PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1886.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 7171, 15 September 1886, Page 2

PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1886.

Nominated Immigration is still in force, and is being taken advantage o£ by many wbo are acquainted with the fact. By the San Francisco mail the names o£ 113 persons who had been nominated ,by their friends in the colony were forwarded to the Agent - General, and in due time their arrival will add to the number of our population. For those who are not acquainted with the system in force we may state that farmers and agricultural labourers, and single women suitable for domestic service, may be nominated by_ applying to the Immigration Officer in New Plymouth (Mr. Tl ompson), at the Customs, and paying to him the sum of £10 for each person above the age of 12 years, and £5 for each child between 12 months and 12 years. Infants under 12 months are free. These charges include depot expenses in England and the colony, an outfit for the vessel — bedding, cooking utensils, etc. — and a passage per direct steamer to Wellington. The money must be paid at the time of nomination, and will, of course, be returned should the parties not avail themselves of the privilege. Tradesmen and citizens can only be assisted by express sanction of the Minister for Immigration, and application in this case must be accompanied by a substantial guarantee to find employment for the parties on arrival in tho colony,

Considerable! opposition is being raised at Gisborne to tho site the Harbour Board has fixed upon to build their breakwater, and a public meeting haa been called by the Mayor, when the agitators will " wash their dirty linen " in tho public gaze. From tho local paper wo learn that a petition was sent to the Mayor, asking him to call this meeting. Of course, like all iheso petitions, it was numerously signed, for there are always persons to be found on tho antagonistic side, let them be right or wrong. The petition states " that tho ' undersigned burgesses' rrquiro a meeting to decido two points — (1) tho legal position of tho Bourd itßelf ; (2) and tho site of tho proposed breakwater." At the Council meeting, one of the. inombeis, a Mr. Tucker, said tho object of tho petitioners was to discuss tho position of the Harbour Board und breakwater, as a report was in circulation that the captains of large vessels would decline to bring their ships within tho breakwater. The agent of the Union Company there and tho Napier agent, who was at present in Gisborne, said that their vessels would not use it. Another Councillor, a Mr. Wilson (who keeps a publichoueo) said ho had to go out to the steamers ond frequently had oonversutions with his old friends, the captuins of tho steamers trading there, and they Baid, " No, Wilson, old man, we are the bosses, and are responsible. No matter what tho owners say wo are not going to bring our ships into danger by going alongside tho breakwater." Mr. Wilson then enumerated the names of the captains of the steamers with whom he had had conversations to this effect. It was decided to hold a meeting on Monday night. How like all this is what we have passed through ; and how it revives in the memory the scenes that have occurred in New Plymouth. Wo believe that the agitators are in the wrong, und we form this opinion from the fact that Mr. W. L. Rjea' name heads the list on Ihe petition. It therefore looks to ub like au agitation got up for electioneering purposes, and we hope the sensible portion of tho Gisborne people will not be led away by the tails of

a few who evidently cannot havo the interest of tho place at heart, or they would not be acting as they are doing.

The Hon. Mr. Ballanoe met some of the principal native chiefs at Patea last week, to hear their grievances, which seemed chiefly to consist of the dilitory manner the Trust Office performed its duties in not paying over to them the rents of the land quickly after receiving the money. Tanrau said that " For many years the natives had been in the habit of letting their own lands, aud getting the rents thomselves, and this way had been very satisfactor}', but lately the Government had taken the control of them, and great trouble and delay had arisen. Formerly they used to get- their rents from their tenants as soon as they were due ; now the tenants paid the rents to Government, and the Government kept them for 3, 4, and 5 months, and this caused great annoyance to the natives, nnd also to tho storekeepers of whom they were in the habit of buying goods, as the natives were unable to pay for goods, and the storekeepers were therefore always pressing them, and this was very disagreeable." This is the fault of all Government departments. There seems to be no desire to push the business forward, and if an active man happens to get into office^ he soon getiTtired by the delays' that un-,j necessarily ' occur "in 'Wellington', where' every transaction has to pass the " ordeal of purification," which occupies aD unnecessarily long time. The Hon. Mr. Ballance admitted that the natives had a grievance in the long delay which took place in the distribution of their rents, und said he would see into the matter and have it rectified. Ho would also see tho Public Trustee, and endeavour to devise some .nore rapid means for the distribution of their rente. The facts brought before his notice, the Native Jilinister admitted, disclosed a gteat hardship, for it seemed that the rents due in July do not reach thenatives till the following April. This really seems monstrous. We are certain that the fault does not rest with Mr. W. Rennell, the Reserve Trustee here, for a more diligent officer is not to bo found in the service.' It raust, therefore, be the " red tape " in Wellington that prevents the money that has once ■ been paid into the Treasury being issued to its rightful owners. Mr. Ballance will have to cut the " gordian knot " of the Public Trustee department with regard to this matter ; and if he turned the whole matter over to Mr. Rennel!, giving him power to pay to the natives on receipt of the money from the lessees of the land, complaints from- the natives would soon cease, and everything would go on smoothly.

The Hon. Colonel Whitmore's visit to New Plymouth is for the purpose of conferring with the Defence Minister as to the best site for the volunteer encampment to be held here next Easter. It will bo a great event, for as the district is the most central in the North Island there is likely to be the largest muster of volunteers that has ever come together. Several spots in tho district have been mentioned as being suitable, but we do not think a better one could be chosen thin at Omata, for there the battle or! Waireka, the first ieal engagement the colonial volunteers took part in, could ba fought over again, aad every movemont of the forces witnessed by the public from the bill on Major Lloyd 'a estate. The country too is in every way adapted for a sham fight, and beins not far from the town would be very convenient for the public. We understand that corps from every part of the colony aro to be invited, and as the Wellington and Manawatu Railway will then be open, we shall, no doubt have a large influx of visitors from the South.

Our Mayor never allows an opportunity to slip oE showing our distinguised visitors the lions of the place. On Tuesday Mr. Paul conducted Sir G. C. Whitmore over the harbour works, which were seen to much better advantage than when the Commandant landed from tho steamer on Monday. Sir G. Whitmore expressed himself as much pleased with what he saw.

We would remind our readers of the Doll Show in the Freemasons' Hall this evening. The youag ladies who have taken the matter in hand have gone to much trouble to ensure success, and as the object of the entertainment is to aid the Public Library it is worthy of support.

The services of Inspector Thomas Scully, of the New Zealand police force, have been dispensed with from 31st August on superannuation.

Mr. A. Drew announces his last week in New Plymouth. Persons in search of bargains would do well to give him a call.

The Salvation tea meeting which was to have been held this evening has been postponed till Friday, owing to Captain Smith not having arrived here yet.

Information received shows that New Zealand was represented by five representatives at tho final examination for degrees F., D., C, and G. at Edinburgh, Messrs King, Jeffcot, Lindsay, Cunningham, and Hawkcs all securing 'distinction. Mr. Truby King, of Taranaki, secured the blue ribbon of the medical school, Ettle's prize, having beaten Jeffcott, of Otago, on the record of the earliest examination. Both have secured positions in the infirmary 1 . Jeffcott, who received his early training at the Otago Medical School, won the Stark fellowship oC £100, the holders of which must engage in original research, lie also pecured tho Balancy scholarship of £60, and he held the highest place for the Buchanan and James Scott scholarship! but theso he could not hold with the Stark scholarship.

It will be remembered that a number of Peterhoad fishermen recently emigrated to New Zealand, and settled in the Auckland Province to curry on their avocation. Somo of their cured lish is now being retailed by Mr. Rumney, of New Plymouth. People whoso ideas of curod fish are restricted to those gathered from the wooden and dry barracouta should visit Mr. Rumney's and inspect the Potorhead fishermen's cure.

Mr. King, Chairman of tha Ilarbor Board, recently transmitted to the Government a formal claim on account of tho railway sheds, cattle yards, etc., which tho Government agreed to take over on the opening of the Moturoi railway. Tho claim was for a sum of £1027, and it was expected that the amount would without delay bo placed to tho credit of tho Harbor Boar I. Instead of that, however, reply has been given that at present the Government have no funds available for this purpose, but that if " the alleged claim " be renewed immediately previous to tho meeting of Parliament next year, the Minister for Public Works will make provision for obtaining legislative sanction for its liquidation.

Six sparrows were poisoned nt Hastings tho other day, four of which died ; the other two in their death throes were picked up, their beaks opened, and a little whisky' was poured clowu their throats. Theso two littlo sparrows fjot very drunk, but they are living to this day, examples of the, fact that ulcGhol lias. its uses. If those sparrows had been picked up by a teetotaller their little lives would havo been sacrificed to v narrow-minded fad.