THE HENUI BRIDGE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 3120, 20 January 1908, Page 2

THE HENUI BRIDGE.

Sown people have an idea that it is almost an outrageous thing for the County (nuncil to ask the borough to hear its share of the cost of the' new Henni bridge on the Avenue road, forgetting that the bridge is perhaps of more benefit to Hie town than to tile county in the matter of actual earning power. Let that bridge be closed, and the New Ply. mouth reailei'9 would soon feel the pinc'h. The stoppage of the Main South road by the Tapuaa deviation works made a big difference to our volume of trade from that direction. The almost impassable Shite of the road to Hawera was a boon to Man.iia business people last winter, tor fanners had to make their purchases in Manaia instead of passing further 011. The following are the clauses of the Public Works Act under which the proposal is made:—ln anv case where the local authority of any district desires to construct :i bridge, or to establish a terry or lord, in any position that will, ii: its opijiion. be of advantage and benent to the wliolg or any considerable portion of the inhabitants of an adjacent district, as well as to the inhabitant 01' its own district, and where it is in I the opinion of the local body reasonable iha I such adjacent district should contribute to ilie of constructing or establishing the said bridge, terry ")■ ford, the following provisions shall hate I'jfeciJ 'Jljc local authority proposing t„ construct Ihe work sljail prepare plans, spec-ideations. and cstlmates ol the work, and shall send a copy ot the same to the Minister and to each locaf authority which it is proposed should contribute to the cost of the work, together with a )i..tifO statinir the proportion of such cost which it is proposed 1 tint each |oeal authority should bear; that after the expiration of tivo months from the dale of such notice benig served it is t lie intention of s i l( d, ! local authority , 0 apply to the Governor : coiisiruct ihe work, and to | recover tlje proportion of the c.isi „f j the >;iiiio from the lo.al authority men- | none,I in M „.|, |)|at .; |)y o|) ledn,n 1,, the proposal must be sent 'n I the Covernor within such period of two | months. At |l,p expiration of the two I months tlie local authority may make i application to the Coventor for power to construct the work on the terms men- | tinned. .If any objection has lieen made ■ a coinintaifin shall determine whether f tl'if IJie work shall be done, or what proportion, if any. of the cost of the work -hoidd be borne bv any local nut hoi it v. Section nn provides that the words "bridge."' '-ford." or -ferrv" respectively include the approaches'(hereto. Ihe County Council, however, has not vet Hie legal process on the borouirh. but is frying to come to an amicable adjustment of (lie liability without golnir to the expense of an arbitration. V\c hope the negotiations will be successful.

The Ngaire Co-operative Dairy 00. will pay out to-Hay JC3087 for milk supplied during December. An instance of tin? different way the. same thing is viewed by different minds came before the Conciliation Hoard at Oeraldine. ('aiitciiuivy. ulnii a witness described n serious umdenl Hi n larm | hand as "a piece of good luck," for the employee had been paid £25 as compensation for the accident, and thin had formed his first foothold in obtaining «• farm of his own.

The Spot cash system was adopted by the (iisbornc linkers as from .Sew Year's Day. and now the butchers in that town have decided to give weekly credit only. ISills are 10 be sent out each Monday, and if payment is not made by the following Wednesday no more goods will be supplied. One butcher alleges licit lie has lost C2OIKI through bad debts.

At the Upper Hult. recently some miscreant fastened with a sted wire a big out ol'-date milk-can, weighing lTllta or ISIb-. to the tail of a valuable Jersey bull, and goaded the animal into a gallop. The bull headed towards timber country, and speedily the can became ellluigled ill I lie scrub, with the result in.it the end of tne bull's tail was torn

Nearly every local body in the district is faced just now with the labor problem. The Moa Road Board foremen at the Board meeting', on Saturday that tliey were in nlecd_ of extra labor, but could not secure the services of workmen at. the Board's wages of seven shillings a day. There was one way out of the difficulty, anil that way the Board adopted, raising the rate of pay to eight shillings.

The Waverlev correspondent of the Press says that nearly all the settlers ill the back-blocks of WVvcrlcy burnt their bu«h during last week, and in every ease he heard of have Had exceptionally good burns, due no doubt to the long spell of dry weather experienced lately. Large quantities of grass seed have been taken back, and many ot the settlers have had to enlarge tlieir orders owing to the clean sweep made by the fires.

The following agreement has been entered into by the Taranaki Dairy Employers' and Employees' Unions:—'" Chat the rate of payment for overtime in cheese factories be time and quarter for the Hist week, and' time and a-half afterwards, computed on tin hours per week. That the hourly rate of payment for overtime in butter factories at any time of the year be one fortieth of the weekly wage for the third period as defined in the schedule."

A London correspondent writes: —1 understand that a suggestion made to the All-Blacks, that before their return home they should play a match for charity, has been favourably received by the Colonial .Management Committee. In fact, it has practically been decided, although no (late has been lixed. The footballers have a full list of fixtures up to January, but after then it is hoped they will lie able to arrange something.

The Stratford Post reports that "a settier on Pembroke road had a bit of an experience the other day. lie was on a dray loading hay, when a portion of the hay slipped off, taking the settler with it. He landed on a barbed-wire fence, the spikes catching his clothes in such a way as to render him helpless. A lusty roaring, however, soon brought assistance."' What sort of a' noise would he have made had the spikes gone farther than the clothes?

Once again .Marlborough has proved how well it can stand a dry season agriculturally, for the present harvest is little, if anything, below the average as to quantity, and more than realises anticipations as to quality. The results have quite exceeded general expectations, surprising even farmers themselves. Some phenomenal yields are being recorded round about Blenheim and at Spring Creek and Tuamarina. and the Scarborough settlers, who had the bene'it of good autumn rains, have done well.

A remarkable incident is reported by the T'aihape Times to have occurred at Ohakune, the present rail-head of the Main Trunk line. Four residents were standing outside the refreshment room nt the railway terminus when a limb measuring three feet fell fro man adjacent pine tree, some 80 feet high, and struck the ground in their midst with a noise resembling that of a cannonade. A numlier of travellers who were inside the refreshment room, including Sir ,lohu Madden, Chief Justice of Victoria, rushed out on helling the noise made by the falling limb, and the party received many congratulations-on their narrow papnpp.frmn instant death. Had either one movWi in posit ion lie would nave been killed instantly.

"A vigorous public works programme has long been," says the Empire Review, "a characteristic feature in New Zenland policy. When financial conditions In New Zealand were much less satisV tory than at present the policy was subjected to much adverse criticism, but has, to all appearances, been justified by results. In these times, when prosperity rules in the Dominion, very little consideration is devoted to the'subject, yet the recent statement of the Minister for Public Works in the Dominion Parliament is well worthy of attention. It shows that for the current year the proposed expenditure on public works amounts to no less that £2,116,000, of which .£1,000,000 is to be derived from new loans, and a further £BOO,OOO will come from ordinary revenue in hand." The following from the (Jore Standard is interesting and refreshing:—The employees of the Jlataura paper mills—which are in a no-liccnse area—wish to thank the anonymous donor who sent tliem a keg ot beer on Saturday, by way »f the Mataura river. He will be pleased to learn that it floated safely right up to tin. 1 turbine grating, having piloted itself with unerring instinct past weirs, by wash gates, thirsty navvies, Iwsides we know not what other hidden dangers lurking on its trackless path. Tf the employee* might venture to throw out u hint in view of future gifts of a similiir nature, it would be that a larger tiw keg would not come aiqiss at this season ol the year. Whoa thev mention that nearly all hands were'able to reach—we say "reach" advisedly—home unaided, the significance of tliF iiint will be understood, and, they trust, taken in good part.

I' ol ' ; } Zealand Cross, a very rai'ei If-'foiatiun, tiic sunt ol' CI7O was given at >Sotheby'.s, in London, on November !Ul|. an amount exceeding by £IOO wliat was expected, even by the most sajfr j gmilc, tu realise. Jt was the Cross thati'i had been conferred upon Constable Sololimn Jllack for bravery at the siege of Ngatapa, in 18(H). The rarilv of this ( ross was alt -\sted in the bidding, which ;vajs liegun by Air. || ani>tt , lt ' m _ AII , li.ildw.ni being bis opponent. At .£SO Air. Spmk joined the contest, but Mr. Baldwin won at: the price of £l7u. In connection with the subject of the present'!- ■ oil ol the Cross to Constable Black. the following outline is given | >v the ""Worn "V Post tile Maori war'there «er„ many deeds of valuor. but none more worthy ol esteem than that shown ?!... of i" Jammrr. I Mm. mixed force of militiirv, con itabulaiy. and native-, under Colonel laltepwar.l- Major-Oencral Sir) "s. U liumoie. tool; this stronghold' after a live .lays' struggle. Major Fraser. with ' a™ •' companies of the -irnied (onMabulary an.) natives, attacked the enemy s rear position, the extreme right Of Which on a scarped ridge, was commanded by the Maoris' rifle pits and «oiks, Jill a lodgment was onlv ell'ecta."''r o"t "taiuling.rooni with ' pickaxe I | u . e m , lnv mnfll , s , sorties against this point, which was an psen i,i „ n e , 0) . ilt | a , k | o|ie ,, lti I'Ut It w«u hed by a parte of twel-e volunteers to the end of the' sic»e. One |>t the more prominent of these brave defenders was Constable Solomon Black, who «-a B awarded one of the very few New Zealand Crosses conferred for heroic services, I his object, in silver, is in the *bape ol a Maltese Cross surmounted with a crown, <)„ the obvexse is a wreath o gold, „» the reverse a circular band will, tlje constable's name inscril,. en.

The Howard Vernon Co. concluded a two nights' season on Saturday night,) when "A Trip to Chinatown" was aga... most ably staged. The attendance was rather scant, bnt none the less appreei-' ntive. The company intend to pay return visit at a later date. A notable catch was made on Fritlap" at the mouth of the Ilenui river, whcni-a' l monster stingaree (stingray) was beach I ed. The stranger covered a lloor spate, of fully four feet square, and was about| about twelve inches through the thick-' est part of the body. Unfortunately the body was immediately hacked about! for baiting purposes.

According to the New Zealand Times" a llaxinillcr found his hemp, on inspection in Wellington the other day, in such a disappointing state, owing to careless work by his mill staff, that he at once wired back to the manager to close down the mill. He expects when Ire starts the mill again to get better work done.

Between four and live o'clock on Suiif day morning Mr .Bishop, senr., noticed smoke issuing from .Mi' RnncimaiifS property, Kil/.roy, and straightway ran to the lire station and gave the alarm. The brigade turned Out' quickly, but by the time they reached the spot tne waslihouse had been burnt down. The' Haines attacked tile house, but were soon quenched. The distance of the scene of the (ire from the nearest plug brought the brigade's latest purchase of hose into requisition. Mr Ureenway, junr., of Punilio, 111/ct, with a serious accident the other day, but. must consider himself fortunate in ! escaping as he did. It seems that he/ with the other suppliers, hive long supeeted the frailty of a chain on the milk hoist at the rimiho creamery, and took good care not to stand directly below it, lest it should snap. A few days ago Mr Grcenway made fast his can of milk, and the assistant "heaved away." The chain broke, and either the enain of; the falling e'W struck him across his hand which was resting upon another' millc can in the carl, severing two fin-j gors. Had lie been less careful his iir* juries might have lieen very serious.

At about one o'clock on Saturday all alarm of lire was given. The outbreak was. located in a building at the rear of the premises in Devon street; East occupied by Messrs Riddles and Johnson and F. ('. liridiths. The brigade got on the scene with remarkable promptitude, but a good head of water was not immediately forthcoming. The fire was attacked in its early stages, and despite the strong wind it was confined to the one building. The workroom occupied by Messrs Riddles and Johnson, and owned by Mr C. W. Browne, was totally destroyed. The stock and material were insured for Co.! in the Royal Exchange Insurance Co., and the tools and plant i for £3O.

Smokers and others who strike matches are warned fo be very careful during this dry weather in throwing down the lucifcrs. It was probably a piece of carelessness in this direction that started a tire in the Recreation (!rounds on Saturday. The blaze travelled rapidly along the ground, licking up the dry pine-needles licneatli the conifers. Mr Pycroft, one of the stall', saw the blaze, and, with Mrs Pycroft, had nearly l>caten. it out when Mr Ma|c)a» appeared on the scene, and then the tire was cheeked. The blackened area is quite sufficient to give an idea of Ihe task that Me Pycroft had to accomplish. But for his timely work the high wind would soon have spread the lire right down the valley, perhaps ruining acres of the grounds.

At the Rahotu Cheese Factory picnic on Friday an incident occurred which caused considerable amusement to all. but the actual participants. Several young fellows Irom New Plymouth had mounted a tip dray and were entertaining (sic) the country folk with some comical musical sketches oil the trombone, guitar, piccolo, and other instruments, when suddenly an unrehearsed mechanical effect occurred. Someone removed the key from the dray, with the result that it tipped up and unceremoniously shot the musicians on to mother earth, from which they rose sadder and wiser. One player had his ear slightly damaged, and the trombone was considerably battered about and rendered unfit for service. Some time afterwards one of the performers was overheard to ask, "I wonder what made the thing tip up." The knowing ones smiled.

A Foresters' Lodge, has been opened ut l'.lthani. The Argus reports that j the officers and brethren of Court Stratford met in the Mission Hall, Eltham, on Thursday evening for the purpose of i opening th*. .daw. oouvt. ti.c DSnta-ici* hub-Llnof Ranger, Tiro. (■}, Burgess, was in the chair, and District Secretary Bro. (J. Tunbridge, and a number of visiting brethren were also present. After the formal opening of Court Stratford by the District, Sub-Chief Ranger, the advintages of benefit societies were dealt with and the speaker then proceeded to open the new Court, Ten mcmliers were installed and a few had to defer installation on account of not havin" been able to see a doctor. The following were elected officers:—Bro. W ,T Kirk, Chief Ranger; Bro. H. Young, SubChief Ranger; Rro. S. Lush, S.W., Bro. L. P. Priest, J.W.: and Bro. W. J Pollard SB.; Bro. J. D . Mllrray) ° Cn "A' laranaki, secretary.

Members of the Equitable Building Society of New Plymouth (First and Second Groups) are notified that subscriptions will be due and payable today at the Secretary's Office, Curriestreet, from 9 a.m. to 12.30, from 1 p.m. to o pan., and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.—Advt.