The Improvement of the River.

Manawatu Herald, 26 August 1899, Page 2

The Improvement of the River.

We are so impressed with the very great importance it is, not only to this town and district, but to the colony as a whole, that the navigation of the Manawatu river should be assisted by taking np the worst snags in the channel, as to again urge, not only on the Borough Councillors who do not seem to realise the position, but also upon everyone who has a business or property in the district to rouse themselves and urge this matter upon the government. We moved once most unitedly on the flax question when an appeal was made to the government to stop the destruction of the flax on the Motoa estate, and it would be but fair if the Manager of the Assets Board sent a cheque to defray the outlay of the deputation in travelling expenses, as their action has secured the Motoa estate an extra revenue of over £1500 a year from tithes for flax. What has been done once can be done again if the people can only be stirred, and we purpose offering a few figures that should stir them. In the last agitation we were ably assisted by the then Mayor (Mr Stansell) and the excellent Town Clerk, Mr McQueen, whose like we shall be long before looking upon again. Hemp is unfortunately jumping up too much in value and the result will be that the spurt now on will not last for want of green flax in convenient positions. If the river was made navigable up to the Moutoa church, simply by snagging, a very good area of green flax on the Tokomaru swamp could be brought to the existing mills by the river, so that when the flax on the Motoa estate ran short the mills need not be removed, and they would thus be in position to use the flax on the estate when it again grew. No one can say for how long a time the price of flax will keep up, but past experience has shown that the price having risen, thus showing the demand for it, prices have not suddenly fallen within a couple of years to the very low point, but any man can see the pressure now being put on cannot be supplied for that period by the Motoa estate. If this is so, are the mills to be closed or will some energetic measures be taken to secure a. means by which flax further afield can be brought to the mills? This is a question affecting everyone, property-holders, storekeepers, millowners, and the flax hands, and is therefore of sufficient importance to make some move towards improving matters of the first necessity.

From a return published by the Post we find that for the year ending 30th June last, the exports of hemp were valued at £128,639 or close on £100,000 more than the preceeding year, and the value to the 30th of next June will probably show a very much larger increase. The Post says it is gratifying to find that nearly 70 per cent of the exports of the last year have gone from the port of Wellington, there having been shipped 5695 tons of a value of £89,541. Of course Wellington takes the fibre from the ; northern ports of the South Island as' well as from this coast.

It will not be gratifying to Foxton or to Wellington if no steps are taken to secure green flax being brought to our hemp mills, as we find that for the seven months of this year, ending 31st July, there were 7663 bales of hemp shipped from Foxton, equalling 1803 tons, which can bt estimated for the past twelvemonths as some 3096 tons, which is thus a long way over half of the total export from Wellington, and thus also proving this district to be far and away the greatest producer of this important article of export. Taking this export at the value placed on value of the total export of the colony we find that in thi« district w« have

lad 309,6 tons of the valve of £52,632, Iressed, bleached, scutched, baled and sent away, the item being one of C IOOO a week, with a likelihood of its )eing increased another £300 to £500 1 week this summer, and ar« we to >tand idly by watching the consump.ion of the leaf which secures an expenditure from £1000 to £1500 a veek? These are very interesting icts, but unless we awake we shall 1 ' our enjoyment too suddenly cut short. Mr Harry Palmer held a successful .ile for Mr Benefield on Thursday. The prices were good considering the dry weather which acted upon the buyers considerably and Mr Palmer is to be congratulated on extracting the bids he did, Mr W. Hunter has a notice concerning his hotel in another column. The Governor (Lord Brassey) states that he believes that the first GovernorGeneral of the Australian Commonwealth will be a member of the Royal Family, who will remain in Australia for six months, for the purpose of initiating the union of the colonies in the federal bond. A new type of armour-plate has been tested at Shoeburyness, on the coast of Essex, the seat of the Government school of gunnery where new inventions of British artillery and armour are first experimented with. The severest tests failed to even crack the new castings. At the same place, demonstrations have been made of the power of a new cannon which throws projectiles a distance of fifteen miles. A circular issued by the Department of Agriculture states that on and after Ist October, 1899, the following standards will be observed by the department in grading creamery butter —For first grade, 88 points and over ; for second grade, under 88 points and over 80 points ; for third grade under 80 points. It is stated by the Medical Press and Circular that Lord Salisbury has discovered and completed an important chemical process in his pnvate laboratory at Hatfield, and that the results will be made known to the world on his behalf at a forthcoming meeting of one of the learned societies. The scientific world has for long known that it had in the English Premier a devoted student of chemical science. Despite the arduous duties attached to his official post, he, nevertheless, snatches every available opportunity of prosecuting his favorite study. An earthquake at sea is an awesome sensation. The 1 American barque Rufus E. Wood felt the shock when on her voyage from Sydney to San Francisco. The captain says that the earthquake happened on April 2nd, when the vessel was in lattitude 33 degrees south and longitude 180 degrees west. There were several shocks with little intervals between them. It was thought at first that the vessel had struck a sunken rock ; the watch below came tumbling up, and all hands made a rush to stand by the boats. The vessel trembled and shook while the earthquake continued, and for some minutes afterwards terror reigned supreme on th barque's decks. By a fire at Robinson's Bay, Akaroa, on Saturday night, a six-roomed house and furniture, belonging to the estate of Peter Shadbolt, deceased, administered by the Public Trustee, was totally destroyed. The property was valued at £300, and was insured in the South British office for £150. It is reported that there was £102 in notes, gold, and silver in the house at the time of the fire. If time permits, the Government will introduce a Payment of Jurors Bill this session. Amongst the racing stock sold in Christchurch on Tuesday, Schnapps, the Dannevirke jumper, brought £40 and Bimetallism who paid the £40 is 6d dividend at the National meeting, £55The Advocate says Mr R. Earle, Government Surveyor, has arrived at Bulls for the purpose of subdividing the Pukenui property lately purchased by ' the Government from Mr James Bull. During the past few weeks says the Manawatu Times, several applications have been made by settlers in the district to have their stock tested by officers of the Stock Department, under the new charge for testing, which recently came into vogue. Mr J. G. Ranby's herd of 41 cows and young stock have just been tested by Mr Wilkie, seven of the cows re-acting. A local dairy herd was also tested, the cows in each instance proving perfectly healthy. It is gratifying to note that settlers are taking advantage of the opportunity placed before them of ascertaining the health of their stock, and in the interests of the public it is to be hoped that the practice will become general. The. Premier, replying to Mr Pirani on the subject of Brooks's Australian School Readers, said rather than there should be the slightest chance of it being said that an attempt was being made to introduce anything of a sectarian character into the public schools, the Government some days ago decided to withdraw this reader, and it had been withdrawn accordingly. Mr Hamer has just received another consignment of flower and vegrtable seeds from Nimmo and Blair's, which he is selling at the low prices so much appreciated hitherto. Mr R. Gray has finished the planting of the triangle, and the rain yesterday and to-day wUI settle the plants well in the ground.