Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 1893. "Not Exceeding Fifty Per Cent."

Manawatu Herald, 13 April 1893, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 1893. " Not Exceeding Fifty Per Cent."

A moribund Parliament will be the excuse put forward this next session for the Government doing as little as they can. The present Liberal Government are continually crying " see what we have done for the people," but one who knows the people, not the howling demagogues, but those who are subject to occasional misfortune, know that the Government has done little to ease their burdens. The extent which they are prepared to allow usurers' to charge the poor is, in the case of sums over £10, " not exceeding fifty per cent," a people's Government calmly think that this is fair and equitable, and that for smaller sums the poor can afford to pay nearly one hundred per cent. We have the poor always with us and as j long as their representatives allow them to be bled to this extent they are likely to always remain with us The Ministers have been quick in providing safeguards against their wealthier friends being " had " by auctioneers and solicitors, but the pawnbrokers, the poor people's bankers, are allowed to go on charging ruinous interest, Fancy it being calmly set forth in an old Act, still in force, that the charges for an advance of two shillings and sixpence shall not exceed two pence per month, or two shillings in the year, and so on in similar proportion up to £10. Gne pound for a year would cost the borrower sixteen shillings and eightpence interest, whereas the richer class borrowing on much the same lines, only the security is not so good, would only have to pay, even at ton per cent, two shillings. Because the man is poor he has to pay more than eight times the interest his apparently wealthier brother does. There is something very wrong here and the people's Government should look into it. As we have said, for any sum over £50 the lender is not entitled to charge more than fifty per cent ! It is time that we should consider the cause of our poorer brethren ■end assist them by establishing State pawn establishments. It would be profitable for the State and a great convenience to the poor. It is hard, exceedingly hard, to pay even ten per cent and recover, but when it comes to 80 and not less than 50 it is impossible the poor can borrow and recover. There is no body of persons, similar to the poor, who more need occasional assistance in cases of loss of work and sickness, they are debarred, owing to the nature of their securities, borrowing | from financial institutions and there- ■ fore are driven to the pawn shops, where an iniquitous percentage is permitted. It may be lofty to pretend not to understand how the poor are situated but it is not statesmanlike, and some action is necessary to save them, if even from themselves. We purpose in another

article to show how, besides the matter of interest, pawnbrokers got many advantages from their customers. Elsewhere the business mcii of the town announce they will close tht-ir p'accs of business on Monday, race day, at 11 a.m., i and Will keep open all day on Tuesday. The Railway Commissioners advertise that a special passenger train will leave Peildfrttf on Monday m |) a in. arriving at Foxtoli at 11.25 a.m., and returning from l'oxton at y.20 p.m. It appears that no special train will leave Wanganui for the races this time. Mr Wilson the manager of flic Motoa estate has no tntsy billet, 'rather the reverse :as besides attending to. the ordinary business of the estate he lias to plan and supervise all the improvements. To give I just a sketch, we may mention that during the year he has had eleven miles of new drains ciU, three miles of drains deepened and twenty two miles of drains cleared out. He has also now on hand the embankment round a portion of the river at Motoa. There were artists in those days, and there are some still. Owing to the high scrub having been burnt in a paddock on the Motoa road a discovery has been made which accounts for the deficiency in one sheepowner's flock. In one spot in the highest manuka a plant of thirty to forty heads of sheep were found. Of coui'se this must have occurred some time back, but it helps to explain how other flocks were also short in the number. It is to be hoped that this enterprising butcher is now elsewhere. It cropped up at the County Council's meeting yesterday that road contractors were in the habit of erecting tents upon the roads and not only that but were in the habit of choosing the corner of cross roads for this purpoßCi It was pointed out that this was a source of much danger and if a tent must be erected, a spot on some straight run of road should be chosen so that horsed might have a chance of viewing the obstruction before coming too close to it. The Council however decided that any tent was most objectionable upon a road and that contractors be informed that in future it would not be allowed. This should not very much inconvenience contractors as the settlers would let them camp inside of the fences. Owing to the short notice given, no tenders were received for the embankment at Motoa and the Council agreed to extend the time. Cr Wilson remarked that he knew of men who would have tendered had more notice been given. On Saturday Mr Snelson will sell by auction at Palmer^ton a compkte set of tools for sinking artesian wells. The Manawatu County having intimated to the Manawatu Road Board their intention to discontinue the correspondence re repairs to the Awahuri bridge, the letter came up for consideration at the last meeting of the Board and the Chairman said there was no doubt the Council was liable for the full amount charged to them. He thought the Board should have another commission set up to see if the Council could not be made to pay the amount owing. It was eventually decided to hold over further consideration until Monday next. Mr .T. G. Wilson has retired from the Presidency of the Palmerston A. and P. | Association, and Mr G. Wheeler was elected to that position. At the ballot for the general Committee of the Palmerston A. and P. Association we notice that such well known members as Colonel Gorton Messrs It Cobb, L. A. Abraham, A. S. Baker and others were rejected. We remind our readers that to-morrow night the concert will be given at the Public Hall by our local talent, during which the prizos wou at the regatta will be presented to the winners. On our fourth page will be found the advertisement relating' to " Mellin's Food " This manufacturer fully realises the advantages of advertising taking any space he can obtain. The pretty pictures that surround some of his larger advertisements giving the likenesses of healthy and pretty children reared entirely on " Mellin's food " will be recalled to many, by the advertisement appearing to-day/ At a public meeting in Palmers ton on Saturday night it was determined by a small majority " That in the opinion of this meeting it is desirable to postpone the raising of the £3iioo loan until the ratepayers have an opportunity of trying to obtain from Government the loft now useless to the Borough." Mr Miles the Secretary of the Palmerston A. and P. Association had to admit that the prize tickets issued for horses at the last Show were not signed, which made Mr Buick properly declare " Then the committee or persons entrusted with that department of the sh<s\v are deserving of very severe censure." The Railway Commissioners and the Manawatu Railway Company have been in correspondence and the result was laid before the Wellington Chamber of Commerce last week. The Directors state that they could not, under existiug circumstances, run their passenger trains to Te Aro, but were willing to arrange for their carriages being utilised for the conveyance of passengers to the Government station provided they were returned to the Company's station ten minutes prior to the time fixed for the departure of their trains therefrom. The Company would then be willing to make small alterations in the time-table, and would require consideration for the use of their carriages. The Cumuiissiouefri could not ace their way to accept the Company's proposal that they (the Commissioners) should run their own trains from the Company's station te Te Aro. At the last meeting of the Palmerston A. and P. ssociation Mr A. Sou thy Baker moved a resolution That if Mr S. M. Baker gives an assurance to the Committee that the horse Somnus was not removed from any feeling of contumely to the Committee, but on the bona fide opinion that he was entitled to remove the horse, this meeting recommended the Committee to remove the disqualification. A warm discussion ensued when Mr Donald Fraser remarked that he was strongly in favour of approvj ing of what the Committee had done. It would be for the meeting to consider whether by keeping Mr Baker they might not lose mere members. He moved, as an amendment, That the action of the Committee be approved. On a show of hands being taken, the Chairman declared the amendment carried by 31 to 18. Mr Greer callled for a division, but it was not granted, and the matter terminated. Foil Winter Wkar we have a nice lot of Boys Navy Reefers, very neat and comfortable and in all sizes from 5s Gd each at Te Aro House, Wellington. Fob the Cold Weather we can confidently recommend our Boys and Youths Overcoats with fashionable Cape from 9s 6d each, at Te Aro House.

Eeajj-v Tempting are our Roys Navy Serge Sailor Suits trimmed with gold braid from 5a Gd each, at Te Aro House; i3i'EiJiAi.iA : Imported this Season — Men's Blue Nap Overcoats with fashionable Cape, a really comfortable garment and wonderful value for 12s, at Te Aro House: Tub Bkst VAi.tTJi KVbh O^KEnEiN —So everyone says of our Men's Black Worsted Sac Suits, bound and made expressly for Te Aro House. Price only 29s Gd each. Try one. It Would be a good irivcs.tment. ESiiiA Vall' ri.— All wool Kaiapol Tweed Sac iuits fur men's wear in nice, assorted, dark checks, without exception the best value in New Zealand, 32s Gd each, at Te Aro House. For Rainy Days our Men's Waterproof Coats in assorted Greys with Capes and Sleeves; and all Sown S?ams are. incomparable. The price, . ! J2s fid, makes them irresistible at Te Aro House, Wellington. Messrs Ross and Sandford, of the Bon Marche, announce elsewhere the receipt of their second shipment of new goods for the present season, Ex s.s. Indramya, comprising 31 cases, packages, and bales for all departments) making a total 0f. (57 cases and packages received to date s all of which are now opened dut and ready to jfrom. Tliey respectfully invite early inspection of theso extensive shipments, being satisfied that the range of choice and excellence of value cannot fail to meet with the appreciation of their numerous customers at the Bon Marche, Palmerston North.— Advt.