Rangitikei Advocate. THURSDAY, MAY 6, 1909. 'EDITORIAL NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9437, 6 May 1909, Page 4

Rangitikei Advocate. THURSDAY, MAY 6,1909. 'EDITORIAL NOTES.

IN his criticism of the Premier’s Invercargill speech, Mr Massey said Sir Joseph fbad told them that the floating debt, had been reduced by £150.000. hrt r’Ui not tell the oomitry by how many millions the permanent debt had been increased. Sir Joseph Ward announced a surplus of £184,000, but omitted to add that for the previous year there was a surplus of £767,000. Then, again, the Prime Minister announced that the deposits in the Post Office Savings Bank for the past year were £636,000, bat did not toll the country what the withdrawals were While he spoke of considerable increases in the railway revenue he forgot to remind his audience that toe increase was due to the opening of the Main Trunk and the taking over of the Manawatu line, “Right through the speech,” said Mr Massey, “there is a want of candour and an evident desire to anticipate criticism of the public accounts when tuey make their appearance. . . Sir Joseph Ward’s attempt at cheerfulness over a falling revenue and the necessary retrenchment was almost pathetic, but the point that impressed me most forcibly 1 was that instead of the .vainglorious boasting to whi'oh we have been accustomed in previous years, the Prime Minister has now reached the apologetic stage. He apologised after a fashion for the failure of the defence system, for the failure of the Government in connection with the settlement of native land, for the falling Customs revenue, and for the necessity of reducing expenditure and the consequent outting down of the public, service. . The Prime Minister asks pathetically for more banks, but it seems to me that if the Government made less use of the banks, including the Savings Bank, there would be more money available for the use of the public, and I may as well say now that I see no reason why arrangements should not be made to lend money oh mortgage to settlers from the Post Office Savings Bank. It has been almost impossible for some time naat to borrow ’money on mortgage at reasonable rates of interest, except in comparatively small sums, and something should be done to meet the difficulty. If the country is to progress it must have a plentiful supply of money at reasonable rates, and that is a long way from being the case at present.”

WHEN Minister Hogg was a private member he frequently fulminated against an alleged flpur trust, and loudly demanded the abolition of the flour duty, arid the establishment of State bakeries was also not opposed’ Now that he is a Minister he has become more cautions. At Auckland a member of a. deputation who waited upon him to oomplain of the price of bread, said the only hope from a working-man’s point of view was the establishment of Stateowned bakeries, and the removal of the duties on flour and potatoes. The Minister did not take kindly to either suggestion. Co-operative, not State bakeries, are recommended by him now, and insiead of proposing to remove the flour duty he told the deputation that there is legislation already provided to keep the price of flour at the same figure as it is in Australia—Jess cost of freight When a man is in receipt of a high Ministerial salary his views are apt to be conservative. 1

WHILE there is evidently going to be B9me difficulty in securing auy very substantial reduction in the cost of the Civil Service it is noticeable that so far the Premier has not suggested a very simple method of considerably reducing the cost of government; la order to accomplish this all he has to do is to reduce the salaries’of himself and his colleagues, and abolish the payment cf members, or reduce it to an amount whiob will be just sufficient to pay their reasonable expenses. A country which finds it neoessaryxto retrench cannot afford to pay Ministers salaries of from £2O to £33 per week, and members £6 per : week. Ministers would be well paid at half the rate, and even then'they would get as much as the President of the Swiss Republic, while members might very well be honor of the position, and in any case, their number, might be reduced to a third with every ..advantage and benefit to the community, j

THE people may fairly be called upon to rejoice at the improved tone of the wool market. The London sales on Tuesday opened brisk with prices a* par to 10 per cent, advance. It is also specially satisfactory to note the marked improvement in crossbreds. When wool dropped in price some time ago the effect was almost immediately felt byAH classes. Money became scarcer, owing to a great extent to the Banks calling on clients to refund differences between the amounts advanced against their wool and the price it realised. It is the kashion among socialists and their political friends to attack “the man on the land,” but when he is not prosperous the whole community feels it. The present state of the’ wool market gives good ground for hope of better times. •,'

At Hawera fully 90 per cent.of the District High School pupils from Third Standard upwards can swim.

The tender of Mr J. MoHardie, of Marton, has been accepted for lease of Otaki railway refreshment rooms for next three years. The annual dinner of the Palmerston branch of the Farmers’ Union was field last evening. A report of the speeches will appear in tomorrow’s issue. . ; “What do you consider a living wage?” was asked of a witness in the Arbitration Court a.t Auckland. “It all depends,” he replied, “on what sort of a wife a fellow has.” Alfred Bailey, quartermaster of the Rjmufcaka, was thrown down by ;a heavy sea just before arrival at Hobart and had two riba broken. He is still laid up. Patrick Lawless, 20 years old, was accidentally killed yesterday while driving a tip dray on the Oafciins railway works Louisa Laddiooat, aged three years, was killed at Rataani on Tuesday, by falling over a bank. The child was on a holiday visit to friends. . Mt T. Dnncan’s draft of fat sheep to be sent to the Gear Company from Otairi this season will number about 35,000, of whiob 19,000 have already been despatched. A- Hastings telegram states that W. L. England & Sons’ grain store in Queen Street, containing a large quantity of hay, grain, and seeds, had been burning since 10.30 last night. Referring to the fact that a drover’s valuable dog had been rjm over in Masterton, and killed by*a motor oar, the Age suggests that livery stable keepers should provide accommodation for dogs, so as' to keep them out of danger. It is probably not known that Amy Book was made a lieutenant in the Salvation Army corps of Temuka.' But such is the case and there are people who remember her, says ,the TemukaXeader. The distinguished artist, Mr Dudley Hardy, ordered a broiled lobster at a restaurant supper recently. When the waiter put it on the table it was obviously minus one claw. The waiter said it was unavoidable—there had been a fight in the kitchen between the lobsters. The other one had torn off one of the claws of the lobster and had eaten it, Mr Hardy pushed the lobster over toward the waiter. “Take it away,” he said ; wearily, “and bring me the winner.” In the case against the Ohristohnroh Press for breach of the Gaming Act the condensed report which was provided by the Press Association did not explain the position accurately. The telegram stated that the totalisator figures were placed opposite the horses names. This would clearly be a breach of the Act as tbh dividend paid could be calculated therefrom. What was done was to put figures from 1 to 10, showing the order in which the horses were backed on the totalisator.

While travelling at the rate of between thirty and forty miles an hour near Hunteryilie on Monday evening, the Wellington-Auckland express ran down a liorse which was standing on the line. The animal was struck on the shoulder ( and lifted almbst clear of the rails,' but shattered the steps of one of the passenger oars, and smashed one of the acetylene gas pipes. The leakage was very soon stopped by the guard in charge of the train. The horse, of course, was killed, and sis others whioh.were with it narrowly escaped injury. The animal belonged to Mr T.“T. Watt, and was valued at £2O. ’Yesterday Mr Leonard Pearce, a settler in the Sacdou Block, met with a serious injury. He was out shooting and had laid his gun down while he was resting. On picking it up again, the trigger was caught by a “bush lawyer” and the charge blew away a portion of Mr Pearce’s left band. Dr. Smith being away from Hnnterville, Mr Meldrnm kindly brought the sufferer on to Marton in his motor oar, and be was attended by Dr. Crawford, who ordered his removal to Nurse Walton’s private hospital. It is hoped that amputation will not be necessary. . y

A meeting of creditors in Auckland yesterday resulted in a lively scene, and finally a resolution was carried, instructing criminal proceedings against the bankrupt for perjury. The bankrupt was Mrs Annie Nicholson, 'storekeeper, of Whitianga, Mercury Bay, and at the previous meeting she admitted signing her husband’a name to orders, and stated that in the fumigation of the store a large number of receipts were burned, and these receipts were the accounts that were now being claimed against bee. In effect, she alleged -that a number of the principal business firms of the city had become aware of her loss of the receipts and were trying to make* her pay over again.

At the installation of Mr Trewin as Mayor of Feiiding yesterday, Mr Geo. Sayftell, an objection to whose election on the Council. had been made on the ground that, being the Superintendent of the Fire Brigade, he cannot Regally take the position, took bis seat at the Council table. The Mayor stated that he had taken the advice of *Mr Martin, and the latter had stated that Mr Say well oouldflegally retain both offices. Re ferring to the failnre of the Gas Company to make provision to better light the town, the Mayor said in nine years’ time the Council would have. the right to purchase ;the works at cost price less depreciation of 1 per cent. In regard to the valuations the’ borough'solioitor had advised that there was no provision in the Rating Act-of 1908 for an objection snob as the Connell had resolved to, make, and to object on the valuation of each property would be a stupendous task. The solicitor had also given his opinion that it was not a legal meeting of the Council at whiob the motion had been passed.

HAVE YOU a cough, cold, nose, throat or lung trouble? Tben take the GENUINE SANDER EXTRACT I It cures stomach, bowel and kidney complaints, rheumatism and neuralgia: 5 drops iu a tablespoonful of water. It is a mistake to apply ointment to a sore. To outs, braises, sprains, festering sores, ulcers, eczema and other skin diseases, take 15 drops 1 of the SANDER EXTRACT to a tablespoonful of Olive oil and apply. The effect will surprise you. Remember that .SANDER’S EXTRACT heals when all else fails. Do\ not expeot the good effects from any of the.so-called Eucalyptus Extracts or Oils. They are dangerous on account of the irritation they produce. It is the SANDER EXTRACT only that contains the healing ethereal substances of the eucalypti in such form as to benefit promptly and lastingly.

Scarlatina and chicken pox are affecting attendance at Hunterville School. 1 At Wanganui yesterday Mr W. P. Fookea, aged 60, who had been in ill-health tor some time, shoe himself in the head with a revolver, ami was found dead. , As a result of a favourable season, quail are reported to be more plentiful in the Wairarapa than for some times past. Judging from the reports of sportsmen, pheasants are also on the increase. A Wilbur VvngUE aeroplane, which la being introduced into Australia by Messrs J. and N. Tait, is due to arrive at Fremantle early in June. The firm has not yet decided whether the oar will fly eastward or be brought on by boat. The reading and writing test, which has to be passed by Chinese before they can'enter the Dominion, has apparently put at least a temporary obstacle in the way of immigrants from the Flowery Land. Only one Chinaman has attempted the task at Wellington for ovdr six months. Amy Book, says the Free Press, would seem to have been a very fascinating “young maa,” albeit of the. “weedy” type. His pockets'when arrested, a reliable deponent states, were filled with letters from yonng ladies she bad met in various places beginning “Dear Mr Redwood,” and “ DearDarrnl, ” telling her to be sure to call again, and giving evidence of the pleasure the impostor’s previous visits had occasioned. At the meeting of the North Island Brass Band Association at Palmerston last night, it was decided to accept the offer of Wiinganui for the 1910 contest. It was resolved that in future the musical judge he appointed by the Jaxeontive. It has been, customary in the past to take a vote of the bands who nominate, whether they compete or not, and the system has proved anything hut satisfactory. / In a unanimous fjudgment in the case Commissioner of Stamps v. W. O. MoDouSai and others, the Appeal Court upheld the decision of Mr Justice Williams that a bequest to the Salvation Army was a bequest for the benefit of the public, and therefore exempt from payment of death duty. The bequest was that of the late Mr Samnel Wilson, of Otago, who left £16,000 to the Salvation Army, to be apphed in its social work in New Zealand. The .duty that would have had to be paid hot for| this decision amounted to £IBOO, ,

“As I went through the varionsdiatriots, ” Mr Hogg said to.a Herald representative on Saturday night, “I cdhld not help reflecting, as in the case of the King Country, that it was a most lamentable waste that *so much rich land is now lying unused on every hand. The extensive tracts of Native lands which are now producing nothing ought to he placed as soon as possible in the hands of people who will make them productive. In many of the districts that I visited, the local bodies complained to me that they are t unable to collect rates upon the*great bulk,of the|land within their boundaries, owing to it being the property of Natives,”

Colonel Eookes, who was wellknown during the Maori War, died at Auckland last night. In 1860 he was placed in command of the Wan-; ganni district, and he raised, organised, and personally drilled seven separate troops of cavalry in the Bangitikei, Turakina, and Wangaeim districts so successfully that these forces were repeatedly thanked on the field and in general orders'by Generals Cameron and Waddy. Colonel Bookes in 1865 further, received the thanks of the colonial Government of New Zealand for the successful manner in which he led the colonial forces at the capture of theWareroa Pah, completely nullifying the assertion made in General Cameron’s despatches—“That it would ‘ require a large addition of Imperial troops to reduce that stronghold of the natives.” Colonel Bookes, who was one of the bravest and most experienced officers, was superseded, before the end of the war, the authorities regarding his outspoken advice on military matters as somewhat dictatorial.

“Some people,” said Colonel Davies, in a recent lecture to the Officers# Olub, “often say, ‘ Wimt do we want training and discipline for? Look at the nnmber of men we have in the country. Why not turn them all into rifle clubs? Teach every man to shoot, and that is all you want. Heaven defend me, ” proceeded the colonel, “from going about with a mob of men who can only shoot, and have little or no other training. They would shoot lots of people without doubt, but probably nearly as many of their own ''men as their enemies. It is difficult enough with highly-trained troops, to prevent the firing on our own men. occasionally. Now that troops occupy such an extent of country, and firing is conducted at ouch long ranges, nothing but perfect training, diaoinlihe. organisation, and the issue of orders will enable them to that most difficult feat which is known as 'keeping touch,’ and which that the whole force, however widely scattered, must be under perfect control, and have the most perfect formation possible. It is absolutely ridiculous to pretend for a moment that it can be done without traiued and skilled leaders, staff officers, non-oommisisoned officers and a proportion of trained “ men. ”

Dr. Hodgkin, a distinguished member of the Society of Friends, who is on a visit to New Zealand, spoke as follows in the coarse of an interview in Christchurchhave a very strong feeling that we ought to be at work promoting scientific emigration from the Old Countries. We should not simply hurl onr wasters out to the colonies, but'ohoose the emigrants' carefully, and send them out according to the old Greek system, under which families and whole villages were sent away. Thus old ties ware not altogether broken when they got into the new country. If this were done side by side with the ‘back to the land’ movement in England, it need not he a movement that the. Labour party should have anv fear of. We don’t want to send out colonists to increase the stress of unemployment in the towns, but wo do want them both at Home and abroad to get on the,land and develop the resources of their country. If that were done scientifically it is not a movement which true .friends of labour need regard with doubt or suspicion. It would do more than many battleships to .secure the country from invasion. Judiciously promoted, immigration is the true defence of Australasia, and I only wish that it had been set about a few years ago. M ’

" The-annual meeting of Feilding A. & P. Association is called for May 21st. s Messrs Reynold & Co., cvole agents, Palmerston,-notify that their annual cycle sale is now bainsc held, ' , ° -Early' yesterday' morning a house at Halcombe occupied by Mr W. Hirst, and owned by Mr Taylor, cf Oolytcn, was destroyed by fire. , This morning at 6.10 a man named Hamilton Rodgers fell dead on the footpath in Taranaki Street, Wellington, while conversing with an acquaintance. Heart disease is supposed to have been the danse. Mr Anthony Nathan was installed ■Mayor cf Taihape on Wednesday, when the hope was expressed by him and the Coauoi.lora that the good feeling that has prevailed in the past will continue. From the announcement In another column it will be seen that the bazaar in aid of Rewa Church will be opened in the fArgyle Hall, Hunterville, by Mr D. H. Guthrie, M.P., on Tuesday next. At the meeting of Wanganui .Education Board yesterday the election for Havrera School Committee was declared to be invalid owing to the fact that Mr- P. O’Dea had been elected a member of the Committee although be had not been a resident householder for three mouths. An Anckalnd telegram states that Mr Clement Wragge reports that the main part of the disturbance previously'predicted—it is not stated in the telegram whether this is “Hogg” or “Fowlds” or “Millar”—is .-in west longitude, and followed by smaller disturbances which will cause squalls from between northwest, sooth west and south from the latitude of Capa Egmont with intermittent rain. At Taihape Court Fred Armstrong, late head waiter at the Gretna Hotel, pleaded guilty to three ohargds of stealing money from the safe by means of a key he had made oat of a table fork. He bad been employed for some time at £2 per week and found. He admitted that he had stolen money on many occasions. The sums mentioned in the charges were £3, £2 10s and £2. He was detected by x means of marked botes placed in the safe by Mr S. Gibbons. Cooper (2), and Dorrnit, of Ohakune, who went out shooting on Frdiay at Raurimu, were bushed and were only discovered by search parties on Tuesday after three days without food. A railway cadet who spent Sunday night in the bosh, was reesned by Constable Annison. On Sunday a man named Thomas Young was bashed at Waitaugi, but found his way out by the aid of a railway engine whistle, which was jgounded to attract his attention.

The medical, officers of a Dunedin branch of friendly societies have recently sent si6k members to Australia for recuperative purposes. This practice, it is understood, islikely to he discontinued. When the matter cornea to be discussed, some of the points raised will be whether Australia is superior to New Zealand aa a health giving resort, and whether a friendly society’s physician is justified in sending a sick member out of the country in search of health, without first satisfying the society that good reasons exist for adopting that course. We may also remark that when any country tries to send its invalids to New Zealand they are not allowed to land, and even New Zealand,, residents who have gone abroad in search of health have on their retnru been refused pemrission to land.