Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1874.] WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 1895. FIRE INSURANCE PREMIUMS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5032, 22 May 1895, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1874.] WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 1895. FIRE INSURANCE PREMIUMS.

We find that some of the business men of Masterton are beginning to ' lake iininlGi est in the Wellington crusade against the tariffs of Fire Insurance Companies. All the Companies, both English and Colonial, have combined for many years past to keep up certain standard rates, and to this there would be little objection if the public could depond upon the tariffs being fair and equitable, Unfortunately, this is not the case, for the Companies admittedly make fish of one mid llesh of another. As matters have stood for sometime past, they can demand and enforce whatever rates they please and there is absolutely no redress. In Masterton we have bettor lire appliances than formerly, and are fairly well taxed for their maintenance, This is a decided advantage to the Insurance Companies, but they have not reciprocated by any modification of their charges. The only chance of obtaining justice is a combination amongst insurers, or bringing pressure upon the Government to start a State I'iro Insurance Office, Wo are not in favour of the latter alternative, though there is a strong argument in its favour, if the business of insurance constitutes a monopoly whioli cannot be broken down. Exchanging one monopoly for another might bo attended wifchanimmediato advantage to insurers.but the public would be better served by open competition between English and Colouial Companies, Wo believe this competition can be brought about if insurers combine either to bear on the_ companies now doing the business of the Colony or arrange for • some outside Company to come into the field with a

lompotitivo tariff. It would be a i good thing if the business men of Mastovton met together and *° ippointed a Committee to watch 0D their interests in this matter, and to iscertain accurately whether the "' rates charged locally are in excess in proportion to the risk, We believe r " them to be so, but a little more exact, unauthoritative information on this point would be advantageous. We ™ were recently astouished to find, that the rates paid in Masterton, were double and treble the amount ?j charged in a Borough somewhat s j similar in size, viz., that of Devon- tl port, in the Auckland District. 1 Discrepancies of this kiud, require o to be investigated and explained, and I for this reason, we consider that a business Committee could do good a work in Masterton. ii . ._ d Masterton Borough overdraft now I! stands at £7Bl. Jj Several sharp showers fell in Master- [ ton last eveniug. f Next Saturday, the Wairarapa hounds meet at Morrison's Eusli. t Austral and lioscius have boon ' scratched for the Wanganui Steeple- ' chase. '■ Heard, the Christclmrch City rate collector, has been committed for trial on a chargo of einbezzlingrates amounting to '. £lO4. i Early feed en new burns will be ] plentiful this year iu many parts of the ] Bush. During the four weeks ended April 27th, nearly !)5 tons of butler wero exported from the port of New Plymouth, ( The Mnugnuiahoc Central Itoad is i now rapidly approaching completion, i and will soon be open for trallic. I Sir 0. Prague! 1, draper and clothier, ! of Queen Street, publishes a price list of ■ special lines iu another column. Thiity-scven tons one c.wt of coal was : carbonized at theMaslcrlonGas Works last month, The London Times, alluding to Dr W G. Grace's continued success villi the bat. declares Hint it assumes the proportion of a national event, Mr P. H. Wcod will continue the furniture sale of last Saturday, at bis Carterton Auction Ifooms, on Saturday next, May 251 h. MrW. Pragncll will probably be a candidate for a seat on the Masterton Town Lands Trust. _ The proposed IVaipoua liiver Board is not making any move. Are those interested waiting for another Hood ? o.' W. Cullci is still agitating for a " Queen's Drive " along the Waipoua liivcr Bank. The rainfall at Woodville for last month was !)•:! inches as compared with :i'32 inches for the same month of last year, A subscriber planked down an apple fifleen inches in circumference on the table of the editor of the Hangilikei paper the other day. The increase in the quantity of gas made at Masiciion Gas Works lastmonth was 81,-ra cubic feet, as against Hie corresponding period of last year. Nothing fm iher has yet come before the Alaslrrlon Borough Council, regarding the proposal lo raise a sifm privately 1 lo proleet Villa-street from liiver encroachment. Maslerlon Borough Conned got through its business last evening in ; twenty-live minutes. The Council's record for an ordinary meeting is len minutes. . The residents of Tutaekara district-. Forty-mile Bush, have established a public library. It begins with 32 subi scribcrs, and a promise of more, It- has been decided lo replace a further length of the Queen Street ' gutters with concrete, from Messrs Graham's corner lo the Prince of Wales' Hotel. The Secretary of the MasteKon Hospital Trustees reported at the meet- ! ing yesterday that Mr J. McGregor had ' donated one ton of potatoes to the Hos- , pital, and Mr G. C. Sage a number of ' oil sheets. i The Ihuraua Valley lioad is still 1 blocked by the slips which came down during the Hoods otlasl Easter. Settlers | are greatly inconvenienced (hereby, and it is hoped the Head Board will soon take steps to remedy the present state of affairs. I During the months of February and - March, seventy-six cases for breaches of Ihe Shop Hours Acl were heard iu the 1 various Courts, and the fines recorded 1 hlallcd lilOl 10.!, i An aided school is bbe opened at - Brancepeth on the Ist of Juno. The residents have appointed Mr Joseph L. 1 Guest, formerly of Waiuuioru, to the charge of the school, at a salary of £SO | a year, with board ami lodging. Owing to the heat at Colombo, Carbine suffered from spasm in the bladder. _ Mr Day tupped the horse, and had a [ very anxious time, as it was feared that ! Carbiuc would succumb; but he re- ; covered, and landed iu perfect condition. i Mrll. E. Hornblow is again a candi- « dale for the Masteitou Town Lands , Trust. He informs us that he withdrew I his previous nomination to assist Mr Hesscy's election, as both being iu favor i of a Town Hall lie did not wish lo run counter to him. ' Messrs Plait and Abbott, of Mangamn'ioe, have disposed of their properties ' lo MrW. Plait, a lute arrival from the Old Countiy, who lias had some experience of fanning in England, Mr G. ! Piatt intends settling on other property in this locality. "Uatcpayer" writes to us criticising J. L. Murray's candidature, and asking him lo come forward " boldly " » on the platform, but as our correspondent has not the" boldness" to sign his name to the letter, we think it- is not "- entitled to publication. We will insert 1 the letter if our eou'espondent will allow his name to appear at the foot of it. s 3 When specially heavy weights have to be lifted in connection with bridgo or other work in this district, it has been B necessary—at heavy cost and some delay ■ —to obtain appliances from Wellington, i To meet (he increasing demand made on t him of late, Mr C. E. Daniell, of Mas- ] lorlon, has inraiicd, through Messrs s Chambers and cion, of Auckland, one of .1 Taugyc's hydraulic jacks, with which one man is able to lift a weight of foi ly tons. B TheGovcrnor-in-Couucilhasappoinlcd 1 the following .to bo members of the '. Council of the Middle District Uuivcre sity in addition to those recently ciected e by members of Hie House and Council „ from the University district:—Eight , Bcv. Bishop Wallis, D.D.,Hon. Thomas Kcllv, M.L.C., Messrs John Graham, * T. ii. Buiek, A. W. Hogg, and F. ' Pirani, M.H.ll.'s, Francis Arkwright, 8 and Arthur Warburton, These include e the four members of the Council whom y the Government has powor to nominate » and the four who arc ultimately to be I elected by the graduates and professorial staff when there are 30 guaduatcs at tho e University, hut whom tho Act provides '» the Government shall appoint iu the B first instance. — Post, 0 We are iufoimcd by Mr Hemy II Wright, Secrctaiy to the Insurers' '< Protection Association.that insurers still *- continue to enrol themselves freely as f members of the Association, says the f Post, The insurable propeity already . represented considerably exceeds r £SC3,Q in value, and a» tho overtures ft mado by tho Committee to the Associated Fire Insurance Companies havo c not met with a satisfactory response " negotiations havo now beeu entered 1 upon in four different directions, which s arc expected to lead not only to cxtcnf sive reductions in insurance rotes to j members of tho Association, but to more B liberal policy conditions than have hitherto obtained. The Committee hopes shortly to bo h a position to invite 5 members to sond in proposals for iusur. 1 nceousat'sfactoiytji'itis,

j. ue uaraiun 01 committees tor the Whakataki, Gladstone, Kercru, Judgeford and Kilbirnio scliools, will be kid on Monday tho 17th of June. The most recent society in Auckland is the Old Chum's Association. Anyone who has resided in tlio place for 20 yews ranks as an old chum. One man was fined £2 and another £1 at Napier on Monday for throwing rotten eggs and otherwise disturbing a Salvation Army meeting, Mr E, W. Porritr, of the Justice Department, who was lately appointed Clork of Court at the Thames, has resigned his commission as Lieutenant in the Wellington Guards. The Dofence Minister has approved the appointment of Mr C. J. &. Harcourt, to be ActingLieutenant in the same corps. Messrs Simms and Mowlem have an advertisement in our columns announcing a general unreserved sale for SaturI day, 25th iust., at 2 o'clock, in their mrt, Queen-street, The goods comprise ewandsceond-handfurniture of every escription, drapery and clothing; also oultry, horses, traps, saddlery, and arness. Joseph Isaacs, ono of the forwards ol lie Duncdin Football Club, while shootig at Tomahawk on Monday, had twe diets discharged into his right eye bj youth named Morris. Itis feared hi rill lose the sight of that eye. Jabcz Mom's son, who went t( Lmerica after the revelations concern ng the Liberator Companies, has hew rorking there, it is stated, as a farm abourcr. aud his wife, who occupied i ligli social position, has taken employ [tent as a domestic servant. Mr Miles, secretary of the Manawati did West Coast Agricultural and Fas oral Association, has written to al imilar assertions iu tiie Colony uggesling that tho Minister of Agricul ure call a conference of delegates fron he various associations to discuss M Nathan's scheme. Ellen Terry was 47 on February 2Gtl in Coventry, where she was born, )i'ass plate on one house hears tho in icription : " This is the birthplace o \liss Ellen Terry," while on anothc louse across the street is a similar plat narked: "This is the original birtli ;>lace of Miss Ellen Terry." Wo have received from Mr J. Wati if Quccu-slrcet, a copy of the Mel iinurnc Leader of the 4th instant, coi: :aining one of the series of Speck Supplements upon New Zealand, whic t is proposed to ultimately publish as relume, under the title of" Fjordland, for circulation in England. Tli mpplcmcntis well-illustrated, and ver, interesting _ Copies may be obtainc from Mr Watt, A picceof evidence in a Quebec breac di promise case was a cuff with an ofl'c Df marriage written on it. One nigl while the defeudunt was holding Hi plaintiff's hand and whispering i'em words, he popped the question in mam script on (he smooth Jineu of her wris She was sentimental or shrewd enoug to keep that article out of the wash, an it has proved of practical value. John Christopher Hackett, alia Thomson, was charged at Masterton lb morning, with being drunk in a pub] place and with using obscene languag Accused pleaded guilty to both charge Sergeant McAidle stated that accuse bore a good character, and the langua; complained of had been used whil accused was drunk. On tho first charg the Bench (Messrs Heron aud Wooc roolVo) imposed a fine of 5s or 48 lion imprisonment, and on the second charg of using obscene language, fourtec days'.without the option of a fine. At _ tho Masteiton S.M. Court, tli morning, before Messrs G. W. Woo. roofc and Geo. Heron, J's.R, a hie giving his name as John Burns, all William Wallace, was charged wi l being drunk in a public place. Accusi pleaded guilty. Sergeant McArdlc, f< the information of the Coui t, stated tli accused had imposed on tlielocal Bcnev lent Society, and had obtained an ordi for tea, bed, and breakfast, afterwari getting drunk and creating a distur auco, A charge of fraud would, hoi ever, be difficult to prove. The Bene regretted that such a charge had n been laid, as the accused's conduct w; deserving ot severe punishment. F> drunkenness, a sentence of 48 hou would be inflicted. Murray, the third-class passenger the liimutaka who committed suicii during the voyage, was suffering fro religions mania, says the N.Z. Tim On Sunday, sth inst, he jumped on the rail foi ward and dropped over tl side. Although lifebuoys were throv to him he made no effort to secure thci Shortly after the unfoituuatc man we over, a blinding snow squall swept ov tho steamer. There was a heavy s running, but the steamer was broug round as soon as possible, and steam about (he locality for some time, t nothing could be seen of Mum the steamer resumed her journey, _ At yesterday's meeting of the W( lington Benevolent Trustees, a j'om woman who had been found sleeping o in the Botanical Gardens with her infa appeared before thoTrustecs. She sn she left Timaru to escape tho pcrsec tion of the child's father, who some tit ago was given a month in gaol for refi ing to contribute toils support. It w decided to give her another week in t! Home, and to try in the meantimo to fi; her some work to do. It was stat that she was in a deplorable condili when found in the Gardens aud that h clothes had to bo kerosened and tli burnt. The secretary mentioned tli some cast off clothing that would si this woman would be very acceptab It was decided by three votes to two request the police to apprehend as Yagrant a man who had broken out the Home and who got drunk. ] appeared with a battered visage a blandly explained ho had been " alitl convivial" the previous night. It w resolved to treat in asimilarway imotli applicant for relief who also appear disguised in liquor and very much t worse for wear, A number of other cas were dealt with. It was reported tli there were 25 women and 59 men innial of the Home—iY. Z, Times. Inhis"Lifoof Lord Collingwood Mr Clark liusscll gives tho follow! illustration of tho humane and kind spirit which characterised the greai sailor:—Sometimes a midshipman complainod of a sailor, aud forthwith an order would be issued for the punishment of the man next day; but in the interval Collingwood would call the midshipman to his cabiu and address him to the following effect: "In all probability the fault was yours; but whether or not, I am sure it would go to your heart to see a man old enough to be your father disgraced and punished on your account; and it will therefore givo me a good opinion of your disposition if, when ho is brought out, you ask for his pardon." Such a hint was never likely to be lost, the boy would intercede for the man, and Collingwood, making a great show of yielding, would after a long pause exclaim, addressing tho prisonor, "This young gentleman has pleaded so humanely for you, that in the hope that you will feel a due gratitude to him for his benevoleßce, I will for this time overlook your offence," In 1819, tho whale ship Syren, while on a visit to tho Pacific Ocean, met with a adventuro which would have proved fatal to all hands, but for a quick stratagem of the mate. One fine day, off one of the Pclow Islands, all the boats being after whales, and but a few men left aboard tho vessel, a large band of armed natives suddenly swarmed oyer the bul. warks. The crow fled to the rigging, eaymg tho naked howling saTages in full command of the ship. The mate oncoming alongside, took in the situa! tion at a glance, and quickly ordered the men to open the arm-ehests, and scatter on deok all the tacks they could find In a moment.it fairly rained tacks upon'the naked savages, m deck waV soon covered with these little nails. T ae v pierced the feet of tho islanders, who danced about with pain, wliiclviivcreased every step they took, una witb yolls of agony, they tumbled hcadlong'into tho sea, and swam ashore, ' < ' > '■''

Masterton Borough Council intend to strictly cnforco the By-laws in tho f utuve. The death is announced of Dr. Honoyman of Auckland. Mrs Ballance returns to Now Zealand with the Hon. J. G. aud Mrs Ward. Messrs Lowes andlorns add to their next stock sale list young cattle, fat ewes and hacon pigs. Masterton Courthouse was crowded this morning to see two common drunks dealt with. It is understood that the Minister of Education will introduco a Teachers' Appeal Court Bill during the coming session of Parliament. Scene from Brisbane city life: A barrel organ grinding out" Britonsnever shall he slaves" close by a white man polishing a Kanaka's boots. It is reported that the new canal from tho Baltic to the North Sea is unsafe. The banks nre breaking away, and thousands of yards of earth are falling into ths water and blocking the passage, It is feared that this mishap will interfere with the official opening. The value of a light attached to a buoy flung into the sea to save a life, has been well proved by the Holmes ' chemical torch, which ignites when the water reaches the composition, A Ger, i man electrician has lately brought out a new buoy lighted by an electric lamp ol ! lfi candle-power, enclosed in bull's-eye lenses, nnd protected by a cage of wiro, ! Tho current is supplied by an accumulator, of tho solid or celluloid type, formi ing part of the buoy, aud charged so as to maintain the light for no fewer thai six hours. As the light can be seen foi 2,000 yards in any direction, the buoj 1 will be a useful aid at sea. It weigh: • 1121b5., and the lamp is automatical!] ' lighted in tho act of unshipping it, | Oncol the sights ot Wellin ton, at auj time isundoubtably the magnificent cstab--1 lishment known as Te Aro House, and now >' that every department within its walls i: filled to overflowing, with a bowiltlerini variety ot the season's norolties in mil ' lincry, mantles, dresses, etc., it is moro thai oyer a pleasure aud profit to visit tho whole j sale family drapery warehouse, Te Ari \ House, '' Particular attention has been paid thi e year to the requirements of country custom • ers, and the result is to bo seen in tin immense aud varied stock of calicoes . shirtings, flannels, flaunellettes, slronj ' wearing dress materials, men's and boys c'otlisDg, &c. The choice in each depart ■J ment, is almost unlimited, as may b ' imagined, when it is stated that of flannel :1 otte a'one, over 50,000 yards have thi a scaßon been imported at Te Aro House Wellington. b A specially organised department, lin j been csiablisbcd to deal with country orderr j Patterns ol any materials in stock, will h forwarded to any address, post fret Country residents ate invited to write to h prices, or any information regarding good r wanted. It is confidently asserted tho ,t nowhere can such a wide selection, or sue! o sterling value be obtained, us at Te Av i House Wellington.—Astt. i- L. J. Hooper & Do,, general drapers an I. clothiers, of this lown, aro making a specie h bid for popular favor. The price of ever J article in the lion Marchc has been trimrae to the very liuest point. Their men's an boys' clothing and mercery department s have undergone a thorough overhaul, an s the prices cut down, leaving a small margi o tor profit. The Manchester, hosiery an ,_ haberdashery departments have also undei s " |!onc a similar change, While in the millii j ciy, mantle, and dress departments it i simply wonderful how such beautiful, stvlis--0 and fashionable goods can be told at sue e astonishingly low prices. The dress an |*< tail ,ring departments have not escaped tb I- unsparing ravages of low prices, uaudsoui rs and stylish drosses arc now turned out i e, the Bon Marchc at from 10s to 13s (id, or a complete Sew Zealand tweed suit, mai to measure, at from 47s Cd. Tho motto < the firm is now mall profit* but, '/in' 1 is returns. -Ami, 1- =====