THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, MAY 20, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1989, 20 May 1875, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, MAY 20, 1875.

The news received yesterday evening ti* Hokitika (we are as usual left to guess at the name of the steamer) is not the least interesting or the least distressing that has been received of late. Since the connection of the Australian continent with by telegraph tho news brought to New Zealand by each steamer has generally been of a most meagre description, contrasting with the long summaries which used to be forwarded from King George's Sound some years ago, before cables and mail routes were multitolied. The intimation that a mail steamer hu b**n wrecked on the Soilly Isles in a

fog, with a loss of over three hundred passengers and our San Francisco mail, will cause widespread regret, although it does not appear that any Australian shave been lost. It is probable that this is duo to the fact that very few passengers book right through, some going one way and some another on arrival in the States, so that it would not often happen that passengers going from here accompany the mails right through over the Pacific railway and across from New York to Eng*land. The loss of so many lives, however, is no less to be deplored,- although there is no denying that the feeling would have been more profound if the names of old and well known .colonists had been amongst the drowned. There have been ■so many casualties at sea during the past few months that even such an one as this of the Schiller fails to make the deep impression it would have done some time ago. Over three hundred lives have been lost, together with a valuable ship and cargo and a month's mails. We shall not be surprised to hear that neglect of some kind has contributed to this great disaster.

The continued illness of Mr Vogel is a a great misfortune, and will place las colleagues in an awkward position when they come'to meetthe Assembly without their leader. The Acting Premier, Dr. Pollen, could scarcely be expected to take Mr Yogel's place in the House even if he had a seat there, which he has not, being, only, a member of the Legislative Council. Ministers have a very grave difficulty befdre them, which is the more embarrassing because unexpected. The absence of Mr Vogel will seriously interfere with the work of the session, as it will also weaken the position of the Government.

A general meeting of the Board of Education was held yesterday, a report of which from an Auckland contemporary we publish elsewhere. The principal business seems to have been the striking of the rates for the present year. The household rate and bachelors' tax have been* fixed at the maximum, namely twenty shillings and ten sailings respectively ; and the Board allege as their reason for this course that the whole proceeds even under these circumstances will only;- be sufficient to pay liabilities incurred and current expenses to the end of August. Such hopeless embarrassment was never seen before, we should think. Here the Board acknowledge that the maximum taxation in their power to impose is barely sufficient to carry on for only six months in the year. Last year's^rates are considerably in arrear. There are hundreds throughout the Province who have not paid and do not intend to,-., pay* unless compelled. If the Board of Education want to carry out their powers legitimately and fairly, they ought to •make every effort to r recover the arrears of last year's rates before they ask payment of a fresh tax from those who have paid up promptly and saved trouble. If the rates now levied will only keep education going until the 31st August, the Board might as well throw up their office at once and let the Government assume the control- of education and the responsibility of providing the means. If there is no provision for carrying on after the 31st August the thing must collapse, and it might as well collapse now as in three months' time. It will be simply obtaining money under false pretences to exact a year's taxation to keep the schools going for six months ; and if defaulters were numerous last year they will be more so this. The willing horse is being imposed upon, while the schemers and those who give much trouble get off scot free. -