WELLINGTON ITEMS.

Press, Volume XL, Issue 6019, 31 December 1884, Page 6

WELLINGTON ITEMS.

WELLINGTON, December IL The; approaching Maori meeting afe Wanganui, to be held next month, promisea to. be a very large;affair. It »flii»' attended iby Natives living all ataqgtne Wanganui river from its source to fete mouth. The object is to talk over thaland question and the North Island Trails: Bailway. The Native _J_ister an invitation to be present, and will attentt the meeting. The disposition of 13» Natives is said to be excelleeb, and It is anticipated that the Government wiu lam' little difficulty in making e&t__dtCßjp arrangements. A curious nx_appreh_SMiM - seems to have got afloat to the effect twje Titokowaru is to take a prominent part », the meeting, and one or two papers * observe are taking an alarmist view asw whatis likely to be the result of a raoetfflf / of several hundred Maoris presidid over • by such a leader. It may therefore be wett .-■ to explain that Titokowaru is firing _iretirement at Mania, near— _weraj , ©w he has no more connection with »•-/. Wanganui Natives than have any «*»*•; Middle Island chiefs, and that there is wfr. .;•. tho least probability of his attending to* .. meeting in question. -»—.'''-'" While on the subject of the• »J» - - Island Bailway, T may mention that *f\r Ballaaeehaa received a letter from TaosM* a very influential Ngatimaniapoto Chiff* stating that he recognises the impMtaMßof the work, and wilt be "strong" to t»F it forward. Taonui is a chief V** 6 *® 6 *. almost if not quite as much m 3091 Wahanui, and owns an even larger exws* Of land.' WELLINGTON, December 12. The circular which has been -euedt* 1 Civil servants, discountenancing tsar taking any active part in connection* I**1 ** .1 public companies, has caused agooddswoif comment here. The document state* - that "the attention of Ministers has bsea called to the tant that public offices* are in the habit of attending meetingsof trading companies, in which they apparently hold shares, and taking, *> \ prominent part in the proceedings. Mis»» tera, although "daairoas of encoussgjs* thrift in the members of the Civil Seme*think that the practice of taking an active part _i companies of this kind, in wMC» ;, the interests of merchants and ot h ers .£? ' concerned, is sot desirable, sad it» at w» . same time a breach of the spirit, if nos «* the letter, of the regulations of the Co*> duct of the Civil Serviced The cire-sr* in conclusion, states that the C°vern_en» . hope that after this intimation the practwe will be altogether dtscontinned.!» _f _? t memorandum has caused a good o$« «*

g| IT i»t?° faM:{ftn among those to whom it is addressed. They urge that if they have $ invested their savings in industrial undertakings of any kind, they are entitled to take an interest in the company and look - after their money, provided they do not trench on official hours or official work. The late Government not only allowed ■ - members of the Civil Service to take part / In the meetings of local companies as sharehaiders, but also gave their consent to their becoming directors on the understanding that no part of their official time T was given up to the work. As aa example it may be mentioned that the SurveyorG_leral (Mr Mackenrow) is a director of the Gear Meat Company, in which a large number of civil servants hold shares. It is probable that an attempt will be made fo get the Government to reconsider the " s-_tter.