The Pahiatua Herald with which is incorporated THE PAHIATUA STAR. Published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 1897. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume V, Issue 534, 23 August 1897, Page 2

The Pahiatua Herald with which is incorporated THE PAHIATUA STAR. Published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 1897. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

General Sir Evelyn Wood, in a vary interesting article on “ The Queen’s Soldiers, 1837-97,” concludes as follows : “If we turn now to the state of the active army in 1897, we find that at home, in India, and tho colonies there are 195,000 effectives, and 78,000 in the Army reserve. Numbers alone, however, give no adequate idea of the efficiency of an army for field service, and without alleging that our arrangements are yet perfect, for, indeed, there remains much to be done, yet it may be confidentlyasserted that as regards the departments, or auxiliary branches, which clothe, cure, subsist, and transport the army, and are, therefore, essential for its well-being in the field, we have never previously been in so efficient a state. The growth of tho volunteer forces, and our innumerable minor wars have, through the agency of an enterprising press, made the army known to the taxpayers, and the War Office has thus been enabled to organise a modem system, which has replaced tho hand-to-mouth fashion prevailing sixty years ago. While our army has improved during the Queen’s reign, those of all our Continental neighbours have been increased to a much greater degree. Our population has gone up by fifteon millions during the Queen’s reign, and the National Debt is only one-third per head of what it was sixty years ago. Wo have doubled our army, but our colonial possessions have increased out of all mcasuro with tho means wo maintain of defending them. Wo have, dotted over tho surfaco of tho whole globe, settlements which, though in the great majority of cases undefended by Imperial troops, are closoly bound to us by tho ties of loyalty to tho Sovereign and brotherhood amongst tho British people.”

A remarkable feature of the Queen’s reign is the great number of wars “ little and big,” that have marked its progress. Scarcely a twolvcmontli, indeed, without finding England at war with some part of tho world. Hero is a list of the principal campaigns and expeditions :—«• Afghan war, 1880-40; first China war, 1841; Bikh war, 1845 40; Kaffir war, 1840; second Afghan war, second war with China, 1849 ; second Bikli war, 1848-49; Burmese war, 1850; second Kaffir war, 1851- ; second Burmese war, 1852- ; Crimea, 1854 ; third war with China, 1850-58; Indian mutiny, 1857 ; Maori war, 1800-01 ; more wars with China, 1800 and 1802 ; second Maori war, 1868-dO ; Ashantoe war, 1804; war in Bootan, 1804 ; Abyssinian war, 1807-08 ; war with tho liazotces, 1808 ; third Maori war, 1808-09 ; war with Loosbasis, 1871 ; Zulu war, 1878-79 ; third Afghan war, 1878-80 ; war in Basutoland, 1879-81 ; Transvaal war, 1879-81; Egyptian war, 1882 ; Zanzibar, 1890 ; India, 1890 ; Matabolo wars, 1891 and 1890 ; Chitral campaign, 1895 ; third Ashantoe campaign, 1290 ; second Boudan campaign, 1890.

The Diamond Jubilee is producing a plentiful crop of interesting literature dealing with tho great changes in the social habits of the people that have taken place during Her Majesty’s reign. One veteran remarks that in his golden days ovory young man, no matter how busy, protended to bo idle. Now, every young man, if ho is idle, pretends to be busy. Doubtless thut means something, for idleness cannot go out of fashion without setting a higher social value upon serious work. Within the Queen’s reign excessive wine-drinking after dinner was a vice oven with the high-placed guardians of morals. Mr Gladstone tells that on one occasion when a host put to a bishop who ws dining with him the ordinary formula, “ Will your Lordship have any more wine?” the bishop ropliuil in a solemn voico—“ Thank you ; not till we have drunk what we have before us.” It is possible society now takes it out in tobacco, for tho afterdinner introduction of which tho Prince of Wales is given thanks. Should it ho true thut tho wood has

driven out the wine-cup, then the Prince has been an innovator on a higher level than his ancestor who invented a shoe buckle. Smoking, indeed, has risen enormously in the soale of respectibility since the Queen came to the Throne. There was a time when hosts, still bigoted on the subject of tobacco, sent their smoking guests to the harness-room or the servants' hall. Until the year 1845 no smoking - room existed in the most fashionable London club, and tho Crimean war had been fought before any gentleman risked his reputation by smoking in the public streets. With drinking at table there has gone out many coarser amusements. Cock-fighting, though it had long been illegal, did not finally disappear till the fifties. Prize-fighting was fashionable to a much later date. The vulgarities of language associated with these brutal exhibitions survived in what was thought to be refined society. Lord Melbourne, as everyone has read, damned in the presence of Her Majesty, and was her favourite Minister notwithstanding.

There is one particularly charming anecdote Captain Mahon tells of Nelson in his new book which wo do recollect seeing before. Shortly before Trafalgar a mail was about to start from the fleet to England. The letters had been collected, arid the vessel had sailed, when Nelson saw a midshipman come up and speak to Lieutenant Pasco, the signal officer, who, upon hearing what was said, stamped his foot in evident vexation, and uttered an exclamation. The admiral . . . asked what was

the matter. “ Nothing that nesd trouble your lordship,” was the reply. 11 You are not the man to lose your temper for nothing," rejoined Nelson. “ What was it ? ” Well, if you must know, my lord, 1 will tell you. You see that coxswain,” pointing to one of the most active of tho petty officers; “wo have not a better man on board the Victory, and the message which put me out was this. 1 was told that he was so busy receiving and getting off tho mail bags that he forgot to drop his own letter to his wife into one of them, and he has just discovered it in his pocket.” “ Hoist a signal to bring her back,” was Nelson’s instant command ; “ who knows that he may not fall in action to-morrow ? His letter shall go with the rest,” and the vessel was brought back for that alone.

Last year an inquiry was held in Vienna as to tho condition of working women in that city. The report, or such portions of it as found their way into the press, caused no small sensation, revealing as it did tho life of miserable toil and semi-starvation led by thousands of women and girls. The results of the report are now summarised by the editor of the German Journal of Social Legislation, Dr Heinrich Braun. The moral appears to be that the grievances of women’s labours are similar in kind, if not in degree, in all countries. To a system of piecework so arranged that only the most strenuous exertion will produce a bare living wage the only alternative is day-work with a fixed minimum task, an ingonious contrivance which may be described as piecework without the possibility of increased pay. The low wages resulting from the unorganised condition of labor are dragged still lower by the competition of home-workers, and the apprenticeship cruelly drawn out so as retard the progress of the learner and defer the day when wages, however meagre, must be paid. The evidence of the womon showed that they lived chiefly on bad coffee, bread, and potato soup. Overwork and insufficient food, as Dr Braun shows from the registration tables, have disastrous results, not only for tho mothers, but also for their offspring.

The practice of forming associations of manufacturers for the sale of their productions abroad, which is a feature of modern commercial organisation in Germany, is referred to at some length in a report to his Government of tho United States Consul at I’lauen. Ho gives copious extracts from a circular issued by the Saxon Export Association, which contains some interesting items. It is statoil that the travollors of tho association in South Africa havo had marked succoss, and that they entertain good hopes of more. They have difficulties to encounter, and especially “ English inffuenco had to be combated.” To Japan and China a traveller—a native Chinaman who had resided many years in Europe —had beon sent. lie understands Gorman trado and manufactures, and is accredited by the Government to all German consuls. Ilia efforts liavo resulted in the receipt of somo good ordors, hut ho reports that a considerable time will bo required for the full dovolopmont of the trade which he is engaged in opening up. In tho Balkan Statos and Turkey the agents of the Association havo had to work undor many unfavourable conditions. Tlieso are not specified, but it may be inferred that amongst them bad debts stand prominent, since it is statod that “ some of our mombors have suffered, but tho Association has worked onergotically to protoct them from loss, and in most cases has succeeded in securing a satisfactory settlement.” Referring generally to its operations, tho Association says :—“ Many firms havo been repaid a thousand fold ” for their contributions to its funds, and it is added that the information supplied to the membors is drawn from sources not opon to the public.

The days of the l’aris cab-liorso are numbered. 80, in effect, says the Paris correspondent of a London contemporary. According to this authority, within a year cab horses will have almost entirely disappeared from tho streots of the capital. Bomo time ago the liopo was expressed that the horseless carriage would havo replaced tho present ono before tho 1900 exhibition; but it was never expected that transformation would taku place so rapidly as now Booms assured. Thu managing director of the Gab Company declares that he will have five or six hundred autocars on the streots by tho ond of tho year, and the first of these will make its appearance in throe months. Tho motive force is to he electricity ; tho carriages can run for ten hours, and it is understood that arrangements will bo lnadu at all cab stands for renewing tho supply of powor. By next April, it is thought, there will bo 4000 horsoloss cabs plying for hire iu Paris.

The late Dr. Youl, City Coroner of Melbourne, during his long term of office, conducted over 12,000 inquests. He was a constant joy to the reporters whose duty it was to attend inquests, for it was rarely that he failed to lighten the gloom of the proceedings by quaint sayings, while his wealth of reminiscence, upon which he drew freely and for the benefit of whom it might concern, was an unfailing source of interest. Dr Youl was not satisfied with ascertaining tho cause of any accidental death ; ho used to pursue his investigations into contributing causes, and it was largely due to his action in this direction that much greater care is now taken to prevent accidents to workmen. He also insisted, as far as he could, that sanitary conditions should be observed in hospitals and similar institutions, and his vigorous comments upon the inaction in this respect of those in authority led to many necessary reforms. The number of intoxicated sailors who used to be drowned when going on board their ships induced him to agitato until ship captains were compelled to spread nets below the gangways from the vessel to the wharf, a precaution which has saved many lives. Ilis charges to juries, says one of his biographers, consisted of an admixture of humor, cynicism, aud quaint philosophy, but were logical, and showed a keen knowledge of human nature. His opinion of the average juryman’s intelligence was not a very high one, and he used frequently to savo that individual the trouble of making up his mind by making it up for him. “ Well, gentlemen,” he would say, “ after what I have said I don’t think you will havo any difficulty in arriving at a verdict. The case is evidently one of suicide. Is that your opinion Mr Foreman? It is ? And so say you all, gentlemen ? Very well, then, I will write out the verdict, and you will be good enough to sign it.” The method had certainly the merit of saving time. He had a particular objection to tho practice of endowing children with a number of names. “ You killed youi son when you gave him four names,” he said to a parent on one occasion. “If his name had just been John 1 would never have known him.” Another time he astounded a medical witness by saying to him, “ I'll hold an inquest on you before I die. You have three Christian names.” Dr. Y’oul's friends, of whom he had a groat many, declare that, although unsympathetic, ho was really kindly and charitable, and his services as a medical man were freely placed at the disposal of the poor, from whom he would accept no fee.

Stratford has petitioned to be constituted a borough. No less than seven townships in Colonel Newall’s district are desirous of forming volunteer corps. The 500 shares issued to enable the Enner Glynn Coal Mine, Nelson, to carry on have been taken up. On Jubilee night 5000 detectives in plain clothes were stationed in different parts of the city of London during the illuminations.

The largest boy of his age in the world thrives in California. His name is John Bardin. He is fifteen years old, 6ft sin tall, and weighs 220 pounds. “ Gentlemen of the jury,” said a lawyer, who was prosecuting in a pig stealing case, “ there were thirty-six hogs. Remember the fact—just three times as many as in the jury-box.” Judge Robinson, formerly of Wellington, has been elected chairman of the Nelson branch of the Public Service Association for tho current year. The Hawke s Bay Education Board has agreed that its inspectors may examine the Catholic schools provided that such examination does not interfere with his other duties. Numbers of fish have been seen lately in the Ngongotaha and Umurua streams, Lake Rotorua. They are believed to be the trout that were liberated in those streams some time age. A New Zealander at Home writes :

“ The Misses Seddon have made a considerable impression, and Mrs Seddon also, and while it is impossible not to like our Premier, he may be excused in his novel position if he makes even his friends a little bit anxious lest he should be carried away by it all.” The New Zealanders at Home need not worry about Richard. He is built on the wrong lines to be easily spoilt.

They aro going tho whole hog in Chicago in tho matter of theatrical novelties, unless Philadelphia Ledger has been anticipating the time when pigs shall fly. According to that paper an enterprising manager introduces a live hog on the stage, puts him through the machine, and distributes the resulting sausages as a souvenir. \ saussige as a souvenir may- linger from its shape long in tile memory, but for most people it would soon be too strongly reminiscent of the linked sweetness of other days.

Among tho crop of mad tilings produced by tho season is a Diamond Jubileo hat. Tho crown is made of a mass of white roses, the brim is of shamrocks, and a bunch of thistles bristles proudly on the left side of this horticultural exhibit, which is completed by a bunch of leeks, the white bulbs being turned uppermost, the tufts of white roots being shown to advantage. This is the class of curse inflicted by women upon innocent males when assembled at our public entertainments. Just imagine a man sitting immediately behind a Jubilee hat and trying to get a glimpse oi tho stage and performance. A man would bo mad to attempt such a tiling. Tho woakor sex 1 Bali! Commenting on tho decision of the English Appeal Court in the case of Powell v. tint Kcmpton Park ltacocourse Company, tiio Weekly Times says it docs not do away with tho apparently opposite judgment in Hawke v. Dunn. “ It does not bind tho police or magistrates in tho least,” says our London contemporary, “ and wo hope they will go on administering tho law fearlessly. It is not their fault it the old scandal, ‘ ono law for tile rich man and another for tho poor man,’ is once more emphasized. For that, unfortunately, apart from all mere questions of betting and gambling, is tho awkward truth made prominent. Wo do not blame the Judges. They are fallible, liko tho rest of us. But tho law should be unerring and unchanging. Tho whole system of legal procedure in England appears deliberately contrived in the interests of tiro lawyers. It is only tho rich who can avail themselves of tho delays, tile appeals, and tho reversals of decisions which make ono Lull of tho Judges appear at direct issue with tho other. Consequently it is only tho rich who call thus defy the law.” Tho local billiard players are to liavo an opportunity of shewing their skill with tho cue. Mr Walter Chambers, lessee of tho Club Hotel billiard table, has arrrangod a sweepstake handicap tournament, with X2 added money, 10s of which sum will be given for second prize. The points will bo 150 up and tho handicap will bo behind tho 150 mark. Nominations have been fixed at 2s, to close on Saturday next, the 2Hih instant, and acceptances 2s, to close on Saturday, Soptombor 4th. Tho several skiters now havo an opportunity of doing something instead of indulging iu su much chui music.

An emergency meeting of Lodge Tararua will be held on Wednesday evening. Business—passing. The monthly meeting of Onward Assembly, Knights of Labor, will be held in th 9 Foresters’ Hall on Thursday evening next. A full attendance is requested. We would call attention to the fact that Messrs J. Mowlern and Co. se ll tomorrow at 11 a.m., on the premises of Mr W. Morrison (acting under instructions from the D.0.A.), his interest in lease of place, trap, horses, etc. Archdeacon S. Williams, of Hawkes Bay, lias'undertaken to bear the cost (£80) of completing the printing of a prayer book for the Melanesian mission, and has also presented Bishop Wilson with 30 ewes for the mission station.

The Manchester Unity Oddfellows has now a membership of 769,969, with a capital of over £9,000,000. The total strength of the Order is—Adult male members, 769,969 ; widows subscribing for funeral benefits, 10,749; juvenile members, 106,632 ; honorary members, 11,499 ; female members, 2,139.

Diplomas are to be issued by the Nelson School of Music to pupils who have been connected with the school for three years and have passed an examination in practical and theoretical work, the latter to include the (1) elementary history of music as far as the intermediate B. Mus. examination of the N.Z. University; (2) harmony; (81 single counterpoint; sections 2 and 8 to be as for the first examination in music of the New Zealand University. In reference to the agitation of the Mangatainoka people for a railway stationmaeter, a Newman correspondent writes to the Post pointing out that Newman is in wantot a stationmaster far more than Mangatainoka. There is a lot of sawmills and small settlers in and around the district which send five and eight waggon loads of timber to the station daily besides other things, whereas Mangatainoka only gets about two truck loads a week. If Mangatainoka is to have a stationmaster, why should not llukanui and Newman have one as well ?

At the banquet at Feildingon Tuesday evening it was hinted that, in the event of the agreement to light Pahiatua with water gas within a year of the date of signing not being carried tut the company that is supplying Feilding would, if the town folk desired it, extend its operations to Pahiatua. An extension of time to the present holder of the lighting rights is not likely to be granted, as nothing has been heard from him since signing the agreement. The regular meeting of Court Pahiatua, A.0.F., takes place this evening. It is worthy of note that it is just eleven years to-day since this court was opened with but eleven members. Now there is a total of 140 members, and a sum of between £7OO and £*Boo lent on mortgage, while the Lodge has also an excellent freehold hall, all property has been paid for, and the current account in the bank is a considerable sum in credit. The progress made by the Lodge has been extraordinary. Its satisfactory condition is in no small measure due to the energy and carefulness of the secretary, Mr G. F. Gelderd, who has piloted the Lodge from a position of financial difficulty to one of allluence.

The Shannon Farmer says : —The Wellington A. and P. Association has got foul of the Manawatu and West Coast A. and P. Association over the date of the next show, and there is no prospect of an amicable settlement as yet. The Wellington people are acting in a very high and mighty style, but they will find that bounce and bluster will not make a show what it ought to be. If they arc so foolish as to believe that they can carry all before them and wipe out the Manawatu and West Coast Show they deserve to be laughed at. It i-Jlkbsurd to jthink that a country show, which piomises to be one of the test in the colony, will give way to a town show that would be nothing at all were it not for country support, and we urge upon the settlers of this coast to stand by their own. This year’s show will be what they moke it, therefore let there be unity of purpose. If our dates are to be the 16th and 17th of November and the Wellington people want the same dates, let them make the best they can of it. We can hold our own.

The best flavored and the most profitable strawberry to grow is the wonderful *‘ Sharpless.” Plants now ready, from 5s to 10s per hundred, at Horton’s Pre mier Nurseries.