The Daily Telegraph. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1881.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3115, 22 June 1881, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1881.

We hear that the Government have resolved to strengthen the Armed Constabulary force at the Wairoa station. At present there is but a handful of men there under the charge of a sergeant, and the two stations of Te Kapu, and Onepoto, Waikaremoana, may be said to be only nominally held. Some short time ago, when the report reached us that it was the intention of the Government to abandon Onepoto, we protested against such a suicidal course, and we pointed out the importance of that station as an outpost of the East Coast. Our representations had the desired effect, for after the station had beer deserted for a few weeks orders were sent up to reoccupy it, But for _ome time past the force stationed in the Wairoa district has been ridiculously inadequate. It id notorious that a large section of natives tnere are disaffected, and that constant communication with Te Kooti is kept up. It is also well enough known to those who possess the confidence of the Maoris that Te Kooti strongly desires to return to the East Coast, and that the Wairoa is the only place where he can be sure of a welcome. His old home at Poverty Bay is shut to bim; he cannot return there, as he has not only a personal enemy in the powerful and influential chief Wi Peri, but there are plenty of natives in that district who are sworn to take his life should he put in an appearance. Not so in the Wairoa, where he has many disciples, friends, and sympathisers. Should he be able to get a footing there his influence would soon spread, and there cannot be a donbt aboufc it tbat the influence he would exert would not be favorable to the spread of civilisation amongst the natives. Although we understand Te Kooti received a free pardon from Sir George Grey at one of the foolish meetings the then great liberal leader held in the King country, he knows too much of old Maori custom not to be aware that the only utu for his massacres on the East Coast can be his own life's blood. He will not therefore risk a return to Poverty Bay, but a convenient stepping stone can be made of Wairoa, which undoubtedly he would U9e if no precaution were taken by the Government. The Onepoto and Te Kapu military posts form the key to the coast from the Waikato, and from the active but secret preparations that have been long in progress by the Wairoa natives the strengthening of those stations will be made none too soon.

According to the " Role of Persons in Government employ at or near each Post Office in the Colony," laid upon the table of the House, there are at Napier one hundred and ten persons engaged on public service. This number does not include the constables. The highest salary paid to any one officer is to Judge Kenny, £700 for the joint appointments of District Judge and Resident Magistrate. The lowest salary is £5, paid to the Magazine Keeper. The Telegraph Department contains thirty-two officials; the Postal Department nine; the Land and Immigration offices, sixteen ; Public Works, nineteen. Then there are the Customs, Stamps, Gaol, and Justice departments, each one, of course, having

its p<*id staff of officials. The total amount, of salaries paid to Government servants in Napier ia no less than £17,362 17s per annum, exclusive of constables. This seems a very large amou*at of money, but none of the salaries can be said to be high for the amount of work demanded. Two officers only, for instance, receive £600 a-year and over, namely, the District Judge and the Registrar of Land and Deeds, the former £700, the latter £600, and these two are certainly not over-paid appointments. The Collector of Customs, aud the Chief Surveyor each receive £500 a year; there are five officers who are paid from £400 to £450 per annum ; ten who get from £300 to £400 ; ten from £200 to £300 ; eleven from £150 to £200 ; twenty-seven from £100 to £150, and the balance from £o to £100 a year.

In response to a petition forwarded from the Corporation of Napier to His Excellency the Governor, praying for the alteration of the boundaries of this borough so a 9 to include part of the. foreshore, a proclamation has been pub- • lished in the New Zealand Gazette setting forth the following additions to the limitß of tbe town : —First Schedule : All that piece or parcel of land adjoining the Borough of Napier, contained between high-water mark nnd low-water mark, and lines drawn in continuation of the southern boundary of Section No. 586. Second Schedule: All that piece or parcel of land bounded towards the South, from a point at which the production, of the southern boundary-line of Section No. 586 of the Town of Napier intersects the low-water mark of the ocean, by said line and its production to the low-water mark of the lagoon ; towards the West, South-west, again towards the South, and again towards the West by lowwater mark to a point opposite Pandora Point; thence in a straight line to the low-water mark opposite the beacon on the most westerly point of Maori Island ; thence in a straight line to a point at which the eastern mole crosses the lowwater mark of the ocean ; and towards the North and East by said low- water mark to starting point.

The list of entries and the handicap for the pigeon match at Petane on Friday "will be found in another column.

Mr T. Crosse has been appointed a member of the Licensing" Court for the district of Porangahau, vice Mr Ashton St. Hill, resigned.

Mr Motley's successor as office keeper of the Government buildings, Napier, is to be Mr J. M. Batham, who will have to take over this little extra duty for nothing a year.

Owing to some neglect the Waipawa mail bags did not reach the railway station until the morning train had left, consequently they will not arrive in town till this evening.

A correspondent wishes for some directions to enable him to discover the whereabouts of the comets that were recently to be seen in the morning and evening. As far as we are aware neither comet is now visible.

In all the divisions that have as yet occurred in the House Mr Ormond has voted against Ministers, and on the Chinese Bill he went into the lobby with Sir George Grey. Here we have an example of principle triumphing over personal feeling. Afc the inquest held at the Hospital this morning on the body of William Sutherland, before Dr. Hitcbings, Coroner, and a jury of which Mr James Johnstone was foreman, evidence was taken, and a verdict returned that the deceased met with his death by a fall from his horse on Sunday night last.

To avoid any similar misunderstanding as that which occurred last year, by which geese and ducks were shut out from competing for Mr Allan M'Lean's special prize afc the Poultry Association's show, that gentleman in another column specially mentions the fact that he has given his prize that ifc may be awarded to the best pen of poultry that may be exhibited.

The concert in aid of St. John's choir fund promises to be more than usually attractive. It is to be held to-morrow evening in St. John's schoolroom, and should draw a large attendance. The programme is divided into two sections, in which Mesdames Sheath, Smith, Miss Hitohings, and Messrs Kettle, Hanna, Blaydes, Shelton, and Sheath, will take part.

In consequence of the settlers having failed to elect on the first Monday in March last five Rabbit Trustees, it has devolved upon His Excellency the Governor, under section 11 of the Act, to appoint Trustees for the Napier district, and the folio wins: gentlemen have been accordingly appointed:—Messrs J. L. Herrick, J. N. Williams, J. Mackersey, S. Johnston, and T. Tanner.

Ifc was a subject of very general remark that no arrangements had been made with the railway authorities for the stoppage of trains at the paddock near Hastings where the ploughing matches were held. A suggestion from the committee would have obviated all the inconvenience to which visitors were put in having to walk about a mile and a-half along muddy roads, and would have materially added to the satisfaction which was generally felt .with regard to the whole day's proceedings. At the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, before H. Eyre Kenny, Esq., R.M., the following convictions were obtained under the Municipal bye-laws:— Patrick Hemry, charged with driving horses loose through the town, was fined 2s and costs. John Hayden, for wheeling a cart across a footway, was fined Is and costs. John James 'J hacker was charged with placing an obstruction in the street so as to endanger the limbs of passengers, and was fined £2 and costs, or imprisonment. For indulging in threatening behaviour James Trask was fined £1 and costs, or three days imprisonment.

The Chinese Immigrants Bill was read a third time and passed in the House of Representatives last night. When the bill was "reported," Mr Reeves moved that it be recommitted, that the £10 license to enter the colony might be increased to £50. The motion was negatived. We learn that, although Mr Suttou and Captain Russell voted for the larger sum at the second reading of the bill, they voted against the recommittal of the measure. There is an inconsistency about these tactics that can only be explained on the ground that it was useless to fight when defeat was inevitable.

A shocking case of wholesale poisoning has occurred at Binbrook, a village on the Lincolnshire Wolds. Mrs Gibson, the wife of a shepherd, made a number of cheesecakes. After eating one of them she suddenly became unwell, and the neighbors who visited her, and who had eaten some of the cakes, it was discovered that the woman had mistaken a tin of arsenic for oround rice, and had mixed the poison m her pastry. The arsenic, which was used by her husband in dressing the sheep, was kepfc in a cupboard in a tin canister precisely similar to that which contained the ground rice. The woman died a few hours after she had eaten the cake, before medical aid could be obtained, and eight or nine of the neighbors remain seriously ill from the effects of the poison.

Messrs H. Monteith and Co. sell to-mor-row, at the Masonic Hotel, the Exchange Hotel, Havelock, with 19 acres of agricultural land, also 37 acres first-class bush land, at 2 p.m. Tenders for the metalling of a portion of the Railway road, Hastings, close to-mor-row.

The Napier Volunteers assemble for" monthly in-pection this evening. Tiie third quarter of Miss Bogle's ladies' boarding and day schools commences on the 11th July.

Coaches will leave Peddie's hotel for the Petane pigeon match on Friday morning at 9 a.m.

Mr John Collinge has been appointed fco collect the H.B. County rate for 1881-82. Lost a black and tan dog, and a sheep dog. Messrs Price and lunes give particulars of their great stock-taking sale. Half-yearly meeting of St. John's Branch, No. 93, H.A.C.8.5., this evening afc 7.30. A number of new advertisements will be .found in our " Wanted" column.