The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 1885. THE TOWN LAPS TRUST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1971, 22 April 1885, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 1885. THE TOWN LAPS TRUST.

Those who are not acquainted with the tactics which are from time to time adopted by a certain section of so-called public men in Masterton, wero perhaps surprised to learn that, after the utter indifference which was displayed in connection wj.tji tlje annual statutory meeting of the Town Lam}? Trust, there should suddenly spring up an actjyo Apposition to the retiring Trustees who seek reelection, Masterton is, however, well used to thjs port of thing, for the practice of late lias been to oppose everything for tho sake of opposition, and to assumo that those to whom the management ,oi anypublic businesa had been entrusted were nothing better than scamps. To carry out such purposes it bocamo necessary from time to time to propound charged against our public men, and to make up certain new principles which should guide those institutions to which thoy referred. We are always glad to see a healthy contest for the honorary offices which the electors have it in their posver to bestow, but the practice of "making" a fight appears to be most objectionable. The pending election of three Town Lands Trusteess has been seized upon in the fashion we have described. Not one of the three opposition candidates considered it worth his while to attend the annual meeting of voters, and two of them never dreamed of becoming candidates until the third brought them out. They cannot, under the circumstances; lay claim to having iwy principles of their own, nor is it all likely that they see anything in the past management of the Trust that needs reforming. Therefore they will most certainly do what they have done in other matters—blindly follow their leader. A man who cannot think and act for himself is not fit tohold a po'sitionof trust, whether paid or honorary. Tho voters will bear in mind that the Masterton Trust is ■not a plaything, but the most valuable endowment, in proportion to population, held by any town or district in New Zealand. By nutans of this Trust they have been enabled to place their public school in its present prosperous position. By its means they have erected a library that they may well be proud of. They "have assisted in the formation of the Btreets in

the town, and, last, but not least, it is to the funds supplied from this source that the laying out and planting of the Park is} due. The Parle : is in every respect a credit to the town, and visitors to Masterton nover think of leaving without seeing it. Yet, strango to say, hero lies the root of the present opposition. We have ere this beon told from the same quarter that the Park should he converted into 11 sheep walk, because at present it is neither use nor ornament, and the. votors may rest assured that, though there is no likelihood of such anVbsurd idea being carried out, the opposition candidates would oppose the granting' of a singlo penny towards its. implement or maintenance.- The administration of an important public estate cannot be entrusted to such hands without risk that material injury will result, and it will be the duty of the voters to take steps to protect themselves. They will do this most effectively by recording their votes for Messrs E. Feist, S. E. Gafper, and Tiros. Parsons.

At the present period, while there is reason to fear that war may at any moment be declared between Great Britain and Russia, the public is naturally anxious to obtain the latest news at the earliest possible moment. In connection with this matter we areonly doing justice to ourselves by pointing out that the Daily is the only newspaper published in the Wairarapa that receives news through Router's Agency and the United Press Association, We havo made speoial arrangements under which important news will be forwarded on to us while the Telegraph office is open* and also for publishing the fullest news regarding the proceedings at Home and in Afghanistan, as well as everything relating to the defences of the colonies. We already received very gratifying proofs of public appreciation of the advantages which we hold, in the shape of a material increase in our circulation since the Rus^q-Afghan difficulty cropped up; but thinking tjiaji tjiore are many who are anxious to obtain the latest intelligence, who arc not fully aware uf thejr extent, we take this opportunity to direct general attention to them. '

MrF. H, Wood holds an important stock sale at Ray's yarjjs, Taratahi, tomorrow.

At the R.M. Court, GreytQwn, before i, Tully, J,P,, Peter Lepenski for being drunk and disorderly was fined 20, A meeting of creditors In the estate of T. A. Dillon will bo held at 11 a.m. tomorrow.

The printers of the Daily and Star offices will try conclusions in a football match on the Park Oval on Saturday next,

The shareholders in the WellingtonManawatu Bajlpy ,00, have unanimously decided to empower .the director? to increase the capital of the Company by the issue .of i/sw shares. ' ' ' At the local (option polling at Blueskin, Otago, one ratepayer out $ 3?5 recorded his VOtC, He gave |t in faypr pf an jii : crease In eagh class. Last year J>w<? voted in tho same district, Tenders are invited for falling eighty acres light bush in tho Kopuaranga Block. Particulars may bo obtained on application to Mr F. Kummer, on the land, or to Mr W. Sellar.

A meeting of the Government Insurance Board was held at Wellington yos--terday, wh.en t];p question of the appointment ,of loeaj PS discussed. It was decided that the necessary appointments to tho Board should a meeting to bo hold r.est weok.

An excursion train will leavo Master' ton for Wellington at 9 a.m, to-morrow, returning at 11.30 p.m., giving visitors six clear hours in Wellington: There will also be an excursion from Wellington on the wafi fagf leaving the city at 10 a.m. and arriving at Masteiion at 2.30. The goods d!S])lajed in Mr A. Wrjgley's Empire Furniture Warehouse, have attraeted a good deal of attention since the establishment was opened, uml have been subjects of general admiration. A now advertisement giving prices, etc., appears in op fa-day's issue.

Or Muir has given notice of the following motion in the Borough Council:— " That the reports of all ''s'ub-epmmitjtces bp published in th,e local papers ,on am day whop/such reports would beconsider'ed by this Council," TJi.e .object sought by this is that the reports' shall hp placed it the disposal of the Press, the aajp as fcljey are in Wellington.

"ATraveller sends us the following: —" It is now just about three years since I first visited Pahiatua, which at that time was a mass of standing timber, with hei'e and there a very primitive wliare. Judge "of my surprise then on visiting it again tp find iio,t #njy a very largo clearing covered with splendid, feed, and dotted ovor with cattle and sheep, but quito a respectable village, which I havo no doubt is the nucleus of a large town jn a not ycry distant future. In fact, I don't know of a place that has a better prospect, as with its'frand land and central position it must bo the depot for a very large extent of country. lam glad fa se.e jthe Government is going on with the railway through the hush. The Wellington endowment is still a dead.wajl to the settlement, The City Fathers flcem to have dosed off again after their sudden waking a while hack. It is a pity to see such a fine piece of land lyincr idle,"

We publish tliofoilowing at the request of Mr Harding, travelling agent for the Company referred to:—We are informed, says the Melbourne Telegraph, that" a special general meeting pf the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society (Limited) was held at tlio Melbourne Office on March 30. There was a jarge attendance 0 f members, inoludiogSfr Samuel Davenport, of Adelaide; Hon. J. P, Burns, M.fr, New Sjufcli Wales; and W. H, Wilsone, of Brisbane. The Rev. H. Plow Kane, M.A., Chairman of the Melbourne Board, in the chair. The report showed the policies in force at the 31st March, 1884, to be 17,821, assuring over £4,431,732, annual premiums on which were £1150,000, .and are now £IBO,OOO. The invested funds were set at £285,200, now increased to £450,000, the interest on which exceedod £29,000, The actuarial calculations were certified by Mr Thomas Bond Sprague, M.A. F.1.A., President of the Institute of Actuaries of Great Britain, and Mr George King, F.1.A., Lecturer of tho Institute, The report showed a balance of £48,033 available for distribution at end of quinquennium, of which the Directors propose to distribute £45,000, which will create revorsionary bonuses to the amount of £100,000; amongst those members entitled to participate, The adoption of the report was moved by the Chairman, who was supported by tho representatives from Adelaide and New South Wales, and carried unanimously. The Chairman announced that the returns to hand showed the new business to be considerably in excess of the previous year. Votes of thanks were passed to tho Chairman, Directors, General Manager, Actuary and officers."

A dancing class under the management of the Mastcrton'String Band opens at the Temperance Hall to-night. .;, .';•■ Captain Edwin i telegraphs today.':—.' '.' Bad weather botween South-East and West. 'Glass further fall, but rise after, twclvp hours, Indications still show rain." , : -'., Some amusement was created at the meeting of the Borough Council last night by a clause in the report of the Works Committee. <<Mr. Fielding had written to the Council asking that a hole in front of his house in Queen-street might be filled up, but the Committco recommended that he should do the work-himsclf. One or two Councillors thought ; th(\t the Council should do tho work, especially as Mr Bish, formerly chairman of tho Works Com?.; mittee, had promised that it should be done; but though the work would only have cost, two or. three shillings, and would have improved tho street, it was resolved on a division by five to; four not to do' anything, on the ground that it would be a bad practice to get into, i

Great oxcitement has been caused in New South'- Wales by the capture of the prisoners Thurston and I who recently escaped from the Coonamblegaol, and who murdered the warder. - The police having received information leading them to Biippdsethat tho two men were in the neighbourhood of Gulgong, secreted themselves in Stewart's store, awaiting the arrival of the prisoners, whom they called on to surrender. Upon seeing the officers, Thurston fired, at Stewart and shot him dead.. The police then fired at the bushrangers, killing Thurston and -wounding Angel, who has since been lodged in gaol, Those members of tho Borough Council who also have a seat on the Library Committee were considerably astonished last night by tho production of what was stated to be the annual report of the Committee, but of which they knew absolutely notlung. During a short discussion which ensued it transpired that a subcommittee had been appointed to prepare the'report, but had nqt presented it to the Commjttiqefor approval becausethero was no quorum at the meeting called for that purpose, and it was thereupon forwarded direct to the Council, As it did not appear to express the views of ihe Committeemen present, and had; moreover, come in an irregular way, it was decided to send it back, only the balancesheet being received. A shocking case of murder and suicide occurred at South Melbourne a. few days ago, at a house occupied by a gas-meter maker named Thomas Bowden and his wife, both of whom wero about twentyfive years of ago. They arrived in Adelaide some twelve months ago from England, anc) came tp, reside i» Melbourne towards tho end of lasj year. During the fortnight previous to tlje crime Bqwden had shflwn symptoms Qf insanity, labqring t|iu}er the dqlutjion that jie wag ftboi|t to be attacked by lavrikjns, and %t his wifq was Qfldoaygrjng tq poisqn hjm. Mrs Bowdon complained to Mr Janios Whitehead (tho owner of the house rented by her husband) that the latter had a loaded revolver in the houso, with which Bhe feared that he might shoot her, Mr Whitehead thereupon went to Bowden and urged him to give up the pistol, but Bowden said that it was unnecessary to do so, there being no need for alarm, as the weapon was unloaded. Next morning Bowden and his wife were found lying dead in their bedroom, A iivo> chambered revolver, whjijh'jiad recently discharged, was 'clutched Jn" Bowdeii's right hand. Hejlftron's Gorman Worm Cakes and Fitzgerald's Koromjko arc patgilt'ed,—ADyT.''

A narrow escape from what might have proved a fatal agoidjnt, occurred pji one of the up country rpafjs, plight aj](j stormy night recently, A gentleman, driving his family In a buggy towards home, on turning a sharp bond In the road, leading to a across-whjell-only a narrow bridge, without handrails -was-placetT.'pbreeivffcf, within a short distance, another vehicle approaching at a rapid' pace fr.om the opposite direction. No room top'ass,'a,co))jsipn qeemed in-, evitable, But thy drfyerjs joj the fcjfS' conveyances were equal to the o'ccp,qn and with admirable presence ■■■of mind applied their brakes, bringing 'the hors,os to a standstill within a few feet, and tho occupants were able to congratulate each other on having had fitted, powerful brakes, and good lamps to their carriages, By "iluji,' and Dixon of the Mastorton Coach Factory, wlj,o are now building all kinds of vehicles at fabiilqusjy low prices, —Advic, """ " '''