VICE-REGAL MUNIFICENCE.

Inangahua Times, Volume V, Issue 30, 15 April 1878, Page 2

VICE-REGAL MUNIFICENCE.

TJlioro is no dpnyinp; thq, fact (says tho Knmilton Spectator), that a Colonial Governor, with a salary of say £10,000 a yoar, oan do an immpnso amount of good, both in tho way of onooi^aciit^ trad^, rolioyinff, tho, poor and. dostituto, nnd in a varioty of othor directions, Homo of Ijiotn havo been known to do this, but I hoy nro not nil so liboral as thoy mip;ht bo, vyhoso ohiof objoot is by purcljasinp; and Ravine. visitinpr horo and visiting fchoro, to build up a qptnpoloncp. Thero aro somo outiayq that thoy cannot woll avoid, but tho fol« lowing '.outo trick on tho part of an Ex« oollonoy will show tho extent of which thoy will go, when tho objoot in view is tho Having # o/ a fow pnljtry pounda. Being intorv'.owed ono day by tho M,inistor,

under whoso supervision enmo tho public oxpondituro on Govprnmont lEouso, bo romarkod, " OJi, by-tlio^byo, about gas. You soo that tho greater part consumed horo ia attributablo to ontortainmonfc of tho goaorul public ; very litllo is used for

private purposes. It will, thcroforo, bo Imrdly wortli wliilo makinp; t\yo accounts of it. I supposp it hod bottor all go down in yoi^r list.!' Thq su((KOßtion was a stran^o ono for a gontlomnn in such n position to throw out. As, hqwoyor, it 'would v tna|^but 4 «^(|ing jdi^renqo ducin^Hho t^f, ''(| ;^ftß while hdgkng $|§ijt # $$ jiho-Blpnistot ngroe4 (;o thp Tho tyoxt quostion,, f tartoi hini §till moro—V And what nb'oqt tho fjrowood, Mr-—^P" 11 Woll, your Excojloncy, I.'1 .' was tho roply "I can harcjly sco how that can bo chnrgod to tho public. "To thja the Goyornor tpp]iod, ". Qh, I moroly aalcod for information, y,o\i know 1 wish to asoortain Tfhat ha'n been tho custom. 1 ' Tito interview oyor, tho two diKtikarios parted, mutually wel( pleasod with onch othorj qonyjsraa.tjon tluit hac( taken p^laco wos tading «wny fi;om'tho tjiint^ o(..!tiio J Ministor, biiV'thq romom* bVaribd of.'ii^i was: suddenly rqvived ono dfiy/whdtf ho happened to alight oft a monthly account which contained tho following item j— M Gas. Goycrnment flW#e'^BO> many tho'usmnd, /feet) fDO. 1 " Whow I £9,0 for gas for ono mouth' 310,000 why,"- said hp, ". what on earth has boon up j thero certainly havo boon inoro rq«uuions of tho public than n^al ; it must bo a mis.tnljo." Ho rnng t,ho bell, nnH official ontorcd. Mr , kindly causo onquiros to hp raadc into t)\\s, there evidently is an error somewhere". Enquiries (Ji^ly mado, no error had been conjinittod, oxocpt by tho Minister himself whon the consented to pay" for nil' '"tl\o gas, bu^t could not sco his way clonv to do so ior tho firewood. Tho Governor, had caused all tho fireplaces in his viceregal palaco to bo fitted up with gas stoves. ' Cute old gont^omnn, and yot ho is r.ot a Y nn k° 0 «