Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6484, 29 September 1892, Page 2

P overty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING.

GISBOUNE, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1892 THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT. Laudation of the co-operative system, and the attack ou the Railway Commissioners are the most marked features of the Public Works Statement. A good deal is said about the abstention of the colony from borrowing, bat in that respect the Government are only carrying out the policy of their predecessors.. No other policy would be sanctioned by the country. In the openinor p ar t of the Statement, Mr Seddon inferentially takes crodit to the presenfc Ministry for the colony ceasing to depend upon the London money market. He says that when some five years ago a pledge was given by the late Government that further borrowing should not be resorted to for three years, the detractors of the colony loudly announced that immediately at the end of three years New Zealand would be forced to raise another loan, but five years hnve now elapsed and borrowing is not required, and from the outlook the present Government do not consider that further borrow ing should take place. When the Atkinson Ministry gave the pledge referred to, a loan was being raised, the immediate object being to obtain the money on the most favorable terms. The limit was fixed at three years, because an existing Parliament has no power to bind down its successors. But at the time, Sir Harry Atkinson distinctly expressed the opinion that there would be no occasion for further borrowing for many years to come. His Government remained in office during the whole of the period covered by tho pledge, and when the present Ministry came into office there was a substantial balance in the Treasury. The prudent finance of the Atkinson Government made it an easy matter for their successors to abstain from borrowing. Still iv this great matter of policy, the' Ballance Ministry are to be congratulated for wisely following in the footsteps of the previous Government. At one time, there was good reason to fear from the loose utterances of Mr Seddon, thufc another start would be made in borrowing. The country did not rise to the bait, and now the Minister of Public Works poses as an apostle of non-borrowing. It is to be hoped that he will keep in his present frame of mind as long as he remains in office. Mr Seddon repeats in the Public Works Statement what he has frequently said before about the success of th* co-operative system in carrying out public works. He intends to extend the principle to operations which require skilled labor, such werks, for instance, as bridges, culverts, and laying the permanent way of railways. There is nothing novel in the idea. Large bushfelling contracts are constantly let to the men who are to actually do the work. If the middlemen can be safely dispensed with, so much the better. But it must be admitted that tendering has been very keon in this colony, and that very few contractors have made any money. Most conflicting opinions hnve been expressed regarding the experiments already mads by the Government in having works constructed under the cooperative system. Mr Fergus, who lias had a large experience in works of the kind, is unhesitatingly of opinion that the colony has lost by the system. However, the principle is still in the experimental stage, and one can scarcely blame Mr Seddou for giving it a further trial. The greatest danger to be apprehended is political interference with the permanent officers of the Public Works Department. If in the disputes, the Minister displays a decided inclination to side with the men, there will soon be an end to the carrying: out of public works on the co-operative system. The evil will work its own cure, for the taxpayers of New Zealand would not stand payins twenty shillings for ten shillings' worth of work. The attack on tho Railway Commissioners was to bo expected. Mr Seddon charges the management with not making the railways return a higher net revenue. The answer to the charge is that the lines are paying better now than when they were under political control. The Minister of Public Works is most unfair in the comparison ho made of the profits of the respective years he quoted. He should have gone further back. He confined himself to comparing the results achieved by the Commissioners during three years out of the five the railways have been under their charge. There was the greatest scope for economical reform during the earlier stage of their office. The services have to be maintained, and it is obvious that the tflanngement could not go on cutting down expenses. The fact is. thnt the area under crop in Canterbury and Otaso, the yield per aero, and the price for the grain, are all factors which affect the railway revenue, and over these things the Commissioners have no control whatever. A return presented to Parliament during the present session shows that there had been large reductions both in passenger and good rates on the railways since the Commissioners assumed control, yet there have been improved net results to the colony. The present administration has been ?i success from every point of view, Mr Seddon is merciful. The Commissioners' term of office does not expire till January 1894, and the Minister thinks they must be allowed to remnin in office till that time. But if the Railway Management Bill, now before the House, were passed, it would practically put an end to the present system of management. The country has to th.ink the Legislative Council for the impending fate of the measure, as it ia perfectly well-known that it would never be agreed to by that branch of the Legislature. Threatened men proverbially live long, and the Commissioners will probably survive the Ist of January, 3894. A general election must be held in the meantime, and it is more portentous to the fate of the Government than to the present system of railway manngement.

Owing to the late arrival of the steamers this week the wool, skin, and hide sales advertised for to-morrow (Friday) have been postponed until Saturday. The County Council meets to-morrow at 2 p.m. The Borough Council will issue summonses for rates against all defaulters after Saturday next.

Messrs Maguire and Co. announce large reductions in the price of their stock prior to Ist November. - Mr H. Lewis' premises will be closed from Friday evening until six o'clock on Saturday evening. The Poverty Bay Road Board announce the striking of a rate of two farthings in the £„ and that the rate book is now open for inapection. A first dividend of 7s in the £ on accepted proved claims in the estate of Tuta Nihoniho is now payable at the Deputy Official Assignee's office. In the Chamber of Commerce report we find that during the past year the Napier breakwater has been extended 276 feet, making a total of 1538 feet constructed, and leaving 531 feet to complete the original plan. The total length of completed wharf was 1000 feet, with a depth of 27 feet of water at the outer end. The area of the harbor when the breakwater works are completed will be 91 acres. Professor Litchwark gave a second exhibition of his skill as an educ?tor of the horse in Little's stables last evening. As a Bubject he had another horse of Mr A. O'Meara'g, a four-year-old gelding, which gave him a little more trouble than the colt of the previous evening, but yet he had it perfectly subdued and docile within an hour. The Professor commences his class lessons to-morrow, and has already a number of pupils who are desirous of profiting by his experience and teaching. He desires us to say that he will be most willing to handle and subdue at his class lessons any horse, no matter what his faults, that his pupils may bring to him, and indeed is rather anxious to show his ability on a few really wild ones. Considerable amusement was caused in the R.M. Court this morning over a judgment summons case. The plaintiff proved that the defendant's earnings from the date of judgment, upon a minute calculation, amounted to 7d per day, and urged that this was more than sufficient to keep a wife and four children on. Plaintiff said he could do it on less. The defendant frequently contended that plaintiff's remarks were " irreverent," and asked the plaintiff not to get excited, and in other ways contributed to the mirth of the usual knot of listeners at the " weekly"' entertainment. In another case a defendant swore that he did not remove certain horses from a paddock at night time in order to avoid payment of the grazing fees, but simply to avoid a " thumping" at the plaintitfs liands. For this little game the Court mulcted him in costs as well as grazing money. Captain Tucker and Mr Matthew son were the presiding Justices at the R.M. Court this morning, and dealt with the following civil cases : — \\ . Daly v. YV. Adams, claim £6 4s 6d, judgment for plaintiff for £4 8s 6d and costs £2 17s, Mr Chrisp for plaintiff and Mr L. Rees for defendant ; XV. Devcry v. Ta'mati Waiti, claim £15 2s 9d, no appearance, struck out ; H. Sutton v. C. Suff, claim £8, judgment for defendant, Mr Nolan for defendant. Judgment summons : J. East v. D. Dunlop, claim £13 12s Id, no appearance of either party, case struck out ; H. Lewis v. A. Rlee, claim £3 3s, defendant ordered to pay 5s per week ; first payment to be made on or before 6th October, and subsequent instalments on or before each Thursday thereafter until amount is paid. J. Allen v. E. Fannin, claim £8 2s 9d, no appearance, case struck out ; W. Ratcliffe v. J. R. Hurry, claim £'2 18s 9d, ordered to pay the amount claimed on or before the 28th February, 1893. A Sydney paper says: — "The Shearers' Union are now in a position to repent at leisure of their hasty action. Two years ago they occupied a commanding position. Squatters were compelled to engage their hands through union officials, and the latter threatened, by the vigorous growth of their formidable organisation to dominate the entire continent. To-day, how different is the case. Instead of engaging through the officers of their own union they have now to apply to the unions of the pastoralists for engagement, and each man moreover has j to deposit a sovereign with his application j as a guarantee of good faith. All tin's has come upon them because they were unwilling to allow to others the same liberties that they claimed for themselves. In order to deprive the hated non-unionist of his living, they lent themselves to long-tongued inflamatory agitators, who in two short years had lost all the advantages with which they started. Perhaps after all it is just as well that it lias so fallen out. Quein deus vnlt pcrdere, primus dementcit." One phase of the disgraceful squabble between the Minister for Lands and Mr Fish has not received the consideration it deserves. The country pays the Premier £1000 a year, gives him a furnished house, and travelling wxpenses ad lib, while the Other Ministers get the same facilities with regard to travelling expeuses, get £800 a year, and £200. a year house allowance. AH this is because the taxpayers are Milling to defray the cost of Ministers upholding the dignity of their position, yet the result is— four men in a "pub.!" The Premier is ill, and the country is governed by — four men in a "pub.!" The question is whether the appointment of a dozen men to the Upper House should be gazetted, seeing that the Ministry asked for that power and have now got it, and whether that should be done or a demand made for the appointment of a score is left to— four men in a " pub. !" The position is worse than could be afforded by the dirtiest and most "wild cat" oligarchy in South America. — Hawke's Bay Herald. The impudence of some of our New Zealand bankrnpts is positively appalling. At a meeting of the creditors of a Dunedin bankrupt last week it was proposed to allow thPbankrupt £2 a week to assist in winding up his estate. The bankrupt (says the exchange from which we quote) 'strongly objected to such an offer, saying he was not g<"»ing to he sweated by his creditors. He could not accept less than a journeyman's wages, which was £3 a week. He would not take a penny less, and thought the assignee or his creditors should not attempt sweating with him. It was pointed out that it was he who had sweated liis creditors when he failed to pay his debts, and that it was most extraordinary he should demand more than the allowance they were prepared to give, after losing so much through him. Bankrupt, advised by his solicitor, did not press the point." At a meeting of the Hawke's Bay Chamber of Commerce held on Monday last, the Chairman in his annual report states :— There was a total increase for the year of £49,154 in the value of our exports As to the general trade of the district, tables attached to the report showed that the total value of the exports up to the 30th of June, 1892, was £1,330,054, being a decrease of £55.521 in value as compared with the figures for the preceding year. Opposed to this was the gratifying fact that our exports were more than double in value those of six years ago, the increase during that period amounting to £669,647. This year frozen meat showed a falling off in value, as compared with last year, of £76,638 ; live stock, £32,182; potatoes, £10,370; flax, £1751; grain, £1072; hops, £1770; and hides, £1045. On the other hand wool, our staple product, showed an increase over last year's clip valued at £64,900, and the increase on grass seed, tallow, and preserved meats were respectively £4563, £5328, and £1220. While deploring the low values realised for wool and tallow in the London market, it was gratifying to learn that the number' of our sheep in the district had increased by 197,702, although during that period the number of merino sheep had decreased by 79,128. The district had just passed through a most favorable season, and there was every prospect of an excellent lambing and good results from the coming shearing. The increase during the past year in the area of improved land amounted to 76,116 acres. The Weather. — Weather forecast for 24 hours from 9 a.m. to-day : Wind between south and east and north-east at all places. Barometer further rise everywhere. Sea moderate on both coasts. Telegrams to expect fro*t or very cold night have been sent to all places. Synopsis of last 24 hours : Slowly-rising barometer everywhere with t-trong southerly winds and rain on the coast between Kaikoura and East Cape, but generally fine weather in all other parts of the country, and sharp frost on the high country in the South Island. — R. A. Edwix. " lolantho " opera practice will be held as usnal in the City Rink this (Thursday) evening, commencing at 7.30 sharp.— Advt,