A Minister.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, 25 April 1891, Page 2

A Minister.

.«. — . — The Civil servants have lately formed an association so that matters requiring attention may be brought under the notice of the Ministers. The Government approved of the step, and as yet no dire result has followed. Unfortunately for the Civil servants, their association ap, pears powerless against the rash deeds of inexperienced and prejudiced Ministers, and numbers of old and faithful men are being discharged to make room for the friends of those in power. Of course this will not be done in a direct manner, but by the reduction of salaries in one department more money is freed for expenditure in another, so an old servant can be dispensed with, and a new one appointed to a new billet. Such is popular Government. Those who are under the control of Mr J. McKenzie, seem to be particularly unfortunate, as he has ever been rash to make assertions as to the reductions that could be made, and now finds himseh placed to give effect to his wild statements. He dislikes the Civil Service Association, he disliked the idea of it being formed, and actually desired the late Government to " put a stop to it." Mr McKenzie likes power, but does not like others having it, and when the formation of the Civil Service Association was first talked of, he informed the House that he " was led to believe, on very good information, that the officers of the Civil Service were forming themselves into an Association — a sort of Union— to punish certain members at the next election. They were plotting at the present time against members of that House who had been industrious in reducing the estimates." He further said that he could produce a letter which " had passed from one officer to another, Avhich would show that they were at the present time plotting, as public officers, to do everything in their power to punish certain members at the elections." We very much wonder whether Mr J. McKenzie was one of those members, and whether the officers " retrenched " had anything to do with the correspondence between " one officer to another" which the honourable member happened to see ?

Mr E. Barber showed us yesterday some samples of springs which lie has obtained for flax strippers. They are much superior to the colonial manufacture, and have been made by the celebrated Salter of spring balanoes fame. They are half the price and last double the time of those generally in use. The Railway Manager despatched timber and men on Thursday to make some much needed repairs to the railway fences about the town. Messrs Dudson Brothers who have been flax-dressing in Carnarvon are now moving their mill to a site on the Moutoa estate, known as Blackman's point. It is on the bank of the river. Despite the verdict of the jury in the recent Shelly Bay disaster inquiry, Mrs Heighton, wife qf one of the men who lost his life, has Java ah information against Captain Falconer for manslaughter. The case is to be heard on Tuesday next. The same witnesses who gave evidence at the inquest have been subpoen»d for the crimi* nal action. A contemporary says a new variety of fish called " Julius Vogels," because they make headway by leaps and bounds, have appeared at Otago Heads. They are a peculiar flying fish, in shape and size something like a trevalli, with the wings set on underneath and folding into a recess in the belly. Mr Dearlove has bought the property formerly owned by Mr Potter at Mangatainoko, say the Examine}'. Mr Dearlove will be a great assistance to the local athletic societies as he has been a champion athlete in the home country and will doubtless oontinua his interest in athletics. The Timaru Herald says : — " It is simply abominable that the Government should deal with the Edwards case as they are doing. Their predecessors may have acted badly, and we have no disposition to defend them, but what is being done now is infinitely worse than anything which was dreamt of by the Atkinson Ministry. The whole affair is a wretched scandal, and the Italian ce party must now be held fully responsible for it." Marriage in these cases cannot have been found a failure. The Philadelphia Ledger announces the engagement of Milton Brown, aged 84 years, of Annerton (Ont.), to Mrs Margaret Clickert, 97 years old, of the same place. The groom has buried four wives, and the bride mourns tho loss •f five husbands.

We find that in mentioning the assistants at the last bazaar the names of Mesdames Jonson and W. Small and Miss Baker were unintentionally omitted. These ladies worked as hard as those who were in charge of stalls, and are to be credited with their share in the successful result. For shooting quail out of season, a man was fined in the E.M. Court £10, and £3 10s costs at Napier. Sir Eobert Stout has, says the Post, been retained by Mr Yogel, counsel for the convict Aldridge, to conduct the proceedings instituted to test the validity of Mr Justice Edwards' appointment. Mr Chapman will appear for his Honour. The negotiations which have been going on since the conference of the representatives of the frozen meat trade, held the other day in Wellington, have, (says the N.Z. Times) concluded in an amicable settlement of the freight question. The shipping companies have agreed to a reduction of the freight to a penny ; all existing contracts to be completed on their present basis. This means that after January next the freight on frozen meat will be a penny a pound. In other words, taking the export at a million and a half carcases, the shipping companies give up about £100,000 a year. The Mercury states that Mr E. K. Simpson, the local officer under the Stock Department, has received notice that his services will be dispensed with at the end of the month. We understand that Mr James Oliver is I likely soon to be out in the Colony again, and that he will take up his permanent residence at Okaua. We hear that there is now a son and heir to be studied, so that Mrs Oliver does not leave with her husband, but will follow on in a few month's time. The lad Thomas Bridge, for attempting to burn down a house, was sentenced at Palmerston on Thursday to six strokes with a birch rod, and, on the application of the father, was sent to the Burnham Industrial School for three years. Eussia likes trouble, She now is purchasing a million rifles in Austria ! Mr Christian Honore has decided to erect a comfortable and neat six-roomed house for himself, at Norbiton, close to where Mr Abraham Honore lives. A practical and experienced -watchmaker is likely to open in Foxton before long. Mr T. Easton has finished the house in Main-street, and Mr Buchan is installed therein. The house is a decided improvement to the street. A short time ago it was known that Bishop Selwyn laid ill at Norfolk Island, and H M.S. (Mando was despatched to take him to Sydney. It will be sorrowful news to all who are interested in the labours of a noble and disinterested man to learn that on the ship calling there, Bishop Selwyn was too ill to leave the Island. The other day Mr Ehodes, the father of Mr McMillan's partner, paid a visit to this town, the first for 46 years. In the early days he used to trade here, and often met Mr T. U. Cook. Curiously these two old gentleman, not having met all these years, knew each other at once by sight. Both must not only have very good memories, but age cannot have effected very material alterations in tl eir appearance. The Wanganui Herald reports that Mr Brabant, E.M. , has returned to Wanganui, and will resume his duties forthwith. We are very glad to note that the Hot Springs are said to have benefitted his health. He is a most esteemed Magistrate, and his reappearance in Court will be much appreciated. One of onr dealers, says the Herald of Wednesday, made a haul at the sale yards to-day. At Messrs F. E Jackson's and Co's last sheep fair he purchased a line of about a thousand sheep and put them in the yards again to-day, with the result that he cleared £200. At F. R. Jackson &Co's stock sale to-day sheep ruled very high, a pen of 2-tooth ewes bringing 16s (3d each, a price which induced a wag to enquire whether it was cattle or sheep the auctioneer was offering 1 The freezing industry and the local works have made a wonderful difference in the value of store sheep on this coast where they have doubled their value during the last twelve months. Our new contemporary the Mercury has at last appeared, and bids fair to gain a place in the public's favour. It is well printed, well written, and contains some novelties which will be appreciated. The editor evidently is prepared to break away from old beaten tracks. A company owns the property, and have been fortunate in securing Mr C. Wilson as editor and manager. Till quite lately, Mr Wilson edited the Napier Evening News. We note that periodically a column of gossip, somewhat after the style of " Cigarettes " in the Press will appear, and that " Girth " takes up the sporting news. Mr John Stevens is publishing an account of his trip to India in this paper, and it bids fair to be very interesting. Some rumour was abroad that the Mercury was coming out as a strong supporter of Mr Ballance, but in his opening leader the editor disclaims any such purpose, and promises " to earnestly and honestly advocate the interests of the hundreds of settlers in this district, championing their just grievances, valorously defending them against undue burdens." As there appears to be no time than the present, when country settlers need defending, it should be a matter of congratulation that another champion has arisen. We wish the Mercury success whilst ad- i hering to these views, and with the rapid settlement of the back country to Marton, room should be found for both papers, the old and the new. The "Bohemian" in the Advocate rereports that Minnie, the Somnus Mare recently taken to Auckland, slipped her hip while running in Tattereall's Cup. The service at All Saints' Church tomorrow evening will bo at 6.30 instead of 7 o'clock, Mr Stewart, the lay reader, having announoed that hour last Sunday.