The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 1879.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 231, 6 August 1879, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 1879.

The Dunccli.ii Tribune has been criticising the Telegraph Department of the Colony, but as far as we can see the strictures of our contemporary only go to prove that the Department does a large amount of work at a very cheap rate, and if the other departments of the colony were organised and administered 011 the same principle, Ministers would not have to impose so many new taxee. Of course the working department could be improved by ail increase of salaries all round, but the good sense of the community will recognize with admiration, the fact that there is at least one head of a department in the puplic service, who can conduct an enormous business in a manner profitable to the colony. Our contemporary claims that economy with those in power means low salaries to the lower officials j low salaries to them, means lowering the standard of the Department ; and this in its turn means inefficiency; and that inefficiency is the order of the day in the Telegraph Department. It is generally understood it is like the Augean stable, and requires a vast deal of cleaning. We know for a fact that good men are constantly leaving, simply because there is not any inducement for them to stay, and we know also that the pay is often absurdly low. One instance will suffice—that of a clerk who lias been in tlio Department five or six years, and receives £l2O per annum. We should like to see a table showing the salary of every official in the service as compared with the salaries in other Departments. It would be instructive, and, if it did nothing else, would make people open their eyes in amazement. The pay being small, it naturally follows that the increases are small also, in many cases, £5 being the usual rise, and, if this is to be the precedent, then Telegraph clerks have remarkably brilliant prospects before them, and the Depart-

intelligence will not stay in it, and an interior class must necessarily fill tlie vacancies. This brings us to another evil. There are already in the Department, far too many who are quite unfitted for the work—raw lads, whose education is almost nil, and who .cannot either spell correctly or write legibly. This is 110 unfounded assertion,—the extraordinary specimens of caligraphy that sometimes come out of Telegraph offices, and the monstrous mistakes will quite bear out our statement, and so long as the system now in force continues, so will these evils continue. At the present time, the operating staff is recruited from amongst the messengers, —that is to say, when a messenger lias served a year or two, he applies for a cadetship and in most cases it is granted. He is supposed to pass an examination, but this is merely nominal and if he can read and write after a fashion—good spelling not being essential—he may generally calculate on an appointment. Of course in some cases, these cadet-ships are deserved but in many others it in quite the reverse. The proper remedy is to have au examination which is something more than a sham—the Junior Civil Service, for instance. This is quite simple, and any lad of ordinary parts can pass it, With such a regulation enfor.ed, it would raise the standard of the Department wonderfully, and would affectually weed it of many who arc at present considered eligible for it. We have not yet said all that wo may say on this subject, but wo think we have said enough to show that reform is urgently needed in the matter of Telegraph management.

The Masterton Rifle Volunteers parade oa Friday evening next. The Lower Valley annual Ploughing Match takes place at Waihonga to-day. Tenders are invited for the extensions to the Featherston High School. Dr Beard of Masterton. lias removed from his late residence to the house next to the Wcsleyan Church. All objections to the land Tax valuations in the Greytown Borough having been arranged, no sitting of the Court will be held. Mr 0. It. Carter, the coming man, lias arrived at the Bluff. It is possible that lie and Mr Bunny will work the election together, A meeting of the Ctreytown Trustees was held on Monday last. Present: Messrs Baillie, ICempton, Cuff, and Hornblow. The Treasurer reported balance in bank to bo £53/7/3, A deputation from the Masterton Trust consisting of Messrs Feist, Ronall, and Brown (Secretary's) waited upon the Trustees with reference to the proposed amendments (which we recently published) in the Trust Act, but the final adjustment of them was left for a future meeting, In a recent speech on reciprocity in the House of Lords, Lord Bateman made the extraordinary statement that ''in New Zealand there were thousands of quarters of wheat annually used as manure, or thrown into the sea." The Mark Lane Express wants to know whether his lordship is not mistaken. If the rest of. the facts adduced by lord ftitcman in support of reciprocity were not more reliable than the above, his speech must have been a very interesting one. In the House of Picpresentativss on Monday last, the Premier introduced the Loan Bill and the House went into com-

mitteo, Mr Bryce taking the chair and afterwards reporting- progress. When the Hon, the Premier moved that the bill be read a second.time, lie wished to state to the House that the wits would be issued without delay, and the elections would take place as soon as possible. The new House would also be called together without delay, but he could not speak with certainty a3 to dates. He would however pledge himself that not an hour's unnecessary delay should tike place on the part of the Government. Telegraph agents would do well to remembe°r how easy it is to damage an important industry. Here is an instance. The Melbourne Leader of June 28, says: " Potato growers would require to guard against using seed potatoes from New Zealand, if there is any truth in the report that the Colorado beetle has made its appearance at Oamaru. An Oamaru

correspondent of the Tiusavu Herald writes to that journal that those pests are playing sad havoc amongst the potato

crops not yet due." Now, as a matter of fact, the telegram in question was entirely without foundation ; yet it is not difficult to understand how its appearance in Melbourne papers may affect the sale of Otago and Canterbury potatoes, of which there are large quantities for export. We trust that the Leader will correct the paragraph a'; the earliest-opportunity. It is currently reported, writes the Post, that his Excellency the Governor and the Premier had a slight misunderstanding on Saturday last. The" man in the street" says that the Premier went to Government House and protested to his Excellency against the action of tho House in refusing to consider the Electoral, Representation, and Chinese Immigration Bills, It is alleged that His Excellency, having listened attentively to all the Premier had to say, replied that the House had acted rightly, and that he never intended that such bills as those referral to by Premier should ,be considered. He also pointed out that he had only granted the dissolution asked for by the Premier on the distinct understanding that no " contested motions should be brought forward, and he certainly considered that these bills would come under the heading of" contested metions." It is said that the Governor iutimated his opinion that Sir George Grey's action in the matter was something very like a breach of faith, and rumor lias it that some warm words ensued, the Premier ultimately being requested to retire. There was some little excitement yesterday in Masterton over the election for a Borough Councillor. From mom till eve the omnibus, coaches, and buggies, labelled respectively, " Vote for Bisll" and "Vote for Corbett," brought the electors to the poll. Shortly before 7 p.m. Mr R. Wilsone read out tb result to a large crowd which had assembled outside the Town Hall—Bisll, 1G0; D. Dohald, 102 ; and Corbett, 84-and declared Mr Bisli duly elected. Mr Bisli, who was loudly cheered, thanked the electors for the liontir they had conferred upon him. He pledged himself to no party, but would act impartially and independently oil all questions brought before the Council, He would do his level best. (Cheers.) He again thanked them, especially the ladies who had come forward to support him. He hoped to merit the confidence not only of those who had

:Wo understand' that Mr Burton Boys, of Taratalii, 1 will come forward as a candidate for the. representation of the Wairarapa, There/was only one case for hearing at R.M,' Court, Featheraton, on the 4th inst. .. Some months ago (says the Grey River Argus) a digger named Stanleywas admitted to the Hokitika Hospital, where through indisposition,lie was obliged to remain , for several months. When leaving, lie stated he was without funds, but lie desired to pay for the medical. attendance and board provided him wlule in the hospital, and requested that account for the same should he rendered to his friend and relative the Earl of Derby. The secretary of the institute, acting upon the directions given, though, not without some doubt at the time of any successful result, posted the account mentionod, which amounted to £2O 53. By the last English mail, a remittance was received for the amount, and a receipt has been forwarded to the " cousin of the earl," who is at present at work in the Kanieri district, The Americans are practical people. Here is an advertisment cut from the Buffalo Express " Death—On Sunday, 4th January, 1878, Maria Patience Higgins, of Tuckville. The funeral takes place to morrow, at 4 p.m. Sympathising friends invited. The deceased's personal, clothing and effects will bo sold in lots on Saturday next. They consists of dresses, petticoats' improvers, lace stockings, shoes new and half-worn, paletots, cloaks, wraps, chemisettes, night-robes, stays, and petticoat bodies; also, a set of false teeth, goldmounted, nearly new having been but six months in use by the lamented deceased : together with a fine lot of false hair, tooth brushes, nail rubbers, pomades, perfumes powders, and a variety of toilette requisites too numerous to mention. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord, Amen, Note,— Thelate.Mrs Higgins was well-known, not only as an amiable and benevolent lady, but as one of the best dressed women in the State. Ladies will do well to attend the sale of her effects, for which, alas, she has now no longer any use."