The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 1880.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 429, 3 April 1880, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 1880.

♦ A good deal has been said against, and very little in favor of the Royal Commissions now acting in the colony. They have been attacked as unconstitional, they have been stigmatised as political buffers, The capacity of the members of them for the work which they have to perform has been questioned, and the manner in which they have gone about their work has been condemned by more than one wiseacre. We think, however, that unprejudiced persons will admit that the various Commissions are an honest attempt on the part of the Government to settle serious difficulties, which prevent any Ministry from governing the country efficiently and economically. That the members of the various Commissions are able and independent men few can doubt, and that they are one and all working diligently and earnestly to carry out the objects for which they have been appointed, must be generally admitted. Till their work is concluded, and their reports have been published, it is not fair to condemn them, and it is impossible to assess the value of their labors. After the wretched muddling and neglect of the Grey Ministry, it is some satisfaction to know that a genuine effort is being made to put the administration of the Railway Department, the Native Department, and the Civil Service on a proper basis. For the last three years, little or nothing has been accomplished by the united talking of the members of the Legislature for the benefit of either. It is hopeless to expect any real reform from a Parliament which contains so large a number of logrollers, Fortunately, by means of Royal Commissions it is possible for an honest Ministry to circumvent the logrollers, and we sincerely and devoutly hope that such a result will be maintained. If the Parliament of New Zealand was what it ought to be, there might be some chance of the wants of the colony being supplied without the intervention of Royal Commissions, but as long as it is the hunting-ground of impecunious political agitators, who depend upon log-rolling for their seats in the first instance, and their annual income in the second, very little can be expected from it, We remind our readers of lorns and Fflrguflson's stock sale, which commences at 2 p.m. to-day. Mr G. M. Gardener, of Carterton, challenges Mr 6. Bennett to run 200 yards, or in three events, viz., 100, 150, and 200 yards. This afternoon a public meeting of persons in favour of bringing the Rabbit Act into force, will be held in the Town Hall. Notice is given, that the. Burgess and Defaulter's Lists' for the Boriugh of Masterton, are open for inspection at the Council Chambers. Members of the Union Club holci their quarterly, meeting' on Monday evening next. Officers will then be elected for the ensuing term. .

-The: Greytown railway buildings ar e • now making some show, the goods 'and engine-sheds and passenger station being >ell,advan.cedi .. , >-\ ; } The Fay'of iPlertty has a' resident', a solicitor, of the name of Quintal, SKo is ' indirect descendant from one of the origin ' Pitcairnlslanders, / v. We are glad to learn that the person who abstracted Bachelder's illustrated canvass has complied with his invitation to restore it, . .: . ......... "" : THe' 'Grfeytown "Borougfi Council, their usual fortnightly meeting on Monday, evening at' 7 o'clock. , The Finance Committee meet at 6 p.m. County. Council West has'commenced opening up the Pahiatuoi block of land by means of side rflads. This is.another of the deferred payment blpcks -ready for selection. ' .Messrs ;Teny,.and Bjiillie are busily engaged, rebuilding the bridges across the Pap'awai Creek washed away during the late'flood. This firm will bfe 'considerable losers owing to the stoppage of the mill, all hands being employed in repairing roads and tramway. . At a meeting of creditors in the estate of B. Braggins hold this week, Mr M, Caselberg in the chair, it was resolved that the estate be wound up/forthwith, a dividend to be declared out of the funds in hand, and the balance of uncollected debts be handed over to the bankrupt to enable him to commence business again, and that the creditors recommend that, his discharge be granted. The first instance which has come under our notice of a female bankrupt coming forward to be examined by her creditors occurred in Wellington last week. A Mrs Mason, a boarding-house keeper, in Boul-cott-street, was the bankrupt, Juat as the meeting closed, a■ female . creditor '•arrived, unfortunately too late to examine the bankrupt. It is to be expected Mrs Mason was thankful that it was so, and also the male creditors of the bankrupt. An exciting scene would no doubt have followed, That blatant Groyite organ, the Wellington Punch, has left there for fresh fields and pastures new. It has taken its abode in Auckland, and has made its appearance, and a very poor appearance it is. The proprietor evidently does not know much, or he would not need to be informed that what would not do for Wellington will certain!y not do'for Auckland., The street loafers, who are the genuine Greyites, will look at the cartoons in the windows, but will not contribute towards the payment of the publishers' bills. We are afraid poor Punch will die natural death. It is not good enough a production to take well amongst the public, and it has too many'copyings from the London one to make it interesting- . j On Wednesday evening a meeting "of! Church members in the Parish of St. John's, Featherston, was held in the the schoolroom, The Rev H; Yere White occupied the chair. ' The s'ub-com-mittea appointed to canvass the district was called upon to report progress, and showed that £BO were already promised, Many of the subscribers were willing to double their subscriptions upon the appointment of a resident clergymen, and other parts of the district remained to be canvassed. It was resolved to ask the Bishop to define the intended new parish : of Featherston, and authorise the subcommittee to canvass the outside district district for subscriptions. The meeting ; then elected Messrs Gurr and Cox as Churchwardens, and Messrs Cobham, Gilpin, Pharazyn, Benton, McKeever, and McShane, Committeemen. A short time ago a carpenter named Douglas lost himself in the Forty-mile Bush for eleven days and nighto and wandered about, subsisting on berries and fern roots. At last he came across a hut 1 occupied by some Scandinavians, by whom lie was hospitably entertained and his . necessities relieved, For the last few days his matches were exhausted, so that he was without fire as well as without food. Be reported that before he entered the bush he met a man and a boy walking for the road party's camp on the Alfredton line. While Douglas was subsequently wandering in the remoter parts of the bush he came across tracks which corresponded with those of the man and boy in question, and it is feared in the neighborhood that they are lost.