The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1879.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 293, 18 October 1879, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1879.

The public are wont to attribute to a detective police officer an amount of almost superhuman intelligence and sagacity. Give him but the smallest thread and he soon unravels the most complicated tangle. In England no one is regarded with more awe and with greater wonder. We trust our New Zealand detectives are not altogether unworthy of the high reputation which distinguishes the Home officers; but we must confesr to a feeling of disappointment at the apparent result of the first visit of a New Zealand detective to the Wairarapa. An outrage was recently committed in broad daylight on the Taratahi, Out of four men concerned in it, one was fully described by the victim. The others were seen and described by more than one witness. The motive of the crime was tolerably apparent. In fact, the case was one where there were any number of clues. A detective arrived in the Wairarapa, and succeeded in doing what I— capturing another man who was wanted in another matter and taking him down to Wellingtor, leaving, as far as we can judge, the more important crime for which he was specially sent up, to stand over. In a district like the Wairarapa, with only two or three well-defined outlets, and with convenient telegraphic communication both north and south, we should have expected an experienced detective to have captured his men and had them in safe custody within twenty-four hours. Apparently every condition that could have been desired for discovering the criminals and securing them was afforded in the case we refer to, and yet the criminals are still at large and the detective has gone back to Wellington on a duty which apparently might have been entrusted to any ordinary constable. The crime was one of such an exceptional character that it is imperative that it should be traced and the perpetrators of it brought to justice. It would be a lasting disgrace to the police force of New Zealand if the culprits were allowed to escape, We do not at all think they will succeed in evading the punishment clue to their crime, but the delay which in some unaccountable manner is taking place in securing them must be favorable to their chance of escape. We may, of course, be mistaken in our supposition, but on the face of it we must confess to a feeling of surprise that the detective on whom we relied should have returned to Wellington without effecting a capture. Till the mystery is unravelled it would not be fair, without some reservation, to censure our detective service. It is, however, quite legitimate to point out that the crime and the circumstances which attended it constitute a case which the detective department of the police force cannot fail if it be efficient, to bring to a successful issue.

The next KM. Court Bitting at Tinui is fixed fov Monday, 10th November. Mr George Lancaster has purchased the Melbourne Hotel, Willis-street. New iron targets are coming up to Masterton for the use of our volunteers,

The Mastorton Cadets parade in the school ground to-day at 2,30 p.m. We are requested to say that the service for baptisms at St, Matthew's Church to-morrow is to be at 4,15, not 2.30, as announced on Sunday last,

Since the opening of the Sydney Exhibition 110,000 persona have paid for admission. The cablegram doe 3 not Bay how many havn't,

The following new insolvencies are announced :—Geovgo S, Dalrymple, commisaion agent, Masterton. First meeting of creditors, October 23, Hy. McArdle, police sergeant, Masterton, First meeting of creditors, October 28. Mr Girdlestone having business in Greytown to-day will bo unable to conduct his sale in Petherick's estate. Mr lorns will officiate for him, and the various lots will be sold at Messrs lorns & Fergusson's yards.

Mr Hutchison, the democratic Mayor of Wellington has proposed a reduction in the salaries of the Corporation officers, but he does not hint anything about his own being added to the list. He is too good a democrat for that! Messrs Schroder, Hooper, and Co., intend to light up their shop opposite the Club Hotel, from 6 to 10 on Tuesday evening next, for the purpose of making the first display of their new stock of drapery, millinery, <k. ; business will be commenced on Wednesday. Their new advertisement will appear in Monday's issue, being too late for to-day.

The Borough Councillors of Masterton meet to-day on tho banks of the Waipoua at a spot where the river threatens Bent-ley-strcet, The head of the Public Works Committee will, we believe, take the chair on the margin of the stream, but Ave do not credit the rumor that he will attempt to stem the waters' a la' Canute.

Messrs lorns & Fergusson hold a very extensive sale of general goods in the estate of the late Mr Henry Bannister this day at the yards, Masterton. Besides cattle, pigs, and horses, they will offer carts, harness, ploughs and everything belonging to a well-stocked farm. They also sell furniture, fencing wire, gates, and a great many other articles, full particulars of which may be seen in another column.

The following is the programme of the Masterton Brass Band for this evening : March—" Will the Angels Come to Me" (Metcalfe);. Polka-"lnfant" (D' Albert); Schottische—"Catherine" (Lombe); March—"Autumn Manoeuvres" (Riviere); Schottische Waltz-" Flower of the Field.' (Coote); Quadrille—" Potpourri" (Strauss); Galop —" Lullaby " (Emmett; arranged by P. Linn.

Councillor Maginnity, at a late meeting of the Wellington Municipal Council, referring to the recent gold discoveries m the Wairarapa, proposed that the Council allow the prospectors £5 per month, to enable them to procure the necessaries of life, for a period of six months during their prospecting tour. The Mayor said there were numbers of prospectors, and it would be unfair to grant to one and shut others out in the cold. The motion not being seconded, lapsed,

Messrs W. Hutchison and G. Beetham, M.H.R.'s, writes the Chronicle, waited on the Minister of Mines yesterday to ask him to proclaim the Wairarapa a goldfields district. Mr Rolleston said he would not be prepared to proclaim it a goldfields, till it had been clearly proved that payable gold existed there, because such a proclamation would necessitate the appointment of various officers, and thus there would be a considerable expenditure required. He would, however, proclaim it a mining district, Then persons could take up sixteen-acre leases for tho purpose ostensibly of mining for silver; but they could search for gold at the samo time,

On Thursday evening in the House of Kepreßentatives, the Hon Major Atkinson said he understood he would be in a position to move a suspension of the standing orders, in order to pass the Imprest Supply Bill, and to obtain the authority of the House to issue £200,000 worth of Treasury bills, as the money was urgently required, and no payments could be made if it was not passed that evening. For the payment of public services and subsidies to the local bodies, who were very pressing, it was very necessary the Bill should be passed. If the Oppositfon would give an assurance not to brinp forward a motion to obstruct the business, he would move his resolution, If, after giving such an assurance they did so, the responsibility would be with the Opposition. If they did not he would at once drop the subject. Mr Macandrew would not consent unless the .Government permitted his no-confidence motion to come on for the following day, and moved the adjournment of the House. The motion, after a long and useless discussion was agreed to. The Opposition, therefore, succeeded in stopping supplies,