PALMERSTON RIPPLES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXII, Issue 9565, 30 December 1909, Page 7

PALMERSTON RIPPLES.

(By Hokioi.)

__ I have been shown a copy of Every■febdy's Magazine, iv which is publishan article giving the alleged real facts abont Germany and Britain. It is certainly of a rather alarming character. The writer, a prominent exConsul of the American service, who was commissioned to go to Germany and ascertain exactly bow matters stood, says:—"To-day the ambitions of"the Kaiser are bonndless. He seeks to*dominate the Continent as the first step towards dominating the world." The writer assumes that war is inevitable, and if Germany triumphs her victory "will give her the pick of England's colonies over-sea aud a billion dollars indemnity with which to build a navy that will over-awe the world." 1 showed this article to a German resident who is in close touch with the Fatherland by means of newspapers by every mail and frequent private letters from persons capable of formiug a correct judgment. He interpreted a number of articles from one German paper and another. All spoke of the revival in trade, bnt none even hinted at war with Britain. In none was there any semblance of au tone towards Britain. My jjJßSfipnri ridicules the idea of war. He that Germany's navy is ■simply to protect her trade, and that she has enough to do to keep France aud Russia in check, and, further, he avers, as being beyond question, that the last thuught in the Kaiser's mind is war with Britain. A gentleman who was at the races here ou Boxing Day remarked that the sceue ou the course reminded him a little of the late Mr W. P. Friths, R.A., famous picture of Derby Day, now iv the Tate Gallery. He knew the Royal Academician personally years ago, and told me that the painting of the Derby Day occupied Mr Frith considerably over a year. He further told me that Queeu Victoria and Prince Albert were deeply interested iv what was unquestionably the great artist's most famous picture. He had reached the advanced age of ninety when he passed away last mouth, shortly after having been re< ceived by the' King at Buckingham Palace. Judging by the large crowds of welldressed people in the streets, there cauuot be much destitution in the f|_|r I hear that up Auckland way the cry is all for Palmerstou, "the best iulaud town iv New Zealand." A very large number of Aucklanders are now here ou holiday rambles, aud oue or two to whom I have spoken think highly of the town and its surroundings. ' One Northern gentlemau said to me, "Why on earth dou't you have tramways? Even if they did not pay for the first year or two, tbey would bring population. Look what tramways have dove for Auckland aDrf Welliugtou!" I believe if a popular vote were taken on the subject tramways would 'be carried, though there" is a good deal to be said ou the other side. An erstwhile resident of Wairarapa showed me to-day a private letter in which was au account of tbe annual meeting of the Down (Ireland) Diocesan Synod. The Archdeacon of Dromore referred to the great struggle to free their land from the curse of intemperance, and to roll back from the Christian Charch the reproach of indifference to the destruction, spiritual and temporal, of thousands of her members from that cause. The actual

Sam spent in drink, said the speaker {although it had been reduced by six .million pounds in one .year) was still ._ifj§p. appalling as to be a disgrace to auy laud. He emphasised the fact that the JrTesbvterian and Roman ■Catholic churches were awakening to the necessity of interesting tnemselves in the great cause of Temperance. The checking of passenger's luggage by the Railway Department is becoming a rather serious burden on the ■officials. You present your luggage at a railway station, not less than a quarter of au hour before your train is due. Your packages must be properly addressed, aud you are handed a ticket corresponding to that ou your luggage, aud you need trouble yourself no further about it until arrival at your destination, wheu you present yonr ticket, and your portmanteau or whatever it may be is handed to you. The only drawback might be in case of yoor "wishing to break your journey, as yonr luggage cannot be claimed until it has reached its destination. Nu charge is made, except in cases wnere the luggage is consigued to a South Island station,iu which case a small charge is made for conveyance from railway statiou to steamer at WeJlington. I was shown a way-bill,

or luggage vote, of a package from «g|!hrist_hurcli to Palmerston, on which jjKie sole charge was twopence. The ~<3heckiug of the packages has to be carefully done, aud the time so occupied occasionally delays the starting of the trains, and throws them late, especially during holiday seasons, wnen the passenger traffic is abnormally heavy. It is a pretty heavy tax on the Department, with no corresponding benefit in the shape of revenue. A returned Manawatu settler, who lias been on a Home tour, tells me that the long coutinued wet weather had made the season oue of the worst on record. So late in the season as the middle and end of October phenomenal rainfalls were recorded, aud, ou the whole, the season would rank as the most disastrous, as regards agricultural operations, for at least twenty years. The stacked grain might" be seen sprouting through the thatch. When at Home he attended the Leamington (Warwickshire) "bur and Feather Show." The exhibits consisted of poultry, pigeons, tame rabbits, guinea pigs, cats, children's pets and cage birds. He greatly admired the pigeons, several of the classes having as many as fifty entries, the competition being exceptionally

keen. One thing that struck him Jforing Ins Home tour was the huge -«gniy of urchins engaged iv the street sale of sundry small articles. He fears that these—or a very large majority of them—will grow up to be wastrels and hooligans, learning uo trade and with uo fixed method of obtaining a livelihood. Iv his opinion -the calling of the juvenile street vendor caunot be other thau demoralising in the extreme. The running of passenger trains to the racecourse at Awapuui is a great convenience to visitors, bnt has reduced materially the employment of vehicles. The great bulk of the racing fraternity and those iuterested iv turf sport patronise the railway, aud the passenger traffic for the short jouruey from Palmerston is enormous. I believe there is a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals iv this district. I notice a fair number of lame horses running in harness in the towu. In fact, the Chinaman's

horses appear about the best cared for of the ordinary harness horses to be ami with on our streets, has been very dear here for "sWeral months past. Chinese fruiterers are selling American apples at prices as high as 9d a pound. They jare very well packed, but a couple of pounds for eighteen pence seems rather little for the money. When •will New Zealaud be able to supply its own want, in the way of ordinary fruit? Like Ireland, this Dominion should be a great fruit-producing country, aud like Erin's Iblo, too, it imports a very large quantity of fruit c-acft year.