Untitled

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 85, 24 June 1881, Page 2

White PrvE. — The Rangitikei Advocate of Saturday says :— " The 25 per cent, reduction in railway freights on white pintfur exportation has induced a number of the Halcombe and Feilding saw-iniUer3 to start cutting that timber. Several of them have clubbed together to charter a vessel t'> convey a cvrgo of white pine from Wang<inui to Melbourne. We understand that Messrs B.iiley Bros., of Taonui, are also about to move in the matter. The bir harbours at Wanganui and Foxton are a great drawback, as no craft of considerable tonnage can bs tempted to enter them." The Wanganui Herald also says :— " We learn from Mr C. S. dross that the brigantine D'Arcy Pratt is on the way from Auckland to Wanganni. The vessel will load here with timber for Sydney, and bring back any return cargo that may be offering. The conc.ssion on the carriage of white pine i imber is already beariug fruit, and there is every reason to believe that a steady trade with ths Xew South Wales capital can be openo 1 up to the advantage of all concerned. " History Repeating Itself. —"History repeats itself," said someone who imagined he had ma le a great discovery, and the story of Paris and Helen was repeated receutly in South Australia. A young aboriginal warrior was on a visit to a Victorian tribe near the border and, whilst there, enslaved the affections of a dusky maiden, the belle of the tribe. He has not read Homer, we feel sure, but he acted as the old poet tells us Paris did under similar circumstances — bolting with the sable beauty to the territory of his own tribe. The lover to whom she had been " engaged" grew quite as angry as King Meuelans had done thousands of years before, and straightway followed the runaway pair with all the " foress" he could raise. \\ ith these he marched into South Australian territory, and demanded the surrender of the maiden. The South Australian darkies sent up the old historic cry of li No surrender," and marshalled themselves for battle. The hostile "armies" stood facing each other ready for the encounter, when a sergeant and two policemen rode up, and, marvellous to relate, drove each of the tribes back to their own dominions. However, "all is well that ends well," and the runaway couple at once proceeded to the nearest church and were lawfully married, "all the same as white fellow. "—Australian paper. Statistics. — According to the Oamaru Mail, 0n1y. 113,000 bushels of oats were grown in ISBI in the County of Waitaki, as against 1,233,000 in 18S0. On the other hand, there is an estimated yield of 1,079,---000 bushels of wheat against 765,000 last year. The average yield of oats this season is 33£ bushels, as against 42 last seasou ; of wheat 23, agaiust 3"> bushels ; and barley 23 : , ? , against 35.? bushels. The average yield being generally very much lower than in 1880. The Electric Liuht. —A number of gentlemen in Christchurch are now in communication with the patentee of the Edison electric light wilh the view of the formation of a company to supply Christchurch and New Zealand generally with the electric light. The P. and O. Company. — Some facts in connection with the Peninsula and Oriental Steam Navigation Company that are not generally known, will, I am sure, be read with interest by many, although not immediately concerned in the shipping trade at Port Jackson. The officers and seamen of the company are paid higher wages than those of any other company whose vessels sail from London. The men are never discharged at the termination of a voyage, except for gross misconduct. The result of this policy has been that men have been known to join a vessel immediately after leaving the stocks, and have only terminated their connection with her when she has gone to the bottom, and several of the men on board the R.M.S Rosetta, which was in our harbour a few days ago, had been in the company's service over thirteen years. — Correspondent Ashburton Guardian. Australian Census. —During the past ten years the following increase in population has take a place in the Australasian colonies, viz :— New S mth Wales, 246,000 Mew Zealand, 233,800 ; Victoria, 124,000; S mth Australia, 91,500 ; Tasmania, 16,300. The total population in these colouie3 at the present time aro New South Wales, 750,800 ; New Zealand, 489,500 ; Victoria, 855.500; South Australia, 277.500: Tasmania, 115,600; grand total, 2,488,900. A Gay Deceiver. — A singular marriage is reported to have taken place at Auckland last week. A long-engaged pair were to hare been united in the bonds of wedlock on Tuesday, but when the bridegroom came to be looked for it was found that he had just married his fiancee's sister, a girl of sixteen years. The other girl had her outfit prepared, and is now overwhelmed with grief. An Unexpected Answer. —A good story in connection with one of the public department* is told by the Hawke's Bay Herald : — " A junior official in the department had a complaint to make to headquarters. Letter after letter was despatched without even an acknowledgment of their receipt being vouchsafed. The eleventh letter, however brought an immediate answer. This called the official's attention to the fact that he had forgotten to date his last letter, and he was therefore fined ss, in accordance with the regulations of *he service." A New Horse Disease. — A peculiar and heretofore unknown disease has broken out among the horses in Chicago, and the street car business is much interrupted. The disease begins with a swelling just below the fetlock, which, after a little, festers, and becomes a discharging sore. It yields slowly to skilful treatment ; but unless taken early, the poisonous matter spreads itself upwards, and infects. the blood, causing death. The Frozen Meat Trade.— Referring to the last half-yearly meeting of the Australian Frozen Meat Company, the Waneanui Herald says : -" The Chairman of the Company referred to, in moving the adoption of the report, said with regard to the shipment seat home by the Protos, the butter cost 9£d per lb to place on the London market, and realised 10£ d per lb, thus showing a profit of ?d per lb, and on the shipment, £602. The mutton landed in London cost s£d and sold for '6£d, giving a gross profit of £366 or from 4s lOd to 5s per sheep. Assuming that the price obtained for the Protos shipment is quite as high as could be expected, it follows that organization is necessary to reduoe the cost of shipment to the lowest possible figure. Propor shipping facilities are imperative, and it is useless to expect the existing shipping companies to launch into the expense of providing same unless there is a corresponding effort on the part of the graziers to guarantee regular cargoes. The prospect of opening up a remunerative trade with London in the article of frozen meat is agitating !

other countries besides the Australasian colonies. A trial shipment of 20,000 carcises of mutton was lately sent from the River Plate, but the quality of the meat was held to be much inferior to the Australian mir ton, and the value obtained consequently was not so good. Bat the fact remains that countries near to the London market are bidding for the trade, and displaying undoubted energy in the task. We must not lag in the race if we hope to participate in the benefits. The information respecting the number of atook in the colony available for export now being obtained by the Government will be useful a 9 dafa, but we think a local committee should be formed from the members of the A. and P. Association, charged with the duty of watching closely the progress of the movement, so that our co-operation sleuld be ready when required."

INCREASE OF POPULVTTOX IX .AUCKLAND. — Aucklanders, says a correspondent, are in great feather over the result of the census, as showing the steady iucrease of population both in town and country. As the public expenditure for the last three or four years has been largely curtailed, the progress made has been attained without fictitious aids, but merely through fostering the industries of the province. The statistical fact disclosed by the returns of Auckland possessing now a European and native population of 120,000, is not likely to be lost sight of by the Auckland members when tho details of the Representation Bill come to be discussed in the Assembly. In only one division of the province are there signs of retrogression — namely the goldfield*, where the mining iadnstry is languishing ; but the counties in which the gold fields are situated show an increase. The moral dcducible from the census returns is that prosperity founded on the artificial stimulus of borrowed money is evanescent, but that a prosperity which is the result of self-re-liant enterprise and development of the natural resources o£ the country, is enduring and permanent. Frank Buckland.— ft. A. Sala says of the late Frank Buckland, that if a visitor knocked at his door, it would be opened by a crocodile, while a seal came out into the area, and a kaugaroo looked out at the first floor window. A friend once told him he had seen Buckland rowing on the Thames, at Twickenham. "There was somebody with him," he said " Who was it— a lady?" "No," replied the friend; ' ' it was a young bear !" Mf.asurixo the Weather. — A missionary writing home from China, says that the Chinese use little fire, and measure cold by the thickness of jackets. Three jackets cold is moderately cool ; six jackets cold is keen ; from ten to fifteen jackets cold is extremely severe. Projected Steam Service to Melbourne.—A writer in the Leader says : — " The mail which left here last Tuesday had on board a member of one of our oldest shipping agencies, who is proceeding to London to make final arrangements with one of the largest English shipping firms for the establishment of a first-class direct service, which will have its terminus in Melbourne. Eleven large steamers, fitted up in the best style, and with capacious freeing chambers, will be laid on at once to initiate a fortnightly service, steaming at the rate of eleven knots an hour. The P. and O. Company is now out of the running, because of its roundabout course, and the Orient line, with their three-port trips, are being monopolised by our neighbours, so that the field is clear for this new venture." Pupil Teachers' Examixatiox. — The annual examination of the pupil teachers iv the employ of the Wanganui Education Board will be held on Tuesday next, June 23tb. The examination will be held pimultaneously at Wangauui, Palmerston North, and Hawera. Twenty-six will attend at the Girls' High School, Wanganui, the examination being conducted by Mr Fnulis, the Board's Inspector, assisted by Mrs Cameron for the needlework. Ten will attend at Palmerston, where the Rev. Mr Keating will superintend, assisted by Mr 3G. M. Snelson for the needlework. Four will attend at Hawera, and the examination will be conducted by the Rev. Mr Torry, Mrs Torry judging the needlework. — Wanganui Herald. Tobacco.— la the establishment of local industries, Wanganui has not been forward, but better times are in store for our native town. Mr Ballance asked a question the other day which may lead to something. The cultivation of tobacco in the colony is only prevented by the excessive duty. As all tobacco must he manufactured in bond, the colonial grown leaf has to pay the same duty as the imported. Mr Ballance wants the dutj on colonial reduced to a 6d or Is a lb, when he believes it will at once spring into an important industry. Two gentlemen, lately in Wanganui, were prepared to have gone extensively into the industry, but for the duty, and they have declared that Wanganui is the most favorable district they know for tobacco growing. — Wellington correspondent of Wanganui Herald. Native Matters. — A Hawera telegram dated June 21 says :— The gravelling contractor entered some land at Te Parapara, where the natives did all the fencing, for the purpose of taking gravel, being undei the impression that the land belonged to the Government. The Maoris stopped him, and Mr Hursthouse, the road engineer, as soon as he heard of it gave orders to the contractor to " clear." No political significance is attached to the circumstance. Titokowaru stated at Manaia yesterday that there was no quarrel between the races, that the stoppage was a private affair, and that Te Whiti or Tohu had nothing to do with it Maori sentries are still kept at Parapara the same as in the days of the fencing. To ALL TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN*. — An exchauge has the following : — Many persons, of whom some imagine they are acute men of business, fail to understand the philosophy of newspaper advertising. They put up a <»ign over the door, display their goods in the shop, and grow positively eloquent in the descriptive and persuasive viva voce addresses to customers over the counter, and rest satisfied with their endeavors. But this sort of advertising is both wasteful and ineffectual ; it reaches only those who already deal at the establishment, or, at most, those who pass by the shop door, and not those outside settlers, who are only to be got at through the newspaper. The following are the portraits of two classes of men —

The man who does The man who does not advertise. advertise. It is very evident which is the happiest. The Decline of Mormonism. — Alluding to the report that Brigham Young, the son of the Mormon prophet, had been indicted for bigamy before the Federal Court at Salt Lake City, a contemporary observes : — Polygamy, from being a cheap arrangement, has become' so costly that only rich n-e v can afford to have a number of wives. These ladies will no longer toil like Indian

squaws, and fine clothes are quite as costly in Utah as they are elsewhere. T^be Mormon girls now decline to be anybody** _ s second or third wife, and are beginning to prefer the whole of a humble Gentile's heart to the fifteenth part of an elder's jaded affections. Moreover, there are secessions from'th.s faith. Joe Smith's sons have pronounced against polygamy, and when the children of the first and only legal marriage- claim the sole estate of an intestate Morri.jn father, the system will receive such a shock that its final collapse cannot be far off. Of late yeara it has gained no * American recruits, while the European immigrants are invariably the poorest, most ignorant, and undesirable that can be picked up by specious promises in Scandinavia, Wales, and Lancashire. It is therefore clear that though Mormonism may, for years to come, exist as a faith, as a semipolitical organisation its day is over.