The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M Resurrexi. SATURDAY, MARCH 8, 1879.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3137, 8 March 1879, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M Resurrexi. SATURDAY, MARCH 8, 1879.

Wb have before expressed a desire to «cc the management ©f the Domestic Water Supply in the hands of the Borough, and have approved of the course adopted by resolution of the present committee, in requesting the Borough Council to accept such a charge. The proposal however cannot be carried but without the entire approval of the committee, and we regret that such a course does not meet the views of the members representing the County interest oh the Water Supply Corporation. From]the report of the Thames County Council proceedings it is evident that that body has made up its mind upon this question, and does not intend to transfer the two-eighths interest held by it to the Borough, tfrhich is further borne out by the remarks of the Chairman at the special meeting of the Water Supply Committtee yesterday. The remarks made by the County Chairman in speaking to the resolution proposed by Cr Porter, "that the County's interest in the Domestic Water Supply be handed over to the Borough, on due provision being made for supplying out-districts and the Borough paying all costs up to date,' were, coming from such a gentleman, simply foolish, when he said 'the Council could not transfer the supply without consulting the people.'" We have at all times given the County authorities every credit for the persevering, energetic discharge of their duties, especially admitting the ability, of the Chairman, but on this occasion we can neither endorse the action of the Council, nor admire the part taken by the Chairman. From this action of the County the Water Supply Committee is likely to remain for some time in its present embarrassed situation. The resolution passed at yesterday's meeting will scarcely get over the rdilpculty/even if the opinion of the'Attorney-General is to the effect that under tho Water Supply Act the Corporation can lease its property to the Borough, for nth© next stumbling block that will appear in the way will be the settlement of the terms .of, lease. The, embarrassed position of the Committee prevents it from discharging its duty to the community, and supplying, as: it should, water cheap and plentiful. Were the management in the hands of. the Borough a small rate could be levied, and' collected as other rates are, and in return the inhabitants could demand a free supply of water sto be given in stand pipes throughout the district. The plea that the interests of the Waiotahi and the Kauaeranga districts require the County to keep an interest in the supply is a very shallow one, for their claims were as well looked after when the entire control of the ■' supply*' was in the hands of the Borough as since they have been represented upon the Committee of Management, therefore the insinuation that their wants would be overlooked by the Borough is uncalled for. It is time that such a state of things was endedj and the obstruction exercised by two members of tlie Committee removed. The interests of this community are being neglected, the committee paralyzed, unable to carry out its duties, in debt, without a probability of getting out of it, and all this in a great measure owing- to the uncalled for action of two members of the Committee in pursuing an obstructive policy.

The new racing gig for the Thames 1 Boating Club was unpacked at the JSaval Brigade Hall this morning in presence of a large number of members of the Club. Everything was found to be in a most perfect condition, the greatest care having been exercised in the packing, and the members of the Club who know something about such matters, praised the appearance, of the boat, r which is certainly a credit to her builders, Messrs Salter and Co., of Oxford. She is 42 feet long, 21 inches beam, weighs with outriggers about 701b5., and is built entirely of cedar with larch fittings. The sliding seats are a novelty, and will probably cause some capsizes before the men get usM to them. Several sets of larch sculls accompany the boat, which is certainly one of the most perfect of the kind in the colony, and with Thames muscle at her oars need not fear anything brought against, her.

The Harbor Board have made arrangements with the owners of the Rotomahana to take the dredge and punts back to the pleasant waters of the Waiteniata. The manner in which money has been dredged out of the pockets of this community by the action of our wise Harbor Board will not soon be forgotten by the residents on this golden peninsula. The end of this dredging business has fully borne out the public frumors that were in circulation during the operations, but the happy chairman and members of the Board were above listening to the busy tongue of rumor, and, of course, now it is too late, and they are sorrowing. A poor excuse for neglect of duty.

A special meeting of the Board of Education was held in Auckland yesterday for the purpose of electing 3 members in the room of Mr Luckie, Mr O'Eorke, and Colonel Haultain, retired^ 152 Com* mittees were entitled to vote, but of these only 114 had sent in their papers within the appointed time* and when opened the result of the Noting wa* found % be as follows :—James McCosh Clark, 101; Theodore Minet Haul tain, 83; Thomas Peacock, 61; Francis Richard Claude, 42; Frederick Larkins, 33; James Marshall Lennox, 19. Mr Clark, Colonel and Mr Peacock were therefore duly declared members of the Board.; Tks schoolmaster is not abroad evidently at Mangawai, a settlement about 60 xnilbs north of Auckland, as appears from the following paragraph taken from the Star :—On one of the school committees' voting returns, opened at the Board of Education this morning, was the following :—" Mangawai District. Totally unknown—can they read and write P (written opposite the' names of the candidates.) No meeting, no election, no school, no one to thank, no vote to record; and children uneducated. Please publish, end dismiss the Inspector." ■ • m 1; ■ 5 ih

If is quite refreshing to see that eren in these latter days there are some men who hare not. i yet; : lost their good opinion of their fellow men, and who believe that the golden rule " do unto others as you would, wish them to do to you" is still the law of the land. The members of the Harbour Board are the good men alluded to, and their treatment of the captain and officers of the dredge is an evidence of their good feeling. Unfortunately for the members individually some doubts have been thrown upon the wisdom of their course of action, which must have anything but a good effect upon their minds, as tending to destroy that estimate of their fellow men's virtue which we say is quite refreshing. Doubts have been thrown upon the manner in which the "dredging works have been carried out, and rumor says many of the punt loads excavated have been emptied not far from the place from whence the silt had been just taken. The members of the .Board visited the scene ot the operations on Thursday, and counted no less than seven heaps upon the shore outside the reclamation works, marking the place where the punts had been discharged, so that it was; time some attention was paid to the ques* tion. The good opinion of the captain of the dredge and the manner in which he was discharging his duties wai somewhat shaken, so it was resolved to place a man on board to see that the punts were properly filled and discharged m the place appointed. This course was resented by the captain as an indignity upon him; and had the effect of destroying the good opinion he had formed of the members of the Board in return for their generous and just conduct. This is very sad, and must have a depressing effect upon all concerned.

The following was the concluding business at the Native Meeting at Orakei: — ""The Maori Parliament is finished. The proceedings commenced at half - past. eleven ■ with prayer. Only the principal chiefs were present, all the younger members of the settlement taking advantage of the weather to wash their clothes in the creeks, and gather mushrooms. The first subject of discussion was the question of raising funds for the Waka Maori. Paul then put the resolution: ' That this meeting is not in favour of raising sub* scriptions to the Waka Maori, as it is a paper opposed to the present Government. —Carried unanimously. 2. 'That this meeting, js of opinion that the Government should pay the expense of printing the proceedings of this parliament in the Maori language, and distribute copies amongst the tribes.' — Carried unanimously.—Paul: We will wait next week for the notice to attend the meeting at Te Kopua, and if no notice comes the people will return home. A long discussion then took place on the question whether the annual parliament should sit annually at Orakei or should be peripatetic. In fact the natives appear to have a 'sentry Government' question as well as ourselves.—Paraone Ngaweki: There is one thing that I observe. The European Parliament always meets at Wellington, and does not travel from place to place as the Maori Parliament does. Therefore the Pakeha Parliament does not know anything about the wants and grievances of the different tribes.— Paul then put the resolution—' That the next sitting of this Parliament shall be held at Rewiti's Station, between Riverhead and Helensville. Ayes 14, Noes 30. (2.) That this Parliament shall always sit at Orakei. Carried unanimously.' " —Star. J

Pooe Mr Sheehan, besides his other multifarious duties, he has been appointed arbiter in a very delicate matter, as may be gathered from an extract from the report of the proceedings at the Native Parliament at Orakei, taken from the Auckland Star. Te Kopua after speaking upon other matter, narrated a cause of dispute between the Thames people and the Ngapuhi about the stealing of a woman by & native named Haki Wonga Wonga. The Ngapuhi's have detained her

daughter, but offer to give her up if the mother is surrendered. At the suggestion of Paul it was agreed that the matter should be placed before Mr Sheehan.

At a meeting- at Dunedin to devise means for alleviating the distress caused by the Kaitangata colliery explosion it was stated that £10,000 would be required to be collected in the Colony. The wag«s of the victims aggregated £3000 per annum.

Fob a thorougly useful sewing machine go to J. Geigo, Pollen street. Locktitch hand machine, £4; table and sreadle for ditto, £2 ss.—[Advi.]