NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Times, Volume IV, Issue 75, 29 September 1880, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

Dramatic Entertainment: —As will be seen m another column the Working Men's Amateur Dramatic Club will give an entertainment on Eriday night m aid of the Organ Fund of l^-.. Patrick's Church. The programme tv'Ul embrace "TheMoment jus Q .lostion," and if Mad as a Hatter.'*' Another Denial, — Wo have bton shown a letter which was about to be forwarded to the JAust from a settler m Karere, giving a positive contradiction to the slander against Constable Grillespie contained iii un anonymous letter to that paper. The contradiction was from Mr. Viggo Monrad, a name which should carry more weight irith it than the assertions of fifty anonymous scribblers. Extending his Business— Mr. Sylvester Ooleuian is erecting a spacious store and ofliees a few doors above his present pretnisos, with the viewr of extending his business. W« und^ -stand that to his present busiuess of LanU aud iJoLuniission Agent he intends to add that o 1 ! Auctioneer, and certainly tlie accommodation of which he will be possessed will b« amply fitted for that purpose. The Resident Magistrate's Court. — Mr. Ward will preside at the Police Court to-morrow, and although it is tliree weeks since he last presided, the charge sheet and cause lists are not very heavy. The Deputy Land Tax Commissioner has issued half a hundred summonses, but with very laudable discretion, the inonev for the greater portion of them has-: been already chs^orgeu. The Manawatu Highways Board. — The usual monthly meeting of the Manawatu Highways Board should take place to-morrow, and we trust that sufficient number of members will put m au appearance to form a quorum, and so allow the complicated affairi of the Board to be brought to some settlement. We believe all the necessary powers and documents for separation aro already iv the hands of the Chairman, so that with this meeting we would not be surprised to see the two new boards spring into existence. Rifle Match- — A rifle match between the officers and non-commissioners on the one side and seven men picked from the corps of the Palmerston Eiiles will take place on Saturday, at half past one o'clock The competitors are : — Officers. — Lieuten- | ants Marsh ancl Pirani ,• Sergeants Carroll, i Batchelar, and Stephenson ; Corporals Hampsop and Relf, Privates. — Rush, Snow, Chester, Bryant, Collins, Dillon, and Macmanaway. The ranges are 3C N , 400, and 500 yards, five shots at each range. Euier gency Men — Privates, Malcolm, Campbell, and Q-oodisson. An Intimation.— With this issue the third quarter of tlie year closes, and we would therefore ask those of our subscribers who have not pnid the first half year, to do so at their earliest convenience. As all must be aware the carrying on of a newspaper — tven though it be a provincial one — is attended with a very considerable outlay, and unless patrons will pay up promptly the undertaking is a very difficult one, and its conduct made much more expensive. As the quarters commence on the Ist of January, April, Jnlv, and October, subscribers can have no difficulty m knowing when their subscriptions becoaie du<». I Left-handed Justice.— it is well known that there are Road Boards and County Councils m tlie South Island --vhose 1 coffers ore overflowing, and m order to expend the accumulated balances they have determined to levy no more rates for the titr.e being. With the knowledge of that fact before them, do»s ic. not seem tlie very essence of studied unfairness on tlie part of the Government to sadly curtail the subsidies to those bodies which are deeply involved, and yet hand over just the same aid to those whose treasuries are m a glutted condition. The action of the Government fully bears out the old saying, " GreaO help waits upon little need." Equine Accident.— A horse belonging to Mr. Percy Roberts, of Terrace End, came to grief on Thursday night, by tumbling down a blind well. Tho poor beast met with the ->ccident during tho night and notwithstanding that every endeavor was made to rescue it from its painful position, it was not until tlie following evening that the workers were successful. However, upon being brought to the surface it was found that it was so much injured and exhausted it would be a mercy to put it out of its misery, and it was consequently shot. Mr. Roberts has been singularly unfortunate with his horses, as it is not so very long since, he had a valuable animal staked. T:he A^ent-General,— According to rumor the time it not far distant when Sir Julius Yogel will resign tlie Ageat-General-ship. !The lever which has been brought to bear to force tlie worth}' knight to resign is his acceptance of the Chairmanship of the New Zealand Agricultural Company, which he appears determined to hold even to the relinquishing of his official appointment. Although there is pretty good evidence that a vacancy will soon occur, the tat< ling Dame Rumor is mysteriously silent as to who will succeed Sir Julius. We would take not very long odds that the first letter of his successor's name is " Reader Wood," who will at last receive the reward of Judasical treachery. An Unpleasant Predicament.— From a letter which wo received from Mr. Mitford on Monday, writtou on board the O eti, we learn that the vessel is still lying drwn the Wanganui River, and unable to get to sea. Considering that the steamer was advertised to. sail on the ISth and Mr. Mitford's letter was dated the 2Gtb, some idea may be gleaned of the unpleasantness to Mrs. Mitford, cooped up m a little cockleshell of a steamer, with a young baby, and not a drop of milk. When it is remembered that the Oreti is by no means a Leviathan—in fnct, quite the reverse — we are afraid its late detention will prove a hard pill for thoso to swallow who are continually boasting of tho magnificent port with which Wanganui is blessed. The Mayoral Chair-— During the paut. few days fresh efforis wer» made to induce Councillor Jenssen to alter hit. determination of declining nomination for ths next Mayoralty, but without success. Under these circumstances then, we are pleased to learn that Councillor Ferguson, has agreed to come forward, and that slop. to. secure his return are being taken. Next to Councillor Jenssen, Councillor Ferguson i« the oldfll; member of the Corporation, he ba» been unremitting m his attendances at the Council meetings, and he possesses ) every qualification to fit him to fill the position with dignity and efficiency, The honor j of being Chan-man of the body is one which j every member looks forward to, and as we ] have' always held that the office should be a r lling one, we ar« pleased to think tliat J the third Mayor of Palmerston will be j worthy of h's predecessors. , Throwing Down the Gauntlet. The Natives of Hnrowhomia are somewhat nonplussed at the cavalier manner m which their claims have been treated by the Mana- : County Council, and show thou* teeth I

by the following letter addressed to that ' body : — " To the Chairman of the Manawatu County Council. — The forty days are now pp,st that were agreed upon by you. There is now 21st of September. We are waiting for your reply. Our letters you have never answered. The Council. — Here is our word to you. We wil l repeat again our first words, and carry tb-m out. We will close the road through Horowhenua on the Ist of October, 1880. — We remain as usual, sixty-two porsons, MoANi Ajioe-ano-i." A little of the experience provided for the Parihaka obstructionists might have a wholesome effect m allaying this bounce an 1 b itlm*, and bring those " black " mailers to their senses. Actuated with the Proper! Spirit.— lt would be well for all school committees if they had teachers actuated by the same unselfish spirit as has been exhibited by Mr. Hulke, of Foxton, on all occasions. It tn jbe remembered that he was a most strenuous advocate for the appointment of a sclioolmtsti^ess m his school — intimating his inability to manage th* girls of advanced ages — although such a step would seriou^v curtail his own salary. A few weeks ago h. received an invitation to attend a meeting of tlie Teachers' Association to take into consideration the reductions m salary, but his answer was a characteristic one — He forwarded his donation, with an intimation that he did not sympathise with the object ; he thought the masters were even now well paid ; and would like to see tlie salaries more equalised, so as to give tht teachers m spall ischools something more than the '"-Starvation salaries which they have hitherto been receiving. More Prosecutions. —No doubt influenced by the success of the'r action against the man Lyster, charged with practising without a diploma, the police have determined io proceed against all persons practising a certificate of registration. In pursuance of that intention, then, Subinspector Q-oodall has laid the an information against Mr. Rockstrow, of Foxton. Although we can scarcely see how the police could act otherwise, if they desired to see the law carried out without fear ou favor, still the case of Mr. Rockstrow is rather an exceptional one. lt js freely admitted oven_ by tliat portion of the community who are not friendly to him, that Dr. Rockstrow is possessed of vast experience, and great ability, and that although not legally registered, he is amply qualified to practise aa a physician. Of course if practising without the legal document be a breach of the law, it is impossible to overlook it j at the same time m Dr Rockutrow's case we presume that a prohibition would merely be to protect the leg timate members of tlie p c fession not on behalf of the public, as tbe safety of patients might well be left m his hands. The Wrong Sow by the Ear.— It is very seldom that the police get so much trouble over the arrest of a cr.miual as has been given them to discover the purloiner of Mr. Robert Stevens' horse. As we reported m our last the Maori who had been arrested on the charge, when confronted with Mr. Carpenter turned out. to be guiltless of the theft. Constable Price being then put upon his mettle, and acting upon !i information received " enlisted the aid of Constable Gillespie, and m mufti on Saturday they proceeded to the Oroua Downs, where after some time they arrested a Native, named Tawa. We are scarcely corre.-t m saying 'they arrested Tawa, but Constable Price induced him to accompany him to Feilding upon the promises of having his expenses paid. But to his ch-giuu, when the Constable paraded Master Tawa before Mr. Carpenter, he was even more unlike the culprit than the man arrested before. This is rather hard lines for poor Constable Price, who has been twice baulked m his captures and by the last occasion will have to disgorge a tidy amount to salve tie wounded feelings of Tawa. Meanwhile the horsestealer is at large. A Voice from the South.— We notice that our esteemed contemporary the Oamaru Mail has made our local District Court the subject of a leading article which it commences as follows : — "Tiie people of Palmerston North are agitating for a new Courthouse. A telegram m another column tells their tale m sorrowful language. It , is bad eno.ugh to have to wait one's turn as a witness, or to serve as a juryman, under the most favorable circumstances, but for j tlie one to be compelled to remain outside ! m the drenching rain, and the other to adjourn with a soaking wet jacket to another building to consider a verdict, is more than human nature can be expected to bear." I Our contemporary then proceeds to retail its own woes and the sya a natic nsglect with which it has been treatod. As the writer of this haß also, had considerable experience of (he discomforts of the build n* which does duty as District and Police Courts at Oamaru he can heartily endorse the strictures passed upon the Department uf Justice. With a population of 5000 to 6003 inhabitants and a Resident Magistrate presiding every day, that nourishing town "jas had to be satisfied with a building which would be a disgrace to a digging township. Leaving the District.— lt is with extreme regret we learn that tho Rev. Mr. Newth has decided upon resigning the charge pf AH Snin.t'-s Church, ovor which he has been pastor for the last eighteen months. The step is purely a voluntary one, arising from a variety of reasons, of which, however, the delicate state of Mi's. Newth's health is the most cogent. During hia ministration m Palmerston Mr. Newth has proved himself to be a true minister of the Q-ospel, mindful not of his own ease or comfort, but seeking out the sick and the sorrowful, to whom he was always a welcome visitor. It mattered not tp him whether a sufferer belonged to his congregation or not, that he was a victim of sorrow or sickness was a sufficient reason to claim his fatherly care and attention, and consequently while he has won the love of the poor, he has commanded the respect and admiration of those whose society he, neglected for the sake of- more lowly and less favored brethren. It has been truly said that virtue brings its own reward, aud m despising a popularity which might be purchased at the prioe of his duty aa a clergyman, Mr. Newth haa the gratifying, solace to know that at his departure he will take with him the respect and united good wishes of every member of the community independently of position or pers uaaion. H" will leave Palmerston m a few days onavi- f to hia friends m Australia, and we learn with pleasure that he has had the. offer, of a very excellent parish, there, should he care to accept it. Cricket.— The Secretary of the Palmerston North Cricket Club, haa received a letter from Wanganui, o.f which the following ia a copy:—" Sir, — Seeing that there appears to be a seiious falling off m the interest which was once displayed m cricket on this Coast, I am anxious to know whether you will co-operate with me m my efforts to revive it. My plan is this, that a snjbacription be at once started throughout the four counties of Manawatu, Patea, Rangitikei, *nd Wanganui, the proceeda to be applied to procuring a suitable Cup, to be contested for annually by the afore-namfd countiea. I think from £40 to £50 would procure a very handsome trophy, and one which, would stimulate our young cricketers to atrain every nerTe to secure it. Tho fl^jst ite***

would be the formation of County Cluba, and m these I would suggest that th*^ subscription should be made very small — say 5/ per member. I should then propose., that all affairs connected with the district, such as the arrangement of the Cup competitions, and the appointment of teams representing the district, be managed by a committee consisting of a representative from each county. Please communicate with me touching the matter at your earliest convenience. I would beg to remind you that there is no time to be lost, as the cricketing season is already on the eve of commencement. I may remark that I shall be happy to contribute £5 myself towards the ' Cup Fund.' — I have the honor, &_■., 6 1 laG-E E. Anson." We understand that I\:r, Pirani, the Hon. Secretary to the local ciub, has convened a meeting of members for this evening to consider the subject matter of Mr. Anson's letter.