Untitled

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1584, 8 April 1887, Page 2

It wil be seen from last night's telegrams that there is a deficit in the customs revenue for the year of £128,000. The beer duty also falls short of the estimate by £1,500. Seven officers of long service and high standing in the Survey Department have, it is said, received notice that their services will shortly be dispensed with, and that they will retire on compensation. According to a Nelson paper, the well-known Miss Houston is going to live with a doctor resident in th.it town. The Minister for Native A Hairs claims to have settle ! 500 families on the land during the past financial year. It is his intention during the coming year t> pla, e 2020 fami.ies in spe;ial settlements throughout the Colony, and of this number 500 will be located in Auckland province. The North Otugo Times learns that 39 6.1 was paid recently by a Timaru miller for a sample of prime wheat. 'J he house at Woodlands, Timarn, where Hall, the poisoner, lived with his wife, has been leased to a new tenant, who i 3 greatly plagued with excursionists and others who ask for permission to visit the premises and visit the sceues of the crime. Every one feels sympathy with the aged parents of the prisoner, who have been ii early ruined by his forge, ies and in providing mtais for his defence. ft is said Prolessor Black and Mr H. A. Gordon will visit California shortly to make themselve? thoroughly acquainted with the various systems of gold-saving processes in vogue there, moieespecially with the methods ol dealing with heavy-mineralised ore*. At a bar.qnet in connection with the opening of a railway from Napier to Wondviile the other day above 200 guests sat down. The entertainment was | <»f a strictly teetotal character, the only beverages 1 supplied being tei and coffee. Woodville was ; originally a Rechahite settlement, a:'d even at the ! present moment cannot boast of moie than two j "pubs." I Mu'ton (according to the TVairnmpa DaVy) is j being hawked round one of the I/ w r Valley townshins at Id per pound. Dining tie pre eut week sheep have been selling each from Sdeich by taking 1 a single <-ai ca»e, and it is no uncommon thing to see i a lad 'ending home the week's supply of mutton by 1 a sn-itig. I It i* said to be rumoured in Wellington that 1 there have been some battles royal over the co9t cf the education system. Mr Larnach wants to cut down the expenses \erv greatly, while the Premier | is determined that, though New Zealand should be | ruined, not one jet or tithe of the cost of the dei pari me;it shall lie interfered with. MrToleisvery ' much with Mr Larnach, but has to dissemble his ! sentiments. IP, says the New Zealand Herald, our ; statesmen were prepared to sacrifice office for i political l»fliefs, we should have some resignations ; I but such a manifestation of honesty is scarcely to be ! hoped for. j At the census last year there was in New Zealand I one man who had completed 10/ years, but was I under 108. The next veteran to him was a woman, who was between 99 and 100 years of age. The Victoria Racing Club have decided to add £SOO more to the Melbourne Cup (making £2,500 in all), besides a trophy of the value of 100 guineas. The Autumn meeting will in future comprise four days' racing, and the added money of the Newmarket Handicap has been increased to £SOO. A decision of some importance to shareholders in public companies was given last week by Mr Justice Johnston. Several persons who had been sued for } the amount of calls in the Kaiapoi Glass Company applied to have their names struck off the list of shareholders. The affidavit of William Hollier set out that in August, 1885, he applied to some persons calling themselves provincial directors of the company for twenty-five shares, but paid no l money as an application fee. In April, ISB6, the 1 company was registered, and a notification of allot* I meat was received by applicant seven months after I application. He, however, took no notice of it, ncr I had he paid any money or taken any steps in I connection with the company. His Honor said I there was no conttact between the applicant and the company, and granted the application. The demand for the great American remedy, Hop Bitters, in this part of the world has become so great that the Hop Bitters Co., whose headquarters are at Rochester, New \ork, U.S.A., have been compelled to open a laboratory in Melbourne. It is in charge of Mr M. H. Van Beri;h. a gentleman of several years experience with this Company, ami the trade may be assured of receiving goods equal to the parent house, and the most courteous treatment. The H. B. Co. have establishments at London, Paris. Antwerp, Belgium, Breda, Holland and Tot onto, and their American Bitteis are prob»b y the best known medicine in the world. The Waikato Times says :-On Tuesday evening a cat was observed in the Victoria Road standing on its hind legs and coiitt ntedly sucking a o>w's teat. The cow did not appear to object, and stood perfectly still for the operation to be performed. The Tuabeka Times hits the right nail on the head in the following remarks on retrenchment ' 4 It is quite clear that retrenchment to lie success* ful must he more general. It must not he confined ta one department of the public service, hut must be made to include every official, from the highest to the lowest—from the Governor to the Parliamentary charwoman. Some of the higher officials are altogether overpaid; and, ccnsiderirg the depression of business, it cannot he saul thai many of the lower officers are underpaid. The most comfortably situated men in the country at the pie-sent time are the civil servants, take whatever department you may. Bank oificials are suppose I'o be little princes in the matter of munificent salaries but their incomes are poor compared with those of Government officers. If these exorbitant salaries are to he maintained, then those who draw them should be made to do nn re work." Our contemporary proposes to commence by reducing the Governor's salary from £"500 a year to £3 00. Even the Premier of England, with all the lab r and lesponsibility of office, is not so well remunerated for his services as the Governor of tkeua unhappy impecunious islands ol New Zealand.