AUCKLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 1320, 17 March 1877, Page 6

AUCKLAND.

Our County Counc'ls find their difficulties do not lessen. Thero is the Coroinandel County, for example. It extends from Cape Colville to Tairua, along a rugged, mountainous peninsula, about 100 miles long, by some 10 miles broad. Mercury Bay, which comprises the eastern portion, has 25 voters and three membsra. The other riding (Coromandel) has 600 voters and four members. There is no common feeling whatever between these two ridings. Each is afraid of the other taxing it, and expending the taxes on its own district. The Mercury Bay voters are chiefly saw-mill proprietors and thair people. They have done, at their own expense, all they absolutely require hitherto, and they object to be taxed now to meet the •wants of those on the other part of the peninsula. Besides this, it is clear that a very large amount of money is required, if the Peninsula is to be opened up thoroughly. No County rate can be levied under the Rating Act, except ifc be uniform, and the Mercury Bay people don't want a rate at all. The Council sent a deputation of its members to wait upon the Ministers, Mr Whitaker and Dr Pollen, here. These gentlemen are practically despotic here just now. Their will is law, and deputations find that waiting upon them is a very different affair to what waiting on the Superintendents used to be in the days gone by. I was told by one of the deputation, and I feel perfectly sure that he told me the exact truth, incredible as it may appear, that they asked, among other things, what would be the result of not bringing the Act into full operation. They pointed out that there were no rates worth speaking of in tlie County at present, as there are only two Road Boards. Of these, tho rates levied by one up to 31st March last year only produced seventeen shillings. Tiie other had not then levied any rates at aIL The deputation wanted to know how, under such circumstances, the Government would act if left to provide for the main roads, hospital, wharf, bridges, poor relief, etc., if the Act were not put into force. The reply was that the charges would be deducted from the gold duty, being the only reve7iue the County can have. On its being again pointed out that the Act gave no power to stop the gold duty for such purposes, the reply was that it did not matter. "It could be done by half-a-dozen strokes of the pen, and an Indemnity Act would do the rest." YO2 need not suppose this reply impossible, as I can assure you my informant is thoroughly to be depended on, though he did sot think it right to make the reply publicly known until it had first been communicated to the Council which the deputation represented. They, perhaps, in their turn, may think it politic not to lay stress upon this extraordinary answer, but the fact remains that such a reply was given, and that it staggered the deputation, considerably. This same deputation also raised a new question. How about the licenses for the half-year from 31st December to 30th June next ? They asked for this amount, which, in the Coromaudel County, represents a considerable part of the expected revenue. They were told that they could not have the license money till 30th June next, when the new licenses fall due— so that the Councils will really only receive 12 lhoutlis' licenses to do 38 months' work.

Then v:o have the Thames County. A deputation is coming vi» from it to get the f Jovermnent to grant an advance of L4OOO for works urgently needed before winter sets in. Whether the Government will grant the advance or net, is unknown to the outside world. Electors are numerous at the Thames, and the matter may possibly have been all arranged between Council and Ministers beforehand. But, whether it be so or not, the fact is> dawning on the public mind that, so far as saving is concerned, these Counties are a "sell." The Chairmen will absorb very much more than Superintendents, their Executives and Provincial Councils, ever did ; while the control wliich the people exercised over public affairs under the old system in very materially decreased. The County Councils are not popular, and they stand little prospect of being popular. They are dreaded, on the contrary, and much

disliked. What, then, will be the next move, and how long will it be before the Colony emerges from the series of experiments about to be tried upon it? These are the questions people begin to ask everywhere, and I do not hesitate to say that there is a very largely-in-creasing number who think that the old system of local legislation, as well as local administration, will yet have to be restored in an improved and more effective form. The most populous, the most compact, and the most wealthy, of Auckland Counties is that of Eden. It is as much distracted as any of them. The centres of population— Parnell, Onehunga, Ponsonby, and others— threaten to form independent boroughs if the Act is brought into operation. The Council itself evidently desires to bring it into operation, however, and, in the long run, will probably do so. At present, they have a dispute with the Auckland Corporation as to which is to establish a slaughter-house and take the fees, producing about LIOOO a-year. The Corporation I have a site on the land they purchased in connection with the water supply. It is about five miles from the city. The County people declare that they have the power to stop its being done, and will stop it accordingly. A very pretty little series of very pretty rows, with the very bitter feeliuj that such petty rows always produce, threatens to spring out of these disputes and conflicting interests before they are done with. As to the bigger and nore solid difficulties of Counties obliged to make roads through great areas of Maori land or Government land which they cannot tax, I shall not touch upon them, ■ but they are severely trying the East Coast Counties, and will try many others in this Island. The Railway Commission has begun its labours, but the first days seem to have been chiefly occupied about a bottle of medicine that was carried 43 miles, and for which 2s 6d was charged by the Railway authorities. The Railway management wants alteration, no doubt, in minor points, but why a Commission should be charged with the work it is not easy to see. No one questions the ability of the local manager, who is an indefatigable officer, and who has spared no exertion to make the railways succeed. The difficulty is only caused by the system of Centralisation. If this were altered, and the local officers had more power, the difficulty would soon disappear. I think I mentioned Major Gordon's casein my last letter, The testimonial to him is being subscribed to freely among the Volunteers, and the Major will leave fcr England shortly, with a view, it is understood, of getting service in Turkey. The Colony should be rich in good men if it can afford to sacrifice one of its best volunteer officers to the personal animosity of a Minister, tor the alleged pretext of retrenchment ; in this case, it will not bear a moment's investigation. However, Major Gordon has wisely preferred trying new fields to cooling his heels in Wellington six months hence in the perhaps futile effort to seek redress.

A little stiff has been caused in the theatrical world by the too rigid adherence of the boxkeeper of the Theatre to bis instructions, and the too hasty resentment shown thereon by the lady aggrieved. This lady was refused admission with her friends while her husband was playing. The box-keeper partially relented on her representation, and admitted the party, but at once went to the proprietor, who was on the footpath with others in front of the Theatre. " You have your instructions," was the prompt reply, whereupon the box-keeper, as delicately as possible, returned to the party, then seated in the dress circle, and told them they must retire. The indignant lady at once went behind the scenes to her husband. He refused ' to continue hia part, and left the Theatre immediately. The piece had to be curtailed, aa the proprietor, who had hastily given an answer without properly, understanding what the box-keeper said to him, could not be found in time to avert the trouble, which compelled a total alteration of next evening's programme, and has caused a good deal of talk — and amusement — since.

Another small sensation has been caused by the departure of the schooner Canterbury for Suwarrow Island, and the srrest of Mr Sterndale, who, it was alieged, was about to pioceed in her. You have heard already of the disputes between Messrs Henderson and Macfarlane as to the ownership of that island, and the threatened " shootings " that were averted between the various parties on the two sides on that island. Originally Henderson and Macfarlane fitted out a pearl-fishing expedition, of which Mr Sterndale was placed in charge. They afterwards sent down another manager to displace him, and hence the disputes. The airest referred to was now made on a claim for debt, but it seems doubtful whether Sterndale was not in the position of managing partner, and if so he could not be sued by the others. The Magistrate therefore dismissed the case ; but meantime the Canterbury had sailed with an adventurous party on beard, of whose doings we shall no doubt hear more when they reach the disputed territory. The Customs launch followed the Canterbury down the harbour to see that she did not take in contraband goods,and H,M. steamer Renard, lying in the harbour, also followed her to the oceavi. Very much has been said about this affair, and I am told that there are some " levanters " in the Canterbury, but can only say that the captain (Wilson) is very well known to many people as a gentleman brought up in Green's service, and not likely to be concerned in anything unlawful, or of which he need be ashamed. He is only, however, the navigator ef the expedition, of whose doings when they reach Suwarrow, and, perhaps, come into conflict with the representatives of the other claimants, we shall wait curiously to hear. I need not say that the firm of Henderson and Macfarlane is one of the oldest and most respected here, and that public feeling in the matter is with them so far. Mr Sterndale, I may also add, is the autnor of the papers on the South Sea Island Trade, that were written at the request of Sir J. "Vogel, and were attached to the report in ■which that gentleman brought forward his scheme for promoting, by a Company, the moral and material welfare of the Natives of the South Pacific. I should have also said that one of the passengers, or erew — it is hard to say which — in the Canterbury, is a gentleman of rough experience as a blockade runner during the American Civil war. Mr Sherwood, the gentleman referred to, is said to carry in his body to this day a bullet received in the course of his exploits in that capacity, and to have other mementoes in the shape of scars similarly earned. It is a queer world, aad the sea-going part of it is no exception. While on sea affairs, I may mention that the wife of a resident in one of the islands in the Hauraki Gulf was recently given a passage to the island in one of the small cutters that do all the trade between them. She fell overboard, and was rescued at once, but the shock caused insensibility. The master in haste took to his boat and came back for medical aid. When he returned with the doctor the lady had recovered, and was enjoying something hot. The affau got into the papers, as a matter of course, and the Customs authorities felt bound to prosecute the- unfortunate skipper fer taking passengers without having a master's certificate, as required by the Act. Others have been summoned with him, and the matter has caused a commotion in the

world interested in these cutters and in the small islands they frequent. It is the " reductio ad absurdum " of the efferts of a paternal Government that takes too much care of its people.