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Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 35, 23 December 1879, Page 2

Holiday.— So that our slnff may enjoy the holidays, we heave determined not to publish 011 Friday next. Cheap Fares hy the Stouiuhird and Jane Douglas. — We notice that with their iisu;il enterprise the owners of the regular Foxton traders Stormbird and Jane Douglas are now granting return tickets at single fares. Last year they adopted the same plan, with the result that a great nviny persons avniled themselves of the opportunity thus afforded of spending the Christmas and New Year's holidays in Wellington. It is unnecessary to stnto that every comfort is providzd on t!ic stenmers referred to — Jane Douglas and Stormbird — there being to each boat a thoroughly eflicient stewardess, whilst the courtesy and affiibN lity of Captains Doile and Fraser are household words throughout the district. We would therefore advise thoso of our readers who contemplate a trip to Wellington to take advantage of the present of poituni'y. Tickets taken out at Foxton will be available for return until the- end of February. Mr John W. Liddell is the Foxton agent of the steamers mentioned. The Maori Jubilee. — A circular in Maori has been printed at thi* office, annouueing that the Jubilee- which was to have begun at Otaki on January 1, 1880, has been postponed to February 9, when it will be held. The Jubilee is in commemo- ' ration of the preaching of the Gospel 1 amongst the natives. The circular also states that all persons attending the Jubilee services are to wear white hats and coats, , and are especially warned to abstain from drunkenness and all other evil during the ] celebration. The circular is signed, " From I the assombly of laymen." I Delayed.— Owing to an accident to the coach on Saturday, shortly before reaching Porimn, its arrival was delayed nlmnt half an hour. Word having bocu forwarded by telegraph, the train was delayed til! about 5 o'clock, when the coach arrived. The Eoad to tub Bisacii.— Air T. U. Cook informs us thae a few days ago, by request of the natives interested, he wrote to Mr Walter Johnston, M.I 1. 1t., stating the facts of the case as regards the proposed closing of the beach road, and also covering copies of the Manawatu Herald containing the notices fioin the Maoris. Mr Cook has received a letter from Mr Johnston in reply, in which he stutes that he had received a telegram on the same subject from Mr Macarthur, County Chairman, and had handed both communications to .Mr Bryce, Native Minister, that gentleman promising to give tho matter his early attention. To a Correspondent. — Wo have received a letter signed " Curl Übergef ulzon Grobbeswalbaoh," in which the writer detnils his experiences on a recent visit to Palmerston. The letter is not suited to our columns, and we therefore refrain from publishing it. Journalistic. — We regret to learn that Mr A. M'Minn, editor of the Rangitikei Advocato, has been for a considerable time suffering from severe indisposition, necessitating confinement to his room for five «veeks ; in fact, his henlth is so frail at present, that it is very doubtful if he will be able to attend the Supreme Court at Wei lington during the nt-xt month to give evidunce in the approaching libel cases, Henry Anderson v. Kirkbride, and M'Minn v. Curie, Anderson aud Anderson. Mr M' Mini visited Foxton on Saturday last, for the purpose of consulting Dr Barber, aud we trust that under the ablo treatment of that gentleman his health will rapidly improve. County Council.— The County Council met yesterday afternoon at 2 p.m. A report of the proceedings appears iv another column. Parliament. — Parliament was prorogued by commission, consisting of Sir \V. Fitzherbert, Sir F. D. Hell, and the Jlon. J. Johnston, on Friday last. During the session 8:j Bills received the Royal afcsent, one being reserved for the signification of her Majesty's pleasure; whilst 71 were dropped or otherwise disposed of. The petitions presented were numerous, comprising 331 from Europeans, and 69 from Maoris. There were 5 1 divisions in the whole House and 88 in Committee. The days of mo.-t---ing (Lower House) numbered 55 ; homy of siitting, 413; daily average, lh hours; whilst Ministers were asked no less than 532 questions. Amongst the Bill 3 dropped or otherwise disposed of were the Wanganui Endowed School Bill, Registration of Dogs Bill, Abolition of Imprisonment for Debt Bill, Chinese Immigrants Bill., Fencing Bill, Plurality of Voting Suspen-' sion Bill, and a number of others. The School Prizes. — A considerable amount of dissatisfaction exist.3 regarding the prizes given at the State School fete on Saturday last, many persons being aggrieved that their children, although reported in this journal as having passed, did not re> ceive rewards. We may remind parents that in our report it was distinctly stated that the names were not given in order of merit, so that a child whose name was last mentioned might have really been the best in the Standard. The Inspector, it appears, referred the Chairman of the Committee to the Manawatu Heeald for a full report of the passes, and simply handed him a list of the most deserving in each Standard, the prizes being given to those commended by Mr Foulis in his letter to Mr Gray. If iR stated that in some cases children commended by Mr Foulis in our report did not receive prizes. With that we have nothing to do. If lie gave a different roport to the Chairman, that is his look-out, and neither ourselves nor the Chairman of the School Committee can be held responsible.

A Bull. — Our contemporary, tho New Zealand Times, perpetrated a most atrocious bull on Friday last. Referring to the property t.ix, the Times said : — '• It has been asked how can a man escape bfing taxed on his books.picturea, and articles of ' vertu ?' To this we reply tint the law provides an excollent outlet ; a man need only borrow money on property in this form up to nearly its full value, and it will be legally exempt. Generally speaking, it is possible to borrow about as much on property as it would fetch at auuiii-n for cash ; if the owner do so on articles of 'vertu' upon which ho cannot uft'ord to pay property tax, his just debts will bo increased, and his liability for taxation will be proportionately diminished." Tho plan of gaining exemption our contem porary suggests is most original. To borrow £100 on his books, pictures, &c, any colonist would require to prvy at least £8 per cent, per annum, whereas the property tax, at one penny in the £, would amount merely to 8s 4d ! Surely our contemporary is not working up tho pawnbroking interest. Railway Returns.— The railway returns for the four weeks ending October 18 have been published. The receipts on tho Wan gauui section for tho period referred to were £2657 Is 2d, as against £2,i»79 Us 8.1 for same month of the previous year. '1 he chief causo of the advance is the increased traffic in goods and live stock, there being an incivaeeof £272 8s Id over the amount received for tho same class of truffle last year; timber alone shows an increased traffic of 812 tons, being an advance of about 80 per cent on the trade of last yuar. Almanack.— tVe have to acknowledge receipt of Mr H.I. Jones' Almanack and Directory for 1830. It is replete with information, and no household in the district should ho without it. Christmas Holidays —Although the residents <»f Foxton have not organised sports for Boxing Day, they will have a pleasunt day's outing and thorough enjoyment by going to Pulmerston on Thursday. There will be ihree trains northward on that day. The first leaves Foxton at 7*15 a.m., the second at S'io a.m., and the third at 3.35 p.m., but the 8.40 a.m. train goes only us far as Hiilcombe. Our Palmerslon friends have made every provision for a day of genuine amusement. The programme comprises no less than seventeen events,including men's and boys' rages, hurdle races, jumping and walking matches, hack race, and hack hurdle race, and a number of other items, particulars of which will be found in the advertisement. There will also be provision made for archery, quoits, dancing, &c, and, should tli« weather be agreeable, those who attend should have a most gratifying holiday. We may add that traps will meet each train to convey visitors to the ground, the fare being the moderate sum of Gd. As these sports have a great effect in removing petty local jealousies, niul promoting neighbourly feelings amongst the settlers, we trust the Foxton people will show up well at Palmers toa on Boxin<* Day. DaNcisg. — Lovers of the Terpsiohoreau art will see that a private class will be opened at the room adjoining Holmes' boarding-house on Wednesday evenings, and a public assembly will bo held on Saturdays. Fencing BiLr,.— Ey reference! to the paragraph re prorogation of Parliament it will bo seen that amongst the Bills dropped in the "slaughter of the innocents" is the Fencing Bill. This is greatly to be regretted, as the law in I lie Provincial District of Wellington is in a most unsatisfactory state, for though a Fencing Ordinance exists, it is virtually a dead letter, the Provincial Council having no power to enforce its provisions. As pointed out hy uj in October last, an Empowering Bill shoild have been, passed to give effect to Ihe present law. Had this been done, (he existing Ordinance would have been workable. Instead of this course being adopted, a Colonial Bill was introduced, which, if it had passed, would have remedied the disability under which this Provincial District suffers. It lms been dropped, and we are now, as regards the fencing law, in precisely the same unfortunate position as we were before the session began. The WivAther. — The close, showery weather which has been hanging about these parts for some time has at last cleared away, and as we write (Monday, noon), a cool westerly breeze is blowing, with clear sky overhead. On Friday, the weather was vory untettled, several heavy thunderstorms occurring in the immediate vicinity of the township, and about an inch of rain fell ; on Saturday, it was exceedingly hot and close ; whilst early on Sunday, a most violent thuuderstorm raged, accompanied by a heavy downpour of rain, this being re peated spveral times during the day. As a consequence, the .Manawatu River was in a state of high flood, and during the afternoon the water was up past the ferr3 r post on the west bank, the strong wosterly gale which bloT also banking the water in the river Towards midnight the g le lulled considerably, and we hope the weather is now settled fine for the Christmas holidays. Tonsorial — A notification appears in our advertising columns to the effect that a want long felt in this district is about to be supplied. Wu allude to the opening of a " barber's shop " by Mr Hunter, a professor of the art well-known in Wellington. He has secured temporary apartments at Holmes' boarding house, pending other arrangements, where he will for the present carry on business hope he will receive sufficient inducement to permanently settle at Foxton. Accident. — We regret to state a painful accident occurred to Mr Charles Batt, the wharfinger, yesterday. Whilst superintending the loading of some telegraph poles on the Huia, Mr Batt was about placing 1 the chock on the wharf for a polo to drop on, so as to allow tho rope to pass nuder, when the pole fell suddenly on the chock, at the time when his right hand was under Directly he felt tho weight, ho pulled his hand from under apd found that his fore finger (which tho weight had caught) was completely skinned from the second joint, besides the top of the finger being split down the back. The wound was promptly dressed, and we hope that Mr Batt will soon have the use of his hand again. For some time after the accident Mr Batt's whole arm was stone cold, so graat was the shock to the system sustained, whilst he felt the effect all over his body. Sandon Railway Co. — At a meeting of the Sandon Railway Co. directors, held on Friday last, at Sanson, the offer of Mr H. J. Hayns to survey the lino from Carnarvon to Sanson, and prepare the working plans, was accepted,Jthe remuneration fixed being £200. American Trade with England. — The Scientific American observes : — The I'.ri'.ish Bureau of Statistic* report that America is exporting to Great Britain three times as much as Great Britain sends to this country, and that with the rapid increase in American exports there is a correspondingly rapid decrease in British exports. In round numbers, the exports from the United States to Great Britain for the last fiscal 3'ear amounted to 333,000 OOOdol, whila the exports from Gient Britain to this country in the same period amounted to about 111,000,000d01.