The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, May 23, 1911. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 995, 23 May 1911, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, May 23, 1911. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Cr. Nathan, ot Palmerston North, has initiated a movement to provide adequate accommodation for children at the Palmerston North District Hospital. At the last meeting ot the Palmerston Borough Council he moved : “ That the Coronation of King Geotge saall be commemorated in such a c unier as will tend to universe benefit to this community of a lasting character. To that end the following steps he taken:—(l) To apply to the Government lor a grant of ,£250; (2) that such grant allotted to he earmarked as a nucleus of a fund, the object of which shall be the establishment of a children’s ward in connection with the Palmerston North District Hospital; and (3) that this object be promoted by the Palmerston North . Borough Council, to which end a subcommittee he set up to secure donations supplementing the above grant.” The motion was carried without discussion. Councillor Nathan, as the result of a personal canvass, has alreadj’ collected towards the project. We have been asked to bring the movement into local prominence as Foxtou is equally interested in the institution with other parts of the hospital district. Bocal people are apt to think, because the hospital is located at Palmerston, vhat it is a PalmersLon institution. This is not so. Foxlon is directly taxed for its upkeep, and is entitled to its privileges. We hope, therefore, that when Cr. Nathan's scheme for a children's ward is put before the local public, it will be taken up in a right spirit and liberally responded to.

Somk twelve months ago we alluded to the writings of an old Foxtonian, which appeared in the columns of our Levin contemporary, aueut the formation, or, rather, the development of the Horowheuua district, which contained most interesting matter lor our old identities, and even our young readers who take an interest in the doings of their parents in days of old, “when knights were bold and Barons held their sway.” We use the word “Barons” advisedly, for had we not the late Baron Alsdorf in our midst, to say nothing of De Kidder and many an heir to landed estates in the Old Country, whose history we ate fast emulating and becoming an important atom of the British Empire ? Hence it becomes a matter of importance that the records of our colonial ancestors should be preserved in the annals of history, to be handed dowu to posterity. We must, therefore, commend Mr Cobb lor his energy and enterprise in committing to print, in the form of a book entitled "A History of the Horowhenua District ol N.Z.”, including the “ Life and Memoirs of an Anglo-Colonial,” containing, we are informed, some very amusing, as well as instructive, incidents which happened in this locality during the past thirty or forty years. The whole will be illustrated by black and white sketches from the pen of the author —who is no mean artist in more senses than one. As the publication also gives portraits of those who have assisted in making the district what it is, together with photographs of the principal spots of scenic interest, it should prove a most valuable addition to our libraries and an instructive study for our children, or that of “ newchums” who wish to take up sheep farming, because they will here find the “rocks aud shallows ” which the author fouled upon, aud learn to steer their boat of fortune into the channel of prosperity. The book wi'l be out of the publisher’s hands in a few weeks time. As a result of the census, it is evident that the North Island will take at least two seats from the south as a result of the flow of population northwards since the 1905 census. The Representation Commissioners will probably be ready to commence their rearrangement of electoral boundaries in six weeks’ time. When they sat in 1905, the populations of the respective islands was north 476,732, south 411,644. The Commissioners, in allocating districts for the seventy-six European members are entitled to add 25 per cent, to the rural popu-

lation, and when this was done, the total divided by seventy-six was 13,400. This year, the quota is likely to be at least 2000 higher for each constituency. Interviewed by a Times reporter in respect to the alterations to electoral boundaries which the increase of population may necessitate, Mr T. M, Willord thought there would lie alterations in the Suburbs seat, possibly the creation of another one, pushing the Otaki electorate further north. The Suburbs member, Mr J. P. Luke, also inclined to Mr Wilford’s opinion that a new seat might be created just outside Wellington. “Possibly the whole of the city seats will be moved further south, and a new seat created to include Ngaio, Khandaliah, Johnsonville and possibly Porirua,’’ he suggested. Mr W. H. Field, member for o.aki,could not speculate upon the probable changes in his electorate. “ Generally speaking, it looks as if things will be left as they are, 1 ' was his summing up of the position.

Lieutenant Hume, officer in charge of the Manawalu Territorial gioups, paid a flying visit to Foxton to-day. Conversing with a representative ot this paper, he emphasised the necessity for every youth making application for enrolment with as little delay as possible. Registration closes on June 2nd, and applications for enrolment should be posted to the Area Sergeant Major at Palmerston North, prior to that date. The area and group officers, for the past "few weeks, have been visiting the various townships and villages in order to ascertain and explain any difficulties that may present themselves to those liable to registration. As a resnilt of these visits it has become obvious that some yoqtbs are under the impression they may be exempted from registration. This is palpably wrodg. bnd Lieutenant lltime wishes it Ifbhwn that there are no exemptions whatever from registration. It is, of course, certain that some young men will be excused from military training, for special reasons —chiefly that of physical unfitness ; nevertheless all males between the ages of 14 and 21 must register before the 2nd prox. —ten days hence —or be penalised iu accordance with the provisions of the Defence Act.

Mr John Stevens publishes the following denial in to-day’s N.Z. Times : —“ Sir, —To my amazement I have read a paragraph in your personal column to-day in which it is slated that ‘ Mr John Stevens, ex-M.P. for Manawatu, will not be a candidate at the next elections owing to failing health.’ The author of this mis-statement has drawn upon his own imagination. A wish may be lather to his erroneous belief. Let me assure your readers that my ordinary health is to-day far better than it was when I contested the last election for Manawatu, and such being the case, it is my full intention to contest the next seal, with this proviso: As my loyalty to the Liberal party will never allow me to jeopardise an existing Liberal seat, if the boundaries ot the present Manawatu electorate are so changed as to practically throw one-halt into Otaki and a large portiou into Raugitikei —each of which seats is represented by a Liberal member —I shall certainly not jeopardise either of the seats by contesting an election against either one or other of the members, irrespective of the the second ballot. Therefore, when the Electoral Boundary Commissioners have completed their important work, the electors of Manawatu will have a clear and definite statement Irom me as to my intention. Your informant as to the state of my health can best be described by a couplet from Kipling’s ‘ Paget, M.P.’; ‘ Paget, M.P., was a liar and a Huent liar therewith, lie talked of the heat of India as an Asian solar myth.’ And my ‘failing health’ is equally mythical. When the time arrives I shall be fully prepared to step into the political arena with a Liberal stiletto to meet any Opposition bull who may roar about the iniquities of the Government, and endeavour to show that the Government of a country or the construction ot a policy cannot be achieved by mere denunciation such as is being promulgated at the present lime by the morehn of the Tories and Conservatives who have the audacity to claim that most of the Liberal legislation recently placed upon the statutebook was initiated by them. Trusting that you may be_ pleased to give the fullest publicity to this contradiction to the lalse statement of which I here refer. —I am, etc.”