WANGANUI.

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 304, 16 March 1878, Page 2

WANGANUI.

(from dur own correspondent.) , , . March 14. The Harbor Board and the Borough. Council haVe been at it banime’r and tongs about the responsibility of nip.ihtainihg the Cambeltown signal station', which coinihunicatos with that at the Heads, and Informs the towhspopple of vessels in sight, crossing the bar inwards, &c., and furnishes other in 3 rithde information. Neither body will guarantee remuneration, and the consequence is that the former signal-man has abandoned his post, which is still vacant. Anything more discreditable to the town could not be. And the worst of it is that the whole thing emanates chiefly from private personal jealousy and antagonism, existing between certain prominent, members of the respective public bodies. Shell is, and has been', the bane of Wanganui /official local administration for a long time past, and promises to be a fruitful source of annoyance and humiliation in the future’. Meantime', wo have no signals available to the town, and the first we know of a vessel having crossed the bar, is seeing her coming’ tip the river. As I said before, the. existing state of things in this respect is ill the highest ’degree unsatisfactory. Let yohr public bodies take, a Icssofi from our experience, .and AVoSci personal bitterness of feelhig' whicb militates against all progress and unanimity'. , ... Our Episcopaleaii Churcli matters, to whicb I previously referred, do not improve. There is a strong opposition to. the organ party, and the appointment of a curate is not relished. I hear of more than one affiliation case i v liich is shortly to occupy judicial attention. Climatic influence I presume: Some will be defended, others probably settled out of Court: It rather reflects Upon our morality as a conimuiiity to have to admit these laches ili bur social system. So tufirach has gone home, and the Ministry is to receive an addition in the shape of Stout, as Attorney-General; Well, I suppose he is fully as good as his compeers. Should a dissoliiiioti take place, our senior member—Mr Bryce—will be opposed by sonic more popular and independent candidate; A few labour under the delusion that lie carries weight in the House. Ilis ufifortunate unsociabilby of disposition attributable probably to physical causes, render liihi anything But popular with the othef members, liiid I would not like to repeat here the very appropriate; but scarcely delicate sobriquet by which he is brtilimonly known by the frequenters of tlie lobbies. For suggest! veil ess it is lik<j the pea-green hue that the devil painted his tail, viz., neat, but not gaudy. With a very medicore politician Mr Bryce will stand but a poor show, though, I dare say, he will fight very gamely; As Chairman of committees he fulfils Ids duties to his own entire satisfactioii. Id Stafford’s retirement we lose one of clip best statesmen; How different the breed, is now from what it was a score or so of years ago ! Then, educated gentlemen; men bf independent means and views held the reins of power; now lieedy adventurers, tyros in political matters; are prepared to go bald-headed for any chimerical speculative idea that might bring popularity and mami, with a prospect of enehanced prestige: Gone the davs of gentlemanly bearing; educated, polish, and statesmanship, to inake Way for greedy thirst for power, for self aggrandisement, for petty despotism, and frowning sycophancy. Look upon this picture and then upon that; Sweeps were the order of the day just prior to tlie races, shoeing the prevailing-' spirit of turf gambling that exists: One did not eventuate, and the. drawing at the Other has not given satisfaction; . It waS conducted, I believe, on the principle adopted, by Tonics" in his West Coast soirees, as they are called for a legal fiction, except in one feature, and that the most important, viz., the counting of the remaining tickets after the horses are drawn, which should never udder any circumstances be neglected. I don’t doubt but what the drawing was as fair as possible, but with such a large majority of dissatisfied and disappointed ticket holders you cannot consider that any cause of complaint, even though purely imaginary, is seized upon with avidity and magnified. It would have beeii better, I think* had it been drawn after the old system —ticket for ticket: