Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, SEPT. 2, 1899. Thrift.

Manawatu Herald, 2 September 1899, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, SEPT. 2, 1899. Thrift.

♦ The Rt. Hon. the Premier and Colonial Treasurer, concluded his financial statement with these remarks : — " I trust, however, that continued prosperity may not lead the people into public or private extravagance, for thay should ever remember that it is a duty they owe themselves not to forget in bright and prosperous times to lay something by for a rainy day." Whether, over the whole colony, the times are brighter to what they were a few years ago is open to question as the failure, as to saleable value, of the potato crop must have hit many districts hard, as much as the low price received for wool for the last two seasons, have hit the pastoralists. In this district times are bright and prosperous owing to the dairy and flax industries, and so to the inhabitants, the words of the Premier come as a wise and opportune warning. A wellknown writer says •' thrift is not a natural instinct. It is an acquired principle of conduct. It involves selfdenial — the denial of present enjoyment for future good — the subordination of animal appetite to reason, forethought and prudence." Thus when wages are good and business is brisk appears to be thft very time, when those who have not had much of an [ opportunity to practise thrift, to make an effort to do so. If heretofore they have succeeded in making both' ends meet, it would seem that the opportunity is now with them to put something by. We find however that there has been no increase, in proportion to the money circulating, in the deposits in the bank or post office, and though we are in fine weather now a 11 rainy day " is bound to come to us all. There are many ways of saving money as there are reasons for so saving it, but to save money for avaricious purposes is altogether dif-

ferent from saving it for economical purposes. No one should live up to their full income whether married or single for the good and sufficient reason that no one can have guaranteed, even if you can the income, the expenditure. As a rule the majority are dependent on their health and strength to secure their income, whether it be a day's wage, or the turn-over of a business, and unless thrift is exercised, that of reserving in , some safe place a proportion of one's earnings, there is no fund to meet the claims of sickness, in our families or to ourselves. It is truly said there is a dignity in very effort to save with a worthy purpose, and it is realised when an unexpected misfortune occurs and one is able to meet it without resort to the public institutions of the colony. If a little more serious thought was given to this subject of holding back a reserve fund from the earnings of all, a great good would result, as the more careful would be benefited as much as the hitherto careless ones. The great pride of a Britisher is his independence, but that is only to be maintained by a certain amount of sacrifice, and the feeling secured by , ftich becomes its own reward. This colony is fortunate to number many men who in earlier years worked for wages, and took the suggestion, now repeated by the Premier, to prepare for a rainy day to heart, and the result has been that farms have been purchased and they have become em- , ployers of labour. With all the inducements and facilities now offered 1 by the government for men to take care of their money it is a pity to see so little advantage being taken of it. Our postmaster obligingly takes deposits of a Saturday evening in order that men should have some safe, place to deposit their earnings, a convenience which many appreciate, but not in the number which they should. We draw attention particularly to this because it is evident that a very large sum of money is being heedlessly expended by men who by hard toil deserve all they get, but which to themselves and to the district much advantage would come if they would but make some better use of it. We have said that Thrift is a habit, and to acquire a habit a start must be made, and the sooner a commencement is i made the better it will be to the one , who practises it, as well as to his neighbours, as he thus not only puts himself beyond being a burden on the community, but blossoms as one who can lend aid in the time of trouble. ' There need be no meanness, no denying oneself rational enjoyment, it merely requires the exercise of a calm judgment on the receipt of one's earnings to place so much in the bank and so much on one side for present needs. If the trial would only be given to this little subtraction sum on every pay night, a number who are now only too 1 thankful to work for those who have work to do, would soon be in a position to take up contracts on their own account. Society is said mainly to consist of two classes — the savers and the wasters, the provident and the improvident, the thrifty and the thriftless, the haves and the have-nots. It is for all to choose to which he intends to belong.

The Borough Council meets on Monday evening. Mr Langley wants a respectable young man to drive a cart and to learn the bakery trade. A motion granting the New Zealand Alliance leave to introduce temperance wall-sheets into the Wellington schools was lost at the last meeting of the Board. The poor of New York having protested that the Meat Trust was causing a rise in the price of beef, the vegetarian societies formed into a procession and marched through the streets, carrying loaves. A new advertisement concerning Messrs Nelson, Moate & Cos. teas appears elsewhere. It is only from being such a satisfactory blend that they command the market, and the consumption of these teas in this district must ,be immense. Cleveland, Ohio, has been at the mercy of strikers for two weeks. Troops maintain order for the most part, but vigilance cannot be relaxed. Street carmen are the strikers, and they have several times resorted to dynamite to stop cars run by " scabs." A duel was fought at Angouleme, in France, recently between two local journalists. They had barely crossed swords when one lunged furiously. He missed his opponent, but ran his rapier through the thigh of bis second, an army surgeon. The sight of blood at once arrested the duel, and as soon as the wounded man had been attended to the adversaries 1 shook hands and left, the field . satisfied. At the second instead of the principal being wounded ? Several Paris newspaper offices have been searched in connection with a suspected conspiracy to change the form of government. Other officers have been similarly treated for.advocating the giving of assistance to M. Guerin and his garrison. No tidings have yet been received as to further survivors from the New Zealand Shipping Company's steamer Tekoa — lost off Tierra del Fuego — beyond the original announcement that the second officer and four of the crew are safe, A vessel trading on South American coast has, however, brought to port the news that in the course of her voyage she sighted one of the Tekoa's lifeboats, and that the boat was empty. It has been decided by the Wellington Harbour Board that, after ist of January next the charges upon hemp are to be at per bale instead of at per ton, and in order to get the millers to make the weight of bales 4cwt each '(as desired in the trade) it was decided to make the charge upon all bales of hemp exceeding 4£cwt, and wool exceeding 4^cwt half the rate extra. For both hemp and wool the charge will be doubled for all bales exceeding scwt. This alteration, the Post states, is in the direction of making bales more convenient for handling by wharf labourers.

Owing to sickness in the house Mr A. Langely announces that his shop will be closed this evening. The police have made a liquor raid in the King Country, uuder search warrants. The Coroner's^ry on the Newtown tragedy returned a verdict — " That the deceased met with death by violence at the hands of the man Harry Erwin." During last week we are informed that the price for Manilla rope rose in Wellington £20 per ton, being quoted at over £70 per ton. In the Legislative Council on Tuesday the Land for Settlements Act Amendment 8111 was passed through committee'i The Borough Council held a meeting on Thursday night to amend the Burgess Roll. A few tiariies were added and it was ordered to be printed. The Committee of the Foxton Racing Club held a meeting last night and considered the tender for repairing the track. The one received was considered too high and other arrangements were made. A meeting will be held at the end of the month to draw up a two-days' programme. Just another rise in flax — /21 per ton if obtainable at once. £20 per ton up to the end of March. We expect to see £25 offerred for it before the end of the year, with a probability of even £30 being quoted. That is wh,y an expanse of green flax is so desired. The tallow market is rising, the last London 1 quotations being— Mutton, fine, 27s per cwt ; medium, 25s 3d ; beef, fine, 25s 6d ; medium, 24s 3d. Mr Bradcock has engaged an assistant for his hairdressing business, and he announces that every civility and attention will be secured at his establishment. The interior of the saloon has been considerably improved and the establishment has been brought up to date. Enterprise is generally rewarded and we do not doubt that it will be so in this case. Everybody is sighing for green fields, flow far away, of green flax. Does it not seem a pity that the Assets Board destroyed nearly 1000 acres of it during the last two years ? It was proposed to have cleared it all away had not the deputation put in their word. The Board profits, but the deputationists have notjbeen thanked, virtue is its own reward, so it has to be. Still more flax is very much wanted. Messrs Fildes, Mitchell & Coi, general merchants of Wellington, have an advertisement in to-day's issue, to which we draw our readers attention. Mr Mitchell has lately resumed the conduct of the business owing to the death of Mr Fildes, and having been an energetic farmer at Moutoa he is well-known all over this district. We feel sure any business entrusted to this firm will be carefully attended to. The advice about the flax market is worth noting. . At the meeting of the Land Board the Commissioner, Mr J. W. A. Marchant, announced that the Government had purchased the following freehold properties under the provisions of the Land for Settlements' Acts : — Mr Charles Bull's Aorangi estate, near Feilding, comprising 1980 acres; Mr James Bull's estate, near Bulls, comprising 1700 acres ; Mr Joseph Saunders's Awahuri estate, comprising 715 acres. An extensive lode carrying fine gold has been discovered near Mount Malcohn, the principal town of the Mount Margaret gold field, 140 miles N.N.E. of Coolgardie. In the case Walmsley v. De Renzi, a claim for £2000 damages for alleged unskilful treatment, heard at Christchurch on Thursday, the jury returned a verdict for the defendant. The Queen of the South has brought some 14,000 feet of hardwood, ex barque Acacia, from the Clarence river (N.S.W.). The timber is for the Wirokino bridge contract. There is no doubt that Sheldon's books are the most widely read of any books published for many years. His latest, "The Twentieth Door," is a capital book, full of the best possible lessons for young people. The Rev. W. Woollass is preaching a special sermon on it to-morrow night at the Methodist Church. Personal items from London under date July 21st, states :— A former Colonial Bank official, Mr R. Ewing, late of Palmerston North, was in town this week. He has been renewing acquaintance with old friends. — Miss Buller and her brother, Mr Leo. Buller arrived in London a few days ago from Wellington, New Zealand, and Sir Walter Buller is expected by an early steamer. On his arrival the family will settle down in a house or a flat on the western residental side of London. Miss Buller is looking remarkably well and seemed delighted tb be back in England, which she hopes will now be her permanent place of residence. The jury in the conspiracy case against R. S. Henry, J. A. Coogan and W. A. Donald (the Ethel case), through the foreman, intimated that they were unable to agree as to the guilt of Coogan and Henry, but acquitted Donald. Donald was therefore discharged. Mr Darville has just received a fine dog-cart which is a good example of the work that can be turned out in the colonies. The cart is built of walnut wood with, ash rails, the wood simply being oiled. AH the rails and other fixings are in nickel silver. The wheels are 4ft Bin in height, and with the shafts are painted a dark brown picked out in vermillion. The body is carried on C springs, and the draught is taken direct from the axle with chains and swingletree. The j seats are wide and the cushions covered in heavy leather. The lamps are patent bullseye and throw a strong light. The trap runs as easy as* can be wished, and will carry four comfortably. The back instead of being supported on chains is held by its own leverage. The builder, a relation of Mr Darvill, is Mr J. C. Ewington, of Masterton, and he is to be congratulated on his workmanship.

At a meeting of pastoralists of the northern districts of Queensland it was stated that the losses of stock through tick were 20 to 75 per cent and in some cases entire herds have died. An artesian well has just been sunk on Mr Couper's property at Rongotea, which gives a flow of 2000 gallons per hour. The well, which was put down ! by Mr Martin, is 150 feet deep and cost The Hemp market is still active, says the Post, and all the millers are in a very happy position. Contracts in hand will keep them going till the end of March, 1900, at prices that are eminently satisfactory. Sales for de* livery in February and March have been effected at £18 10s to £18 15s per ton, while for earlier delivery, say in November and December, as high as £20 per ton has been paid. With their output disposed of so far ahead, the miller can afford to be very independent, and bide his time for coming to terms for future bargains.