The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, MARCH 15, 1880.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 414, 15 March 1880, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, MARCH 15, 1880.

The Masterton Library Committee lias not as yet displayed much practical wisdom in its selection of new books, but a neighboring committee has been move successful. We are indebted to a member of the Committee of the Wairarapa Institute at Greytown, which is a much move efficient circulating medium for books for a return of the volumes taken out by subscribers during the past year. It runs as follows Fiction 3,970, Travels 174, Science 110, Miscellaneous 70, History 38, Biography 28. Poetry-10; total, 4,400. In purchasing new books it is therefore necessary that nine out of every ten should be works of fiction. There are some members of the Masterton Library Committee, well-mean-ing but very mistaken gentlemen, who would protest strongly against such a proposal. They would reduce works of fiction to a minimum, and increase goody-goody books to a maximum. They have done this in the past, and as the subscribers to the Library exercise no control over the election or appointment of the . Committee, they will probably do so in the future. They think it is their duty to decide what the public shall read, and what is the result of their attempting to control the reading taste of the public i The library is a failure! Subscribers seek for what they require on its shelves, and not finding it. there go elsewhere to procure it. What would be thought of a draper who persisted in keeping on his shelves, not the goods which his customers sought, but those which he thought they ought to seek. What would be his success if he said to a lady customer, "I know you want bright tints, but such shades are not good for you, I can only sell you sombre hues." It would be no more ridiculous for a draper to take this course of action than it is for the Masterton Library Committee to do so, We can quite sympathise with any desire to create and cultivate a healthy taste in literature, but experience proves that freedom rather than coercion assists in this direction. Pernicious though novel reading may be when carried to excess, it frequently fosters a habit of reading which would not otherwise be acquired, and the habit once formed often leads a young man to take an interest in works of a graver character. We trust to see some improvement in the Masterton Library, but we fear that while the appointment of its Committee rests in the hands of the Borough Councillors, the pitiful practice of Councillor A proposing Councillor B as a member of ic, and Councillor B proposing Councillor A as another member, will be perpetuated, and the institution continue a failure.

Mr J, Tone has beep appointed an assistant-surveyor in the Survey' Department of Now Zealand'. „

Sir William Stuart-Forbes,. Bart, j has been appointed Returning Officer for .the; election of Trustees for the Carterton

'abbit District, at the Town Carterton, on the 6th • The Wairarapa Standard, says" Mr Thompson,, contractor for the Hurunuiorangi bridge ji'as become.' insolent', (sic,) : The practice of accepting tenders from, men of straw prevents honest contractors from having a chance of success." The following is an analysis of the books in the Wairarapa Institute"at Greytown: Biograuhy 96, History 57, Science 137, Travel .84, Fiction. 969, Poetry 40, Miscellaneous 44, During the past year the books taken out for perusal were as follows: Biography 28, History 38, Science 110, .Travel 174,' Fiction 3,970, Poetry 10, and Miscellaneous 70. : I

Under the heading " Bearding the Lion in his Den," the Manawatu Timesjsays: —The Resident Magistrate's Court was broken into between Saturday night and Monday morning, and, £5 in notes extracted from the cash-box. As the numbers of the notes are known by Mr Haultain, the clerk, it is more than possible that the prize will be of small avail, and prove a white elephant in the hands of the robbor. ' •

The Hawke's Bay Herald says:—We regret to learn that Mr C. C. Murray's horse Tamatea has " gone wrong," and fears are entertained that this favorite local horse will be incapacitated; from racing for some time, His retirement will be more especially felt in the GrandHandicap Hurdles at the Racing Club's meeting at Pakowhai, for which race lie has been pretty liberally supported, On Friday evening last Mr Faber opened the Victoria Hotel, Featherston, with a house-warming, A large number of employees and friends attended, and did ample justice to the good things provided for them. The new building is much handsomer and larger than the one destroyed by fire a short time ago, Mr Edmund Wrigley was the contractor, and seems to have carried out his work in a very satisfactory manner. We learn on good authority the Minister for Public Works has granted the request of Kuripuni residents to have a station erected there. Active steps are being taken, we are also informed, to have the road leading from it to Mrs Yates' residence put into repair.' Subscriptions for that object are being raised amongst the settlers in the vicinity. We (Post) regret to say that Mr Angotlie St. Just Mackay, who attempted to poison himself with chloral some months ago, was committed,to the lunatic asylum yesterday, having been pronounced insane by Doctors Kemp and Kesteven, This unfortunate young -man is greatly to be pitied, as there is little doubt that his inability to get employment, owing to his deafness, has led to the derangement of his intellect. We understand that Mr Mansford exerted himself strenuously to obtain for him aome light employment under Government, but.his endeavours were met with a chilling refusal,

At a sale, which took place in Wanganui a day or two ago, one of those present asked the auctioneer for an explanation of one of the terms of sale. : The knight of the hammer replied by reading the clause in question over again, but this did not satisfy the anxious inquirer, who pressed the question more urgently than before. " Sir," said the auctioneer, his patience being exhausted, " it may be my duty to read you the terms of sale, but I cannot be expected to supply you with brains to understand them." This retort would have annihilated most men, but the occupant of the rostrum had to considoi' himself sat upon when his opponent replied pointedly, " no one can expect you to perform an impossibility." A deputation of the Palmerston North Borough Council waited on the the Railway Commissioners on Friday morning, and laid a number of statistics before them regarding the West Coast and Woodville lines, The members of the Commission have now gone by special coach to Bulls to take evidence on the branch line at Greatford,

The following is the eleven chosen to represent Greytown in the forthcoming match between the Bohemian Cricket Club and the Greytown Club, which is to take place on St. Patrick's Day, the 17th inst. A special train will leave Greytown to convey the eleven to and from Wellington, leaving the former place at 5.42 am., and returning at 9.30 p.m W. C. Cuff, W. J, Salmon, I. J. Salmon, W. S. Gregg, W. G. Beard, T. S. Ronaldson, F, O'Connor, A. Hirscliberg, J. Maguire, G. Palmer, and C. Beard. Emergency, 0. Wickerson: Umpire, W. Bock: Scorer, A. L, Webster. The Bohemian team will comprise the following players; Messrs Haughton, O'Connor, Speed, J. A. Salmon, Kirker, Blacklock, Willis, Daly, England, Russell and Thompson; Emergency, Shand. We copy the following letter from the N. Z, Times. It refers to the penal establishment in the Pacific, and is written by Mr Coleman Phillips, of the Lower Valley It is gratifying to perceive that'the New Zealand Government intend to take stringent measures against the landing of the liberated French prisoners from New Caledonia at Auckland. These people are far from being desirable fellow citizens, and the precaution of the Government is a wise one. I avail myself of this opportunity to point out the danger that exists in some of the islands of the Pacific becoming the penal establishments of different European powers. The rumor is current that Germany intends making use of Samoa in this direction. We may consequently have the degraded citizens of Germany added to those of France as fellow citizens, for these islands' lie almost within Australasian seas,and their inhabitants must becnmecloselyasaociated with us, There is 110 reason why Italy, Austria, Holland, Belgium, or any other European power should not follow the example set by France, and perhaps Germany. Such distant prisons will be found convenient to Continental nations. But sufficient injury has been done Australasia in the matter of New Caledonia, Is it not advisable for each Australasian Colony to respectfully request the Imperial Government to see that European nations retained their own degraded citizens ? If we formally desired England to retain at home her own' disgraced sons, surely we ought to guard against the danger arising in other quarters. Such a request would carry weight at the Foreign Office,: and greatly strengthen its hands when dealing with the question. . If Germany, for instance, perceived that the' Australasian colonies, or even a majority of.them, protested against the .establishment of penal settlements; in the Pacific, there.would be great likolihood of that Government listening to and respecting'. the protests, not only out of regardi for the indirect . wrong to the .colonies' themselves,' .bdt also' out of respect for. her own Australian colonists.- ' ' "-V-

The nertt quarterly meeting of the Masterton Fire Brigade is ifixed for Wednesday evening next. •. i

• Messrs lorns & Fergusson had a capital attendance at their, salo on the Opaki on Saturday last.The.bidding->was spirited, and satisfactory prices were obtained. There-is-now a marked"improvement in • the pricey realised at auction sales.' ' •. A lectqrC.Qn " Volcanoes," illustrated by* dissolving "vie.ws, is announced to be given by the Rev F.-J. Jones, in the Town Hall on Thursday evening next. The proceeds will be. devoted to St. Matthew's Church fund. The cricket match Butchers and Bakers v. Blacksmiths and Wheelwrights will be played on Wednesday next in Mr J. V, Smith's paddock Which has been kindly lent for the occasion. Wickets to be pitched at 11 a.m. A remarkable discovery has been made by Mr William Morris, photographer, of Gourock,, by . which he can photograph, underneath the water at a depth of ten fathoms. Two of the negatives he has secured are remarkably distinct, but the others are rather dim owing to defects in the apparatus, but which lie will have improved, The camera is enclosed in a watertight glass case, suspended by the centre and enclosed in a cover, which is drawn off after the camera; which is fixed ■on a loaded tripod—has reached its position. One ; of the views, taken in the bay fifty yards west of the yacht Selene, shows a sandy bottom, with a number of large boulders covered with seaweed, and an old anchor, and in the shade three mooring cables belonging to small yachts close at hand. The Standard learns that a little windfall has fallen to the lot of the Greytown Hospital, It will bo remembered by a few of our readers that in 1868, a committee was' formed to- ascertain whether railway could be carried through the Wainuioinata valley, so as to connect the: Wairarapa with Wellington. A large amount was subscribed in Wellington by Wairarapa men, and Mr B. Rhodes was appointed Treasurer. After various payments, for surveys and other expenses, a balance of about £3B was left in the hands of the late Mr B. Rhodes. There it has remained for the last twelve years, Amongst the Committee were Mr 'fully, Mr H. Wallace, the Hon. John Martin, and Mr Carter. -Last week these gentlemen happened to meet together in Weliington, when Mr Tully broached the subject, and a committee was at once formed, with Mr Tully as Treasurer, and Mr Carter as Chairman. The result of this meeting was that it was agreed to withdraw the balance from Rhodes'estate, and divide the sum between the Wellington and Greytown Hospitals. So that Greytown, under these circumstances, will probably receive over £l7 as its share,

There is at present on exhibition at New York a section of an immense tree which has been brought' from California, The " New York Herald" says" This wonderfulspeoimen of Nature's handiwork was discovered in .1874 It was growing in a grove near. Tule river, Tulare country, California, about seventy-five miles from Yisalia. Its top had been broken off, probably at some remote period, and when discovered it was still 240 ft high. The body of the tree where it was broken was 12ft in diameter, and had two limbs measuring respectively 9ft and 10ft in diameter. The trunk measured below 111 ft. This aucient monarch of the forest is called ' Old Moses,' after a mountain near which it stood. It is supposed to be 4840 years old, and it is the largest tree that has ever been discovered. The section on exhibition is 75ft in circumference, and 25ft across. It is capable of holding 150 peoplo in its interior. The interior, as it is now fitted up, is arranged like a drawing room, A carpet has been laid down; there are a piano, sofa, tables, and chairs, with scenes from California hung round, and people move about quite freely." The Rev, Adolph Baltozer, president of the German Evangelistic Synod of North America, died near Marthasville, on the 28th ultimo. He was a classmate of Prince Bismarck. Mormons seek to have Utah united as a State, which, as tliey hold the power, would enable them to expel their .opponents by taxation. They are also making overtures to several Indian tribes for an alliance.

McVicker's theatre, Chicago, is illuminated by electric'light'j a local electrician having anticipated Edison, and overcome the difficulty of dividing the current.