Taranaki Herald. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1908.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13790, 23 October 1908, Page 4

Taranaki Herald. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1908.

THE HARBOUR.

In spite of the fact that the present year has been a somewhat dull one in Taranaki, partly owing to the drought last summer and autumn affecting the output of dairy produce, and partly in sympathy with other parts of the Dominion, in spite of this the trade of this port for the first nine* months of the year shows a very satisfactory increase as compared with the corresponding period of last year. The exports, which were affected by the reduced output of butter, increased ten per cent., and the imports 124 per cent., and if this rate of increase is continued the trade will very soon outgrow the accommodation. Between 1899 and 1907 the trade of the port just about doubled itself, growing from 86,822 tons to 72,256 tons, and if ihe present rate of increase is maintained the trade will amount to about 150,000 tons in seven years, which is about the volume Timaru %s% s trade last year, i What chance is there of this steady growth being maintained ? :Every chance. At the present moment the area of land actually producing in Taranaki is scarcely a million acres out of the nearly two and a half million acres comprising the provincial district. Beyond the boundaries of the province, but within reach of the harbour, there are fully another million and a half acres of land to the north, east, and south of us, land equal to anything of similar area in the Dominion, making about four million acres which must make use of a deep-sea harbour at Moturoa, when that is provided. The railway from Stratford north-eastwards will bring produce from and take goods to the country bordering on the Main Trunk Railway, Moturoa being much more favourably situated to do the trade of that district than either Auckland or Wellington. To the north of us are the Awakino, Kawhia, and Waitomo counties, and the Raglan district, all of which will be

better served by deep water at Moturoa than by Auckland, while to the south we shall command the trade almost to tWangamii"

All that is required is wharf accommodation at Moturoa for the larj»'esi steamers, tracking to ihe colony. If that is piven they will come readily enough, and ihe trade will follow. The Athenic visited l'ort Chalmers the other day to discharge 1000 tons of cargo and to load produce, and if such vessels will «?o there for thai inducement they will come here when they can be at a wharf. With four million acres of the best land in New Zealand to be served by shipping, can there be any doubt as to the vessels coming here when suitable accommodation is provided? Of course not, and we are sanguine enough to believe that within three years, or four at the outside, the largest vessels trading to Xew Zealand will visit this port, bringing large general cargoes of merchandise and taking away great quantities of produce — wool, frozen meat, butter, cheese, flax, etc. At present the whole coast is handicapped for want of a deep-sea harbour of its' own, but we fully expect within a few months to see the large improvement scheme piiMn Hftnd at Motnron, and it will gyve a great impetus to settlement in the remoter parts of the district. The future rests largely with the ratepayers, whether they support the Harbour Board's loan proposals or not.

A final reminder is given of the comedy "Facing the" Music'" to he produced this evening at the Theatre Royal. The Comedy is being staged by local amateurs in aid of the Recreation Sports Ground. The booking has been very brisk during the week, and a bumper house is assured. Doors open at 7.15 p.m. The overture will begin at 8 p.m. sharp.

"What about tho duty on boots?" Mr W. Tanner, M.P., was asked at a political meeting at Christchurch on Tuesday. "The boot duty has practically wiped out the importation of, American boots into this country," he replied. "It has saved a prominent New Zealand industry. It was intended as a protective duty, and it has served its purpose."

It is almost impossible to sot a tuatara lizard in New Zealand, according to a statement made by a member of tlie Canterbury Acclimatisation Society at Christchurch hist night. Yet, he said, he had been • informed on very good authority that any number proserved in spirits , could, bo purchased in London or Hamburg for 10s each. The Society resolved to report the matter to the Government.

There was a very fair attendance at the progressive euchre party and da,nce arranged by the l^itzroy. Fire Brigade, which place in the Fitzroy Hall last night. Tlie prizes were won by Mrs Lamb and Mrs Murtagh and Messrs Gleeson and Leslie Foote. Supper was served and subsequently dancing was indulged , in until the early hours of this morning. Mrs George provided the music, and Mr I. Aroa was M.C. There is every prospect ofa mounted rifle corps being formed in New Plymouth. The idea has been enthusiastically received. The committee .appointed by the North Taranaki Hunt Club conferred last night with Captain F. T. Bellringer (Taranaki Rifles), Staff Sergt.-Major Dodd, and Staff Sergt-Major Sanderson and others interested, and it was unanimously decided to convene a meeting of all interested for next Thursday evening, time and place to be advertised later.

The New Plymouth Homing Pigeon Club held a race yesterday from Ongarue, a distance of sixty-nine miles. Fifty-four birds, representing eleven lofts, competed. The weather was not at all favourable for the event, but very fair time was recorded. Following were the performances of the first four birds: — E, Ward's Harness, time 2hrs 36min, velocity 793 yds Oft 9in, 1 ; B. Bayly's Rainbow, 2hrs 35min, velocity 789—0—2, 2; G. A. Corney's Advance, 2hrs 36|min, velocity 784 — o—^o, 3; V. H, Bealjf^ungari, 2hrs 37|min, velocity 782 — 2—2," 4.

Yesterday, in Chambers, the Registrar of the Supreme Court (Mr H. S. Fitzherbert) heard a claim for executors' commission in the estate of the late William Qoyver, of Patea. Mr Adams, of Patea, appeared for the executors 1 ; and Mr T. S. Weston, instructed by Mr G. Hutchinson, of Wa'nganui,' for those interested in the estate. The accounts had not been seen by Mr Hutchinson, and, as upon discussion it appeared that an amicable arrangement might be come to between the parties, the application was adjourned for a fortnight. The estate was of the value of £21,000.

"The majority of grocers' assistants are married, but the majority of the married men have no families," said a witness in the Wellington grocers' dispute, heard by the Conciliation Board on Monday. "They cannot afford to keep a family on £2 10s a week. They have to keep' a boarder to keep the pot boiling and pay the rent. Yon never see an old grocers' assistant. As soon as a man can he drifts out of the trade and never comes back to it. The single man is the best paid, as he can get away if he wants to and find another billet. The married man is afraid to lose his job."

The first annual social of the Avenue Road Card Club took place in the Brougham Street Hall last night. There was a large attendance. Thirty tables were occupied in the euchre tournament. The prizes were won by Miss Harvey and Miss Coburn and Messrs L. Wells and R. Birch. During the evening M^r W. G. Malone presented the prizes for the best record in euchre and crib in connection with the Club's tournament games. The euchre prize was donated by Mr G. Sole and was won by Mr J. Pattinson and that for cribbage was donated by Mr Malone and won by Mr Alec Clow. Supper was served and afterwards dancing was indulged in. Mr James supplied excellent music. Mr W. Roberts officiated as M.C. The following ladies comprised the ladies' committee: — Mesdames Richards (president), W. G. Malone, J. B-Wman, W. Roberts, R. Birch, H. Johns, R. Jury, and Bach, and Misses A. Nicholls and Clow.

Southern papers say there is an onion famine in Timaru, and prices advanced last month from £12 to £17 per ton.

The Hon. J. A. Millar informed a reporter at Christ church yesterday that the training vessel Amokura would leave immediately i'or the Chatham Islands to search for signs of tho Loch Lomond.

The Teachers' Superannuation Board, just appointed, consists of Dr. Fitchett (Solicitor-General), Mr .). W. Poynton (Public Trustee), Mr G. Hogbeii (In-spector-General of Schools), and Col. 11. .1. Collins (Secretary to the Treasury).

"There is nothing that this country wants so badly in the .shape of political reforms as a cast-iron statute enacting that any balance of the consolidated revenue over expenditure shall be applied to debt reduction." — Christchurch Truth.

The postal, receipts for the Dominion during the third quarter of this year totalled £111.300, compared with £103,793 for the corresponding quarter of 1907. The telegraphic revenue for the same quarters was £168,734 for 1908, and £158,330 for 1907.

During the three months ended September :JQ last withdrawals from the Post Office Savings Banks of tho Dominion amounted to £12,532 more than deposits. During the corresponding quarter of 1907, deposits exceeded withdrawals by £280,881.

Thus a Gisborne correspondent complains to The Dominion: "We read about three hundred men befng put on the Gisborne line, and on the strength of this statement two men walked all the way out from Gisborne to get work. They were told they could not be put on, as there were no tools available, and they had to tramp back twenty miles to Gisborne."

Tho taking over of tho Manawatu railway by the Government is not going to prove an unmixed blc-saing to tho people who live in the district traversed by the lino (says the Dannevirke Advocate). The company has during its long career proved a veritable milch cow for the local bodies, and these arc now very perturbed because a^ a G.overnmeut concern the line cannot in future be rated for local purposes.

Some time ago a man up-country had his imagination stirred by a huge bone* and his mind had a vision of an immense moa, the father of all moas, something to reduce to pigmydomo • all the whales and sea serpents," whether in Okarito, Twofold Bay, or the boundless fancy of a deep-sea mariner. He thought he had' unearthed the shinbone of a bird big enough to kick an elephant skywards as easily as a' crack three-quarter punts a football. He sent the bone to the Wellington Museum, and it is there to-day, but it bears no awe-inspiring inscription. Tho Curator says that the relic once belonged' io a whale's flipper, "lavish it was a moa's shin-bone," he says. ' "Such a bird would have been fifty feet high."

Dr: Chappie, M. P.. speaking in the South mentioned, in illustration* of his complaint that legislation was rushed through the House in the dying' hours of the session with an unwise haste, that the Conciliation and Arbitration Bill. was. so amended in the Upper House thai ah employer could now dismiss all lus men oil a Saturday and reappoint another gang or staff on Monday ' morning without being guilty of a lockout. To be guilty of a lookout an employer must suspend his business, and this, is a prior necessity to constitute an offence. ' The Bill came down from the Council thus amended,- and no one had an opportunity of reading It before the jyiinisier of Labour moved to object . to certain amendments, and reference to other amendments, was thus blocked.

The first of the Christmas numberSi to hand is that issued- by the Weekly Press. *\sew Zealand Illustrated." Former numbers of this popular jonrnal/have achieved a very high reputation, which will ■be enhanced ;. by the number under notice. "The ilhistrations are exceedingly fine and well selected as depicting characteristic scenes and scenery of New Zealand, including several of Maori life. An attractive feature is a clever *double-page sketch in colours, by Me. Kehnaway, , entitled "The Spf-it of Mischief." There -are also three ptctoiual supplements, one being a reproduction or W. H. Styles' picture * 'Coaching in New v Zealand: A Christmas Trip." The others, are from photographs by Mr C. M. Phillips, entitled "He Tamaita Pikau" fa Maori carrying her child pick-a-back), and "My Confidante." The whole forms an excellent advertisement for New Zealand, and should be pasted to friends beyond the Dominion.'

Sweating in New South Wales still continues. A mining centre reports: "People seek for children's earnings to supplement wages received. _ Child labour in ordinary shops is fairly re-, munerated, about 5s a week for errand boys 12 to 14 years of age, and 7s 6d to' 10s for lads about 14 to 15 years. The boys can- receive from 2s 6d to 8s 6d a day on the mines from any age to 16 years. Selfish parents consequently withdraw boys and girls from school for the purpose of increasing home earnings. They would rather pay when fined the paltry fine (mostly Is)* for non-attendance. Cases are not unknown where parents .have withdrawn pupils before statutory conditions of the Act have been fulfilled, telling them to so withdraw the pupils. Of farm labour , generally (says the Sydney Herald) a condensation of reports received shows that parents hire out their lads as farm hands at 5s to 8s a week, and are able to carry on the practice by the non-effectiveness of present legislation. "Whole families, especially outside the two-mile limit, are employed at planting corn and potatoes, ringbarking, and like occupations." "Two children, 6 and 5 years, have been engaged in planting out potatoes."

Sando, the Japanese cabin boy who deserted from the steamer Mortlake at Lyttelton and came before a Magistrate as a prohibited immigrant told the Christchurch detectives that he had served in the war between Japan and Russia. On the whole, however, he did not seem to understand a great deal of the questions put to him. "What religion are you?" said the watchhouse keeper, who was filling in the description. The Japanese smiled good-hum-ouredly. "Are you a Confucian?" ask* the constable. "More likely to be a Buddhist," said the sergeant. The Japanese still smiled, and asserted that he did not know. "What church do you %o to?" tlie officers asked. He replied that he did not go to any. "Are you a Christian?" they asked. He nodded assent, and it became evident that he was not very sure of his ground. The religion was therefore left out, and the Japanese was sent off to Lyttelton Gaol for the night. It is supposed that the little brown fellow tramped over! tho bridle path to Christchurcfi, and "slept out" on Wednesday and Thursday nights. When found, he was carrying a bottle half full of whisky, which, he explained in very broken English, was to keep out the cold. He evidently had made up his mind to .study, the language, for in his pocket was found a Japanese-English dictionary.

T1il« boy scout movement inaugurated by * Lieu tenant-General JiadonI'owelf has already been taken up in Dunedin. A party of boys to the number oi about twenty has boon organised into patrols. Evening meetings have already been hold and preliminary arrangements made.

"If elected, will you bring in a Bill to pr --out the Clarion Hreulnting in Now Zealand:'" asked a vot'M* of Mr (»• \Y. Russell, :i candidate for rhe Avon seat, recently. "Ceitainly not," replied the candidate. "If ihe Clarion can got a circulation, by all means lot it." Tho Clarion is a '.wll-Unown Socialist paper.

A Christen u rob telegram states that arrangements are- being made to send the .Japanese vabt ii boy Sando, who deserted at Lyttelton from the Mortlake, to join the vessel in Sydney. 'J lie poll tax in Australia is £500, and it is considered possible that the police there may not allow the hoy to land. Arrangements are being made to meet this difficulty.

At the political meeting at tho Frankley Road School last night Mr W. Ambury, who occupied the chair, tonic the opportunity of referring to the poll of the ratepayers in respect to the harbour loan. He emphasised the great importance of the measure and urged those present to remember that the polling day had been fixed for the day prior to thetgenaral election. It was to their interests and of the whole district to vote for that measure.

The Society for tho Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at Christchnrch is putting the following question to candidates for Parliament : "Seeing that tho prevention of cruelty to animals is much more effectively carried on by the organisations specially devoted to the work apart from the police, and that the whole of the fines are retained by the Government, are you in favour of a subsidy being granted to the societies formed for the purpose of protecting dumb animals?" In most cases it is stated that candidates have answered in the affirmative.

Should a native of this Dominion bo named a "New Zealander" or a "Maorilamler" V Oho of the speakers at the last meeting of the Ne\v Zealand Natives' Association at Wellington was of opinion that the term "Maorilander," being more euphonious, should be. adopted in connect ion- w4*h-4hr association's proceedings. "That's what a certain Australian journal evidently thinks," observed Dr. McKenzie. Another member waxed reminiscent and recalled an appellation -bestowed in .the early days. "They used- to call v us 'flagstickers,' " he said. The mooting finally decided to stick to the "New Zealander."

The wholesale dost ruction of valuable areas of timber was deplored by Mr E. (J. B. Moss in a speech 1 m Aw*- 1 land. He ' said that the slow progress of railway works and the pushing ot settlement fur ahead of railways meant ait enormous waste of 'timber, and this waste was already making ltselt telt, as was shown by an importation ot 3.500,000 ft. of Oregon pine last week. TV denuding of the country ot its forests was directing the climate. He could remember the time when a "north-caster" would deluge the country from North Capo to Stewart Island. whtte now it was common to hsveMELrought in'som& parts of the country and frequent floods in others. That familiar cry of "Cab, sir,!", and many other such utterances WjTWtot in future be heard by people arriyjng at Wellington by steamed. The -hotel runners for some years' past ha-ve been por.mitted to solicit patronage on the Wellington wharves in lusty, tones, but tjie, Wellington Harbour Board has lately decided to invoke the aid of by-law, 175 to prevent the men from addressing the passengers. The by-law reads »'No port^LVsnall, on the arrival of a vessel, stfftiid near to, or obstruH the gangway until engaged ; and, shall stand at least six feet from the, vessel and its gangway until enga#<>d, and shall be silent and orderly in behaviour." A member of the Temperance Reform Council recently lodged an objection (says the Southland Times) against 304 of the names on the Awarna electoral roll. The Registrar followed ,out the regulations of the Act consequent on tlie objection, and as a result some 250 names were removed from the r"dlE Before the Magistrate laH we^k "the other side" asked for an order directing the Registrar to reinstate the names on the roll, in glob©. After hearing evidence and legal argument, the Magistrate reserved decision, but said that lie was inclined to think that tho order could not be granted. He would, he said, order the reinstatement • of individual names where it was shown that such had been wrongfully struck off. Mr H. A. Macdonald, who asked for the granting" of the order, said that; in two instances a man and a woman! had been reported as. dead, whereas as a matter of fact they were still placidly, residing in the electorate. The Auckland lawsuit relating to the responsibility of a jeweller for tlie safety of jewellery placed in his care was before the S.M. Court there again yesterday. The plaintiff was Jane Brown, and the defendant James Pascoe. Tho plaintiff alleged that on the night of a robbery at defendant's shop some jewellery of hers had been deposited there, and that it was lost through the negligence of the defendant. The value of the property was stated to be £92 17s. The claim was for the possession of the goods or the payment of that amonnt and £1 7s damages. Mr Kettle decided that the defendant was responsible, for the goods, and said that in any remarks he had previously made he had not intended to impute that Pascoe was a party in any way to the burglary. He hoped/ that* Pascoe would not suffer from a misconstruction of the words. It was a matter of neglect on the part of the defendant in not locking his safe, and he was liable for his negligence. His Worship gave judgment for £30. He said that the claim was grossly excessive. Costs were not allowed.

"In defence matters, I believe that we have come very near the parting of the ways," said Mr D. Bnddo, M.P., at Kaiapoi, on Monday. "I want to ask you, as reasoning men and women, if you think this country could he defended by 20,000 volunteers and 15,000 boys? The thing is unreasonable. Europe is armed to the teeth, and it is safe to say that in the future Great Britain will have to try conclusions for the control of tho sea. We ' in New Zealand should be prepared to do our share in ttye matter of Empire defence, and we cannot get proper defence witho\it paying for it. The volunteer who goes into training should be paid the full amount of the wages he loses. I woiild like to see a system under which we would be able to concentrate 25,000 armed men in each of the four centres. The people of Great Britain pay £2 9s 3d per head for defence, and we pay 6s 6d per head. The contribution is not a reasonable one, and we should proceed to build up our defence system with a due sense of economy, but also of responsibility. We should be a source of strength to the Empire instead of, as I believe we are at present, a source of weakness."

Tho Defence Department has accepted tho tenders of tho Palmer Engineering Co., Wellington, for the aupp » > of motor launches as follows:—- una 40lt launch for Wellington, £6GO ; oijt* .Wit launch for Auckland, and one JUte launch for DllD 11 nod in, £400 each.

The .Salvation Army self-denial result-, are now coming to hand. The Dunedin branch aimed at collecting £580 this year, and so tar £483 liis Hcl has been received, while several promised donations have not yet htfii received. — Dunedin telegram.

Tho Court which inquired into th«» wreck 'of the Zior at Takaiu Point, north of Auckland, on tho night of September 30. found that Ohlsen, an A.IJ., in whoso charge tho vo.^sol was. at the time, bad boon ;j;uill.v ot carelessness. The captain's certificate was returned. Judge Denniston has delivered hi? reserved judgment in the appeal case of Nops and Kemp, land agents ot Stratford, v. Patrick Kelly, farmer, ok Stratford, heard at the recent sittings of tho Supreme Court at New 1 lymouth. The appeal is dismissed ami £10 103 costs allowed against appellants. Gold has been discovered in the rcof at Bluff Wharf, on which blasting and deepening operations are going on. A piece of the ore has been submitted for analysis. The result given is 12s per ton in gold. The hewers say that tins was virtually a bit of easing, and that they are now taking out much .richer specimens. . _v> Tho late Mrs Elisabeth Knox, oi Auckland, loft £01,500, of which £44.000 has boon bequeathed specifically to various local charitable and public institutions. A further £25,000 has also boon loft at the disposal of the trustee* to expend for charitable purposes. Tho items range from £500 for such institutions as the Veterans' Home and tho Sailors' Home, and up to as high us £20,000 for a hospital, for incurables. A sum of £2500 is -left to build a, night, shelter for homeless men. Airs Knox I did not leave, any children.