The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, MAY 1, 1879.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3105, 1 May 1879, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, MAY 1, 1879.

On the 25tli of January our contemporary, after enumerating the so called offences which it was considered the late Harbour Board, had been guilty of, proceeded : " these are the chief items of unsatisfactory actions of the Board, and they constitute a black catalogue of considerable length," which remark was followed by the statement that the Board had made " other displays of littleness, trickery, and want of sympathy with public feeling." 11l conclusion, it was urged that if the public " wish for a Board that will act in sympathy with them, and will take them into its confidence, they must select a majority of fresh and more promising representatives." In a later article the same organ elaborates on what it terms " the crowning error" of the Board, to wit, " its conduct towards the engineer." After mildly hinting that the Board was strong in " mental weakness," was actuated by a " malignant spirit," and that its action had been characterised by "a want of feeling and sense of justice," it proceeded to state, as the only conclusion which it could come to, that " the engineer had received his dismissal for some antipathy towards him by some of the members of the Board, arising from some ignoble source." Following which is a panegyric on the engineer, who came loaded with " testimonials of professional ability, and with personal and other proofs of his being a gentleman by birth and education" — not to mention the discoveries [cement] which this genius, after Messrs. E. M. Smith and D. Atkinson, had made since his advent here. This was written on the near approach of the Harbour election. ' ' We make a last appeal to the good sense, and to the sense of honour, justice, and magnanimity of our fellow- settlers, and we ask them — Will you suffer this contemptible, unreasonable, imprudent, and dishonorable act to be consummated ? We demand, &c." Vide News, February Bth. The same organ (Feb. 1) rejoices "to know that there are a few other persons besides Messrs. Carrington, Atkinson, and Kelly, in Taranaki, who have an aptitude for business, and we intreat this worthy trio to stand aside and allow a few of their fellow citizens to engage in a little patriotic service." One of the " fresh and more promising representatives" of the Board has given notice of intention to move at the next sitting of the Harbour Board, " That it is expedient for the profitable utilization of the Board's endowment at the mouth of the Huatoki River, that Gill-street be extended to Brougham-street, and that negotiations be entered into for the purchase of certain properties in Gill- street and Brougham-street in order that this end may be obtained." The endeavour about to be made by Mr. Wells to get the Harbour Board to go to the expense of extending Gillstreet — notwithstanding, according to j a correspondent, his previously expressed opinion that money "was being thrown away at the mouth of the Huatoki" — can hardly be looked upon as the first "labour of love" which Mr. Wells believed and so unctiously asserted, would "bring its own exceeding great reward" to himself, the man "with an aptitude for business," who, previous to the late election, desired others to step aside, to enable more promising representatives to " engage in a little patriotic service." Earlier examples might be given. The public will (scarcely view as " patriotic

service" for pure" love,- tlje sample just quoted, ancl wiU: ■fully Understand how much causp j^^rcjtJipc" at " the exceeding I -. 1 in additional vali\el^'tto l/ 'his 'own and friend's property in and near Gillsfcreet, which his. election as member of the Harbour Board has given Mr. Wells a chance of securing by his proposed diversion of — indeed, misappropriation of — Harbour Board funds. This is " taking the public in [vide Npws, of January 25th] to its confidence," with a vengeance. We do not by any means wish it to be understood that we are opposed to the opening up of Gillstreet. It is a very desirable, and will shortly become a necessary work, if the business part of the town is to have a fair chance of developing into shapely proportions, and therefore conveniently, and in a way to induce the investment of capital in the erection of creditable premises. The most non -progressive in the community cannot fail to know that one long main thoroughfare will be inadequate to meet business requirements a few years hence. The advantages of opening Gill-street were fairly set forth in a petition presented to the Borough Couucil by ratepayers in July of last year, and it is therefore unnecessary to recapitulate. The sooner the work is undertaken the less will it be likely to cost, and the sooner will the town benefit by the improvement. We do not, however, see why the cost should be thrown wholly upon the Harbour Board. We cannot look upon this motion of Mr. Wells' as other than an attempt by the mover ta misappropriate the j funds of the Harbour Board for a mere'! local benefit, , and as such we have no doubt it will be stoutly resisted by a majority of the Board. It certainly will not beget the sympathy of even such portions of the public as are favorable to the opening-up of Gill-street, whom, with others, Mr. Wells has. so thoroughly taken in. Though a committee was appointed by the Borough Council to consult with the Harbour Board, a committee also being appointed by the latter body, we are unaware of any definite action having been taken, beyond the forwarding 1 by the Town Clerk of a letter to the Harbour Board. When the Harbour Board committee was appointed, the general opinion of the members was that the Board should do no more than pay its proportion of the cost with other property , owners who would be benefited by the opening of the street. With tliis opinion we fully agree. The Harbour Board has' but a comparatively small interest— about two acres, and not much frontage to Gill-street in proportion to area. Apart, therefore, from the misappropriation of Harbour Board funds, which Mr. Wells advocates, it cannot be expected, nor is it desirable, that the Board should enter on such a work. Far different, however, would it be for the Borough to do so. Its special province is to open up and improve streets, initiate and carry out works of utility, and generally to transact the business of the Borough for the ratepayers. As a mere matter of business it would be justified, indeed commended for undertaking- any such necessary, work as that proposed in Gill-street, provided a fair proportion of the cost fell on those benefited. Whilst it would not prove sufficiently remunerative to the Harbour Board as a business speculation, that body lacking the power to increase its revenue by rates to the full extent which the increased value given to Gill-street properties would warrant the Borough Council could legally perform the work, and could turn it to profitable account for the general body of ratepayers. During the last three or four years, over a hundred new streets have been opened up in the City of Wellington. Proportionally good progress has been made in this.; direction in other Colonial towns with fewer advantages, and a less hopeful future than that immediately ahead of New Plymouth at the present time. Our near neighbours at Hawera have shown wonderful enterprise in the building line, and can now boast of a second street well-lined on both sides ' with business premises, where, but twelve or eighteen months ago there was little in the shape of rateable business premises. New Plymouth cannot much longer desire to keep to the present St. Andrew's cross form of business centre. But opening streets cannot, by the wildest stretch of imagination, be deemed Harbour Board work, and we fail to see anything in Mr. Wells' motion but a bare-faced attempt to use his public position to serve private interests. This action by Mr. Wells may be taken 'as showing what he understands by a little patriotic service, and should help to open the eyes of the public as to the extent to which he has taken them in — as well into his confidence— as otherwise.

His Honor. Mr. Justice Gillies, who lias several cases here to try. arrived by the "Wellington this morning. -^ The first prize in Cookson's £0,000 Sweep on the Christchurch Derby, is said to have fallen to a fireman on board the s.s. St. Kilda. Two or three braces of pheasants were sent* South by the Wellington to-day. They were the first of the scaeon, and looked very fine bird?. i The s.s. R-.mgatira, in leaving Wauganui this morning for here, got aground on the flats. It is anticipated that she will be got oft 1 with this evening's tide. At, the annual meeting of the Wanganui Equitable, Land, and Building Society just held, a dividend of 12 per cent, was declared, with £3,700 lying unemployed. The local papers say — Scarlet fever and dysentry arc said to be prevalent among the Maoris encamped opposite the Court-house, Wanganui. A report lately presented to the Borough Council as to the bad condition of the water supplied to the town has created .a scare. A new map of Wellington, prepared by Mr. Charles O'Neill, C.E., complete up to the present date, includes about 100 new streets, i which indicates the wonderful progress made in Wellington during the last few year.s. During the year, 648 declarations of insolvency were filed in the Supreme Courts of New Zealand, and 346 in the District 'Courts making a total of 994, being an increase on the declarations and statements filed in the previous year of 452. The land revenue receipts for the quarter ending 31st March last, show a total of £.">4.209 1,45. Tkl., made up thus : — Sales, £45,302 4s. lOJ. ; licenses and assessments, £1,039 3s. 5d.: rents, &c, £7,808 Gs. 2rt. In a few instances the refunds during the quarter have amounted to more than the receipts. A boy named Revell, whilst on a pigeon shooting expedition at luglcwood a few days ago. accidentally shot himself in one of the legs. Tin? is the first gun accident we have had to record this year, and as the shooting season has now commenced sportsmen would do well to remember that constant care should lie taken to prevent accidents. <; Not water enough here to drown me,'' was the remark of a Wellington man — a passenger by the steamer the other day— after having walked up to his neck into the sea. " Have -any of you boatmen got a pistol so I can shoot myself." One of them said he had a pistol but no powder. Later on, when in the boat returning to the steamer, the same p^irty wanted some one to knpek him overboard. None volunteering, ho turned himself over the side, whore there was a good depth of water. He was gla:i enough to be fished up again, and being replaced in the boat, sobered, appeared to be sensible of the risk he had just run. and that he had been making a great fool of himself. By telegram from Auckland it' will be seen he got worse again. The revenue returns published in the Gazette show that the receipts during the current financial year up to the 31st ult. as compared with those for the corresponding period of last year were as follows : — Customs, £1,007,076 as against £951,117 last year ; stamps, £136,285 as against £102,819 ; railways, £520,492 as against £382.142, these and all other sources of revenue, excepting the land fund, showing • a mai'kcd increase. The land fund on the contrary exhibits a very large falling off, being only £765,880 as compared with £1,194,820 for the corresponding period of last year. Says the Wellington Post of the 22nd April — "Some amusement was caused in the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning through a mistake. which was made by a constable who , was in! charge of the prisoners. The Magistrate ordered a certain name to be called and the constable brbnght one of his prisoners and placed him in the dock. The Clerk read over the charge to the man. . It was to the effect that he had failed to provide for the maintenance of his three illegitimate children. The prisoner seemed horror-stricken, and gazed at the Clerk as if he' thought there was something wrong somewhere. He appeared as if ho did not know exactly how to plead ; and this is not to b« wonderod at, because it was suddenly discovered that the wrong man was in thedock ! " He was apparently much relieved when he was told to leave the box. , ■ , The Aucklaue Herald,' speculating on the result of the Land Tax returns," -says :—": — " We believe the estimates made by the Treasurer will not be so far out. He will not . get the money so soon as he calculated, but the amount will be somewhat over his, .estimate,namely, £100,000. The expenses of collection were set down at £10,000, but they will arnourit,~wc believe, to about double that sum. The tax being novel, a good deal of expense was incurred, and about £13,000 was expended on the valuation, which stands for three years. And now for the division. Otago pays between £32,000 and £33,000, and Canterbury about the same ; Wellington pays about £10,000 ; Nelson, about £5,000 ; Marlborough, £4,000 ; Tarauaki, £3,000 ; Hawke's Bay, £8,000 ; and the whole Provincial District of Auckland somewhat over \ £0,000. ■ Any shortcomings in this paper are to be charged to our liver. Our liver has come down to us like a mother-in-law. It has whooped it up to us like one of the boys out of sight of the police. In the silent watches of the night we arise and wrestle with it, and cannot prevail. Spme patent medicine advertiser says, {•-Liver is King." , He is mighty right. Our liver is four kings and an ace. — Old City Derrick,