TO THE EDITOR.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 7170, 14 September 1886, Page 2

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,— The Hawera Star, in the concluding portion of anurticleoa the unemployed and the question of relief, says: — " It it evident from what took place at the lost meetiut; of the County Council, when it wns rt-ported that the coat of ohariuble aid ia New Plymouth was increasing, that puoyle wer« losing their self-respect, and thut able-bodied men were not ashamed to come and ask for relief." I think if ablebodied men having wives and families dependent on them for support, are willing to work and find it impossible to find any kind of employment, even at very low wages, and through no employment their families are on the verge of destitution, then I say it is the duty of the authorities to provide either work or food ; but alwars work if possible, or relief works at a reduced rate to prevent utter destitution and demoralisation. But the question is how to be able to draw the line between tb> honest man out of employment and the infernal loafer. I have an unmitigated con^mp.. for loafers of any kind. JSviduntly the Chairman of the Hawera County Council, who i« ilso a member of tbe Hospital and Chritable Aid Board, begins to dimly perceive that it is not everyone who can efficiently control charitable uid and hospital matters. I remember the samo gentleman at tbe first meeting of the Charitable Aid Board was reported to have talked very glibly as to the manner the Board would cat down the very extravagant expenditure being carried on by the late regime. He is now obliged to admit that notwithstanding the intellectual and administrative ability, the flo . of the various Municipal and County Councils within the Hospital and Charitable Aid District the cost is very considerably ou the increase, instead of decrease, aa promised by the Board on' the members first taking office. In my opinion the people are not losing Mieir self-respect, neither are there more real casei of poverty here than heretofore, but a want of administrative ability on the part of those whose duty it is to see the money properly spent for hospital and charitable aid. It is a case of the ox would be aaddle horse, but we know he would make a ■hamolicig hack. The present Board does not composo the elements of successful administrative ability in charitable uid matters; and if the ratepayers don't have a care, the history of 1867 will repeat itself ia tbis diitrict. — I am, &i., Wisp of Straw.

A move ia .being made against the erection of barbed wire fences within the borough, and Mr . Corkill has given notice of motion in ibe Borough Council that in addition to other prohibitions should be added the erecting or maintaining any fence in which barbed wire is used as a boundary fence on any streel or public thoroughfare within the borough.

The following figures in reference to the Waterworks were given by Mr. Small at the Borough Council meeting on Monday, He was understood to say that they were compiled by himself. The receipts for the two years ending 31st March, 1886, were £1929, and the expenditure £1343* That ibtt a surplus of £586 for tue two years, or £293 a year. Tbe yearly interest on the £22,000 was £1540, leaving au annual deficiency of £1247.

By the Wakatipu to-day, the Taranaki Acclimatisation Society received about 600 salmon fry from the Christchurch Acclimatisation Society, being a portion of the fry batched from the Government shipment ex lonic. The young salmon an- abuut two inches in length, and have j arnvi-d in good condition. They haveb*' (i placed temporarily in the Society's fi.iij ponds.

At Woodroffe's Exhibition of Glassblowing, now open at Wellington, prize; ware given on Friday for the best and worst conundrums. The best was taken by Mr. Nicholson, and was as follows :—: — Why is Woodroffe's glats engine like Her Maj sty Queen Victoria ? Because ail her be. ions are good, true, and transparent. Tho BecOmi prize fell to Miss Vautier. Tho following was chosen as the worst conundrum: — Why is Woodroffe like an old toper after a bad night ? Because he must have his glass before he can commence his day's work. The author being Mr. R. J. Collins, who is well known in New Plymouth.

It is estimated that there are orer 10)000 Colonists in London at the present time. From a private letter by this mail we learn that nearly two million persons have visited the Colonial and Indian Exhibition. The correspondent writeß :— '• I was very much disappointed with the New Zealand Court. It looked more like a museum of stuffed birds and fish, than an exhibition of the industries and products of New Zealand, and very small too. There were very few people in it compared with the other courts. India, Ceylon, Canada, and Australia had the best shows, hut of the Colonies Canada takes the lead They had a splendid show of farm machinery, pianos, furs, fruit &o. In fact everything you could name."

There is an Hospital scandal at Wanganui, Mr. and Mrs. Adcock, the custodian and matron of the Hospital, have been dismissed from their charge, and Mr. Freeman R. Jackson, the cbairmun of the Hospital Board, bus laid an information against Mr. Adcock charging him with pretending that certain goods charged to the Hospital Board had been procured, including 9471 b. meat, 0091 b. of bread, 1,4201 b. potatoes, 1801 b. sugur, 171 b. sago, 51b. coffee, 41b. cocooy and 301 b. pearl barley, and that he procured in order for £45 16s. 9d. in payment of the goods, of which £3 2s. sd. was taken by him with intent to defraud. The case was being heard yesterday.

Benefactors.—" When a board of eminent phj sicians and chemists announced the discovery tbut by combining some wellknown valuable remedies a most wonderful nudicim 1 whb produced, which would cure euUi a wide rutxae of diseases that most all d.ii r iijfiiiH could ba dispensed with, id •r< t.ki [iUluI, bui pruot ot its iumi.b Oj .c. vi trial bub uißpuilcd all uuubl, uiiu .o-uuy i tie diucuvererd of that great medicine, Dr. Soule's American Hop Bitters, are honored and blessed by all as benefactors." Read