West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1878.

West Coast Times, Issue 2909, 31 July 1878, Page 2

West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1878.

The question of present and late police arrangements has been repeatedly discussed in pur columns, as well as those of our contemporaries throughout the Colony, and a universal expression of opinion, condemnatory of the tinkering that has been going on , within the last year and a half, has been elicited. The folly of making the j civil force an armed body of a hybridmilitary nature has come to a happy ending, the rifles, bayonetSj pistols, and accoutrements having been called in, but there is still some evil genius presiding over police destinies ap» parently, aud the best men throughout the Colony ar§ leaving jn large numbers. Thanks to the exertions of some West Coast members, as we recently stated, the police stationed on the West Coast have bad their pay increased a shilling a day ; but even that addition hardly puts them on nn equal footing with constables livmg in cheaper parts of the Colony, where the necessaries of life are procurable at greatly lower rates. Still the-concession was a step in the right direction, and seemed to indicate that greater consideration iv future might be looked for from the heads of the department. Very lately we mentioned the new regulations that had been introduced relative to payment of expenses of the police when absent on special service, and showed how unjustly these would affect the force. The absurdity of a constable having to obtain a receipt from every hotelkeeper for every bed he obtains, from every wayside shaqty for each meal, aod generally being called on to account minutely for every casual shilling that he expends uuist be apparent to all. There are times when the expenditure of a few shillings, that could not be charged according to this . rigid system of account, must materially : further the ends ot justice, but out of ihe miserable wages now prevailing few of the most energetic would care to spend money that there was up reasonable hope of return of. But the latest edict out is, of all, we think the hardest, and js the most lately promulgated. It is an order from the Chief Commissioner to the effect that in future constables on the sick list are to be mulcted of half their pay duriug their illness. When it is considered how very low the scale of remuneration is, and that a very large proportion of the steadiest and most valuable men of the Now Zealtiud force are married men with families, how cruel the, deprivation at a time of. sickness of one half their money is must be recognised by the greatest stickler for economy. It must be remembered that". to all stations a medical man is attached, and that however some skulkers might attempt to evade duty on the pretence of being ill and ailing, th&y are, only relieved on the certificate of tflH surgeon stating distinctly from wl^H they are suffering, and that they uV unfit for duty. The police sick list 9 the Coast has been singularly amafl but at the same time the weather h9 been such as to try the hardiest constitJl tions, and if any of the men break dovfl under it, it is too bad altogether dH punish them further by stoppage S pay. Such a harsh and uufeeliH| regulation has hardly ever been hesH of, and, as a natural consequence it hS materially increased the already veH prevalent feeling of discontent, that tfl police management has of late excitecjj Owing to this, men only fit to be in A hospital, will persist in remaining ofl duty, and their deaths, should tbfl| succumb, may be fairly attributed^H tiiis inhuman rule. Had the author ijH no power to decide between the sII HB and real invalids, there would be so^| reason for ir, but as the distinction isflH readily arrived at there is no necess^fl whatever for such a severe regulatiHj

The whole subject of police rannflH meat has, however, been so thorou^^H discussed, that Parliament duringi^H present session is certain to, take itflH uud very needful tfgforrnß will,||H doubt, tje provided In future. present . pelipatetic inspectors j^M rqUpd the Cplqny, and, in <fIH ip earn their very (landsoihe sa^H9 and expenses, make economical jH i^estions of one kind or other,M^H are daily demoralising the whole foJHH Xevv Zealand. The latest recorairlfl^H tiou is that in reference to puuishflHß candidate for being ill. We ma^Bß that there is one exception mai l | jHBfl is, in cases where men are woumHffiß the execution of their duty, amfi^^B for service in consequence of ' l H|||H thereby received. Even the consc^BßF of the head of police could hardly ordain that their subordinates should be kicked or beaten to within au inch of death's door, as has been the case here and elsewhere, and should have his recovery facilitated by being docked of half his pay during its progress. ■ The police question, generally, is of the highest public importance, and the maintenance of the respectability and 1 good order of the force is a permanent necessity. The latest action taken is calculated to materially impair both, and the sooner the Legislature place police arrangements on a totally different footing, the better the public will be I served.

The heavy rain having still continued, the i-iver remains high, and nothing more has been found of Captain Vernazani's remains, though everything possible has beeu done to trace them .

Business is seriously affected by the bad weather, though yesterday, after the heavy hailstorm, a number of business men and others, were bent on making themselves happy, Mark Tapley-like, under creditable circumstances, by snowballing or hailballing, us the case may be. Oae projectile of the kind did great execution, for on being deftly hurled at a retreatiug umbrella, presented nearly full face, it went right through the texture, and gave ths astonished proprietor a cold lump of ice down his back in addition.

One of the effects of the late hospital changes will be the disturbance of a happy mmily of invalids, who are deemed to be quite fit for discharge, aud have no right to be treated as patients at all. Whether the allegations made are strictly correct we do not know, but in a week or so, a considerable clearance is likely to take place-

In the long dreary case South v. Chesuey, heard in the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, the extraordinary ventilation of the building was made most unpleasantly manifest. The counsel ou botli sides first begged the Magistrate to have the doors shut, which request was at once complied with. After that, however, though the bulk of the draught was stayed, the wind whistled merrily, if uucomfortably, round the legs and ears of those concerned. Dr Giles in his elevated position had rather more than a fair share of the discomfort, and shivered thereat. Mr Button remarked that the Court Houae ought to be termed the playground of Eurus, or the cave of winds, and suck a description was specially applicable. Surely the authorities can effect the much ueeded alterations to rendei the building habitable.

The wife of a miner at Dillman's Town was brought down on Monday evening last, ;md charged with lunacy. She was admitted into the asylum on the usual medical certificates.

The two men, xxope and Elaui, charged with stealing gold from a tail race at Greek's Gully, No. 3, were formally brought before a Magistrate yesterday, as the time of remand had expired, and were remanded till tomorrow, at Stafford Town, wheu their cases will be definitely dealt with.

According to the local paper, the Kumara Borough Council is not a very exemplary body. It 6iiys: — " A portion of the proceediugn of its last meeting were, for a public body, of a most extraordinary and undignified character. The rules of debate were constantly violated, some of the members being allowed to speak three and four times to the same resolution, while others were totally deterred by the erratic arguments, in no way bearing on the question at issue, which were allowed to be brought forward. One gentleman, finding that the remarks he had used were thoroughly misrepresented and that explanation was useless, quietly retired- from the Council Chamber disgusted. Another councillor emphasized his remarks with his fist, by bringing that useful article with undue violence down on the table in front of him; and, finding that even this was inadequate to the occasion, he also retired, murmuring vengeance, but appeared again in about half an hour, in calmness clad. The quotation of one member, who to exemplify the simile of a man in suspense, said that it whb " like the sword that hung over Belshazzar's head at the feast or on the wall " he " didn't care which," was too good to leave unnoticed. The public who attended were no doubt highly edified by this departure from the usual rountine of municipal business, but we t trust this will be the last occasion ou which M>ve shall have the opportunity of chronicling

scene wirort as" w"iT( be remembered", they appeared in one or two occasions in Hokitika. The Melbourne papers speak highly of them. The Argus says:— Mrs Tavares is, without question, the handsomest and most ladylike Lady Teaale we have ever had in Melbourne. She has a cheery voice, and speaks naturally, and therefore pleasantly. In short, she made a very good impression Mr Tavares played Charles exceedingly well. The Chronicle says of Mrs Tavares— lf her general assumption can be judged by her rendition of the scene in question, we are within the limit in saying that hers is one of the best, if not the very best representations of the part yet seen in this city. Tall, .handsome, of graceful presence, beautifully costumed, with a clear resonant voice, every accent of which betokened the lady, and with, a remarkably finished style of delivery, she at once arrests atteution. Mr Morton Tavares, who is known to theatre goers as having fulfilled a short engagement in this city some seven years since, played Charles Surface. His is the delineation of an experienced actor — light, airy, aud elegant, he suited the character eminently well. He is evidently an educated gentleman and there is about him an a,ir of polish and refinement that impresses most pleasantly. At the finish both Mr and Mrs Tavares met with an enthusiastic recall. Messrs Conyers and Lawsou's reform in the management of Auckland railways will result iv a saving of about £6000 ayear. The Mayor of Auckland, as the delegate of that municipality, has been requested to bring before the Municipal Conference the subject of the maintenance of fire brigades, with a view to obtaining legislation on the subject similar to what exists in Australia.

Good serviceable sponge is it seems to be included amongst the resources of the colony, aud, if },he statement of the Poverty Bay Herald is correct, the establishment of a thriving local industry is by no means improbable, a great deal of sponge being imported.

The Dunedin Jockey Club have at length resolved to remove the disqualification from Fishhook.

The witty writer of .the Press has the following;—" There is a place down South called Wyndham. The blush of ignorance flushes my. aged cheek (I've very little cheek) when I confess that I don't know precisely where Wjndham is; but anyhow the Metama Ensign keeps a correspondent there. This writer has become famous . The Wyndhams have actually held a public meeting on his account, when amongst others the following resolutions were passed—"That the correspondent's request to the Government to have a police officer stationed at Wyndham is superfluous, and that the Government will do so when they deem it necessary, and not at the instigation of the correspondent, who, in the opinion of the meeting, is of unsound mind.'? *' That in the opinion of this meeting the residents of this township have lived in peace and harmony previous to the interference of our correspondent, and we are now almost under continual surveillance of the police prying into our private affairs, a circumstauce that has been hitherto unknown iv the township." If you will excuse the suggestion, I should engage the Wyndham correspondent at a large salary if I were in your place. He may be of uusouud mmd — probably is if he liaa been writing long for a newspaper, but his style must be sweetly personal. He would improve this place. An Asmodeus going arouud here and writing pleasantly and truly about some of our leading people would astonish you. I've a good mind to try it myself. I offered to do so long ago, but if you recollect we could not agree about a punched head."

A most singular case of drowning occurred on board the steamer Rangatira. which arrived here froiu Napier on June 22 nd. A woman named McKenna took her passage by the steamer with her three children, one an infant, who was put into a berth with its sister. At the foot of the bed there was a bucket of water. After two of the children had been in bed for a few hours, the steward was called by one of them, a little boy, who said, " Come and see baby ; it's in the bucket." The infant was at once taken out of the water, but life was extinct. The body of the child was taken to the Morgue, where an inquest was held, and a verdict of " Accidental death " was returned. The Canterbury footballers expect to play in Dunedia during the last week of August. ship Invercargill sailed from Glasgow Chalmers on the 16th inst., with HKmigrants. HB the Oamaru gasworks last week three |^B°f coal were made with the following ■H| !— Greymoutb, 12,000 ft. to 12,440 ft. |HB>n ; Newcastle (No. 1), 10,720 ft. to HH)ft per ton ; Newcastle (No. 2), 9,540 ft. |^H6oft per ton. B^Be estimated receipts of the Auckland Board for the ensuing year are HHcOO, and the expenditure is put down at |HR<ne figure. The average attendance is HHfwa at 10,000. The sum of £40,000 is for school buildings in the education

|*Ie New Zealander, referring to the iirniun of the Wellington Education Jfd, says :— " The Honorable J. J. |razyn is ' a man with a grievance.' His titenance is invariably sorrowful, and his yus in the Education Board and elsewhere public) bear the impress of having mated from a ' Blighted Being.' If he ild but retire into private life he might

ame resigned to his hard lot ; but, oh v great would be the relief of those )lic bodies which have so long and ipnfily bore upon their backs an inarable incubus— a veritable old man of sea." !t is stated by northern papers that a3.11 steamer is now being built at Auckd, for a company, in which a number of ikau natives are shareholders. She is ended for the Mokau trade, the natives nut opened the river for vessels, ilr Barton has made another application the Government as to bis cpraplamts the Judges. The Government ad6 ; to their former resolution, that Mr kon's proper course is himself to bring Umatter before Parliament, and decline Rtflr to interfere in tjie affair.

A charge of assault (says the Otago Daily Times of the 19th instant) which arose under rathe? peculiar circumstances, came befpre the Police Court yesterday. A rider passing through the toll-gate at Blueskin refused to pay, and the toll keeper took off the defaulter's hat and went away with it, saying, "This will do for the sixpence." The tollkeeper was fined 5s and 25s costs. The Tuapeka Times says ;— The Hon Mr Stout is a living exemplification of what may be accomplished by close application aud study, combined with naturally good parts. The Hon Mr Sheehan, by an intimate knowledge of the Maori character, has shown himself to be quite at home with the difficult portfolio of Native Minister. Both these unquestionably talented gentlemen may be said to represent young New Zealand. The PdsQpers ? Aid Society at Dunedin has just belt} its first annual meeting, and a statement of, its finance showed the receipts to be £306, and the expenditure £295. The Lyttelton T(mes says:— .On Saturday j last a wedding was celebrated between a son of Tikou and a daughter of Eli, respectively chiefs of Wainni and Little River. The ceremouy was performed in the Maori ! language at St. Peter's, Akaroa, by the Rev P. C. Anderson, assisted by the Rev Gv Mutu. The wedding was conducted entirely according to European custom, the choir and organist of St. Peter's assistipg in the service. The Dunedin Morning Herald says:— We understand that a lawyer's office, not a hundred miles from the Bank of New Zealand, has, within the last day or two, been the scene of a fracas between a Duuedin solicitor and a candidate for legal honors, who will no doubt hereafter obtain a high degree of excellence in his profession, if readiness to resort to personal violence will help him thereto. These blackguard rows, for they are nothiug else, are now becoming of almost every day occurrence in this city, and it is imperatively necessary that an example should be made, when the first opportunity offers, in order to put an end to them. Mr Le Nauze, who is well known on the West Coast, has been removed from the customs Wellington to Christchurch, where lie assumes the position of warehousekeeper. A resident surgeon of the Dunediu Hospital is adven ised for at a salary of £300 a year. It is estimated that the new buildings at present being erected in Timaru will cost over £20,000. Mr George Darrell, who is now in Australia, is organizing a dramatic company to bring to New Zealand. The New Government buildings at Blenheim, including fittings, have cost about £.11,000: Oranges are being grown successfully at Ohineaiuri. The Education Board in Canterbury Bued ii father for the amount due by him on account of the school requisites supplied to his children at the Lincoln school. The Board won the case. A contributor to the Ashburton Mail describes the chief towns in Taranaki, as being chiefly remarkable for the number of its fossilised ex-military men, and for the touch-me-not air of high breeding which characterises the common ruck of the well-to-do people. In their own opinion they are the beau ideal of gentility. Wellington City according to the New Zeulander is as well up in militia officers us is America for Majors and Captains. When the special jury was called in the Supreme Court case of Doherty v. Education Board, three gentlemen claimed exemption on the score of being militia officers :md yesterday ihcro was some fear that a jury would not be got together owing to the number of objections on the same score. No fewer than five jurors yesterday were excused on account of holding commissions iv the Wellington Militia, while a sixth being a full-blown Colonel in her most gracious Majesty's service, was also exempted. The following are the names of the militia notabilities :— Messrs T. Mills, J. D. Cruickshank, C. P. Powell, T. Ladd, aud J. H. Bethnne. We do not quite see why in these times of peace militia officers should be let off, except it be that the arduous duties they have in former times undergone has weakened their mental calibre. The provisions relating to juries ought to be amended, or else— what would perhaps serve the purpose better, as causing less inconvenience — the jury list be revised. After all, it is something to be a commissioned officer in the militia. Iv the present instance it has exempted five gentleinon from dealing with one of the most complicated land transaction cases which has come under the jurisdiction of the Wellington Court for a very long time past, A meeting of Baptists was held in Christchurch the other day, to welcome the Key Mr Smith, who had just arrived from England to undertake evangelisic work ia Canterbury . He had been a student at the Hackney Training Institute, near London. Nowhere in the world's history has it been before known, not in all the vocabulary of the men of science, nor in the Philosopher's store, the extraordinary and marvellous effects obtained by the steady and persevering use of " Ghollah's Great Indian Cukes." The maladies known as Rheumatism, Gout, Sciatica, Lumbago, Neuralgia, Liver Complaints, and Biliousness, are cured by these Indian Medicines in a manner never before witnessed. They can be had of G. Mcc, JRevell-street.