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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1961, 17 April 1875, Page 2

We hare received from the Commissioner of Government Annuities a list of agents appointed under the Industrial Branch, of the GoVernment Life Assurance and Annuities, from which-.ire; learn that thirty lodges belonging to different Friendly Society Orders have availed themselves of the liberal provisions of the Government in the matter of Life (Assurance, and for whom agents have been appointed. Of these thirty, eight are of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; seventeen are of the Independent Order of Good; Templars; three of the Ancient Order of Foresters, and one each Independent Order of Rechabites and Independent Order of Sons and: Daughters of Temperance. Five Auckland Good Templar Lodges are amongst the number, but Thames Lodges are conspicuous by their absence. We were under the impression that the Thames people would have been amongst the first to avail tkemselves.of •the terms of Life Assurance provided form the Industrial Branch. With so many miners in' the community, exposed to greater risl^ than men employed in in other occupations, it was thought that the facilities offered by this scheme would: have commended themselves to all those persons who are provident enough to join friendly societies. . For a nominal sum weekly provision can be made for wife or children in case of death of the breadwinner; provision sufficient to put the ! survivors above the necessity of dependence, on public benevolence. The latter is undoubtedly practised in a liberal spirit on the Thames, and no case of real distress is allowed to go unrelieved. But how much better would it be for men to provide against, possibilities by the investment of a small sum from their weekly earnings than to leave relatives to be. cared for by the public. If those ladies and gentleman ■wHo interest themselves in the good work done by our Benevolent Society, Miners Accident Belief Fund, or similar, organizations would impress upon those with when they come in contact in their round of duty the desirability of making provision themselves for untoward accidents, they would do well. Let them inculcate | a spirit of self-reliance, and in case of necessity widows and orphans will not be left wholly dependent upon what may be subscribed by the public. We fear that the reluctance displayed by miners to avail themselves of the Industrial Assurance privileges can only arise from selfishness. 'If the same terms were offered to insure against accident, there are not many miners who would holdaloof. Under the regulations framed for the conduct of the Industrial Branch the-agents appointed are chosen from the lodges ; the payments are received weekly, and assurance for a sum at death entails a weekly payment about equal,So that contributed for sick and funeral allbjiranee in a friendly society. The* advantages to assurers/are unmistakeable. Some of the prominent members of the friendly societies :ought to make themselves acquainted with the der tails of the scheme, and endeavor to secure its adoption amongst their brethren and sisters. -

We have received a copy of " The Official Handbook of New Zealand," the book which has been so much talked about, and criticised in certain quarters. IWe have not had sufficient time to examine its contents to be able to give any decided opinion as to its merits | generally, but we can say from a cursory perusal that it is far-and-away the most complete handbook on New Zealand that has come under our observation. It contains maps of the North and Middle Islands of New Zealand; seven photographs of places in the colony; and twenty-fiva wood engravings. Of the maps we may say that they might.have HkK better by being made larger, the features delineated being rather as they appear. The photoare very well printed, but they rather old, and taken from viewdo not appear to have been The same applies to the wood which in several insafely say, represent were rather than as

they are. The book contains 272 pages of letter press, clearly printed, and wellarranged. It bristles vvith statistical information, compiled from official sources fa and, as the title states, is " a collection of papers by experienced colonist! on the Colony as a whole, and on the several Provinces." As a guide to intending colonists it will be most valuable; and, to residents in the Colony it will afford n, vast amount of information regarding those portions of New Zealand outside their own immediate district or province. "We,-should like to see a ..copy in every house, as we believe ,the* perusal of the volume would go far to dissipate many erroneous impressions which exist in the minds of men who know little or nothing of the Colony outside ; their own "parish. As a matter of course-w^Flooked lo see what was said of the Thames, and in this respectwe confessto disappointment. Less than a page suffices for this district and Coromandel, and what is said is principally devoted to tho great yields of the Shotover, Golden Crown and Caledonian;' mines; while, under the heading of " population and principal towns '' of the Province of Auckland, Onehunga is put down as second to Auckland, although tho population is 1913 souls. -In the same chapter it is said there is no reliable" estimate of, the pi'esent population of Grahamstown and. Shortjand, but that it probably numbers 6000. Of course we could not expect perfection even in an " official handbook," but it would have been ea3v

to obtain much reliable and even interesting information about the Thames and Goromandel without entailing much trouble, or giving undue prominence to the goldmining districts of Auckland. We shall notice the book again.