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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 47, 24 February 1880, Page 2

The Post, of Saturday, say« : — We mentioned yesterday that the Government ware iteadily maturing a plau of careful retrenchment in various departments of the Civil Service, and that it bad been found practicable in several cases to curtail the expenditure on postal and telegraph offlcts in outlying districts, -where often there art two complete separate establishments, whtn one would fulfil all present requirements. Definite steps have dow been taken to five practical effect to this view in the case of Hokitika, Westport, and Raefton, where the postal and telegraph offices will in future bt combined under one head in each place. Every care is being taken, we understand, by the Government to avoid, so far as possible, inflicting any iajury on the officers whose services in their present capacities are dispensed with by utilising them in other ways, the legislation of last session having, as we have previously pointed out, rendered various new offices necessary — the Property Tax and Registration Acts, for example. A similar amalgamation of offices will be effected wherever it is found practicable, and several other cases are now under consideration of the Government. The special correspondent of tha Lyttelton Times has interviewed Te WhitiatParlhaka. He telegraphs : — " Ta Whiti has na confidence in the present Government, saving that whan Mr Sheehan left the Ministry the Native Office was dead, and that Mr Brvca was «nly a European Minister. In raply to a question which I put by raquest of a Government official, "If tha Govarnor ware to come to Parihaka to saa you, might it hara the effect of facilitating the settlement of this difficulty ?' Te Whiti answered with a mixture of unconcern and irony, ' Tha mana is open to all. If tha Governor choosas to come he will be made welcome the same as other Europaaas.' 1 questioned Ta Whiti with respect to the surveyors, and regarding the Commission. His replies were characterised by perfect indifference. I tken told him that the latter wera to sit at Oeo on Wednesday (to-day), when he said 'Yes, they are doing that for the purpose of catching the Maoris as they return frem Paribaka, as they cannot catch them otherwise.' The •nly portion of our interview during whiah Ta Whiti exhibited suspicion and caution, was when I questioned him with regard to Titokowaru. Hs would not admit tkat Titokownru was at Parihaka, but said that he was keeping out of the way of Government officials. Te Whiti gave me tha impression aven more strongly than on tha occasion of my last visit in August, of being thoroughly in earnest and fully convinced of his own powerß. As well as I could observe, his influence, so far from being on the wane, is on the increase. An abundant supply of food was provided for the visitors, but no intoxicating drink was to be had in the place, and the proceedings were of the most orderly character. I saw Hiroki, who moves fraely about Paribaka. By order of Ta Whiti he does not carry hja arms with, him." j

Will the present Ministry carry out the preposterous promises made to R«wi by hia dear friends Sir George and Mr Sheehan ? An Auckland contemporary states that " at the Public Works Office may be seen the plans and specifications of the residence to be erected at Kihikihi for Rewi, at the expense of the Government. The villa— for to this complexion things hare come at last — will be of handsome proportions. It will contain drawingr-room, parlor, dining-room, suite of bedroom* (4), kitchen, and bath-room. A spacious verandah will run along two sides of th« building, *nd tankage, (800 gallons) is al«o provided, with the water laid on throughout the premises'" As a general rule the p];c!jreß of th« Ministry should ba respected by their successors, but really in this case the rule would be v more honored in the breach than the observance." . A lafge number of Chinamen (says the Imngahua Times) arrived in Reef ton on Friday and Saturday last, as being without water for sluicing purposes they are enjoying an enforced holiday. They disposed of some heavy parcels of gold, but as there is no means of ascertaining the length of time they have Ween hoarding it, or the number of men it had' to be divided amongst, no idea can be formed of the earning^ of each. But a3 they did a good deal «f " shopping/ interspersed with billiard playing, and behaved generally much after the fashion of the moderately "flash digger," it may be presumed that they are in a tolerably comfortable way of business. Persons at all sceptical as to the adaptability of the soil, climate, or surroundings of the Inangahua Valley for the growth of fruit, should pay a visit to the orchard of Mr C. Mindernian, at the Inangahua Junction, (says the Raefton Times). The orchard, though hardly more than five years old, is wonderfully productive. There are apples of numerous varieties and in endless abund ance. The trees are fairly laden with peaches of the size of cricket balls. There are several varieties of pears, which promise to reach the highest perfection, The plums, greengages, nectarines, and other stoned fruits, whether for size, flavor, or abundance, could hardly be excelled in any part of the Colony. HasSel nuts are also growing to great perfection. The tuis, however, are allowed rather too much of their own way just now, while the hands are harvesting, aad are in their particular kind of clover. It has been resolved to hold a carnival at Hokitika in aid of the Irish Belief Fund. The programme will include a procassion hsaded by bands, character costume cricket match, a concert, a fares by the A.C.'s, stump speech, plain and fancy dress ball, &c. In the Lodge, the Marshal is directed to retire to the ante-room to introduce Bill Smithers and Tom Brown, in language something like the following t — " Brother Marshal, you will retire to the ante-room and respectfully inform bis High Mightiness the most Puiisant William Smithers, and his Ineffable Potency that the reverent body awaits tho distinguished honor of their irradiating presence." Then the Marshal goes out and says, "All ready, Bill; come Tom, hurry up." The Saa Francisco Pott, referring to tho legislation of last session, says: — " The New Zealand Parliament has conferred the elective franchise upon all females owning real estate. It has likewise passed a law enabling married women to acquire separate property, enter into trading partnerships ani conduct business apart from their busbands. This is the largett instalment of women's rights yet accorded by any Legislature. It only remains to make husbands responsible for all their wives' debts, whether contracted as sole traders or aa partners in any trading concern, withoat the former's knowledge or consent, to fill the cup of femine rights to overflowing in the " Britain of the South." Harriet Beecher Stowe has made a great deal of money out of her story, " Uncle Tom's Cabin," but not a cen*, from its adap tation for dramatic purposes, although no modern play has been acted a greater number of limes. The Key. Thomas North, a Chicago clergyman, is about, (says the New York Sttn) to start out with a company which will perform the piece exclusively in halls and churches, but never in a theatre. He wrote to Mr* Stowe on the subject, and she replied as follows :— "I am in sympathy with the plan you propose, judging that, if you present it in churches, or rooms otherwise consecrated to religious thought, you will avoid all accessories that would be undesirable." Z>r Duncan, of Chicago, communicates the following to the press:— A man to whom I gave medicine to help him to break off his tobacco habit came in to-day and said: What was that medicine you gave me? It haß taken all my appetite for beer and whiskey. I have no more hankering after beer, than I hare for milk, and not so much ; and as for whiskey and alcohol, it is simply disgusting to me." I have known this man for over twenty-five years, and have no occasion to doubt his word. The remedy is a homoeopathic preparation from nicis v. saach alb. (globe) 20-3 deg zji. I hasten to tell you of this fact, for it is something I have been seeking for years for the benefit of the temperance cause. With it we may control the ante-natal, involuntary hankering for liquors, especially beer. Under such circumstances it is a disease, and should be, and is, amenable to treatment. Mr Spurgeon, preaching at the Metropolitan Tabernacle recently, stated that the discourse he was about to preach, when printed, would complete a series of 1,500, which he had delivered in regular consecutive order from the pulpit, and which had been published week by week.