GOVERNMENT LIFE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT.-A GRIEVANCE. TO THE EDITOR.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1285, 23 September 1880, Page 3

GOVERNMENT LIFE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT. -A GRIEVANCE. TO THE EDITOR.

Sis, — As I very seldom trouble you to ventilate any grievance I may have, may I crave space for the following facts. Some three years ago the Government Life Insurance agents were busy seeking customers iL this neighbourhood, and obtained several. Oue of them has unhappily for his family died some six months ago by accident. A few days after the sad occurence, a friend of the family obtained from the local officer all information possible as to forms required for obtaining 1 the amount of assurance, and saw that they were filled in and lodged at the nearest officei since then at sundry times and intervals more forms have been asked for, and supplied promptly, and yet though six months have elapsed there is no sign of the assurance being paid. Only a few days since the department sent up for a formal notification of the death. Now, Sir, I am not abont to decry formality — forms necessary — neither do I wish it to be thought that the depart • ment is too exacting, but I do say that local officers, to whom we are sent for information, should be supplied by the department with clear instructions as to their duties, and not left to spell them out as best they oiu from paokets of dusty forms, necessitating on their part a large amount of patience and courtesy, to say nothing of the applicants. But my grievance is with the Department. Why in the name of justice should six months elapse before payment ? If, from want of knowledge people do not strictly attend to form, innst half- a-y ear pa^s away b?fore things are in proper trim. Cannot the Department ask for all they want at once, instead of getting it in dribblets at intervals of two months each. Is it nothing that people are kept out of their due .slue die: every widow has not au exhaustless cruse of oil. Such laxity as this — and it is not a singular case — will deter men from assuring in tho Government office, and send them to tlioso who do business in a business way. — lain, &c, N. T. Maunder. Te Eore, September 2 ), 1880.

A Cincinnati Horse Auctiox.-- ! "Here, gentlemen, " saidtho auctioneer, "is a horae— — "Bystander — " Glad you told us it was a horse, or we might have taken it for a sheep." Auctioneer — "That wouldn't bo so very strange if it had your head oh. You see before you, gentlemen, a family horse." Bystander — "tie got those bunches on his knees from kneeling down at family prayer, didn't he?" Auctioneer — ' 'You'll ne7er have any bunches on your knees on that account. A horse, gentlemen, that any family might well b« prond of. Look what an eye he has." Bystander — "What's become of the other eye?" Auctioneer — "Gone to look after another such fool as you are. Like Old Dog Tray, so touchinffly described by the Sweet Singer of Miohigan (singing), "He's gentle, and he's kind' " Bystadner — Blow the kind." Auctioneer — "You'll never, find "Bystander — "He would be fined by any Court in Christendom for epring-haltercations and interfering generally." Auctioneer — "A better horse than this old grey. Old grey horse i» ever faithful, &c. But we cannot waste our time on poetry, although the noble animal before you is the very poetry of motion. How much for him ? What do»I hear?" "Nothing ,if you can't hear more than he does." Auctioneer — "Among horses, gentlemen, this is the' very ne plus ultra." Bystander-r-"Knock-knee« plus-ultra, you mean." Auctioneer — " And the sine qua non — — " Bystander — ' ' Compos mentis." Auctioneer — ' * The ridges you see running down his eyes, gentlemen, aro not an indication of the want of flesh ; they are dimply a wise provision of Providence for carrying off the rain water." Bystander — "What's the matter with his tail ?" Auctioneer — "He was formerly owned by a violin manufacturer, and he pulled out all the hair for fiddle bows. What do I hear?" But we had heard enough to fatisiy us that our friend was right, and that it was absurd to squander money on shows bo long as these horse auctions are kept up to their presen» j-igh standard. — Cincinnati Saturday Nigrht. The soil may jusuy be said to be. the true riches of a country ; in anoient times and in modern times nations have increased in wealth, power, and importance, just in proportion as they have cultivated with industjy this toupee of true riohea.