THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 1881.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3814, 19 March 1881, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 1881.

One of the most ■ unsatisfactory and sexpensive departments >of the Civil Service of the colony is the Audit Department. Fault is not so much to be found with the officials of that branch of the public service as with the system which has been so long in vogue, and which time after time has shown itself to be almost useless as a : means of ; detecting fraud or keeping the accounts of the colony. The colony pays dearly for : the Audit Department, and consequently : has a right to expect efficiency. It is probable that the conviction had forced itself upon the Government that the system was capable of improvement, or I even that it was more than ordinarily 'faulty, 1 that caused some time ago the chief of this department, attended by his private secretary, to. pay a visit to the sister colonies to enquire into the various systems 'of keeping accounts. Mr Fitzgerald' is now engaged preparing a voluminous report on the result of his investigations. A system of audit which will be a means of detecting ifraud or embezzlement is an absolute necessity. The present inquiry into the management of the ! Wellington 4" Lunatic Asylum, referred to ,by our metropolitan correspondent the other day, is a startling instance of the exceeding laxity that prevails. Just fancy the chief clerk of the Audit Department saying ;that Government officers were in the habit of paying ; money away without first ascertaining whether the signatures to the receipts were genuine or not, and that such gross irregularities had extended over , a period of three years without detection ! Surely one of the objects of such a department should be to see that money owed by the colony is paid to . the right person. Regarding this matter the Wellington Post, referring to the Hospital-enquiry, says:—"How comes it then that thirty-two payments were authorised by the Audit Department on the strength of signatures which, on examination, were immediately discovered not to be genuine, and the spuriousness of which was promptly confessed when the direct question was put to the person who really signed most of them ? Why was not this detected earlier ? Would ( it ever have been .detected by the audit officers at all unless the matter had been absolutely forced on their notice by this inquiry ? And if not, what is the use of the Audit Department ? ;How can we be sure that there is not similar carelessness in regard to other payments of public money? In this instance the duty imposed upon the Audit Department was to see that the money paid by the Colony for certain services was received by the person who had performed those services, fand by no other. .Yet we. have it distinctly admitted that in thirty-two cases affecting one, person alone, that duty was not fulfilled, but was absolutely neglected. There is the charge of embezzlement of moneys at Haw era, and we might ask how so much money as is said to have been made away with could have been taken if the system of audit was as

perfect as it should be ? In these days of Royal Commissions to inquire into matters, a Commission to inquire into the working of the Audit Department is certainly wanted."

The Rangers competed for the Manning Belt to-day, but'we were unable to obtain the scores. lar another column Mr John Leydon notifies that he will sell on Monday next the Little Lizzie Claim, situate on the Karaka Creek. A lot of gold .has come out of this claim during the last few years, and there should be a little left for the next proprietors. Intending contractors for the several works required byjihe Hprbour Board, as per advertisement, are reminded that their tenders must be in nob later than noon on Monday next. Messes Fulljames and Scott, the proprietors of the old-established Rolleston street bakevy, are extending their operations,. and have just opened the premises lately occupied by Mr McLiver in Brown street, as coffee and refreshment rooms. The branch will be in the charge of a competent young lady, and in the words of their advertisement announcing the opening, " a visit will not be regrettad." Messes Gehion and Co announce that they have received instructions to offer to to public competition a number of valuable freehold properties situate in Mary and Pollen streets. Further particulars will; be announced in the course of a day or two. Messbsß. R. McGregor and Co., offered for sale to-day at his mart, Mr George Parker's carriage and pair of horses. Jho owners price not being reached they were withdrawn. . " The Plan "of Salvation " will again be the \ subject under consideration at the Presbyterian Church to-morrow evening. In this, Mr Neill's third lecture on the subject, we understand that; the arguments in favor of the scheme adopted by tho Presbyterian Church will be adduced.

In consequence of the alterations now ln progress at the Primitive Methodist Church, the services in connection with that body will to-morrow be held in the Templar Hall, Rolleston Btreet. In the window of Mr Cocks' furniture warehouse, is Pollen street, may be Been the invalids' chair for the use of the patientß of the Thames Hospital, purchased by subscriptions collected by Mrs Alexander Hume, of Parawai. The chair is one of two exhibited in the Melbourne Exhibition, and is one of the best of its kind, having all the latest improvements. Many persons being anxious to see the chair before it was handed over to the Hospital, it has been placed in. the window for that purpose. On the evening of Wednesday next the 23rd inst., there will be exhibited at the Academy of Music, Thompson's Confederate Diorama of the American War with all its startling mechanical effects. This show has had an unprecedently successful run in New Zealand, and is now exhibiting in Auckland to crowded houses. Lieut. Herman, one of the best ventriloquists we have ever heard will exhibit his marvellous powers each evening; but perhaps the greatest attraction is the gift distribution which is carried on to a greater extent by this company than any other travelling show. In Auckland a suite of drawing room furniture was given away every ; evening, besides a piano now and then, and on the opening night here the Bsme liberality will be observed, as a Buite of furniture, gold and silver watches, tea and coffee service, etc. etc., are all announced for distribution. The Wairoa shootists left for their homes | last evening in the Planet. They were seen off by Major Murray j Messrs Symington, Cloonan, and others, and the utmost good feeling prevailed. The annual picnic of the G.V.F.B. was held yesterday at the Puke by the kind permission of Mr Austin, who always welcomes the JTire Brigades most cordially. The wea' ther, though showery at times, did not mar the pleasures of the day. During the day cricket and sundry other games were indulged in. The most noticeable was a tug of war between girls of 14 and under, which was entered into with spirit, and created some amusement. The friendß and visitors seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves, and dancing on the green to music contributed not a little to the success of the picnic. On leaving the Puke, tlree hearty cheers were given by the members of the Brigade to Mr and Mrs Austin for their CDrdial welcome. The journey home was most pleasant, owing to the bright^moonlight night and calm weather, the Te Aroha arriving at the . Shortland wharf about 9.30. The firemen are ako indebted to Capt. Dalton for the kind and courteous manner in which he trea'ed them. We must not forget to mention that "during the day a match was played between sides picked by the Captain and Superintendent. The Captain's team was victorious. We do not know whether the Government have got any notion into their heads about selling our Railways ; but we learn that an exhaustive report as to their earnings, cost of construction, and working expenses is being prepared. This possibly is the " unthankful task " the Minister for Public Works has set himself to perform before his resignation.— Wairarapa Standard. At the last meeting of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, the cause of the commercial ;depreesion was biiefly discussed. Mr John Bathgate attributed the cause of the depression to the fact that within a period of 18 months the banks had called upon the people of the colony to " fork out" to the extent of no less than £3,000,000. The acuon of the. banks was defended by Mr E. B. Cargill, Mr T. T. Eitchie, and other members of the Chamber. The tondon Times says:—Already the mines of Tasmania are beginning to astonish the world, and. to make millionaires quite common in a country where poverty seemed to have made its home, and whence energy fled in despair. The first piano imported into New Zealand was the property of the Rev. B. Y. Aahwell, and was landed at Paihia in 1835. It was, as might be supposed, a source of great astonish, ment to the Maoris on the mission station. At a meeting of the Oansaru School Com" mittee, one of the members said that he looked upon the passing of examinations as a mere farce, and said it was a mere matter of manipulation on the part of the teachers, who put the scholars back a standard each year. We (Herald) have received from Mr James Adams, late head-master of the Church of England Grammar School, a letter criticising the evidence 1 given by Mr Hammond, the present master of the school, before the Board of Governors of the Grammar SchoolMr Adams says :—" lam surprised to read in Mr Hammond's evidence in the Purchas charges inquiry, that he has cited the case of the Church of England Grammar School before he became head-master, as the frightful example of what he calls the ' block system.'" Mr Adams proceeds to contend for the sucsess of- his method of teaching, denies that Mr Hammond is competent to give an opinion, and concludes " I only wish Mr Macrae had allowed Mr Hammond and others to reorganise the Auckland Grammer School when I was master of the Church of England Gratrma School." No mention (whites a correspondent f.-om the Wade) has been made lately of the gold prospects; though quiet, the locality is not abandoned. A mining gentleman from the Thames paid a visit to the shaft, and expressed a mosb favourable opinion of the plm;«f and prospects, advising those interested to form a company and sink deeper but there not being much surplus cash in the district, and a month or two skilled labour means money. On the other side of tho range of hills from the gold, a reef has been discovered. At first eight ifc appears like slate or coal. In fact, experts pronounce it coal. A small quantity was sent to the Thames for trial and analysis, and was found to contain a considerable amount of gas-pro-ducing properties, and is of considerable value. This is another link in the chain of evidence, to cause the Government to help the North of Auckland. The minerals are here, but the money to obtain them and and root them out is not. As for farming, some have done all they intend, for fear of the property tax, and many other taxes that help to dry up the sweat of their brows. The recent Dargaville race meeting wasn't half a bad place to contemplate "thonoblest study of rcauL-ind,' 5 viz., man. On Monday; prior to tho races, we found a black man with

cag« of birds who drew out the tickets in a sort of lottery. He explained to us thifc he was only a small rogue, but that the big rogues were expected by the steamer. He invited us to play, which we did, a people having no other way of spending their money, patronised him well. The consequence was that he made a small pot. Unfortunately for him, however, later in the evening, he foil in with some local talent and dropped the greater part of his earnings at " blind hookey." The uexfc morning he looked' so down in the mouth that I endeavoured to cheer him up a bit, and gave him a little sound seasonable and wholesome advire, plus a nobbier of which he seemed in need. He wrs much impressed with the Bageness of my sivice, but bis reply io me that the ruling spirit was so strong within Mm, that it waß irradicable. He said, " Well, sir, it's all very weli to say one ought to do this, and one oughtn't to do that, but I am a sport, and if I'd onl) a waistcoat I'd sport the sanguinary buttons."—Observer. Ta & New York Sun gives the following account of what it terms a case of " Scientific Arson": —A large wire ring strung with pieces of dried codfish, is one of the curious relics of fires that Chief Engineer Thomas E. Nevins, of the Brooklyn Eire Department, possesses. "The story of that relic," he said recently, " will tell ■ f one of the most ingenious attempts at arson I have ever heard of. We had an alarm of fire one night from the clothing store of a man who had locked up and had gone with a friend to the theatre. The fire had made considerable headway, but we extinguished it while it was yet confined to the store. In making our search for the cause, we found the bodies of three dead cats, a broken kerosene lamp upon the floor near the counter, and this ring of wire and dried fish. There had been no fire in the store, and there was but one explanation of the mystery of the fire's origin. The cats were much emaciated, and the pieces of fish were partly eaten. Now, what do you think we concluded ? Why, that the man, wishing to get his insurance, had invented an ingenious plan of having the cats set fire to the store, while he, accompanied by a witness, was at the theatre. By starving the cats for two or three days, ho got them into a condition to attack any food with ardour. Then he placed a kerosene lamp close to the edge of the counter, and put this wire hoop strung with fish around the lamp. As he went away, he released the cats, and when they found the fish, the only food in the place, they began to pull at it, and naturally pulled the lamp off the counter. When it struck the floor it broke, the. flame met the oil, and there was a fire. I never had proof enough to cause the man's arrest, although myself convinced of his guilt, but I preserved his curious device, thinking perhaps to hear from him again in this line at some future time. I have also in mind another clothing dealer, whose method of creating a fire was to heat a stove red not, leave open the dampers, and then turn on all bis gas jeta. In the course of the night there was an explosion, and wa had one more accidental fire where the facts all pointed to arson. The Inanguhua Times states that Sir Julius Vogel telegraphs to Mr T. S. Weston that money to construct the West Coast Railway can be immediately raised in London provided that a practicable route is found for the line. The action of some of the banks in maintaining the high rate of discount so long current has occasioned much comment during the past few days. With interest rates at 2, 3, and 4 per cent, on fixed deposits for 3, 6, and 12 months respectively,' it is most unreasonable that best of paper cannot be discounted under 7 per cent., whilst interest on over-draughts is charged at 9, and in exceptional cases at 8 per cent. This serious disparity in borrowing and lending rates, it has been said, " has the appearance of milking the public in order to maintain fat dividends." —L) ttleton Times.

Life is too short to examine and enjoy all the beauties of nature and art, but no one need live without music, while pianos, harmoniums, and other instruments are sold bo cheap at J. Gteisa's Warehouse, in Pollen street. You can be measured for a Trousers for 17s 6d, or Trousers and Vest 28s 6d, at Clookan's (late Cosgrave and Co. 1) Plenty of Tweeds to select from.—[Advi.]