TOWN EDITION. The Daily Telegraph THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1881.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3181, 8 September 1881, Page 2

TOWN EDITION. The Daily Telegraph THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1881.

The scornful manner in which Sir Julius Vogel referred in his suppressed letter to the unstatesmanlike proceeding of the Government in having decreased the pay of their officers at a time when everybody alike was sufferiug from the hardness of the times was certainly a shaft that pierced the thin mail of (the Ministerial amour propre. But it must have been still more humiliating to have had to have confessed, as they did on Tuesday nigbt, that no less than 120 Government officers bad been compelled last year to let their life policies in the Insurance Department lapse. It was a pitiful confession to make. The hard and fast rule of a ten per cent, reduction on all salaries was mercilessly carried out with the above deplorable result, and to all outward appearance tne Government are not ashamed of having been the instruments of such revenge for being .forced to retrench. But Ministers had no one to thank but themselves for the attitude assumed by the House when economy of administration was insisted upon. They, had thoroughly impressed the country with the belief that the colony was on the verge of bankruptcy: but, ha*ing created the alarm, they proposed nothing to avert the disaster. Economy with them was not to decrease the expenses of government, nor to put a stop to an extravagant system of administration. They did not intend to pay off debts by savings from economy ; all they thought of was to stop public works, so as to spin out the balance of the loan till the time had expired when a fresh application could be made to the London money lenders. That was Major Atkinson's notion of what sound finance meant, together with a little shuffling of the accounts — a sort of robbing Peter to pay Paul —to make the figures look somewhat more reasonable. After the alarming picture that the Government had drawn of the financial condition of the colony, the proposals to remedy the existiog state of affairs looked not only like trifling with an apparent crisis, but they showed an incapacity to grapple with an immediate danger. It was then that the House demanded the amendment of the estimates to at least an extent of a quarter of a million. And it was thus that the phantom conjured up by the Government did good, as it forced Ministers into a course they otherwise would never have taken. But they had their revenge. Angered beyond measure at what they had brought upon themselves, they turned upon the civil servants, and with a stroke of the pen cut down their salaries abeolutely regardless of the effect such a cruel act would have. And now the panic has passed away, and the salaries are to be restored to their former amounts; but the year of etint has left its mark. The bare fact that one hundred and twenty officers had in those twelve months to surrender their life assurance policies tells its own tale. The provision for the widow and children when the breadwinner has gone is not abandoned without a struggle. The little luxuries would be dispensed with one by one rather than that the policy should be allowed to lapse. For the policy represents the savings of the holder, and it would only be dire necessity that would compel him to throw it away. In speaking of the civil servants as a body we are speaking of poor people—people who are obliged to keep up some sort of appearance, to look outwardly well clothed and fairly fedpeople who from their poor salaries can cave nothing, who cannot but help living up to the very last penny of their incomes. We are not spakiog of the few who have secured the rich prizes of the public service. The great bulk of the civil servants have to manage to support themselves and their families upon incomes varying from £100 to £200 a year. These are the people who suffered by the ten per cent, reduction, and who have had to abandon the hope of leaving some small provision for those who come after them. For the credit of the colony, tor common humanity's sake, it is to be trusted that the House will be moved to make reparation to those who have in the way indicated been robbed of their policies.

Mass will be celebrated by the Rev. E. Eeignier next Sunday at Havelock at 11 a.m. There has been a considerable fall of snow at JEopus and the neighbourhood, the ground being completely covered to the depth of several inches. I'here has been some very cold weather up country lately. A severe smow storm, accompanied by a heavy gale, occurred on Mr Waterhouse's run, Patea road, yesterday. Mr John Sheehan, M.H.R., is on his way to Napier overland from Wellington, and may be expected here this evening, should he not break his journey by a stay at Masterton. Mr 0. D. Kennedy, engineer for the County, returned from hie inspection of the Kuripapaaga bridge to-day. The bridge is now completed, but there remains a fortnight'e work before the approaches will be finished. Everybody is complaining of dullness of trade, and to judge by the empty apDearance of the streets there cannot be much business doing. The same absenoe of briskness has always been observable at this time of year, and does not betoken any falling-off of trade. Mr Stewart the civil engineer of Auckland who was consulted with respect to Sr R. Lamb's extension water eupply scheme in his letter to the Corporation states that the fee for his report will be one per cent.-, on the cost of the works. The estimated" cost is £10.000, so that Mr Stewart's fee will amount to £100, In committing William Ebbett for trial on a charge of rape, the Waipawa Bench of Justices committed themselves by the statement that they considered the charge " proven." They would have shown n better knowledge of the procedure of justice if they had left the proof of the oharge to the jury to whom has been committed the trial of the prisoner. A requisition is being , got up to Captain Russell to stand for Napier at the forthcoming elections. At present it io only understood that Mr Buchanan will come forward as a candidate, but there has been no public announcement to that effect from himself. It is not unlikely that Captain Russell will be nomnated for both the town and the country districts. At the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning Michael Sheilds was charged with drunkenness, and not putting in an appearance his bail was estreated. William Thomas, oharged with the same offence, was fined 5s and oosts or 48 hours. John Moore was charged under the Vagrancy Act with being illegally on the premises of the Rev. De Berdt Hovell, he pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to one month'e imprisonment with hard labor. We think some better arrangement should be made than at present exists for the early publication of the weather forecasts by Captain Edwin. If these forecasts are of any value at all, they should be made public without any delay. As it is now, Captain Edwin addresses his telegrams to the postmaster at the Spit, who happens to be the meteorological officer, and through him the information filters . to: the newspapers. When will the authorities at Wellington learn that the .Spit is not the town of Napier P ' . '..";., In our advertising oolumns willfbe found the programme for the hortioulturaliahow to be held in the grand stand, Hastings, on October 13th, the second • day of the agricultural show. The society have given £20 worth of prizes, and several persons have given special prizes, for the different classes. This should offer plenty of inducement to exhibitors, and we hope to see a good show. Mr Henry Lascelles the secretary, has asked ub to state that he will be glad to receive any further special prizesfrom any who may be disposed to give. In theDietrict Court this morning, before Judge Kenny, the adjourned case Turley v. the Taradale Board of Kiver Conservators came on for hearing. Mr Lascelles appeared for plaintiff, and. Mr Lee, instructed by Mr Sainsbury, appeared for defendants. The claim was for £30 for surveying , and making a plan of the township of Taradale. The defence was (1) tlat the work and materials for which payment was claimed was not done for or supplied to defendant, nor at the request of defendant; (2) no account had been stated between plaintiff and defendant. After hearing the evidence, and counsel on both sides, His Honor reserved judgment until Thursday next. The Pollard Company finished their representation of "The Chimes of Normanby" to a crowded house last night. The opera was received with the same marks of a hearty approval as on previous occasions. To night " H.M.S. Pinafore" will be revived, and the crew will be much the same as when the ship was here on the laet occasion, except that Miss Amy Brooks has become chief of 4he " Queen's Navee." Her representation of this character has been highly landed both in the other colony and in Auckland. To-morrow and Saturday evenings there will be some changes made in the caste, and we may anticipate a most successful termination to this short season. We cannot compliment the Municipal authorities upon the care bestowed in regard to public convenience during the progress of the drainage works. The condition of Tennyson-street is not creditable to the foresight of those responsible for the drawing , up of the specifications of the contract. If a rain storm were to occur in the present state of the street it is impossible to say how much damage to private property would result. The storm water could not get away, and the stores on either side of Hastings-street from the Post Office to the Masonic Hotel would be flooded. It would not haye added to the cost to any appreciable amount if it had been specified that the street formation should proceed side by side with the drainage works. The Napier football team to compete at Waipawa on the 17th instant will be selected from the following players: — Barclay, Price, Hanna, Gibbons, Kennedy F., Kennedy C, St. Hill, Mowbray, Thompson, Whitcombe, Begg, Murray, Dove, Pott, Beamish, Lanauze, and Howie. Owing to Saturday being the opening day of the Sailing Club there will be no practice match on that day, but it is to be hoped that the players named will take every opportunity of practice before the day of the match. Although the Napier men had a comparatively easy victory in the struggle against Waipawa at Clive, it by no means follows that they are going to repeat the victory. We hear that the Waipawa men are practising regularly, and we believe they will prove formidable in the return match. A scheme is being talked of for the formation of a limited liability company, having for its object the leasing and beautifying of the Town Hall reserve for the purpose of converting it into a public park and recreation ground. It is claimed for this scheme that, if carried out, it would be the means of keeping and bringing into the town very considerable sums of money that are now spent in the country on holiday occasions. The area of the reserve—six acres—is considered sufficient for cricket or football matches, and Caledonian sports, while leaving abundance of room for tree planting. A small reserveadjoining.belonging to the Harbor Board, could, it is thought, be also acquired on lease, and thus put the question cf space beyond dispute. It is believed that £500 would be ample capital to make all the required improvements, and give the town an excellent pleasure ground.

The Pollard Juvenile Company in " H. 11.5. Pinafore " to-night at 8. Mr E. Lyndon -will sell to-morrow drapery, clothing, ironmongery, &c., in the estate of John Nicholson, at 11 a.m. A special coach will leave town for the soiree at Taratlale this evening at 5.15. Tenders for the splitting and delivery of posts up the Akitio river must be sent in by to-momm at noon. '

A meeting pf persons interested in the formation of aForestei-s , Court at Hastings mil be held at Beecroft's Hotel on the 10th instant. Messrs Monteith and Co. will sell tomorrow 300 sacks of oats, at 2 p.m. Also ou Saturday horses, produce, &c. A meeting of the Gaiety Amateur Dramatic Club will be held at the Working Men's Club to-morrow evening. The quarterly meeting of St. John's . Branch, H. A.C.8.5,, will be held on the 14th v instant. Mr W. Miles notifies that he will not be responsible for debts contracted by John Whelan, on account of Miles and Whelan, fcfter this date. is proposed to open a school afc Hastings for bays xip to 14 years of age. MeeUng of the Temperance Mutual Improvement Society to-night at 8. Mr Fuller, blind manufacturer, has jusfc received Californian blind laths. A chestnut horse has been impounded at Farndon. Mr Pell, agent of brig Ware, from Dunedin, requests consignees to pass entries and pay freight without delay. The programme and conditions of the horticultural show, which is to be held in the grand stand, Hastings, on the second day of the Agricultural and Pastoral Society's show, is inserted. \ : '; ' The Municipal Engineer invites tenders for No. 7 contract of the eewerage works. Tenders close on the 19th instant. ** A number of new advertisements will be found in our " Wanted " column.