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South Canterbury Times, Issue 2519, 18 April 1881, Page 3

To-day was observed by the shopkeepers in town as a close holiday. A large number patronised the trains, the Express from the north being well filled, while the Christchurch train in the. afternoon had half a dozen passenger carriages thoroughly crowded.

On Thursday, at Christchurch, a deeplywronged working man named Jules Deele was fined 31s for smashing a teapot and other articles belonoing to an insolvent restaurant keeper who owed him some money.

Another 6000 acres of the New Zealand Agricultural Company’s estate' (says the “ Mataura Ensign”) have been disposed of during the week, and nearly every train that arrives in Gore brings fresh purchasers (principally from the province of Canterbury), who all appear to he men of experience and considerable means, in fact just the sort of ettlers this district requires. Those who have purchased seem to bo perfectly satisfied with their bargains,and most of them have already returned to bring down their families and stock, so that they may make a start in their new homes before the winter fairly sets in.

The promoters of the proposed North Otago Farmers’ Association do not seem to be meeting with much success. Several meetings have recently been held to discuss, and we cannot compliment those present upon their enterprise or independence. The last meeting was adjourned until April 30, with the view of more time being given to watch the proceedings of the South Canterbury Society. We should have thought the success already achieved by the latter quite sufficient to justify the Otago farmer in doing something practical. The Auckland “ Herald ” says, respecting the acquittal of Procoffy:—“ We are quite prepared to find that the natives of the district are much dissatisfied, as they were greatly excited about the murder. Thai it was done by a white man there could be no doubt. The man who was arrested and who they are assured was guilty is let off, and it will be difficult to persuade them that his acquittal is owing to the fact that the charge has not been made out against him. They will he firmly convinced that Procoffy has been liberated because the murdered man was a Maori. Undoubtedly, on the other hand, some feeling was aroused in prisoner’s favor at the Thames, because it was thought that the authorities treated him unfairly,— from a base desire to curry favor with the Natives. Such is a specimen of ■ the unhappy feelings aroused when two races are in contact.” ;

The travelling allowances drawn by the officers in the Government service form a very large item of expenditure during the year; and, although retrenchment in every other direction has been attempted to be effected, reform in this matter has never, we (“ Taranaki Herald”) believe, been considered. The Civil Service regulations

contain the monstrous principle that all Government officers (except Ministers and Judges), are to receive travelling allowances according to the ra'e of salary paid to them are still extant, and consequently the higher an officer’s salary the larger is the travelling allowance drawn by him. The allowance to officers travelling on the public service is three shillings and sixpence per day for every £IOO of sa’ary received ; but no allowance is less than seven shillings and sixpence per day, and while at sea an allowance of two shillings and sixpence only per day is given. Under these circums'an-cs an officer with a salary of £2OO receives seven shillings and sixpence per day when travelling, while an officer with £BOO per annum receives twenty-eight shillings per day, or nearly four limes the allowance of the former although the travelling expenses of both are prccisley the same.

A summon s case at the R M, Court today against John Pound for the maintenance of his child was adjourned for a week pending certain arrangements. Owing to the breach of the conditions about playing sacred music only, at the Volunteer’s concert at Oamaru on Friday evening, four out of the six bands that intended to compete were declared to be disqualified. The competition on Saturday was consequently narrowed down to the Invercargill and Oamaru Bands, and the former carried off the honours.