Western Star AND WALLACE COUNTY GAZETTE. PUBLISHED Every Tuesday and Friday FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1911 CHRISTMAS CREETINGS

Western Star, 22 December 1911, Page 2

Western Star AND WALLACE COUNTY GAZETTE. PUBLISHED Every Tuesday and Friday FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1911 CHRISTMAS CREETINGS

Teuipus lugi t—lime llitw. Thu oWw one grows tUo quxe ex does Ourxsiuiiii smm to come routta. xxone tno mss is it wemoiue, ii oxily lor trie ogporumuy xt auoros xor reunions, au.iui intercourse, and u bxiei respite iruiu uie ourly-ouriy of active pursjua. ynnstmus brings up miu.;, reeeiieeUuxis, humorous, picturesque, and pauicUe, i-or Humor ona goes to mcneus, iur picturesquenesa to Uopugo —Riot, uinl tor patuod to Thac-o----j u youth it xa a period oi great joy, uad to she world u recalls die immortal message not yet uni versa.ly i«. eepted —’Douce on earth ; goodwill .0

all men.” in the Old Laud it ia a tome wJieu warmed with uie Maze oi the i uie loga on thy hearth, die family gathers round "ye boar’s head ana other appetising viands, iJ< xe in New Zealand it is supposed that we should experience polarity lin tno temj oral,ure to that prevailing in tho Motherland, but present weather conditions are not too satisfactory. Wo can only express the hope that l(!;o holidays will be characterised by glorious sunshine, so that all might) enjoy what each is looking for—a pleasant outing. With the exception oi tho war in Tripoli, the world is practically at peace, but the matter

of the substitution of arbitration for war as a means of settling international disputes is as yet only in the academic stage. At the same time, bo it s;.ucl, that the nations have commenced to think, and every decade secs the growth of sentiment against the bloody arbitrament oi the sword. As Charles Mackay sings— Cannon bails may aid the truth, Hut thought's a weapon stronger; We ll win oux battle by its aid ; Wait a little longer. At the present time New Zealand is

enjoying a period of pros{>erily and general contcniJuionl. We have very many tilings for which to bo thaimful. There is not tho grinding poverty to Lo found in tho countries, while opportunities abound for 'the strong and reliant lo ma l e tho best of their lives. May it always continue .so. Many there are, no doubt, whose place can bcv e r be tilled at any earthly gathering. They have cros ed the ‘’great divide” and passed into the vest unknown, but they are not forgotten. Though in

many cases the crops arc not as forward us could bo desired, there i,s every prospect of an abundant yield, while prices, on tho whole ar>i well up to the average. With tho absence of any depression, money fairly pica tifnl. and business good, from a nia- i ferial point of v io w . few should i 9 I unable to enjoy what wa new wjdi one and al!--A -MERRY CHRISTMAS !

WIDOWS’ PENSION'S This beneficent piece of legislation jjlncotl upon t he Stki tutu Rook la-S session < T Parliament provider for the grant of pensions to widows baving young children dependent upon Uw'ta. I I (> Act comes into operation on the ( r<t» of January next, and D o (|iialihcn Dona an: : —Tile widow must he a v sidoni ol New Zealand, < f (sober habits, and good moral 'h.ir- ■ a'd er . Application has to be made to | (he Registrar of Old Ago Pensions, j and, i/ granted by tho Magistrate, Dm pension shallhe payable at the following ratios If the widow has lone child, twelve pounds a year ; two children, ei eh teen pounds n, year three [ children, ( weniv-loiir ; and four ren thirty pounds a year. Pensions are paid only in respect of children! pot o'er fmon years of ago. TV I Act does not sfpdy to a,ny child ovee

loiirteon, to any illegitimate child unless U-g timutod ty the subsequent nun iabe oi the parents, to any an opt cd ciiiui, to any ciuia ooni out oi .sew Zealand, or to any child born in New Zealand unless its mother mis been resilient m the Doymiuon ior not less than six mouths odore i is birth. j. tie Act does not ajpply to aliens nor to Chinese or other Asiatics, whether naturalised or not, and wm tUer British subjects by birth or not' The recipient of a pension is entitled to earn one hundred pounds a year, but deductions are maue Irom the pension if a widow is in receipt o' any income from property. No widow shall Do entitled tla a pension if siio hu.s at any time, whether before or utter the coming into operation of Hue Act, deprived herself directly or indirectly of property or income in order to qualify tor a pension or in order to increase the pension to which «he would otherwise be entitled. Tensions arc to be payable monthly through the post ohicu. It will bo noted that pensions are only payable to widows witn children under the prescribed age. There are seven thousand live hundred widows m Now Zealand, and the Act should bo iho ii,oaiis of enabling many a struggling woman in the Dominion to do greater justice to her plisprinjr

SUMMER TRAINS It is sincerely to bo hoped that the agitation lor a summer'tram service between Invercargill and Riverton uur mg the summer months will result in the Railway Department! making iu. experiment. What is icqtnred is a train limed to reach Invercargill at tivo minutes'to nine in the morning, and leave Invercargill about tbn past live. This would suit many business men who would probably Ulac up their residence in Riverton, which, as the .Southland Times truly reiHf.iraed, ‘ is certainly the most pop alar watering place in Southland." ijiifortuaately, too existing train arrangements, irom a visitor s point of view, are most unsatisfactory. Of course, in the running pi the ordinary trains, outlying places have to bo considered, and it may bo, as the Trallic Manager remarked when replying to the deputation of gill gentlemen arranged by Mr dames Hunter, that the solution of the difficulty would be the running of a special train during the time mentioned. Perhaps this would bo the tietter course, and if the season is favourable in so far as weather conditions arc oonoernod, we see no reason why the proposed special train would not Pay. In any case it is well worth a trial, in order to ascertain what tiie support would be. In In-

vercurgill Mr Hunter promoted a petition in favor of the- proposal, and locally thd Mayor had one signed and duly transmitted on,Wednesday. Iti the course 0 { a few days the Department’s decision should be made known, and if it Is favorable it is to be hoped that Invercargill people will do their beat towards patronising it, that it may become an an annual thing.