The Wanganui Chronicle. AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1892.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11541, 20 May 1892, Page 2

The Wanganui Chronicle. AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1892.

The Premier is in trouble over his promise to General Booth, to grant him a block of five thousand acres of land on which to establish one of his oversea colonies. While the General was in this colony, and the Salvation Army were in a state of fervid enthusiasm over his visit, Mr Ballance, as is his wont, bowed with alacrity to what appeared at the time to be the popular voice, and apparently led the General most distinctly to understand that a block of Jand would be sot aside for him in this colony, if ho dncided to try his colonising experiment with a portion of his " submerged tenth " hero. Now that General Booth proposes to take him at his word the Premier is in serious trouble. He profeses that he did not mean what tho General means, and dedeclares that ho knows nothing about the latter's intentions, as sent out in the London telegrams recently published. Last week the Mayor of Now Plymouth wired to tho Premier as follows :- •" Newspapers state that on oversea colony of Salvation Army social wing is to be established in Taranaki. Peopled here dissatisfied. Please wire whether Government has granted land for the purpose iv district, or whether Government has received any information on tho subject." — .Tas. Bellbikgeu, Mayor. To this tho following reply was reoived : — " J. Bellringer, Esq. Mayor. — Government have not set aside any land in Taranaki for tho purpose, and do not understand the rumour. — J. Ballance." Mr Ballance does not here say that he did not promisp a block of land to General Booth, but merely that tho " Government have not set aside any land in Taranaki for the purpose." lie certainly adds fmtlier that the Government do not understand tho meaning of the rumour — that is, of course, the rumour referring to Taranaki. There is no doubt, however, that Mr Ballance did commit himself to a specific promipe to grant tho Genoral a block of land for his purpose. Tho Canteibury Press points out that •' When General Booth was in Christchurch tho Premier took part in the proceedings at the Tuatnstroot Hall, and somewhat rashly it appears, pledged tho Government to find for the General a block ot land in New Zealand on which to establish one of his overspa colonies. It seems that the General took him at his word and apparently land was subsequently promised on condition that no criminals should be exported. A letter from Lord Onslow, which has been published iv England, throws some additional light on the subject. "Wo propose," said mir lato Governor, "to set apart some 3000 acre°, or less, of bush land, to be selected by an expert, and if the experiment proves successful wo can, by reserving land adjoining for a limited period increase tho

a-ren." Lord Onslow further goes on to ccplain that should there be thirty children in the settlement "the Government will build a. school, and the roads leading to the settlement would bo niado by tho settlors and paid forliy llioG'ivdriimeui." It will be intorosting to watch tho fuither proceed-, ings if only for the purpo3O of admiring tho Premier's facility for "' backing out." The wanton destruction perpetrated in Wauganui by a certain most undesirable class of creature, the evil and uncontrollable 1-ul, is patent to the eyfis of the most unobservant of people. It is becoming difficult to walk in the Borough without coming across fresh instances of the harm inflicted to public or private property by these consummate young evil-doers. Some months ago we had occasion to comment in strong terms upon a daylight robbery from the willows on the River Bank, by a person who was carrying young willow &ticks away in armfuls. This may not be going on at the present time, but another practice certainly is which is worsa still, if only because it is absolutely ohjectle3a. The ratepayers have spent time and money in planting and cariug for willows on the River Bank, with the dual object of improving its appearance and preventing landslips. In miny planes, and always in those most accessible, tho young plants have not grown as they should havedone. And no wonder. If any ratepayer will tako the trouble to visit one of these spots he will find fine, stout young willow sticks, of last season's growth scattered about tho ground in most irritating quantities. These sticks are evidently out off by lads purely for tho sake of destruction. They are not small twigs, but fine rods often as much as eight and nine feet in length themselves enough, if left growing, to form a good sized bush in a couple of seasons. We thing our readers will coucur in the opinion that this is a thing to which a stop ought to be put promptly, and by means which admit of no evasion. How, it is not necessary that we should suggest. One step that should be taken at once, however, we should like to mention, and that is that a notice (or if necessary more than one) should be written up, near the spots that suffer most, warning all that the severest penalties will be inflicted upon persons caught damaging the trees and other public property on the River Bank. This might not put an absolute stop to the evil, bu*- we cannot help but think that it would have some beneficial effect.