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Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1626, 3 May 1875, Page 2

Letters to the editor have got ahead of our space, and we are compelled to resort to the ''boiling-down" system. "Bourgooia" writes on the subject of "Public Grievances." He attacks things all round, but particularly what he designates the "ornamental " parts of our institutions : mayors, town-clerks, and so forth. The silt-basins he considers a failure, and not nearly so good as he could have designed. Our correspondent then discourses in the following sweeping terms on the city employes: — "We have from four to twelve foremen going about with their coats on, tippling with the men, who are sweeping the streets with long-handled brooms, some gathering little stones, others weeding (the streets) on their knees, jobs fit for little boys; it is truly amusing. Look around, and see what kind of work is done of late years up to the present. What an amount of useless work has been done, and what a large amount of money is spending and spent, and so much of the work that will require to be redone, and some undone. I consider the market useless, except for one thing. It opposes the owners of shops on the outside of Queen-street. It draws a large amount of ready money on Saturday nights away from the suburban shops, where the people get credit■'; it must be visible to every one that the people ask credit from the shops outside of Queen-street, and go to the Market and spend their ready money ; and the shopkeepers have to pay 2| per cent, on all rent to uphold this piece of folly." Mr James Gerrand, storekeeper, Rangiriri, writes complaining bitterly of the way the local postoffice is conducted. He says : "I have seen respectable females go and look in and had to come back till the bar was clear, or send some male acquaintance to ask for their letters. Very often you cannot get stamps, and if you are not there at the scramble when the bag is capsized, you generally get no letters. One-fourth of my letters and invoices said to be sent from Auckland, I never get. I generally send about £300 per month per letters to Auckland, but as the office is conducted,' I have to send or go either to Newcastle or Mercer to post, or trust some private parties going down."

All tender* for the Ferry Company's new steamer must be sent in by noon to-morrow, or they will not be received.

Eight milkmen have been summoned under the Food Act, for adulterating their milk with water. The cases selected are the worst of the twenty-four samples tested at the Provincial Laboratory. The adulteration amounted to from twenty or thirty per cent.

Alley, the gum-digger, who was reported in our Saturday's issue as missing from the Whau block house, has not yet been discovered. A few days before his disappearance he had asked Smith and Johnson, fishermen (the last named of whom died so suddenly yesterday,) for the loan of a punt to take some oysters to town, but was refused. The punt is now missing, and it is just possible that he took it. But circumstances generally point to the other conclusion already suggested, that he has been drowned in one of the many water-holes in the district. He was a solitary old man, seldom speaking to anyone. The block-house, where he lived, was in a shocking state of dirt—ashes were piled in an immense heap in the centre of the floor, and a few old rags in the corner formed his bed. His gam spear was left lying in a corner, and Borne kindlings, which had evidently been prepared ready to light afire,, remained unused. '

Tha election of a member of the City Council, vice Mr H. Isaacs, takes plaoe on the 12th instant. We would remind ratepayers that everyone in the city who has paid his rates is entitled to vote, as there are no wards. The candidates are Mr E. Isaacs and Mr George Staines.

The election of a member of the Harbour Board in the place of Mr Tonks will take place on the lOch instant. The requisition and reply to Mr M. Niccol, and announcement by Mr H. S. Meyers of his candidature, appear in our advertising columns.

The following additional licenses to kill game were issued to-day : —James Simpson, Newton Road; W. H. Cassin, Parawai; James Golding, Coromandel ;SamuelCoombes, Auckland ; Joseph Paice, Mount Aihert; Richard Marden, Auckland ; Stephen Foreman, Auckland. Additional licenses to sell game : Charles Curtis, Grahamstown.

We regret to hear that the Yen. Archdeacon Maunsell has been seriously ill during the last few days. Gastric fever is mentioned as the reverend gentleman's ailment. Yesterday, Archdeacon Clarke and the Rev. Mr. Burrows filled Dr. MaunselFs place in the pulpit ab St. Mary's, Parnell.

We are requested to state that Sergeant King, A. C, has not withdrawn the action for false imprisonment commenced by him against the Board of Inquiry at Tauranga, but intends to carry it into the Supreme Court.

Five more boys for the training schooner at Kohimarama have, it will bo seen by telegrams elsewhere, been despatched from Dunedin.

The Kawakawa Co-operative store has declared a dividend of ten per cent. The nett profits last quarter were £121 14s lOd.

At the confirmation service by the Bishop, yesterday, in St!|Sepulchre's Church 29 candidates were admitted.

It is surprising that accidents do not frequently occur with the cockle-shell boats in which some of our venturesome youngsters launch out upon the waters of the harbour. One of these unsafe crafts, however, did capsize on Saturday afternoon, leaving its two occupants struggling in the tide. They were, however, perfectly at home in the watery element, and soon attained a place of safety. Mr Jackson, of Tairua, is cutting a good horse track from his store to the upper camp, which will be completed in a few days. He is reported to have 10 packhorses on the road conveying Btores from his Tairua to his upper store ; and ships innumerable, so th at the freight of his goods from Auckland ia a mere song.

The sudden change from warm dry weather to cold and wet is not pleasant, but wo may console ourselves somewhat in the old way, by comparing our own with our neighbours' discomforts. From our Port Chalmers telegrams it will be seen that the winter has commenced in Dunedin with cold, snow, sleet, and rain, and that the hills are covered with the white mantle spread by King Frost, unknown in these latitudes. Last week the Ion? contiued drought was alarming the residents in the Southern capital and threatening their water supply.

Some time ago the Harbour Board made it law that gunpowder should no longer be landed at the Wynyard Pier, but should be deposited from the lighters on an allotment specially set apart for the purpose in Mechanics' Bay. The allotment in question is about the iniddla ono of tho series extending from the railway bridge to Fraser and Tinne's new foundry. When this arrangement wa3 made, no doubt this was an excellent place for landing explosive material, as it was some distance from active seats of industry, and \va3 as safe from accidents—from falling sparks, etc., as any place near town could be. But things are changed now, and it would be as well if the Harbour Board were to reconsider tho suitability of the spot under present ciroumstances. Close handy to the gunpowder allotment are now being carried on two ship-building yards, a foundry and'a brick-kiln. Fire 3 arekeptconstantly going in all these places. This would not look very much like safety even if there were a covered shed to put the gunpowder in when it is landed ; but there is no such protection, and the barrels have to be exposed on the quay till they are carted away. The present arrangement might possibly exist for a century without an accident, bub it is as well to notice these things before public attention is directed to them in an unpleasant manner.

The following is the return of sick treated at Provincial Hospital for the week ending Saturday, May 1, 1875 : Re mained last return, 84 ; admitted since, 17 ; discharged, 9; died, 2 ; remaining, 90; males, 75 ; females, 15. Arrangement of cases: Zymotic, 26; constitutional, 6; local 36 ; developmental, 4 ; violent,. 18. Two deaths occurred during the week, viz. : Ist, J.W., male, aged 30 years, on 25th ult. of phthisis pulmonalis; 2nd, G.McC, male, aged 34 years, on 29th ult, from concussion. N.B.—Old linen very much needed-