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Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 60, 8 May 1878, Page 2

Ai special meeting of the Borough Council waa held afc the Chambers, on Satnrday last at three o'clock. His Worship the Mayor presided, • and there were present Councillors Lin ton, Jenssen, Manson, and Walton. The Chairman stated that while recently in Wellington he had arranged for a loan of £600 to the Council on very advantageous terms. It was proposed in the event of the loan, being negotiated, to expend the sum in improving the Town Reserve, by falling th| bush and making a road through the land, after which it was proposed to cut it up into small blocks of. twenty, thirty, and. forty acres, to be let on leases of fourteen years. The Council as a body highly approved of the plan, and. authorised his Worship to complete the negotiations, providing the money borrowed were loaned to the Council, and that members thereof would not.be held personally and individually liable. The Foxton people are considerably exer-cised-—and very justly so — over the way they have, been treated since the inauguration, of the new railway regime; and we understand a very strong protest has been forwarded to head-quarters on. the matter. In it they protest against the way in which they haye been left totally unprovided with means for the conveyance of traffic ; of the intended removal of the workshops, &c., to Hajcombe; and of the removal of Mr Moinet, from the position of Manager, who they say always studied as far as possible the convenience of the public; They also have petitioned against the manner in v 'w]iiph. Mr Quin, the late station master has been treated, in being placed in what is considered a subordinate position. Taken altogether the Foxton people consider that since the seotion has passed from the hands of a local Manager into those of a General Manager, their interests have been totally neglected^ We have ■ been informed that, the protest has been very strongly couched, and that if it have not the required effect, they will see what efficacy a public meeting ,yill have. , There would appear to be every probability of Palmerston securing the services of 'a second medical man, as we hear that Dr. Grimes a recent arrival in the Colony, has taken the house lately occupied by Dr. Skerman, with the intention of settling amongst us. Although the services of medical men are not, as rule, wished for or relished, there are times when they become not only a necessity, , but a blessing, 7 and as such we hail the new comer. In addition to the above, for which we can vouch, we are informed that, the number : is to be further supplemented, by the advent of Dr. WiiHams, frpm.Blenheim, andT)r. Johnston from. Fei}din.g. While putting some faith in the statement with regard to Dr. Williams, we very niuch doubt the truth pf the _ report qf Dr. Johnston's : removal. If,. however, such were the case, and we were to have the quartette, it would certainly fare badly with the Palmerstonians, or — the doctors, for one op qth§r-J should certainly come tQ grief, Considerable surprise. has beeri'evinced by those journals which have received copies of the late Education Report, at , the incon-•g-ruitiea a.nd inco.naisten.cieß published therein in the distribution of salaries. As we have not so far received .our copy, we cannot speak authoritatively, but it has been asserted that while in some cases the most I efficient, masters are receiving the minimum amount of remuneration, others who are I entitled to but £95 per annum, are actually. In receipt of £240. From, a return I received from the Government Printer, we glean some curious facts with regard to tire amount qf revenue collected at each port, and the coat of collection. From ifc we learn that at Whangarei the total Customs revenue collected last, year was £32, while £200 w.ere spent in collecting it, the rate of collection being therefore something like d6635 per cent ; and at the Chathams no less a sum than £141 was paid to collect £9. This is decidedly a paying game; and should be very satisfactory information for the tax payers. So much has been said, written, and contradicted about the Royal Hotel-chan-ging .hands, 'that; we pen any item regarding it wtth fear and trembling. However^ we are now in a position to' state positively that: from the present date until the 31st of August, the management of the Royal will be in the hands of Mr J. Gs Batchelar, late of Martori and Wanganui, who will conduct everything during that period on Mr Gilbjert's. behalf, 'Bor the benefit of our local land-owners we mako the following extriot from a late number of the " New Z&alaud Gazette " ; "That a smn of £5,000 will bo paid to any injclividual or company who shall first pro-, duce not leas than. 500 tons of marketable sugar from beet grown and manufactured ' i.ft the^forth Islai^d.."

V With regard to the survey of the HuttWaikanae line we extract the following from the " Wellington Chronicle" :— " Mr Winks, one of the Government surveyors, has just made a survey of the Hutt-Wai-line, and has forwarded his report to the Government. We understand that he has named three routes for the line which he considered practicable. 4-8 Mr Winks' report is only a preliminary one, it would be j premature to publish it." - * We have recevied a copy of No 5, of the "Wairarapa Valley Weekly .Guardian," a I journal lately started in Carterton, under the managment of Mr Robert Carrick, . a journalist well known in the ' South Island. It is sixteen pages demy folio, printed, in old style- type, on good paper, and from a typographical point of view has a most respectable appearance. Its leaders are ably written, and the! selections being judiciously made, it should prove an acquisition to the locality it represents. -We wish the stranger every success. ■ . . . It is mentioned as somewhatof a coinci* j dence that two persons lately in custody on the most serious charges— 'Ryan and O'Connor— were at one time sergeants in the Constabulary. Ryan, who was charged with the dastardly murder at Kumara,. was some few years ago a sergeant of police in ; Dunedin, and while there was tried for attempting to murder Detective Faroell, by shooting him; He was however acquitted, but the prevailing opinion was that he was guilty of the crime. With regard to the other prisoner, O'Connor,— at present in gaol for trying to poison Mr Light,— twelve months since he was a perfect little king at Waimate, in Canterbury, over which district he had charge, Some, time ago, but sinqe then, his wife became insane, and O'Connor taking to drink was reduced to the ranks. The degradation preyed so much upon him that he attempted to oommit suicide by cutting his throat, and although it was not made generally known, it was sufficient to cause his; dismissal. Since then he has given, way to drink, and in. the comparatively short time mentioned he finds him in prison, with a charge hanging over him of the gravest nature. We would again draw attention to the concert, to be held in the Foresters' Hall oril Friday -night. The programme, appeals in another column, and we may mention that since its first publication a -few alterations and changes have been made. The Palmer* ston public, we regret: to say, are by no means good patrons of entertainments, but we trust the coming occasion will be an exception to the general rule, and to see a crowded house assemble to benefit the' cause for which the concert is given, ■- We are pleased to see that at the sitting of the Waste Lands Board at Wellington on Thursday last, a plan was, sqbmittejd Jof a/ ; block of Grown lands adjoining 'Fitzherbert township, Manawatu. It was agreed that the unsurveyed laud in, the Fitzherbert Block, as shown On the map; be surveyed as soon as possible into sections, varying from 50 to 200 acres each, as might be found most desirable, having regard to the bes^. lines of road and the general features of the land. This is a step in the right direction, and no doubt measures wiU ere long be taken, with regard the Karere Block. „: Our Wellington contemporary, the "New Zealand Times," has ; the following, which js of interest to ou.r readers j— " We understand that the regular running of trains: carrying passengers and mails from Wanganui through to Foxton will not be commenced before {the 22nd instant. It was < hoped that constant traffic, would have bee n begun before this date." Several have been current in the district, one that that the lihe, willbe open on nextjMQndayt and another on Monday week. .However we may rest; satisfied if the event will take place on the date mentioned by the "TirnTes,"; which will be this.day fortnight. „ > We, are given to understand that Mr. Sherwill, of Halcpmbe, has received official intimation fronj (he E. and C. Aid. Cor,- : poration that after three months his services will be no longer required. Mr Sherwill has been connected with the Corporation almost from its start, and his severance will be a matter of surprise to many. We have not heard the exact reason for .the step, but believe it is inviewof carrying. Qut some changes contemplated in the working of the Corporation. . We were also informed that other changes are likely to take place, which, howevoft ]at present are only rumored. ; I In another column will be found the programme issued =by the Foxton Choral Society for their .last concert,; which will, take place to-mprrow evening.: As the date of holding the enterfcaiment is somewhat earlier than usual, it may be as well to state that the change has been made on account of the intended departure of- some ' of the Society's, members.. As will be seen; by a perusal, the bill of fare is a' most enticing one, and under the; able conductorship of Mr Somers, will, no doubt; prove a great success. . , The efforts of those gentlemen who have been exerting, themselves to form, a Sunday School in connection with the Church of • Englaud in Palmerston, have every likelihood of being crowned, with success. Last Sun" day was the first trial, and no less than, between thirty and forty children put in an j appearance. We are informed that the Foresters* Hall has been generously placed atthe ; disposal of the Committee .for the purpose, but it is intended before long to erect a suitable building contiguous tpjthe church. As foere is every probability of. a clergyman being appointed to Palmerston, it is also, contemplated erecting, a. parsonage pn the game ground. r We are informed that" application has been freely made from the district for shares in the new Coloiiial Insurance Company.;. yt& may inform those who might wish to make such an investment, that application forms may bo obtained at the looftl branch Qf the Bank of New Zealand.

A report was current on Sunday that a special train would pass through Palmer* ■ ston from Wanganui, but although the station-master, Mr 'Cottam, was on the; quivive&ll day, his services were not {called into requisition. .We" beliere the report emanated from a private ■ message sent by Mr Duigan to Mr 'Crawford, brewer, in which the former stated that a special train would run through, and he would be t on board. There may ha>e been some -truth in the information, as Mr Eotheram, the General Manager, was expected at -■the Fotton section on either Satard.ay or Sunday. As an index of the amount of traffic upon the Foxton section of the line, and the in* creasing requirements of the town of Pal-' merston, we may state that' on Saturday* no loss than six trucks of merchandise arrived at the station, consigned to storekeepers in the place. From all sides we hear of oo». plaints, both, from importers and exporters, of the loas and inconvenience experienced by the. totally -inadequate' supply o£ trucks on the line, and we certainly think that it is high time some little attention>ere paid^to the matter, and the eril remedied. We are pleased to learn that the difficulty between Mr Hurley and the Natives at the Grona Bridge; has been so far tided over, and, that the permission acoorded by the Maori, Adam Clark, to 'allow the work to proceed, has not been withdrawn'/or the men interfered witt. According to our contemporary the "Eangitikei Advocate," a Transit of Mwowiy was to have been visible yesterday morning from gunriae to ten o'clock; Well, we were not up at Bunrise, neither did we notice the transit of Mercury, but from the very wintry temperature of the morning, we ean readily believe the merour-y had a downward tendency. ' A meeting of the committee of the Palmerston Reading-room was held last evening in the Public Hall. Mr. Green occupied the chair, and. there were also present Messrs. Leafy, Coleman, Patten, Wray, Moffatfc, and the hon. secretary. The offer of Mr. Moffatt to buy the waste paper at sixpence per pound was accepted, and a vote jof thanks p*#aed to the Manawatxt Tpffla, its regular donation [of papers, Some other: business of a routine nature wm transacted, and the meeting adjourned. Owing to the (arrival of the Califorooian mail and an extreme press of advertisements, we are campeUed to hold .over, the report of of the Manchester Hjghwaj a Baaixl, & lettersigned " Hanlon," and, other matter.