ESTABLISHED 1875. Manawatu Daily Times. The Oldest Manawatu Journal. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, DECEMBER, 20 1912 HEALTHY PHILOSOPHY.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 1803, 20 December 1912, Page 4

ESTABLISHED 1875. Manawatu Daily Times. The Oldest Manawatu Journal. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, DECEMBER, 20 1912 HEALTHY PHILOSOPHY.

A kecent article by that excellent writer, G. Iv. Chestenon, in the London Daily News, concerning little Montenegro's challenge to Turkey, recalls tome very wholesome sentences of R. Louis Stevenson Stevenson, it may be remembered, txpresses his scorn for " cowardly and prudential proverbs." Moat of our pocket wisdom he says " is conceived for the use of mediocre people, to discourage them from ambitious attempts, and generally console them in th6ir mediocrity " Ac ording to all the popular prov rb* sm;h people as Joan of Arc who left her humble but honest living to go a-colonel-ling in the company of rowdy soldiers, or Columbus, who was a most imprudent navigator, should stand condemned. Tneirs were not the prudent lives, measured by wise precepts, that carefal parents jwoald place before their children for their guidance. Yet they and many others of their calibre who Lave flown in the face of precepts " are spoken of in hyptrbo ieal terms of praise, and honoured with puolic monumtnts iu the streets of our commercial centres." It is in much the same philosophic strain that Chesterton approaches Montenegro's absurd challenge to Turkey, the challenge of thirty thousand men to some hundreds of thousands —absurd when measured by all the laws of prudence. " Yet," says . hesterton, '• those who blame the men of the Black Mountain for rashness do not deserve to have been bo often saved by ihe rashness of their fathers. Suppose the Fociety papers should write about' The Prime Minister's Wives' instead of ' The Prime Minister's Wife.' Suppose we all talked of going to Oharing Crescent instead tf Oharing Cross. These are obviously under-scatements of what would have reallj happened if Oriental Imperialism had not been stopped here and there by some strong action bv soaoe small European garrison. If Athens, if Venice, if all the little republics, had not acted again and again incessantly, exactly as Montenegro is acting now, not one of us would be fseling about women or statuary or food or freedom as we all feel to-day."

f f A tender of Messrs Perrin Bros., . and Needham at £453 10s for extending the produce hall at the showground has been accepted. 1 Feilding Salvation Army Band has I lately been serenading the district f and delighting the settlers with ex- , cellent selections. Aorangi was visited on Wednesday. A visit to Kimbolton will be made next week. The Cuba Street improvements now in hand by Messrs Hopwoood and Co. promise to remove an eyesore and give another push forward to that rising business thoroughfare. A 12ft. right-of-way will be left alongside the Museum, and with commendable keenness the Borough Council has resolved to asphalt this and lay down flower borders. The vacant allotment in Coleman Place will be the site of additional buildings by Messrs Hopwood and Co. for bulk stores. Among school changes contemplated are the following:—Assistant at Kai Iwi, Miss L. Frayne, assistant, Rongotea; assistant at Rongotea, Miss Argyle, Wanganui D. H. S. ; assistants at Foxton, Mr C. Burgess and Miss McHardie. Arrangements are being completed for vacancies at Campbell street (where a'male assistant has to be replaced by one of the opposite sex), Awahuri, etc. The members ofj£St. Andrew's Church on Wednesday evening gave a farewell social to Sister Grace, deaconess, who is leaving the district. The following contributed to the programme :—Miss M. Buchanan, Sister Grace, Mr Green, Miss J. Ytung, Miss V. Graham, Miss E. Watson. Sister Grace was presented with a cheque and gold chain from the congregation by the Rev. A. Doull, who referred to the excellent work Sister Grace had accomplished as deaconness during the four or five years she had occupied that position. Ordained a deaconess under Rev. I. Jolly, her work had been such that her departure would be accompanied with feelings of regret. Mr J. Wallace also spoke. In expressing thanks Sister Grace acknowledged assistance received, especially from Messrs E. Vernon, A. D. Thomson, and W. Rutherfurd. The gathering terminated with the singing of Aulrl Lang Svne. 'XMAS CAKES. CHOCOLATES. TOYS (filled with - weets). Di'stin's. Ltd., j Palmerston North. i Large and Beautiful selection of books at Park's > -,as Bazaa; : all the new annuals, dainty edition by best. I authors from 3d up. Latent Fiction, ; Travel. Prize and Presentation Works, , i Diaries for KU3.*

The ordinary meeting of the Palmerston branch of the Wellington Driveres' Industrial Union will be held to-night at 7.80 o'clock, in the Britannia buildings. The Palmerston Homing Pigeon Society are making a display of their trophies, inclndiug a silver cup, in Mr Watchom's window. The Foxton Harbour Board meets this evening, when the proposed jetty and private wharf will be among the subjects disci..--:..!.

The latest additions to the telephone exchange are:—No. 718 (2 rings), R. M. Maunder, Fitzroy street ; No. 718 (3 rings), A. H. White, Limbrick street; No. 436, W. B. Ellis, Kairanga road; No. 374, H. A. Wagstaff, Cook street.

A heavy nor. -west gale is raging over North Canterbury. Reports are coming in of minor damage, especially to orchards.

A fine residence built by the late Mr Thomas Bassett at Hornby (Canterbury), said to have cost £IO,OOO, was burnt down yesterday morning. The house was owned bv Mr J. Feaver.

A portion of the English mail, including the New Zealand section, missed the train for Sydney 011 Tuesday, owing to an accident to the mail cart at Adelaide.

A meeting of ladies who are interested in the Bible-in-Schools question is to be held at All Saints' Schoolrooom t on Saturday next at 3 p.m. o'clock.

At Christmas time some of the friends of All Saints' Children's Home send gifts of meat. The matron of the Home would be glad if donors would communicate with her before sending their gifts, so that there should be no waste. The Postal authorities advise that the Marama, which sailed from Sydney at noon 011 the 16th inst. for Auckland, has 011 board a very small English mail via Suez, also an Australia mail. The Wellington portion is due to arrive here by Main Trunk to-morrow.

Mr R. Brown, technical director for Hawera district, yesterday finished his work of judging his school gardens in the competition in connection with the Foiling A. and P. Association. Great improvement has been shown in a number of gardens, and teachers are to be commended for having acted on advice tendered last year. Strong features in the gardens wore the flowers, orchard work and experimental work. Results will not be known for another week.— Feilding correspondent. Ruling monarchs are not generally credited with being endued with commercial instincts of any high order. Amongst the Balkan rulers, however, says the London correspondent of the ''Scotsman," the King of Greece is considered an astute financier. Not only is he commercial, but he has the faculty of making money beyond that given to the general run of monarchs. He is the proprietor of some of the chief vineyards in Greece, and his wine is extensively exported to France in order to mix with the lighter wines of that / country, which business alone brings him in a substantial ; revenue.

Allegations of uncleanliness in the handling of meat at Wellington wharves, made by the North Island Associated Freezing Companies, were refuted at Wednesday's meeting of the Harbour Board. The chairman, Mr R. Fletcher, thought that before a conference like that made an onslaught on a local body it should have been courteous enough to communicate with the latter. No docks or wharves in the world were kept in cleaner condition than the wharves at Wellington. The wharfinger's report stated that only when no other berths were available were colliers put at export wharves, and then a scavenger is in constant attendance to keep the wharf clean. Planks were often laid down for meat bags, the ends of which were kept clear of the wharf by "trestles. The board had always endeavoured to keep the wharves clean, and arrangements had been made to wash them down when required. As to casks discharged from carts, the staves and heads were very fragile, often of green timber, while their contents weighed over 8% cwt. He knew of no careless handling, and only £2 had been paid for damages in four years. The meat companies could provide portable shelter for meat in wet weather, or the board could provide and lease it. The smartly dressed woman shops at the Bon Marche for her millinery, because she finds there the millinery of the moment, the millinery which she will appreciate, witli that artistic touch and finish for which we are justly famous. All our millinery is marked in plain figures, and the prices are inexpensive. Call to-day, and see these hats. —C. M. Ross and Co.

Ladies' Handbags, from Is to GUs. The largest selection, the best value, and the newest goods are at Park's Xmas Bazaar.*