The Wairoa Bell, AND Hobson County Gazette. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23rd.

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 164, 23 September 1892, Page 4

The Wairoa Bell, AND Hobson County Gazette. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23rd.

The struggles between employer and employed have now assumed such bitter, unlawful and destructive phases, as instanced in the Pittsburg, Broken Hill and other disputes, that Governments desiring to serve their country can no longer stand idly by and provide no means for the settlement of differences between labour and capital. It is agreed by all that in order to secure real progress, labour and capital must work hand in hand. The rapid accumulation of wealth in a country is not always a sign of strength, but often the reverse ; for we find that in lands where millionaires are most plentiful there also the struggles of workmen are most bitter. Some are inclined to lay the blame of the fierce outbreaks of labour wholly to the toilers ; but this conclusion is often arrived at without a full knowledge of the questions at issue. It takes two to make a quarrel and numerous instances might be given of the greed of capital pressing heavily upon labour for its last drop of blood; for no matter bow low the price of labour may have fallen you will always find some oue willing to still further reduce it, if only the necessities of workpeople will compel them to accept it. The woik of Miss Morrison amongst the sewing girls of Auckland has disclosed many glaring instances of this. Labour has indeed been patient and longsuffering, but seemingly sees no hope of freedom in such a course ; and finds that more active measures, though costly and destructive, are drawing attention to its needs. We do not approve of many of the actions of the workmen who are engaging the attention of the world by their fieroe struggles for better remuneration and more freedom, for there are wiser and quite as effectual means of securing justice aa those which they have adopted. It is, however, most difficult to get working men to combine, for the necessities of many are continually urging them to accept the terms of employers, however low they may be ; and milder ways of securing redress of grievances are comparatively slow. The greatest sufferers in such movements as those at Pittsburg and Broken Hill are undoubtedly the workmen themselves, aud they may well be considered as martyrs in the struggle for reform. However much their deeds may be deplored, they certainly have been the means of drawing attention to the necessity of something being done by Governments to place the relations of labour and capital on a better footing. And so while disapproving of of Labour’s fiercer tactics we are filled with a much stronger abhorrence of the greed of Capital, and feel the stinging appropriateness of the words of St. James as recorded in his epistle as follows:—“Goto now, ys rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. You riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered ; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud , crieth : and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the eais of the Lord of the sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton ; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just and he doth not resist you.” Our New Zealand Government is to be commended for so soon recognising the need of action and moving boldly forward, and though it cannot be expected that any Acts or regulations now framed will be found altogether satisfactory, yet a work begun is a woik half done, and having made a start we may soon hope to arrive at a satisfactory solution. The Hon. Mr Reeves’ Industrial Conciliation Bill, is a step in the right direction ; it recognises the folly of social warfare aud seeks to remove the settlement of disputes from the brute force of man to his higher powers of reason aDd judgment. Working men, in this Colony at least, desire only what is fair and just, and the discussion of their claims in a properly constituted Court will place them fully before the public, and right will become might whilst wrong will fall to the ground. Captain Russell, in his place in the House, strongly supported the Bill f and expressed a

firm conviction that the measure would prevent any great struggles between employers and workmen in future, he and also defended theexclusion of non unionists from the benefits of the Act, as there would be no means of enforcing awards against a bod}' of men who had no organisation In these opinions and beliefs we entirely concur, and we compliment the Hon. Mr Reeves on the very efficient and capable Bill he has introduced. In another column will be found a brief synopsis of its provisions.

Mr Boler’s address on Sunday will be on the question of Jesus “ Where are the nine ? ” As a precaution against cholera the Government have prohibited the importation of rags of any kind. The present Ministry are supported by the largest majority which any New Zealand Government has ever had. A British sea Captain says that whales are increasing in number so fast that accidents to ships ruuning into them will soon be of frequent occurence. A sailing ship under a five-knot breeze might as well strike a tree as an old bull whale. During August the arrivals in the colony were 1182 persons, and the departures 659. The asrivals were, from the United Kingdomi 179 ; New South Wales, 490 ; Victoria, 330; Tasmania 133; other places, 50. The departures were . —To the United Kingdom. 66 ; New South Wales, 338; Victoria, 152 ; Tasmania, 23 ; other places, 80. Messrs R. Mitchelson and G. Nairn, of Dargavills, have applcd to register their trade mark, G. N. in an oval, under the Patents, Designs and Trade-mai-ks Act, 18S9. The trade mark is to be applied to an apparatus for obtaining kauri gum. , Very few men in Auckland now complain of being unemployed, and there is a great decrease in the number of applications to the local Labour Bureau for work. Mr N. Moros’ football ground at Dargaville is to he ploughed, harrowed, underdrained and laid dowu in grass. The work has already been commenced by Mr Weathers and the ground should be in good condition by the time the next football season opens. Tbe nature of the soil is somewhat against it, but it is to be honed that a thorough working and draining will overcome this, and make the ground a really good football and cricket field. It is undoubtedly very conveniently situated as a sports ground foi the youth of Dargaville Tbe following gentlemen have been elected by the Stewards of the N. Wairoa Racing Club as officers for the ensuing year. —President, Mr J, M, Dargaville ; Vice-President, Mr M. Corcoran ; Chairman and Treasurer, Mr W. A. Spiers ; Secretary, Mr N. A. McLeod ; Auditor, Mr J. Passed ; Clerk of Seales, Mr W. H. Taylor ; Clerk of Course, Mr Sbipherd; Starter, Mr A. Black ; Judge, Dr F. Norton ; Handicappers, Messrs J. Cbiplin, and Ij. B, Marriner. Mr A, Raynes was appointed to sign cheques with the Treasurer. Mr J. Mitchelson has resigned his position as Steward and Mr Chiplin was elected to fill the vacancy. A programme for two days’ racing, December 26th and 27th, was approved of. We wish to make a correction in a paragraph which appeared in our last issue, referring to the cattle case heard at Dargaville last Saturday week, Mr John Sheehan was not a defendant but p witness subpoenaed by the prosecution. Mr John Ross was the defendant but the evidence against him was decidedly weak and the case was dismissed. A move is being made up-river towards the holding of a regatta in the Dargaville Mangawhare reach of the river on November Pin. Our contemporary reports a meeting having been held for the purpose and says there was a good attendance, but only two persons are named as having taken part in the meeting, self as usual being prominent. Mr McMullin's String Band of eleven performers makes its first appearance on Friday evening next, September 30tb, in the Te Kopuru Hall. A first-class programme has been prepared, including songs and dances ; and a string band being almost a novelty in the district, the public desire for something new will be satisfied. There will be a dance after the Concert and the price of admission has been fixed at one shilling and six pence, children halfprice. At the meeting of the Port Albert Agricultural and Pastoral Society to be held on

October sth Mr J. Shepherd will give an essay on insect pests. The members of the Society have all had considerable practical experience with tbe little creatures and the discussion should be a most useful and in teresting one to settlers generally, No doubt our esteemed correspondent will make a specially full report of the del ate. Mr Joseph Sheffiield presided at the ordinary meeting of the Aratapu Band of Hope last Tuesday and a good meeting was held, Mr Gabriel Elliott’s recitation was quite a treat. The W. F. Witzemannn, Captain Johnston, is again in our waters, and is to load with baulk and sawn timber at Aratapu. The Anthons has also arrived and has been' discharging flour and other goods at Mr Black’s wharf. Rev. Blight’s special sermon to young men last Sunday evening was very largely attended by young men and others. The preacher spoke very earnestly, and drew special attention to the evils of intemperance and gambling. His remarks were well received by those to whom they were addressed. The Auckland Weekly News which arrived in this district on Thursday eveniug speaking of the footballers, says : The Auckland men left by the early train for Helensville on Friday morning.” The paragraph must have been written on Wednesday and printed the same night so that the editor is a little presumptuous in allow ing the use of the word * left ’ Intelligence of a boat accident in the river opposite Scarrott’s has reached us this afternoon. From what we can gather a boat belonging to Captain Seymour has been capsized and is to be seen bottom upwards with some clothing on it. It is feared that some lives have been lost. One of Mr Harrison’s steamers has gone down to render assistance. Looking at the football two teams as they appear on paper the Wairoa reps, seem to have a good chance of success. The visitors seem to be a little green and Aardly ( W)right for they get maze d at work in the field, whereas, on the other hand, the home team are a bit heane and have a Tcitchin through which it is bard to pass without a taste of something, and if the visiters do get by the lialves they will find themselves but lunch'd on the turf with an ell yet between them and a ti'y. Whistle. Mr Richard Hobbs, who formerly represented the Bay of Islands district in tbe House of Representatives, has purchased the stock in trade of the late Mr W. R, Bridgman and entered into the Drapery and Clothing business. Mr Hobbs has previously had considerable experience in the trade, and as he is possessed of good business ability and the premises are his own property he will no doubt succeed. Carl Moeller, furniture dealer, of Wellington, who was arrested in Sydney on a charge of obtaining money in Wellington by forging an endorsement to a promissory note, and was being conveyed to that town in the steamer Haurotoin charge of Constable McGill, was drowned in attempting to escape. When nearing the Heads he was missed and bis body was afterwards found in the harbour with a cabin life-belt attached to it. It seems that an Anti-bad language Society has been formed in Aratapu, and that the rules impose a penaltj of one penny for every improper expression given utterance to by members. Tbe fines are to be paid into the funds of the local Band of Hope, and on Tuesday last a young gentleman made his way to the platform at the close of the meeting and deposited the sum of eightpence as representing the sins of the members to date. Judging from the crestfallen look of the one who deposited the first instalment it is asked whether the rules of the Society compel the greatest sinner to hand the accumulations over as a penance. If so it might be as well to make the handing over during the meeting instead of after. The ship Timaru, lying in Auckland Harbour had a narrow escape from destruction by fire. The ship was found to be on fire about five o’clock on Wednesday morning and the offieers and crew set to work to save the vessel. The vessel had been lying out in the stream tor nearly five months and is shortly to load frozen meat for London. The ship was in ballast except that about a thousand casks of cement were also in the hold. The fire originated In the spontaneous combustion of oil and charcoal. It is believed that ihe oil from oil rags and cans, used for ship’s lights and for the refrigerating engines,

had either found its wav down through uncaulked seams, or penetrated the wood of the decking into the charcoal insulatorf which is a chamber of charcoal about a foot in thickness just under the deck, surround - the whole of the space where frozen meat is stored. About half the cement was destroyed by fire and water, but the vessel was not much injured. A correspondent writing to the Auckland press from Maunganui Bluff re the WairoaHokianga road says—“ When it is considered that this road is the highway for all traffic from the Northern Wairoa to Hokianga, and on to the North Cape, the importance of the work will be readily understood. In place of the residents at the Auckland and Canterbury settlements at Wairaamuku, of Hokianga, and of all those settlements stretching up to Ah'para, journeying to the Bay of Islands, and thence by steamer to Auckland, they prefer now taking the overland route, which is much more pleasant, cheaper and speedier. From Hokianga Heads, travellers by horse can reach the railway terminus at the hea l of the Kaihu Valley, in hours. From there the train is taken 16 miles to Dargaville ; thence by the commodious and fastgoing p s. Osprey to Helensville, thence by train to Auckland, a very pleasant and enjoyable trip in summer. Tills overland route was extensively patronised last summer, and will, without doubt, be more popular this coming season.” If you want to furnish, the best bouse to go to is Garlick and Oran well’s of Auckland. They furnish a three roomed house for £l7 10s, a four roomed house for £3B, a five roomed house for £BO, a six roomed house for £l5O. In addition to furniture ; bed linen, blankets, curtains, table cloths, towels, fender and irons and floor coverings, are supplied for the above, for net cash They arc large importers of American and Austrian bent wood chairs, iron bedsteads and manufacturers of all other kinds of furniture. They import direct from the manufacturers, carpets, linoleum, mattiugs, Manchester goods and general furnishings. You can get all you want in your home at the most reasonable prices, and can depend on having it well packed. Bedding of all kinds kept ready for delivery. Wive wore mattresses made to any size by G-arlick and C-ranwell, Queen-Street Auckland | Advt ]