The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1888.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8273, 20 September 1888, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUB LISHE D DAIL V THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1888.

The colliery strike in New South Wales is beginning to assume a very serious aspect. Riots have already oocurred at Newcastle, , aad aow the permanent militia aad artillery i force are being sent from Sydney to maiataia order ia the district. It would seem from all accounts that the men are demanding more thsn they are entitled to, aad that the companies ewning tbe mines are acting rightly in refusing to give in to them. The Sydney Morning Herald has sent a special reporter to Newcastle to enquire into the whole matter, and he reports as follows: — " Ia glancing over Borne of the pay-sheets in the manager's office of the Burwood Colliery to-day, I copied the earnings per day of thirty-two men for a fortnight from the 6th instant. The pay-sheet was the first one I took up, aad here are the figures us they appear in the day columa :— l7s 2rt, 21s 9J, 11s sd, 12s sd, 16s 4d, 9s 6d, 9s lOd, .10s lid, 10a Id, Us 2d, 13s &i, 10a 101, 12s 9.1, 16s Id, 18i, 12« 4d, 13) sd, 14s Id, 13s 3d, 10s 6d, 15s 10J, 9a 9J, 12s 7d ; 13s 4d, Us 2d, 12s 3d, 10s Bd, 12s, 14s 51, 13i 6d, 18s 6d, aad 12s Id. This is not a picked sheet, aad caa be taken as a fair average per day of their earnings. In other sheets for the present month it appears that some of the best coal bowers earaed 22s per day, and ia oaly one instance did a figure as low as 7s 6i appear, aad this is the pay meat of a man who is a very inferior coal iniaer. This 7s 6i is the average Victorian miner's earnings. It must also be sUted that ia the instances where the earnings per day reached as high as 225, tho men only worked five days a week, evidently being satisfied to such aa exteat that a holiday for a day's fishing, coursing, or shooting, the favorite pastimes of the coalmiaers ap here, could be availed of ia tbe happiest frame of mind. A fact worth mentioning and one very apropos is that the miners caa take two holidays in the week without asking the manager or giving any intimation whatever of it. If, however, the miner is absent the third day, he is expected to send a satisfactory excuse. Ia oae batch of six men paid , I found that in four weeks they divided £92." What will be the end of the affair it is difficult to say, but as the sympathy of the public is not with the strikers it is likely that ia the cad they will be conquered. We think the settlers of New Zealand aeed aot feel despondent whea strangers like Major Daae aad Mr Westgarth speak ia such hopeful strains of tbe future of this colony. Major Daae has ia more than oae place opeuly asserted that all " that was wanted ia New Zealand was increased population and more confidence ia the country, 11 and his statement has beea corroborated by Mr Westgartb, who, when in Wellington, said. " You. seem to want nothing but population, and that you certainly do need." Speaking about the opeaiag there was ia England for colcnial products, Mr Westgarth says, "The geueral rise ia the prices of wheat in consequence of tbe bad harvests at Home and tbe natural reactioa from excessively low prices lately received — amounting now to about 10s per quarter — should, in Mr Westgarth's opinion, be a great thing for the colony. Frozen mwtt, he thanks, has beea rather disappointing, but he believes that the unprofitable state of this trade must be altogether temporary. The producers must continue poaring ia constant supplies, as the market is absolutely unlimited,nnd the effect of allowing the article to drop out of stock at any time is very prejudicial. They have only to continue to Bond abundant supplies, and their tura is certain to come. Tbe prejudices again3tthe colonial meats amongst the working classes are, he finds, gradually wearing away, but at one time it was difficult to get serf ants to touch it at all. The spread of education, however, is steadily breaking dowa tbe ridiculous ideas which formerly prevailed as to the mariner ia which the meat is treated, aad rvith the advances now being made in the freezing processes, Mr Westgartb thinks that the complete prosperity of the trade is only a matter of time and patience. An opinion such as this coming from aa authority like Mr Westgorth should restore confidence. No train goes from New Plymouth on Thursday afternoon, bat that our country readers may Dot be disappointed we have made arrangements for forwarding the Taranaki Herald to- Bell Block, Waitara, and Inglewood oa that day, so our subscribers in those places will get their papers as usual. Mr Price, the manager of the Alexandra Hall Rink, has decided on a Children's Carnival, to be held on Friday, the 28th inst. The quarterly handicap competition for the Rifles Company's Cup took place at the Frankley Road butts on Wednesday afternoon, tbe ranges being 200 and 500 yards, 10 shots at each distance. Sergeant F. Jackson (1 extra shot) won with 42 and 26 — 68; Corporal MortOD, 33, 32 — 65; Bandstran F. Newell, 34, 31—65; Sergt. Mills (2 extra shots), 38,27—65; Vol. S. Humphries (3 extra shots), 32, 32 — 64; Bandsman Bishop (3 extra), 36, 27—63; Liaut. Okey, 39, 23 —62; Vol. Hartley (3 extra), 29,29—58; Vol. Lister (5 extra), 35, 21—56; Vol. Bisbop (5 extra), 35, 12—47; Vol. Herapton, 37, 7—44; Vol. Ford (4 extra), 29, 14—43. In the Alexandra Hall to-night (Thursday) the return polo match Detween the seven representatives of this rink aad the Freemasons' Hall team will come off, and qb the first match ended ia a draw after a very evealy coatested game, this match will consequently be a bit exciting. The teams have already beea published. The missing mail bag from Ngaire was fouad oa Wedaesdav evening, having been overlooked amongst other bags. Tho following remarks upoa our education were made by Mr. Withy, M.H.R., in his address to his constituents the other day : — ''This was a question upon which a large number of people were exceedingly sensitive, but ho warned them lint while they continued this enormous expense, the education system was tottering to its fall. Every believer in tho present system who was a eeneible man, would oindemn the present expenditure ; £3 15$ per child dil not puy the cost of education. A member hud worked out the question ns follows :- - 88,500 children at £3 15s coat £331,875; thuu there was voted ia the Estimates £14,800; thero was spent oa building £65,000 ; tbe interest on the money borrowed was £40,000; and he might add 3 per cent, for the depreciation of buildings, adding another £25,000, making: a total of £476,000, or at the rote of £5 7s 9J pur child. Mr Withy spoke at some length, urging that a fund to provide for toe depieciation of building*, &0., should be formed ia ooQQectioa with the education vote,

The Telegraph Department notifies as that the La Perouse Hoe was interrupted at 5.28 p.m. on September 19th. Communication has since been restored. Mr Reeves, M.H.R., is expected in New Plymouth by the through train to-morrow nUht. The Maori Haka Company, of which ho is the promoter, have a final rehearsal on Saturday night. Mr Holdsworth, the Chief Postmaster, has forwarded to this office a comparative diagram showing (1) the number an I amount of life insurance policies in forco in New Zjaland; (2) the proportion of such policies to the total popnlatian of the colony; and (3) the proportion o£ such policies held by each of the Societies transacting business within New Zealand. This diagram shows the New Zealand Government Office to be in the van, having 52 34 per cent, of the total policies, and 48 39 per cent, of tbe total sum assured. Mr J. O. Prudhoe is the compiler of tbe diagram. This (Thursday) morniug ia Court, His Honor the District Judge intimated to coansel present that be had received a circular from the Governmeat informiag him to collect all fees before prouounciug judgmeat in any cosp, insteai of giving judgment and Ihea letting the lawyers settle the fees aftewards. The reasou tbe Goverameut wishes this new system is aot known, but it is thought that it is in consequence of frauds by Court officials. A small dairy factory has beea started it Kakaramea, but the owners are aot supported to anything like the extent they mi^ht be, though they are paying 31 a gallon for milk. There is lying in a shed at Patea one of the most complete linseed oil and fibre plants that has been imported into the colony. The plant is to be had at half tho landnd cost. The Patea Meat Tinning Company have used up ia seveu months 1747 cattle, 5293 sheep, and 181 pigs at their works. The sensation of tbe day is the great bargains to be bad at F. A. Ford's, Cheapside House, all bis Spring and Summer Goods being sold at English prices. Wonderful (when you corao to thiak of it). — Advt.