The Pahiatua Star (Published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.) MONDAY. NOVEMBER 23, 1891. THE NEW SYSTEM OF WORKS.

Pahiatua Star and Eketahuna Advertiser, Volume 6, Issue 563, 23 November 1891, Page 2

The Pahiatua Star (Published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.) MONDAY. NOVEMBER 23, 1891. THE NEW SYSTEM OF WORKS.

One of the most interesting returns that will be laid on the table of the House next session will be that showing the cost of the relief works on the Makairo lioad, aud it will do more, probably, to weaken the position of the Ministry than people at first would be likely to imagine. Every Ministry since the Constitution Act have at times found themselves in an awkward predicament when pressed for information as to details of their administration by inquisitive members of Her Majesty’s Opposition; but none of the Governments of the Colony we venture to say ever had to answer questions of such a compromising aud scandalous nature as the inquiries into this iniquitous job will elicit. It is has been reserved for the present Premier and his colleagues to discover a method of heaping additional burdens on sober, provident, industrious taxpayers without first submitting the method and measure of these burdens to the representatives of the people in Parliament assembled, as the old formula has it. This extraordinary and unconstitutional procedure lias been introduced to the patient taxpayer under the seductive guise of co-opera-tive public works. The adoption of this system, we were told, was to lead to the abolition of the nefarious profits of the iniquitous middle-man and do away with the terrible evils of the truck system with one fell swoop. It was, in short, to be a panacea for half the evils under which wo are said to labor. And this was not all. Works that would cost, say £IO,OOO, under the antiquated system of public competition by tender were to be better done for about half that sum by the adoption of the new method, and die plaintive cry of the “ unemployed ” was to be heard no more for ever. But has the initial experiment at the Makairo fulfilled these glowing prophecies, as to the increased benefits to be derived by the taxpayer? The answer to this quesion we declare to be a most emphatic No ! Nor has it proved an unmixed satisfaction to the class it was initiated especially to benefit. For never in the history of the colony was a few miles of road work so famous, or rather infamous, as this. And this surprises no one ; indeed it would be difficult to imagine how it could be otherwise. Men of all sorts, good and bad, with a considerable percentage of the latter, it must be owned—men who were alike strangers to the work and each other —found themselves thrown together pell-mell, and told off to their several portions of the work, which each, of course, performed according to his own sweet will; for under this new and magnificent system every man was, at any rate, liis own master. With no previous experience to guide, or ruling mind to direct them, it is not surprising that the results were hardly satisfactory even now the grand panacea of co-operation had been adopted. A number of these men, who wanted work leas than anything else, have now given us a practical illustration of the advantage of having a weakkneed Liberal Government in power ; and have forced an admission from the Ministry that their votes are so valuable that they are prepared to pay them half as much again as they have earned ! The publication of this new system of pauperisation, as adopted by the beddon-cum-McKenzie combination, will probably make the farmers and yeomanry of the colony bestir themselves at th« next elections to secure the defeat of the supporters of a Ministry capable of such unwiße aud pernicious conduct.

| An item of news will bo found on fourth I>as<-. There ought to money in strawberry growing for our su ill settlers. On Saturday last we had su mined for our inspection a sample gr< vn in the Mangaliao. and they wore i ithout exception the finest we have > *en in New Zealand, while the flavor w s delicious. A committee o| the Athletic Society meet this evening. Mr J. Toms adds to the sale for Satur* next 800 2-looth wethers. Captain Futtenum, of tho Wellington Rowing Club, has resigned. A reward of 10s is olTerni for a lost horse. Whisper mid Cyniscn aro scratched for all engagements at the Wellington Racing Chib's spring meeting. Torpedo and Angler for all handicaps on tho first day, and Jock for the irst day's hurdles. The stntutorroucctmg of tho Connty Council will be laid on Wodnesdnv next, when a chairmai for the ensuing year is to be elected. I One of tlioso announcements thnt seem always to possoss supreme importance to the fair sex— a marriage notice—appears in ->tir columns this issue. Tho union recorded in this instance, however, is of more than ordinary interest in I’ahiatua, for a son and daughter of two of tho oldest settlers in the district are the contracting parties, viz., Mr W. W. McCardle, junr., and Miss Lottie Sedcolp. We add our congratulations to those already received by the young couple, and wish them every happiness in their new life. Our readers are reminded of the performance to be given to-morrow evening by the Foley Dramatic, Comedy, and Burlesque Company. Mr Foley is well known as a caterer for amusements, and his present combination, we are assured, will quite sustain his good reputation in these matters. We tru3t he will bo greeted by a full house. A meeting of villa >e settlors was held at Mr Jcssop's rts dence on Saturday evening, when a fail number of persons were present. Thi meeting had been called " to consider t le best means of obtaining justice as to roads in the settlement.” It was del ided to endeavor to adopt tho suggestion made by the Premier and the Minister of Lands, viz., to form the settlement int i a separate lload Board ; and to get dl information as to the institution of a 1 ical body for tho district. The meeting vore of opinion that tho time had come when they must act for themselves, as tl ey could not got anything done by the Cj unty Council. The main school vias closed at Woodville on Friday for six weeks owing to influenza having rodaced the attendance from 320 to 158. Tpe school will re-open again in January. I On leaving Wellington the warships Tauranga and Itingarooma will proceed north to Auckland, visiting Napier, Gisborne, ami Tauranga on their way. In they will return to Lyttelton, after which the Tauranga will visit the several southern ports, and be prosent in Nelson at the jubilee celebration in February. The Itingarooma will cerne north again. The object of these visits is to acquire accurate information regarding all the ports and anchorages. The West Coast coal ports will also be visited in due course. Tho truth is gradually leaking out. We were told that tlje last Russian loan was subscribed three times over. Next we heard that the Continental Bourses were disturbed owing to the large amount of the loan still unde* offer. Now we are told that a panic ha| only been avoided by the Rothschilds taking up the unsubscribed balance off 125,000,000 francs. “ Holy Russia’s ” diplomatists can lie at home as well as abpuad for the good of their country. " The Stock Department have received information from Sydney that no fresh cases of glanders have appeared among the circus horses, but that eleven Australian horses which have been in direct contact with the American animals were destroyed on Wednesday night. The Stock Department are taking steps to prevent the possibility of any horses arriving in New Zealand likely to spread the disease. At the Nelson City Council meeting on Friday night a letter was read from Mr Humphreys, a consumption patient under Mr Clapham's treatment, stating that his cough was much bettor, his night sweat was gone, and his breathing was easier. He could now walk four times as far as he could previously, he had gained 51b in weight, and felt much better. The officer to whom the position of Commander of the New Zealand Forces has been offered is really Captain Francis Fox— not l’arkes, which was a mutilation in a cable message. There is some heartbiJning in Balclutha over a recent fancy dAss ball. Several ladies invited attended,Jbut not in fancy dress, so they were ignaniniously ordered out of the hall. f At the Christchurch races, the Countess of Onslow wore a rich white silk of floral design of sprays of blue in pink flowers. The bodice, skirt, and jupon were trimmed with pale pink. Tho bonnet to match was of pale pink heather. Mr Justice Williims and Mr Justice Deur.iston are gazetted as having been appointed tho Supreme Court Judges before whom shall be triefl the petition presented by Eden George/against tho return of Ebenezer Sandfoad as a member of the House of Representatives for the electoral district of the Citl of Christchurch. The Hon. James Fulton, M.L.C., died on Friday afternoon at the Toieri, it is supposed from heart disease. He was til years of age. He was for many years Resident Magistrate at Outram, and afterwards bocame Member for Taieri. He was called to the Upper House by Sir H. Atkinson this year. He leaves a widow and three sons nnd tbreo daughters, all grown up. The Dunedin Star publishes correspondence between Mr Fish and the Premier in reference to the latter’s attitude towards the labor party last session. The exchange is very strong. Tho Masterton school committee, realising the hards ips which are inflicted on parents by fre [uent changes in the school books, has i isolved to request the Education Board t import books and retail tho same to t e committees at cost price. The N. Z. Herald refers in a late issue to tho change which is evidently taking place in tho colony with respect to the Government policy. It says There is every appearance now of a rally against the policy of which a portion was inflicted last session, and the full forco of which we are threatened with next session. The colony is now waking up, and there will soon he a sharp division of political parties. Tho people are somewhat scared at what has al ready boen dona, and still more at what is held in terror over them. Mr Spurgeon has a strong partiality for the fragnin* weed. Sunday evening after the service at the Tabernacle, he may be

seen reclining in the cushions of his carriage and pulling away at his pipe as he is driven home. He saya that after a hard day’s work lie finds a smoke has a soothing snd restful effect upon his nerves. Weatwoop, his home, at Beulah Hill, Norwood, ie, perhaps, the flneat place owned by a dissenting parson in this country. Ho has a magnificent collection of plants, shrubs, Ac., from all parta of the world. The grounds are laid out on a most lavish scale, and all the appointments of the placo aro in keeping. Mr Spurgeon has sometimes been remonstrated with by persona more orthodox than himself, if such can bo conceived, for driving on Sunday. His retort is that he is under grace, while his horses are under the law, so that their Sabbath comes on tho Saturday, And his own on the Sunday, which is a most convenient arrangoinent. One of tho most melancholy figures to be seen in all lgondon just now (writes a London correspondent) is a faded, rather billious-looking young woman, with watery eyes and a monomaniac si expression, who haunts popular public resorts trying to sell tickets for some French and German readings to be given noxt week at the Piccadilly Hall.” This is none other than Valerie Wiedemann, the heroine of the notorious Walpolo cate. A sane person would have been content with tho i.'Boo which the last jury who tried the breach of promiso issue so very unjustly gave the plaintiff. But Miss Wiedemann is mad, a raving lunatic on this one subject—and she’s trying to raise money for more litigation. I saw her outside tho Stock Exchange in Throgmorton street on Mouday. She waylaid all the men she could, and persuaded them to buy tickets. A few—a very few—did so out of curiosity, or pity, or both ; but the majority fled like frightened rabbits at her approach. Tho whole affair is frightfully hard on Mr Walpole, who has literally been driven out of England by this never-ending scandal, as well as made bankrupt. Hot-blooded youths tempted to youthful indiscretions should bear in mind his story. One evening's folly has cost him t lifetime of misery. What the end will be who can say, for Miss Wiedemann is mad, and lives only for revenge. The latest subject for discussion among tho ladies of Pabiatua has been—where can we get our dresses well and stylishly made ? The problem is solved at last 1 Visit Veitcli and Allan's and interview Mrs Schubert, a perfect artist in the work. Ladies can select material and have their costumes mado in the best style at moderato prices.—A. Bentley, Manager. Puchasers of boots and shoes will have an opportunity to-morrow and during the following week of buying them cheap. Messrs Trewby Bros., Opposite the Post Office, having purchased tho stock of Mr E. M, Herrick at a considerable discount, intend holding a cheap clearance sale for one week ordy. We should advise all who are in want of boots and shoes to give Messrs Trewby Bros an early call to secure the bargains. —Advt. Our clearance sale of Mr Herrick’s stock of boots and shoes having proved a greater success than we anticipated we shall continue it for one week longer, during which time we shall offer tho remainder of the stock at the cheap clearing prices.— Trewby Brothers, opposite the Post Office.— Advt.