The Telephone. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE POVERTY BAY STANDARD. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 243, 24 September 1884, Page 2

The Telephone. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE POVERTY BAY STANDARD. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24.

In a recent report on the volunteer force Lieutenant Colonel Reader points out that out of a force of all arms amounting to 4,332 members, 3,594 fulfilled the conditions and became efficients during the past year. The report also states that samples of Morris’s tubes, a recent invention largely patronized at Home for assisting volunteers to carry out a course of musketryinstruction in their drill-sheds, have been forwarded to the several districts, which, if generally adopted, should be a great convenience to the volunteers, as enabling them to carry out their practice in all weathers at convenient times, and obviating the necessity of members having to travel long distances to their several ranges, with the chance of being interrupted by bad weather. These tubes, carrying a miniature cartridge, are easily adjusted to any breach-loading arm, and only require a range of 30 feet; the usual sighting is used, and the ordinary extractors act precisely in the same manner on the tubes as on the arm without the tube. An additional advantage is that although giving an equal result in the practice, the ammunition costs but onefourth of the ordinary Snider ammunition. This contrivance should give an incentive to volunteering.

In connection with the annexation of Fiji, some very interesting figures are contained in the petition from the European residents there, presented to the Premier of New Zealand during the late conference at Sydney. The petitioners set forth a number of disadvantages under which they labor, and asked to be united with New Zealand under one Government. The population of Fiji consists of 2,500 whites and 110,000 Fijians. Revenue, £90,675. The taxation per head is Fijians, 2s. yd.; whites, £3O. The whites justly complain of this and desire a change. New Zealand is considered heavily taxed at £3 per head. Total capital at present invested is £2,100,000, £1,700,000 being Australian and New Zealand capital, and £400,000 English. The petition is at present under the consideration of both Houses of Parliament.

Regarding land purchases in New Zealand, the following figures show the total acreage of land acquired by purchase from Native owners, and vested in the Crown since the introduction of Public Works and Immigration Act of 1870. The result shows a large public estate acquired at a reasonable rate of expenditure. Purchased, 4,971,286 acres. Leased, 146,044. Total—--5,117,330 acres. Total cost, including all expenses, £921,692 13s. 2d. The area of land in the East Coast district acquired under this head is 680,412 acres. The head of this department is Mr. R. J, Gill who, in face of arduous difficulties, shows a good result for his labour.

It may not be generally known that every facility is afforded to inventors under the Patent Act of New Zealand. A patent can be obtained for the small fee of £2 if unopposed, with a further payment at or before expiration of the seventh year of £7. Regulations, with hints to inventors, are obtainable from Government.

The amounts of salaries payable under the head of civil list to the administrative Government of the Colony are as follows: —His Excellency the Governor, ,£5,000 per annum : Premier, £1,750; Ministers, .£1,250 each. Judges of Supreme Court, £1,500 each.

The Government Printing Office shows a profit upon work performed of £6,041 ns. yd. The amount of work being £26,433 9 s - Bd. The profits from our local printing establishments do not compare favorably with this.

The total number of schools at the end of 1883 was 217. The average daily attendance was males, 6,941 ; females, 6,407. Total, 13,348.

Native Reserves in the North Island aggregate 505,709 acres, and in the South Island 44,000. Total, 549,719 acres.

The total annual payment for pensions, including £6,180 2s. gd. for Native purposes, amounts to £27,705 2s. yd.

The value of the trusts in the hands of the Trusts Office amounts to about £126,035 6s. sd.