The Motueka Star PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS. “Te Ora Mota Iwi." FRIDAY, MAY 29, 1903.

Motueka Star, Volume IV, Issue 185, 29 May 1903, Page 3

The Motueka Star PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS. “Te Ora Mota Iwi." FRIDAY, MAY 29, 1903.

A sitting of the Motueka Wharf Board is fixed for Monday afternoon. The weather during the present week has been most unpleasant, and there are at present no signs of clearing. Steady showers have fallen almost continuously throughout the whole district and the roads are in a bad state, mud and slush being much in evidence "manywhere," to use a lately coined word. According to telegrams rain is falling at Nelson, Wellington, West Coast and other parts of the Colony. Mr G. A. Skene, representative of the well-known firm of need merchants, Me-srs |Nimrao and Blair, Dunedin, has been on a business visit to . Motueka. Thfi m« nthly meeting of the Motu- > eka School Committee will be held on Monday evening. We notice the Education Board has appointed Messis Franklyn, Beuke, and Baigent [who \.-ill be in Motueka next week) to enquire into the application forwarded to , the Board for the erection of shelter sheds/picket fence, etc., and we have no doubt when the consultation takes place between the members above mentioned and the Committee the improvements which are absolutely necessary, will be sanctioned. / Dr Deck's run about motor car has /been an object of much interest to both young and old, since its importation. I ' The car has been .thoroughly tested on I high and low grades with, we under- \ stand, gracifyiug results. Just now, it j is a fearful and wonderful thing to f / -horses and other animals, butgfamiliar- , j ity with its appearance will bring un / Milking 96 cows on an 80 acre farm a Waimate settler obtained .£SOO in seven months. - The South Canterbury Hospital Board decided not to grant the request i of local friendly societies to permanently keep a bed in the institution for the use of members of such societies.

"1 go back to England with new views about the land question," obserued Miss Balgarnie, in a brief chat about her New Zealand impressions. "I see how closely allied it is with tha temperance question, although I don't think that the land settlement scheme as worked is a good one. Granting 999 years'lease without any increase of rent from the unearned increment, such as that brought about by rail ways or drainage, seems to me to be on thy way to fettei themselves . with old evils under a new name. But the immediate benefits are striking." The Feilding Borough Council have decided to object to the whole of the valuations, which were recently made by the Government valuer, of that Borough. The ground for the objection is that the rateable values of the properties as assessed are inconsistent, the valuations being excessive in many cases, while others are "rated too low. By the following paragraph, which we take from the Daily News (a New Plymouth paper), it is evident that the town property is of considerable value there : Messrs Callaghan and Co. report the sale of Mr Tiseh's property in Devon street, occupied by the London Dental Co. to a local investor at =£loo a foot. Said Warden Hawkins during Court proceedings at Greymouth : ''Truly the ways of the legislator are past finding out. As Warden lam not allowed to grant more than 30 acres for gold mining purposes without referring the matter to the Minister, yet I am empowered to giant 300 acre mineral lenses and fix the amount of royalty to be charged on the products of these large areas of my own motion." In answer to a request for a Government grant for a Trades' Hall. Mr Seddon said the money spent on halls that would keep men together and where they could have rational enjoyment, would be well spent, and even at the risk of other claims being put in, he would favour such an expenditure if duly safeguarded, for he looked on giving land for such a purpose, and properly safeguarded, as just as good, or perhaps better, than giving a site for a dt illshed. Jingo, the elephant purchased recently by Mr Rostoek from the Royal Zoological Society, died on board the Georgic on March 12. He was 22 years old and between 11 and 12 feet high. A man of 6 feet could stand with his bell-topper on between the giant's forelegs. Jingo was insured for a lisk cf ten thousand pounds. The Government stipulates that its employees must not actively participate in general or local politic.*, and a considerable numbers of workers here object to the restriction. With a view to obtaining an alteration a petition for presentation to Parliament is being signed by members of the various labor organisations. The petition asks that State employees should be allowed the same political and civil rights as are accorded to emplovees of private individuals. Ihe great bridge over the Zambesi which will form a very important link in the Cape-to-Cairo rail.vay is expected to be completed V»v 1905; and if thir expectation should be realised, the members of the British Association will be offered ;>u excursion by railway to visit the Zambesi Falls, the largest waterfalls in the world. A contemporary, describing o wedding says . "The Brass Band farewelled the happy couple, who left for Nelson to spend the honeymoon, with appropriate selections including "The girl I left behind me." The Westport Harbour Board is again in financial difficulty and has despatched its chairman and secretary to Wellington to interview the Government on the matter. "~r , , l .' : ' t^