JOTTINGS FROM NEW SOUTH WALES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2757, 15 March 1890, Page 6 (Supplement)

JOTTINGS FROM NEW SOUTH WALES.

(By " Qui Vive.")

About five years ago our Government undertook to form a Superannuation Fund, wherewith to pension otf elderly Civil servants. This action was performed in a most abitrary manner, and the ideas or wishes of the Civil Service as a budy were nut even consulted or considered. A tax of 4-t was then deducted from tho salaries of Civil servants to supply the necessary amount for the tnnd. During tho last five years, however, the pensions have been so largely distributed, that the fund has beonie nearly exhausted, and, as stated by one of our leading actuaries, practically insolvent. To remedy this state of affaire, it has been suggested th it the Government should endow tho fund wir.h £500,000, the interest of which would keep the affair properly aflnt. But as popular feeling loss not altogether approve of making things too comfortable for tho Civil Service it is highly probable that this suggestion •■vill nob be adopted. The deduotion of salary is not at a'l popular with the Civil ?ervants themsehqs, and they have nothing to thank the Government forj which is thus generously pensioning their old age—with their own money. . The Federation excitement has begun to •mbside, as is generally usual with us, aftmieing strung to the higeat tension of political fervour. Several of our distinguished I ~io!iticians, and orators have boon display■ng their eloquence of late over the matter, but beyond that the interest ends. It is hardly possible to attain Federation with tho present state nf the intercolonial Cnxt>m houses ; and it is generally thought that the tariff* will have to be satisfactorily s«t'l*d before anything can bt» possibly done in the matter. Nothing of, importance has been aehievod by the Federal Council at Melbourne so far, beyond the mpve fact of successfully opening tfcp Conference. The weather has, tor the last few weeks, been very dry and hot all over the colony, Owng to the luxuriance of the pastures ..nd general dryness, there has heen great

apprehension of bush fires which are so iisas'rous to our settlers. Although destructive fires have hrokeu out in some parts, as a rule they have nut been very general, owing l tn thu ere.it care which experience haa tnught the settlers. Ji'tno raniu have fallen m various parts during the last week, and thin fact h is; somewhat hiken faith in our dmught prophet's prediction. The lntp»t tram calamity in S.vd no V ssems to give an idei after every recurrence of these disasters, that we 6hall never enjoy complete immunity from faUl accidents in connection with our Hystem of "street railways," as thev »nav be properly termed. Those acuvleni* are frequently the fault of carnlcfts driving or ail imperfpot state of the motors, or more frequently still of the c irelassnasH of tbo travelling public. But notwithstanding the accidents which someto«m occur, the steam trams have beon found a great benefit to the people, and consequently a great success. Thoro it, however no donbt tint if Uis urgent typa of steam motors could h« snccgifully re [ placad by another motive power, such as olectri<Mfcv!,_ and which would work more noislessly, it would ha a great improve, m • 't. Bv the death of Mr M. M. McGirr r. breach has heen made in the ranks of ur Sydnev journalists The deceased gentliman. who wis much esteemed, was connected with the Freeman's Journal for tho sixteen vears. He h f, d previously followed profession of schoolmaster for many years in a verv .snccps«fnl manner in the town of Hat 1 ™ «t.