The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1889.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8606, 18 October 1889, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1889.

It is rather amusing to read tho various cominonts respecting tho New Plymouth Harbour which have appeared in our contemporaries sinco our friend tke Wanganui Herald took the trouble to telegraph to the papers throughout New Zealand the statement it published relating to Sir John Coode's supposed recommendation that our Harbour should bo closed up. It is atitoniihing with what avidity tho papers in other parts of the colony clip out and publish paragraphs that appear in disparagement ot our harbour, or of what has been done to afford shelter to shipping at Moturou; but we notice that they ignore everything which should convince all but the most prejudiced minds that tho misleading paragraphs they publish are untruthful. Our contemporaries may believe, no doubt, that it is scarcely bate for a ten-ton cutter to enter tho harbour and come alongside the wharfj but, nevertheless, the Wanaka, drawing 11 feet 6 inches, jaaaagcß to come io with, jm.

ponity, OTen when the tide is full out, and to have plenty of water under her. Such a fact as that our contemporaries ignore, but the untruthful statement published that a little steamer like the Glenelg " could not enter at high water" is copied far and wide. But it is like other matters with regard to this district. The Wanganui Herald, in a " pseudo-friendly " way, says: — " Now, we firmly believe that if there had been anyone connected with the New Plymouth Harbour Board to have come down to Wellington and made a clean breast of everything connected with the harboin-j and thus established confidence where it has been wanting, tho Board would have been in an infinitely superior position to what it is in to-day." This is most amusing. What does our contemporary mean by "making a clean breast of it?" Mr Samuel and Mr Marchant, who were acquainted with the state of the harbour, were in Wellington, and willing to let the members know everything; and a deputation also went down— -a most "representative one "-—who, we believe, "made a clean breast of everything " to the members, but for their trouble merely got good humouredly " chaffed," and advised "_ to go home and get prayers offered in tho churches for aid to furnish their Harbour Board with funds." Had, however, a party gone down and given the members an untruthful account of the state of the harbour, and said it was a useless work, and that it should bo dynamited, the members would have only been too willing to vote money for its destruction; but because they wore told the useful M'ork it was doing — that but for it the greater part of the produce of the district could not be shipped away; that tho disparaging statements made about the sand were exaggerated ; and that the Harbour Board only wanted a moiety of that assistance which had been given to other places — a deaf ear was turned at onco to the appeal from tho deputation; and Taranaki was denied its just rights.

Two large whales were seen spouting about a mile to the north of the breakwater on Thursday. A gold modal has been presented to the Bowling Club for competition among the j players who have joined this season. The Hon. T. Fergus, Minister of Public Works, arrived from Auckland this (Friday) morning, and went on to Wellington by tho through train. Mr N. King's annual Spring Cattle Fair was held at the Waiwakaiho yards on Thursday, and was in every way a success. There were penned 630 head of cattle, and of this number 572 head were sold. The Premier, Sir Harry Atkinson, arrived from Wellington on Thursday evening by train. Sir Harry, to-day (Friday), went out to Hurworth. It is probable that to-morrow he will have a conference with tho Harbour Board in Committee. The New Zealand Rifle Association will hold its next meeting at Dunedin in tho second week in January. The attendance of competitors is estimated to reach over 400. Tasmania, South Australia, New South Walos, and Victoria will each send a team (10 men) while the Queensland contingent will number 20. Arrangements for the Presbyterian I bazaar, which will be held in the Alexandra Hall on Monday, November 11th, are getting on satisfactorily, tho ladies of the congregation who have taken the matter in hand having almost perfected the preliminaries. Those who intend to contribute are asked to kindly send their donations in to the Committee before the end of tho month. The competitions that will decide the team of five to represent the local Volunteers at the Associations meeting at Dunedin in January next have almost been completed, two more matches only remaining to bo fired. The team will probably be picked from the following: — Lieutenant N.Okey, Color-Sergeant F. Okey, Sergeants R. N. Hooker, T. Hempton, and A. Morton, Band-Sergeant Mooseman, Bandsman F. Newell, Privates S. Humphries, F. Nichols, and W. Christie. The representative team will be armed with Martini-Henri rifles, which will be obtained from Wellington. The bowling green presented quite an I animated appearance on Thursday afternoon, the fine day being tuken advantage of by members to get into form for the opening on November 9th. A great number of beginners put in an appearance, and after some verbal instructions from Mr J. Paul, they commenced to try their hand at the game, and succeeded admirably, for novices, in getting near, the jack. The whole of tho afternoon was spent on the green, many of the new- members being quite enthusiastic in their pursuit of tho game. Mr Charles Egeson, meteorologist at Sydney Observatory, who has for some time past been highly successful in forecasting weather changes, reports that evidence that we are on the ove of a most inauspicious climatic change is to him overwhelming, and he predicts the recurrence of tho torriblo three years' drought of 1827-30. He points out that the weather conditions leading up to that drought have been closely reproduced during the last two or three years ; and says that tho summer upon which we uro now entering will probably bo exceptionally wet, that it will be followsd by a dry winter, and that the drought commencing six or nine months i from prcbont time will probably extend into tho middle of 1893.

Mr Samuel made an application before tho Registrar of the Supreme Court to-day (Friday) for a special jury to hear the case of Mynottv. Proprietor and Publisher of the Takanaki Herald, for libel. Mr Standish appeared for the plaintiff, and opposed the application on the ground of it not being made in time, and that as Mr Mynott being a common juror it was but right that his case should be heard by a common jury. The Registrar held that the case was a proper one to be heard by a special jury, and made an order accordingly. The hearing of the case was fixed for Saturday, October 26th. Mr Samuel made a similar application in the case of Mynott v. Corkih, for libel, when an order for a special jury was also made.

The Recreation Grounds Board and the Committee appointed by a recent meeting hcldanent forming an athletic reserve in the grounds, held a conference on Thursday night. After discussion it was decidod by the Board to grant a loase of the portion of the ground known as the swamp, or lawn, to three trustees to be appointed by tho meeting on Saturday nigiit next, fit the nominal rent of Is per year for seven years. Tho Board will gnmt the trustees permission to make v charge to that portion of the ground for fetes and games, twelve times during tho year, tho whole of tho revenue derived therefrom to bo expended in improving that portion of the ground. It might be statod that the Committee will report to a public meeting on Saturday night next.

Wanted known, — That all buyere of drtipory, millinery, prints, dress goods, &c, would do well to inspect tho choice stock of new spring goods (consisting of all the novelties of tho Benson) ut the Household Btors, Alexandra Hall. Special display to-morrow, J» WMtokwj wwgWf