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Waipawa Mail, Volume X, Issue 1019, 7 December 1886, Page 2

The Secretary of the Waipawa County Hospital furnishes us with the following returns for the week ending December 4th, 1886 : —Patients in Hospital : Males, 13 ; females, 0. Received during the week : Males, 1 ; females, 0. Discharged : Males, 1 ; females, 0.

Mr Chicken’s Waipawa Brass Baud will give an open air recital of sacred music on Sunday afternoon next, on the lawn tennis ground. A collection will be taken up in aid of the Waipawa District Hospital. Mr Scrimgeour has kindly given (permission for the lawn to be uscci. The idea is a good one, and we believe that a very large number of people will find their way to the spot to hear our skillful musicians play. Messrs Gore Bros., of Waipukurau, arc supplying a very long felt want. They have invested capital in sections, and are building cottages on them, as soon as one goes, another being erected. A cottage now stands completed, aud we believe vacant It is prettily finished aud is sure to be secured before long. At the last meeting of the Daucvirk Road Board the Waipawa Mail was dcservingly acknowledged as a good local advertising medium. It was poiuted out that the advertisement the Board had inserted in the Mail last month had been the means of letting au importaant piece of work to a very efficient contractor for a satisfactory price. The clerk was consequently instructed to advertise in it again. Mr Dc. Harven, the Belgian expert in the woollen trade, has completed his book on “ A commercial journey round New Zealand’’ and recommends that a direct trade be fostered between Belgium and the colouics. lie personally visited all our chief centres of commerce and speaks most highly of New Zealand as a field for emigration. He gives tables of commerce aud in every way appears to have made a faithful and favorable record of what he has seen in New Zealand. Such a work may well be expected to strengthen the commercial standing of the colony after Froudc’s ignorant aud puerile attack.

The New South Wales Government give as the principle cause of the deficiency in revenue, the fact that Crown Lands have not sold this year to the usual extent. Other causes are as follows : —Railways have fallen off by £19,000 ; miscellaneous, £4,000 lands £250.000. On the other hand the Government have realised an increase on the followingcounts :—New taxation, £215,000 ; Post Office, £12,000 ; general, £20,000. The falling oil in railway receipts is due to the wet seasou. The premier of New South Wales adds that so severe a depression has not been known for twenty two years.

Mr W. Ashmore, baker, of Kaikora, is establishing a biscuit factory at his residence in that place. The apparatus required for the manufacture of biscuits is beiug made by Mr G. Abrahams, and as soon as it is complete Mr Ashmore will commence operations. This is another feather iu the cap of Kaikora, aud another local industry, for biscuits arc usually imported from the larger cities, aud arc very seldom made iu the country. An English Radical, who is called a “ man of mark and influence,” says ; —I want to blow up all the Customs Houses from Land’s End to John O’Groats from Cape Cleat to Grant’s Causeway. I believe in absolute Free Trade, and that any Minister who imposes or maintains any tax whatever on food or drink of the poor, is a robber, and worse tliau Barrabbas.”

What prejudices tho sensible public against the Radicals is not their alleged desire for progress ; that is admirable enough ; but the rabid uonsense which they talk. Ruskin had the folly to say that “ nothing is more moustrous in any recorded savagery or absurdity of matikiud than that Governments should be able to get money for any folly they choose to commit, by selling to capitalists the right of taxing future generations to the end cf all time.” Well, we will suppose that it is moustrous, and that it might be no longer possible for governments to raise money for works or expendituro of a public nature. If a foreign power came and attacked us, we should meekly have to submit. If uecessary works were asked for, the reply would be there is no money, and no way of raising any. Then again, look at the inconsistency of the Radicals- They arc the people who waut to pass a bill for the purchase of estates in Ireland at a cost of £100,000,000,. How is the money to be raised ? By adding it to the national debt, of course. Thus, it is only possible to suppose that the Radicals have devised some method of catiug their cake and keeping it. Either that or they are humbugs. It is with feeliugs of the deepest regret that wc record the melancholy and sudden incident which took place in this town on Saturday. The victim was a man of extraordinary ability and it seemed like the irony fate that he could not prosper and support himself and family and live comfortably and happily. Financial embarassments, however seemed to weigh on his mind, and without the slightest notice, he committed that act which it is impossible that auy man possessed of a healthy mind could commit, and brought his life to a sudden termination. All that medical skill could do was of no avail, and the deceased passed away just six hours after, the Rev. J. C. Eccles being present to give all the comfort he could. The funeral took place on Sunday afternoon, when a number of people were present. The Foresters, of which community the deceased was at one time a member, were unable to undertake the funeral arrangements as the deceased had dropped out of the lodge of late. However the members of the fraternity subscribed liberally among themselves and defrayed all the expenses. Eight vehicles and a number of foot passengers and horsemen followed the hearse to the cemetery. Mr B- B. Johnson lias been most energetic throughout.

The cricketers’ Ball at Makotuku was a decided success. About 35 couples kept Mr Harding busily engaged till the sun shone brightly in the eastern heavens. A good few visitors came up from Danevirkc to take part in the jollification, and probably more still would have come both from there and other settlements, if the club had made it more generally knowu that they were going to have a ball. The company, a very wellbehaved one, scemed’to enjoy themselves thoroughly, the only regretful feeling being now and then appareut among the geutlemon on account of scarcity of the “ fair ones.” It is almost impossible to single any lady out as “ the belle” there really being so many deserving of that name. The members of the club turned up in their snow-white cricketing pants and black coats, a costume which was generally acknowledged as very becoming. A plentiful supply of both substantial and fight refreshments was tastefully arranged and expeditiously served in a side room. The financial result of the dance should be satisfactory and go sonic way towards wiping off the £3O expenses the club have gone to for putting the cricket ground in order.

Dr Reed has roceivcd nine tenders for the extentions to his house at Wnipukurau, and these vary very much. The difference betw r eeu tlie highest aud lowest t.cnper is about £290, Several local men arc pretty well in front, and one of them stands a good chance of securing the contract.

Mr Wilding has set a new industry on foot at Wnipukurau, consisting of the manufacture of walking sticks. These are turned out of straight pieces of sawn timber especially cut in the bush. Mr Wilding has tried honey-suc.klc, white mairc aud other kinds, and finds them capable of making excellent sticks. He will distribute them in the wholesale markets wheu sufficient of them are on hand.

Members of local bodies who have been looking forward to getting the customary subsidy on their rates from Government will be pleased to hear that vouchers for the payment of 75 per cent of the amounts will bo passed on 13tli inst. Mr W. C. {Smith M.11.R. wired for the information, and the Property Tax Department promptly supplied it.

The statement of the Colonial Treasurer to the effect that the applications for loans under the Government Loans to Locul Bodies Act have not exceeded the amount of money put aside for allotment, is the very best piece of news we linvc published for a long time, for that all the local bodies that have applied for money in due form will obtain it. This applies to Town Boards as well as to County Councils, so wc may expect to hear favorable accounts of our Waipawa Town Board’s application.

Some very wise people in the county have been shaking their heads over the loan proposals, “ because,” they said, iu a mysterious whisper, “it is the intention of the great Liberal party to Repudiate !” We want to rc-nssure these people by saying that such action is just ns impossible as it would be absurd and shortsighted. What was really meant was (we don’t doubt) that all the loans locally raised would some day be thrown upon the general government’ and consolidated into a colonial debt. But that has been very shrewdly provided against by the Government, who are not such fools as they look. The loan which we in Waipawa are about to raise, will be virtually a Government loan from the first. Who asks the British capitalist for the £12,000 ? Do they think we are going to send Mr Tuely home, and Mr Gilmour, to fioat the loan ? Of course not ! The Government will borrow the money in the first place and then lend it to tlie localities. Aud in order to prevent men of too ardent aspirations from shaking off their just liabilities in tlie shape of interest and sinking fund—s per cent per annum—the Government have reserved to themselves the right of appointing a local collector, at any time, aud if we do not pay up, he will levy aud make us. This puts the question on quite a different footing, and it may be said most emphatically that the consolidation cry is a phantom which has arisen in the minds of those who are unable to construe a simple Act of Parliament. As for the repudiation cry, it is too idiotic to need any mention at all, for such a coiusj \w absolutely beyond the power of even the most unscrupulous and shortsighted rogue in the county. As wc have said, the Government have reserved the right to collect that 5 per cent. If we do not pay it willingly an official will be oppoinled to come and sue each individual ratepayer for it, just as the County has to sue occasionally at the present time. The 5 per cent will be ns absolutely cafe as the county revenue.