WELLINGTON

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 679, 29 January 1881, Page 2

WELLINGTON

(feom our OWN correspondent.)

Wellington, Jan. 27, "Give a dog a bad name, and-hang him," and I suppose that now it has been so long the fashion to decry the weather of Wellington, it is useless for one to try to say much in its favor. I cannot, however, overlook the fact that while it is the custom to rundown " windy Wellington," statistics not long a«o showed that it was not so windy as " sunny Auckland." Nor can I be blind to the fact that every public holiday since the Prince of Wales' Birthday (inclusive) has been everything that could be desired. In fact, during the whole of the last 12 or 15 month's the climate, although it has treated us to occasional spells of unpleasantness, has really, on the whole, given us but little cause for growling. On the other hand, letters from Auckland tell me they have had nothing hut rain up there lately, while advices from the South describe the weather there as something really demomoniacal, hot north-westers, piercing south-ousters, dust-storms and rain suedeeding each other in the most extraordinary and unaccountable manner.

In point of weather, Anniversary Day in Wellington was simply perfect. It had been very threatening the day before, but Saturday, when it dawned, was delightfully fine. • fhe great attraction, as usual, was the Regatta, but the sailing races were in a ureat measure spoiled, owing tn a number of mistakes being made as "to the course.

Tlie election of school committees for the City mid district passed off very quietly. The question of Bible-reading in schools, which proved sucba bone of contention at Dunedin, Auckland, and elsewhere, did not crop up in any single instance in Wellington or neighborhood, the elections being decided apparently on the local popularity of the candidates. The only discussion of a political character, so far as lam.aware, took place at Thorndon, where Mr Jonas Woodward, Chairman of the Chamher.of Commerce! pointed out a number of defects and inconsistencies in (he present A'ct, especially the anomalous position held hy School Committees, He pointed out that a great waste of power occurred in Wellington inrespect of tiavintr no fewer than five of these bodies.' In Dunedin, where they had only one Committee, the work was done much better, and a much greater amount of importance was attached to the election of the Committee. He added however, that he had it on the authority of more than one gentleman who had been Minister of Education, that no matter how glaring were the defects in tho Act, the Government were so attached to the present system that they, would oppose amendment, fearful lest the priuoiple of the Act should be attacked.

!. L) spite of the ten per cent reduotinn m the grant, the Education' Board is still able to pursue the even' tenor of its way without having to. cutiowrf anyone's salary, or reduce the grants to the various committees, The explanation of the mystery is that at the time the reduction was made, it happened' to have a balance of some £I2OO on the maintenance account •»nd they have been,.living on this little nest-egg ever since. ' They.expect it to be exhausted about, the end of next March, and some of the members who are members of the House also, are apprehensive that.next session there may be a freslj

reduction in the vote, or that the Bystem of raising funds may be remodelled altogether, Consequently the Board has deemed it prudent to.give notice to masters, committees,, and "all whom it may concern," tlut they, may look out for unpleasant news about-the end of Maroh nsxt,

':' '. I hear there werVone or two funny ap» plications fnr.the post.of singing master ,at the Normal School, considered at the last meeting of. the Board. One lady discoursed of " tetrachords," "gamuts," " cleffs" (sic.) and meiizo-soprano to such an extent as to produce alarming symptons Of. apoplexy in -tho secretary (Mr Lee), who had to read the letter, A male applicant wished f«( an early "answer" to his letter, I need hardly say that the J'answer" when it came was not a favorable one. The 8.8. Northumberland is advertised to return to Loudon direct in a few days. I beiieve the trip out paid very well, but that it ia estiraated-some £3OOO or £4OOO will be lost on the'return voyage. One reason of this is that .whereas a large number of passengers came out in her, there are very few going steamer. This-is another insfaoßphat population is still coming into New Zealand, and not drawing away from, it, as some alarmists would have us believe. One item of good newsj in connection i" with the Northumberland is that fihe brought out a numher of moneyed men, one gentleman having no less than £9OOO for'investment. The Board of Reviewers has been sitting the last few days in the Gran 1 Jury room of the new Supreme Court, to hear appeals under the Property Assessment Act. The total number ' of objections is 158, of which 32 are from the country; Tho country settlers 'seem to have very strong cause for complaint, First, they were brought'- iuto town on Friday last, only to find that- the Board eat that day merely for formal business Then they came again yesterday, but only to have their cases adjourned'once more. They complain—and not without some show of justice—that it seeuiß as if they were being treated in thia way to deter them from coming forward with objections.