The Daily Telegraph. THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 1883.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3630, 1 March 1883, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 1883.

The Property-tax Department has pleaded guilty to the charges that might very well have been brought against it of cumbrousnoss and inefficiency. Did Aye wish to show how utterly unjustifiable has been the centralisation of the department at Wellington wo could not produce better evidence than that -which the department itself has furnished. The other day we referred to tho errors and blunders to be found in tho assessment rolls, and we attributed them solely to the fact that tho work was done at Wellington instead of being done in the local centres. The Property-tax Commissioner is evidently of the same way of thinking. A circular addressed to His Worship the Mayor (and we presume a similar .one has been sent to all chairmen of

County Councils unci Road Boards) makes the following confession —" Sir,—As the statements of values proposed by me for the Napier .Borough is now deposited for inspection by the public, you "will no doubt become aware of inaccuracies and defects which, of necessity, must exist in it." We would ask why of necessity should these inaccuracies and defects appear in this statement of values? "We are not aware that they existed at all in last year's statement, for the simple reason there was a local deputy commissioner whose business it was to see that there should be neither inaccuracy nor defect in his work. If there bo—and there most certainly are—errors and blunders, the fault lies with the department which, ' ( of necessity," according to the commissioner, must occur through the inefficiency of the work as done at Wellington. But to make it still plainer that the work of the department cannot be done at Wellington, we will quote further from the circular:—" It is most desirable that errors and omissions, which must inevitably occur in the preparation of such a statement, should be corrected ; and I should be obliged if you would be good enough to cause to be minuted any amendments in names, addresses of persons, or descriptions of properties which you think ought to be made." So, it would seem, that the gratuitous assistance of the Mayor is to be called in on behalf of officers who are paid to do the work. The circular goes on to say: —" It" you would forward me a list of these (amendments), giving me the assessment number of the entry needing revision, requisite alterations could be effected in the valuation roll before it is .supplied to you. Where the assessor has been unable to ascertain who is the owner of land, you possibly may be able to supply the information. I shall be glad to receive your assistance in making the roll as perfect as possible, in order to avoid causing trouble or annoyance to owners of property in the district. ,. We give the department every c.redit for desiring to perform its duty, but it is very evident that it cannot do its work without the best local assistance it can obtain. If it were otherwise this appeal in for nut pm/perU for help would hardly have been made. To the strenuous exertions of the present Government to centre everything at AYt-'llmgtou is the whole cause of the trouble, and unless a determined eiVort is made next session of Parliament to put a stop to the growing evil the colony will find its army of civil servants quadrupled, while the administration of public affairs will drift from a state of confusion into one of chaos.

On Sunday next His Lordship the Bishop of Waiapu "will hold Divine service at Meancc at 11 a.m., Puketapu at 3, and Taradalc at 7 p.m.

A telephone station has been opened at Orinondville in this district, and the oJliee hours are from 9 a.m. till •"> p.m., except Sundays and holidays.

The sum of £2000 that the Corporation raised on the security of the swamp reclaimed section was to-day paid into the borough general account in the Colonial Bank.

Defaulting ratepayers are reminded that it will pay them better to settle at once than to add to their liabilities through the R.M. Court. A batch of some fifty summonses is now being made out in the Town Clerk's office.

The total revenue collected at the Customs, Napier, during the past month of February was, omitting shillings and pence, £2999. and beer duty £191. i'or the corresponding month last year the figures were respectivelj £3888 and £202.

Messrs Eoyse, Stead and Co. have sold to Mr M. X, Miller all their interest in the Turiroa property, Wairoa County, comprising 92G;j acres freehold, etc., with about 20,000 shoe]), and horses, cattle, and plant, at a unusually satisfactory price. Mr John Gemmell still retains his interest as station managing partner of this pi - opertj\

"VVc learn that the Rev. G. E. Sass, who i'or a number of years past has labored amongst the Gmnnn, Danish, and Scandinavian residents of Hawke's Bay, is about to leave this colony on a visit to his native country—Denmark—-and will deliver a farewell address at a meeting to be held tomorrow night in the Lutheran Church at 7.00 o'clock.

Mr P. S. Macdonald, who has been in business at Hastings for the last three years as a tailor and clothier, is about to return to Scotland, and his furniture and effects are to bo sold by MrE. Lyndon to-morrow, on. the premises, at 11 o'clock. Mr Maedonald has been a successful man, and he returns home to remain one of the best sort of emigration agents that this colony possesses in the old country.

We hear that "King" Tawhiao has fallen immensely in the estimation of the Hawke's Bay natives through his general conduct during the "royal progress." When remonstrated with for, or in explanation of, his dissolute habits, his Kingship is reported to have .said that his kingdom was departing - from him, and he was trying- to bring himself down to the level of his jieople. Very complimentary to his people.

Auckland telegrams refer to the dissatisfaction caused by'thc valuations of properties there. Similar complaints are made here. AVc know of one estate in this town of thirty acres in extent, with dwelling-house, «S:c., that is valued at £3700, while an adjoiningproperty of 7{ acres, with house, is valued at £3200. In another case the assessment notice gives a, valuation of £200, while the assessment roll puts the same property down at £700. '

A meeting , of the Committee of the Chamber of Commerce was held last afternoon. With inspect to the proposed new Bankruptcy Bill, Mv'P. S. McLean was requested to bring , up v report cv Monday next to be placed before the committee. It was resolved to request the Government to ullc\y the Chamber to nominate a member or members to represent it at the Napier Haiv bor Board. The Chairman intimated that the Chamber is kept open from 3 to 5 o'clock daily, and members were requested to make use of it.

Very many psoplo will never touch a bank note if they cw 3& s4<*.- We are not surprised at, it, for many of ifc,e bank notes are disgustingly dirty, and rotten ,w£tk age and wear. With fair play, perhaps, the notes would keep cleaner, but as we are informed, it is not uncommon t'orcertaiii classes to put their notes inside then' socks while on the tramp, so the state of the paper can be accounted for. It does not matter to the bank*, «nd the filthy, stuff is apparently kept iv. oii'euhtion till cither lost or ceases to hang- together. A. bank note costs a penny to manufacture.

The ftrst meeting of the present session of the Napier Young Men's Mutual Im-

provement Association takes place this evening in St. Paul's school-room at 8 o'clock, when the programme—a very excellent one, we believe—prepared by the committee for the half session ending June 2Sth will be submitted for approval. A full attendance of members is earnestly requested, and persons desirous of joining the Association are invited to send their names in to the hon. sec, MrT. H. Planna, as early as possible. Judging by the success that attended the meetings of the Association during the 18S2 term the coming session will no doubt be a felicitous one.

Mr F. Maccabc's third appearance in Napier in his monologue entertainment "Begone Dull Care" attracted a very fair audience, although, as the eutcrprencur put it himself, with a degree of reproachful humour in the remark, there was "room for mure." A change of programme is announced for this evening, "which will, doubtless, attract a crowded house. In addition to several new features in charcter, song, story, and ventriloquism, MrMaccabe will to-night appear in his original burlesque ''Mellow Drama," entitled "Villainy Vanquished or Virtue Victorious," in which lie will represent all the characters, changing so rapidly as to produce the effect of a whole company, and indeed, by a ciu-ious contrivance of dress-—designated by the London Times as '' the acme of sartorial surprise " —lie personates two characters at once, remaining the while on the stnge in front of the audience.

The Artillery and Eiflc Volunteers paraded in front of tho Athenuoum at 7.30 last night for Government inspection. There were large musters of both companies. The two corps were divided into four battalions, and, after bring wheeled into lino, were marched to the drill shed, where Major Routledge inspected the men. Roll-call then took place, when ten men from each company were found to be absent. The recruits were then detained at the shed for drill, while the efficient volunteers were marched back to Browning-street, and were separately put through the manual and convpany exercises till !).:)0, when they were dismissed. The officers present were—Artillery, Captain Garner and Liouts. Pell (Adjutant) and Ross; ."Rifles, Captain Blythc. The Garrison Band under Bandmaster Tankard was in attendance, and played several pieces very spiritedly while on the march to and from the drill-shed.

Under the heading " The Borough Overdraft," our morning contemporary, in a subleader, published only ten days ago, said, "With the loan all spent, no more subsidies from the General Government, and increased expenses in connection with the water supply, it will be no easy matter to cany 011 the iichninistT'fition of tlie boroujrli so as to make both ends meet." In this morning's issue our consistent contemporary says, " Cr. Price has renewed his crusade against Mr R. Williams, undaunted by past defeat"*, and has now given notice of motion that Mr Williams be discharged with one month's notice." Cr. Price lias made no crusade against Mr Williams, but as that officer has nothing to do during the year except to value the town—a work that occupies from two to three months—his object is "to make both ends meet" by cutting off an absolutely needless expense—paying an officer to do nothing for nine months in the year.

Country residents requiring patent or proprietary medicines, toilet requisites, fancy goods of any description, stationery, iSrc, will best consult their own interests by calling at Professor Moore's establishment, Waipawa, Avherc there is a large and well assorted stock to choose from. On hand Coutts' acetic acid, the noted cure for rheumatism, neuralgia, and all nervous complaints ; an unfailing remedy requiring outward application only.—[Advt.]

The efficacy of Wolfe's Sciixaits has been spoken and written of, but it is in the individual cures consummated it finds its highest award and surest advocacy. It is palatable, stimulative, and produces marked results.—[Advt.]