Curious but True.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 12 August 1890, Page 2

Curious but True.

# Sir John Hall the friend and adviser ■ of the Atkinson Ministry used theae j word* in a speech in the Houae in . 1888 " I take issue with those hon , ourahle gentlemen who say that the ' credit of t u e Colony can be puffed ' un hy holding" our tongnas about our ! difficu'ties and endeavouring to con , ceal unpleasant truths. i Ona short twelvemonth* later we ' find that Sir John Hall was a j meaner of the Public Aeoounts Cimmitteo who sanctioned the pa/ raont of the in'erait due on th» Taranaki Harbour Board debe»tures, at the time the conversion of th» colonial loans on the Loadon market r was intended to be made. It was j agreed to by the committee against < the wish of the House, to bolster up > the credit of the Harbour Boaid for the benefit of the oolony. \ The Hon Mr Ballance stated this i session, and he was also a member i of the Committee', that all the l members acquiesced in th« view, ] that the default of the New Plymouth , Harbour 80-ird at that particuiar i tirae was calculated to prejudice a j large colonial operation in the way ] of conversion. , i It is evident that the opionions of i some of the best of politicians last 1 only till the time comes when it is convenient to chang* them. ( Itf r Howard notifies that he will be away from town for a short time. : Mr and Mrs Stansell returned from their trip, last n!ght. ■• A general meeting of the Foxton Football Onb will be held at Whyte's hotel on Thursday evening. Coal scarcity ha» buen diminished by the arrival of one of Messrs Ma Millan Rhodes & C«'s. coal boats last week. May the miners soon adjust their differences. Spring is upon us, the Almond trees having now burst' into blossom. The peaches will also be out iv a day or two. The Feilding paper says that the bushfcllers aro calling meetings to form a Union. We have received from Mr Gibson a very neat papev knife, %vith the name of the insurance omce he is agent for inscribed thereon. The Wairarapa Standard say* the Maoris predict a dry summer and a bad time of it for vegetation. The Foxton School football team had in- | tended to have a match at Oroua Eridg«, with the State School there, on Saturday ; but owing to the non-receipt of any reply from that part of thg world they remained " aa they were." Mr Young, a farmer at Christchurch, recovered £25 damages from a dentist because the latter's apprentice had pulled out the wrong tooth by mistake. That an old Maori warrior was last weeV sued at Napier for a little matter of £21 oHd for a new set of teeth, showg a wonderful alteration of the times and customs of the Aboriginals. Sir James Hector is of opinion that flax fibre, as it present treated in New Zealand, is suitable for all the purposes to which it is put, bu- ho considers that by chemical treatment it might be made vailable for fine fabrics. Labour shorld take heed. The Post sayg : — Owing to the shor. oui n% of coals on the West Coast, the canvl.r; work is slackening. As a pon-.cquenee .he hands on ihe Union Comoaay's s.s. Omapere ara being pnid off, and the vessel will be laid up here. CHher sLeamers we are itiforznad wi'l probably have to do khe sa.ne. A fi-a broke out at 2.30 on Tuesday morn''n<? in Colli«r & Co '« music warehouse, Victoria Avenu«, Wanganui, completely fculLim: the premises. Dickson's tailor-shop, adjoining, was charred, and the stock t!am.iw*d by wal-er. Insurances— Collier's building and stock. £1500 ; Dickson stoak, £500. The fire brigade got the fire under within fHteen minutes. A new English posta'-e stamp has been issued to the public. Like all other pontage stamps now in issue, it will be available for either postage or revenue purposes. It will be a tenpenny stamp, and is strikingiv novel in design. It has the small head •haraeteristic of the Jubilee issue in an octagonal framework, and is printed in two colours— carmine and mauvo— with large figures of value on each side. On board the p.s. Terrauor* may lie notiaed an ingenions contrivance known as " Helme's Patent Life Buoy Rescue Signal." It is enclosed in a handy tin. is salf-righting, burns brilliantly for thirty minutes, is visible from a ship's deck for five nautical miles, and unsxtin^uishable by wind, water, or tempest. The direction* , for use are simple. Eaoh signal has a , prickftr attached, and when required fo use, the Rescue Signal is attached by a line ta the life-boy. The pricker is thun forced in as far as it will go through the > soft metal buttons at top and bottom of the ( signal, making two round hol«s. It is then roadv for us«, and it is to h<» thrown into the sea, when it will immediately show * i brilliant light. The Rescue Signal should : preve invaluable at sea.— Exchange. Country residents would do well to remember that an extraordinary Gala of Swr- ' plus Winter stock commences on Friday i August Ist, at the Wholesale Family Drapery warehouse, Te Aro House, Wellington. There will be bargains sufficiently great ' and sufflcientlv nnmerous to temot many to pay a visit to Wellington, and for those who cannot conveniently leave their homes we are prepared to execute their orders with the utmost carefulness and despatch , at T« Aro House, Wellington. All orders must be accompanied by «ash 1 in the shape of Post Cfiee Orders, Postal ( Not**, Cheques, or where those are not , available. Bank notes, and will have our . best attention. We have issued a price } list of the great reductions made which we will forward free hv post on applioation to i Te Aro Rouse, Wellington. And of what does this Surplus Stock eoniist? It consists of Winter Dress Fabvics, ' of every description— Mantles, Jaek»ts, < Ulsters, MilHnerv, Underclothing, Calicoes, i Sheetings, Flannels, Shirtings. Blankets, , Carpets, Linoleums, HosiVrv, Mens, Boys, and Youths Clothing and a thousand ether useful and desirable articles at the ' Wholesale Family Drapery Warehouse, ] Wellington. t The genuineness of our sales hitherto , has been thoroughly well known, and the present one will be fully un to theeharaeter ' of its predecessors. One thine should how- ' ever be borne in mind, ami that is, that y those who wish to participate in its advan- . tagM should do so quieMv. It lasts o:ilv ' 15 days, and terminates on the lfith August ( at Te Aro Hauie, Wellington . j