"~~ PUBLISHED .DAILY^ MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1879.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3227, 15 September 1879, Page 2

The Taranaki herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1879.

The elections passed off very quietly in this district, and the majorities in each case were sufficiently large to prevent any difficulties arising through informal papers. We believe here, like other, places, thcro wore a few papers rejected through the number at the corners being torn off.

The Post-office Saving Bank has been a remarkably successful institution. Since its establishment in 18G7 the accounts opened have numbered 89,201, of which 57,129 were closed, leaving 32,132 open on the 31st December last. The total amount deposited from tho commencement of tho Savings Bnnk system, inclusive of the interest credited to depositors, was £5,798,316 4a. (id., and the total amount withdrawn wa5£4,979,2U 1 (ss. Id. The balanco remaining on deposit on the 31st December, 1878, was £819,071 Bs. 2d. The average cost of each Post-office Savings Bank transaction, deposit or withdrawal, in the year 1878 was &id, and for the whole period of the existence of the Postoffice Savings Bank in the Colony, 7d. The total amount of interest credited to depositors since the establishment of Post-office Saving Banks in the Colony is £214,000 14s. 2d. The average daily number of deposits during 1878 was 288, and the average daily amount £2,490, The proportion of depositors to the population was 1 to 13 for the year 1878. In the United Kingdom the proportion was, in 1877, 1 to 19 ; or 1 to 15 in England and Wales ; 1 to 74 in Scotland ; and 1 to 82 in Ireland.

Tiik Chinese question docs not interest the people of this district because they have not experienced the disadvantages that arise from an influx of the Celestial race hero, but Mr. It. J. Crcighton, formerly of New Zealand, who is now in San Francisco, has examined it minutely and dispassionately, and in a letter to Mr. W. Swanson, of Auckland, writes :—": — " I saw it illustrated industrially, socially, morally, and intellectually, and I can conceive no greater curse to any AngloSaxon community than a swarm of Chinese coolies. It is worse than a dry rot. You cannot conceive of anything so utterly destructive of our civilisation. There aro more adult male Chinese in Calif brnia than there are American citizens on the groat register of state, and they are coming at tho rate of 1200 to 2000 a month, while white immigration has stopped. That means a rapid absorption of the coast by the Chinese, who preserve their own customs, observe their own laws, practice their own idolatries, and have fifty per cent, more felons in prison in proportion to population than any other race. This is not a pleasant state of things to con* template. Keep it out of New Zealand."

When Sir John Coode visited New Zealand we understood that tho expense of his visit was to be borne by the Colony, if the House would vote tho money ; but, in the event of the sum being thrown out, then the various Harbour Boards were to inako up the amount advanced by the Government. If we remember rightly, shortly after tho plans were sent the Government forwarded a letter asking our Harbour Board to remit a sum to cover its part of the expenses, and the money was, we believe, sent ; but it appears from the following telegram, published in the Poverty Bay papers, that other places are being treated with more liberality. Sir G. Grey telegraphs to Mr. Shcehan at Gisborne as follows :—": — " The Poverty Bay people have been already told that the Government regard it as a matter of colonial importance to obtain a good harbour, if practicable, at Poverty Bay. Tho cost of getting all information required for Sir John Coode to enable him to give designs for the harbour has been borne by the Government as a proof of its earnestness in the matter : and they may rely that no effort on our part shall be neglected to obtain a good harbour for them." We scarcely see why one place .should be treated exceptionally to another.

Tho following vessels arc now lying in the Waitara River : — Tho p.s. Hauraki, and schooners Reward, Nelson, Julius Yogel, Hannah Barrett, and Alert. The s.s. Tairoa arrived in the roadstead this morning, at U o'clock, from Southern ports. Two German families, who had recently arrived in the colony, were passengers by her, having chosen Taranaki for their future home. We have been informed that Mr. llecs, tho Engineer to the Harbour Board, has decided not to apply to the General Government to be relieved of his duties before the end of tho month, and he will therefore be detained a month later in his departure for England than was at first anticipated by the Harbour Board. The shop window of Mr. Jackson, boot and shoemaker, Brougham-street, was broken sometime yesterday, for, on Mr. Jackson this morning removing the curtain which is hung over the window when the shop is closed, he discovered that a large pane of glass was broken. It is thought to' have boon an accident, as Mr. Jackson has not been able to discover that anything has been taken out of the shop. The hole made in the glass was large enough for a man to have got through,