The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, MAY 2, 1879.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 149, 2 May 1879, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, MAY 2, 1879.

The meeting of the Masterton Borough Council which was held this week was a very characteristic one. The discussions which took place were—first, as to the payment of a bonus on a contract promised by two Councillors; second, a discussion on culvert construction, in which one Councillor took the affirmative and another the negative ; third, an argument whether a road laid off by a Councillor was not necessarily superior to one constructed by an engineer; fourth, a debate whether the action of a Councillor in extending a contract should be confirmed. The public will gather from this that our Courcillors like to be in direct communication with contractors. That a Councillor is nothing unless ho can say: "John, do this, or I won't pay you a farthing; or, " George, if you do your work well, and mind what I have told you about the alterations, you shall be paid extra when the work is done," Specifications are as nothing

in our Borough contracts. All that contractors are expected to do is to give ' personal satisfaction to as many Councillors as may display an interest in - tlieii' work. The public will also gather 1 that the Council Chamber is a sort of Mutual Improvement Society—not ex- ' actly a Young Men's Mutual Improve- : raent Society—in which engineering ! questions of a technical character are settled by vote. It lias for some time past been agreed among Councillors that professional engineers are expensive and useless articles. Councillors have that sublime faitli in themselves that they can either move a mountain or crack a nut, and do not hesitate to construct either a road or a bridge. Councillors are willing to do the workfor nothing, and in this respect they have a decided advantage over engineers, who will not, so foolish are they, accept work at the same rate, Councillors have another advantage over the profession, They can pass their own work whether it be well or ill done. But if engineers did the work badly the passing of it would not, perhaps, altogether follow as a matter of course. It is a good thing too, for Councillors to be able to satisfy themselves, and to be able to indulge in their various hobbies at the public expense. It has been truly observed that it is essential to find some people something to do to keep them out of mischief, for as the pout remarked—- " Satan finds some levels still for idle hands to take." Therefore can we wonder that the Council has resolved not to employ professional assistance excepting in cases of emergency. This restless activity on the part of Councillors is extremely gratifying. There are members of the Council who are ready to perform any inspectorial or inquisitorial duty, the only matter for regret being that the financial business of the Borough gets a little neglected; that sanitary arrangements are all sixes and sevens; that it is all behind with building and other necessary regulations ; that nuisances of all kinds remain unabated; that the administration of the Borough generally is weak and inefficient. Still Councillors can't do everything, and indeed the wonder is that they do as much as they are doing. We only see one way of adjusting matters, and that we recommend to the serious attention of the public. Seeing that Councillors practice as engineers, surveyors, architects, machinists, and what not, we would suggest that the other work of the Council, for which they, cannot find time, such as making and carrying out necessary by-laws, dealing with financial questions, and the general business which is usually conducted at Council meetings, should be relegated to the professional residents of Masterton as a compensation for depriving them of their legitimate occupations, and as a means of getting all the Borough business done " somehow." We envy Feilding, It has three~Bimk , agencies. F. H. Wood & Co. hold a stock sale at the Rising Sun Hotel yards at Greytown this day. Extensive preparations are being made for the opening of the Catholic Church at Masterton on Sunday next. We call attention to an important sale of Mr D. Donald's stock on Saturday next, at which an unusually large number of superior cows and fat and store cattle will be put up to the hammer. According to recent inquiries the population of the world amounts actually to 1,439,145,300 souls, Tlio total is not strictly accurate, a recent event at Masterton having raised it to 1,430,145,302, The Trustees of the Wesleyan Church, ■ Greytown, have secured the Foresters' Hall to hold the usual Sunday services, the Church having been found too small for the increasing congregation. The first j service in the Hall will be lieltl on Sunday, May lltli. In the meantime it is intended to push on vigorously either with the enlargement of the present Church or the erection of a new one. The adjourned meeting of creditors of Mr G. T, Farmer was held on Wednesday last. The statement made by Mr Farmer showed his liabilities to be £3,708 7s 3d, and the assets, £2,790 8s Bd. On the motion of Mr J. S, M. Thompson, it was resolved that the deed of arrangement should be assented to. Mr Whittem, the trustee under the deed, declined to act any longer, and Messrs J. S, M, Thompson, James Smith, and T, J, Ladd were appointed trustees in his stead. : Some time ago a Mr Ncwson left a little , son in charge of a respectable family at Masterton. We believe, however, that for some time past the board money has not been forthcoming, and the child has been passed over to the charge of a Maori living at To Ore Ore, The child may be better off with a Native than with a European guardian, but the affair runs counter to the prejudices of the public, and we believe that Constable Scale is making inquiry into it. The humanity of the Maori is certainly in this case greater than that of the European, A child residing with his parents, Bourke-street east, Melbourne, met his death in a most extraordinary manner recently. It appears that at about halfpast 2 o'clock in the afternoon Bridget Curass, the servant girl, went out leaving the child iu a small cot. On her return to the house at a quarter to 4 o'clock she was horrified to find the child quite dead. Its head was caught between the iron of the bedstead and the mattress. Dr. Teague was at ouce called in, but 110 medical aid could have been of any avail. He expressed his opinion that heath had resulted from dislocation of the neck and asphyxia. At the meeting of the Education Board ■ held on Wednesday last the Hon. C. J. Pliarazyn was re-elected chairman, The resignation of Mr Everiss, master of the Mount Cook School, was accepted. An 1 application was received from residents 011 the Belvidere road, near Carterton, for the establishment of a school, an acre of land as a school site being promised. Referred to Carterton School Committee. ' Mr Petherick's tender for the erection of ' a school house for £205 was accepted, • subject to the approval of the local school ' committee. It was resolved to grant to the Featherston local committee another ' £25 towards the cost of fencing. The Olareville committee asked for a grant to J paper the walls of the teacher's residence, which was granted, An application for for the Mauriceville school building to be 1 lined was deferred till an estimate of" the • cost was obtained, 1

To-morrow is the monthly pay day of ] the Masterton Building Society. j The ordinary monthly meeting of the 1 Masterton Town Lands Trustees takes place this ovoning. •; A Special meeting of the Wairarapa West County Council will he held on the 14th inst. at 11 a. m, The business will have reference to to the adoption of the balance sheet and bye-laws. The tradesmen's system in .vogue in Feilding now is all monthly accounts, and it will be as well for the whole community ' if they maintain it in future, 'Short reckonings make long friends, and long credits ■ must prove a curse to any township. Mrs Redwood, the mother of Bishop Redwood, and of Mr Henry Redwood, the great racing man. died at Blenheim on Wednesday morning, aged 84 years. This event will, wo presume, prevent Bishop Redwood from consecrating St. Patrick's Church, Masterton, on Sunday next.