Loans for Roads.

Manawatu Herald, 6 September 1902, Page 2

Loans for Roads.

We have for some years brought before our readers the benefit this town would derive if an amendment of “ The Local Bodies Act ” could be secured by which small boroughs would be enabled to borrow under the advantageous terms given by the Government under this Act. We pointed out that Counties with a larger revenue than that possessed by this Borough were enabled to borrow money for road making, and if there was any reason in giving such terms, the reason for a small borough being placed in this position v/as even greater. When Sir Joseph Ward visited this district this question was fully gone into and all present were delighted to hear the honourable gentleman say, most emphatically, that he was quite in accord with the views of the deputation and would bring the matter before the Government. Our member, Mr John Stevens, was present, so that he understood the whole argument. There is no doubt but that the Mayor has reminded Mr Stevens of this subject and urged its importance for the welfare of the town, and we have now the gratifying intelligence that Sir J. G. Ward has in trod need into Parliament a Bill entitled “ The Local Bodies Loans Act Amendment

BUI,” in which is introduced power to t ie Government to lend money to sin I boroughs for making streets. TUn’e is no doubt that if tho Bill becomes law, and in the powerful bauds it is, it most probably will, a marked improvement to ibis borough will bo at once carried out, as money will then be borrowed on exceptionally easy terms to which no one can object, and the years of dreary plodding over sandy tracks will be of the past. Some fitting recognition should be made for this great help at ■ the right time.

The labourers are patting down a concrete front to the new platform at the station.

The strikers fired the Pocahontos collieries in Virginia, which are burning furiously. The mine guards a'nd strikers exchanged volleys. A chance for Wellington. A floating dock of great size has stranded on the coast of Jutland, and has been taken possession of by some fishermen. It is probably the one that a Nonveyvair steamer was towing from Hamburg to Norway, but had to ,'abandon on the way.

On Thursday the midday train was twenty minutes late. It was a train of over thirty vehicles. Mr A, Jenson, whose wedding we chronicled last issue, will take up his residence in the cottage in the Avenue adjoining his father’s residency. A prospector has unearthed a nugget weighing a pound and a half at Avoca, in Gladstone County, Victoria. President Roosevelt, speaking at Worcester, said only a quack or an enemy of the Republic would recklessly destroy all trusts, thus paralysing industries. It would be sufficient if national legislation destroyed the evil in trusts.

Mrs Maclde, who lately lost her husband intends, so she informs ms to remain in Foxton, so those who are in need of articles in work at which she is an adept, should give her their orders.

Messrs Abraham and Williams bold a stock sale at Palmerston on Thursday and one at Levin on Friday. Mr J. Mullins has arrived in Foxton and can be seen at the Messrs Gillander’s store. His altered advertisement sets forth the necessary particulars.

Arrival of spring goods- G, H. Stiles is showing this evening a beautiful selection in muslins, delains, merlawns, panne sateens, laiglous, and all that is fashionable for the coming season. We understand that sales have already been active and an early visit is asked for.

Japanese auctions are conducted on the silent plan. Each bidder writes his name and bid upon a slip of paper, which he places in a box. When the bidding is over the box is opened by the auctioneer and the goods are declared the property of the highest bidder.

The shipping at the port keeps the railway well employed as the long train on Thursday had nearly 24 empty trucks for coal.

The dredge and boiler came down on Thursday for the two punts on which the dredging of the river and pile driving operations will be done. Mr Andrew Jonson secured the contract for the erection of a dwelling for vlr Frank Hudson. The Tasmanian House ot' Assemble ha? decided in favour of woman’s franchise.

Rather a surprise. A policeman on duty at the Hobart dock discovered what he supposed to be a drunken man on the footpath, and attempted to arrest him. A fierce grunt and a display of formidable teeth revealed a seal Bft Cin long. It was despatched with a revolver.

At the evening service at All Saints’ Church to morrow (Sunday), Miss H. Lorraine Tansiey will sing a sacred solo.

The schooner Amelia Simms sailed over the bar and up to the wharf yesterday. She comes from Westport with a cargo of coals and will leave with timber tor LytteltonThe next English and European mail, via San Francisco, will close at the local office on Thursday, the xßth of September, at 8.30 a.m.

At the Magistrate’s Court on the 18th inst informations wiil be heard, which the police have laid against a hotelkeeper in regard to the conduct of his house.

The Public Trustee gives notice that ail claims against the estate of the late John McPherson be sent to his agent and all monies due also are payable to him. ; Before the flood mentioned in Biblical history, Noah built an ark for safety, but it is after the late big flood in the river that the Motoa estate is preparing to deal with future difficulties. Mr Andrew Jonson has two boats, one large and one small for the estate where they will be placed in convenient positions for the next aquatic carnival on the property. We notice that onf contemporary, the Dannevirke Advocate, has now a much improved appearance, the paper being enlarged to some extent. The proprietors, Messrs Nash and Combe, have just gone into their now offices, and have imported one of the latest machines for priuting their sheet. Mr Nash served his apprenticeship in this office, and we are glad to hear that (he firm are meeting with success. The Advocate is now recognised as the leading journal published in the southern part of the Hawke’s Bay district. The Melbourne Sisters appeared at the Foxton Public Hal! on Thursday evening before a most appreciative audience- The different “ turns ” given by the members of the company met with the hearty approval of those present. The singing and dancing being particularly good. Mr Siivane ballads were much enjoyed, and Mr La Roche was an excellent comedian. The company appear to-night for the last time, when we expect to see a good house; 0

An area of 041,994 acres of ordinary Crown land was placed on the market last year. At the Otald Court last Wednesday Francis Ramsey, a man well-known in Otaki was convicted by Mr Greenfield, S.M., for insulting behaviour in a public place, calculated to lead to a breach of the peace. He was fined £ls or 14 days’ hard labour. He selected the labour, The offence was that at a funeral lately Rumsey leant against a fence and joined the procession having a placard in front of him labelled “ Murder no Crime.”

Sometime ago the Telegraph Department in their wisdom did away with the direct telephone connection with Sanson, and by way of variety gave their customers the pleasure and delay of getting connection through Palmerston and Feilding. _ This naturally has been a grave inconvenience, seeing that the head \'' j the Tramway is at Sansoi>j*Tnd His Worship the Mayor, wlyroi dawn on a deputation on business interviewed tF/d atithorities with the satisfactory result that the linemep are making the connections bringing Sanson into direct communication with the port. Ever since about iB6O the kauri gnrn has continuously been dug, over_ an area about 250 long by fifty to sixty miles broad, out of which perhaps about two million acres is gum bearing giving employment at times to a nomadic population of five to seven thousand men, the annual product of such labour being 8,000 to 10,000 tons, of a value of over £400,000 per annum. From the commencement of export to date it is estimated that over ten million pounds worth of gum has been won from the ground.

It is a remarkable circumstance (says the Manaia Witness) that on the Waimate Plains—the very heart of tire dairy industry of the colony—butter cannot be procured at under is 3d per lb retail, while in Wellington, which draws its supplies from this and other districts, tho same article can be obtained for is. There is likely ,too, to be a still further advance in the price of the local butter before long. At the Kaponga factory, the price was increased to is 3d to shopkeepers, so that when the latters’ profit is tacked on, butter will run into no less a figure than is sd per lb. [Factory butter is is 6d per lb here.]