BOROUGH COUNCIL AUDIT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VIII, Issue 1468, 3 November 1881, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL AUDIT.

[To the Editor of <A«Hbiuld]. • Sir, — In order to remove certain misapprehensions arising from the published report of the Borough Council meeting of Tuesday, I beg to point out that the defection of duty by the Town Clerk refers only to the non-preparation of the half-yearly balance-sheet required to be laid before auditors within fifteen days after the 30th Sept. in each year. I am, &c, T. W. Porter, Mayor.

Many of the publicans in Dunodin have printed cards hanging on the walls of their bars and parlors stating that the spirits they sell are reduced by water, and they thus avoid the penalties of the Adulteration Act, unless it is proved that they use other and deleterious ingredients. The Argus points out that tho smallpox scare in Sydney has led to a large diminution in the passenger traffic between that place and New Zealand, and says that many persons now come via Melbourne injorder to escape quarantine at New Zealand porte.

The soil, climate, and commercial ad* vantages of New Zealand (says the Ba n Francisco Chronicle) are first-class. Her area is 105,000 square miles, against 120,879 for jghigland, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales ; and there is a larger per cent. of good arable land iv New Zealand than in England and Scotland. It is easy to imagine from these facts and figures what a future is in store for that country. Without ever-peopling it has capacity for 20.000,000 souls. But the one great drawback on the energies of New Zealand, as well as all the other British South Sea Colonies, ia the burden of public debt. With less than 500,000 people, and not quite 35,000,000 dollars of exports, the debt of New Zealand is 118,000,000 dollars. This is an enormous burden for les» than half-a-million inhabitants to bear ; and that they d<> bear it and yet prosper, speaks well for the natural capabilities of the country. The ironclad Duilio having proved a most satisfactory vessel, the Government have resolved that the two new ironclads lately voted by the Italian Parliament shall be of the same model and proportions, with slight modifications. Thus, in a few years, besides the Italia, Lepanto, and Dandolo, Italy will possess three great ironclads of the / pother and proportions of the Duilio. This colossal man-of-war arrived at Brindisi from Greece, and met with an enthusiastic demonstration from crowds which gathered on shore. The men on board the English steamer Bessarabia joined in the demonstration, upon which the people marched to the house of the British Consulate, raising cries of " Long live Queen Victoria ; long live England."