Manawatu Herald THURSDAY. DEC. 31, 1891. The New Year.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 31 December 1891, Page 2

Manawatu Herald THURSDAY. DEC. 31, 1891. The New Year.

At midnight the Old Year dies and f the infant 1892 enters upon the 1 scene. The past year has been a ( st ck-taking one, and this has i thrown a flood of light upon the i enormous capabilities and the great 1 wealth which has been developed in i this Colony. Those who are en- i joying the many advantages that are to be enjoyed by a residence in New i Zealand, should never forget the great debt they owe to the plucky pioneers of fifty years ago who secured this fine inheritance for them. As each new year is chronicled those who made the Colony, get fewer and fewer, but they have this satisfaction that they know their work will live long after them. We live in on age of rapid '

«— i— —^ __ progress, *nc! no part of the Celony within the last ten years, has progressed with such" leapsand bounds " as this West Coast. To the old settlers, the first landing of the immigrants at the port of Foxton is still but as yesterday, and the country they went to occupy was a dense bush, and very difficult of access, yet now, what a change ha 3 been created ! the spot which was a stoney plain covered with tutu, is now the site ot a town wth 4000 inhabitants ; the land at Feilding has been transformed into a populous place with 1600 people ready to trade with the settlers of the surrounding country. The bush, the swamps, the fern and manuka lands have received the labour of honest hearts and sinewy arms, and by their means been transformed into smiling paddocks carrying the finest breeds of sheep and cattle. Within the area of the Manawatu, Oroua, and Horowhenua Counties, nineteen thousand seven hundred people have their homes, and still there is room for more to follow. On these lands they carry five hundred and sixteen thousand sheep, with thousands of cattle and horses. Surely we should not complain. Looking at the Colony as a whole we find that the six hundred and twenty six thousand people have little need to complain, though an attempt was made to assert that the intolerable system of "sweating" the worker had taken root here. However to settle the question a Royal Commission was set up, and in their report to parliament state " with satisfaction we report that the system known in London and elsewhere as 'sweating, 1 and which seemed at one time likely to obtain a footing in some of our cities, does not exist." Hear ! hea** ! and what is more it must never be allowed to exist, as why should it ? when we find that this handful of people in the Colony exported in 1890 over four million pounds worth of wool,' seven hundred and fifty thousand pounds worth of gold, over one million pounds worth of grain, over three hundred and eighty thousand pounds worth of flax, two hundred and seven thousand pounds worth of butter and cheese, and over one ! million pounds worth of frozen meat I ! ! The six hundred thousand dwellers in New Zealand are not a poor lot, though they have had naturally to look to the moneyed classes for assist* ance to work their property, and finding a good investment for their money in New Zealand, has led these also to become property holders in it. Thus we find, that three years ago, the owners of property admitted possessing property outside of land, known as " personal " property, close on to seventy-five million pounds, and this sum had been increased at the rate of one million a year since tLe previous valuation was made. It has been urged that the money-lenders and large land-holders are " social pests," but how would the country have reached this stage of developement without their assistance ? All the money lent on mortgage is not English capital, as out of the thirty and a half millions on mortgage, over fourteen millions are colonial money! Our government by their taxation proposals are aiming at the " happy dispatch " of their own bairns. Surely we have given enough figures to prove that "we are the people," and that a colonist's life is different from that of the typical bobby, by being " a very happy one," and as our own colonial property comes out of audit with a balance of asserts over liabilities of eighty-nine a.id a half millions, outsiders who have lent us money can be happy to. We have shown what grit has done, and what it can do, and it only remains for us to determine to act upon the past example set us. There is a story connected with the famous page of England's railway making, which is illustrative of our course, and therefore worth repeating, though the heroes were common men, but none the less of the right 3ort. The navvies were making a railway tunnel in Derbyshire, when the mouth fell in, entombing some. A short shaft was sunk, and in bwenty three hours tjie men were reached. They were found lying, ilmost dying, exhausted from want yf air, and on the floor the candle was flickering in its socket, and in a Pew minutes it would have gone out. rhe rescue was just in time, and when the men recovered they told i strange tale of one of the most mosaic of heroic deeds. They had )een startled by the fall of rock, and bund they were shut in, and for a ; noment were in fear. And then '■ me of them said " Well, chaps, we ihall never get out of this alive, so | ye may as well go on with our . )it while we can," and to work they < et. Here, as settlers, so we expect; ] o remain as long as we live, and if j cc make up our minds to " go on with iur bit (work) while we can " we , hall find our steady industry tellog even more to the astonishment of ] he world, at our next stock taking. < Jnder these circumstances we can ] ladly and heartily wish our readers |

" A HAPPY NEW YEAR."

1 ——■—■■» c Over £6000 passed through the total=ator for the two days' meeting of the t lanawatu Racing Club* 0

Sqinething mast be done at Kerera to improve matters.* If there is no private enterprise then it bfcomeß the duty of the Railway Company to erect a hotel at that favourite spot. A short twelve-months ago we regretfully recorded the breakdown that occurred in the honeymoon arrangements of a young couple that had been spliced in town, and who drove to Kerera to proceed by the lightening express north. During a process of billing and cooing the " fast and f urious " went by> and our two young people returned to town by separate conveyances. On Monday last another young couple got united in the holy bonds of matrimony, and they too decided to reach Shannon y way of Kereru. Why this route was chosen 'we do not pretend to say, but it will soon get into disrepute. There was to be no such thing as missing the train like our other young peop'e did, oh 1 no, a bright look out was kept. This time, unfortunate it is to have to say it, the train never came until three hours afte- time ! and not being sure if she ever would come, the two young people shouldered their baggage and tramped the four miles along the line to Shannon. There is something needed to popularise this route for future honeymoon trips. Mr T. Scott's Dingo won the Flying Handicap of 17 soys, the Pohangina Handicap of 23 soys, and the Gorge Handicap of 85 soys at the Ashurst Meeting on Tuesday last. The racehorse Bos, which was severely injured on Saturday while racing in the Boxing Day Handicap, has, says the Times, broken the muscles of his forearm, and the veterinary surgeon who was consulted states that although it will not be necessary to destroy the horse, he will not be able to race again. The Dunedin Star publishes a portion of a otter received by a Dunedin resident, giving an acoount of the Chilian war. This is how the end of the attack on Va pariaso is de cribed :— On Sunday, SOth, the third engineer and myself hunted around for horses, and after paying a couple of pounds eaoh got a coupe of old " screws," and off we set for the field of fight. As we left the city behind us we came on a great many discarded cannons and field pieces, carts of ammunition, and shells. Further on we were trampling mid dead men, and were startled at the sad sights we saw. The road for four miles and a half was one mass of bayonets, rifles, coats, boots, be ts cartridge cases, caps, etc. On the battle-fie'd were hundreds of dead men— an awful sad sight, I guessed there would be 800 dead on I about as many wounded. Some English lads were giving brandy and water, tying up wounds, etc. ; whi c a few Natives were rifling the dead men's pockets, and even hauling off their boots. We did a little towards helping a few sufferers, and many thanks we got from the poor creatures. I picked up a sword or two, surveyed the two camps, and then made for the city again, sick at heart. Mr Langley informs us that as he was riding along the sea beach the other day he came across, half a mile north of the bar, an iron coal shoot of a vessel to which about twenty-five fathoms of hawser was attached. Mr Langley coil d the hawser over the shoot and left it. We are obliged by the receipt of the Railway Time-tables for January. Mr Boyle has made a good start with his claying contract at the Carnarvon junction. Wo are sorry to hear that Mr Roy McLennan accidentally drove a knife into his leg above the knee, which prevents him for a time from riding about. The Borough Council will meet for despatch of business on Monday afternoon. At present the big Makererua swamp is d y, and Captain Mair assures us that it would be possible to walk from the river bank at Atiki to Shannon, dry footed. The swamp is also covered with feed. It is surprising that the piesent state of the swamp does not induoe the Manawatu Railway Company to enter more vigorously upon its drainage, as if always dry it would be an exceedingly valuable property. ; > To-morrow, races to the right of us, races to the left of us, will be held, one meeting being at Bulls and one at Otaki. One of the attractions made much of for the Otaki meeting, is the fact that the Maori Brass Band will appear in full dress uniform. This, we trust, is in accordance with the European, and not the old Maori notion of full dress. He that exalteth a sign, over his business premises, stands a very fair show, during a gale, to find it lowered. Mr Startup will bear us out, as the " New Times " sky sign has had to be considerably re? aired before again being flaunted in the face of all people. We have been informed that every owner of a horse that ran at Himitangi, the horse, jo key and trainer will be disqualified from running at any proper race meeting. We, ; n company with all her neighbours, regret to learn that early next week Mrs Gower moves to Levin, where Mr Gower has prepared a new home. Mr B. Gower will live on at the old house, and for a time have some members of the family with him. Though Mrs Gower will not be far off, yet all the young people around will much miss her kind and liberal hospitality. Patience is a virtue which needs exercising by those who have been hoping to obtain a road across the Motoa swamp to Paiaka. Fourteen months have passed sinoe the order for the survey was given, and yet no plan has been passed by the department. We think the County Council should take some prompt action to oompe the party that causes the delay, to cea»e their fooling. There are said to have been 2500 persons who paid for admission, to the Folding Sports on Boxing Day. Mr Staneell brought back from Mcl bourne an ingenious contrivance in the shape of an electric lighter. By simply pressing a button on the top of the casket a discharge of electricity is scoured which will ignite a spirit torch. The torch is kept in a holder attached to the casket, and when a light, is wanted the torch is simply held to the mouth of the battery, the button presse ■(, and the torch lighted. The Co-operative Butchering Com' any have been having some big bullocks in their shop. This morning there was one weighing over lOOOIbs, and on Christmas eve they had one which went over 10601bs. These beasts were grown, fattened and supplied by the Messrs Robinson Brothera. A steel shaving 265 feet long was recently made in a New Tork steel works. Mr John Parnell, brother of the late Irish leader, lives on a fruit farm in Georgia, and is described as a "seedy, looking man of 47. dressed in a rough tuit [>f brown, and wearing on his head a. faded slouch hat." Different to New Zealand. There were jnly nine dry days in Greenock in October. Mr Bassett Haggard, brother of Rider of ,hat ilk, is in Samoa. He holds the office if British land commiasiontr.

There are certain customs that stfftta in issolubly associated with Christmastime, a d one of the oldest and most agreeable is that of giving and receiving presents. This time-honoured precedent we now follow at Te Aro House. With a view to rendering shopping a veritable delight, an imparting to it all the pleasures of anticipation, we shall during the present month and until its close, present our cash customers with a Christmas gift, the value of which will be in accordance with the amount of goods purchased at Te m-o House. The cash buyer of 10s worth will receive a present, and so on, varying in value for parcels of C 2 up to £100. 'I he larger the purchase the more numerous or valuable will be the gifts. Nevertheless every purchaser from the limit named will get a choice of presents as decided by the amount bought at Te Aro House. This free distribution will extend to and include the 31st, or last day of the month and year. Those who can appreciate the advantage of buying from the largest and best selected stock of summer drapery in the city, new, seasonable goods in perfect condition and fashion, and at the lowest wholesa'e prices, wi 1 find the addition of attractive Christmas presents perfectly irresistible in uiging a visit to Te Aro House — Advt. We are requested to direct the attention of our readers to the fact that Boss & Sandford, of the Bon Marche, Palmerston North, have opened up- a large stock of Men's and Boys' Clothing, purchased direct fro « the best mills and ' manufacturers in the Colony. The value and choice in this department this season surpassing anything they have previously offered to the public. Visitors from this district are respectfully invited to inspect the stock in this and other departments.