The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, FEB, 27, 1890. UNCONSIDERED TRIFLES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3446, 27 February 1890, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, FEB, 27, 1890. UNCONSIDERED TRIFLES.

The Railway Commissioners have recently been engiged in picking up "unconsidered trifles," which their predecessors—the Government- dare not touoh. There was formerly in railway (natters a Tom Tiddler's ground, where gold and silver might be gleaned, upon which no Minister daro venture for fear of a certain ogro who might be termed " unpopularity." For example, a Cabinet never dared lo withdraw the privilege of the press to frank newspapers over the lines of

New Zealand at a cost of several thousands of pounds to the State, but the Commissioners ventured wliero the ministerial angels feared to tread, More recently another unconsidered trifle has been annexed at a marine suburb of Auoldand known as Onebunga. There the Government railway terminates in a wharf, at which steamers are wont to load and unload cargo. The farmers, of Onehunga have long enjoyed the free and unrestricted use of this railway wharf for landing their stores and for shipping their produce, and have

iome to believe that they possess a 1 vested interest in it. Has it not been the policy of the Public Works department to encourage settlement, and liow could it foster it letter than by making its private wharf the free public _ depot of the district?' The Commissioners have,however,realised the fact that they ought to derivo, some Sffiall revenue for the use of ) their wharf from the settlers ot ■ Ophiinga, and havo intimated their intention tq coliecf wharf charges* on goods lyliich are shipped to and fro unless through' the railway. The 1 claim is a perfectly legitimate 1 one, . but all Auckland is up in arms to resent it as an infringement .if popular rights, and Sir Maurice O'iiorko has been deputed by an indignation meeting to worry the Government to put pressure ontho Commissioners. •.The cry is raised that the Commissioners are mailing the railways unpopular, and this simply because they are asking for their own. It is thought that when the House meets things can he made hot for the Commissioner, 1 !. and the result of the attack which will in all probability fee Jljeii jjiade on tli'em will bea crucial test _ aa ip f jiellier an honest administration pf our railways is 'possible; in New Zealand!' i'Jiat it was not 'pcissiblo when under tlie control of a Ministry' was painfully obvious, and for this, very reason ilifl floiiso nud the country agreed to place It in inikpijpnf hands.- Will the House and the' county jjfter deliberately making this" transfer poind it because the Commissioners are taking that independent position which they were expected to assume ? It will be a had day for this colony if any Government or party in the House, for the sake of popularity, interferes with the work of the Commissioners ■ or prevents ' them from discharging the duties which they were selected to carry out, Ik remains to,'ha . Seen 1 whether the Government in (his Colojpnd tlig press are venal! 1 If tho press has the courage to support' the Commissioners in the work ; which they have undertaken, no .Government dare, molest them, and we trust, th&t though many, newspaper proprietors throughout tlie Colony ars'somewhat sore'at tlifl charges laid .upon them for''freight' pf Mf'cels, theyHvill yet resect the

zeal they have flisplayed.in the interests of the department. Sow that iißivspaper propriolora have' ceased to plunder it for themselves tliey may bo expected .to sco that no ; one else robs it. The issue of tlie Onehunga dispute, though it probably: does not llivolvo a quostibn of any greutor magnitude than an annual payment of a hundred poumta by the Onehunga Bettlei'H --will be li test case, which will indicate wliother our railways in the future will bo- conduoted on commercial principles, or whether that deleterious element, a popular greed for privileges, will be allowed to throttlo the holiest efforts of the Board of Commissioners.

MvF, 11, Wood, auctioneer, of Greytown, advertises to lot a'valuable dairy farm, for private sale, a sawmill plant, and, on sale by private contract, house, property, and building sites {situated ia Main street, Greytown.

Wo understand that arrangements are being niado fur tho return pigeon shooting match between Korth and South Wajrarapa to take place' at Greytown' in tho'couran of a couple of weeks.

The Carterton Observor and the Qreytown Standard have been indulging in a heated controversy as to whether tho absorption of Swaziland . would moan tho ultimate annexation of Amatogaland, The public interest displayed in tho question is, ofcourso, vory (grout.

We romind our readers that the famous Amorican Coloured Minstrels, who have gained for themselres a name throughout tho Colomos as tho " genuino artido," ooon in the Theatro lloyal this cveninsr, in their uuiquo and versatile nigger entertainment. Tho audiences in Qreytown. and Carterton have been very large, and tho Company have beon greotedwith thuuders of applause, !Uie prices tliis evening will be popular, and a bumper.house should bo the rcsulo.

_ Tho rabbit is becoming in somo portions of California nearly as groat a pest as in Australia, The ravages are-now so serious that their wholesale extermination in tho interests of tho farmers, is said to bo imperative, in one of the recent rabbit driyes, in which hundreds 'of people took part, at a placo csllod Wildflower, in Frisco County, tho result ot the day's work showo'l a mortality of twolvo thousand, When a drive was resolved upon, a large quantity, of fine wire netting, about three feet high, shaped like a V, terminating at the entailer end in a circular corral, at WildHowcr embraced about soven miles of country, and the object of the party was to get the voiniiii within the enclosure, When tliey reach the corral, men with sticks speedily destroy them, Tlio lioap of slain at tho end of tho day was sft high, 20ft wido, and' 40ft long,' and contained, as stated, upwards of 12,000 rabbits. Tho Califoniian farmers estimate that live rabbits consumo as much as one sheep. .

At the ordinary monthly meeting of tlio Education Board yesterday, it was resolved that tlio Building Committee should report upon tho sauitary condition I of several schools; including tho vexed question of tlio outbuilding's at Masterton, The coimnittoo tvho lmd ■ visited the Masterton School waterworks reported that water quite frco from contamination had beon laid on from what scorned to bo a permanent spring. Tliey deprccatod, in the strongest manner, the notion of the local committee in lotting a contract . of such magnitude, without calling for public tenders, and without the consent of the Board, as tending to create a precedent, iviiijh would bo disastrous to tlio Board's finances. Tliey recommended that only £2O bo "ranted to.vaids the cost of tho work. This was agreed to, The Chairman of the late Alfrodton Committee wrote that tho Battlers in the distript had agreed upon asitefora school, and ho asked 'that 0110 should bo erected. Messrs Blair and Bunny and tho Inspector wore appointed a committee to visit tho district and report. Tho request of the Dreyerton Coimnittoo for tlio erection of a shed in which to store firewood was refused. Now appointments of teachers wero mado by tho Education Board yesterday as follows: MrF. Bennett, now assistant at Newtown, wa9 selected fur the headmasterahip at Eketahuiia; and Mr Alex. M'Kenzio, of Masterton, was selected for promotion to tho assistantship at Grcytowri. The appointments for Masterton and 'l'awa Flat wore deferred for a special meeting to bo held that day fortnight, Tlio resignations of tho following teachers wero accepted:—Miss A. H. Laivson, assistant, in Clyde-quay; | Miss Martha Stevenson and Mr W, Britland, pupil teachers, Newtown; Miss Caroline Smith, pupil teacher, T horndon Infants; and Miss Florence Richardson, pupil teacher. Mount Cook Boys.

~ A wealthy beggar made his appearance at Shuppartou Police Court on Monday last. On Sunday lie went to the house of a policeman and asked for (id to buy fond, -He was prompily " run in" by tho constable, and on being searched, bank deposit recoipta for 1832 as well as 22s in money, ivero found on him. He also hail food inhisßwag. flisclothing consisted of sacking patched with boot leather, aud his appearance was very deceptive.

During the eeige of b'obnstopol an officer was with a party of men in his trendies, whon a shell fell and burst aiming them, He was lighting a pipe at the moment the elioll exploded; aul, making some exclamation relative to its having knooked the pipe out of his hand, his attention was directed to a sergeant near him who .was killed bv

the osplosion, when, seeing that the ojesofhis men were turned upon himself, he found that the shell had taken off ono arm between the wrist and elbow and three lingers from the other hand; but till his attention was thus drawn to it he did not know ho was wounded, and felt iw pain from it —G, A, Howell,

In the Christian Resistor, a roccijfc visitor says:-" The .crystal' water of the Dead Sea was tempting, and wo bathed. To feel ourselves floating about like so many corks was delightful indeed. Tho longing to participate in a really good plunge was strong upon us, but prudenco forkdo such an indulgenco. Woe betide the voiituresome. wight who dips Ins head in the Dead Sea l His hair will be clotted with salt, his eyes will' burn, and, if he clianco to swallow a few drops of tha bitter brine,' ho will think a river of mo!ton brine is coursin" through his vitals, 0 Of the royal carriages used in tho

r procession at tlio funoril of the late Ki|iS of Portugal, one was built in 1C27 j ono in 170(j, ono in. 1708, and n fourth t mtfpO. They aro all magnificent and 3 all still in good condition, t The titl.o Lovd-iieutonant of Ireland 3 origlngtofl in iho reign of Quoon f Elizabeth, and has b?on continued since, I _ Iho Fair lins proved a. success', in iliaj it has enabled lis to sell out a largo proper- . tion of our surplus gnmuicv stock at To Aro 1 House, Wellington. ; _ "The Fair," however, hits left us a bal- • ""J.KJ f®?'), it is true; still, a balance of . goods that we hhoulil lilyj to entirely clear out of-Te Aro House, Wellington.. ' The " Fair" prices were extraordinarily low; very much below the value of iho 1 goodsnotwithstanding we have reduced , them still more, in order to accomplish our design at Tc Aro House, Wellington, Ladies .should peruse Attentively our summary of these reductioni; on each side of the well known picture of Te Aro House, Wellington, : Ladies should pqy « visit to our dins counter, as they are certain'to pick tip greater bawiius fa heretofore; -uml 1 should not forget to Ibok.into the maplle department ami jee'ihe' marvels el cheap- ' iic'ss in, -lnuntlus, qqstunics and jackets lit 1 Te Aro House,; Wellington, ■,' '• | Latlies would find it .arealploasure 'in ( looking over the balance of our seasou's ■ ntilliuory, with Hie very tempting price's at } which every articlo is .marked at Te Aro 1 House, Wellington,■ . . - : ( Ladies are reminded that tlio special j roduotioiis mado in these specially enuiner. . ateil articles wilj continue to tlio end of the present mohih'only, at. Te AfQ House, 1 Wollinflwi, ■ . , li

Messrs Lowe3 ami lorns announce a snlo of fijrnituro nnd „effeclß in I,the ostato of W, H;' .Robins for Saturday next.

| A valuable scotion in Wrigloy Street, 1 part of section 50, is ad vertised tor sulo at a reasonable rate. :

Tho case for libel, Chamberlain v. [Smith and flogg, tho hearing of wliicli was fixed for to-morrow, has been adjouuied till Fridiy, Maroh 14th The R,M. Court will be occupied to-morrow by the casus Babbit Inspector vA. \l, Rcnall, andPolico v Mrs Blley, leaving train wliilo in motion, , Hiok's Company of Colored Minstrels arriyca from Carterton tliii morning, and liayo taken up tlieir quarters at Thompson's Empiro Hotel. The party who took tho full-mouthed Lincoln ram. No, 440, from tho iato fair in mistake, is requested to rotutn the sarao to Messrs Lowes and lorns.

Catorpillors have done an immenso amount of damage to crops on this part of the coast this season, and are now turning thoir attention to turnips.. One gentleman in the Sandon district has hadto.sowa paddock throe times with turnip seed this season. On tho last occasion (says tho Ad"ocate) when the turnips Vi'ero welt above tho ground they wero eaten oft by theso pests; and their line of inarOh could be distinctly traced through tho paddocks "tliey had devastated.

Masterton presents again to day a very l smoky appearance, from which fact we presumo that in the Forty Mile Bnsh ■tind tho district surrounding advantage is being takon of the 6no weather to proceed with burning operations. It will be an act of prudence ou the part of sottlors in the bush, to " make hay whilst,tho sun shires," ■

. Messrs ML. Casolberg & Co., of this town, who have of late made a speciality of their garden and vegetablo seeds, are, we understand, about to import a large consignment of Carter's well-known seeds. In referenoo to these, it will be satisfactory to learn that Mr F. H. Sutton secured yesterday a first award at tlio Horticultural Show for a lino spesimon of Carter's .lubileo runner beans. Another exhibit, that ol tomatoes, which was evidently o /er looked by the Judges, was exhibited by tho same gentlomnn, being a splendid sample of Carter's Blenheim orange, a new dessert variety, Says the Bawkes Bay Herald;—Mr Jas. Collini, of.Kaikora. liafl been doing remarkably well with his Lincoln rams this year. After the local ram fair ho took twenty to Masterton and tho same number to Palmcrston. At tho former ho topped the market, gotting for onoram,and avoraging £C Is (Hall round. At Palmerstou ho had to take second placo, which ho ascribes to the fact that he arrived too kto to got the sheep catalogued or advertised, and they had in consequence to bo sola last, at 0 o'clock in tho evening, but notwithstanding this twenty rams made an average of 14 8s 3d. ..