Notes and Events.

Manawatu Herald, 5 July 1894, Page 3

Notes and Events.

■^_. T Tf<»~- ■-*- We return for farther information to the Statistics of the Colony. We find mentioned in the imports many curious things for which we have sometimes to wonder to what use they are applied. Under the head of Acids we find that last year a whole twenty shillings worth of Oleic acid was obtained from Victoria, and weighed some 481bs. This was all of this kind of acid imported. We find that it enters largely into the composition of soaps, forming with potash soft soap, and with soda hard soap. There was also imported three pounds weight of Fluoric acid, which is most destructive to animal matter. The order does not seem a large one. The imports number nearly everything under the sun, but there are items which give room to thought, as, why was only six dozen of rerated water got from Queensland ? and what made it necessary to get only two anchors valued at £6 from New South Wales ? However, beside these anchors some enterprising person purchased £8 worth of bees from that colony, £5 worth of kangaroos, all alive. From Victoria 8 oppossums were got stated to be worth £4, and from the United Kingdom £5 was laid out in the purchase of toads. We do like variety, there is no mistake. Some luxurious colonial alderman during last year obtained five turtles from Fiji, and we hoped he, and of course, his friends, enjoyed them. Though colonists encourage many strange things it id " greatly to their credit " that they appreciate literature, as £108,281 worth of printed book were imported in 1893. Some artful persons refer to cards as Ihe books and we were rather as-honi-hul to find out of the 3,245 dozen packs imported, 1,748 came from America ! j Cheese imported ! sounds strange when last year we exported nearly £100,000 worth. Still there is not much room for alarm as only seven I

Hundred height, Valued at 4380 was imported. Probably some excellent Stilton, or Cheshire, or might be Dutch, as some people pretend to like those fearful things put up in bladders looking much like cannonballs, and quite as hard. The Registrar-General has omitted this necessary Information. Viewing the number of Asiatic hawkers about the idea of having imported even 2 othar sorts of curiosities from Bengal appears superfluous, not mentioning three obtained from Fiji. Why and oh why was even 1281bs of honey imported from the Australian Colonies? and we might almost ask why we poor colonists have had 1898 more pianos brought to annoy us ? Also who is it that needs all the opium, on which duty at the rate of £2 per lb is paid? 3,1501bs opium in one year, valued at £6,408 and on which £8,045 duty was paid. Looks as though our Government is just as willing to make a good profit out of the sins of its people as any other Government, if not more so ! We came upon one charming entry, all that we further desire to learn is whose they were. To encourage filial feelings our paternal Government admitted the works of art free of duty. The heading is 11 Family Portraits " 15 were obtained from the United Kingdom, and 4 from Victoria. Works of art may not ba the proper term, but still so very many " portraits " are now •' works of art " and not likenesses, nowa-days. Soap ! Fancy importing any from Egypt, whare, if accounts are true, the inhabitants sadly want instructin its frequent use. We only took one hundredweight, but then that was just as much too much for the Egyptians to lose. It is " spoiling " them with a vengeance.