THE SCREW PUT DOWN ON WELLINGTON.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1669, 24 June 1875, Page 2

THE SCREW PUT DOWN ON WELLINGTON.

THE POST ON THE SITUATION,

(From our own Correspondent.)

BY TELEGRAM THIS DAY.

THE CASE- OF AUCKLAND.

In • its issue of last night, the Post, in a leader re the capitation, says : —"For some time past the people have been watching with amazement the proceßdints of the General Government, in trying to embarass the Provincial Government of Auckiand in every possible manner so as to reduce the province to a state of absolute beggary. In many quarters this action has been ascribed to motives of personal hostility towards Sir George Grey as Superintendent of Auckland. We believe a grave injustice has been done to the members of the General Government in ascribing such a motive to them ; their action has been based on a much deeper foundation ; it has been the legitimate development of a settled policy—one which we suppose they may fairly term;their colonial policy. The aim of this policy is to ruin certain Provincial Governments, and reduce certain provinces to such a state of destitution as to justify their being held up to the public gaze as dreadful examples. The process is just to beggar the province by every possible means, and then abolish it because it won't do what it has been deprived of the means of doing. Inveniam viam auk faciam has long been the Premier's motto, and now no doubt under his suggestion the Ministry acting on it in this matter of abolition, not finding a way to justify the destruction of the provinces, they are doing their best to make one. Its proceedings in the case of Auckland have been regarded with amazement throughout the colony, and this feeling will certainly not be lessened when we announce that the same j)olicy is now being initiated in regard to Wellington.

THE POSITION OF WELLINGTON,

Heretofore it has been the custom of the Colonial Treasury to account to the provinces monthly for their share of the capitation allowance. Wellingtons never having been extravagant in borrowing, has always had a mouthiy balance of about £1000 coming to it out of the capitation grant. No return has been received, or payment made from the Colonial to the Provincial Treasury since March lust. Our Provincial authorities a few days ago, enquiring, as Artemus Ward would put it, why this was thus ? A reply was received that the Coloniul Treasury was making up charges against the province for interest on the Hutt railway line, and that these would absorb the whole capitation capital, and probably for May and June likewise. This is exactly a repetition of the little game played in the case of Auckland, but ifc is even more flagrantly unjust in the case of this pioviuce.

THE BUTT RAILWAY.

Our readers will understand why, when we relate the following facts : This eight miles of railway which was originally con* tracted for £39,010, but which through the gross mismanagement of the Public Works Department, cost £49,713, and is after all a mere toy railway was, when nearly completed, offered to the Provincial Government to work on certain terms, and these were at once accepted. Then the Minister of Public Works altered the terms, making them much harder ; but still the Provincial Government was willing to accept the responsibility of working the line. The General Government was evidently anxious to induce a refusal, but as they could nob get one, they thought it would be bettor to keep the line in their own hands until a second section was completed. The Provincial authorities assented, and the General Government has worked, the line. . / PASSMORE SITS ON IT.

How they have done it Post readers know well. Our columns have fcee.med with complaints of its miemauageuoent. It has been conducted in such a manner as to drive business away and make the railway litfcle less than accessible. The Provincial .Government has remonstrated, the public has complained, the press has protested all in vain. The mismanagement has been so gross that more than once the opinion has found expression that it was intentional, and that the Government was above all things anxious that the line should not pay. This •seems now to have been really the case. The General Government was working it, as now appears at the cost of the province. The line waa opened on tbe 14th April, 1874, and for a year's working, a loss of £3000 at least , appears to have been made. "What cares the General Government ? The province has to pay, and enforcing payment by the stoppage of three months' capitation allowances gives a fresh turn of the screw, which it is desirable should be applied to the provinces, so as to reduce them to the condition of justifying their being swept away. YOU PAY, I SPEND ! We have heard Mr. Vogel latterly wax eloquent over the pernicious and false principle of« one government raising money for another to spend. Is it not, we ask, a more pernicious system and a more false species of finance, that* one Government and people, who have to pay the cost and bear the loss 4 .should he deprived of all control ? If the province had taken. ovter the railway and made a loss, then the deficiency would fairly have been its liability, but as the General Government insisted on continuing the line under its own control, surely it should have worked it at its own risks. Had the line been properly managed, with due regard to the wants and requirements of the public, and without Mr Passmore's interference, we believe it would have yielded a handsome profit instead of making a loss. Is it not a misuse of language to talk of the railway scheme being a colonial one after the present experience of it. If these railways are a part of the great colonial scheme of works, ought not the charges be borne by the colony and not by the provinces. If the railways are to be worked at a loss, how is the colony to meet its liabilities ? The only justification of our plunging into debt is that ' the money is being expended in re-productive works. The experience of Auckland and Wellington shews that the railways are being worked at a loss, and that interest on the cost has to come out of taxation. If this be the case, how is the colony ever to meet the interest on the enormous loans it has contracted ? FISH AND FLESH. We have often alluded to the favoritism shewn to Hawkes' Bay. The Superintendent of that province has just ex-plained-its financial condition and prospects, but we do not find that he included any liability to the colony for interest on the cost of the Hawkes Bay railways. Has not that province been served in the same way as Auckland and Wellington. It is scarcely

probable that the Hawkes Bay lines under Mr Passmore's control pay interest and working expenses any mora than do the Wellington and Auckland lines Mr Ormond, however, is a General Government supporter, and Sir George Grey and Mr Fitzherhert are not. The treatment which the provinces receive from the General Government depends, it stem?, very much on the side on which their representatives vote. Mr Ormond ia willing to be officially and provincially abolished. The high stomachs of Sir George Grey and Mr Fitzherhert revolt at such a proceeding, and accordingly a course of starvation must be enforced to bring them into astute proper for humiliation and abasement. This is the. way in which the colony is now governed. This ia the manner in which its affairs now are administered.

We have received a letter from a correspondent signing himself as "Old Identity" making reference to Dr Pollen's former position " as a brickmaker at the Whau" and being "invariably summoned before Captain Beckham by the boatmen he employed to bring the Jarjcfce to Auckland," But we cannot see how the discussion of the subject would be for edification. It would perhaps be more pertinent if our correspondent referred to the fact that the Colonial Secretary is on the list of defaulters in the matter of the Fducation rate, and that he would be brought before Captain Beckham along with the rest of the defaulters, if it was not a case of fish of one and flesh of another.

In another column appears a letter having reference to the now sufficiently notorious Engineer Militia corps in Waikato. We think our readers are pretty well sickened of this subject, and it is not our intention t* inflict any more letters on them referring to this arm of the service. The exposures already made have not been without effect, and we feel that wronsrs are not all righted in that department. The names mentioned in oar correspondent's letter we have taken the liberty of-^rasing, as it is not individuals but the system which condones these proceedings thab deserves jpublic opprobrium. We believe that in connection wibh these matters we have done our share of public duty, and wo may fairly retire from their further dis-

cussion

Two inquests were held yesterday at the Whau Lunatic Aeylum before Dr. Goldsbro', Coroner ; the first on John Lewes, a labourer, admitted on the 24th March last, and the other on John Townsend, a baker, admitted on the 4th September of last year. The verdict in hoth cases was " Death from natural causes."

The second of the winter course of lectures in connection with the Young Men's Christian Association will bo fjiven to-morrow evening hy tho Rev. K. S. Hassard, Incumbent of St. Matthew's parish. The subject is ona of much intercut, namely, tho "Customs and Tr&riitions of Palestine." We may mention that the lecture will commence precisely at half-past seven, as on the last occasion a considerable disturbance was created by persons thumping into tho room after the commencement of the lecture.

The mid-winter distribution of prizes took plane last evening at Mrs Hammond's Ponsonby seminary, in tho presence of a number of ladies and •gentlemen. Some pretty pieces of music were effectively rendered by the pupil", and a duet elicited much commendation. The siDgina: and drawing formed a leading feature, and a pair of large wateroolor landscapes were greatly admired. Dancins was subsequently kept up until eleven o'clock, and every one present evinced tho kindliest feelings.

The £2000 required for the erection of a memorial .statue of T)r Livingstone in Glasgow have been subscribed in sums varying from 10s to £5, which was the maximum limit: A shooting match took place yesterday at Elleralie Gardens, which caused no little interest. Owing to the unpropitious state of the weather the whole of the members did not put in an appeaVance, and it wi:s at first decided to postpone the match until Saturday. However, at the appointed time, two p m., five out of ten members, and a good number of visitors being on the ground, and plenty of birds being provided, a sweepstake was got up by the manager of the Gardens, five members at £1 each. The following is the score :— J. Young, 10111 — 4 ; Wm. Fereusnon, 10100-2 ; W. Wilson, 11100-. 3 ; E. Fergu sob, 001113; G. Smith, 01101 —3.

The Naval Brignde, Engineers, and Nos. 2 and 3 Companies will meet for monthly parade this evening in the Market, at halfpast seven o'clock.

The riddle which Mr. JWifcheford propounded in connection with his 3s. Oi. spades and the ten million loan has, by a printer's error, been made to read as if the spades were only ninepenny ones. On inspection of the spades wo can assure the public that ij: is surprising how they can be retailed at the price of 3s. 9d., which price should have appeared in the advertisement of the same.

The Rev. T. Norrie, Presbyterian Minister of Papakura and surrounding districts, is at present holding six services at different settlements on Sunday, commencing at Mercer at 8 a.m.

Sir George Grey, who is now at the Thames, on official business, was engaged yesterday consulting with gentlemen interested in mining matters relative to the required alterations in the Gold Mining Districts Act. The conference occupied three hours. His Honor also received deputations relative to the disputed block sa, awarded to Mr R. Graham, and his Honor promised attention to the claims of those who considered they had sustained loss in connection with the matter.

We have much pleasure in acknowledging receipt from Mr William Kirby, of the following amounts towards the Williamson's Testimonial Fund, as received by him from Mr Palmer, of Mahurangi:—Rev McKinney, Palmer, £2 2s ; Mr. F. Moet, M.P.0., £2 2s ; Mr. H. £2 2s; and Mr George Moore, £1 Is.

Mr D. W. Macffarlane, son of Mr Thomas Macffarlane, who returned to Auckland by the Shooting Star, has during his absence from the city studied the art of lithography in the leadiug Glasgow and London houses. He is now preparad to introduce into the city the new system of chalk and crayon sketching, and a , view of the Newmarket railway station, executed by this process, which has been shewn ua, is really excellent. We hope Mr Macffarlane will succeed in making the art. of which he is thoroughly master, generally popular in Auckland as an aid to business.

The Supreme Oourb this afternoon was occupied with a Nelson bankruptcy case re Bray Brothers. It may noc be generally known that bis Honor Mr Justice Gillies is discharging the office of judge for that province as well as Auckland at present, in consequence of the absence of Judge Richmond.

We notice among those who were present at.the installation of H.8..H. the Prince of Wales as Grand Master of Freemasons under the English Constitution the name of Brother Louis t>. Nathan, P.M., as representing the Waitemata Lodge of this city ; and that of Brother F. B. Whytehead as representing the Prince of Wales. Lodge, Auckland. As noticed in the letter of our London correspondent we had made special arrangements for reporting this interesting ceremony, whch has created a stir not merely in Masonic circles, but throughout Europe. Our Master Mason's report has been duly received, but is too long for publication in the ordinary issue of the Star.' We shall therefore print it in our supplement on Saturday. Masons who desire to secure a number of copies will do well to leave orders at this office before Saturday.

The'half-yearly meeting of the Onehunga branch of the H. A.C.B. Society was held in St. Mary's Hall, Onehunga, on Monday, June 21st, 1875; when the following members were elected officers for the next sixmonths ; President, Bro John McMahon ; vice-Presi-dent, Bro. John Farrell; Secretary, Bro. Charles Lucas; Warden, Bro. P. Paul; Treasurer, Bro. Antonie O'Caglan ; Guardian, Bro. John Davis. When the late President, Bro. Heenan, had passed to the chair of past-President, it was proposed and carried that the branch celebrate their anniversary by a soiree, to take place in the beginning of August. Several small accounts were passed and ordered to be paid.

Counterfeit sovereigns hare made their appearance aad tradesmen must therefore be cautious in dealing with those coins. One was phased on" MVssrs Fleming and Stevenson, of Onehunga, last night, and the fraud was not discovered till this morning. The coin was a very good counterfeit, one side being the "exact counterpart of an ordinary sovereign, but on the other 'side, the word "Hanover" went right round the St. George and the draeon, and the latter had three heads. Counterfeiting has been attemp ed to a great extent in the South, and it looks as if the " smashers " had extended their enterprise to this province.

The people of Onehnnga are to have a treat. Th-» Templar Fraternity there have induced Mr W. E. Turner, of San Francisco, to a<l dross a public meeting on Tuesday next in the Choral Hall. Besides besides being a thorough temperance man, Mr Turner has the reputation of being a most entertaining speaker. The price of admission is—nothing! Our advice to Onehunga friends is—go and hear him.

The concert by the young ladies of the High School (Mrs Shayle George) under the direction of Madame Moller will be held this evening. The programme promises many vocal, musical, and literary attractions, and the venture which is for a laudable purpose should meet with cordial tupport.