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Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9415, 8 April 1909, Page 4

*** The Rangitikei Advocate will not be published on Good Friday or Easter Monday The Auckland City Council returns show that rates collected in 1909 totalled £66,654, arrears only £210; as compared with £28,585 collected in 1889, and arrears £5078. Marton Band last evening decided to go in for a set of new instruments and an order will be sent to an English firm at once. It is intended to hold a social towards the end of the month. Proceeds will be devoted to the instrument fund. Dunedin City Council ’ and the Fruit Growers’ Associtaion are protesting against Goodwin’s action in stopping the Tuapeka-Roxburg railway. Thhe Mayor instructed by the Council, will calf a public indignation meeting if necessary. The following figures, which represent the number of men required to bring the companies in Otago up to normal strength, show the seriousness of the position into which volunteering has fallen in that province : Officers 22, Non commissioned; Officers 65, Men 703. The funeral of the late Mr George Polgreen yesterday was attended by settlers from all parts of the district. The remains were borne to the graveside gby Messrs D. Thompson, W. Jordan, H. Hutchins, and W. Tyre. The burial service was conducted by Rev. D. Gordon.

The Advisory Board of the N.Z. Employers’ Federation, has passed a resolution strongly protesting against preference to unionists, opposing and resenting any attempt to restrict the undesirable right of employers to select their workmen, or to compel them to force unwilling men into Unions.

At Feilding Court this morning, before Mr A. D. Thomson, S.M., Frederick Hart and Peter Christensen, both of Umutoi, were convicted of allowing Californian thistle to sprea>d on their land and each fined 20s with 28s costs. David Love was fined £3, with £3 2s costs, for failing to bury a beast which bad died on the roadside.

Mr A. J. Dixon, who has been accountant in the. Hunterville, branch of the Bank of New Zealand, leaves this week to fill a similar position in the Bank of New Zealand, Melbourne. Mr Dixon has been two years in Hunterville, and the many friends he has made there will wish him all success in his new position. Mr Dixon was choirmaster for St. John’s Church, and secretary of Rangatira Masonic Lodge. He was also an enthusiastic player of tennis and golf. “Banzai, ” a war novel by an unknown German official, is reported to have been the sensation of the publishing season in Germany. It is said that 280,000 copies have been sold. No German character figures in the story, and it is suggested that the reason for its popular interest is that the story of a war of conquest by Japan on America may emphasise the point that the Monroe doctrine applies equally in the Pacific as in the Atlantic. It is as though the author assures America that she has nothing to fear from Germany in the East, but,much tA fear from Japan in the West.

The Hon. Dr. Findlay told a.N.Z. Times reporter that the instructions for the merging of departments in accordance with the scheme anannounoed by, Sir Joseph Ward at Upper Hntt were given yesterday, and hereafter all reference to the different departments will be made through the one departmental head. To him will be referred the question of staff reduction, and his duty will be to find out and report how many, if any, of the members of the staffs of the different branches can be dispensed with. “At present,” said Dr. Findlay, “£15,000 per annum is paid by the Government departments to lawyers in private practice for doing law work for the Oiown. Some of this will, no doubt, still be required for convenience and promptness, but a large saving can be effected by insisting on all law work going through the Grown law office. A representative meeting of delegate sheep farmers from the bosh districts, Palmerston, Feilding and Wairarapa was held at Woodville yesterday for the purpose of forming a co-operative freezing company. Fourteen were present, and Mr J. O. Oooper occupied the chair. Delegates reported the result of meetings held in their respective districts, the sum total of which was in favour of forming a co-operative freezing company. The meeting affirmed the desirability of forming a company, and desirability of forming a company, and ditcussecTst length where the site of the works should be. No finality in this respect was arrived at, but it was decided to let it be . a question for the shareholders to decide. A company was then legally' started, the nominal capital to be £IOO,OOO in shares of £5 each. A provisional, board was appointed, consisting of Messrs J. O. Oooper, Lomax (Pahiatua), Hummer (Manrioeville). Wingate and Basillie (Palmerston N.), Brookes and MoIlroy (Feilding). Groves, McKenzie, Brown and Falconer (Wairarapa), McDonald (Waitabora) and a gentleman from Pongaroa. Mr Oooper was appointed chairman of directors, and Mr Milne (Masterton) secretary. For Influenza take Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure. Never fhils. is 6d and 2s 6d-

Timaru Herald reports that an applicant before tills week’s Old Age Pension Oonrt was found to have property of the value of £IOSO, and from it he was getting 6 per bent. From a report presented to the Pohangina County Council by the Engineer it was shown that the cost of metalling with the County teams was slightly less than by contract. The report was deemed satisfactory. Messrs George Wells & Co., the largest creditors of the Ferro Concrete Co., have offered to advance the Company £3OOO if Auckland City Council will advance a similar amount to complete the Cemetery Bridge. The Council agreed subject to Messrs Wells & Co. giving an indemnity under the Lien Act and guaranteeing to complete the contract.

A case of elopement 'occurred in Masterton this week, says the Wairarapa Daily Times, the parties being a well-known jockey, who is already married, and a young Maori girl aged about eighteen years. At the intsanoe of the mother of the girl, we understand, a warrant has been issued for the arrest of the man. Wanganui is stated tube the destination of the couple. At Dunedin Police Oonrt ‘ yesterday Michael O’Donnell was commit ted for trial pn a second charge of wilfully attempting to defeat the ends of justice oy offering a bribe to Charles Abernathy. Evidence by Abernethy was to the effect that the accused offered him £25 if he would gee bis daughter, who was a witness in a case against the accused’s son, not to identify the last named. At Pohangina County Council meeting, yesterday the question was asked whether Finnis’ Road was open for traffic, as a farmer had been stopped by Mr McOolley from driving his rams through it. The Chairman replied that the road was open, and be knew of no authority anyone could have to stop the driving of sheep along it. There being no formal complaint concerning the matter no action was taken.

A mild scene occurred in the S.M. Court, Lower Hutt, on Tuesday just as the Court rose. The male defendant in a separation order case rushed wildly through the Court grasping a child which was screaming lustily, followed by its mother and its two young brothers who were also crying and very excited. Dr. McArthur came on the scene and smoothed matters, restoring the child to its mother and advising her to go away from the Court at once.

At the meeting of Wanganui Education Board, Mr Rookel was appointed to Balls High School, and Mr Johnston, of Pahiatua, to Marton High School. The Board specially complimented Miss Lanyon, head teacher at Silverhope, on the very satisfactory report cf the Inspector on the working of the school and results obtained. It was decided to obtain one certificate |of title for tfie three pieces of land taken for Rata School. The metalling was left with Mr Purnell, with power to act.

The birch was ordered by Mr Riddell, S.M., as a corrective to one of two juvenile offenders, aged respectively 17 and 16 years of age, wbo appeared before him on a charge of having stolen twenty-five raoeoard books, valned at 10s. One boy, who pleaded guilty, was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, and to repay 14s. The other accused pat in a plea of not guilty. He was also ordered to oome np for sentence when called upon, and to receive 'sis strokes of the birch. An order was made that accused should refund 7s found in his possession.

A meeting was called at New Plymouth on Wednesday by the Mayoress to discuss the proposal to petition Parliament to restore State free immigration of single women suitable for domestic service. Only three ladies responded to the invitation. The Mayor announced that Mrs Tisoh would not take the matter up, as she was wholly out of sympathy 'with the idea. But she had been bound to call this meeting together. In conversation with a reporter subsequently, Mr and Mrs Tisoh remarked that they had bad very lengthy experience with domestic help, and they had never had any difficulty in obtaining good girls or in keeping them. “Some of these people,” remarked jMrs Tisoh, “don’t know how to treat a girl when they get one. So they’re always advertising for girls.”

The Leader of the Opposition delivered a speech at Auckland last night in reply to Sir Joseph Ward’s Upper Hutt speech. Mr Massey said that Parliament ought to have been consulted before the offer of a Dreadnought was made, and went on to advocate a system of National Training. The duty of the State was to set to work to establish that system forthwith The heads of the Governments here and elsewhere in the Empire seemed to wait till they saw a war cloud before thinking about getting ready. He claimed that Sir Joseph Ward’s speech on the public service was a complete justification of the Opposition criticism for years past that the service had staffed with political appointees and there woqld not be a complete or permanent improvement tillj a Public Ser-. vice Board had been appointed, which will select candidates on account of merit and not political influence. He suggested that a start should be made by a reduction of the number of Ministers and also a reduction in Ministerial salaries. Mr Massey was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence. It was rnmoured in Maeterton on Saturday, says the Wairarapa Daily Times, that Mr Harley Donald, of this town, had challenged the coloured champion, Jack Johnson, to a boxing contest. The report proved to be true, but it did not appear quite so startling when tho circumstances became known, Mr Donald, who is at present on a visit to the United States, left Sydney in the same steamer on which Johnson was a passenger. When about two days oat from their port of destination, a terrible storm was encountered, and a number of the passengers, including Johnson, suffered so acutely from mal-de-mer that they ware quite unable to ieave their cabins. Mr Donald, being a gocd sailor, suffered no inconvenience from tho heavy pitching and rolling Jof the ship and when the storm wak at its height he conceived the idea (of writing out a challenge to -Johnson This he had sent down to him. ! Despite his being for the | time! virtually hors de combat, ’ the ■ world’s champion boxer ; enjoyed the joke immensely, and sonfe a message in reply stating that under the circumstances be had nc,] .alternative but to forfeit to his olfalleugir.

It was stated at a meeting at tho Thames a few days ago that every font weeks £75,000 was paid in wages in the Ohiuemuri district. A public apology appears in the Auckland Star from a foolish person who had caused to be previously inserted in that journal a bogns announcement of marriage. The paper points out that a joke of that description is capable of costing its perpetrator a penalty of £BO, or in default one month’s imprisonment.

The cost of maintaining prisoners at Auckland gaol was £43 6s 6d a head last year, and at Hokitika £B9 0s 10.1. The discrepancy in the net cost was even worse, the figures being £l2 5s Cd at Auckland and £B4 os 7d at Hokitika. It is not, therefore, surprising that it is proposed to close Hokitika gaol.

A novel incident occurred on the arrival at Sava of the s.s. Maitai from Auckland. A livery stablekeeper and a solicitor each imported a pair of carriage horses. When the animals arrived there were no tags to distinguish the consignments, and the argument was decided by “toss.” The solicitor won the favourite pair.

A woman named Munro disappeared on Monday night from a house in New Plymouth where she was living shortly after having given birth to twins, one of whom was dead. Search parties found the woman alive on the banks of a stream late yesterday afternoon clad only in a nightdress. She was removed in a low condition to the Hospital. Dr. Buck, M P., thinks there is nothing to prevent the Maori re* gaining bis old physique. Consumption does not carry off the brown skins so much as formerly. Many school teachers give breathing exercises, and the open-air treatment is being impressed. Maoris are least prosperous in the Urewera district, where there is little white popnlation and no opportunity for moneymaking. In winter they were often sore pressed for 'food. Before proceeding with the civil business at Feilding Court this morning, Mr A. D. Thomson, S.M , referred to the death of Mr A. G. Oarty, whose energy, ability, and integrity had enabled him to secure a high place in the profession. He also expressed his sincere sympathy with the bereaved. Mr W. A. Sandilands, the senior solicitor present, also expressed the sympathy and regret of the Bar. The Clerk was instructed to convey the sympathy of Bench and Bar to Mrs Oarty. The new headmaster of Wanganni Collegiate School, Rev. J. L. Dove, arrived in Wellington from London by the Ruapebn. Mr Dove is well acquainted with New Zealand. He was vicar of Hnnterviile, Wellington diocese, from 1899 to 1903 Then he returned to England, and became headmaster of Denstone College, Staffordshire. After that he assumed the duties of second master of Durham School Prior to coming out to New Zealand originally he was for eighteen years a master at Haileybnry College. The Marine Department has been advised by Mr L. F. Aysou, Chief Inspector of, Fisheries, that the salmon ova which he brought from England to Dnnedin has been landed in good condition. Some of it bad to be kept a while at Home, while the remainder was being obtained, and therefore the former was a little over ripe, but there has been only abont 5 per cent, loss amongst that lot and only 1 per cent, among the ova procured later. Three cases consisting of the over-ripe lot were advisedly sent to the Hakatacamea hatchery. The other six cases were dispatched in charge of Mr O. S. Ayson to the Te Anau hatchery.

An unfamiliar call was answered by the firemen of the Little Bonrke Street station in Melbourne recently. They were summoned to the warehouse of Messrs Uilathorne, Hartridge and Go., Lonsdale Street. Beaching the scene in hot haste to answer the fire alarm, they found no fire, but much alarm. A young woman employed by the firm had become so engrossed in her that closing time had passed, and the doors had been bolted,' leaving her in a lonely prison. Failing to appreciate all at once the advantages of a qniet week-end,.and unable to attract attention through the barred windows of the ground floor, she went up to the second storey, opened a window, and delivered her first public address. When she had succeeded in making her wants known the brigade was called. The firemen reared up a ladder, by means of which the girl was released from injudicial imprisonment for forty hours “ without the option.” Interviewed after his speech at Auckland last evening, Mr Massey said: “I do not know, of course. What business will be brought before the House, but I am inclined to prophesy that the session will be rather more interesting than usual. There are -a number of matters that the House will‘want to know about. 5 ' I beard in more than one quarter that we are to have a Laud Bill, but I should have thought the Government would have let that question severely alone. I notice Ministers have been trying to convince some audiences that we have the best land laws in the world, but I don’t agree with them,” added Mr Massey. The Opposition leader went on to remark that once the frreebold Incentive to settlement, which settlers had under the optional system was removed, settlement would suffer, and he knew that it was suffering now where lands had been opened only on leasehold tenure. If a vote of farmers and settlers and Intending settlers were taken to-morrow 995* out of every 1000 would vote for the optional system. The settlers knew what was best for Themselves and bset for the land, and what was best for the land was best for the State.”

Apropos of the reported dearth of employment, a South Canterbury correspondent writes to the Press, pointing out that the rate of wages demanded is responsible for * this state of affairs. He states that he recently communicated with the Labour Department, asking to be supplied with a farm hand, but was informed that no man could be supplied unless he was offered 25s per week to start with Quite recently, continues the writer, there were six farmers applying at the Timaru Labour Bureau for helps on the farm, and not a man could be found that was willing to work at even 25s weekly. “To meet the difficulty, ’* he ados, “I am now laying aside two-furrow ploughs and buying three-furrow ploughs, with six horses in each, add giving the men I have 80s per week and found.*' "What is to become of the immigrants ami labourers, concludes the correspondent, if the unions force them not to start work under 25s per week this coming winter?