“A Prosperous New Year.”

Manawatu Herald, 31 December 1904, Page 2

“A Prosperous New Year.”

The Manawatu Herald will not be published on Tuesday next, It is estimated (he recent fogs in London have caused losses to the extent of ten millions. We acknowledge season’s greetings from the Otaki Mail and Feilding Star, and reciprocate same tenfold. ■ We understand Foxton business premises will be open on Tuesday next, Monday alone being observed as a holiday. A special meeting of the Foxton Borough Council will be held on January gth to fix the statutory halfholiday for 1905. Mr Hugh H. Gardiner, a London clothier, recently appeared for public examination in the Bankruptcy Court. His gross liabilities were £329,300. Dr Jameson believes that the tide of depression at the Cape has turned. He hopes to make a public declaration on the position shortly. At Taihape, the infant daughter of John Grange, of Kawhatau, was burned to death on Tuesday through playing in front of a fire with an empty sugar bag, which caught fire. The first turbine steamer to attempt to cross the Atlantic, the Allan liner Victorian, leaves Liverpool on her maiden voyage to Canada on hebruary 23rd next. The American Government has decided to station 200 mounted inspectors along the Mexican borders, sai's the New" York Tribune, to check the influx of undesirable immigrants. “ The monotonous grind for existence ” is said to be the chief cause of lunacy among labourers, and insanity among clerks is caused by hasty meals and cigarette smoking. To-morrow the service in the Presbyterian Church will be conducted by Mr D. N. McKenzie of Eketahuna, who was formerly stationed in this district. No doubt a number of Mr McKenzie’s triends here will be glad to see him again. Fireman James Douglas, who re" •ently missed his passage by the - steamer Auchenblae tor Sydney, on Wednesday received his wages (£4 5 s 8d ) by post at Auckland, was on Thursday found dead in the harbour. His pockets were empty and there was a punctured wound in his chin. At Wanganui a man named Faram, a visitor from Napier, effected the plucky rescue of a boy in the river on Thursday. The boy fell off the wharf and was carried about a chain into the stream when Faram jumped into the river with his clothes on and swam out, bringing the lad to shore. The United States commission on Inter-State Commerce reports that during the fiscal year 1904, 11,391 radway collisions and derailments occurred, in which 3789 persons were killed and 51,343 “jured. - Th , e damage to lines and equipments is estimated at £1,876,615. A London cable says Mr McKenzie, who is interested in dairying pursuits, and who recently visited New Zealand, states the dairying in that colony is far ahead of that in New South Wales in point of management. Intense use is made of land, and more care is shown in the selection of stock than here. The homesteads are more comfortable, but the land values are much higher than in the New South Wales coast district, considering the quality of the land, but this is largely due to the demand. A man seeking land according to the value has a very much better opportunity of getting what he wants in the rainfall area of New South Wales than in New Zealand.

It is reported at Zurich that Nihilists are preparing for an unprecedentedly active campaign. The Borough Council Clerk gives notice to-day in our advertising columns that all license tees in respect of carts, billiard-rooms, lodging houses, and public balls for 1905 must be paid at once. Although Mr T. E. Taylor, M.H.R., was not represented by counsel in the slander case, he had the assistance of an able lawyer's clerk, from the office of a well-known solicitor in Christchurch, who sat beside him throughout the hearing, and supplied hint with quotations from legal authorities and with other information, A Melbourne cable says an agreement has been entered into, by the five inter-State shipping organisations whereby only the newer and larger vessels will be employed in the trade. The older ones are to be laid up. This has created consternation among the seamen, and the secretary of the Seamen’s Union computes that at least eight vessels will be withdrawn under the arrangement, and 250 officers and men will be thrown idle, A man named Ernest Croy was found dead on Thursday morning in Wanganui gaol, where he was taken to serve a month for vagrancy. The deceased had served in an irregular corps in South Africa, and after the war he came to this colony, playing a cornet in the streets for a living. He had been drinking heavily, and when arrested was suffering front delirium tremens. At the inquest the jury added a rider to their verdict, considering it inhuman that a prisoner who was suffering from delirium tremens should be sent to gaol unless a separate building is provided for the accommodation of himself and his attendants.

A Belgian newspaper recently gave an account of a football match promoted by some Englishman residing in Brussels. An extract from this account is worth reproducing:—" The area is indicated by a tow of dags. The ball is solemnly placed between the two camps. A vigorous kick announces the beginning of the game. A number of young niell are at Oridd seen bustling one another about, and entangled one with another. As soon as one of the players, bruised and lacerated, seizes the ball, a mob pursues him. throws him over ( buries him between a pile of arms and legs, and seizes by force the precious prey which the brave fellow presses to his heart. A curious effect is the grave silence during the battle. These younggentlemen are careful not to look as if they were there for nlay, The frenzied qnd brutal strife lasts for more than an hour. Many passers-by, noting the pitiable condition of the players, inquired if there had been an accident, ' No,’ was the reply, ‘it is only tlmse English amusing themselves.' ’’