Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, SEPT. 28, 1897. The Evils of Towns.

Manawatu Herald, 28 September 1897, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, SEPT. 28, 1897. The Evils of Towns.

» The Premier is going to make an attempt to remedy the evils always to be foVtnd in towns const quent upon the herding in close neighbourhood of males and females. It is a giant's task and all must wish him well, but we are afraid legislation of the character he proposes is' utterly uselessv it muy certainly cover up the actions of wrong doers but ; it will not suppress them, history is 3eatl against the hops of anything cf that character being successful. There are but two things which will help to reduce this sin to a minimum — that of the increased wealth and comfort of all classes, and the observanoe of true Christianity. The last is not obtainable by any Act of Parliament, though Parliament is greatly responsible for much of the existing state of morality by the extremely secular system of instruction they provide for the rising generation. The Census taken in April of last year discloses a reason for much that is amiss, as we find that there were then resident amongst us 77,222 males over 21 years of age and under 60 years of age who were unmarried, and there were 76,895 females over 16 years of age and under 40 years of age who were also unmarried. The dispro portion in the sexes is therefore not treat could we but persuade them to tarry oue another, but then the viewa as to marriage held by either sex has to be taken into consideration. We find it stated in the Census Returns that there were six precocious girls who were married between 15 and 16 years of age, 24 were married when only 17 years old, 62 under 18 years", 289 under 19, 447 under 20, and 822 under 21. On the other side we find that only 8 boys of 18 years were married, 16 of 19 years, 28 of 20 years, and 96 of 21 years. This ia however but a well-known fact that females assume the marriage state at a far earlier age than men do, but though known its significance hardly seems appreciated. • We append a few further particulars of the ages of unmarried men as it would help to show, could we but learn the reason, why earlier marriages are not entered into by them, the* fact that the opportunity of earning a sufficient income is not open to them under the conditions of life in this colony. If so, then an alteration in this respect might cause a very great improvement in reducing the evil now considered so glaring. Of men between 21 and 25 years of age there were only 26,755 and 24,895 were unmarried ; between the ages of 25 and 80 there were 80,605 men, and 20,029 were unmarried ; between 80 and 85 there were 28,747 men, and 9,869 were Bingle. These figures show that men do not marry until they are well advanced in life, and thus throws a very large proportion of women into leading a life of single " blessedness " or otherwise, as it may please them to observe. The numbers prove that in actual births the proportion between male and female is very even, but in praotice, that of mating, the proportion is extreme. In further looking through the returns we find that Auckland has of unmarried males between 21 and 60 years, 8,500, but there are in that city 5000 single females between 16 and 40 years of age. In Wellington there are 4000 males and 6000 females between the above ages ; and in Dunedin 8000 males and 5000 females. We believe that these figures will throw further light on this unpleasant subject and we earnestly hope some solution may be found to remedy an admitted evil. What we desire to see is a remedy proposed and not merely tt cloaking over of the deeds which are to be legislated against. The Hunterville correspondent of the Bangitikei Advocate wires as follows : — The body of the girl Hilda Northcott, who has been reported missing from Poukiore since August 2nd, was discovered in the bush behind the Poukiore Schoolh use. The body was in a state of decomposition.

The Special Commissioner of the Stan- ] aard, T7ho was despatched to Ireland to ( make an enquiry with regard to the alleged i likelihood of a potato famine in that country, in his report donsiders there is no < fear of such a contingency. The failure of I the crops, he says, is exaggerated, and the , damage is confined to a few spots ip. congested districts on Ihe Atlantic seaboard, tie expresses a belief that the local relief will be sufficient for any necessitous cases that may arise; . "she new i.nstrriments ordered by the 9oyt?rnrnent for properly recording earthquake shocks are of the same description as those used in the chief observatories all over th.c world. .One will be placed in the South Hand and the other in the North. The King of Benin, who was recently captured by the British, has been deported to Old Calabar, the capital of the Niger Coast protectorate. . Theinoome arising from fees in the civil adminifttraMoh of justice in the o^lnny for the year, endsd 3ist March, 1896, was £35,901 lls pd, of which the Magistrates Court r^vlfotl £21243 &3 tict, nnd th? amount voted for the same period for the Courts of Law was £57,986. This covers the cost of the Conrtß iv both their civil and criminal jurisdictions. , .Referring to Mr Liffiton's illness the Vhronith says : — During his late illness the junior member, Mr Nixon, had the licence'transferred to him, and we must say fulfilled the position admirably, conducting sales at Waverley and elsewhere daring the past two months with all the capability of an old stager; ih tfoodford, the American Minister 'at Madrid, in a friendly note in reference to the Cuban war, warned the Duke de Tetuad, Foreign Mini -tor, that the s'rain wan more than the United States could bear, and that un'ess satisfactory assurances Were given that the war would be concluded before the mc&ting 61 Odngrass. it would be impossible to say What Course the Oovefnment might consider it indispensable to follow. The Marquis of Budini. Premier of Italy* says the relations existing between the nations forming the Triple Alliance are most Cordial towards Great Britain, and not any of them are likely to support th> demand put forth from tim<f to time by Prance for the evacuation of B^ypt by Britain; Referring at a meeting of the Philosophical Society, to Tuesday night's earthquakes, Sir James Hector attributed the intensity of shocks occasionally felt in New Zealand to the tumbling in oLportions of submarine cliffs or submerged coast line which is known to exist to the south of this island. The Police Department do not show up well in the Blenhehn murder, as when Mr Vnr&et, who felt convinced that a deed 6t violence had been perpetrated, asked that the Government should offer a reward. Mr Thompson replied that " he was absolutely on the wrong track, that there was no necessity to offer a reward, and that the Department had evidence which put the matter bayonrl all doubt." Mes3ra Abraham and Williams hold a atook sale on Thursday and a horse sale on Saturday at Palmerston. Mr J. Chamberlain has lost £50.000 in connection with the cultivation of sisal fibre in the Bahama Islands. The failure of the venture was owing to the selection af land unsuitable for cultivation. Perhaps he wduld like to try flax next. Certainly the most effective medicine in the world is Sanders and Son's Eucalypti Extract. Test its eminently powerful effect in Coughs, Colds, Influenza ; the relief instantaneous. In serious cases and accidents of all kinds, bo they wounds, burns, scaldingß, bruises, sprains, it is the safest remedy — no swellings — no inflammation. Like surprising effects produced in Croup, Diphtheria, Bronchitis, Inflammation of the Lungs, Swellings, Ac, Diarrhoea. Dysentery, Disease of the Kidneys and Urinary Organd. In use at all hospitals and medical clinics ; patronised by His Majesty the King of Italy ; crowned with medal and diploma at International Exhibition, Amsterdam. Trust in this approved article and eject all others.— [advt.l To Thk Deaf and those troubled with Noises in the Head or other Aural Troubles. Dr Nicholson, of London, the world famed Aural Specialist and mv ntor of Artificial Ear Drums, has jus. issued the 100 th edition of his illustrated and desoripive book on Deafness and Aural Troubles. This book may be had from Mr Oolin Campbell, 160, Adelaide Road, Wellington, N.Z. Mr Campbell was cured of hi" deafness by Dr Nicholson's system, and take* pleasure in spreading the news of the great specialist in New Zealand. A little boook on the cure of Rheumatism Corpulence, Lumbago, and Indigestion by the same author may be had from Mr Campbell, also free.