Rangitikei Advocate. MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 1910. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9651, 3 January 1910, Page 4

Rangitikei Advocate. MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 1910. EDITORIAL NOTES.

WITH to-day’s issue the Rangitikai Advocate Printing and Publishing Company, Ltd., begins its operations, under the most favourbale and promising conditions. The Advocate has been justly regarded by journalists as one of the most valuable newspaper properties in the Domimon_and decidedly the best outside the four chief centres. Established nearly thirty.six years ago it has kept pace with the development and progress of the district lying between Wanganui and Foxton, and extending from the sea coast into the interior. Even before the opening of the Main Trunk Line tha area covered by it was very large, and the improved means of communication of course give it still greater advantages, For many years the Advocate has sustained the reputation of giving the most thorough and carefnl attention to the interests of country settlers, not only so far as general affairs are concerned, but also in political matters, end and it baa earned tha confidence of a large section of the community. The policy it has always consistently maintained will remain the same under the new conditions, and it will always deal with political questions as they affect the interests of the people, nut merely as they are concerned with the fate of political parties. Strictly speaking in this country we have non-political parties —that is to say, the politicians do not define their political principles and cling to them. Political strife hero is merely a battle between the “ins” and the “outs.” and the party in power are usually ever ready to sacrifice everything to expediency, and cling to office like limpets to a rock. On many occasions professed principles have hesn abandoned outright when it has been discovered that others would catch more votes Our political parties are only personal divisions, aud, as a consequence, sufficient attention is nor given to pure politics, either by the electors ofitheir representatives. This journal will therefore, continue to deal with political questions on their merits, regarding the fate of parties as quite a secondary consideration. Every effort willb e made to continued to supply the public with the latest available news from all sources, aud to effect any improvemnets that may become necessary or desirable. We have no doubt that the success of the Advocate in the future will be even greater than it has been in the past, and that it will continue to receive the general support of the public of the large district over which It daily circulates.

It is reported in Matanra that through the death of a relative at Home the well-known J, J. Meikle has inherited a fortune of £60,000, Mr R. Hey wood, ISO., Assistant Controller and Auditor-General, has resigned his position in order to retire on superannuation on March 31st, when he will have completed 38 years in the New Zealand Government Service.;

Mr A. B. Wood, agricultural chemist, stales that one of the heaviest crops of wheat he has yet seen in the Wairarapa district was that of Mr R. Bnick, of Opaki. The stalks were fully six feet high, while the heads wore proportionately heavy.

One of New York’s best hotels, Hoffman House, is managed by women. At the death of the manager his two sisters took entire charge of the place, evidencing their faith in their own sex by changing the office of head waiter to that of head waitress, and patting a woman in as head of the culinary department. The shipment of batter from for the fortnight ended on "Friday last totalled 30,488 boxes, or 513 tons, “valued approximately at £50,000, as compared with 16,144 boxes, |or 403 tons, for the corresponding fortnight last year. To date there is an increase of gBO4 tons Jover last season’s export! to date, valued roughly at £78,000.

To a woman has fallen the great distinction of discovering a new meteor whose spectrnms are five times larger than any other heretofore noted by any observatory in the world. Mrs W. P. Fleming, head of the photographic department of Harvard Observatory is responsible lor this remarkable discovery. She is the only American woman member of the Royal Geographical Society of England and the third of her sex to obtain the honour.

Arthur Roberts, who is serving a life sentence for the mnrder of Alice Newman, [attempted to commit suicide on Sunday at 7.20 p,m. When the warders were going round they found on opening the door of Roberts’ cell that he had 'taken two ropes ,from his hammock and tied them to the ventilator over the door. To the ropes were attached a belt, which he had placed round his neck. He had taken care, however, to do this .last at the time the warders were expected to pay a visit and no marks were found on Roberts’ throat. Roberts stated that he felt rather melancholy. He was placed in a padded cell and is now nnder the close observation of the gaol doctor. Read this Splendid Offer. We deliver to yon a beautiful up-to-date bicycle, freight paid and guaranteed for two years, for £7 17s 6d. Write ns for particulars or we will sena on approval. The greatest bicycle bargain ever submitted.— Q. Barry & 00., Feilding.*

We have received a neat calendar for 1910 from Mr O. R. Cooke, Marton agent of the Standard Insurance Company.

The latest additions to the Marton Telephone Exchange arell4, Williams and Carter, bakers, eto., Broadway; and 115, Hilton, F. G., jeweller, etc., Broadway.

The Church Chronicle announces: --“It is the desire of the bishops of the province that no clergyman be married within three years of his ordination to the daacouate.” Ladies should note this.

Mr J. R. Moors, who has been driving the Waituna coach during the last year aud has a good reputation as a whip has taken up the coach service vacated by Mr Sam Daw. He starts from the Carbine Stables.

Three rinks of the St. John’s Bowling Club visited Feilding on Saturday and plaj’ed a match with the local club. The total scores for the day were: Feilding 165 and St. John’s 98. The green was in excellent order, the visitors were hospitably entertained, and all the players .had a pleasant time. Mrs Saywell provided afternoon tea.

In connection with the robbery reported from a church in North Sydney, an amusing snlution has b een found. The police were looking or the silver jug, surplice, cloth, etc., that were said to have been stolen, traced them to the house of a well-known and highly-respected citizen, who is a leading member’ of the kirk. The good gentleman had taken the arfcoiles away to clean them. The police are quite satisfied with the explanation, and no further proceedings will be taken. A young mao named Oecii Stewart boarded a brain at the Bllerslio platform on Monday, and not finding a seat available, kicked in the locked door of the dining-car and took a seat on one of the tables When required to explain nest morning to the Bench, he said that ho had merely been looking for a seat, and, thinking that the dining-car would probably the lack, just pushed it in. lie was called upon to pay 20s to repair the damaged door jand another 30s by way of fine. A score of members of the different branches of the Baptist Itcung Men’s Bible Glass of New Zealanu are spending a week at Ohakune, where they are occupied ;n the erection of & new church building. The timber was ready on the ground, but the whole of the work of erection is in the hands of the young men. A start was made on Monday, and the building is expected to be ready for service nest Sunday.

Mr E. J. Wiide, Marton, has given us the statistics of 'rainfall for the year which closed Friday. The total fall was 46.28 inches as compared With 28.98 in. for 1908, Divided into periods of three months the falls were Januarv-March, 7.5; AprilJune. 12,07; Joly-September, 15.33; October-December, 11.39. February with-a fall of .72 inches was the driest month, and August with 6.74 inches the wettest. Mr Wilde’s figures for 1907 are incomplete, but show that in the last eleven months 45.83 inches of rain fell.