seigneur whereof had departed to the same rendezvous, but the seigneur's lady hospitably entertained the traveller. She came out (if her castle/ attended by twelve damsels, fair $o , see ; ,',' and,." said the dame, " forasmuch «b in 'England ye hnve such a custom as that a man m»v kis^ a woman, therefore I will that ye kiss me, and ye shall also kiaa all the^. mv maidens."'- which iliiug roe Icoighr -.Tpnigiiwav did, and rejoiced u-oeiO^ ihoiv,,!. Tbe quttin'.aesy of the 1-isi.' phrase uadoabtedly indicates the \ o.ing Qi^.n's feelings at the salute with ci)u*idorab!e exactitu4e.

We hear says the Chronicle that the p. a. Tuhua is to be tajsea .' to FozUm shortly, where she will ply op the Bfauawatu River/ carrying; flax from the milh to the wharf fo- transhipment to Wei lington. Many io this diatrict wili notice with deep regret .the -announcement of the death of Mr Q;. H. Hi ojb?.. which occur* red a f , 10 o'clock thii moriainjf, «t the refciderifle^ 6f his father-in -liw, Mr J.^Armstrong, at Terrace End- Deceased, who was formerly resident in tbi«'di«triot as »n officer in the Bank of Australia, made many firm friends who will deplore hia loaaand syrapathite with the ..young widow m her bereavement, Some tinusince Mr Hicks was stricken with the disease to which be has succumbed and it was in the hope that change would result in benefit that he^ati** to Palmerstou a few weeks ago. Id spite of the most unremitting care and attention, however he continued to gink rapidly, though few bat those' most intimate believed . that the end wa» so ne*r>- His friend* w.ill feel th*.t a #ood and .kindly sou' has. gone to rest a lit'!«» while beror • them. — M Time*.