The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1879.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 335, 9 December 1879, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1879.

A correspondent in our issue of last Saturday called attention to the necessity of a Charitable Aid Society in Masterton, and asserted that (he local Hospital Committee had shirked its responsibility in this matter. While agreeing with our correspondent that in all centres of population there should b« some organisation for the relief of the destitute, Ave cannot admit his charge against the Committee. The Hospital Committee never undertook other duties than those connected with the institution to which it is attached, and we are not at all sure that it would be vise for it to do so, It has not, as I

far as we are aware," received any funds for charitable aid purposes outside of the Hospital. If it should have done so it cannot well administer them: it could only hand them over to some other organisation specially appointed to deal with charitable aid. Unfortunately, the General Assembly has not yet decided the future system of charitable aid which is to be adopted in the colony, and we fear that when it has done so the result of its deliberations will prove very useless in practice. Pending this, however, country Hospital Committees can only consider their functions of a temporary character. Their term of power is very limited, 1 and the conditions under which they are now working are liable at any moment to be reversed, . Under these circumstances it would be very unwise for any Hospital Committee to extend its operations by planning and carrying out a charitable aid movement. In the event, however, of any Benevolent Society being inaugurated in the Wairarapa, both Hospitals to be able to contribute towards its maintenance. The Hospital at Greytown Ims, we believe, more funds in hand than it knows what to do with. The one sit Masterton is not troubled with this fault, still it has a balance in hand. We do not see why Indies in this district should not organise a Benevolent Society. At J?eildiug we believe they do so with satisfactory results, At Masterton we know that there are ladies with sufficient leisure and experience to undertake such duties, and we would be pleased to see them at least attempt them. We do not believe that a great amount of distress exists in the Wairarapa. Wo have generally found that the. butchers, bakers, and storekeepers, who are sometimes abused for charging high rates, are very lenient and easy with families in distress. We know of many instances in different parts of the district where the trade.* men to whom we have alluded have practically constituted themselves as a Benevolent Society,--have done o-oud by stealth, and blushed to call it fame! Still this, though a common, is rather an irregular mode of administering charitable aid, and occasionally there are cases which it does not meet, It

would, we consider, be a public advantage if the ladies in the Wairarapn would come forward to the rescue and undertake those duties which are necessary for the wise and economical administration of charitable aid.

We have now before U3 the annual report of the Government Insurance Cmnmissioner, which is entitled to more than passing notice at our hands. It is altogether a satisfactory document and sufficiently proves that life insurance as a function of the Government is one of great importance to the community Notwithstanding a period of unparalelled depression throughout the Colony it i 3 gratifying to notice that, the new business transacted during the past year is greater than in any corresponding period, 0 while as a consequence probably n f such increased business, the expenses of mana«oment is largely reduced. 2071 new policies have been issued, insuring sums amounting in the aggregate to £971 401 So much nnw business done anion'" so limited a community proves beyoiul a doubt that the public properly appreciate lite insurance and are, besides, fully alive to the superjor security which the Government affords. Pew, however, insufficiently posted up in the history of life insurance. It is a most dismal and disheartening one. The failures of such , companies as the European, the Albert • and the Album-all of them warded at one time as safe and sound conipaniesinflisted a heavy blow upon life insurance . as a family provision or a provision for . "Id age. Public confidence was shaken Heiicc the etfort-a very tentative one ' by the Hon W. E. Gladstone to introduce the post ofhee insurance department winch, however, has not proved a very marked success in England. In introdu'. cing that measure the lion gentleman said that numerous companies were then in a State of hopeless insolvency, they wore nothing less than huge gambling com ' panics preymg upon the credulity and ignorance of mankind. And still more recently well-known authorities, as actuaries in London, in a letter to the London rimes, gave it as the result of their investigations that "numerous companies doing a large business were in a state of hopeless insolvency." Doing tt b lr ,, e hllgi . ness J Ihe ruin inflicted unon the community by such companies-ostensibly called into existence to provide for the families of their victims-can scarcely be exaggerated. What misery and disappomtment to the insured'who had for many years, by much sclf-sar;fice,keptun heir payments! It is sometimes that the State, in transacting the business '>f such a department improperly interferes with private enterprise ; that it inot a legitimate function of the Government, and such a service as no Government ought to undertake for the community Having reference, however, to the disastrous results of so much mismanagement and such loss and ruin inffoed upon the public by the failure of so manv companies, it may rather be held that the State alone should ho permitted to transact such a very special and important service for the community. Unquestionably the State is interested, for in proportion as insurance becomes popular, so, too will pauperism be diminished. If j t were lmi . venal, cases of destitution becoming chargeable in some form or other upon the State, would be as rare as men or women who cannot write their own names. Universal education—a State service-secures the one, why, too, may not universal insurance secure the other"? Indeed, every argument which applies to the one, applies with equal force to the other, and the time may come when compulsory insurance may be regarded as equally defensible as compulsory education. In the meantime it is purely voluntary; but it is none the less desirable in the interests of individula, as well as of the whole community that heads of house-holds-the bread-winners of every family -should avail themselves of such a simple and inexpensive method of setting their houses in order. For the great majority of mankind a policy of insurance is as necessary as the air they breathe while for all, the single as well as the married, it is in the hands of Government .1 most safe and profitable investment, ifc of all things is the most uncertain—that is, the life of any angle individual And yet Ibis " brittle thread" is all ifai comes between the nuijorily n f ||| P f., m j. lies in New Zealand and poverty, with all its collateral evils. What misery and vice or crime follows too frequent l ;- in its train ? In the report before us we observe

that no less than 22} per cent of the claims of last year resulted from sudden deaths-the deaths probably of men in their prime. If we could still further turn aside the curtain wo should most probably discover that but for the policies of insurance, the survivors of thoso.thus suddenly called away had no other provision than tho life" policy so thoughtfully secured. It is a disinterested and noble thins, sorely, to thus find men devoti'njra portion of their earnings—perhaps making some considerable sacrifices that they may secure some provision for those they love after they are dead and gone. It is thus the prudent father furnishes a table for his family when his once strong arm or active brain rests quietly in the tomb ! It is indeed of all things on this side the grave in many respects the most important, We are all careful to insure our goods and chattels, and it is right we should be so ; but surely when the greater hazard of human life is taken into account, and its greater importance to a man's family, it is one of the strange paradoxes of humanity that so much neglect should be displayed about what is relatively of so much greater importance. Wy notice the' large number of lapses dining the year as shewn by the Cornmis-' sinner's report, So far as they arise from sheer inability to keep up the payments, it is a feature much to be deplored. We understand that such lapses are not absolutely so f.ir twelve months afrcr the days of grace of the last payment have expired. They may be revived within a year, and it is to be hoped that with tho return of steady employment and more general piu-.peiily throughout the colony, in my such revivals will be made. For that other class—numerically, we . fear, the largest—who permit their policies to lapse from inattention and carelessness we can have less sympathy. Unfortunately, however, it is the families who are thus unprovided for who may suffer. Insurance neglected is a fruitful source of much misery, and we recommend therefore once more tho whole question to the careful attention of our readers,

The Greytown Borough Council ml. meet on Monday next.

The Masiei'ton Borough Council meets this evening.

The Loyal Masterton Lodge, 1.0.0. F. meets this evening.

The Masterton Hospital Committee meet to-day. The Thistle Lodge, 5.0., hold an emergency meeting to-morrow evening.

Two totalisators were used on the Forbury Course. Duuedin, at the last race' meeting.

No direct attention to Messrs GillctU Mence's advertisement in another column, «f new fruits, ik,

Mr H. H. Ling sells at Wellington tomorrow, on behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency, wool, hides, sheepskins, tallow, Ac. Settling night for the different events at the late Opaki races takes place at the Railway Hotel, on Saturday evening next.

The Wanganui Jockey Club have announced for (heir next races in March, the Wamranui Cup Handicap of 1,000 sovs, s (Oldhorse to receive 200 sovs., third hor.se 100 sovs. from the stakes. Nominations are 3 sovs., acceptances 10 sovs., and 5 sovs, at the pest. Distance, 2-1-miles.

lorns & Fergusson announce that they will ro-open iheir premises in Queeii-st., on Saturday next, with a sale of pigs, cattle, horses, furniture, &c, fuller particulars of which will be seen on reference to our advertising columns. Most of our readers will recollect when Hayes and Lenhamo's Circus visited the H airarapa, a bout on wheels was used as a band carriage. The boat has evidently travelled " a few," as wo sec by our exchanges it caused some sensation in the town of Wellington, New South Wales, by bin« driven through that town on wheels,

A rebate of three-fourths of the duty is to 1)0 allnu-od on damped fruit; and if imported fruit he sold by auction, the price realised at the sale is to he taken. The Wellington fruit dealers allege that a duty on grapes or stone fruit will have ilii' ffleet of putting a stop to the importation of (hem altogether,

A peculiarity observable in the leaves of several varieties of Nw Zealand ferns is I hat they will grow for many years after k'ing ununited and pressed in an album This remarkable growth in a leaf quite dry and apparently dead, is worthy of careful examination, being unique, we believe, in the history of plants. A wedding at Louisville was delayed lately on account of the bridegroom suddenly remembering that he had not fed his horse. The ceremony waited until the animal was cared for. He explained that a Rood lmwe couldn't be found easily, but thirteen girls were willing to marry him. The famous Cardinal Manning has just done a remarkable thing. He said mass in the morning and breakfasted, chria tuned the Duke of Norfolk's son and heir ill London at 4 in the evening and addressed a large meeting of Catholics in St. George's Hall, Liverpool, at 10 p.m. Not a bad day's work for a teetotaller of 71 years of age.

A meeting of th e Bideford School Committee was held at the Accommodationhouse, Bideford, on Saturday evening last, A letter was received from Miss Wilkinson, tendering her resignation as mistress of the school. The resignation was accepted on the motion of Mr John Morrison, seconded by Mr Scholes, The Chairman, on the motion nf Mr J. Clark was requested b> report Miss Wilkinson's resignation to the Board, and ascertain if the Board wouM be willing to approve of another teacher chosen by the committee. On the motion of Mr D. Carman, it was decided to advertise for a teacher in the event of a favorable answer being received from the Board. The meeting terminated with the usual vote of thanks to Mr Jas. Miller, the chairman.

In our report of the KM. Court at

Carterton on Wednesday last, before H. S. Wardell, Esq., R.M. and W. Booth, Esq., J.P, we omitted an action, adjourned from the previous sitting, brought by Benjamin Vickery against Henry Swain, as landlord of tile Marquis of Normaiiby Hotel for the recovery of the sum of £9 17s.Gd, amount of change of a £lO- - handed by the plaintiff some time previously to the barman of the defendant at Ibe Marquis of Normanby Hotel, in payment of some glasses of liquor supplied, which change the barman failed to return, and nlsM n fintlior sum of £lO as d mages for detention of the same. Tim Court found that the plaintilT was entilLd i'n recover llie.amoiiiit of. the change, and the question of damajies was adjounied to ilie next flay at, when, after argument, judgment wag given for plaintiff for ill 17s 6d and ensts Mr Bunny appeared fur tho plaiutiff, Mr Beard for defendant.

Latest advices report the London wool market as steady. The Wairarapa Hospital Gommitee meet at Mr F. H, Wood's office to-day, (Tuesday). Four pupils from the Greytown School are candidates for the next primary scholarship examination of tho Wellington College. A telegram from London, dated Dee. 4, states that the New Zealand loan of £5.000,000 has been issued at a minimum of 975. The Patchwork Company of Troubadors had a very good house at Carterton on Saturday and gave general satisfaction and a pleasant evening's amusement. There will be a meeting of the Finance Committee of the Wairarapa West County Council at Carterton, on Friday the 12 iivst,

We believe that the report of'the Inspector on the Carterton School will be of a very satisfactory character. It can now be said, perhaps for the first time, that all the large schools in the Wairarapa are efficient.

Slumbrous County East is waking up again. On Saturday next it holds a meeting at 7 p.m., after an interval for recuperation of some seven months.

The meeting of the Masterton School Committee which was to have taken place yesterday has been postponed till Wednesday. Mr Lee is now engaged in the examination of this school.

We made a slight mistake in our yes terday's issue, in attributing to St Matthew's tower an early ring whicl ought to have been credited to St. Patrick We trust St. Matthew is, like St, Patricl " a gentleman," and will accept oui apology.

I In ouv telegraphic columns will be found a recital of how a certain Auckland man wanted to fight his creditors. In England a man shrinks from his creditors, but in New Zealand, happy land, he flies at them,

The rifle match, married v. single, resulted in the single men winning by 19. 'ln the face of the Valley mutch to come off on the 13th, it is hardly fair to append scores, Messrs Snodgrass and C Potts, however, fired very well for their respective teams

We have, like many others, been patiently waiting for the turn of the tide. We have not disguised the fact that lor many months past things in general, and the money market in particular, have been getting worse rather than better. The good news of the five million loan just to hand is a sure harbinger of better times. That, coupled with the rise in the price <rf wool, brings within sight the turning in the long lime down which we have been plodding through spring and winter.