The Wairarapa Daily FRIDAY, MAY 29, 1891.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3822, 29 May 1891, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily FRIDAY, MAY 29, 1891.

It has become the custom in New Zealand for the political party in power to reward its more prominent aupporters after a general election by appointing them Justices of the Peace. No question as to whether such appointments are necessary, or whether the applicants for them are fit for the duties which will devolve upon them, are wont to be asked. The member for a district recommends as many of his friends as the Ministry will allow him to nominate, they aie duly gazetted, and there is an end of it. Formerly it was the custom to submit recommendations to the Resident Magistrate of the district in which the applicants happened to be residents, (in nine cases out of ten, men who are recommended for appointment are sturdy beggars for the honour, and as such may be fairly termed applicants). This formality prevented injudicious appointments being made, and is consequently now altogether dispensed with. Formerly it was 4 rare for au undesirable Justice of the Peace to be made, that is for a man to be selected who could not read or write, or who had no visible means of support, or whose personal reputation was at all questionable. Now, it is, perhaps, rare for a really good allround man to be gazetted, because the best men are apt to resign off the roll, or to decline to go on it. Looking at the laxity which generally prevails in this colony with respect to the selection of justices, we have no fault to find with the names selected for the honor by the member for Masterton. He was quite entitled to a few commissions for members of his party, and we do not doubt that the selection of individuals which he has made has been judicL ous. The only fault we find is the plain and palpable fact that the local recipients of birthday honors are prominent members of a secret society, and we consider that it is not for the honor and dignity of the Crown that men should be appointed ' who are affiliated to a secret society, who may, for all that can be known ! to the contrary, be engaged in undermining the supremacy of the Crown ( and . the. allegiance of loyal sub- i jects. We do not for one moment <

[belieye (hat His Excellency the I Governor -would have made the sppointnjent gazetted had he been advised that the persons recommended were prominent members of a secret political Society. Of course the Hon the Premier was perfectly well aware of this circumstance, and a grave responsibility rests upon him if he deliberately kept the Governor in ignorance. Subject to correction we do hold that members of a secret order like the Knights of Labour should not be allowed to serve as Justices. In the present social condition of the countrj we do not object to a person because he may be ignorant or of low estate. Any respectable working man, if he can make up his mind to loaf on a bench, is eligible, but we do think that the loyalty of such of Her Majesty's subjects as may be selected, should be beyond cavil or question.

The second term of the Welton College will begin on Monday, Ist June.

Mr J. D. Waller has been elected a member of the Pahiatua Town Board. The latest addition to the ranks cf the Knights of Labour is Mr W. C. Smith, M.HR.

Nine hundred men have submitted themselves for examination for thirty vacancies Melbourne police force.

The special meeting of the Masterton School Committee, which was to haye been held last evening to consider the financial position of the school, has been adjourned till Monday. The population of Hokitika now stands at 2,200, a decrease of 500 since the last census. The 'North<Jtago Times' understands that an Oaraaru resident has dropped into a handsome legacy from the Old Country. The sum is mentioned as .£IO,OOO.

General Booth, the head of the Salvation Army, and author of "In Darkest England, ! * will visit New Zealand during the present year. One of the unemployed who recently went to the Makuri says the road to that interesting spot was nothing but mud, paste, glue, water and slush! A Manchester syndicate is forming o company to erect dairy factories in New Zealand. Messrs Lowes and lorns hold their usual Saturday's sale to-morrow, the list for which* will embrace new and second hand furniture of every description, general household requisite?, poultry, etc.

The usual weekly parade of the Masterton Rifle Volunteers was held in the Drill Hall last eyening, about forty, rank and file, being present. The men were put through physical drill by Captain Pownall.

Great interest is being taken in the local option and licensing polls, which are being held to-day, both parties •vorking in desperate earnest for their respective candidates. Bettiug is slightly in favour of the moderates.

We are informed on good authority that Mr A. Elkins, a prominent member of the Masterton Horticultural and Industrial Society, was recently threatened with legal proceedings for the recovery of the cose of certain medals ordered by him in Wellington at the request and for the specific use of the Society, and to prevent his appearance in Court was compelled to pay the full amount out of hia own pocket, the Society having repudiated the liability. The public will, we feel sure, be anxious to receive an explanation from the Society. The Pahiatua Villago settlers have resolved to petition tha Government to allow them the same privileges as others in regard to taking up rural land. It is proposed to apply for the block of land on the Tararua flange Houth of the Gorge for a special settlement block. On Saturday afternoon there .vas a narrow escape from accident to the express train from Napier. According to the Examiner a horse got on to the line on Mr W. Neilson's property and galloped along in front of the tram till it reached the bridge near the boundary, when it fell between the ways. In the meantime the driver was enabled to pull up the train. The horse was so much injured that it had to bo destroyed, An elderly woman residing at Geelong, named Margaret Wilson, met with her death on Friday afternoon last, when the bedclothes caught fire, and the woman, becoming stupified by tho smoke from the burning rags, -vas so severely burned that she died a few minutes after she had been rescued by a neighbour.

Mr Justin Harding, summing up in the Queensltnd conspiracy trials, said : —Every man's liberty was his own, and he had a right to sell his labour and talents where he wished. There were three great rights which they possessed as British subjects—the right of personal liberty, the right of property, and the right of their reputation. A man's persona] liberty was not secured to hiin if his mind could be tampered with. A man's liberty was not secured to him if be could not exercise his talents and his industry freely, as he liked, without coercion. If a man liked to join with other men and form a tnioij, he could submit his will to a Committee or to a leader, and it was legal that he should do so. But, on the other hand, men might not care to do so, and they re - mained free to do whatever they liked,

At New Orleans, Mrs Kelson, a young married lady, was murdered the other night by a clerk in her husband's employ. The clerk, named George Baker, was settling the week's accounts with Nelson at the house of the latter, when a quarrel took place over a financial matter, Nelson accusing Baker of some wrongdoing, whereupon the latter knocked his employer down with a blow of the fist, and then drew a knife. A struggle ehsued, the noise of which was heard by Mrs iHelaon, who rushed from the bed* room in her night dress. Baker was in the act of raising his knife it into her husband when Mrs Nelson grasped the clerk's arm and turned the blade. She could not stop the blow, however, and received the full force of the knife in her neck. Baker fled, while Nelson, dazed with fright, rushed into the street crying "Police !" On returnin?, he found his wife dead. The murderer escaped.

Sporting men would find it greatly to their advantage by orresponding with A. J. Jacobs, fchfl professional Taxidermist from London. Birds, fish, animals and reptiles preserved and mounted in the highest style. Every description of skins preserved or tanned and made into rugs, etc. Work done in all its branches ac lowest rates. Correspon donee in all parts of the globe. 30 years' experience. All work guaranteed. Highest price given, or work done in exchange for huias, crows. New Zealand quail, and other birds. N. % birds, wanted in any quantity. Orders left at Mr. Williams,' tobacconist, Masterton, or Mr. Catt's, hairdresser, Carterton, will be attended to.— Advt.

A grand display of new winter goods is being made this day at the Bod Marche, Messrs Hooper and Co. having just received another shipment of 35 cases and bales, consisting of all the latest deßiirns in Mdlinesy, Bibles, Jacket*, Ulsters, Cloaks, Dress Goods. Furs, Eibbons, Rain Cloaks, Parasols, Flower*, Feathers, 4c., &c., Also from the Kaiapoi, Eoslyn,Mosgiel, Wellington and Onenunga mills, Men's, Youths', and Boys' Clothing, Overcoats, Knicker Underclothing, Pants, Shirts, Socks, Blankets, Shawls, Surgerings, Tweeds, Flannels, Shirtings, Dress Tweeds, &c , &c. These goods are now being shown at L. J. Hooper and Co's Bon Marche. We direct special attention £o our Hosiery, Glove 3, Haberdashery and Manchester departments. We are not to be beaten in tiia colony for Calicoes, Sheetings, Linings, Shivtings, Table Damask*, and all household furnishings, and our Hosiery and Gloves are trom the best known matters, fc, J, Hooper and Co., Bon Marche,

Exciting reports are being received in Hobart from the North-west silver fields. A resident of Emu Bay is spying £6B apiece for shares in th 6 Prospecting Company at North Valley, where lumps of Bilver weighing 3cwt each have been found.

A case of prolific yield comes from Wanganui. A gentleman procured one sixpenny packet of piemelon seed, and the crop of melons produced therefrom has returned the handsome sum of £l2.

Between the 14th and 27th instants 4453 acres were disposed of by the Land Board. The largest areas disposed of were in the Kopuaranga district. a newly-married woman, the bride of a fortnight, named Priscilla Petrich, committed suicide in Sydney a few days ago because, poor soul, she couldn't cook. If all other wives similarly situated were to follow her sad example there would be a terrible number of gaps in this year'B census papers, The danger is not imminent, however.

The Wellington Land Board has decided to interview the Minister of Lands with reference to the proposal to amend the law as regards Mie conditions of improvement required lor village settlement deferred payment sections, and also the question of the Selectors' Eevaluation Act. Mr. Hopg has undertaken to arrange a date for the interview.

Who can it be ? Writing of duramyism reminds the 'Rangitikei Advocate' of a story told some time ago by a member of a land board. On a certain night in the House of Representatives at Wellington a member for a southern constituency made a slashing attack on dummylsm, and poured out the vials cf his scorn and indignation upon persons who could be so corrupt as to lend themselves to such practices. Two or three days after this pure patriot was bowled out at a land board meeting endeavouring to dummy for someone else for several thousand acres.

Despite bad times Mr R. Hermann of the Cuba street Photographic Gallery opposite To Aro Bouse, Wellington, seems to be doing a thriving business, and no smal number of those who visit him to have their likenesses taken are country residents. Mr Hermann is admitted to be a capital artist with special knowledge of photographic chemistry, and. both in operating and in retouching he has produced some excellent work. It is to this he owes his liberal patronage, and also to the moder ate prices ho charges when the excellent quality of his productions is taken into account.— Extract.