Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1880.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 207, 23 October 1880, Page 2

Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1880.

At the meeting of the City Council a fortnight ago it was stated that a letter had been received from the Sydenham Borough Council (Canterhury) asking for information regarding, the salaries paid by the Nelson Council to the officers in its employ. The reply, which was read last night, possesses Boine interest not only to those to whom it is addressed but to the ratepayers of Nelson, and we therefore give a summary of the information contained iv the " list of officers employed by" the Council of the City of Nelson and their respective salaries." The amounts paid to each and the accounts to which they are debited are as follows : — Town Clerk; and Treasurer ; Paid out of

general account, £116 13s 4d ; out of gaswcks account, £116 13s 4d ; out of waterworks account, £116 ]3s 4d. Total salary, £350 —City Surveyor and general manager of public works (including gasworks and waterworks) also Inspector of Hackney Carriages : Paid out of general account, £100 ; out of gasworks account, £100 ; out of waterworks nccouut. £100. Total salary, £300 —Collector of rates : £50 for collect- > ing general rates, and three per cent on gas : and water rates collected, also Inspector of » Nuisances, £50, and Registrar of dogs, £10. Total salary, £275, divided thus : Out of 1 general account, £110; out of gasworks account, £105 ; out of waterworks account, £61.— Assistant Clerk (Town Clerk's Office): r Paid out of geueral account, £40 ; out of gasworks account, £40 ; out of waterworks account, £40. Total salary, £120—Reser- . volr-keeper : Total salary, £125 and house, i paid out of the waterworks account. This makes the total of salaries paid £1170, apj portioned among thn three accounts as follows : -General, £366 13s 41 ; gasworks, £361-139 4d ; waterworks, £441 13a-4d. The total revenue is £10,000, composed of the i following amounts : —General account, [ £4200 ; gasworks, £3800 ; waterworks, £2000 : Two interesting articles on the sheep growing countries of the world and the wheat productions of the colonies will be . found on the fourth page, fe rom the former it appears that among the Australian colonies New Zealand ranks second as a producer of sheep, New South Wales being first with • 24 millions, aud this colony following with 14 millions, or threemillions more than Victoria. As a producer of wheat New Zealau occupies a position which speaks volumes in fa^or of h r capabiliiies f< r this particular branch of agriculture. In 1878, from 264,000 ncres she produced two-thirds of ihe yield from 1,305,000 acres in South Australia, nearly twice as much as New South Wales grew from only 30,000 less acres than were cropped here, and half as much agaiu as Victoria, which had more than two and a half acres sown to New Zealand's one. These figures tend to show how important a position this colony is destined to occupy in the Australasian group, of which she is the youngest member. There will be the regular sitting of the District Court on Monday, the following heiug the business to be transacted : — M. Hamilton v. Lowe, £121, for loss of services through injuries to his son ; It. Hamilton i). Lowe, £150 damages for injuries sustained ; Colonial Bank v Thomas, claim for JE62. The cases will be heard by th ■ Judge alone, no jury having been asked for. ' We understand that Judge Broad has received his commission as Judge of the Westlaud District Court as from Ist November next, and that the Crown Solicitor has been specially commissioned to administer the usual oaths. Sir William Fox delivered a lecture on the history of the English Bible to a largo . audience at the Theatre last night, the chair , being taken by Mr J. H. Cock, the President of the Young Men's Christian Association, under whose auspices the lecture was given. Sir William spoke earnestly aud at some length upon the grave error, as he considered it to be, which was committed in excluding the Bible from our public schools. He regarded it as an insult to the people, an insult to our Christianity, and an insult to Him who had given us that Book. Alluding to the work of the British and Foreign Bible Society, he expressed his surprise at the small interest taken in ifc by the people of Nelson as displayed by the amount of their contributions towards it, which, last year, amounted to £6, while from Wahganui alone they had sent over £50. At the close of the lecture a vote of thanks was, on the motion of the Rev. J. Beckenham, accorded to Sir William by acclamation, in acknowledgiug which he spoke of the pleasure he had derived from his brief visit to Nelson. The Rev Mr Newth who for a short time was Incumbent of All Saints' Church in this town and from here went to Palmerston North, left there for Victoria last week. The Manawatu TimES in noticing his departure says:— '• Although the rev. gentleman had been but a short time in Manawatu, he had won the respect and esteem of mem bcrs of all denominations, and the numbers — outside his own cougregation — who assembled at the station to wish him farewell, was a flattering index of the regard in which he was held. His farewell address was quite in keeping with his action since his iuduction into^All Saints — independent, evincing a desire and determination to do his duty, yet performing it in a temperate and dignified manner which commanded respect. He is gone now, and we trust that his successor, whoever he may be, will be as perfect a gentleman, as zealous a worker, and as true a Christian as he has proved." . The rumour of Sir Julius Vogel's probable return to the colony, says the Auckland Star, is most likely a canard. That a9tute politician will not voluntarily resign £2,000 a year as Loan Agent, the emoluments attaching to the directory of public companies, the thousand and one little pickings, and tbc entree to fashionable society — not if he knows himself — to embark in the toils and vicissitudes of colonial politics. Moreover, our borrowing resources are exhausted, and a man of Sir Julius' peculiar genius would find no scope in the colony, except, perhaps to issue greenbacks. His health is seriously impaired, and it is doubtful whether he could bear the fatigue and worry of a Parliamentary campaign. Lastly, Mr. Seddou's presence in the House is likely to act as a scarecrow.