The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1876.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 174, 9 December 1876, Page 2

The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1876.

The old phrase tells us, that some people are given to saving at the spigot and letting out at the bung-hole. Somewhat coarse as the. illustration, in ay be, it exactly represents the cause of economy that the Government of the day have entered on. Instead of reducing expenses, where overpaid public servants could well afford, reduction, they have begun at the taper end and are cutting ’down'.unmercifully the most illpaid and liarchvorked civil officers. The latest craze in the direction of small economy was calling for tenders for advertising Provincial advertisements, and some very strange results have accrued therefrom. In Wellington, : and in Auckland, the proprietors of papers tendered at .a fair rate, but their, tenders wore too high for the ruling Government, and'were,‘declined. The consequence is that all notifications of public interest will in future, in those provinces be confined to the Government Gazette, a lively publication that, we venture to say, is not seen by one per cent, of the total population as a rule. Very properly, the press of those as well as other places, that have been .cut off, have notified their intention to take no notice 'of any announcements made in the Gazette, and for all public purposes they might as well be published on the back of the door of an empty house. But we have something personal to say on the subject, which, though specially affecting ourselves, still is of public interest, and on that ground we refer to it. In common with otlicr journals, we tendered for advertising, in our case for Taranaki Provincial Government advertisements, at the usual scale price, with all allowances made to private customers, but we were unsuccessful. To be, defeated fairly is no occasion for complaint, but to be beaten in the manner that we were, is a fair subject for public appeal. . be Taranaki Neivs, published only once-a-week, owned by Majot Brown, the Nati vo Commissioner, and leased by him to the present proprietors, is the favored journal that now is to be the Government organ for the Taranaki and Patea district. Wc have not' - a word to say against, either Major Brown or his lessees, against the News or its conductors, for It is an exceedingly well conducted and creditable journal. • : But, and this'is a rather serious saving clause, it Is altr.-gMhcr too bad that a paper that has literally no circulation in this district, should bo chosen as the medium for Government--advertisements to be inserted in, .‘ When, we say no circulation, we mean it in the truest and most

absolute sense. We venture to assert that it does not circulate a dozen copies per week, and yet it is- chosen as the: Government vehicle lor advertisements. Major Atkinson, if he knows anything about the district lie-represents, which would appear to be doubtful, must know that to insert ml veriisemonts in the News' for this district is a mere farce, but such trilles as his constituents’ w-d----tare do not trouble him now. At the

same time surely some departmental officer will take some trouble to make Provincial announcements known for the public’s sake. We do not suppose that they Will be of sufficient value to cither make, or break us. hut they must be of importance to our readers, and to entomb them in the News is to consign them to oblivion. If a Taranaki paper was to be cho-en, why not have selected th e Herald which is seen hr: this part, or our lively little friend, the BudgetIn either of these, advertisements might be read, in the News they are buried alive. At the same time the idea of publishing notices in reference to any district ninety miles away—as the coach runs—when there is a newspaper on the spot, is one that only a very strange Government would entertain. . Possibly Major Atkinson, ' the member for Egmont, knew nothing about it. If he did not, he can yet repair the error, and do his duty to his constituents at the same time.