The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1888. OUR BIG CITIES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2812, 1 February 1888, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1888. OUR BIG CITIES.

The bost sample of our big cities in New Zealand at the present time, is the thriving centre at Port Nicholson, for within the memory of even a young man, it lias doubled and trebled its population. It has increased and multiplied, spreading out up precipitous hill sides, and taking lodgment in windy eminences, which were once regarded as "a refuge for the wild goat," Wellington is a busy hive, where money is pretty plentiful, work easily procured, and all the comforts and conveniences of civilisation very readily obtainable. No big town iu New Zealand is enjoying a larger measure of prosperity, or has better prospects ahead. As long as the town grows, work will be plentiful, and wages good, and there is not the slightest sign of any arrest of growth, any check iu the immediate future which will change the happy conditions under which tho Empire City is rapidly developing. Whatever croakers may say to the contrary, a walkthrough Wellington must convince any unprejudiced observer that the town, as towns go, is extremely wealthy, and its people decidedly well-to-do. The streets literally swarm with busses and cars, all carrying big loads of people, who are too well off to walk, and who can afford to ride to their work and from their work. There is, however, another side of the picture, one that is scarcely so bright. The thirty thousand people in and about Wellington are well clothed, well fed, and well cared for, but the bulk of them are clustered in vory small homes. Perhaps a thousand families dwell in stately mansions, where breathing room is combined with luxury; but there are live thousand that live in small tenements which have very much the appearance of dolls-houses. The home of the Wellingtonian of small means is usually a miniature tit house, in an almost microscopic building allotment, The rooms are of the dimension of cupboards, and outside of them there is little or no garden or recreation ground. A family is cooped up in an enclosure which is not adequate to supply a growing family with a reasonable amount of fresh air. If we ask ourselves are the denizens of these prettypainted hutches colonists of New Zealand we cannot truthfully, reply that tliey answer to the ideal which is formed at home in England of New Zealand life and liberty. It is not- a healthy sign for-tho prosperity of the Colony thai so many thousands of people cling to the larg6 centres of population, while millions of acres of land remain untenanted and unimproved, The thing will work its own remedy in time, and very many of the people of the big towns will yet have to seek a livelihood in the country. We feel proud of tho prosperity of a thriving city like that of Wellington I but at the same time we cannot but deplore that it is sowing the seeds of future misery by crowding narrow spaces with small tenements. There is ample room for everybody in New Zealand, and'it is possible, even in a. town like Wellington, to. solve the problem of giving every family a fair, amount of living room, - The crowding of population in our growing towns is a question )vhich is well worthy of ilie attention our rulers and statesmen. populated areas are not a necessity in a Colony like New •Zealand, and tliey caiihot well be expccteil .io bi'cod'gocd colonists, "

There has been no reply yet. from Schwass of Carterton regarding Murphy's' challenge. The Thermometer at Mr W. Dougall's road in tlio ehado at noon to-day 65 degrees. . Captain Edwin wired at 1.50 this afternoon " ilNorth-easfc to North and West Rale after ten hours from now. Glass fall again soon." The lato Mr Geo, Young's funeral leaves the Club Hotel to-morrow afternoon at three o'clock. Friends are invited to attend. Lient-Colonel Butts has received a letter from the Hon. Colonel Baillie, commanding the Marlborough Volunteers inviting the Wellingtim and Wairarapa Volunteers to an encampment at Blenheim at Easter. Tho cold weather which was yesterday predicted by Captain Edwin was amply realised, for during tho night the temperature went down to 46 degrees or 14 above freezing point. Tho Tararua Ranges, too, were this morning crowned with a coating of snow.

Sir Harry Atkinson has just received by the Aorangi a patent from H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, Grand Master of tho English Freemasons, appointing him to tho distinguished position of District Grand Master for the Wellington District, E.G. in succession to Bro. C. J. Toxward, who sent in Mb resignation some months ago.

Messrs Kibblewhite and Cameron, our local blacksmiths, lmvo just received the first consignment to the Wairarapa of New Zealand made iron in tho shape of a quantity of bar iron from the Onehunga Iron works, They report that the iron is fur shoeing and general purposes much supeiror to the imported article, being in fact almost equal to steel, The Hon. Mr Chamberlain has applied for a letters patent in New South Wales for his improved rabbit exterminator, His first patent applied for in Now Zealand says the Evening Bell, was rather a one-sided aflair, but bis new patent shows no partiality to sex, as both does and bucks, are to bo hold fast by the legs until death terminates their sufferings.

There lias been weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth among our local Government officials. Their month's "screws" have not yet come to hand, and sad is their lot. These gentlemen, in the ordinary course should have been paid on the 31st of last month, and now they await their cheques, with fear and trembling lest that evil genius economy should have led to tho doduction of the proverbial ten per cent.

The Masterton Philharmonic Society holds its first practice on Friday ovening 3rd February, Gilbert and Sullivans operetta " Trial by Jury" being the subject for rehearsal. Ladies and gentlemen are invited to join the Society, the annual subscriptions being 10s for the former and LI tor the latter. Honorary subscribers receive two tickets for each quarterly concert given by the Society and performing members qet one.

It is said that the Borough Council can give Mr Ronall a " Rowland" for his " Oliver " in the RM. Court this morningby breaking up his water track and shunting his stream into the creek. Mr Renall wou'd be powerless to prevent this, as ho lias no authority from the Council for what he lias done. We trust however that tho Councillors will not resort to a measure of this kind, in order to vindicate their authority. There seemed to bo a darkness in the streets of Masterton last night caused by tile want of the usual illumination of tho f-treet lamps. Perhaps it is arranged that on calendar moonlight nights the lamps shall not be lit. If this is so, then the idea does not work well, for although last night should have had the benefit of the moon's fair beiins, it was, as a matter of fact, very stormy, and as dark as pitch, and much inconvenience was caused, owing to tho absence of artificial lighting, At the Post Office corner, several persons narrowly escaped an involuntary immersion in tho Mayor's bathing place. There certainly should be some provision for lighting tho lamps on irregular dark nights, irrespective of what tho almanac says on the subject.

Tho Masterton-Hawera Special Settlement Association held a general meeting last night. There was a very full attendance, and Mr L. J. Hooper occupied the chair. It was decided to accept the arrangement of the sections, as shown on the plan of tho block supplied by Government. Those present at the meeting thereupon made their first payment of a deposit of ten shillings, and it was notified that absentees who did not pay the amount within fourteen days would bo struck off the list of members, The full price of the land, including a freo survey by the Government, is thirty Bhilings an aero, The members present were unanimous in expressing their indebtedness to Mr Geo Beetham, M.H.R. through whose valuable and persovering aid, sucli good torms had been made with the Government, The meeting thou adjourned.

Wo havo received from Mr F, H. Wood a verv attractive and well written illustrated hand book description of the Inglowood Leicester flock, tho Lincoln flock and the herd of Shorthorns, owned by Mr Phillips C. Threlkeld the noted breeder of Flaxton, Canterbury. Tho pamphlet is also accompanied by a photographaph of two as fine Leicester rams as wo have perhaps ever seon. Seeing that Mr Wood has been instructed to sell rams for Mr Threlkeld at the coming Ram and Ewe fairs at both Masterton and Cartorton these decriptions aro of intorost and both the book and the photograph may be found at tho Waiharapa Daily oflico by those who aro concerned m tho introduction of such high class eheep into our market and into our flocks.

It will bo remembered that, during last season, Mr Smith, M. H. R, for Waipawa, drow tho attention of tho Government to an advertised sale of certain Wellington Educational Reserves in tho Alfredton-Rangitu.nau district, the said sale being compulsory in order to meet rates due on certain secondary education reserves situated in tho same district. Tho reserves offered for sale, however, were primary education reseryes, and it was at once clear that tho Bale could not bo allowed to go on. Since then the position of the reserves has been furthor enquired into, The result has been to throw considerable odium on the adminstration of these reserves by the Commissioners, Tho liabilities for rates due were roughly £llO, but this sum has been increased by leeal and other cysts to upwards of L2OB at the present time Wo understand that Government have no monoy to meet the liabilty, unless tliey do so arbitrarily, and tako a lien over the reserves in question, It is obvious that, if this is done, the proceeds from the reserves will not be fulfi'ling there intended purpose.—Evoning Press.

Messrs Lowes and lorns' entries for the coming Masterton Ram and Ewe fair include a number of Loicesfcer, Romney March, and Southdown rams consigned to the firm for sale, by the following breeders:—Messrs Reid of Elderslie; Boag of Christchurch; McKenzie of Napier; Cobb of Foxton; and the N." Z, and Australian Land Company,

The Carterton Lawn Tennis Club opened operations last- Saturday afternoon, Upon inquiry of Dr Hosking we learn that both young France and Mr Walter Morrison are making favourable progress,. Mr F, H. Wood has, a large list of entries for his stock sale at tho Taratahi yards to-morrow. It includes ] 500 sheep of all kinds, 70 head of cattle, and it is still being added to. The full programme of the Wairarapa Jockey Club's Annual Race Meeting, which is t» be hold on the Moroa Race-' course, near Groytown, on the 16th and Wth February, in advertised in this issue. It includea seven events each day, and should constitute admirable sport on the occasion. In the published reports of an interview yesterday with the Minister of Lands by Messrs 0; F. Richmond and S. Dawson, on behalf of the Wellington Special Settlement Association No 1, Eketahuna, it has been stated that the Minister agreed to vest the Totara reserve in one or two of the members of the Association for the purpose of their cutting the timber thereon. We are informed to-day says tho Evening Press that this is a mistake. What the Minister for Lands suggested was 1 that a member of tho Association should apply to the Waste Lands Board in Ins own name, _ He could not, of course, sanction tho idea of the reserve being vested in one or two members of the Association,

Mrs Paktington savs. - Don t keep any of the quack rostrums, as they are regimental to the human cistern; but put your trust inDrSoule's American Hop Bitters, which will cure general dilapidation, costive habits, and all comic diseases They saved Isaac from a severe extract of yphoid fever. They are the »ic plus nnm of medicines. ' 1 Boston Globe."

Two organs. Regulate first the stomach, second the liver, especially the first, so as to perform their functions perfectly, and you will remove at least nine-teen-twentieths of all the ills that mankind is heir to, in this or any other climate. DrSoulo's American Hop Bitters is the only thing that will give perfectly healthy natural action to these two organs " Maine Xarmnr''

Obb sale of Surplus Summer Stock, the most important ever held, is now in full operation, having commenced on Wednesday, February Ist, at tho Wholesale Family Drapery Warehouse, Te Abo House, Wellington,

We can promise country residents some rare bargains in all seasonable goods, and can make it worth their whilo to pay an early visit to the sale at Te Aro House, WellingTON. We are showing some extraordinary bargains in summer dress material, First quality prints that were sold at 7|d yard are selling at 2fd, those at BJd for 3|d, and so on in like manner. Plain and Fancy Dress Fabrics are in 12 yard lengths, and aro reduced in price from 7s fid to 2s lid, from 8s Gd to 3s lid, from 10s fid to 'ls lid, from 12s Oct to os lid, and in the same proportion throughout the entire stock of materials at the sale, Te Abo House, Wellington.' Equally remarkable will be the bargains obtainable in millinory, mantles and costumes, mo6t of the articles being marked at less than half price, and without doubt a lot of money will be saved by a visit to the salo of surplus summer stock at Te Abo House, Wellington, In our clothing department we are offering 75 pairs men's strong blue serge trousers, worth 7s 9d, for 2s 9d, 100 boys' knicker suits, newest styles, usually sold at 78 lid, lor 4s 9d, and other garments equally cheap. Shirts, Ties, Scarves, will be subject to the same astonishing reductions in price at the surplus summer stock sale, Te Abo House, Wellington As an additional attraction, our Refreshment lioom on the premises will bo open every day during the sale, and all visitors from the country will be invited to take a cup of tea, with other light refreshments, free of cost, at the surplus stock sale, Te Aiio House, Wellington. All orders will bo carefully attended to if acoompanied by cash, and parcels will be forwarded promptly to any part of the province from the surplus stock sale, Te Aro House, Wellington.