The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 1879.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 200, 2 July 1879, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 1879.

The press of the colony is unlikely to review otlior than favorably the official career of Mr Ballance as a Minister of the Crown, as that gentleman is by profession a journalist, and has, by his' success in letters and politics, tended to raise journalism in the public estimation. Before Mr Ballance joined the Grey Ministry, lie was both an able journalist and a fortunate politician, and if he has not secured a similar prestige as a member of the Cabinet it has been possibly, because in the Ministry to which lie was attached, and with the chief by whom he had to .be guided, there was not much scope or encouragement for a young and somewhat inexperienced Colonial' Treasurer. The qualities to which Mr Ballance owed his advancement were probably those of brilliancy aud fluency both in speaking and writing. He was wanting iii business and official experience, and in the art of governing cither men or millions he was necessarily a tyro. In such a case a gentleman suddenly called to the duties and responsibilities of a high office would, if he relied upon, his own skill and genius, beprobably unsuccessful. Far more so than a less brilliant man would be who depended upon the knowledge and experience of others, and who had the gift of accurately guaging public opinion, A clever man, whether he be a tailor or a premier, is not of much value as a public man till he has learnt to distrust to a great extent his own cleverness, and rely more on the ordinary everyday commonplace commonsense qualities.on which, in the long run, things great and small must be determined, The task which Mr Ballance has had to perform as Colonial Treasurer has been a hard one—viz., to make a decreasing income cover an increasing expenditure, His special effort in finance to meet this difficulty—the land tax—lias been a disastrous failure,

bohi# uiJfo/tmiiitdij it fiance tfitll il ve'iy bid bd Simple .principle Wliicli warns td kill tho gootfe that lays the' goldeti egg.' Mr tfallanceevidently mistook the flock of capitalists which hovered over the cornfields of New Zealand for birds of prey, and so stuck up a land-tax scarecrow to keep them off. If again at some future ;.ime Mr Ballance is called upon to ulminister the Colonial iinances, he will, we trust, be more cautious in atI # 1 • tempting dangerous experiments in taxation, We shall gladly see Mr Ballance again in office, because lie lias by his recent resignation shewn that lie will not sacrifice his principles, his honesty, and independence to place and power. He is still entitled to the respect and confidence of the colony, and if he has made a mistake or two in the past, his failures belong to the past, and need not necessarily be repeated in the future, The committee of the Masterton Quadrille Club meet tnis evening. A meeting of the Masterton Brass Band is convened for Thursday evening next at the Empire Hotel. IVe understand that our contemporary at Carterton—the Guardian—has discontinued publishing. The Masterton Rifle Volunteers will parade on Friday next at the Town Hall at 7.30 p.m. At a'meeting of creditors in assigned estate of J. R. Oakley, of Masterton, bank manager, adeed assigning the estate to Mr. W. Sellar was assented to.

The 'lth inst. is Independence Day, a day dear to all Americans! We can only hope as loyal colonists that it will not prove 1 dear' to New Zealand. This afternoon die Masterton Horticultural Committee meet at the Council Chambers at 2.30 p.m., and the Ploughing Match gathering at 3 p.m. Search parties have been out on both sides of the Taueru river after Mr Robertson, the cadet from the Glendonaldstation, who was last seen in the river on Saturday night. There can be no doubt but that the unfortunate young gentleman is drowned.

The Masterton Public School broke up for the winter holidays yesterday morning. We believe that it would not have done so till the close of the week, but that ill health on the part of the head-master made it necessary to commence them at once.

We are sorry to notice that the bailiff lias possession of tli£ stock in trade of Mr' Golder, jeweller, and is about to sell the same on the suit of Benjamin and Co. of Dunedin. Mr Golder, as a sufferer by the late fire, will be generally sympathized with in his new misfortune. Wc learn that Mr Beetham, M.H.R., has laid the application of the Masterton Borough Council for the Immigrants' cottages before the Government, and hopes to get a favorable reply this week. Mr Beetham is also doing good service for the Borough in the matter of the endowment in the block, which will probably be gazetted this week. Wc are glad to notice that the lessees of the Masterton Town Hall have, with commendable enterprise, secured for the stage a complete stock of scenery, including drop scences, transformation scenes, parlor, kitchen, garden, and other scenery, There is even a prison scene; and next time a dramatic scene is presented at Masterton, it will for the first time be put on the stage, with all the accessaries necessary to make it effective. Admiral Smyth, one of the few survivors of Trafalgar, died at Great Yarmouth recently. He entered the English navy in 1803. The last descendant of John Bunyan died lately in England, She was an ancient dame of eighty-four, and her name was Ann Webster.

The fact that there was no death sentence pronounced in Ireland during the year past is very creditable to the people of that country. A member of the Napier Acclimatisation Society, the other day moved—That the committee be empowered to obtain " salmon and trout ova and any other birds which they might consider advisable." A meeting of creditors of George Sayer, storekeeper, Carterton, has been held at Wellington, Mr Capper in the chair. A proposition to consent to a deed of assignment was not assented to, and it was resolved that the debtor should file a declaration of insolvency. His declaration has been subsequently filed, the first meeting of creditors being fixed for Julv 9th. Lately the Hokitika Town Clerk wrote a short letter to a local citizen as follows: —" Sir,— Take notice that unless your dog is registered within two days from this date, proceedings will be taken against you in the Magistrate's Court." Within ten minutes he received the following reply " Sir,—Take notice that unless the amount, £G, due to mo by the Borough Council, be paid within two days, proceedings will be taken to recover it in the Magistrate's Court." And .so tho matter stands. An adjourned meeting of the creditors of Mr McKirdy, contractor, was held at the Court-house, Wellington, on Monday last, Mr L. Levy in the chair. The chairman stated that the creditors had assembled to consider an offer for purchase of the estate. Mr Edwards, who appeared on behalf of the debtor, stated that tho latter was prepared to pay 5s in the £ for the estate, at the rate of Is in one month, 2s in three months, and 2s in six months. He would find guarantees for the payment of the amount named, subject to the approval of.the creditors. It was resolved that the offer be accepted, and that the chairman be appointed with the trustees to consider on behalf of the creditors whether the guarantors proposed were satisfactory,

Garibaldi's' return to Rome (writes " Atlas" iu The World) was the occasion of an affecting demonstration of popular love, which recalls to mind one of the most characteristic episodes of his glorious career. When he entered Naples he was exceedingly tired, and he went to bed at once. Ho had just fallen asleep when an enormous l crowd of lamroni rolled to the piazza in front of the palace, and began to shout deafening evivas. At once, Luigi Gnsmeroli, the faithful friend of the Liberator, sprang to the door, and said in a loVtoiie "The General is asleep." From the foremost ranks of the crowd the password went in a few seconds (the rounds of the piazza; immediately, as if under, the spell of a magic force, a dead silence was established. "We had better go, and let him rest," whispered the men one to' the other. They turned back, and left on tiptoe. In a minute the piazza was empty, |