Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, OCT. 9, 1900. Thrift.

Manawatu Herald, 9 October 1900, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, OCT. 9, 1900. Thrift.

♦ " Competence and comfort lie within \ the reach of most people, were they to take the adequate means to secure and enjoy them Men who are paid 1 good wages might also become j capitalists, and take their fair share in the improvement and well-being of the world. But it is only by the exercise of labour, energy, honesty and thrift, that they can advance their own position or that of their class " These are the words of a well-known writer and in no country in the world should they be taken to heart more than in this colony. Here wages rule higher than elsewhere, and here there is the greatest exhibition of thriftlessness to be seen. The colonists are impulsive and warm-hearted, and are ever ready to put their hands into their pockets to assist distress, yet at the same time they have not the slightest notion of thrift, often mistaking the word for miserlyness. It is of course nothing of the sort, it means nothing in the way of either stinting onesself in food, clothing or reasonable pleasures, but it means the exercise of a thoughtfulness both of what ye shall c t and what ye shall drink, and what ye shall not waste. Waste is the grossest extravagance noticeable in the colony. In food it is not the meat which is the most wholesome and the most filling at the price which 13 purchased, but that which is most costly and more quickly cooked. We have no housewives of the French pattern who can serve up savoury soups and stews made from the cheapest joints of meat, but the best of steak is procured instead. Butchers have to boil down sheeps plucks, and bullocks heads for there are no purchasers for them. When the housewife is in a hurry she runs to the grocer's for tinned-fish and the grocers could tell of the quantities of these expensive and non-satisfying articlea they sell. In these instances we have surely room for the display of a little thrift which would mean the rent. Look around this 1 town, as well as our neighbouring

; townships and notice how little of i the ground around the cottage is used for a garden, the help of the tenan v u,jJ tuo cjok, besides stuping off the doctor's bills. In every household there must be some pieces, some refuse, and how is that disposed of ? Very few fowls, no pigs, are to be seen about, and what would make good feeding for them is thrown aside to feed the fowls of the air. A garden nicely kept would he the very absorber of what is now considered a nuisance and return the gardener a hundredfold. Amongst the vegetables there should be espalier fruit trees, with a peach or nectarine up the warm side of the house, here at the roots all the soapy water of the establishment could he put, saving it from being a nuisance and helping materially the growth and bearing of the tree. The ashes from the wood fires could he saved for the manufacture of home-made soap, or placed on the path where in a short time it forms a track almost equal to gravel. It is the proper utilization of waste products which has as much to do with thrift as anything, as the actual use of them encourages the production of a profitable ocou,pation which thus secures an income. | Every bit of waste in house and ground when cleared up and charred and placed in the ground returns the labour bestowed in doing so, many times, and in this we have the illustration of the economy of Nature, that there is no such thing as waste, if things are properly applied. Thus the tidying around a house not only secures a healthy surrounding but from it is obtained a valuable aid to the growth of plants. In our time we have had, we might almost say, too much prosperity, and the hard times which in the old days compelled our grandfathers to economize to live, have been wanting to teach this generation the wisdom of attention to small matters of thrift, which would be of much value to them. This is a great question and could be gone into at a great length but our purpose will be gained if we but draw attention to the heedless expenditure in households and the waste of material and opportunities which lie alongside most of us.

" The Times " has published a splendid poem by Kipling, on the the birth of the Australian Commonwealth. Expert evidence before a Licensing Commission in Queensland has thrown light on the methods of sophisticating liquors adopted by certain retailers to meet the demand, as the Brisbane Observer expresses it, for a beverage " that burns all the way down and scratches all the way back." One of the witnesses said that the mixtures he had analysed would perforate a castiron stomach. The Observer says : — '• A decoction made from cigar butts, peppercorn, pineapple fibre, and other unpalatable substances, and flavoured with sulphuric acid, such as was found in one publican's cellar, should, if taken inwardly, do more to wean a man from drunkenness than all the so-called curative agents that have been invented." A singular story is (says a. correspondent of the Daily News) related in a letter received at the Foreign Office from one of our military attaches in Germany. The Emperor, it appears, has ordered that every German soldier proceeding to China is to be presented with a ring, the seal of which is a small box containing a virulent poison. If a soldier falls into the merciless hands of the Chinese he can swallow the poison, and so escape the outrages that would in all probability follow. The return of business done at the Magistrate's Court, Foxton, for the quarter ending 30th September last, shows that the number of civil cases heard were 35, and the amount sued for was £"269 4s. 2d., and recovered £186 4s iod. The civil ices amounted to £12 3s. During the quarter 76 persons were taken into custody or summoned, one of whom was discharged for want ot prosecution, 15 dismissed on the merits, and 56 summarily convicted, leaving 2 to be dealt with otherwise. The fees and fines totalled to £17 17s. 6d. A number of Anarchists have been arrested at Brussels far plotting against Prince Albert of Belgium, who arrived at the capital on Saturday with his newly-wedded wife, formerly Duchess Elizabeth of Bavaria. The affair caused a great sensation. Among the prisoners is one of the acquitted accomplices of Sipido, who recently shot at the Prince of Wales. An order has been made committing Mrs H. V. Styche, of Christchurch, to the Ashburn Hall private asylum, near Dunedin. Mrs Styche, it will be remembered, sustained a severe mental shock when she learned that her hus band had been charged with attempting to procure a medical man to poison her, and went out of her mind. The present action is not taken be- j cause her condition is considered worse than it has been for some time, but because it is thought she should receive what is called institutional treatment. According to the Auckland Star, there is a good deal of spurious coin in circulation in Auckland. Tradesmen and purchasers should be careful to inspect all silver money passing through their hands. The spurious money is easily distinguishable from the good coin by its lightness and general appearance. Colonel Sir J. Willcocks's force of 1200 men with five guns, engaged a body of 4000 Ashantis, and after an hour and a half's fighting defeated them with heavy loss. Gallant charges were made by the colonel's troops. Major MeUish, of the Wiltshire Regiment, was among the wounded.

The chairman of the Committee of the House appeals to be a stickler for absolute veracity of statements made judging by the following paragraph from the N.Z. Times: — At times during the discussion (on the Industrial Schools Bill) animated language was used, and there were several verbal passages at arms. On one occasion the chairman intervened. A member spoke of his opponents as men who did not have a drop of the milk of human kindness in their composition. Another member interjected, " They are not full of whisky." The chairman asked for a withdrawal of the remark, and it was withdrawn. Alex Duirs, a Hawera boy who went to South Africa a few years ago to settle, and when the present war broke out joined the Kimberley Light Horse, has been earning distinction at the front. Young Duirs was one of the first four to enter Ladysmith, and when volunteers were called for to lead the way to Mafeking, he and eight others undertook the task. It was when carrying this eaort out (which was accomplished) that he was slightly wounded, and for his gallantry was given a lieutenancy, and Alex is now attached to a column of the Imperial troops. Lieut. Duirs is at the head of a small detachment who go out scouting, and occasionally have to do some sharp fighting. It is (says the Hawera Star, gratifying to find a young fellow from this quarter earning such distinction. Messrs P. Hennessy & Co. have received a wire stating that the schooner Oban was to leave Pakawai last night with coal. The local agents here have received advice that Westport coal has risen two shillings a ton. From an advertisement in the Chronicle we learn that the partnership of Liffiton and Nixon, Auctioneers and Land Agents, has been dissolved in terms of the partnership deed, by mutual consent, as from the 7th inst. Each partner will conduct business on his own account as from that date. Mr R. M. McKnight, who some j years ago was in charge of the N.Z. ; Loan and Mercantile Co's agency at j Palmerston, has been appointed to the position rendered vacant by the resignation of Mr J. M. Johnston. Mr McKnight has many friends in this district who will be pleased to. learn that he has once more taken up his residence among them. — M. Times. There is a startling unanimity on the part of the grocers to supply the public with cheap lines, and today Messrs M. Walker, W. B. Rhodes, and S. Burr have altered advertisements relating to the reduction. , The excursion on the river last night was thoroughly enjoyed by those who went, which however were not many Captain Fraser treated his guests most thoughtfully, handing round hot coffee and cakes on the return home. The trip was very enjoyable. I The Methodist Bazaar will op^n to. j morrow and be continued on Thursday, i Those who (and their number is bound to be large) are present,will have the opportunity of seeing the new scenery. We understand that the Brass Band will assist, and everything will be done to make a success of theevent. Mr W. P. James, S.M., says :-" It is astonishing the number of prohibition orders that are issued in Masterton. It seems as if a third of the population was prohibited. There are < as many prohibited orders issued in Masterton as there are in Wellington. It also seems strange that those prohibited applied for the orders themselves." That romance is not yet dead was amply proved by a notice in the Times recently. It announced the marriage ot " Hugh Arundel Trevanion " to " Florence Eva Trevanion, daughter of Sir Daniel Cooper, Bart." Now. Miss Florence Cooper married Mr Trevanion fully 18 years ago, but obtained a divorce in 1887. Mr Trevanion afterwards married another lady, but has now been reunited to his first wife ! Bishop Julius has just made a tour ot his diocese in the interests of the fund for the completion of Christchurch Cathedral, and has raised some £1100, nearly all in cash. Of the £12,---000 which is required to finish the building, nearly £9000 has been subscribed, and of this rather more than £600 has been paid up. The cathedral architect has been instructed to prepare his plans, and to invite tenders for the work. It is hoped that it will be possible to lay the toundation stone on the Canterbury Anniversary Day, 16th December.