The Waipukurau Press. Tuesday, February 13, 1906. Notes.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 16, 13 February 1906, Page 2

The Waipukurau Press. Tuesday, February 13, 1906. Notes.

— o — Remarkably fortunate were the two firemen who escaped from the wrecked railway engine at Wainaw a. To run off the line, unawares, in trie middle of the night, with the ruin falling in torrents, is anything but a pleasant sensation, but the realisation of, perhaps, a narrow escape from an untimely death, was a relief that lhe two men must have fully appreciated. The tour or five goods trucks immediately following the engine were .smashed to atoms almost. If these had been carriages containing passengers, without any doubt an awful calamity would have been recorded. The Town Board are not allowing the grass to grow under their feet, though a little too much is growing upon the public roads. The Bogard is already “ on the job ” with various business pertaining to its existence ; and now that a proper understanding has been arrived at with the Road Board, and the town body has taken control, no doubt ratepayers will begin to see the necessary improvements effected, though, of course, funds being limited, no great nor important work can be undertaken. Perhaps if necessity arises the Board will see the wisdom of asking the ratepayers to sanction the raising of a modest loanfor town improvements. AV e have been informed —and we can only speak from this information —that before the advent of this paper the reporting of local events was very short and long-delayed. Now the representatives of other papershave a “ bit of a hustle ” on. ’Twas ever thus. In last issue, through a printer’s error, we stated that the Town Board intended to strike a rate of 5d in the £, instead of 2d. The announcement caused consternation, not to say indignation, and the worthy chairman was promptly button-holed by not a few alarmed ratepayers, but he soon relieved their fears. Throu’gh information wrongly

given, we recently stated the late T. Purvis Russel was the “father of Waipukurau.” That distinction, however, properly belonged to the late Henry Russell, who died some years ago. The weather of late has been unusually bad for summer time. In many places harvesting operations are not completed, and some injury has been done. The severe weather has not been confined to this province, however. The Conservative newspapers of Hawke’s Bay are ever against the Government and its work, and give no recognition nor thanks for the additional busines accuring to them through the closer settlement and greater prosperity of the province. Centres that remained stagnant for a quarter of a century are now showing more life and progress simply though influx of people. We have not to go far for absolute proof of this. Som E interesting figures were given at a recent meeting of the Hawke’s Bav Land Board by the secretary, Mr E. H. Taylor. He stated that about £62,0u0 had been paid to the Receiver of Laud Revenue as rents from all sources since March 31st, 1905, and that, as there was nearly two months to go to the end of the financial year, the total receipts would probably establish a record for the district. For the previous year the figures for the principal land districts of the colony were as follows : — Canterbury, £124,047 ; Auckland, £80,279; Otago, £17,985; Wellington, £60,050; Hawke’s Bay, £52,599. It will be seen that the Hawke’s Bay revenue for about ten months of this year exceeds that of lhe Wellington district for the whole of the previous year.

The official estimate of the populaof the colony on December 31 last, according to statistics appearing in the Gazette, is 937,892, comprising 496,853 males, and 441.039 females. These figures, however, include a Maori Dopulation set down at 43,143, together with .12,292 inhabiiants of the Cook and other Pacific, islands. The estimated population within our own shores (excluding Maoris) was, therefore, 882,457 on the date mentioned, an increase of 24,918 in the 12 months. This increase was made up of an excess of births over deaths amounting to 15,616, and an excess ot arrivals over departures to the extent of 9302. The birth rate for the colony in 1905 was 27.21 per 1000 of mean population (the highest for many years) 1 , and lhe death rate 9. 26. "The deaths (8059) were fewer by 28 than the number registered in 1904. The number ot marriages (excludingtnosecontrac: cd between Maoris) solemnised in 1905 is estimated at 7234, or 8.31 per 1000 of the mean population. This is a record.