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Wanganui Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5101, 2 July 1883, Page 2

One of the pleas of the Insurance Companies for making a tariff was that for some years all the companies had been losing money iv the colony. We are glad, however, to be able to show a remarkable and gratifying exception to the rule. The following telegram lately published in every leading newspaper of the colony will bear repetition: — "The balance-sheet of the Union Insurance Company for the year ending 31st May, shows an available balance of £27,338 7a 2d, of which amount the directors propose to devote £5125 to the payment of the usual dividend of 10 per cent., to place £10,000 to the Reserve Fund, and to carry £9210 7s 2d forward to next year. Premiums received for the year amounted to £132,958, an increase of about £20,500 on the previous year. The directors, in their report, remark that the business of the Company shows considerable progress. Here is a company making about 35% per annum on its capital, and anuounciug that the business continues to tliow progress." We congratulate the Union on its satisfactory balance-sheet, and have no doubt that many other companies are doing equally well. It is difficult to conceive any reply to the stern logic of facts in these figures. The Union has a very small reserve fund, and is paying its dividend out of profits made in its ordinary business. It at least does not want a tariff. That ia certain. At the same time the prosperity of every company is a public advantage, aud these prosperous balance-sheets can be hailed without one particle of envy. „

Thoro was no business before the Police Court fchiH morniug, The adjourned summoned meeting of Court Roderick Him will be hold oa Wednesday evening. The ordinary company parade of the Naval Artillery will bo held on Wednesday evening. There is a field day fcr the reporters to" morrow. 7n addition to the usual Court busings, there will be a meeting of the County Council at 11 a.m., Harbor Board at 2 p.m., and Borough Council at 7 p.m. A meeting of creditors in the estate of Wm. Liugard, brewer, is called for Monday next at the Courthouse, at 2.30. The business is important, and a large attendance ia desired. According to the report of tho Agricultural department, the .'-took of corn in the United States on March Ist am/muted to 580,000,000 bushels, and that of wheat to 140,000,000 bushels. Mr Simmonda informs us that his claim on account of the fire .'.t his premises in Ball street on Friday night has been prompJy met, the amount having been handed over to him this morning. Mr Albeit Barnes offered for salo under direction of the Registrar of the Supreme Court, at his sale rooms this morning, the White Hart Hotel, Mafton. Tho property, which is fieehold, was started at £1000, and ran up £2050, when it was knocked down to Mr W. P. Currio. At St, Mary's Church, this evening, the very interesting ceremony of the reception and profession of two sisters will take place. As the Bishop himself will officiate on the occasion, and will be well assUted, the ceremony must prove more than usually imposing. Elsewhere it is notified by tho resident secietary at Wellington for the Australian Mutual Provident Society, that Mr H. 1 illey has been appointed agent for the society in Wanganui, vice Mr J. P. Watt, resigned. All premiums in future will therefore be paid to Mr Tilley, whoso signature only will be recognised from this date. Some stir was caused in the town on Saturday evening by the ringing of a bell very loudly about 8 o'clock. A number of people turned out, and the town was agog for a short time, thinking it was a fire, and confidence was only restored when it became knowu that it was only the bell of Mr P. R. Jackson's sale yards, which was being used in connection with Professor Sample's free lecture. A confirmation service was conducted by His Lordship Bishop Redwood at St Mary s Church this morning, 51 persons being, confirmed, comprising 33 females (four of whom were adults) and 18 boys. Mass was said at 8 o'clock, after which the Bishop gave the children an address, and went through the ceremony. Afterwards a further address was given, and the sacrament of confirmation administered, much interest being evinced in the whole of the proceedings. A scratch match was played by the Wanganui Football Club on Saturday last between sides chosen by Messrs Smith and Allison. Some good play was shown on both sides, which were very even, as will bo scon from the result, Smith's side winning by a goal and a try to a goal. For Alison's side a try was obtained by Grey, the goal being kicked by Welsh ; while for the winners, tries were obtained by Messrs Townsend aud Copeland, the latter of whom also kicked a goal. The match arranged for next Saturday is Town t Country, when a big muster is expected as a large number of volunteers is expected in town that day. Mr Service's speech at the railway festivities at Albury is attracting a good deil of attention. He said that if the colonies resolutely tackled the question of federation, all the obstacles in tlio way would crumble into dust£ He would take a very early opportunity of testing the question, by asking the New South Wales Government what are the difficulties that stand in the way. He hoped to see a Dominion Parliament established during his lifetime, aud meant to be a candidate. He had even a higher ambition, namoly, to meet on tho other side of the world in a great federal council of the Empire as one of the representatives of tho Australian Dominion. The speech was warmly applauded, every reference to federation being received with marked approbation. According to the usual custom, the first meeting of the new Wanganui-Waitotara Board should have been held this morning, the first Monday in the month. As the appointment of the new members has not yet been gazetted, however, which it was said disqualified them from sitting, notices were sent to the members intimating the fact, and no meeting was held. The date of the next meeting is not decided, as it will depend on the issue of the Gazette, but probably it will be fixed for the beginning of next week. Members will be notified by advertisement when the meeting will be held. The same drawback applies to the Wangaehu Board, whose first meeting would, in the ordinary course of things, have taken place last Saturday, but had to be adjourned sine die. To decide a wager, a trial was made yesterday of Professor Sample's syafcem of breaking-iu horses. One well-known resident bet another that he could not break-in a certain young horse or ride him to the house of one of them, a distance of two or three miles. Tho subduing the horse was successfully accomplished in the most artistic style, and the wager would have been won by Professor Sample's scholar but for an unfortunate creek, which the horse could not be induced to pass ! The crossing of creeks does not appear to have been touched on by the Professor. There is no doubt, however, about the experiment having been thoroughly successful. A New York pape.-, the Evening Post, has been informed by one of the leading booksellers that the sale of the revised version of the New Testament has fallen oft so much as to be hardly worth mentioning. The sale, he stated, stopped as if by magic when popular curiosity was satisfied, and has not picked up again. The sudden failure of the work has been a severe blow to many of the leading publishers in the United States. Some 25 or 30 editions were issued at an expense of several hundred thousand dollars, and the sale of tho work has only covered a small fraction of the cost incurred. After thi3 experience, very few American publishers will, it is believed, care to invest money in the revised Old Testament. "Scholars," said the informant of the New York paper, "seem to like the book, but the general public absolutely ignore it." The audience at tho meeting of the Freethought Association last evening was much larger than at any previous meeting, the hall being well filled. The music, paper reading, and discussions, made up an attractive programme. In dealing with the < question of Moral and Eegilious Training, various opinions were expressed. It was thought that undenominational religious instruction in schools, without dogmatic teaching, would mean reliance on the moral maxims of the Bible alone. The belief was expressed that the moral instruction given to children in the Freethought Lyceums wag superior to that afforded in the Sunday School, and would produce better results in after life. The paper on persecutions was an interesting historical sketch. So far, the interest in the meetings has been well maintained. Sometime ago, it will bo remembered, there was no little stir in town about the forgery of two cheques, the perpetrator of which could not be procured. De-tpite the efforts of the police, he was not be found j but we learn that the gentleman has since met his deserts for a similar offence elsewheve. The cheques were ou Messrs Harvey and Mauson, storekeepers, and as the man cleared out on the Saturday evening after issuing them, he could never be traced. His proclivities, however, for the class of business, went with him, and in Napier, the next place that he patronised, he perpetrated v similar crime ; was committed for trial j and is now " doing " three yeaia as the res,ulc of his industry. He was a we.ll-known character named Wm. Rix Rose, and served two years in Her Majesty's service for forgery in Palmerston, and two years more for larceny at New Plymouth. He was at the time of his hist visit hero a patieut at the Hospital (being a dispenser by profession), which doubtless prevented the police having any knowledge of his being in the town, or he would not have got off bo easily from the neighbourhood,

Tho first competition between the two half companies of tho City Rifles for the prize of L 25, for efficiency in drill, ta'ies placo this evening. A full muster of members is requested. Tho annual report on the secondary schools throughout tho colony has been presented to Parliament. It shows that 1272 ho\a snd 572 girls are in receipt of higher education, at a total cost of L 25.341 in annual salaries. Colonel Brett holds that he is as much entitled to his seat in the Legislative Council as the Queen is to her seat on the throne. He, therefore, does not intend to be ••abolished " without making a struggle for his political existence. Our local footballists must «?et themselves into form a bit, as we learn that the first match with an outside club is likely to come off shortly, the Manawatu District having signified their intention of meeting our Wanganui Club shortiy. The precise date is not fixed, but probably it will be Saturday next. Mr Musaougcr, of New Plymouth, has killed a boar iv that district whose tusks over- lapped a complete circle, and measured 16in. Old settlers and Maoris say they never saw such tusks before. They have been forwarded to the Wellington Museum as a caution to the southern members. The girl Emily Cornish, who was shot twice in the head by John Bennett, in New South Wales a few months ago, who afterwards committed auicide, has been discharged from Prince Alfred Hospital. Although the two bullets remain in her head, she is to all appearance quite recovered from her dreadful injuries. The Feilding Star writes : — The neighborhood of Makino has, we notice, become somewhat celebrated of late for some unfortunate accident, or noteworthy event, our columns having frequently to be occupied with reports of painful accidents, sudden deaths, fatal disasters, fires, cattle killed on the line, and not omitting the domestic calamity of elopement. A statistical report on suicides in Russia has been issued. It appears that some 2000 persons in each year make away with themselves. The greatest number of cases occurs in the district of Moscow, after which comes St Petersburg, Warsaw, and Irdkntek. During the last five years 7713 cases have been registered, Suicide in the Russian army, as in that of Germany, has been on the increase during the last few years. An aged Maori put in an appearance at a Masteiton hotel the other day with a bine ribbon pinned to his coat (writes the Wairarapa Daily). He had been told that this decoration was a sort of "open sesame" to an unlimited number of free drinks. When he tried the virtues of themystic talisman he was informed that it meant that while he wore it no man was allowed to ask him to drink. Upon this he threw the "true blue" into the gutter and Btamped upon it indignantly. They have a pretty summary way of dealing with officers in Russia when it suits the Government to have a fit of virtuous indignation against peculations that have sometimes for years been winked at. The whole of the personnel of the Russian Ural fleet has been broken up, and the officers punished in various ways for peculation, neglect of duty, etc. The commandant of the fleet is banished to Siberia for life, and his immediate subordinate cashiered and condemned to serve as a common sailor on board the Pacific squadron. The New Zealand railway traffic returns for the four weeks ended 26th May, show that the total receipts were £81,841, as against £81,087 for the corresponding period of last year. The expenditure was £48,485, as against £45,122. For the first eight weeks of the current year the receipts were £170,141, as compared with £173,327 for the relative period of last year, and the expenditure was £97,526, against £89,024. The proportion of receipts absorbed by working expenses was 57 per cent., as against 51 per cent. On the Wellington line the recepts for 'the eight weeks amounted to £7385, aa compared with £7183 for the corresponding eight weeks of 1882 ; the expenditure in each case being 70 per cent. Referring to the revised roll of justices of the peace, the Oamaru Mail says : — The roll is well worth studying for many reasons. Glancing down it we find there the names of nearly all the members of the Ministry and the majority of their supporters, the most noticeable exception in the former case being poor Mr Dick, the absence of whose name, seeing that he is essentially a man of " peace," is certainly unaccountable. On the other hand, we find the names of two only of the members of the Grey Ministry present, while only a small minority of the Opposition are entrusted with the com mis-, sion of the peace. Again, we find nearly tho whole of the former members of the Ministerial party on the roll, and it is especially worthy of remark that, with one solitary exception, all the members of Parliament, past and present, who have "ratted" in favor of the Ministry, have their names enscrolled upon the roll. One other point that is worthy of passing remark is that the roll bristles with the names of proprietors, editors, and managers of Ministerial journals, who have in this manner been rewarded for the many great services they have rendered the party. Our esteemed friend, Captain William Jackson Barry, is once again in Dunedin. He brings with him the skeleton of a whale not the one on which he sailed the ocean blue some thirty years ago, but a lineal de» scendent of that now historic auimal — which hearing that Captain Barry was on a visit to Nelson, resolved to interview the mighty traveller and got stranded on the beach while endeavouring to accomplish its purpose. The whale in question was the chief of all its race, measuring 75 feet in length, and having an anatomy consisting of 780 bones, to'^ gether with a trifle over eight hundred weight of whalebone hanging to its sucker. Captain Barry has most lovingly preserved the deceased animal, jointed its bones together, true to^nature, in a manner that only an old Avhaler knows how, and as soon as he can obtain a suitable building in Dunedin, he will' exhibit the whale, at the same time giving an exhaustive description of the whole family. Captain Barry also brings with him a small table, which he will place in the whale's mouth, and two immense pumpkins to exhibit to the bumpkins who patronise his show. It is on the cards that the Captain will shortly re-enter the married state j overtures haying been made to him by a distinguished Maori chiaf to take his sister (a one-eyed damsel) for better, for worse. As a marriage portion, the Captain will receive 300 acres of agricultural and 1000 acres iof pastoral land, and one or two property leases. — Herald. Contrasted with the rowdy conduct of the English "rough," the treatment of the Salvationists by the New Zealand " larrikin "is mild and gentlemanly. Here ia a specimen of the pure unadulterated Home made ruffianism, as described by the Exeter correspondent of the Pall Mall Gazette. The Skeleton Army riots at Honiton on Sunday and Monday prove on investigation to have been worse than was at first reported . In the courso of the disturbance on Sunday an attempt was made to force • Captain ' Lomas into the coffin which was carried in the rankß of the 'Skeletons.' He, however, successfully resisted, and tho coffin was subsequently smashed over the heads of' some of the Salvationists. The windows of several tradesmen's shops have been broken by the volleys of stones thrown, and in some cases goods in the windows have been destroyed. One Salvationist had his face dreadfully disfigured by a brick which was thrown at him. Mrs Lomas is still suffering severely from the brutal kicking she received. On Monday night, after the Salvationists had struggled through the mob to their hall to the "tea," they were kept in the building till long after midnight by a howling mob two or three thousand strong. These first directed their attention to the windows, which were soon smashed, and the Salvationists then barricaded them with forms so to keep out the stones. An attack was then made on the doors, a sledge-ham-being employed f r the purpose. A hole was ultimately made, and the Salvationists had to barricade the door also to keep out the mob. Volleys of stones were then directed on the roof of the building, part of the wall near being pulled down to supply material. The mob gradually died away, and the imprisoned people then made their way to the houses of various friends to pass the night."

The Channel Tunnel, ao far as the work on the French Coast is concerned, is abandoned. It is said that the boring machine is to be forwarded to Paria. The Fire Brigade having completed their new watch-house, over the bell in Ridgway Street, will hold a trial of the new telephone apparatus this evening. The tower should prove of great eervice, and the result of the trial will bo watched with interest. The arrangements for the coming ball of the Naval Brigade are waxing apace, and the affair promises to bo a great success. Wo learn that up to the present over 300 invitations have been issued, and everything looks well for a pleasant time. Tho Indian census returns {says the Pioneer) Bhow an aggregate of over 3000 professional acrobats in the North-West Provinces and Oudb. There are 1100 acton, 3000 ballet singers, 146 curers by incantations, 13H gamblers, 97 snake charmers, 60 match makers, 4 poets,. 10,000 singers and dancers, 4 storytellers, and 7 thieves. : Mr C J. Johnston has tabled a notice in the House that on the 18th prox. he will move for the appointment of a select committee for the purpose of enquiring whether prison labor can, with advantage to the State, be employed in the manufacture of New Zealand flax for export, the committee to report within a month. There were very large attendances at St. Mary's Church yesterday, at which aolemn high mass was celebrated by the Rev. Father Cjirew, who has been appointed to the Manawatu district. The proceedings were very impressive, two excellent sermons being preached by His Lordship Bishop Redwood, who was present, as were also the Key Fathers Kirk and Soulas. For heavy weights the Hickey family, of Mason County, IU., make quite a respectable showing. The father weighs 4801 b, the mother 286 ; eldest daughter, 307 ; second, 275 ; third, 260 ; first son, 220 ; second,2o2 ; third, 260; fourth, 177. Mr Hickey had two sister*, the elder weighing 310 pounds, and the younger 270. The average weight of the family is 2771 b, and all are living. A Wellington paper states that Sir George Grey h»s presented to the Wellington Botanical Gardens some valuable plants and seeds from his domain at Kaw*u, and haa also lodged in the Museum a small sample of olive oil, being the first ever made in New Zealand. His grove of olives, thirteen acres in extent, was planted in 1866, and the trees have now commenced to bear fruit. A clever capture of smuggle! s has just been made at the month of the river Yealm, near Plymouth. A French lugger.on putting into the creek, was boarded by Customs officers, and, in consequence of the recent explosive scare, was critically overhauled. In the hold were found two large casks, one full of brandy and the other full of tobacco, together of the value of over £100. Both Were seized, and the captain will be prosecuted. A flubacription^list is in circulation in the town for the purpose of relieving Mrs Levy and her children, who are left totally de«titute by the conviction of Mr Levy. As justice has now been fully meted out, it is to be hoped the public will not withhold their support from those who are deserving of it. The list is in the hands of Mr Timms, who will be pleased to receive any sums which may be contributed. It is officially notified that from the . 19th inst. the pay of writers appointed in, the Department of Trade and Customs will be at the following rates :— Eight shillingi per day for six days in the week, with increase each year after the first year of sixpence per day, to a maximum of twelve shillings per day. The regulations are unaltered in all other respects, and remain in force* According to the correspondent of the Lyttleton Times in Wellington, the question of Separation is now beginning to assume a tangible form, and for it there is a certain amount of whipping going on. At present it is too soon to say much that is definite on this head, but the reigning idea seems to be that either the eeat of Government must be moved to Christchurch or that two centres of Government, one for each Island will have to be established. Professor Sample, who returned to town on Saturday from New Plymouth, Hawera, and Waverley, where he has had a very successful time, gave one of his amusing lectures in Mr F. R. Jackson's sale yards on Saturday night, at which there was a large attendance. This morning he held one of his classes in the same place, when there were a number of his old pupils rammed their acquaintance with the popular pro* fessor, and he was visited by a number of new students in the art of humane horse* training. An esteemed correspondent writes to the Post s— " There are three remarkable groups of Bpots on the sun to-day — one on the left, just going off; the second in the centre, composed of a number of small spots ; (this group is just visible to the naked eye) j the third entering upon the disc, composed of two large spots and many smaller ones; (this group is plainly visible). If this group be ' watched from day to day, the rotation of the sun will be observed easily. We may soon look, aa this group (for it is a very remarkable one) becomes central, for auroras and for magnetic disturbances. ■ The Saturday Review says :—": — " There is at present under discussion, and there will in all probability be shortly submitted to the public a plan for constructing anew canal to the Red Sea by an entirely original line— namely, the Valley of the Jordan, the depression of the Dead Sea, and the Wady Arabah. Now that we are prepared to cut through Panama, to flood half Algeria, and to make a waterway to the very doors of the Manchester factories, we are in a measure prepared for a project which will convert Palestine into a peninsula like Denmark, and will, for the good of trade, sweep away for ever certain ' ancient monuments ' hitherto deemed worthy of respect." In an article on the annexation proposals, the Age says :— . . t Nor let our demand for annexation in the interests of the natives and for the spread of Christanity, and the promotion of commerce not be confined to annexation of New Guinea and the New Hebrides,but extended to the Solomon Group, to New Britain and New Ireland, as well as to other islands, not under the dominion of any other power, within easy reach of the great continental island of Australia. That is what Victoria, in common with the rest of the Australian colonies, claims, and Her Majesty's should be given to understand at the earliest moment that they will be satisfied with no less. In connection with what we (Post) wrote last night regarding the rapid transmission of the Colonial Treasurer's Statement to all parts of the colony, the following information regarding other exceptional telegraphic feats in New Ze 'land will probably be read with interest : — The Financial Statement of last year, containing 9250 words was sent from here to Blenheim on two wires by Messrs Halliday and Talbot at the rate of 37 words per minute. On the occasion of the arrival of the Hon Mr Bryce, from Alexandra, at New Plymouth, a short time since, 3000 words were sent from New Plymouth to Wellington by Mr Kivell, a Weilington operator temporarily stationed at New Plymouth, at the rate of 42 words per minute, Mr Murray, of this office, being the receiving operator. Both these performances reflect tho very highest credit on the officers concerned, but it should be borae in mind that in comparing this work, the matter con* tamed in Financial Statements is much heavier, from an operator's point of view, than that of ordinary newspaper reports. We are in receipt of the first volume of a new periodical, " Tho New Zealand Educational and Literary Monthly," issued from the establishment of Mr James Horsburgh, bookseller and stationer, Dunedin. It is a compact little production of 24 pages ; well printed ; and is in every way creditably got up. The articles are above the average of such a magazine, thtre being none of the dull, dry reading of the ordinary educational magazine, and a glance at the list of contributors, even in the first issue, is sufficient guarantee as to the future tone of the reading matter. One of the prominent articles in the number under notice is one "How to teach geography " from the pen of Mr Robert Stout, a concise but exhaustive treatise, which all teachers would do well to study. We nave no doubt the new Monthly will prove popular ani useful to all claases of the oommumty;