The Taranaki Herald.

Wanganui Herald, Volume X, Issue 2700, 8 February 1876, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARYS, 1876.

The returns oftho quantity and value of imports and experts during- the quarter ended December 31st, 1875 are published in the Gazette of the 29th Jan. and have about them some features of considerable interest. To them are added comparative returns for the years 1874 and 1875,, as also shipping 1 returns to correspond with the imports and exports. The imports during the quarter amount to £1,883,656, as compared with £1,859,899, leaving a margin of £23,757. The imports from Great Britain amount to £1,165,130 as compared with £ 1 ,086.446. This g-ives an increase of £78,684. Trade with China has increased, the imports from there having been £79,590, as compared with £36,614 for the previous quarter. While imports drawn from New South Wales show an increase of about £40,000, those from Victoria have fallen off by £110,000. Mauritius also stands lower by some £38,000, the imports from there • during the last quarter having been £53,238, I as compared with £90,890. This is '

of course of no importance as the arrivals from there arc very irregular, ami many a quarter has probably passed in which no vessel has arrived from there. There is a slight increase, in favour of the South Sea Islands, but as the total quantity of articles imported from thorn does not exceed £14,000 in value, it necessarily forms au unimportant item, American imports show a falling off of i'Booo. France, Germany and Norway together have sent to our shores goods to the value ol only £2,280, being about double the value of tliose of the previous corresponding quarter. The great falling off in imports from Australia, which has been going on steadily for some time, is beyond doubt owing to the fact that the colony no longer imports its bread stuffs, Australian flour being only used for- a few special purposes The total value of imports for the year ending December 31st, 1875 is £8,029,173, as compared wirh £8,121, 832 for the preceding year. This shows an actual falling off of ;£ ( J2,G'IO. Tho ports at wliicli there was a falling- off were, the Thames, Napier, Nelson, Greymouth, liokitika, and Lyttelton. The exports give a more satisfactory result. We have ex ported during- the quarter to the United Kingdom articles to the value of £702,921, as compared with £803,044, being- an increase of £310,877, or nearly double. The cause of this sudden rise is not easy to find. The producing power of the Colony has not, of course, increased to such an extent ; nor was tho season an early one, otherwise it might have been said that wool came in earlier than usual, and that we were simply borrowing from the current quarter. But so far are we from this that the latter undoubtedly has the benefit of a very late wool season. Jur exports to Australiahavebeen comparatively small, being- only £203,1 57, of which £23-4,308 went'to Viclori.i, and .£28,706 to New .South Wales. During the last corresponding quarter the exports to Victoria alone amounted to £269,044. Exports to the United States amount to £29,065, as compared with £18,786. The principal increase in expoits lias taken place at Lyttollon and Dunedin, the former having risen from £69,619 to £164,996, being an increase of no less than £105,377. Dunedin exported to the value of £302,972, as compared with £220,G57. Wellington is the only one of the principal ports which shows a falling off, the exports being valued at £79,473, as compared with £85,964. The totals for the two corresponding quarters give the follow ing result :— 1875 — £1,039,105 ; 1874— £773,101 ; increase, £365 ; 924. The comparative returns for the two years are also encouraging, there beinga considerable increase. In 1874 we exported to the value of £5,828,027, and during- 1874, to £5,251,269. This gives an increase of £579,331. These figures are satisfactory in so far as there is an indication of an approach to [equality in the value of imports and exports. If the latter continue to increase as they have done during- the nast year there will soon be but little difference.

What the General Government has done in the way of .settling the waste lands of this Province is an inquiry which the Provincialists of Wellington are continually suggesting. We have always thought that a more pertinent and logical question would be — What are they going to do in the future ? The administration and settlement of the waste lands up to the present have been in the hands of the Provincial Government, the Colonial Government having no jurisdiction overthem. This is what the Post however thinks on the subject:—" From first to last,Mr Fitzherbert and his Executive have persistently urged upon the Government the absolute necessity of settling the immigrants upon the land, as being an essential condition of the success of the Immigration and Public Works policy. Despito this the General Government have done almost nothing in this way. A Scandinavian and Eoad Laborers' Special Settlement at Palmerston, and the location of some Danes and Norwegians beyond Masterton comprise tho extent of their work. Yet, had the desire of tho Provincial Government been fully carried out, the work of locating immigrants upon the land would havobeen carried out to an infinitely greater extent. In this respect, wo declare, in the most emphatic terms, that the Immigration scheme of the present Government has broken down. Groat evils will yet arise from this neglect to attach the people to the land. These have not come, but they are fast approaching. When public works cease, and Government have in the country large bands of idle men, with but little property and settled homes, they will find the problem of dealing with them a very difficult one to solve. It is in this respect that the Government have, more than in any other, failed to carry out their policy properly. That the General Government had every facility offered them by the Provincial authorities for forming special settlements is proved by the fact that for the last two years a block of 240,000 acres in the Forty Mile Bush has been in their hands, pending the selection of 80,000 acres out of it on whichto locate immigrants. Yet month after month, has slipped away, and this

block remains unsclccted, though the Provincial authorities have pressed the matter upon their attention again and again." If the Tost had told the whole truth with respect to this particular block, it would have explained that the Provincial Government lias persistently placed every obstacle in the way of the settlement of the land. It first of all deliberately mortgaged it to the General Government for the sum of £GG,OOO ; afterwards it repented of the transaction, and refused to take the money, clamouring for a release of the land, not in order to settle it with immigrants, but to sell it within the year, in order to raise *the land revenue to £90,000. ' (See the speech of the Superintendent at the opening of the last session of the Provincial Council.) The Post is again in error with respect to the quantity, the acreage subject to the lien being 100,000The fact is that the Colonial Government are saoing the land for purposes of settlement. The stipulation of Sir Julius A r ogel that four blocks of 20,000 acres each should be brought under the system of deferred payments was made in order to protect the land from being sacrificed in the usual manner. The culpability of the parties is entirely concentrated in the Provincial Government. TlieSuporinten. dent was completely beaten in the little diplomacy which took place over the transaction, and the subsequent history shews that the colonising Government was tbe General and not the Provincial. Wo cannot complain of delay while the relations between the two Governments remain in a state of transition — but without a shadow of doubt the colonising career of the Colonial Government can only begin when Provincialism is out of the field.

A second cable from Australia to Tasmania via King's Island, is projected. The Sydney Echo reports that a Doy nfimed Mogridjje, 11 years of age, has been killed by a blow from a cricket ball. At the iurjuest one of his companions deposed — '• Berry bowled a ball to Prescott, who struck it with his bat ; Prescott hit the ball to 'leg I ,' and it struck MogTidye on the temple ; on being struck JVlogridgc put his two hands up, staggered, and said 'I'll die.' Mogridge walked a few yards towards a boy named Holloway ; sat down and rested his head on his (llolloway's) knee; he never spoke again. When deceased sat down water was coming from his eyes ; when he put his head on liolloway's kuee he breathed very heavily for two or three minutes, then ceased, aud appeared as if dead ; about 10 minutes after receiving the blow he died." Mr Jennings, a Sydney squatter,has had a massive inkstand of colonial gold, silver, and emu eggs made for presentation to the Pope. The following communication lias been received by the President of the Exibition Commissioners, Victoria: — " International Exhibition Women's Centennial Executive Committee, No. 903 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Nov. i), 1875. Dear Sir, — I have the honor to inform you that the committee over whom 1 preside — acting by the advice of the director -general — have made arrangements for a separate department in the International exhibition of 1876 for the exhibition of the works of the women of all nations. A building for this purpose is now in couise of erection. I am directed by my committee to give you this information, and respectfully request you that you will bring the matter before the women of your country in such a manner as you deem best. Pray assure them that their co-operation is earnestly requested, and that their works will be gladly received, subject of course to the rules which govern the general Exhibition. We extend this information through you, and shall hope for a favorable reply at as early a moment a practicable. I am, very respectfully, yours, E. D. Gillesiu'e. The following Committee was recently appointed in Wellington to give a reception to Sir Julius Yogel : — Messrs James Lockie, S. S. Griffiths, Robt. Greenfield, J. Staples, Ilobt. Archibald, Win. Prideaux, James Stewart, George Hall, William Waddell, Win. James, Wm. Tustin, Wm. Weir, Thos. Leunox, 1). Eankine, C. McKirdy, Matthew Murdoch, G. Massey, C. Seager, Robt. Burrett, Wm. Tinney, G. F. Worth, J. E.Hayes, Paul Coffey, James Laurie, Easby, James Waters, Andrew Young, R. Somervillc, Wm. Black, John McComisky, and Mace. The members are mostly tradesmen and contractors, and appear to have no difficulty in arranging their programme. The Taranaki Herald says that on Saturday afternoon last, a little girl, the daughter of Mr John O'Donuell, whilst lifting a kettle of water from off the fire, accidentally set light to her clothes, which so burnt her as to result in death. It appears that the wife of Mr O'Donuell left the child, who is between seven and eight years of age, in charge of the house, with instructions to have the kettle boiling on her return. About five o'clock the little girl was in the act of taking the kettle off, when her clothes caught fire. She immediately ran to the pump to get water,but failing to put out the flames, she then ran to the nearest neighbour, who lives about two chains distant, her clothes being all o:i fire aud dropping off in pieces. The poor child was sadly burned. Dr St. George was immediately sent for, but in the meantime, the hospital being near, Mr James Hill arrived, and rubbed the child over with liniment. The whole of the abdomen, back arms, and thighs were so badly burnt that there was little or no hope of saving the

child's life. She died thirteen hours after the accident. The Colonial Bank has made a further call of 5s per share, making 40s paid up. The call is payable on Ist March. Wellington is short of water. The Argus says : — The water in the reservoir cortinues to fall lower daily, while the consumption has not decreased in consequence of the Surveyor's notice. Water is on all sides used for other than domestic purposes. More than one fountain is kept in constant piny, numerous water engines and lifts are worked as regularly as ever, and quite as many gardens are watered, windows cleaned, and carriages washed down by the use of hose, as over. Treble the quantity of water actually required for necessary purposes is thus daily wasted, and if the present dry weather continues one of these days there will be no water available for ordinary household uses, or if a fire should break out none with which to extinguish it. A Hungarian whose name we were unable to ascertain, was brought in from Palmerston lasf, (Monclny) night, and admitted to the Hospital, one of his legs being broken in two places above the knee. He was working in company>ith a German for MrF. Simmonds on the south side of the Manawatu river, and while falling bush, a tree fell on his leg, almost shattering it. His mate got all available assistance, and the sufferer was attended to. He was forwarded to the Hospital here, as it was found impossible to attend to him properly where he was. The journey was pprforrued in a cart, the jolting of which must have caused the most intense agonj. When he arrived here it was found that his face and body were considerably swollen, although everything had been done to make him a? comfortable as possible. It is doubtful whether the poor fellow can get over the injury. " Perdition " is the preface to the following extraordinary and candid advertisement in the columns of the Thames Advertiser :—: — " The proprietor of the Thames Exchange, having expended all the funds of his firm in liib endeavours to secure for this constituency the services of a statesman who would preserve the identity, direct the destiny, and uphold the dignity of the Thames, has sacked his staff, and the paper will be discontinued. The free and enlightened electors of the Thames having chosen for their guardian the weak aud isolated pigmy in preference to the potential giaut, the camp follower instead of the commander-in-chief, the abject tool of the Wyndhanr-street clique in place of that clique's master, deliberately elected five years poverty-stricken to five years of weal, and rewarded unblushing vice with the highest honour in theif power to bestow, we leave the Thames to the tender care of its liowes, its Brodies, aud its M'llhoues, its debasement, its ignorance, its misery, and depart for the ' Happy Laud ' of "Wangauui—Ed. Thames Exchange." The Committee of the Wanganui Cricket Club met at Anderson's Commercial Hotel last (Monday) night, nearly all the members being present. The dates of the various matches likely to come off during the season were discussed. The Marton club appears to have desired the return match to come off on the 4th March, but that being a most inconvenient day, it was proposed by the Wangauui players to play on the 26th inst. This was found inconvenient at Marton owing to a Government parade taking place there ou that day. The match will probably be played during the latter part of March, or possibly early in April. The return match with Patea is proposed i'or the day after the races, if that team is agreeable. Another match, against the Press and Unions combined, will probably be played at an early dale. A game between town and country players will come off on tho day originally proposed for the match with Marton. Mr Higinbotham has created a great sensation in the political world of Victoria by his sudden and unexpected resignation of his seat in the Assembly. In giving to his constituents his reasons, he said " he had the deepest distrust of the Government and ever,) thiug which belongs to it ; that he believes it does not command tho confidence of either Parliament or the country, and that a dissolution is the only remedy for the evil ; but he cannot approve of the means employed by the Opposition to obtain that remedy, and therefore, since it is not the duty of a representative to remain inactive in such a struggle, he surrenders his trust." * At a meeting of the Council of the Volunteers last night, the first steps for a match with the representatives were taken. Preliminaries for a small bore match at the Colonial Meeting were arranged. It was decided to pay Bandmaster King a salary of £50 per annum, aud to send for a number of new instruments. The remainder of the business was of no public interest. The fifth competition for the Volunteers' Silver Cap will take place at the range at 5.30 a.m. to-morrow. The Company parade in the evening at 5.30. The cadets fall in for a Go vernmeut parade at 5 p.m.