The Evening Mail. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1877.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 463, 23 October 1877, Page 2

The Evening Mail. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1877.

Amongst the numerous matters that require rectification by the Govern.nent there is one to which we feel it to be our duty to call attention, in the hope that it may not be done in vain. A short time since we notified our readers that in consequence of our advertisements having burst their bounds and encroached upon our reading matter to an alarming extent, we would increase the size of our sheet to that of the Dunedin evening papers. Toe exigencies of the case rendered it necessary that we should lose no time in procuring the additional plant necessary to enable ns to do this, and we accordingly sent a cablegram to Melbourne To our surprise uo notice was taken of our instructions by wire ; paper of the usual size was sent, and the plant wr s i:« t fi.it! coming. A communication, however, demonstrated that t he telegraph authoriti s had blundered nve-r our copper-plate-like caligraphy and substituted the lettvi- " e" for an " 1," by which moans the message was transformed int > absolute nonseuse. Like other philosophers, wo, nothing annoyed at the cireuinstauc •, called .upon t'.e manager of o:ir load telegraph office, not for a moment dreaming but that such perfect arrangements wtre in ex'stenci that an error c jinui'tted 1 y the department could and would be rectified by it without charg •, ami that it would consider itself exceedingly fortunate to be allowed to get out of a scrape by wiring an erratum. Our surprise cm be easily imagined when, after having explained our ideas to Mr.HoLDSWOimi,he, in reply to our very reasonable arguments, which it was ne>t in the power of man to combat, directed our attention to the note at the foot of the telegraph form. He stated that we might, if we chose, wire to Wellington ; but that he thought we would get no satisfaction. We have not the least doubt as to the truth of the first statement, and emr experience of Governmental routine teaches us that the latter is not far from correct. We deem it to be emr duty to mention this circumstance, because in all probability such blundering often occurs, an 1 we cm easily imagine that it may so.n .'times be productive of very great inconvenience and loss to the innocent sender, who, having paid the wire charges, has a perfect right to expect that the service for which he has paid will be properly performed, and that, at least, if a blunder occurs through the ineffieieney or incapacity of the Telegraph Department, it will be rectified by it without entailing any further cost upon the sender in addition to the loss and inconvenience which he may already have suffered. The telegraph department will never be efficient whilst such a loop-hole exists as that afforded by the note at the foot of the telegraph forms. The natural outcome '•? such a regulation must be carelessne. <„ For instance, had we not taken this means of making the matter known with a view to its rectification by the Government, no one but our local telegraph authorities would have heard a word about it. A telegraphist may, therefore, be as careless or inefficient as he pleases and his superiors will be none the wiser, whilst the person suffering the

consequences of such inattention or care* lessness must grin and bear it. There are some instances,hi which telegrams' us rectified by tlie Telegraph Department" without much trouble, if they have been wrongly transmitted,' but the error must be pointed ont beft>re the original telegraph for.-rs are sent to Wellington, which we believe is done every month. If the error is made at the end of the month, one may expostulate till blue in the face without obtaining redress, unless one feels disposed to incur trouble and expense, which under t' e circumstances sin mid be) quite unnecessary. Besides this, numbers of instances occur in which blunders have been made which have been accepted by the receiver as correct, and which never cone within the ken of the sender. This is palpably one of the results of a system of centralism, which is prolific in such evils. Mr. Homhworth s not in the hast blamablj in t is matter. We hope that the matter will receive attention at tin- hand* of the Government.

A public meeting in connexion with the Wi sleyan Home iN ission and Church Extension S ci. ty was held hist evenb-g. 'i he l;«v. Mr. .-'. rini age presided, and br'elly ex' lniied the ol jet of the meeting. The l.'ev. Mr. Mo: ley. of Christchurch, in the entire of an -'Xi client address, reviewed the operations of the Society during the year. -,\< d a huh (1 to the increasing d mands upon the Soc ; e'y—demands which at present it was unable to i'ullv satisfy. The J lev. Mr. Fite-hett. of Danedin. ably advocated the claims of the (utlying d'stricts upon the more thiekly-s.'tth d portions of the Colony for < hutvh jirovi-ion. He said that it was oily by ilie aid of such societies as that with ■which tiny woie connect el that those claims could he met A collect on was made in ail o? the funds of the Society. It is to be regretted 1 hat *he unfavourable statn of the weather on Sunbiy anel last evening should have interfered so much with attendance at both the special services and the public meeting. The result of Ihe conference of th > Mayor, Sump tor, Procter, and C. J. Allen i Idr ctors of 'he Camaru Stone and Kxpoit Company), and Mr. .!. K. l'rowri (Secretary) ycsteYday, with Mes-rs. Conyers and Lawson wa-i all tha* could be desired. Eeasonab'e i-ugge tin l s were made as to the lates i hat should be charged for the carriage of the company's si one, and it now o ly iv-m.-.ius tor Mr. Conyers to lay the matter I efore the < iovenvnont. A second deputation, couisting of th- M-iyor. Messrs. Sumpt t (Chr.irnian ■ f the H->rbour B -ard), Has-.-ell, Maude, and I orroster. also waited upon Mrs rs. Conyers ami I awson tolaybetce those gentloiiien the necessity for miking certain' improvements in regi.nl to railway matters. 'I he siting to 111.* gasworks and the sou h hank of the 1-ig >ou wai a.-proved, and it was arranged '• hat a second line of rails th, uld he 1-iiel el wn on the aiding at thenar of th • liarlxur t'o-ird block. 'I he Mayor drew the aMen'ion of Messrs Con-' y> r and I awson t> the nocesi y that ex-i-t. d for keeping pace wi'li the increasing pa scnger and goods traffic en th- l'ne< eon-v.-rgiog in Oannou. It wa< arranged that the afternoon tr.-ii o > gai'ara shad run an hour la.cr 'r. m th.-b-ginn ng of next month and that, fr-.ni tl;e Ist, of December, two trains a day th..l. he run each way on both lim^s.

'ihe assault ca e. Din Cover v. Tan-a Mana cliouche. was rg.-iin cal'e I on at the liesident Magi-iir.ife's Court, th's ni'ruing, wh- n ihe b:.iliif stated that it had been imi <>ssib!e to obtain an Itdi-fi inteipreter. '1 ie case wa; ;gdn lemamled f r a fortnight his Win-chip lciiarking th t if an intoiprefer we e nor, found by tint time the ca-e would have to be pr.ieee led with. The annual me ting of the members of the Caledonian Soon ty wa-. held last evening at the Royal Hotel, wh-n there was a very fair attendance The President (Mr. Mlntosh) occupied the chair. '1 he minut-s of the last nee ing having been confirmed, the Trea-fiu-er (Mr. J. Martin) i ead tie balance-sheet showing that the receipts for the past year had hem 1.42S ss. 4d. and the evpenditme I 4!4 10-i , leaving a balance of Id 3 10-. 4d to the credit <d'the So itoy The balam ediect was adopted Votes of thanks weie accorded to the Ho-i. T easa-er the Hon. Sec-etaiy. the I'lesiilent. Vice Presidents, and the Directors. 'lhe Directors for the ensuing \ ear were then appointed and the following office-bearers elecf.e 1 :—President, Mr. Ke ; l r'iemhg; Vice-Presidents, Mes>rs. Win Bee and' John Sincl ir; Hon. Treasurer, Mr J. Martin (re-electod) ; Hon. Secretary, Mr. Wm. Aitken (re elected) ; Auditors. Messrs. Proct-r and Familton (lo'h reehcted) It was resolved that, the past Presidents of the Society should be made li e honorary members. It was ihen de cided that the 1 'irecfors sh- uld meet every Monday n'ght at the Royal Hotel. The meeting teiin'nated with the customary vote of t auks to the chairman. At a meeting the Oamaru Schools Committee held last evening theie were present Messrs. Gihls (thaiimau), N. Fleming, Snmpter, i iddle, Kvans. Falconer, Barclay, Thornton, Usee. ]\ Homing, and Hardy (secretary). 'J he business before the meeting was to arrange for the holding of an examination in the schools previous to the Chiistm; s hoddays. It was moved by Mr. Sumpter, s-econded by Mr. Neil. Fleming, and carried, " That the teachers of the several schools be request :d to state to the Committee the interpretation they have put upon the resDlution in reference to prize 3 t) be awarded to iho?e pupils who have excelled in their work " Mr. Thornton and Mr. D. Fleming explained that a consideiable proportion of the available fu.ids should be appropriated to the purchase of prize< for the successful competitors in reading, writing, reciting. &c. The fi.l'owing lesoiuuons were passed:— "That two-thirds of the money devoted to prizes should be set aside for those pupils who have obtained the greatest number of maiks in their sev ral classes during the session." '-That the Chairman (with his consent), Mr. Evans, Mr. Laddie, and Mr. Clowes, he appointee! a Priz; Collection Committee, to collect money for prizes, the Secretary to be convener." It was here put

to the meeting whether there shnnld -or should not be an examination, and it was almost unanimously decided to have one. In connection with tin*, it was resolved, — "That the teachers of the various schools be requested to .hand in to the Committee a list of subjects and classes that it would be advisable to examine in; and t! at this meeting at its rising adjourn to this day week, to api out examiueis for these subjects and classes." "That a circular be addressed to the various gentlemen in the town who may be likely t<> act as examiners, ask ng that they -would state if ihey will take part in said examinations, and if so, what branch they will examine in. and that the Chairman, with the Rector anil Secretary, select the geiitlomen to be written to." "That the South School be examined on December 7th, the North School on December 10th, and the Grammar School on December 12th and following days."