The Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY-JANUARY 2, 1878.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 22, 2 January 1878, Page 2

The Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY-JANUARY 2, 1878.

The inauguration of a nevv year is a favorable time for the individual^ the community, and the nation to go through a process analogous, to that known to the tradesman as "taking stock." 1877 has- passed away*with jits complement of good and ill, and as Janus, the,.douhle-faced demi-god stood with one face viewing the past and the other the future, so may we, from our presenPvautage ground, review the events of the dead year and' glance forward into the new epoch that is opening to t_je view. In the history that is unwritten the year just expired will furnish an importari. chapter by reason of the great war and the great famine that have swept the earth of millions of her children. But war m EuropeFis like a conflagration in* a: thickly built city: while ever it rages, or even smoulders, there is no forecasting the ultimate result, and although 1877 has closed^upon the deadly grapple of two nations, and df only two, still the iuyolvei ment of i other great European powers is dreadfully possible; and who can' tell—not even the most far seeing statesman — how great or how small a tragedy Jthe coming year will reveal? 7^ .* 7 But while we have cause "to grieve over the desolation of other lands. we may thank God that the sun of prosperity has been shining upon us as a people. The year that has dealt some nations a blow that they will

not recover from for many years has helped us on. True we have had reverses ; we have ViJ^ered from an insufficiency of hong.fide* s^capital m tlie country ; there have b ■eri financial difficulties and stagnations m trade ; there has been much of the unsatisfactory . m our 'political experience, but these difficulties are but as the recession of the waves while the tide is flowing m. Events have been working up favorable to a general prosperity, the year has closed brightly and the horizon of the future is clear and auspicious. Although bitter complaints have been made of the caballing that has marked the late Session of Parliament, and much that was expected to be done m the way legislation w has been left undone, still the Representatives of the country have done good service during the year. Statutes to the number of 142 have been passed during *the late session, of which 54 are Public General Acts, and 88 Local and Personal. In passing the Education and Lands Acts the House hais made a vigorous advance m two very important particulars, — an advance towards that measureof perfection whiehis allowed to human systems, and which we trust will ere long, be fully reached. We may, at least, while accepting thankfully what we have gained, look hopefully to the future for the rest. The temper of the House seems good_in*favor of liberal and during its last session the overweening Squirearchy that has been sacrificing the country's best interests to the greed of gain, had good reason to see that the days of their triumph are numbered. Other important measures have been worked up so as to be ripe for next session, and moreover the session has given another vigorous impulse to that system of public works that is rapidly placing this colony m point of dedevelopment and material wealth on a par with the older colonies of Australia. The signs of advancement all 'oyer the colony are unmistakable. Wellington is rapidly growing into a large city, and the improvements made m tliat town during the last twelve months m the wiay of reclamation and edification are sufficiently significant of prosperity. But the country parts are improving just as rapidly ; tracts that were recently barren. of aught save bush, are now smiling with homesteads,, and the demand f o^ land m small quantities is increasing month by^month.. 1£ 4 If we turn to the microcosm of this County we find, it ; sharing largely m the general prosperity. \ The towns are growing m size and m commercial importance, while the back country is opening up to an agricultural community, and • the concomitants of agriculture, , flour mills, are being erected m various parts. T877 has seen a railway line nearly completed between E^xton and Wanganui/ and* steps taken to effect railway . communication between Sandon and Carnarvon, and between Wellington and Palmerston.. In common with the surrounding towns a great improvement upon its condition a year* ago is visible m Palmerston. Tlie town has increased both m size and beauty, and has, moreover, risen to the dignity of a#Municipality The Borough Council have wisely determined to $make more secure^ the f ounlation^of its present and future prosperity by expending a large sum of money in ' improvements. .At the, same time a disposition is manifest m all the Manawatu townships to form societies for the promotion of various social interests, of which the local Fire Brigade is ah example. This disposition is a good healthy augury m every community jriiere it is manifested. * On tbe whole, the people of the Manav&atu district have no reason to be dissatisfied with the -progress* made during the past year. The district is now beginning^to feel its own wealth of resource*?* Every description of a craftsman is finding m it a place and a competency, and while we write the first abundant cereal crop is ripening for the sickle. We congratulate the inhabitants of this smiling region upon the prospects with which they enter the new. year, and if no untoward circumstance intervenes, we have little doubt that the good fortune m prospect will be most abundantly realised.

33nT district* was jisiied yon Saturdaj last with refreshing .rain'7this wa**.mos| fortunate as the Jiot weather vres*b.g_ft„in| to tell upon the. grass and other, cereM' crops. .'-.' ' --■*. ''._'- * ■■■". 4 The Foxton Regatta and Sports,are aflvertised. for, Friday ;li pext, the 4th in/t. The programme is a most attractive, oie, and we doubt not that Foxton will havl a large influx of visitors to witness the 4. citing events. The traiu^hours are arrangld conven ient.ly for inland residents, arid A c low fares still obtain. F The usual "waits" marshalled, thjir forces m Palmerston to usher m the Nfcw* Year, and proceeded round the town, manng. the small hours of the morning prftty lively. But while availing themselves! of the license of the season, we have not learned 7 that they were guilty of any Breach of gLd citizenship. 77- J , The Manawatu Building Society held] its monthly meeting on. Saturday last at jth. office m the Square. 7 • . | , The quarterly meeting of the Wesleyan body was held for the first time incite Wesleyan Church, Palmerston, on Monday last. The meetings have been previotsly held at Sandon : it is now ammged to fold them alternately at each place. Thii arrangement will greatly facilitate the^Business of the district. ... f ... On Sunday last,' about five o'clock, tyhe remains of the late Mrs Gilbert were Conveyed to their last resting place. Aljout two hundred .persons witnessed the ceremony:- it was the largest gathering at any ' funeral yet held m Palmerston. The Rev. Father Moreau officiated^ the deceased lady being a member of the Roman Catholic Church. : '" ■ We are pleased to state that there is a, marked decrease this season m the number of our summer pests— the mosquitoes. ; . : THe bush clearing and draining throughout the district may soon bring ..lir tip thef'tniA when 'We will have to go into thej dense.bus| to look for our old tormentors- instead b| finding them m our most privete i Apartments. ; * '■'■■•?;.■ .»7 : •;;■.'■ £ . \y The Acclimatization Society meeting held last Saturday at the Public Hall, Palmer/ ston jras very poorly attended. We presume*._ie*reason was the more than^uSuallv busy season of the year. It isto be hopod> the various members will give the4nterests ' of the young society. he time and attention which ttiey olaim, m order to -make the affair a success, and a. benefit to the whole of the district. This eaii only be achieved by each' member taking his' share of the "business and«Mpesponsibi_ity, iidnot " leaving -too much work Sri the shoulders _f the wUhngfewf f*-^^**/^?^^ We aire pleased to notice'that our Cemetery^ will- soon be enclosed with a substantial" fence, thanks to the generosity /of the public, who have so liberally contributed? towards that object. We would suggest! that s.t«jps be taken to have tbe'^gronud; surveyed into sections, and that paths be* laid off m various directions m 'order to* give access to the different' parts of the* Cemetery. The expense jrould be trifling? m comparision^with the 1 ; benefits to ,be> derived. We have no, doubt that the§ public will continue to funds to % enable the Committee to finish the work thejr have so well begun, and in^a short time we will be able to point to^our' public Cemetery ■ with a feeling of pride instead of shame, as heretofore. ; ;f On Monday last Mr E. J. Barnett, the host of the Foxton Family Hotel, who has just got a license for the house, gave a ? cham-S pagne luncheon to a few of the principal-' r peoplesof Foxton. About twenty sat down, i : f[&_d"%_ter partaking ofthe good cheer; supplied by "mine host," Mr E. S. Thymie, v after proposing the health of the Queen and the Governor, proposed that of Mr jßarnett£ wishing him every success and hewing that this* time next year he would entertain the Foxtonians m a like sumptuous maijjner, and that the table would be then graced by,, the presence of Mrs Barnett. Th* 'chairman before closingShis speech alluded tojtheiway the perseverance of Mr Barnett had been repaid m the getting the license|granted^ for the house. Mr Barnett returned thanks m a humorous speech. '■■%'■■ siThere is one great evil 'often complained of m this town ; that is, the introduction • of a number of ferocious dogs into' places where dogs were never intended to be admitted. Any one visiting our places of worship will notice numbers of them' there, some apparently well disposed, others quite the reverse and oftentimes causing; serious interruptions during service, and ending almost invariably m an attempt on the part of someone to put the intruders' outside. We noticed the same* evil at the funeral on Sabbath afternoon. A few wild-looking brutes took up a position near the grave and kept up a continual growl, which had adjK thiug but a soothing effect upon the audience. Such a state of oanine ' morals should not be tolerated any longer. We trust tha*. the owners of dogs m general will- in future" consider the truth o.f a yery old adageV" A place for everything and everything m its place." We may add that .dogs are not m place when found m church or. at funerals. •The " N. Z. Times" quotes from an exchange to the following effects—The colonies have surprised themselvesnn their Contributions towards the Indian Fkmine Fund. A few weeks ago it was thought that if a grand totul of £-30,000 could be reached, it

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