Hawke's Bay Herald SATURDAY, JULY 5, 1879. OUR GAS SUPPLY.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5426, 5 July 1879, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald SATURDAY, JULY 5, 1879. OUR GAS SUPPLY.

As a riile we have no desire to see a Govei'nment or a municipal body . en.gage in undertakings that are purely of a commercial character j but — ; as is mostly the case in all rulea-^thel'e; are exceptions* There are certain "ser-vices. f in the rendering of which there wouldbe, ; to say the least, . danger of •. inconvenience to the public if they were left to private enterprise. ' Take the postal service as 'ah instance. " The transmission of letters, though long deemed, an affair appertaining to* the- State,- is quite' as in'uch a-bitsine'ss iinde^takihg -'■ as the carriage' of' go.oc(4 . and/ jei L hbWj lpfch we should 'be tha^ tlje ; service, .should be in the. hands of iprivate :indi : viduals, or of a cpmpany with a L boatd of directors! . We' shoiild ; scaVcely think. our correspondence. safe itit'.^ere so entrusted. . .. The. electric ' telegraphi service is another; instarice. ■ iWJio'in ; this colony would dream' of entru^tifag that service to ;a ; . company f *•" :^Tet - at Home that was. the -case.ifor a long tinae, until it became manifest that the interests affected were' too vast to be confided to. other Hands'. Ihan' 'those, of the State. ; . ,m^x"b,e^t;euv43, .'presenting a very gQodiiJUiuatf'fttiQiiio^ia'j business which, in' ai n'ewixGodntryj ■■ public interests,- demand ghpuld be in the hands of the Government. The only safeguard against a'inonopoly in railways .that , might .be pppreesive tbl the public is a cpmpetitipn , that •'syallows up" the shkreholders' profits, j an.d : even this unpleasant reine'dy can scarcely be brought about in a sparsely -populated country Y like New Zealand. . "We question, indeed,. whether ,even in Jingland it would not have been far better, for alL concerned. >if< • its •' railway} system had been from th« ; firß,t undertaken by the Government.

There are" r also cases in which it is'fo the public advantage that Municipal 1 , Corporations and other local governing' bodies should engage in undertakings of a somewhat commercial characters An instance in point is the 1 supply 1 of" • water for the private use of the citizens. In .London, we the service is in the hands of companies ; and we also know - that - the heavy i charges they make are such a burden upon the. community as., to, have be^, conic a crying evil/ And y e t' it is only ainaturalresult of the mode of carrying out the service. When people enter > into an undertaking of the kind it is with the view of making* profits", hot for the sake of the love they bear to their fellowcitizens. When, therefore, they find that wliat thely have to supply, is in great and eager request, . they are "not restrained by public . considerations— ras a j Municipal Corporation : would be— fijom making the' most of the marketable commodity which they have to ; dispose of. It is also almost impossible, es.ee pt by Lf^islafcive enactment, to ensure that ehc water supplied is pure, tt in diiFererit/ Avitli a Municipal Oovporation ; because, irmspoctively of t'tiO feeling of res])onsibilifcy which may ho suppo/icd to animate tho raon ' who adminisLer its affairs, there are always • means of bringing to beat', upon, them f fjio- pressure of public opinion. We ujight give other reasons. for regarding the supply of water as a 'business underking that a municipal body niay legitimately engage ■ in, . -but \^e scarcely think there is anyon© in -4* s $?5* sjw that the

service should ,b"e in the hands 6$ private individuals) whose only object would be to make as much profit as could be extracted from; the consumers.' For the very; same reason we thjufeif is unwise that the seryi6e>pf supplying, the people :.o£, Napier ,wi'tli .gas^noiild be in the^haiids, of a' v joint stock coto' : pany. Their object being solely that of gain, the endeavors of the companyare J sedulously directed to producing the gas at the lowest possible cost, and obtairiingdfbr. itKthe 'highest price theycan gefrp eople to pay. should not like to say that the:public are regarded as victims to 'be squeezed out of as much as can He -ediiced from'-therti, but we, feel'jSure; that there is no thought i about, them in the ■ minds of the Gas Company/ except as 'being so -many ", accounts " .to be collected 'periodically. The wants.and thei.-convenie'nce , df-'-th'e public are but secondary cdhsideraiioris, if they are considered at all. And the" public have no recourse. ?They 'must accept the gaS'of^.tb:^ such as.it is, or— they rh'ay'go 1 vri^teut it altoi cether. - If tKe- Company cnobse to locate their-. pmce s xn some..aijstant,,or.. inac-. cesaible region;, thier publio:;nius.t hiethemselves there to pay their accounts^, or — have ,their gas cut pfi; Ppsslbiy tjbe vfegulattons tn'e, company make are proper enoughj, but -they; are, nevertheless 'annoying, "arid it is natural to frett against them when they are- inipdsed t Wy. a body thajb "does not represent- the* people. Ike bri'ly renaedy. against the % r{uisance is either . competition or that the service should,, be in the. 'hands of the,,^Municipal „ Cprppratipn, ;so, -that what,, should ;jbe a - vb^nefit . to; the. town ; n|iay>not becomes a 'grievous oppression u,pon'the coinrhunity. ;' ° nt /J „^': ' f.'; . ' Z

• :TKe s^iaderwritei v s : naVe; "^{; -ia'si I t4MM^oydl*tM/V.s:'Ta*^o/"^y;atf6^iblri^ •ahH. f 'ft "will 7 tJe'VlittfßEJFelj ; l?y L Mes%: '-ti,/ Tonks and C!d.-, idf jtii^ckland/dn |li 4 ptiot', | iijist 1 . Art adVettigemeirll* * iii" another' OplliiM,nvwillr:giYQ .f \vcther. •partJculftrs. .- [. '„,'■; „ An: inquest 'was - held 5 ' at ' .- yesterday on the;bbdy of a wbWannamed liaurig, wfiose death* shortly aft'er?'childbirth took place under cifctlmstatiees that appeared'' to* fender an inquiry snecesf sary.' We have} not .heard the fediil^ - r- ; At the 'Eesijjent ..Magistrate's 5 Court Johni Jervis, charged with fp'rgii^g. ;% 6?f $.amuel;^illiants io ■a <^4qUerfot. : J^ t ,i2B,r.fhe was remanded until Tu.esday;^ The charge of conspiracy to defraud; preferred afam&t Mr Einross.ilnd:: Qr'.B, WdlUgftrii)^ natives, was- again called on, but-no one appeared •. -to proseoute; 'M* Kenny said'he" : h"ad re ir ceiv'ed a letterirom Mr De Lautour stating that the prosecution"ha"d been ab~andone"d, as the matter was about to be brought before Parliament. Mr Maodonald, who, appeared on behalf of Mr Kinross, said he had received a similar notice* but he had to complain of the conduct of the prosecution in abandoning the charge a second time, after repeated adjdurnnients; Mr Kinross could obtain no, redress; as even if he instituted pirdee'edings against) the natives -tod pbtained judgment he could not in the present state of the law enforce that judgment. The charge was then formally dismissed. '

' ' An entertainment in aid of the United" Methodist Free Church. Bazaar Fund ia" to be given oii Monday evening. The admission will be free, but a collection will be made at the close. *

Lovers of football are reminded that there will be a genera^ practice this afternoon, when a full attendance is requestedi Play ia to commence at 3 o'clock sharp) oil Clive-squarei • , ' < ? - • f

We understand that the Napier Gas Company intend in -future to use New "Zealand coal only, instead of Newcastle, if an r experiment> which ,ha 3 been decided upon proves successful. A cargo of . Grey mouth coal has' arrived) and if it is equal to what it is represented to be ,by other companies -who have used it, ithe imported article will be driven out of the i- market, ' at' least : for gas-making purposes.

[ According to the Waitarapa Daily, 'alluvial gold has been found on the banks of the Waipoua, within . a quarter .of a liile of .Masijertpng . nali.-: „\ i 1 ■'.-..■;.'

; ' What appears, to be a robbery by a post office employee/occurred in Wellington last week. Mr Wardell, R.M., posted two Government ..cheques for £75 [and two £5 notes to a bank in Wellington, but; they did nftb feaehCtheir destination. Qne of the clerks employed in the post office found one of the cheques in a watercloset, and. communicated with- Mr Wardell,' \Jlh]£4i.£6s are -liow being Instituted, and the £5 notes or the missing cheque may provide a clue to the detection af the thief, q- .- , „ .

•"• This is the way a Ngapuhi chief, writiugfto the New Zealand Herald, " slates" a; rival or an opponent: — "This is an utterance respecting a certain man whose name is Sydney Taiwhanga, to acquaint the great personages among the Euro.pfeans, and the Europeans generally who '. ate residing in Auckland. That, man is ! like unto the smallest of the Maori birds, the name of which is the tiariraka (fant4il fly-catcher), and its song is tit ! tit ! r h i en j a^woj^.it^ pjuunage is "displayed, stretching forth its wings, and f aiming with the feathers! of its tail^ arid: the 1 balls jo; 1 its eyes are distended, beyond their Ci<yities,j its'-motiye. being to move, the le tisQ%6} Qat'f ore sf trees, Jao .that the • gi^'B^y..^rrforth: to, be,''.cjaugh't. : l^nd: eates. % ,j)p.,.flpt-: suppose that the, Nga-' p|xhiß .regard- the sentiments of ,that bQasjtful person*.' aNot at. all. He is the author of Jhiurribugging; practices;" ■. • . . .-, .

Jl)urin ! g ! 'the six months befbrja, ' the "Queen's departure to Italy, according to alcorrespbndent? Of tbo {Daily Ne'wiy &bout 17,00.0, .boxps, cpn^riitig'despatches, f rojn . tte ;> diffei'orit' dopa'ftnients* 6x State,' were ,'forvs(i*docl't'6 the' Quoen at' ~dainiorai : and tVyin'daor for JJor Majesty's perusal; consideration, "and signature:

Store fearal?a,; (Te Kooti's chief favorite, as^ t according, , to "~t^ie ' Poverty Bay VeYatA', a6vo'ted )s her attention to the lltivation of wheat. ' ' ' JDhe) ishaf ts Jof r soandal-niongerd . "must irely have been strong .to induce a otftig lrfdy'to rush into print and deny ii^featieally' that she was married. I&Vkad. ; in ;! one of our exchanges' the Jlowing: — " I, Margaret '-Dirken,'; late E^lifelb'ourne;' draper,' who arrived in ydney; on s tho ,lQth April, • 1878, most idtfnptly" deny that I am married; and aailengfe proof." ' ■ ; • -

3?he.' Q-iqypsland • Mercury relates .the following l story : — -Tho husband ctf a "patient in the local hospital, whose. house ifi ab(stifc'2s!nliles from the town, was met /upon his,Avay to, Sale by a friend, who Jaslcefr ' 4 hiiti. ( ! the motive : : of his journey. The man,repjied t^at hi^ wife had died thaF : in'6rnirig ; in tho : hospital, and ho, of .c'piirse,' wished to see the body before It :\fas"bumed'.' -Naturally there was some doubt, oxijrossed on the, subject by ' the /tfher' party, but the husband , declared h'c v/us quite s^bisfiod that .'tho occurrence l^ad taken plum,', as he had soon his" wife standing, at,; his bedsidu at 12 o'clock that morning, and socoutinuedon his journey. On -arriving .at the institution lie told the house ste ward, that- his. ,w<ifo.. was dead, much to the astonishment of that geutlo.man,,,whp ; admitted tliat it was. the case, a!nd! that'the'.patient had; died, at' the hour menfioned,' / b.ut said he had not yet had tune.tg.send a message to any one on the subje.ctk What seems to put the truth of the man's statement beyond question or doubt, is. the fact that there is neither post office nor telegraph station within 13 'jjiiles of bis' residence, •; "■ ' . i

A fearful soerie ocourred at an exeoution which, took plaoe within the precincts of Brisbane Gaol, on the'Dth June. ..The prifiiojrter^Sya's }a , German named ; jsteph j Mut?fi6r,t%wtho I wals reqently cbnvipfea at | Tolnß^L|ll;off the muMfr 6f;a woman at ' Ravetis^pavr': .All things v c^tried oirb^dtt^e ,Asudl |or^|uti|||a!>ut'i)wi k ng ;r to thefyof c being^har^enemt^ 'the fi;ostf v on the "drop falling the man" was cdrn-^ pletely decapitated, the head havingrbefeln pulled off by the weight of the -plan's body. The spectators turned- away h orrified with the shocking spectacle.

The Canterbury Press thus, concludes a strong article upon. Sir "William Fitzherbert's appointment' as Speaker to the Legislative Council :^r* ' In f aot, it,may . be said tiiat in wtateyer^puj^lo. u jp6siti6n : 4 ; Sir" William Fitaherberfc Has:. managed ,toi,;. place himseji,. lje has done no Honor to it. The reason- 'of this is' easy enough to find.' He lias not cared a straw for the^ interests of the colony. The '6ne ; motive 1 of^ bis public conduct .has t been an,iint mixed selfishness of the most barefaced- x 1 description. In conferring Upon him the presidency of the Legislative , Council, Ministers ! cast : upon' -that _bbdy. fan insult $s ;; sffea't as it is undeserved" .•*""•; A reporter o$ the Auckland Stars rejr, . cently initeryiewed Rewi,' a number w of other chief§ being present.;- In. the course of j ; tThi6 conversation Rewi vprroduced'^et 1 printer's proof sheet, containing .a copy ,6i a list of suggestions, lately, published in one of the papers. J On the 1 - slip were also, other ..items of' information, .such.as t , European /market; 'quotations, 1 news,;-. &e\ " These" wM rWd.'-ateud" 'ixf-tf&dtf at\ Jttewis request. One item waa;,,\'M-iOpacco, ; , Is 6d per.lb. jf^h^aring.whicKajsagapious looking^ chief r greatly tatoped retorted, " That ' is a falsehood l> ' (meaning- '.tha, price was too. low). The next item was 1 " respecting the Zulu war, and- the action df the British^ Saidthe/bef ore-mentioned 'critical chicf — " Don}t.*ead. any more of that stuff: it has £c.en dished up for the "Maoris^* ■- " %■-.'' ' CT!'" "" ' ' '* > j T^heifd is a MeiWurne paper called the Advocate. It writes thus of thelsandula • defeat, in" which so-many "Brave IriSamen .l^st their" ,Hve&:— " In Brjngipff.such a isai^niiiy, , (f ) , .abojdtpd.nacin;ridding;i the". " world Jof \.a ; few^lessieiieniies .ta^lrelaiid's ■v^eal, we Irishmen, with. feelings of gladu ness and, national 'jpy,, hayeTev.ery.r-eason, to feel proud.of .iihe.man who is 'Jbpne of sour bone and flesh ! of our 4 flesh ' — the great Zulu organiser, John Dunn, the County Tyrone r inaW- v! ■-, ■■■) -.' :-;L . ; Commenting Upon a decision , of Jjohnston the Teniuka LtadeP thus makes an ingenious attempt to express-an-•'dpinio?lr and. .yet avoid itiie perils -jand- > penalties "attendant upon ?df> ? Court" :-7-rlf-.-v^e/44 r ?i^iWtain d.,lja;dugM ' imfdvdfable' tb Jtidge Johnston it would be jbh&tl there; .'\y;a^jevideriqe t , pf . a 'Jeanin g'i towards the defendant. ..-We dare* not v expre'sS) thjs. dpini6"n '.{whatever : we^hink? a^ he mightj iini .the fvindiotiveness; of spirit to which all men-are liable, prosecuie f us-for what we might term T 'a4ibel.;' : -- •'-

; Among' recent is Mr'Ti Ghalmers^gid,, of $unedin, , A^cdnterii-^ pdrafy says that Mr B,aid ls^a commission agent; and well-known as .captain of the Waikari' Jtifles^attd.editDr.Qf'-the Vdluni. tker Serpicq j^rAzett'e* . His.-. liabilities are abdut £5000} fold, hjhr assets tidtHiri^ fo) speak of. His "failure will not affect anyone in business, but it causes great hardship to some of his creditors. One, a warder' in 'the gaol, loses £900 ; another warder loses about £700; and a third warder loses £400.. Their losses represent the life savings of these men. A clergj'-nian losds £1200, and a hdte'lkeep'er 1 ikop. Great sympathy is. felt for the victims, and public feeling in the tnatter is intense

A method 6f artificiallyrearing sponges has been successfully employed on the boast of Dalniatia. Advantage has been 1 taken of a well-kndwn fact that certain zoophytes have such great powers of reproduction that a small portion, of, one will grow and form anrentire new body. The process, is to out : ih,e sponge into pieces, fasten each portion to a pile, and immerse it in.the sea;. The pieces .then grow, and eventually from each dne a spherical sponge is obtained. ; According to estimates made," a" small piece of sponge at the end' of three ygairs will represent a ■ value' of" about sixpence. Tjhe total cost of raising 4000 sponges, including the .interest on the expended capital for three years, is estimated at £10, and the income at about £17, leaving therefore a net profit of J67. -

. A gentleman was. talking to Lord BeacOnsfield the other day ab'diit the extraordinary spread of the conspiracy which has terrified the authorities, in, Russia. "; Yes,'* said Lord'Beaconsfieid, "when a good many, years- ago I wrote that the world is governed by secretsbcietibs.l was laughed at, bul people seem* to becoming round now to my view."

Seven Legitimists, at Marseilles were recently fined- -200 f, .each,- and three others 40f. eaoh,v with, costs, for shouting " : Vive le Sot /'?, in. ,a restaurant where they r had ,b t een , dining.' Some other young. menjdin^ng In the "adjoiniug room replied;by n cryihg ,'• l^ive^ie I^e^ubliq'ue .' " and. an.'Uproar ensued which . liad to be" quelled by, tho 1 police,: •,.'-. ,"-. ....