The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 1889. Masterton Insurance Rates.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3227, 11 June 1889, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 1889. Masterton Insurance Rates.

We nro.very pleased to learn thnt there is an almost immediate prospect of the heavy insurance rates now levied in Muatcrton being reduced. Wo would have liked to have seen them cut down by ono half, through tho instrumentality of a high pressure water supply; but public opinion does not appear to bo yet educated up to a point which would carry such an enterprise, and the smaller and more immediate advantage obtainable from 'a gutter supply is the move popular, The comedy now being played out between Mr Eenall and the Borough Council somewhat resembles a Chinese play, Its length is interminable and hundreds of Bcenes are necessary for its development, Mr ftenall, having a clear and definite object in viow and being in no particular hurry in attaining it, has played a waiting game with considerable success. The Council, almost to a man, were once opposed to him, but after a year or so of " argument," several occupants of the moroccos vacated their seats under possibly an apprehension that their fate, if thoy continued in the chamber, might be that of the time honored animal whose posterior limb was talked off, Others again differed on points of detail, and acted with hesitation, whereas Mr Eenall, whenever he did make a move, did so without the slightest hesitancy. At length tho CounoiJ " gave itself away," surrendered all- that it had b:en fighting for by making a side arrangement with a Committee which had an understanding with Mi Eenall. It forgot thot in giving Mr Renall this inch, they virtually gave a.man of his intelligence a full ell, No wonder Mr Kenall said the other'day that the Council cquld neither " advance nor retire" in the position in which it is now plajed, The timely prospects of the lowering of the insurance rates, will, in the minds of many ratepayers, compensate for the disorganisation now apparent in the Municipal dove cot, HeaUy the effect of the opposition of the Borough Council to Mr Eenall's project has been to stimulate him to complete it

Jen to stimulate o complete it n ,a better and. more eubstantiul manner than ha first contemplated. JIJ/lging from expressions of' opinion made a jjreat' ago, his original ■'intention M not" plainly 'iiiVolye the experiditure of. a hrnidrod pounds, £|t uudjir the stimnlus' of an opposition Council be has- phbty parted

with two or three times that amount. The result is a stream of water, wlii}.h apparently satisfy'-the. insurance , ; autliofitiesj but the numerous little accidents which have

slrea'dy occurred in these open drains would indicate that sooner or later the Borough Council may bavetu pay the cost of broken limbs or bruised bodies, This difficulty might have been avoided to a great exteut if the slight additional expense had been incurred of covering the fluming which runs. through that portion of Queen Street where traffic is greatest. Perhaps," the sooner the Borough Council takes formal charge of the service the better, so that necessary

improvements may be rriado, The Council, penny wiso and pound foolish, did not engage the services of their solicitor in the agreement which they made -with the Committee, and hence they, can hardly claim

tho merit, which, no doubt they intended to deserve, of protecting tlie iulet'jstß of .the ratepayers. The amateur agreement which was signed, owing to certain curious omissions, really placed the ratepayers at the mercy of Mr Kcnall. Thoonly thing

they have to be thankful for is the expected reduction of insurance rates I

Tho monthly meeting of tho Thistle Lodge, No 647, 5.0., will bo held tomorrow night, Wednesday. The Permanent Building Society Auckland, made a net profit'of £BO3O for the year, but carried a:.larger' sum than usual forward to provide against posssiblo losses, they only'pay five per cent dividend.

According to the report of the Re-ceiver-Goiwi'al the trade, ooinmerce,. and shipping of Fiji for 1888, the total trade of the group for the year amounts to £560,000, being au increase on the previous two years, Since all Indian tribes were placed on reservations dmiikennesa has become tho prevalent vico; and it is a rare thing to find an Indian, old or' young, who has anything to buy whisky with,, who isn't driiuk four-fifths of the time.

The following paragraph appears in tho London Eoho. T ";ionie time ago wo spokn of the fascination which Now Zealand possesses for many Englishmen. Mr Froude is one of its admirers. If a Yamtye would go to Paris when ho dies, Mr Froude would choose the balmy, picturesque England' of tho Southern Seas, When his term of office as Governor expired, Sir George Grey, instead of coming "home," remained In his', beloved New Zealand, And now it is suid that Sir Hercules Rubinsun has, at last, made up his maul to follow the example. Sir Hercules Robinson is High Commissioner in tho Cape Colony, but he was one 6 upon a time Governor of New Zealuud, which he has not forgotten.'' The recent rise in flax is proving a source of blessing to the country districts in a variety of ways, in the utilisation of surplns labour, the diffusion of a beneficial expenditure, which is benefitting all classes. In the Raglan district there are, we learn, soine nine mills at work, and the settlers doing well. Even' the natives are pettinp their sharo of the eolden shower, as they are bringing in their flax to tho milk from • all quarters, by canoe or otherwise. When the flax ,ia dressed it is shipped by steamer to Onehunga, It is calculated" that there is, a flax export from tho Kaglan district valued at £SOOO a-year, Complaint is made by some of the producers that the purchasers do not make sufficient distinction in price between well-dressed and badly-dressed flax, and that consequently there ib not much encouragement to go iu for a faithfully prepared article. Ilome.is scarcely the city whence to oxpect news of maritime enterprise, bu' there is an itom of news from the Hoi City to tho effect thatacompany is boil

turiucd there to undertake, by mean's ol

a ship built for travelling beneath the water, the salvage of all the wealth and booty that lies in many a wreck at the bottom of the sen. Two engineers, bo ■ runs the story, have prepared the plan of such & ship, and a company is to' bo formed with a capital ol 750,000 lire—about. LBO,OOO, ■ This idea of the

recovery of wealth from the bottom of the.seaisono of the possibilities of the present day, porohanoo something may some day be accomplished in this matter; . but they can scarcely commence operations in Rome, even if the company bd founded there,

Historicil research would not bo the dry-aB-dmt occupation it is mnorally held to be were such treasure trove often broui'lit to light as that just unearthed by Professor Jenkin. In his study of some MSS, which ho is editing fur the Fairfield House Library, he came across the following unpublished Miecdote of Oliver Cromwell. It appears lhat the Protector was windcrine hrough the muddy purlieus of Houndslitch, searching, like another flarom Uraschid, for sidelights on tho habit •1 tk-' ' -"■ of -<la. nk; '

<tml the humours of his people, nhetl ho found a drunken follow grovelling; in the gutter, Having been dragged to his ioet by an attendant ho was asked who ho was and what ho. did. ■• ".Who are you)" said 1 the Bot to the Protector. "1 am Oliver Cromwell" said the groat Kepublioan with dignity. The inebriate gentleman, unabashed, replied 11 Well 1 am All-over Mud.' 1

A distressing case of tho niisfortunes of life is now mauifeßt at Bourn, Uncoliishire. Nut ten years since die Bey. George Parkinson, a middle-aged man of prepossessing appearance, was chaplain of tlie Union Workhouse, curate, and for a time clergyman pro torn, of tho parish of Bourn. At the present trj.iment he is an inmate of tho Union Workhouse, havintr been recently transferred from St. Pancras Union, London, tho authorities thoro refusing to contribute towards his maintenance. Mr Parkinson was also clerk in holt orders at Nottingham, Bristol and Bath, but at the latter placo his downfall was imminent Being convicted at the Bath Quarter Sessions of issuin? fictitious cheques to tho tradesmen of that town, his silk was taken from him, and he has now become a pauper of his own parish. He was thoroughly respected by the inhabitants of Bourn for his aflSTbility and tho prcarinterest he evinced in the success.nt local affairs. Mr Parkinson has been comfortably off, having had legacioß left him from time to time. Boins a person however, fond of society, he quiokly got through thein. He was an enthusiastic sportsman, bein? the prime mover in the athletic clubs at Bourn.

An interesting discussion is being carried on in a leading homo medical journal regarding the important question "How to cano hoys," It is agreed that striking the head or face, or boxing tho cars is dangerous, and that tho last relics of the practice should beabandoned. ■" Handera" or "palnnet" haye their points of favour sav the doctors, when a lath about three inches broad isemplnyed but there should be no cutting with a cane, especially in the case of softhanded town children. It ja generally agreed, however, that on medical and scientific considerations the birch is the safest instrument, and the process the most'effective, A particular point' is made of the fact that the preparation for it takes time and allows the anger of the teacher to subside a little, It is further alleged that the part birched is sufficiently SMBJtiye to make the punishment decidedly smart i ; c'yery sense, Boys will agree that all this of a "good sound birching" is very .con. aiderate on the part of medical luminaries, but, like many of the evil-smell-ing, evil-tasting other pVesoriptionsthese gentlemen are in the habit of ordering it could beMry well dispensed with. A Buckinghamshire gentleman named Oharsley. brought an action against Miss Jones, from wnom lie had hired a furnished house in Melville street, Ryde, fordamages'on.accoujut.bf his children having, as he alleged, contracted typhoid fever, othor'Jiouse,through,a polluted we)F :py|ofcctive.drairitee; • lie jury which "tndd the case in the'Queen 1 * Benjh. awarded plaintiff £7,0 daawgeß, "

Messrs Lowqsland lornB.; Hriiiouncß leir next stock Bale at;:' v be~ : Master(on

irdß will' .take -place 'on Wednesday fune 19. ■ ■^■V.Nvi-'^vhy,-'

TheJStock-in-trado mialdji Co] of ;Welliugton, has been ►ld.to a Wangaiiui.firm by tciider,. at is9dintho£.'".•'' v : ' ■'■;'■'}:* :;r :

Mr William Whitt, cabinetmaker, will apply for an order for an immediate discharge, at the noxt Bitting of- the Bankruptcy Court,. ...,....,•.

Mr J. Yntcß invites tenders for stumping about six acres of land on tlie Upper riain. '

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Masterton Borough Council takes place this ovenlng. ' The total membership of thePrimroße League, is officially reported, it is now 786658.

There has been a large falling off in South Sea Island produce shipped through Fiji during 1888. The hinnble bees introduced into Canterbury soma time ago are evidently spreading over the middlo Island. Moro than one half of the letters carried by the postal service, of the world aro written, posted, aud read by

the English-speaking jopulation, Mr John Youne preparatory to remarking his stock for tho purpose of holding a cheap-sale of Ironmongery, notifies in another column that ho will close his premises Queen-at, Masterton, on Thursday and Friday the 'l3th and 14th June, when all goods will be sold at coat prieo. The Finance Committee of the Mas-,

terton Borough Council- met last night. Accounts amounting to £122 9s lOd were recommended for payment. The sum of £3 was recommended to bo paid to Mr J. B.ussoll for inspecting and reporting on buildings in No. 1 District,

There wore severe thunder storms and yery heavy rains throughout tho Forty Mile Bush district yesterday. Late last night a westerly gait, passed over Masterton, the lightning and thundtr which accompanied it being severe. The R.M.S. Mariposa, jrith ,thc English 1 mails of the 16th ult-,' left San Franciscofor Auckland on the 2nd inst, being one day late. The E.M.S. Zea-

laodia, with the colonial mails of the

20th ult, arrived at San Francisco, from Auckland; on the Bth inst., contract

A line specimen of tho Roaroa-a bird which usually frequents the. Alpine regions of the South Island—was caguht lately at Stowart Island, The bird belongs to tho apteryx order, and the feathers are grey, spotted with reddish white; but, unlike those of one of its' congeners, the grey kiwi, are soft to the touch.

At Wellington R M. Court yesterday, Hurbert Allendale was charged on suspicion with being concerned in the robbery of a safe and £76 in money and cheque, also stamps and postal notes of the value of £157 from the Fielding Post Office, Bo was remanded to Thursday. The Auditor-General bus disallowed the following items in the Uhristchurch City Council's accountsfor the laat.year: —Sending a cable messago to the

Empr°ss of Germany condoling with the death of her husband; the hire of carriages for Councillors attending the funeral of the late Mrs Harper, 'the Primato's wife; tho cost of constructing a panorama for the Melbourne Exhibition,

■ The Clmstchurch Telegraph of the 16th inst, says:—":We are informed that Mr Sommers, a bookseller of Highstreet, has instructed his solicitors, Messrs Wilding and Lewis, to commence an action against the Lyttelton Times Company for publishing a Timaru repurfc stilting that Mr Sommora had urged. Mr Waller, of Timaru to commit arson. Tho alleged statement was made by Waller whon giving ovidenco bofore tho Ufficial Assignee ■ of Timaru. The damages claimed are £2OOO. The Works Committee of the Master-

ton Borough Council.met last night. The overseer reported on sundry works done since last meeting, including Shortstroet contract, which has been satisfactorily finished, He also reported upon

sundry rupturs to roads that were required, which the Council agreed should be undertaken, A specification prepared by tie Mayor, for the repairs (o Queen-sticefc was read and ordered to stand over until the Council meeting to-night, Time sheets were examined and passed. The Town Clerk was instructed to got timber for the culvert at Manaia running into about a thousand feet.

Owing probably to the severity of the weather. Professor Rollinson did not have bucli a large attendance at the Masterton Theatre Royal rink last night, as his wonderful skill on the bicycle warranted the expectation of, Those who were fortunate enough to be present were well rewarded in witnessing the gyrations of the piofessor, Master Woolcotl, who has been travelling with the professor, took part in the performance, and was frequently applauded, A mile race betweon Master Coker, on skates, and Professor Rollinson on the bicycle took place, the former having a lap start and coming in a winner. The bicyglist tried to pass the skater several linn's, but the latter on each occasion darted in front and balked him, A most enjoyable evening was spent,

The Rov J. Ward lectured to a full house last .light on the reminiscences of toe Tnrannki war, The lecturer has been travelling through the 'northern oircait delivering this lecture, and we venture to say that in no part of tho north hits he met with a more enthusiastic audience than that which welcomed him at tho Weslnyan Church. Master ton. Mr B. P. Poiry, an old Tarannki settler, was votod to, and ably filled tho chair. Mr Ward gave a most graphic description of the beauties of Mount Eginont and its surroundings. He gaye an account of whit led up to tho war of 1860, in which he had friends and relations, who suffered in mind, body and estate through its effects, His description of various incidents in connection with the war was graphic, and called forth the frequent applause of the audience. In referring to the murder of the iloy. J. Whitety at tho Whito Cliffs, his. own feelings became excited by tho terrible interest! pf thesubject,'ana hp Spoke with a power that carried the excitement of his hearers to a high pitch. His description <jf the dofeuco of the Orakau Pa waß a specimen of tho skill of the lecturer as a word painter. Tho subject was full of thrilling interest, and tho reserve of the auditors was entirely dissipited, and they give vent -to their feelings in ooniiiiunus outburstp of applause, He spoke highly of the Maoris of tho good old days, fqr whom he expressed an unfeigned admiration. The lecture was interspersed with selections by the choir, under the ablo conductorship of Mr P. W, Temple, iu a manner that was thoroughly appreciated and votes of thanks to the lecturer and Chairman were carried by acclamation at its conclusion, The Key, Mr Ward has an object in delivering this course of lectures. He was asked to place five hundred shares in the' Ne.w Zealand Methodist, 1 , and so far he has met with unprecedented success. When he roached Masterton ho had got four hundred and, fifty taken up. He reckoned on placing, twenty others in this town and that left him only thirty to dispose of in Palmereton North, Napier, and other northern towns where he repeats his lecture, .

' The Sheffield Town Council have deold'ei to erect municipal tiujldipgs at a wst not exceeding £BO,OOO. ■'•"

Wimbledon's last rifle meeting commenoes.on Monday Bth of July. This will bo the 30th meeting held tkro,

A unique literary celebration will shortjy take'place in China—the thousandth anniyersay of the Pekin .Gazette. There are said to be forty vegetarian restaurants in London, some of which serve over a-thousand dinners per day. ■ The.underground electrio t .railway 'in Lorfdoiitfill be only twelve feet faelonr the-street level and the roof will como wit|inkofoßiioftho'tAir{ac».

.■Tho total membership of theWeßleyanMethodists Society, is 421,734;tvn increaa'o'! onthoyoarofßo4B.,- .'V-..#' ■ '■_ ■'.-<,; '. Over oiio-ttiird of the annual total r of' deaths iii Liverpool are caused!by con- ■ sumption and chest disease. ;';■ ' .- DrM. Lendenf eld • recently! govoap: accoulit before the Geographical Society of Berlin, of his travols in the Australian and New' Zealand Alps. He dwelt upon, the great antiquity of the New Zealand Alps, and described, the. fiords of Now Zealand as the finest in the work l . ..-../ We'learri from the Japan Mail that it was recently determined to break open a sitfo that had stood closed for years in the British Legation at Tokio, the key having 1 been 105t,.-Tho deed was' done, nnd in the safe were found the accounts of some of the Consulates and a box of gold and silver medals, which bad.'. been sent by the British Government for distribution among Japanese who defended the British Legation at Tokio agains the attack made on it—in which the late Mr Laurence Oliphatit was wounded --on the 4th of July, 1801. These medals have been entirely forgot--1 ton' for twenty-six years, and the difficulty now is tn find the men for whom they were intended.

In order to enable fruit merchants to

test the San Francisco market (9ays the Auckland correspondent of the (Jtago Daily Times), Mossrs Spreckcls and Co, have notified the Auckland agent lor the Pacific mail service steamers' that he may receive samples of New.Zealand, fruit for Bhipmont to this port, when properly packed and honestly sont as such by steamer for the purpose of showing in this market, and to endeavor to work up a trade in apples, oranges, and; lemons.. They Btato that it is most likely to bo a suocess. If consigned to, J. Spreckela and Brothers, they will endeavor to loam reports of prices, &o„ in San Francisco. Mr Creighton considers that there is a good and profitable market for New Zealand fruit, if sent at the proper season, properly paoked, and of suitable varieties. This view is corroborated by the Herald's 'Frisco correspondent, who gives a lnrqe amount of valuable information iii his letter on the 'Frisco fruit market and the openings for colonial fruitgrowers, 'The first Freu Ferry in the United Kingdom was opened at Woolwich on March 23rd by Lord Riißebery ond his colleagues on the Bridges Committee of the London County Council. .By the accommodation thus afforded a new communication for vehicular traflio will be provided between.Kent and Essex, which has hitherto been only possible by the long and tidcous medium of London bridge. It may be remembered that a long argument raged upon the relative merits of a tunnel or a ferry, but the former process was almost impracticable, both on account of the gradients

and the enormous expense. The approaches to the ferry have been constructed at the comparatively small outlay of £OO,OOO, and the two steam ferry boats—the Gordon and the Duncanhave cost another £23,000. The import-

ance of the question will he more hilly understood when its known that one half of the population of thq whole metropolis live eastward of London Bridge. An Italian General, who is wellknown and esteemed in his own country or. his patriotism and his fearless exposure of abuses, gives in a Vetorian magazine a generous estimate of the character of the English officer. Genoral Clemente Corte does not heßitate to pronounco Continental opinion on the British Army to bo malevolent ard absurd, Ho bears gratifying testimony especially to the great superiority of the English over other European nations in Colonial warfare. British officers havethe true characteristic of a conquering rnco, the aptitude and peculiar inclination for organising and leading in battle soldiers recruited frum 'conquered peoples. These qualities, inherent in the English officer, have been shown all'over the world, at the Cape, on the West Coast of Africa, in the Soudan, and especially in India.' No colonising nation mentioned in history has equalled the English in gaining tho goodwill of their native troops. They have studiously respected the laws, oreeds, and custoniß of conquered races, [and in guiding indigenous forces they have always been caroful to place at their head the very choicest of their officers. General Corte enntrasts the bearing of the English officer with tho arrogant and contemptuous style adopted by tho officers of certain Continental nations. The former is above all an "English gentleman,' 1 His dauntless valour has been proved on innumeralle occasions, and his natural pride of race or fainily.peculiarly adapts him to lead to victory the soldiers of his own stock as well as those of the countries under British sway. The London correspondent of tho Dunedin Star writes:—" Mr Rees's Colonisation Company is, I fear com. pletely 'up a tree'-if, indeed, it was ever anything else. I called at the offices of the Company in Victoria street on Tuesday morning and found tho secrotary, Mr Oracknell, in a most dolorous frame of mind, At first he would give no information whatever, but I softened his heart by my solicitudo for his obvious anxiety, and presently out came the wholo story, Throughout his mission, it appears, Mr Rees his never really achieved any practical success, all sorts and conditions of men, from the Marquis of Lome downwards, listened respectfully to tho Now Zeahnder, and were ' very much .interested''in his schemes, but he has never been ablo to'onthuse' people sufficiently to induce them to put their hands' into their pockets, Had he 'begun with a small settlement scliome, requiring a moderate amount of money, it is possible (more particularly at first) he might have got it; bnt his proposals wero so vast, so vague, and so expensive thoy scared practical 1 men. A few weeks ago Mr Rees went North, jubilantly confident (said Mr Oracknell) that ho would be able to persuade the canny Scotch On-Opera-tive Societies to invest at least 125,000 in his company. Well, he has failed. 'These societies,' Mr. Hoes, writes to Mr Oracknell, "received me most hospitahjy, and my meetings wero. crowded, All tho speakers expressei themselves iwy mndi interested in my proposals. I fear, though, it will be impossible to persuade them to take ait;/practical,*])," Tho faili|re"of this' tour Mr Oracknell seemed to regard as giving the final coup rfejracc to Reese's projects. "He will have to leave the.oountry," ho said significantly; and then, catching him self up as if tio had tripped, added: "I mean I should think he'd want, to leave the country soon." For reasonß which it is unnecessary to define, I think this very likely myself,, , Mr Burnand,'the editor of Punoh, who is a Roman Catholic, states in The Theatre that "a Roman Catholio priest cannot visit a theatre within' his own diocese. Butan Irish priest, for example, coming over for a holiday, might go to a theatre iu London; only he is not allowed to preform any official act of a Bacerdotal character during the period he is indulging bis theatrical tastes."