THE PROPERTY TAX.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1445, 1 August 1883, Page 2

THE PROPERTY TAX.

The second reading of the Property Tax Bill was carried last evening by 49 votes to 33. The discussion was really one of Property Tax Viand and Income Tax. We would like to see the Property Tax abolished absolutely, but prefer retaining it to .being saddled with either a land or income tax. Wo dislike direct taxation, but we recognise that the Property Tax is the most equitable means of''.inflicting it,

The Masterton Cemetery Trustees hold a meeting this evening. A lad named Harry Iteed was consigned to the' lookup at Greytowu on Tuesday for tho larceny of a pair of boots from Mr Moriarty's shop. Ho was remanded until to-day. The weekly entertainment in the Institute, Grey'town, on Monday was not so numerously attended as usual, although there was a very fair atteudance. The Eev Mr Young occupied the chair. The Misses Wyett played an excellent piano forte duet which was loudly applauded Good readings were given by Mrs Skeet Messrs Ward, Hillyor, Barnard, and Nation. Mr Hatt Ddy, jun, sang "In tho Gloaming," and Miss Bull received an encore for " Tho Blue Alsusiiau Moun tains." Messrs Nation, Udy and Beard gave a song and chorus entitled " Keep in the middle of the lt'iad."-

Mr Frootli, Clerk of thelUl. and District Court, has just returned from a holiday trip to the Fiji Islands, and we are glad to notice his health appears quite restored by the journey and consutinu from oflice work, Mr W. W. McGardla has lust his snai in the Masterton Borough Council through non-attendance at four meetings iu succession. Mr McCardle is tha oldest member of the Council, but latterly we believe his privato business has prevented him from giving that strict atttention to his public duties, for which he was formerly so conspicuous. The great McKeever, whose "habitat" now is "the shades," Wellington, and who, no doubt, will some day hail from' " tho shades" of a still warmer region, 'puffs in our advertising columns his potatoes, his beer, his wines, and his "spirits." Ho informs us thutn short local referring to his advertisement wili read well, Rather than be haunted by " Spirits i'i'"in the Shades," wo give him one. ■. ■

Mr F, 'll Wood holds; his monthly stock sale at the Pastoral yards, Carterton, to-morrow.

The Rev Mr Western preaches his fare well sermon at Carterton on Sunii'ay next prior to his removal to Ureytowii.,. -, The election of officers in connection will) ibo Phoenix Lodge, 1.0,0.'1', took place in the Temperance Hall, M;L.u:,ton, on Monday evening last and resulted as follows :-W.0.T., Bro W. IWk; W.V.T., Bro Thos. Leonard ; W.5.,8r0 P. E. florublow; W.P.S., Bro J. Prentice; W.T., Bro J, Carpenter; W.O. Bro R. Dag*; W.M., Sis. Chandler; W.1.G., Sis. Evenden; W.0.G., Bro S. Kingdon. Tho installation • of offrcors takes place on Monday evening next.

Lodge Totara U.A.O.D, held their fortnightly meeting in Carterton at the Foresters' Hall on Monday ovoning, about foriy brethren beinj; present, when a large mass of business was put through efficiently and' with expedition, Bro It, B. Armstrong was elected Secretary vice Bro Nicholson resigned, and Bro Pickett vice Bro Rising resigned, appointed Treasurer. Six new members were nominated for initiation on the next court night. It was resolved that a soiree should be hold shortly under the auspicos of tho Lodge, and a well-selected committee were chosen to make all necessary arrangement and report noxt lodge night. This, and the committee appointed to prepare the bye laws of iho lodge meet for the transaction of business on Friday evening, Court Marquis of Normatiby hold their usual fortnightly meeting at the Foresters Hall, Carterton, on Thursday evening at 7.30 p.m. The question of a weighbridgo for tho Borough of Masterton as mooted in our columns recently by Mr T. L, Thompson of Te Ore Ore, was discussed at the Borough Council mooting last night, The feeling of Councillors was altogether in favor of obtaining a weighbridge, the necessity for which was freely acknowledged, but money is not plentiful, and the matlor was referred (o a commiitee to report as to whether it. waa an investment; the Council could venture upon. ~ . The question of assistance to persons desiring to lay concrbte or asphalt' in front of their business promises, received a slight'discussion in iho Council last, evening; but the feeling seemed to be that the Council could.not see its way to assist such luxurious undertakings. ,;Mr Hardcastle, R.M., has coii/mitted for trial a yoUng woman'at WoilingtoH.on a charge of keeping a brothel, The Masterton Borough Council has appointed medical officers, This is the first step it has yet taken towards dischafing its duties aa a Board of Health, and we sincerely trust that it will not be the last one,

Professor Gohn, the distinguished German microscopist, has recently ■published his reasons for believing that the use of slates by .school children tends to produce short-sighteduess, He therefore recommends either pen and' ink, or, still better, an artificial white slate, with a black pencil, The use of the latter lias already been commenced in some of the German schools, and the School Bpard. ef Zurich 7 , has for: bidden the use of the old-fashioned slates after the end of the present term. Oculists everywhere are recommending the use of white boards, and. black chalks, instead of the antiquated blackbpard and;white chalk, as not only better for the eves, but capabje of rendering the objects inscribed upon them more plainly yisibje at a greater distance,

We learn froin Mt R. Hare that the Masterton and Greytown Trust Lands Bill has been approved of in Committee bytheHouße. Huxley, of the sign •of the Eagle the well-known tailoring establishment, of Wellington, has an announcement in our in our advertising column. Directions are given for self measurement, so that anyune requiring a good fit, can get one without the expense of a trip 10 town. . Mr William Betty, formerly a messenger in the Masterton Telegraph.Offioe, has been appointed letter-carrier for thin town, fie eommauoos duty on Monday; next. . • :

The regular meeting of Court Loyal Enterprise A, O. F, will be held to morrow evening.

The usual company parade of the Maitcrton Biflea will be held to-morrow evening in the drill shed. A general meeting of members of the corps will take place after drill. The Carterton Druids are arranging to hold a festival on the same scale as eno held so successfully at Masterton a few months ago.

A fact that speaks volumes for the Masterlou flour iB that while the price in Wellinqtou is £l\ 10s per ton, Messrs Chamberlain Bros, have more orders than they can execute at £l2 10s per ton. ' A ehild died at the Waingawa pah this week, \ and the natives there (who are converts to Mormonism) applied to have it interred in tho Church of England section of tho Cemetery, It was pointed out to them that if the interment was 8on : ' ducted'as they proposed by a Mormon ISlder, they would have to use tho ground set apart far other denominations. Under those circumstances they decided to bury the child in tho neighborhood of the pah.

. The Palmerston Times, says:'"A' word or two of counsel to our business men may not be out of the way just now, Palmerston is at a trying point of its history. Trade is dull, money is scarce, and the place is feeling the depression somewhat keenly." After alluding to the bankruptcies that have recently taken place, and to rumors concerning others about to take place, our contemporary urges that there is reason why a panic should not set in, and everybody begin squeezing his neighbor, He adds: "When that takes place business becomes unhinged, and even sound, good men who can pull through if time is given them, suffer and go to the wall. We therefore advise ourbusintss men earnestly to be moderate; to be as gentle as possible with regard to their own security. If things can be satisfactorily settled privately, let it be done that way rather than forcing men into the Bankruptcy Court, which will only mean bringing the place into bad odour with outsiders."

According to recent statistics the French army numbers, on a peace footing, 470,000 men, with 300, generals; that of Germany, 427,000 men, with 282 generals; that of England, 315,000 men, with 179 generals; that of Italy, 220,000 men, with 130 generals; and that of Spain, 134,742 men, with 260 generals, - These figures shew that-in England there is one general _.to ''every 1750 men; in France, to every 1566 men; iu Germany, to every 1451 men; in Italy to every 1407 men; and in ■Spain, to every 518 men. % ; > At Devon (Eng.) has just died a remarkable woman, Mrs Robertson.tTliirteen years ago, she was seized .with-idiopathic, gangrene after, her accouchement; : Six weeks subsequently both her legs had to be amputated to save her life, and 22 days later both hands were cut-off in the hospital. She recovered and left the hospital, a mere torso, after being there only 18 weeks, and then lived on for 13 years.

One of our numerous readers, being of an inquiring turn of mind, says that lie has tried every drapery and clothing establishment in the Wairarapa for the purpose of finding out who keeps the best stuff and Bells tho cheapest, He says he has had considerable experience in the drapery trade, tbereforp ponsiders himself a competent judge, He gives his opinion in favor of L, J. Hooj?u k Co, of the Bon Marche* Warehouse, who, he stales,has a larger and better stock to choose from than any country store in New Zealand, and fit for any town in tho colony.—Advt. The extraordinary satoof Surplus Wintor Stock at Te Aro House, Wellington should ho a matter of some interest to all readers of tho Wairarapa Daily for these special reason!-, Ist, becauso of the largeness of the stock, 2nd, because of tho short duration of the sile, 15 days only, 3rd, because .of the unprecelow pricos. Our price list, issued with this papor, should, wo think, astonish everybody, and very certain it is that a jtrip to the sale would be money in pocket to every Wairarapi resident that should try it. If not able to come, their orders, accompanied with cash, would be as well ixecuted as though selected personally. It simply means 20s for 10s, or even less in many cases, therefore try it, 0 ye residents, and that right early, Boar in mind that we have : no country businesses whatever, no bunches in auy township, .aud no one is authorised to. sell "for us, either regularly or irregularly, We have only one i>lqce_jf bminm m the province, aud the public would do well to keep this fact in mind when sending their orders, or visitiug Wellington, that our sole establishment in the colony is. that known as James Smith's, Te Aro House, Wellington.—Advt. ■.. ■ •