THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, JULY 12, 1878.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2935, 12 July 1878, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, JULY 12, 1878.

That nasty piece of footpath leading from the closed Cornwall Arms on the western side of Pollen street, by St. George's Hall, has been repaired or improved, and " walking the plank" is no longer necessary for the present. Of course it would be unreasonable to.expect the Borough, authorities to move out of their usual groove and put on a few extra men to mak, all the most urgently needed repairs in a short space of time. Like the first Mrs Dombey, they are unequal to 11 making an effort;" and the consequence is that daily and nightly citizens have to put up with all sorts of discomforts. Another case has cropped up which shows the inutility of some works undertaken. A number of young persons were making their way home from their duties the other night, when they found themselves literally " bogged." Thinking to evade the mud on the footpath, one more venturesome than the rest stepped acrossthe gutter to take the road for her walking. Alas! she was the victim of misplaced confidence. She jumped out of the fiying pan info the fire, father, she stepped from a sushy footpath into the accumulation drawn to the side of the road by the Borough scrapers. Poally this state of things is too b..d. When wiH councillors realise their position and t'ij to make the streets passable ? If they cannot do it now they never will, for the Borough is in a better position than it has been for some time, and councillors will be hauled over^the coals at the next genera! election if they do not attend a little more to the public convenience.

In the matter of footpaths within the Borough some conscientious councillors, having the provisions of that recently enacted By-law before their eyes, may feel indisposed to give their sanction to any expenditure fci' forming new works. There is one point, however, to which we would direct their attention. On the inauguration of the municipal corporation that body succeeded to all the rights end privileges —assets and liabilities—of the Highway Boards within its boundaries. During tbe operation of the highway form of local) government contributions were made by residents in certain localities for forming footpaths. It is not therefore equitable that these residents should be called upon to contribute a second time for the formation of their footpaths, or for keeping the same in repair. Of course, it is not contended that because any section of the burgesses have contributed at some time or other towards forming and making a footpath that they should expect an asphalt pavement to be laid down at the Borough's expense, any more than those persons who went to the expense of wooden footpaths could expect the Borough to replace such as they wore out. But where the inhabitants have subscribed towards permanent formations, with skirtiug boards, &c., there rests upon the Council a responsibility to keep the game in repair, instead of allowing them to become dilapidated and worse than useless. - There are several localities in the Borough the residents of which contributed the greater part of the cost of forming the footpaths, yet the same are being allowed to suffer the effects oi time and traffic without any effort being made to conserve the work done in former years. We see no way of escape out of the present ' unsatisfactory things but a special commission—either of councillors in company with the Foreman of Works, or of some duly qualified person who can obtain information and report as to actual requirements, and what was done by inhabitants in the way of contributions before the Borough was formed.

The question of lighting the streets seems not to have entered into the calculation of Borough Councillors, or if it has, the matter has been dismissed in a maaner characteristic of that assemblage of local wisdom. Yet it seems time that such a matter should occupy attention. It is not to be expected that the proper lighting of our streets can be undertaken at once as a general thing, but there are situations where lamps should be provided at the public expense, and the sooner the Borough (council make provision for the same the better. Let them nominate a lighting committee, and provide for, say a dozen lamps this year, and a similar number next year instead of staving off the question until it involves a large expenditure. The necessity of providing lighto in the streets is admitted by every one, especially at the corners of certain streets where the worshippers at different churches and chapels are hebdomadally jostling each other in going to or returning from their public devotions. If cdm^ menced on a small scale/ the permanent lighting of the Borough could be accomplished without aiiy extraordinary effort. A gradual introduction of street lights will be found to be an economic measure.

We are glad to by notice a Press Agency telegram from Wellington that Mr E. J. McFarland (son of Mr R. McFarland of this town), has successfully passed the senior Civil Service examination. Mr B. J. McFarland has also received a Civil Service appointment. From the same source we learn that Masters C. McFarland (brother, of.the former), and -A Grigg (a son of our respected townsman, Mr Grigg), have creditably passed the junior Civil Service examination. Yestebday morning, at between two and three o'clock, Constable Haslett, who was on duty in Richmond street, noticed a small empty house at the rear of V:e Oddfellows' Hall to be on fire. He promptly ran in and extinguished the flames with a few buckets of water, severely scorching himself while so doing. It appears that during the dance at the Oddfellows' Hall some persons had lighted a fire in the empty cottage for the purpose of heating water, and left the fire in, and the door, which fronts the road, open. By some means or another the wall of the building caught fire, and the flames had just mounted to the shingles wh' n noticed by Constable Haslett. If the flames had got a good hold, with the breeze which was then blowing, several cottages, and probably the Oddfellows' Hall, might h&ve been destroyed.

The hearing of the To Aroha case occupied the session uf the Native Lpnds Court again In day. The Drinc'ral witnesses cxanii-ied tins morning were Beha Aperaharaa vA Karauna. The ionner admitted that he hi. 1 received £35 from Mr Mackay, but not on account of the Te Aroha block. Karauua's evidence was considered very contradictory, and at one point the Court remarked that it would have to be looked on with suspicion. We have received a copy of Mr Robert Graham's latest pamphlet on " The Great Sanitarium of the North " —Waiwero, the contents of which we shall refer to in some future issue.

The statement made by a witness at the inquest on Mowbray Mepgeib yesterday, in answer to a juror, to tbe effect that he (the witness) had " heard that on Friday deceased had 18 half-pints of beer at Dunn's " has, we are assured, no foundation in fact. Mr Dunn, being aware of the unfortunate predilecLkm of Meggett for excessive indulgence in drink, assures us that he has been especially careful to prevent his getling* served at his house, but on Friday last dv' ing Mr Dunn's absence, Meggett was served v. Ith a drink of b.erby Mr Punn's son. The statement of the witness Henderson was a gratuitous repetition of somo "hearsay" gossip.

The open lodge meeting given by of Thames Lodge, I 0.G.T., last night was very well attended by the public. Mr Phillips occupied the chair, and made a few remarks on the way the temperance cause bad b an taken up in England by some of the leading Churchmen; he also said in conseouehce of the absence of an expected speaker, he would make an extra effort himself. He then called upon Miss ChiUcott to play a pianoforte solo, which she did fairly. Mrs James Gribble sang " Please give me a penny," in a way that seemed to please the audience. The song, " Wake me at Dawn, 1' by Mr S. Meachem, was tolerably well given. Mr James Gribble recited, in a way which did him credit, " The Bridal Wine Cup;" though his imitation of the bride's voice was rather too affected, perhaps, he met with applause, and responded by ve citing " Thei Paape/s Death Ued." A song by Miss Day—" Dreamland,"—was the next item in order, and although it did not display a strong voice, it showed some cultivation-; the young lady was much applauded. An address by D.D. Bro. J. Scott, came next in order. He said that for 300 years England had legislated on the evil of intemperance, but as yet had not removed it. Like the rotten plank in the ship it wanted removing altogether —not patching. He allude Ito the sad case recorded in last night's Stab, and to other local victims of intemperance. A little Miss Smith sang '• Do you love me, Molly darling," and this pleased the audience, judging from their commendation. The Chairman here read, in his usually clever manner, an amusing lecture on the development of electricity. A song-— " Won't you buy my pretty flowers "-— by Miss Chillcott, was carefully given, and well received. A reading by Mr Flatt, followed, being a suitable one for the occasion. The Chairman favored the audience with "Bule Britannia," and, being vigorously encored, substituted "Isle of Beauty." The last item on the programme was a song by Miss Day,' and it' was creditably rendered. Ihe Chairman thanked those who had kindly taken part in the entertainment, and the meeting dispersed in good time. Though enjoyable, it was scarcely so much so, we think, as some previous ones. Mr Power played the accompaniments.

The following special telegram is published by the Bunedin Star •—" Napier, July Ist.—There has been a great split between the Hon. H. E. Riiesell, and Mr Rees, r M.H.R. The former, it is said, engaged Mr Rees at a fixed salary, and expected, him to act as his servant in Native cases. Mr Rees objected, arid has taken the bit in his mouth. He refuses to give up deeds, which are supposed to have been held by hinv in conjunction with Mr Russell, an it "has gone to Gisborne to work on his own account. In the meantime, Mr De Lautour and Mr Moss, - both-^members of the House of Representatives, who came here to serve under Mr Kees, are in a kind of quandary; they know not which is the greatest power. Mr Rees, haying the deeds of tue office in his possession, holds the whip hand, but what the outcome will be it is impossible to say. Your correspondent imagines that the Hon. Mr Russell will be set aside by the Grey party, and allowed to work out his own policy. In the meantime the Natives are growing every day more and more suspicious of both parties. Mr De L uiour yesterday purchased the lease of a house and land"for £525, showing that he intends making Napier his home."

It has sometimes boen the custom in some parts of this country (says the Wellington Post) to hold out inducements to people at home to emigrate, by offering /free grants of land to those who paid the passages of themselves and families. There was the 40-acre grant system in Auckland some years ago, and more lately Sir Julius Vogel's Emigrants Free Land Grant Bill was in operation for a period. It seems never to have occurred to New Zealand statesmen that people who incur the expense of rearing and bringing up children of their own, born in the Colony, add to the population in a more satisfactory way than can be done by immigration, and that such people have some sort of claim .to a grant of Hnd for themselves and children. In some measure this principle appears to find recognition in New South Wales. Widows with " encumbrances," or " olivi branches " are likely to be at a premium in that colony shortly. A great flutter has been occasioned among widows with families since Mr Farrell's new Land Bill was laid on the table of the New South

Wales Legislature. Under this measure a man with a family can select 80 acres for every child, in addition to bis own 640 acres, so that if he marriei a widow with ten children, he can take up 1150 acres. Then if the man have sis: children of his own, in addition to his wife's ten, he can take up no less than 1920 acres. If the man should die, then the widow could marry again, so that a very tolerable estate could be easily got together. Widows are in great demand if they have families, each chid haying its value in broad acres. This is quite a tempting picture to widows and widowers. Even the illustious Mr Tony Weller would scarcely have been so stern in his warning to his son " Samivel" never to marry " a widder " if he could have realised the substantial advantages which would acciue f?om such a match with a New South Walr3 widow when there was a lot of ready-made "olive branches."" To think that by a little

wooing a man might obtain a wife and family ready-made, with a valuable landed estate to boot, is surely a most consoling reflection to those anxious to win such a series of prizes in the lottery of life. The following extract has some interest for New Zealand voters, as the practice of numbering the ballot papers prevails here, and to some extent destroys the principle of secret voting:— " The secrecy ..of the ballot is supposed to be the greatest of its advantages ; and nowhere has the protection thus afforded to the voter been more highly prized than in the United Stats. A law, however, enacted by the 'ate Minnesota Legislature to regulate elections in the large cities of that State virtually destroys secret voting. It provides that ' the ballot shall be folded by the voter and delivered to one of the judges of election, who shall forthwith lay the same on the top of the ballot-box, at the same lime proclaim the name of the person offering to vote to the board ; and if the judges be satisfied according to the evidence as herein described that the person offering the vote is a legal voter, the clerks of election shall enter the name of the voter and his number under the proper heading in the poll-book, and the judges shall endorss on the back of the ticket offered the number corresponding with the number of the voter on the poii -book, and should immediately put the ticket into the ballot box;' The ballot having been thus marked can, of course, be easily identified, and the names of candidates for whom the elector voted ascertained. Perhaps this may be the ' thin end of the wedge;' if the law is allowed to remain on the statute-book of Minnesota other States may follow its example, and the ballot in America become a thing of the past."

Two small, boys were strolling down Pollen street.- Suddenly one of them exclaimed, " Say, Eill, that name, McCannon over the hotel door is a queer one, ain't it." " Well," replied the other, "it is rather a queer one, as you.say ; but dad says that ' Me ' means * son of,' so, I suppose its just another way of putting ' The so.i of a gim.' " " That's so, Bill. My, ain't you clever. Will you, have 'alf of my cigar."