Notes and Events

Manawatu Herald, 12 July 1892, Page 3

Notes and Events

In a paper by Rev. S. Singer in the August number of the English Illustrated Magazine attention is called to the fact that the latest returns of pauperism in England show that the lowest rate everyet recorded, whether in London or the provinces, was reached in April last, and that during thp y^/jt four years there has been a steady decrease, the fall being 92.502 in 1888 to 81.231 in 1891, and this with a steady increase in the population and a steady flow of immigrants.

Mr William Haig Miller, founder of the Leisure Hour and the Sunday at Home, died on 13th September last aged seventy-nine. Singular to relate his wife pre-deceased him but by a few hours, in the eighty-ninth year of her age. The late Mr Miller was born at Inverkeithing, in Fifeshire, and on coming to London, at an early age, he obtained an appointment in the London and Provincial Bank of England. Eventually he became head of one of its Departments at the City office, from which he retired in 1879. The joint funeral of husband and wife attracted an immense concourse of mourners.

The Dunedin Star, in criticising the Budget Speech, regrets the failure of the Treasurer to ease the working classes by reducing taxation but thinks be shows his wisdom till his own finances have stood the test of experience. Evidently the Treasurer is not altogether satisfied as to the prospects of the new taxation, and is determined not to give up any of the revenue Irorn existing sources The " working man " must possess his soul in peace " for some time. The reduction of inland letter postage is, the Star regrets to see, indefinitely postponed. The Statement does not contain out crumb of comfort for taxpayers. There is not a hint of relief m any quarter, either in the matter of rates or taxes. On the important question of charitable aid Mr Ballance is silent, and he makes no reference to the burdens imposed upon the country through our overgrown system of local government. The proposal to further tax insurance companies is sure to meet with vigorous opposition from those directly interested, and from those who have their capital locked up in sach institutions as investment. Nakedly put, it is simply a device to raise a forced loan of close on half a million.