The Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1877.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 58, 9 May 1877, Page 2

The Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1877.

Owing to the pressure of advertisements and other matter we are compelled to hold over our leader. By cablegrams received last night, the important announcement is made that the Russians were twice repulsed at Kars. This looks as if Turkey was not so very sick as the Czar of Russia represented m 1854. A letter signed P. William has reached us for publication, but as it contains charges of a serioua nature we would like to see Mr William before giving it publicity. Tenders are invited m our advertising columns by J. T. Stewart, Esq., for the erection of two platelayers' cottages on the Foxton to Manawatu Railway. The list of persons objected to as not being entitled to have their names retained on the list of voters for the Electoral District of Manawatu appears m this issue of the " Manawatu Times." Notice i 3 given m tins issue that the Foxton Local Board intend striking a rate of Is m the £ for the year ending 31st March, 1878, and that the same will be payable at the Board's office, on the Ist and 2nd June next. The business lately carried on m Palmerston by Mr H. Fisher has changed hands, Mr S. Da wick, of Grey town, who is favourably spoken of by the Wairarapa " Standard," being the purchaser. It is notified m the "New Zealand Gazette " of the 3rd instant, that R. Macalister, Esq., Provincial Auditor, has been appoiuted to act as Auditor of the accounts of the Treasurers of the various Local Boards within the Provincial District of Wellington. Also, that William Osborne has been appointed a Registrar of dogs under the Dog Nuisance Act, 1863, for the district contained within the boundaries of the Manawatu County.

Sidnpy Sfcorman.Esq., M.R.C.S., announce!? his inteiiHnii m our present, issue of commencing practice m Palmerston. He may be consulted on and after the 14th instant nfc the residence lately m occupation of H. S. Piihnfrf on, E»q. A notice appears m our present issue to the effect that a petition will shortly be presenfed to his Excellency the G-overnor, praying for t lie separation of the Manchester and Kiwitea Ridings from the Manawatu County, and their formation into a separate County, to be called the " County of Krwitea." Sections 108 to 201 inclusive, containing from 637 to 833 acres each m the Awhea Block, East Coast, having been declared by the Waste Lands Board to be pastoral land, the Commissioner of Crown Lands notifies by advertisement m our present issue that the- same will be open for purchase at 7s 6d per acre on and after the sth June next. Some two years ago the flax industry m New Zealand received a severe check. Many men of capital had embarked their all m the establishment" of flax mills, believing that flax would, form a largq article of export from our New Zealand ports, but owing to various causes, and notwithstanding that fair prices were realized for some of tbe first parcels, phormium tenax did not appear to take well at home, and after a time became a drug m the market, the prices offered not being sufficient to cover the cost of production. This state of things entailed ruin upon some and hardship upon others, who had embai'ked m flax speculations, but the conviction seemed to remain with most of those practically interested that when flax machines were improved, and the article became better known it would to some extent supersede other, fibres at present m use, and a large demand for it would consequently spring up. To such it will be a satisfaction to learn that large parcels of New Zealand flax have recently been sold m Melbourne at £20 per ton. The Palmerston Cemetery Eeserve remains still m a state of almost native wildness notwithstanding that it is the opinion of nearly every resident m our township that some effort should be made towards its improvement. Some time ago a subscription list was opened — Ist for the purpose of paying off a debt of some £20 incurred by the trustees m clearing a portion of the reserve, and next with the view that any surplus which might remain after that was done should be devoted to its further improvement. We understand that a sufficient amount has now been collected to discharge the debt, and that the subscription list is still open at the Bank of Australasia, but thut there seems to be but a pon* prospect of getting apyf-fcing more worth speaking^ofby'mcans of subscription. This -"being the case, it is time to adopt some other means of raising funds, for the Cemetery m its present condition is certainly a disgrace to our township, and must present a painful sight to those who have already deposited their dead m it. It has been suggested to us that the. trustees should raise money by selling the timber at present on the reserve, and that if. no purchaser could be found for the timber as it stands, the trustees might take the management of the affair m their own hands, and receive orders from storekeepers and others for firewood at so much per cord, and then employ men to fell and stack the timber. Even if there was no great profit resulting from such an arrangement, the clearing of the reserve would be secured, and this once done, we have no doubt that our townsfolk would make a further effort to have it securely fenced. Quite an excitement was caused m Foxton on Sunday afternoon, and a great .number of people congregated on the wharf to to witness the arrival of the steamers Tui and Napier, it having got about that the Tui had run into the Napier m coming up the river, and the report proved true, the following being the facts of the case : — As the two steamers were proceeding up the river, and when m Ihakara's bend, the Napier being then ahead, the Tui tried to pass her, and m so doing, drove the Napier on the bank and ran her bow into the Napier's boat, carrying away one of her davits and cutting the boat m half, also damaging the iron railing l'ound the bridge, and grazing her side m several places. A survey was held by Messrs Gibson and Jonson, on Monday morning on the damage done. Both steamers left on Monday afternoon about three o'clock, the Napier being unable to carry any passengers on account of having no boat, it being against the Passenger Act, to carry passengers without a boat. There was imported to Wellington during last week 276,000 feet of timber. Of this, 179,000 feet came from Auckland and Kaipara, and the balance from Pelorus Sound. —"Post." A singular case wherein legal erudition and that especially affecting Banking matters, would be of considerable use, occurred m Christchurch the other day. A well-known medical practitioner who had lately attended an aged patient up to his last moments, presented, a few days after, at the Bank where the deceased had kept his funds, a cheque for payment for the sum of £500. The official who received the document having examined it declined to honor the cheque on the ground that the signature was somewhat unlike the sign-manual of the drawer. It was therefore endorsed at the back "refer to drawer" and returned. Now, the drawer being no longer m the land of the living, it might be supposed that the cheque might be honoured, if pi-oofs necessary to relieve the Bank's conscience be forthcoming. But the hitch is what kind of proofs ? And, so far, the cheque has not been presented' a second time. — " Raugiora Standard."

A fsipetiously-inol'.npd correspondent writes thus to the " Wiingunui Chronicle " : — '• You are the most considerate, genial, happy-go-lucky community I ever came across. You treat your bankrupts like a brother, you do. Not long since I noticed m one of your papers that a tradesman lately declared a bankrupt hud bought his own book debts. Now, this beats cockfighting. Where did he get money to invest ? may I ask you, oh guileless and simple-minded creditors. If he had the money to buy his book debts, to whom did it properly belong! ? To my mind this is one of the most good-natured transactions I have heard of on this side the line. If I could compound with my creditors at five bob m the pound, I would try on this very game, and muke a bold bid for my own book debt*'" It is evident our correspondent scarcely knows he is alive yet. In a speech at the luncheon given to his Excellency the Governor at Invercagill, Commodore Hoskins replying to the toast of " The Army and Navy," thus referred to the possibility of the colony's being exposed to an attack by a foreign power: — "As regards the danger to this colony from a hostile attack, he considered it small. The work at the outbreak of a war between two great nations was so concentrated that no large detachments could be spared to attack the colonies. The danger was rather from a small expeditionary force, or from privateers. In case of war being declared, our commerce could be carried almost entirely m fast steamers. As for fighting on land, the danger was a remote one, though he agreed that the young men of the colony should be prepared for that. A little military training wns an admirable thing for them, as it taught them something of discipline, and also how to carry themselves well." — " Post." From the " Home News " we learn that Prince William of Prussia, who has recently entered upon his new duties as a regimental officer m the Ist Foot Guards at Potsdam, has already, it is stated, conquered the hearts oP all his comrades by his affable and amiable manner.?. Ho is exemplary m his attendance to his duties. He is an early riser, and always among the first on the drill-ground. On duty he is assiduous and conscientious ; off duty he divides his time between scientific studies and friendly intercourse with his comrades. Mr R. A. Proctor, the well known astronomer, during a course of lectures at the theatre of the Society of Arts has stated the theory of the growth of the earth. He asserts that not a night passes m which some falling stars are not seen, and m certain months and on particular nights the golden rain is incessant. Of course, too, meteors fall m the day time, although unseen. * It is computed, said the lecturer, that hundreds of thousands of these extra terrene bodies become incorporated with the earth every 24 hours, 400,000,000 m the course of each year. They may vary m weight between a few grains and a ton. One is known to have fallen m South America which weighed 15 tons. Yet these small accretions to the earth's matter would take many millions of years to add a single foot to its d_iamefcerf s ' 3i * The foUow>«s~"ftlbEanße of remarkable PBorecicy, mentioned by the " Cromwell Argus," is worth recording : — " Recently, while a shepherd m the employ of Mr Masters, Nevis, wa3 engaged, mustering at the back ranges, a stone started from the mountain side, and struck him - on the head, knocking him senseless. The shepherd happened to have with him his faithful collie, who, finding his master helpless, at once started off for assistance. Going to a party of miners m the neighborhood, the dog, after one or two ineffectual attempts, at length succeeded m getting two of the party to follow him to the spot where his master lay still senseless. The men immediately procured more help, and the shepherd was conveyed to the home station on a stretcher, whence he was brought to the Cromwell Hospital." On the conclusion of a case tried, at the late District Court ac Tennerfield, m which a Chinaman, All Wah, was the plaintiff, his Honor Judge Meyott decided the case m defendant's favoi', whereupon, says the " Star," the excited Celestial exclaimed, "My mully die-e, me die-e too !" and proceeded to try the relative strength of his head and the wall of the courthouse. The former, however, pi>oved much the stronger, as it escaped injury ; not so, however, the wall, which l'eceived a large indentation, bearing the impression of Ah Wah's cranium. He was removed by the police before the courthouse should suffer further damage. The machinery for the manufacture of wood paperhanging has been so perfected that an inch of white maple or other finegrained wood can be slit so as to furnish 200 thin leaves, having the surface and grain of the wood. These leaves are laid on a paper backing, and, thus constituted, may be fastened to the wall the same as common wall-paper. A room thus furnished presents the appearance of a pannelled apartment, since all the surface visible is that of the actual wood. With smoothed and polished wood of a coarser or more open grain, the number of leaves or veneers to the inch is 125. The machine which produces these leaves is a marvel of mechanical ingenuity and skill. — " Dunedin News." An amusing misunderstanding was the cause of Mr Haweis' church m Westmoreland street, Portland place, London, being crammed to overflowing on Sunday night, 10th December. It was understood that the subject of his sermon would be the " Sanitary Aspects of Hell." Nothing more was needed to attract church-goers. On mounting the pulpit, Mr Haweis said, " I fear some misconception has gone abroad as to the subject of my discourse this evening. I know nothing about hell. What I wish to speak to you about are the " Sanitary Aspects of Health."