GOOD NEWS.

Manawatu Herald, 22 March 1889, Page 2

GOOD NEWS.

m United action has never had a better example than the union of the -hemp millers to protest against the rate of freights the Associated Shipping Companies were imposing on them,, as the very first breath of union and action caused a drop of ten shillings a ton, and now the energetic convener of that meeting, Mr Robert Gardner, Avired to us on Wednesday the following telegram, which speaks most eloquently for itself :- •' Shipping Companies conceded another ton shillings a ton on freight of flax . Now ninety shillings. This must be gratifying to all interested." Indeed, it is so.

I We learn that Messrs Eussell and Co. are troubled with their pulsometer pump, the water in the river throwing up more grit than was expected, thus cutting the leather washers of the valves. An engine is now on the wharf for Mr Tennent. Mr Hiokiord of Campbelltown has arranged for a hemp mill site on the bank of the Bangitikei river, on Mr McKelvie's property. Mr Richard Gray, of this town, is arranging everything for him. Mr Garter has secured a larger and mo re powerful engine to assist him in making a larger output of the celebrated flax fibre. Mr Rutherford will arrange privately for the cutting of the flax, and has been obliged to obtain teams from the Nelson side to do the carting required. These he expects over in a few days. Mr John Guerin has a fine orpp of potatoes on his farm, which will probably yield over 12 tons to the acre. At the rate of £7 a ton this should yield a profit equal to flaxdressing; Labor is still in demand. Carpenters are scarce and painters no where. Carters are overworked. In another column Mr H. Bradoock notifies he intends putting on a town eart, and will very shortly have another good team for longer distances. Mr Andrews informs us that no - suitable tenders were received for Mr Rutherford in response to the advertisement inserted in the Manawatu Times, the prices asked being more than he had private off era to do the work at here. ..- On Wednesday there were three 'steamers alongside the wharf. It is now a frequent occurrence to see at least two steamers and a vessel at the wharf at one time. ". Cattle have been leaving the district this week, to be turned into beef . A fine mob .was crossed by Mr Pur cell, from the Oroua Downs station, and the *.s. Moa took a load of Mr Manson's. The other night a traveller staying at the Manawatu hotel missed his bridle and saddle, and he would feel obliged if they were returned. Mr Startup lost a racing pad off the horse he was riding, the other evening, near Honore's store. He would much like the finder to return it to him. We have received a telegram from Dr Foot that he has returned to Wellington and w^ll probably be here by tomorrow or Monday. Mr Steel the latest agent for the Bank of New Zealand arrived here with his I family by Thursday's train. Mr Ewen leaves tomorrow morning. On Wednesday the Directors of the Manawatu Railway travelled up to Shannon by special train, to inspect the proposed works at the swamp. They dined at Mr MoPherson's accommodation house. This looks like business, and we shall look more hopefully forward to the work being rt&lly comOMMtdt

At the late meeting of the Manawatu County Council, a contractor named Coker wa3 debarred from tendering for any County works because he had failed In caring out (We lie had already in hand. Councillor Saxon proposed tais course. \Vu notice that Mr Cokoi 1 has slain nw tinmny hip anil thigh by writing to our c julemjj jrary the Aiyocace, explaining that the gravel p.t which he was expected to use had so mucu water in, that even the Council had gone to tiie expense of erecting a wind mill pump to top a ° d reduce it, without success, and when Mr Coker offered to erect even another mill, if the Council would allow the contract to Stand over a while, he was refused, and his deposit forfeited. Mr Coker pertinently asK3 if Councillor Saxon " remeinoers giving up a contract on the Makino road under very muoh more favourable oircuiuatances." We wait for the reply..' Messrs Deailove and Austin are hard at work, and Messrs Gie»on & Co. got up steam yesterday, und will ' -probably be in full swing at the end of the week. * The difficulty of navigating the Wauganui river is shown by the following, from last .night's Herald:— The long continuance of westerly winds has had the effect of making the entrance difficult, not only on account of the number of blind channels, but also because of the reduction in depth consequent on the shifting'of so large a quantity of sand. At present there is an inside bank of sand which renders navigation somewhat more difficult than usual, and on this on Saturday the barquentine St Kilda bumped while being towed out by tne fcitormtiirct. When nbou s. half-way out, and before the bar proper'' was reached at all, the vessel bumped, and oould not be hauled along by the steamer. Captain Chambers at once cut Ins hawser, and steamed back inside the river, while the vessel started to drift to the southward. Anchors were put out, and she remained in a perfectly safe position all night, stern on to the sea. A line was taken out by the Pilot's boat, and made fast to the breakwater, and with it Captain Carr managed to bring her square along, and the vessel swung into the river at 10 o'clock, and had the hawser not broken the probabilities are that she would have floated off at once. In the night the captain of the St. Kilda jettisoned some cargo, consisting of white pine, that had been stowed on deck, and some bags of peas, but nothing else was touched. Yesterday afternoon the boat lay right opposite the flagstaff. A line was made fast to the flagstaff and another to the breakwater, and at nine o'clock off she came with a rush, and the current imme. diately took her further up the river and out of danger. The anchor was dropped, and about an hour later she was hauled close alongside the wharf. The shooting season for native game has been gazetted and extends from April 18 to July 3i, except in Greymouth Wairau lagoons, Marlborough, Lyell Creek, Kaikoura. ' We were sitting in our offioe the other morning, not so much working, as meditating on things in general, when we were suddenly startled by an unusual sound for Foxton, namely, the buzzing of a mosquito. The fellow was kicking up as much row as a newly appointed captain of a militia company would, flying into every corner, and taking stock of the whole premises. After a minute or two the wretch, perched on our nose, stretching out his legs so as to have a fijae..purchase, then rudely protruded his head, till he gazed steadily into our eyes. We made a movement to attack when off the insect went into our ear, and cooed to know if we were the Editor. We were so much astonished that we put all the force we possessed into the blow, and nearly knocked our own head off, but the mosquito simply jumped inside. "Now then, none of that," he replied, "I just want to tell you something, but if you behave in that intemperate fashion, I hardly know if it is safe to tell you." " Well friend," we think we said friend, " let us know, what you want, or we'll rout you pretty soon." " Will you," came reverbrating through our brain, "the moment you lift your hand I will sting you, mind that." This was a mighty unpleasant position to be placed in, so we had to bow down before this wretched pest. " Hi, there's been such a jolly lark at the Oroua Bridge on Sunday night, I saw it all, and I have come straight to you." "You're mighty kind," we replied, "we. wished you had stayed away." " Well, you may thick so now, but you won't when I have finished. You've heard about the beer being stolen? Well, that Constable Tapp you have here is a mighty fine man, you should have witnessed his peering on Sunday night, My word, didn't he lay close, just watching for the thief, and wasn't he warm, my crioky t Just as that rascal was going to help himself to the porter, the constable couldn't contain himself at all, at all, he was so dry you see ; so up he gets and collars him before all the beautiful liquor was wasted down that creature's throat. Tapp soon put the ' darby's ' on him, and then, what to do with him, troubled him more than all the beer that was left, and indeed he didn't want to leave the liquor either. After due consideratiou he put his man into the station shed, shut the door, and rolled the case up against it. The man insid? was worse off than the man outside, though the man outside inside was rather weak. He had to remain in the position he had selected from ten o'clock Sunday night till ten o'clock on Monday morning." Well we are sorry to hear of the trouble he had, of course he conldn't get to sleep. " Now then, what are you about, don't insinuate anything against me'* What a touchy little beast you are, or perhaps we should more rightly say, until you come out of our ear, what a touchy little beast we wish you were. "Of course the prisoner had to be looked after, and you know that ' a policeman's.lifeisaota happy one,' and the constable will assure you that not an eye did he close the whole blessed night. Oh ! I don't say he went to sleep, but I know I drew his likeness in the dark, and played the Jews harp on his eyelashes." "We do not think you would if he was awake." "He may have been awake, but if the prisoner went to sleep, and. the constable, went to sleep, and the both woke at the same time, who would know anyone had been to sleep, except me ? and I say all were very wide awake. I say boss, did you hear how many bottles of beer were lost ?" We said that we were gaining most particulars from the obliging friend in our ear, but if he had no better information to give us, he might return as soon as he liked to the Oroua Bridge." Just then we were nearly stunned by a most frightful whirl, and we were starting up to see from whence the earthquake was coming, when heavenly peace succeeded, and we discovered this most iniquitous of insects had taken his leave. A serious accident happened at the Upper Hutt yesterday forenoon to Mr John Me Intosh, very well known in Wellington as " Johnny " Molntosh, at one time licenses of the New Zealander Hotel, Manners street. By the report furnished to Inspector Thomson by Constable Harnett it appears that Mr Mclntosh was asked to hold a horse attached to a buggy, as the driver, wished to go into the Provincial Hotel, of which Mr Charles Cudby son-in-Uw to Molntosh, is licensee. Molntosh had tow holding the hom for some tim»,

whau something frightened it and it at- I tempted to gat away. Mclutosh, in en- - deavouring to hold the struggling animal. * got thrown down under the horses feet, [ with the result that his shoulder Was badly 1 broken. He was picked up immediately I ,1.1 a carried into the hotel, and Dr Wilford, \ of the Lower Hutt, was telephoned for. As soon as possible the doctor was on the scene, but on examination of the injured ] man found he could not set the limb with- I out putting the patient under chloroform, "* and it would be necessary to take him to , the Lower Hutt to do so. Mclntosh was , put into the doctor's trap, and the pair started for the Lower Hutt. In driving 1 round one of the gorges on the road the j horse fell, and the doctor and patient were j thrown out onto the road. The dootor received some severe injuries to his arm, ( and Mclntosh fresh injuries to his shoulder, I and also to his head, which Dr Wilford had then and there to bandage up. On ; subsequent arrival at the Hutt the doctor ' was so incapacitated by his injuries as to unable to deal with his patient, whom he ordered to be sent to the local hospital. I The injured man was brought in by Mr James Cudby last evening. On enquiry at the Hospital this afternoon we hear Mr Molntosh is progressing as favorably as can bejexpected. — Evening Press. A man staying at the Poxton Family Hotel very nearly committed suicide las't night. It appears he was troubled with sleeplessness and took nearly the whole of a bottle full of Chlorydine. Luckily he thought he had acted foolishly and told Mr Hunter, who administered emetics and got the man round. Today they had a smash of some windows at Whyte's Hotel. A woman named Elizabeth Wilson has been apprehended, but the particulars have not all come to hand.