OUR NEWS LETTER.

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 208, 28 July 1893, Page 6

OUR NEWS LETTER.

It is stated by Mr Speight, district manager of the Government Insurance Department, that the ! closed business ’ for the first half of 1593 exceeds the business of the Department for }he corresponding period of 1892 by over £IOO,OOO in new policies. This probably is in some measure due to the financial disasters in Australia. So many powerful money institutions have broken down without warning that people are beginning to realise the im portance of the security given by the State guarantee. When one comes to think of it. it seems strange that toreign Life Insurance Companies should have received such solid sup port in this country as they have. It can only be accounted for by the plausibility of paid agents for the statistics of Government Insurance Department compare very favorably with those of other Companies. A statement showing the prices at which the principal articles of export from the colony have been valued during the iast 11 years shows that wool declined from llid to advanced from £3 9s lOd to £4 ; grain fell from 4s 2§d to 2s sjd per bushel; phormium fell from £2O 11s to £l6 15s 5d per ton ; kauri gum advanced from £47 to £59 9s 5d per ton butter declined 9Jd to 9d per lb ; cheese from 6d to 4fd ; and frozen meat from 25s 5d to 23s 9d. A telegram from Christchurch states that about thirty residents of Sydenham again waited on Inspector Broham in regard to (he non-elos-ing of the three Sydenham hotels, after the recent decision of the Supreme Court. Mr Broham intimated that he had taken legal advice ai d found that the licenses still required to he taken to the Supreme Court, if it were desired to have them cancelled. The deputation subsequently decided to purchase liquor at the three hotels affected, and institute prosecution without d eJ ay. THE TARANAKI HIGHWAYMAN. A man who is believed to be the long sought for highwayman has been caught at New Plymouth. Harold Thompson’s account of his encounter with the highwayman is that he was at the side bar of the Criterion Hotel and a man ir. military uniform at the opposite bar. The latter pointed a revolver at Mrs Cottier. Some one called out 1 It’s the highwayman 1 ’ Mrs Cottier told the man to move on The highwayman went along the passage. Thompson ran round the passage to meet him. and the two met at the foot of the staircase. YVallath then fired his revolver, hitting Thompson On the left side. Thompson then rushed the man and seized him by the throat and a severe struggle ensued. Thompson si ruck his antagonist, and then Chas. Holmes came to his assistance and the man was thrown on the floor and held there till a constable came and handcuffed him. The man had on an old volunteer uniform coat,white striped serge trousers, a patent leather cross-belt with cartouchbox. a blue serge helmet hat with a red volunteer feather fastened in a zinc plate, a black goat’s hair false beard, and a mask of blue merino.