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Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11180, 23 March 1899, Page 2

A report of yesterday's races at the Napier Park, the acceptances and " Fetlock's " tips for to-day's races, and other sporting news will be found on the fourth page. Captain Edwin wired at noon yesterday : — lndications for very cold night and for low tides. On inquiry at the hospital last night we learned that Mr Gr. Raven, who met with j. serious acoident in France-road on Tuesday, ivas doing well. Messrs Boßher Bros., of Feilding, are erecting a sawmill in the Te Ohu block, near Matamau, having acquired Messrs Gamman and Simmondß's lease of 1250 acres. Kristian Dennison was sentenced to three months' imprisonment by Mr Turnbull, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, on a charge of being a rogue and vagabond. Mrs K. J. Seddon arrived at Danevirke yesterday by the express, and is now putting up for a few days at the Club Hotel. Mr Seddon speaks at Danevirke next week. The prices of fat cows for the butcher in this district now ranges from £3 to Ad 10s per head. Those fetching £Z 10s have to be of exceptionally good quality, mediums bringing about £3 2s 6d or £Z Ss (says our Bush correspondent). The Spanish-American War Exhibition and Concert Company gave' another very enjoyable entertainment at the Theatre Royal last night, when the pictures and concert items again met with hearty appreciation. The company will appear again this evening with a new programme of items. * Mnoh interest is being taken in political circles both here and in Hastings, in the complimentary banquet which it is proposed to tender to Captain Russell, leader of the Opposition, at the Princess Theatre, next Wednesday evening. Some prominent speakers will address the gathering, which is likely to be large and representative. As numbers of Napier residents have signified their intention of being present, there is every probability that arrangements will be made for a special bus to run from Napier to Hastings on the night in question. The detectives have not yet got any clue to the money bag, containing JE3OO in Bank of New Zealand notes, which was lost in transit between the Anckland Savings Bank and the Newton branch of the institution. The cadet, as is usually the case, was entrusted with the money to deposit it with the Newton branch. He took the bag and went on his bicycle, taking the usual tramway route via Wellesley - road, Hobson -street, and Karangahape-road. In some way or other the bag got astray. When he missed ie every possible search was made, bat his efforts proved unsuccessful. The local agents of the Labor Bureau report on the state of the labor market : — Napier: Building trades, busy in all branches; engineering, all hands fully employed; boot trade, quiet; clothing trade, fairly busy ; retail trade (general), the usual annual sales have been held during the month, which have been fairly satisfactory j unskilled labor, there have been a few applicants for employment during the month, most of them were men from other places. Hastings : building trades, engineering trades, boot trade, and retail trade (general), busy ; unskilled labor, quite equal to present demand, particularly so as harvesting is nearly finished. No unemployed and no swaggers remaining about town. A few of the latter have passed through, but were not without f und 3. Inquiry is being continually made as to the time when the Tamaki block is likely to be offered for settlement purposes (writes our Bush correspondent). In point of desirability there is no land in the district to compare with it for the purposes of close settlement. Not only is the quality of the land itself remarkably good, but there is every prospect of success for those fortunate enough to draw some of thia land at the ballot, on account of the many natural advantages of this place. To a certain extent it, though, is laboring under the same disabilities as those recently pointed out in connection with the Piri Piri land, which is also in such great demand. Existing leases and other interests could probably not be yet acquired by Government at a rate which would warrant their acquisition at once. Negotiations are, and have been proceeding for SQnie time for the placing on the market this muoh to be desired property. In view of the pressing demand, though, the Government officials should not relax their efforts until success has attended them. Bankers are generally cautious, and seldom over-sanguine. Therefore it is seldom that they commit themselves to prophesy, unless it is to predict disaster in case you fail to reduce your overdraft or take up that protested bill which you were in such an untimely hurry to "melt." Therefore it is remarkable (writes our Sydney correspondent) to find such a quintessence of combined gravity and monetary prudence as the Journal of the New South Wales Institute of Bankers committing itself in cold blaok and white to a prediction, and to a prediction, moreover, of the most optimistic character. Says the Journal : "Unless checked by the unforseen, by political complications, or by more disastrous droughts, we have every reason to expect in 1899 and the years following a time of increased confidence, increased production, an advance of prices, and a general rise in wages." We shall all say "Amen" very heartily to a prediction of this kind Some hide-bound pseudo-economists tell us that prosperity can only come through cheapness, and that if we are not prosperous it is either because we do not sell our goods sufficiently under cost or else do not retrench bnough. If we have cut , to tho bone, then we must cut into the bone, and wait for tho joy which is to ensue. It was a genius of this kind who told the public the other day that if I wages were to rise we should all bo ruined! The unaccustomed increase in the purchasing power of the masses, I suppose he meant, would be inoro than our business mou could copo with, and they would incontinently "procesh" up King-street rather than serve their clamorous ready-money customers !

The Pollards presented their third bill of the season at the Gaiety Theatre last night, when the company appeared in "The French Maid," a piece full of pretty dances, taking music, and witty dialogue. There waa a very large andience. Miss Gertie Campion, aa Suzette, was seen at her beßfc, while Misses Mand Beatty, May Beatty, Emily Motcalfe, and Messrs Fitta, Percy, Quealy, Young, Stephens, and Nable were happily cast, and made the most of the many fine opportunities given them of displaying their talents. As usual the piece was capitally staged and mounted, and everybody enjoyed themselves. To-night "La Mascot te," an ever-welcome opera, will be produced. In the February number of the> National Review Mr TV. P. Reeves,. Agent-General for New Zealand, contributes a paper on " The New Zealand Old Age Pensions Act." We quote a passage;—" Men and women are equally entitled to the pension, and whertJ a husband and wife are living together their property or income is divided bytwo for the purpose of/ the calculations. That is to say, their united incomes must amount to .£lO4, or their united properties to £1200, before they are altogether disentitled to any part of the pension. They may have between them an income of £68, or as much as .£650 of property, and yet be entitled to draw their— respective pensions in full. Three questions present themselves as of special interest. In the first place, observers, may be expected to ask, after a fair time has elapsed, to what extent has the pensions scheme lightened the expenditure on charitable aid? Next they will seek information aa to the success of the> administrators of the system in coping' with fraud and imposture. To the writer" it does not seem that the existence of a small amount of fraud under the system will, of necessity, have to be accepted as its complete condemnation. Fraud waits on all charitable schemes — public and private— and is most cunning and boocessful in communities where reliance is placed on voluntary benevolence. Never; theless, should public, opinion in New Zealand come to the conclusion that there is likely to be wholesale abuse of the pension system it will certainly go.