THE RANGITIKEI ELECTION.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 14018, 24 September 1909, Page 2

THE RANGITIKEI ELECTION.

The second ballot for the Ran^itikei seat has resulted in a decisive victory tor the Go\ernment. There is no getting away lrom that iact. Whatever side issues might hare influenced the electors at the first poll, on this occasion the issue was clear-cut. Leaders of both parties have for the last week thrown themselves heart and boul into tlie contest, and, to tlio credit ot all be- it said, the respective cases have been stated without any descent into personalities and without the employment ot any underhand or questionable tactics. Nevertheless, a political battle has rarely been tougbt with such energy and keenness. Jlotli sides evidently attached groat importance to the result as likely to at lord some indication as to tl'o direction in which political ieeling in tending at the present time iv the dominion. The Government bab won. iairly and squarely. Yet Mr. Hockly ami tlio Opposcition party have no reason to be ashamed or discounted, for they have put up a splendid tight against heavy odds. In 11)02 the Opposition candidate. Mr. Birch, scored 1152 votes out of 351-j, barely a thin), the rest being divided among four candidates, all with leanings towards the Government. In 1905 Colonel Sonierville contested the seat in the Opposition interest and managed to secure 1706 votes out ol .J122, just a third, the late member, Mi. Remington, boating him by two to one. Lust year thtro was no Opposition candidate, the contest being confined to the lato member and the candidate elected yesterday, who stood as 1111 Independent Liberal In a pole of 4321 votes the accepted («o\ eminent candidate had a majority (it 1.V5 votes — So it ■« dl lie seen that Kangitikei has lieen a utrong Government seat lor many >e:ii<« Tlie linal figures in yostorda\'s contest are not to hand at tho tune ot writing, Itut approximately Mr. Hockly has polled four votes to the successful candidate's live. It required \er> sticnii'ius ctloi ts on tho part ot tbe Government to retain tho seat, and while Ministers may claim thnt they have not forfeited tho confidence of tbe Ita'ngitikoi electors there is no gainsaying the tact thnt the party is steadily losing ground. The accepted Government candidate was b idly defeated at the first ballot, and tlio situation is only saved h\ tbe adoption oi i> candidate who to tho l,»si piolcssod hi lindependence

A SMitial and dar.ee was held 1. si night in the Kit7iov Hall under tin auspices ot the Fitxrm Kire Brignde. There «g» a large attendance and » HK^t enjoyable gathering evejit uated Music was by Miss Luke and Mr. G. l.Hinb perforjned the duties ol M.C. An <xcelleut supper was served

Conditions of tho eottige garder competition, which is being conducted by the New Plymouth Multicultural So(ietv for prizes donated by bis Worship the Ma\or, Mr. (i. Tiseh. ore now obt3inal)le from Mr. W. P. Nicoll. secretary of the rocietv. Entries will close en October 3').

The Fitzroy Tonnw Club held mi mwtiition social in the Brougham Street Hall last night. There was a good attendance ami tlie floor was in excel lent order. Mrs. Wood's orehf -tra supplied excellent music and Mr. C. T. Mills officiated as M.C During the «vening Miss Aiiwworth and Mia* Leosch rendered vocal items. Supper was supplied by Mr. Thomson.

Speaking at the Taianaki Rifle "smoker" last night Liout.-Col. E. X. L. Okey remarked that his tim<» :••■ officer commanding the Fourth Wellington (Taranaki) Battalion had practically expired. Some years ago the (Joyernnicnt made a wise provision that officers commanding battalions should hold tlioir coin mantis for only five \ears. It was a good provision, for it gave officers promotion.

A well-known moat buyer at Timaru on Friday last made m sporting offer of 11s for all his fat lambi this coining season, to a fanner who always has a big lot of lambs. The offer, the local Herald says, was not accepted, though the farmer in question said that it might be to bis advantage to accept it. There is a general feeling among thoae ;ibo have to tlo with sheep that the meat market is going to recover short'v. but that higii prices must not be looked for.

When travelling by the mail train yesterday Mr. J. li. C'onnett interviewed the Minister for Public Works on behalf of the Chamber of' Commerce with lespect to road construction in this district, request ing that operations be resumed at tlu> earliest possible moment. Mr. M'Kenzie asked what roads the Chamber regarded as moat urgent and important, and the information v. as teat him to-day, the Ohura w Mimi-Tc Kuiti, TongaporutuMangaroa, and I?awbitiroa being named. •

Last week the Wellington Post wrote of the approach inj? comet as an object that only thoso of exceptional age could hope to see in more than one period in a lifetime. There arc son;c in New Zealand, however, looking forward to tbi? experience. Mr. T. B. Harding writes from GreennieadoMS, Hawke's Bay : — I read in the Post that Hallejr's comet has come again. I remember its last visit, when I was nine years old. It was rather a disappointment then, as it did not come up to expectations— lft us hope it wil ; be better this time. 1 intend to lookout for it in the early part-'of next year — it should be at its nearest to the earth next May.

■ In speaking at the Taranaki Rifles function last night Captain H. Eyre Kenny referred to the fact that the Taranaki 11 I flo-, \\.-mv the first volunteer coips to bo embodied in Now Zct land, thcA fust icluuleer company n the British Empire to be engaged ii ictive service, °.n»!, ho undo. stood, tin only company in X«>". Zealand t>> hay battle honours in its columns. Tho.-< battle honoui-N comni'Mrorat'-d the con: panv's participation in tl:o battle o) Wairek.i. He <!ul v.r.i unrlcrstand n !i. the battle of Mali, etahi had not In fi eomniemoi'atod on the company's colours nl'o. but he uiidtTotoiNl tli.t C->]) tain Bellrin^ei had been taking st<--p to hfivo this dni'p.

In the cov.r.e ol a enmernation thi v v.oek, a well-known Manaia settlei stated that tho llnhtein Kriesian cow was rapidly gaining in favour with dair\ formers on the Plain 5 :, whore her su perior milking finalities ami lianlincs; of constitution are valuable charactcris tics. In tho Auckland Province there has been a rapidly growing demand foi the Holstoin for some time past, am 1 several shipments have iiei'ii purcliascc luring ii:e | ast (.velvc moiiihs by Auckland buyers. Tlie>i> have beeii distribl»ted amongst the dairymen of the Morth, who aj<> unanimous in their approval of the blr.c'v a.ul white milkers. l T pon interviewing Mr. Newton King, whose strain of rloUlcius is noted Lhrougliout Xow Zealand, he informs us that he is quite unable to supply the demand for both bulls ami heifers, inquiries fyr wh'ch l>e is almost daih receiving from all parts of the dominion.

A pleasant social e\ entuated in tin Whiteley Hall last night when tin young people connected with Whiteley Church tendered an evening to tin senior members of the, congregation An excellent programme w its submitted including vocal items by Miss A ins north, Jliss lllnke, ?.liss TLeoseh, Mr. 31. Rtidd. recitations by Miss Kcu Mrs. B. Lewis, Mr. Lee Bullot. "/ number of tableaux \\vrv also present pd under the tlncction of Miss Colli> and Miss Black, including "Faith Hope, and Charity," "The Angel oi For^ivenness,'' and "So Klcepy." Ar admirable effect was realised. A dialoEUO arranged by Miss Olluer. "Hoaxed and Coaxe'l." or "Nw>dle's Love Affair," created a great deal of amusement. Supper was served and tin gathering dispersed after a number of games. A special word of praise is due to Miss Cn trail, to whom the sue cess of the social was mainly due.

On the Hurn^-Philp boats, which carry tourists from eastern Australian ports en tho island oniif-e, they are 'wisely not very particular upon the subject of dress observes n writer it 1 the Auckland Star. The t\ranny ot the black coat ami lii^li collar has no\er been established, but the captain insists that at dinner all the men shall wear coats — in addition, of course, tr one or two other a/ticles of apparel. On a return trip loeenth it was noticed that one of the passengers, a Papuan digger, took Ins meals on dock. "You can't st".ml the heat of the cabin." su'jgc-ited one of the pa&sentrers. "Can't I!" exclaimed the digger. "I can stand an\ thing the rest of yon can staml I've got niv saloon ticket too, but I forgot to hi ing niv boots and socks on board, and the steward won't let me into the saloon. They're getting too dashed particular on tlnV line." On the evening of "Wednesday, September ].>, about ft o'clock, an atmospheric phenomenon \erv rarely seen so far north as Taurnng.i, was visible here (sa.\s the Hay of Plenty Times) namely, a displa\ of the Aurora. Australia. The niglit being dark, with p dense bank of cloud lying hnv along the southern horizon, the liaht played on the unper haze very much like thai from a distant searchlight, inoroasiiu* and decreasing in intensity and occasionally shooting out streamers in vari ous directions, extending ftpproxknatelv for distances up to 4."> degrees froir the centre, then going out altogether for f brief period. Tho centre of ureitest disturbance was in Ibe direction of the south magnetic p»le — about over Puwhenua trig station, as viewed from Taurangn — and tlie disnlav lasted about half an beur. Our informant states that though this phenomenon is freouentlv visible two or throe degrees further south, this is only the secoml occasion in a eood many years on which he) has seen it from Tauranga,

Sunday next is Dominion Day, and the occasion will be observed by the' holding of church parades by the volunteers and the cadets in the various centres of the country. The parades v ill be held in the morning, during the hours oi divine service.

"tte in Victoria are being legislated to death," remarked the Hey. G. H. Cole, ot Melbourne, during a lecture at Cbristchurcb this week. "We sometimes wish that some oi our legislators i*ould take a single ticket to — i'imbuctoo. 1 here are too many politicians and not enough statesmen."

''No able-bodied man need be idle in New Zealand. '1 he Government gives every applicant work, and pays him at the rate of eight shillings a day."—Extiact from Lloyd's Weekly, showing, .diiarks The Dominion, how immigrants may be induced to come out tic to meet with disappointment at their journey's end.

The Winton Record states that Mr. <\. 1!. Hamilton, who was not satisfied with the prices offering locally ior oats at the beginning of the season, shipped 033 sacks Home, and has now received word that they realised 21s 9d and 22s ;kl per quarter of 320 Ib. This works out somewhere in the vicinity of 2s on trucks at Bluff. Dr. Henshaw, of New York, estimates tb»t tho combined wood seed consumption ot the sparrow family results in an annual saving of 1 per cent, of the \nlue ol the crops. At the value of the principal field crops of the United StatPf, lor 1906 was £700,000,000, the .-((arrows alone saved the farmers C7,<HJO,UOO in one year.

According to the Hon. D. Buddo, the >york oi reorganising the Health Department is still proceeding. The minister states that be has decided to institute a system of specialising, wherel.y experts in different branches shall Like charge of the division for which their training has best suited them. Some little delay has occurred in getting mutters into trim, but everything ii going on without friction of any Kind, and it is hoped that finality will be arrived at before long.

The Timaru Herald says that traveHers by tho express trains are grumbling at 0110 of the minor economies by means of which the Minister for Railways is trying to "make the railways pay." At all events that is the supPomvl cauho of tbe subject of their complaint Formerly patrons of afternoontea in the dining cars used to find a nicely laid table, with bread neatly cut, initter in graceful scrolls, and a jai or plate ot mixed bibcuits on the tables. Now, the tables are bare, but ior the cloth, and on an order being given three slices of buttered bread and a cup of tea aro put down in front of one — a take-it-or-leave-it compliance with the requisition.

After many \icissitlldes and several 1 constructions says the Otago Daily i inios, the Good Chance dredge started operations about four months ago (May 10) and lias met with such success as a gold winner that the directors were 111 tlie happy position of being able to declade a dividend of 10s per shaie, being one-half of the capital returned to tlie lucky shareholders since tbe date of starting. There have been several inquiries for the purchase of the shares, which cannot be procured unless at a very high premium. It is said that this is a record in tho way of dredging dividend* — being the first occasion in New Zealand on which a dredge has returned half of its capital to shareholders in such a short space of time.

The simple burglar alarm that has been under test by the police authorities in Dresden and Berlin seems to have resisted all attempts to pass without giving warning. It consists of a curtain or portiere, wired with fine conductors connected at certain places with metal knobs, and when this ib drawn across the door or window, or around the safe, the slightest disturbance throws the knobe out of contact and breaks the electric circuit. The alarm may be signalled by a series of bells, lights, or other electrical appliances, either on the premises or at the iMjlice station. Cutting the material or interfering with it in the slightest degree has instant effect, and the wiliest burglar ia unable to enter the premises havinp this apparently trifling protection without giving notice.

The Spanish bull fight is evott more horrible than contemptible, but the French imitation of Spain's national "sport" is even more contemptible than horrible, seemingly. A brief sketch of a bull fight at Marseilles last month comes from Miss Phyllis Miller, of Melbourne, a young Australian who makeb no pretence of "nerves." Writing from Marseilles on a Sunday she says:— We uere persuaded to |?o to a bull "g*"Everyone said we might never get the chance again, so six of us went. It was an awful .sight. Tlie bull was dazed and streaming with blood from the darts in his neck, and when the toreador stepped into the ring and stabbed him in the neck the crowd rose and cheered. Why, an Australian bubhinan would not waste time on such i miserable business. Next they brought in a fresh bull and two picadors on blindfolded horses. This bull was rather more lively than the previ•us one, and he promptly gored the two dejected-looking horses, who had absolutely no hope to get away. But this point I «ot away, and never -topped running till I was out on the tram line. In the future I will view bull fights at the picture shows."

Boy labour is extensively employed in steam joinery mills in Australia. The lads follow the machinery, put the frames together, and clean them down. In six months' time they have learned Ml 'there is to learn, but they follow the occupation until they reach the &ge >,( 21 years, and are then turned out to do the best they can for themselves. Evidence to this effect was given in the Industrial Court at Sydney the other clay, during the hearing of an application by the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners for the appointment of a board. "Then," commented Judge H^ydon, "wh«n the boys roach tho age of'2l years they are turned out practically as unskilled labour." Hi-. Honour went on to say that the posiMon disclosed was one tb.at the LeßisNUire might well give careful attention to. Important principles were involved, which ought not to be left to the hands of tribunals. It was probably tho parents who in the first instance wero to blame. They had regard to the one future of wages paid, and gave no consideration to a lad's future in the ranks if skilled labour. The unions, too, in skilled trades, seemed to be very much of raid that they would be swamped by the efficient training of apprentices. The witness whose evidence Yd to this rxnrossion of opinion from the bench, «<»id it would be well for boys in st«»»m joinery works to leave after a couple of years and become apprenticed to outside builders. In that way they would gain knowledge and experience in construction work.