ESTABLISHED 1875 The Oldest Manawatu Journal Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 1901. NOTES... [kua rāpopototia]
Manawatu Times , Putanga 7206, 6 Paengawhāwhā 1901, Page 2
Mō tēnei niupepa
ESTABLISHED 1875
The Oldest Manawatu Journal Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 1901. NOTES.
In the interests of the people of this district it is much to be regretted that the recent effort to induce the Government to take over the Wellington* Manawatu line has not been brought within the region of accomplishment. There is, however, some satisfaction ::a the knowledgo that negotiations have not been definitely abandoned, although at the sauae time it is questionable whether the shareholders will agree upon a piice sufficiently low to meet with thewishes of the Government. The latter apparently have no desire to meet the company on an equitable basis, as already provided by statute, but they wish to secure the line at their own price in the expectation that the company is eager to sell. The balance-sheet, which was read at the annual meeting of the Company's shareholders, should alter the views of the Government as to the financial ! condition of the Company, for ie has been shown that the past year has been prosperous, notwithstanding the opposition from the "Wairarapa line. Seeing that there is little prospect of anything being done in the immediate future in regard to the acquisition of the line, tho Government might give consideration to a very practical suggestion which has been thrown out, viz., that they should consent to an interchange of traffic with the Company and reduce the time between Wellington and Napier by two hours. If this were done the traffic between 'Wellington and ral.mopton.
could be .i-cd 1 ..,r,iu150, and the. Motion would be nu-.-h appreciated iv the gcneiTl public.-.
The bjggcstion thrown out by Cr Mowlem at the last meeting of the Borough Comic" that a fountain be erected m the Square wa_ a capital one, pid we are pleased to notice that.the idea was adopted. The xands for this workman be obtained without difficulty ow; jg to the fact that a sum of nearly AIOO was subscribed in the tow a a short fc ac ago, for the erection of lamps, and instead of refunding this money money, as lately suggosted, it will -be & verted, with the consent of the incoming Council, for the erection of the fountain. When Mr E. B. Poarce originated the scheme for erect-'ng tha band rotunda in Palmerston he included a drrb'ng fountain in his proposals, but omy the former cov^d be carried out. Mr Peurce w i". no doubt be pleased to notice that Cr Mowlem has taken time oy the forelock iv again advocating the erection of a fountain, which; as previously intended, wi'l be a gift from a number of the ratepayers of Palmerston .North.
The Americans have accomplished a rather smart stroke in capturing Aquiw!?°' i he l6ader of the K'ipinos. When the war between Spain and ended, this man together with his followers refused to come under the role ot the conquering nation, and since he has carried on a successful guerilla carapp-gn -n the Philippines. Aquinaldo i it'l his capture was qirte as successor 1 f™? 1- op"lati°?8 aga'ast the Amerioan force as Do Wet has been against the J lBu m J ,South Africa- k°th ™* being ndoubtedly clever in the particula! class of warfare in which they were engaged. Aqr!naldo was captured by treachery on the part of one of his himself to his position, having since sworn _ a'legiance to Amerioa. His cooperation should be of great assistance n toijiinafvig the war ra the Ph'Hp, pmes. The cost of maintaining the large army stationed there has been a heavy bu.-deu to America, and has oaused much disoontent among her people. ,•■ •
The British Government is affording •Lord Kitchener evory assistance iD subdurig the Boers who rre sfci'l holding out against the Imperial forces. According to a statement made by the Secretary for War in the House of Commons, the reinforcements landing m South Africa between the Ist of January last and the end of this month wi!l total 48,000, which is a Jarge force ; when the number of men already fi the field is taken vito consideration- Lord Fitchener, since teVng over the oommand of the Imperial army -' i South Africa, has proved hirnse'* quite equal to'the task, and even those who havo been sceptical as to his abJ I;ties must a^mit that he is the right man for the position he now holds. General French lias e^o shown himself to be one of the finest officers the Empire possesses, and h]s bi-Piant work :n the war wW long b& remembered by the nation. The Wellington public are not contv^ buting very generously towards the fund which has been : lauj, j-ated for the erection of a statue :' i the Empire City to the memory of the late Queen Victoria. It is very improbable that more than <£1500 of the required j will be raised, and it is now suggested } that if an original statue cannot be ob* | ta'ied a repKca of one set up elsewhere I should be prooured at a lesser cost than the one previously agreed upon. No one wouJSd care to charge the Wellington public with a went of loyalty, but the'v apathy in the matter is not very creditable when the number of wealthy citizens they possess is taken into consideration. It is admitted that there have been numerous calls upon the public of late for one cause or another, but apart from this, colonists should remember that in contributing towards the cost of the statue they w.^l be demonstrating their appreciation, not i only of the beneficent rule of the late Queen, but also of the love and affection she bore for her subjects in the distant j out parts of the Empire.
In connection with the recent serious accident at the railway crossing in the Square, by which a valuable horse was destroyed, it has been suggested to ub that the Dopartment might station a man at the post office corner to warn drivers of tern and foot passengers of the approach cf trains, This practice is followed hi other towns, and the work could he performed by some pattly disablod employee or elderly man. The time has undoubtedly come when some protection of this ]<;nd is necessary at both' of the Square crossings. (>
