SCARCITY OF FENCING TIMBER IN NAPIER.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 10, Issue 619, 16 June 1866, Page 3

SCARCITY OF FENCING TIMBER IN NAPIER.

. We take the following from the ‘ Hawke’s Bay Herald,’ suggesting that it might be possible, perhaps, for our settlers to help their neighbours and help themselves at the same time, by trying to supply to some extent the want felt :—. An advertisement in this day’s paper sets forth that on a certain day shortly to come, a large block of land in the neighbourhood of Clive and Meanee, leased by the Government from the Maoris, will be put up to sub-lease By auction. By the regulations under which the Provincial Government lease the land in question, it becomes compulsory on tho lessee to fence it in, and, by consequence, supposing that any quantity of the land put up is let, a very great demand for posts will arise. Those, like rain, are becoming very scarce. The present price of totara posts, delivered anywhere down the Tutaekuri river, is £7O a thousand—sufficiently, high, at all events, one would think. But the splitters think differently, and we believe ifc is their intention to raise the price to £IOO per thousand next season. Something therefore must be done in order, if possible, to bring the posts down to a reasonable figure, or, at all events, to prevent them going up to an unreasonable one.

NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAPH LINES. The ‘ West Coast Times ’ has obtained the following particulars of the lines of telegraph now laid down in New Zealand :

Hokitika to Christchurch, 170 miles. Provincial Government of Canterbury, proprietors. Nelson to Christchurch, 257 miles ; Christchurch to Bluff, 414 miles. General Government proprietors. Dunedin to Tuapeka, 74 miles ; Tuapeka to Dunstan, 72 miles. Provincial Government of Otago, proprietors. Dunedin to Fort Chalmers, 9 miles. Proprietors, Driver, McLean & Co. Christchurch to Lyttelton, 8 miles. General Government, proprietors. The line between' Hokitika and Greymouth, 25 miles, is now in course of erection and is expected to be open to tho public early ill June. The telegraph cable to connect the Middle and North Islands is expected to,be laid and communication established about the beginning of 1867. In the North Island tho only telegraph in existence is the Military Electric Telegraph connecting Auckland and Gnehunga with Te Awamutu, one of the military depots on the Waikato, about 120 miles from Auckland, and is under the management of the Royal Engineers. CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION. In the ‘New Zealand Gazette’ of the 30th May, we find the Civil Service Commission appointed, and to our mind, it looks very much like a farce. The Commissioners are Dr. Knight, Mr. Gisborne, Mr. Seed, and Mr. James Mafor Spence. The last-named gentleman is from Victoria ; the other Commissioners are New Zealand ‘ Government officials, under two of whom at least the system they are called upon to reform has grown up. Mr. Seed is an able and efficient public servant —and for that matter Dr. Knight and Mr. Gisborne are the same ; but we do not think he is the proper person to appoint on such a commission. We know nothing of Mr. Spence ; but, however able and discreet be may be, “ the Government stroke ” has three to one in its favour. When Mr. Stafford r felt bound to carry out the intention of his predecessor, and appoint a Civil Service Commission, why did he iiot go about in a proper manner ? He ought to have appointed an independent commission, in which the public would have had confidence : he has appointed a commission in which it would be absurd to suppose anyone, even Mr. Stafford himself, has confidence in the colony. The proper way would have been to write to the Secretary of State, requesting him to appoint competent gentlemen from the Civil Service in England, to report upon the Civil Service in New Zealand. He has not done.so. He has instead, asked “ the heads of departments ” to take care of themselves ; and we fully anticipate a “ lame and impotent .conclusion.” The following are the subjects of inquiry : “ To inquire generally into the clerical strength and efficiency of the several departments of the public service ; and especially as to the numbers, age of admission, rules of advancement and promotion, and remuneration of the several clerks and higher officers of the said departments ; and to report such improvements in the organization of the same, by way of consolidation or otherwise, as may, in the opinion of you, the Commissioners hereinafter named, promote efficiency and economy : also to enquire and report on the subject of retiring and other allowances and pensions ; and especially whether the same should be provided by a contribution from the clerks in the nature of a benefit society ; and if so, whether the said contributions should be compulsory, and therefore general, or only voluntary : also to enquire and reports as to the manner in which an income tax might be raised, and the most effective and economical mode of raising the same, and especially what proportion the cost of collection would probably bear to the gross amount of tax collected. ”

The last point of enquiry is in respect of an income tax ; and our observations equally apply to this branch also. We don’t think the Commissioners are the best men —are even proper -persons—to entrust with such an important and delicate duty. The Commissioners, on whose report an income tax is to be framed, ought to be above susp:cion and local influence and leanings ; and we say distinctly, it is not in the nature of things that three New Zealand officials, of the standing of the gentlemen named, can be either above suspicion of partiality or personal influence. We say this, having as high a respect for these gentlemen as can be ; but we think they have been placed in a false position ; and it is likewise our opinion that Mr. Stafford has committed a grave blunder in his appointment of this commission. Mr. Davis, of the Audit office, is secretary.— ‘ Southern Cross.