Wanganui Herald. [ PUBLISHED DAILY.]

Wanganui Herald, Volume XI, Issue 2864, 27 February 1877, Page 2

Wanganui Herald. [ PUBLISHED DAILY.]

TUESHAW FEB. 27, W7.

TNconsuliu-iui;- tho jvast action of the Wellington Education Board it is wojll to recollect that its position and its foundation was ode which was surrounded by dillicultics. The immediate wants of the Province were grrai, and the means at disposal wore insullicicnt to meet pressing exigencies, and again and again were the members forced to apply for assistance from tho Provincial Govern incut, and at a later peiiod from the Genera. 1 . Parsimony became therefore a necessity, and was indeed fumly enforced as iar as the teachers were concernc 1 ,. Their rates of remuneration were low, and there was in too many cases little to entice thorn to a continuance of their .irksome duties fora longer period than their o*'n necessities compel led. As far as the administration aileotmg 1 the members themselves was concerned, matters wore, 'very differently conducted. Woll paid officials were' appointed/ and personal rxpciists Hiteially provided for. But apart from this the principal source 'of revenue, the ralg on tho actuul value of property was a tax which was generally unpopular, and the Board had to bear the ignominy attached to' it's collection, which affected the public mind ; and this one feeling alone was enough, especially in country districts where it existed to a greater extent than in the towns, to mar tho advantages which the Hoard might be prepared to offer. We do not wish here to raise the question as to whether that system of rating was the best, but simply to draw attouto its having been objectionably to a large .section of the lvfcepayerb at the time. Bub in whatever way the rate was levied there existed a fiscal mistake, inasmuch as the representatives of the people, ,the council of tho province, placed at the disposal of an irresponsible body the expendituie of largo sums of money obtained by direct taxation, without reserving to themselves any means of ascertaining that funds .vere converted only to- the uses for which they were appropriated, or insuring that the results accruing were commensurate with the burdens imposed, As we have before pointed out the appointment of an Inspector by the Board itself to introduce necessary measures •an'd'to report on their success or other- ] wjse } could only lead co the information supplied being favorable and one-sided ; and it may be looked on as almost providential that the splenetic feelings of that officer as evinced towards tho teachers has led to the expose of wbat must' be regarded as a costly failure. , It would have been vain to hope from the constitution of our own Board, while a scarcity of means was pressing hardly on the one hand, and a desire for effect 'and show at its head-quarters, situated as they were at the seat of Government of the Colony, was urging it tor ward oh the other that it would ioi'g-et fts constitutional policy or fail to indulge its centralising proclivities ; .and we therefore need feel no- surprise at seeing a larger expenditure and complete preparations in the EnipireCity, w,hile traces .of neglect < mark its < actions •amongst the," highways and hedgp." We 'dwell strongly 'on pointing. 'out >a, necessity for local' administration of finances in our case, because we are 1 in- I dividually interested as a community •probably iv v greater degree than any other part <of the' Colony. •We should ; ; be the posses&ors of a "munificent ', be!quest/ the ; donor > of . which placed its administration •■ in.- the hands -of J the 'body having charge.' of local education;; •and a decent award of a ■ court of ! lawhas declared this, .for." the present at' leastj ita be'the Wellington Board, and . bitte* •experience haß,; taught , us, how, -very' sparse the" 'benefits . receivable by ouV citizens 1 for whom -, they, were 1 inmfofl is* likelyrto'be! .under its .change. •

The Evening Argus asserts that the VHeads of Departments in th^Civss£ji! rule the country. It iS" S||} " FitzGerald is more powerful than im " Premier, and we would rajier^ye^xj " Seed's influence on our side than Mr " Boron's or Mr Ormond's. When a " now Minister comes in these magic spi"^'^?sp^eairfWav^tMf''ffl^KeTT^et^ " tyydj&p&nd HimimtU ;h"e/is th;<Jrp.ughlv v - under control.. O.ur Civil. Service jhas__ " grown up into \'liii^^iomi^rosi^y^"lltf' " intricacies 'aw impenetrable, its ways " past findingiouti '■ '< It is guided and con.-" • ' trolled by ' some ■ half dozen Heads off " Dopartraqnts, use. it as an impa^- ," sable, .barriei to all who. want to / kiipw i " tod much. " The' Civil Service, as repref* s-ented by,; these .Heads of I)epai;tineutg. wields enormous- political po.wei. •X'ofc tl only arc the efforts of Ministers, thwar- " tod or niiliijied/bnttlicy'iu'e sometimes " ejected from office by Civil Service in- " fluence. ■'■ It' is notorious' that tho Staf- '* ford Ministry of 1869 foil as nmch " through this influence as any other — ".that Mr>Fox derived, in any .'of his most " successful weapons of attacks from the " Civil Service armoury , and that Mr " Vogel's 'marvellous knowledgo of the- " financial affairs- of -the country and th[o ' f financial policy of the administration, " was supplied by high officers 4 of ; tljo " Service, "who have since" reaped their " reward. No Ministry with the Heads " of Departments cgainst i'tj cotild stand • ' long. They could quickly bring it into " odium with the public and with' Parlia- " ment, to whom, of course, Ministers " aie responsible." We think this is very likely 'to be true. There is a case in poinb. The Inspector of Customs, Mr Seed wrote a peremptory letter a few .days ago to the Wanganui Harbor Board, requiring this body to take over tho Pilpt Station. The Board on sufficient grounds

refused, and immediately, without enquiry, the Treasurer withdraws his promise to hand over the £9,000 which ho holds iv trust for tho "Wangantii harbor. The matter is now in suspense. The reason the Board declined to take over the .Pilot Station is that tho Legislature distinctly refused to place it under the control of the Board, the clause in the IJ;i rbor Hoard Bill referring to pilot dues being struck out in the Legislative Council, and tho amendment agreed to in tho other House. Mr Seed is not only greater than the Government, but it seems ho-may traverse with satoty even the decision of the Legislature.

The N.Z. Times is too general in its reply to our articles on the Education Board and Mr Lee's report, i<> bo conclusive. It associates two things which we have always kept distinct— the acts of individuals and the system of education in existence in this Provincial District. Our contemporary docs not deign to notice the facts which were adduced in our columns to show that Mr Loo's report was unjust and unmerited. For instance, it conveniently overlooks that at the close of his last inspection of Mr West's school, he wrote in the log-book these words :—": — " Tho results on the whole arc- satisfactory ;" lie wrote the very opposite in his report. Wo have no wish to boar harder on Mr Lee than tho simple facts warrant ; but wo think it necessary to examine closely the acts of a person in power, in order that injustice may not be done to one who is placed in a position where lie can hardly defend himself. It ia sophistry to say that " the publishing the report was not the act of Mr Leo but of the Board." When the report was written Mr Lee knew it would be published, and the whole tenor of it shows it was written with a view to publication. It is absurd to assert that there is an animus because we want to place' the administration of education in the County Councils. Our

contemporary remarks : "We have already expressed ourselves strongly against the interests of public education being committed to the tender mercies of County Councils, and we have no objection to break a lance with tho Herald on that score."' We have no doubt his lance will be broken, for wo are sure that the priuciplo wo have maintained, namely, that tho people must have real representation in the administration of education, will be recognised by the Legislature. The sham central boards decayed relics of Provincialism cannot live, though each of them had a paper of strong centralising tendencies to hide their faults and exaggerate their virtues. Down they must go in the tournament, it matters not how many lances may be broken ero the victory is won.

BEifKRjBiNO to the stats of parties iv the House, the.,. Evening Argus says:— "There is in tho House o£ Repiesenta- • Hives now, a man who has but to con- | " sent to take tho position of leader to "command an irresistible following, and "although some self-sacrifice might be *' required on his part, we- do not think "he will shirk the responsibility when " the right time comes, and he fiuds that ' " public duty requires him to re-enter the " field «£ active '-political life. The present ./.'Ministry, we gather from their organ ' J this morning, base' their claims to sup- " port on their being anxious to carry on "the railway, works,' but, .this nmstbethe "policy, of whatever party is irippweiv " The difference will be in the fanner in " which the ,work will be carried, on." The ' reference in 'the above ; is'-td Mr 'Fitztierbert.-- We admit the power! and ability of the "old man eloquent," but no 'position except the Premiershipj will induce him to quit the' Speaker 'sscjhair. That position he is hot likely ■ta'repeiv'e' 'without first having to 1 fight for it, and his. age, and'the state/of His health! are Sufficient reasons to prevent him fropireen^ring;*. tjie arena pf party warfare as t l<eij£er of an opposition. 1 " j

The Marlborough Express says the " new tsbaftoelifeiCbpgjai afceiVanganui is "JdfflticaL foffwi{ptiteffifleVs thcg&teijgj Nf^ff BMfeis^pecC^en'o^a smH^ww: Tjtt! new id^&c-al jrithiije ojj|jot ;»ne o|| lal^ticat^lth #je •<^^\ r^ral^ the old chanuel is id V euti(|f'with, the "outlet ! And this is exactly how iM;aftds\^ Letters of naturalisation have been issued 16 Edward Neilson,' WesleVßn-nnmster, oi Balmfers'tbifiNorth. 1 ' , ( j £Awl A/1 X the tender of the .Emigrant and Colonists' Aid Corpo.raMon.has been accepted by the Uovernmentfor carting ( 2l,,Bop. ti-oni TTeildirJg to points on the' 'Wanganui-Manawatu Railway, the amount being £1014. The tenders -declined i were-r-fE.'J.) AjlleUj 1( -£1362; Lethbridge, £1453 ;,R, Slattery, x ,£1589 ;clo. (alternative tender),' £2233 ;W. H. Taylor', '£1589 ; Messrs J. ftiid''6.' Bull, &irf6o ; T. Denby, £l7il')' Messrs .Hall "and lorna£2B6G. r , ' The death 'of Miss Feath' ersttm, itie -^dost daughter of the' late' Dr' 'Feathorstbn, is announced in the Wellington papers . Mr James Jtoss, of Mosgiel, Ofcagb, who owns about one hunered nnd fifty beehives,' last season (gays the Bruce Herald) sold no less than oue ton of honey.,, , , .

' The Ttandardsays that a Christchurch medical practitioner "had a lucky windfall a few, aay9 ago.' One of his patients having ' succumbed to the malady for which the ' gentleman in qiießtiou had treated, him, , it 'was fojmd on opening- deceased's will, that "£SOO, nearly all he possessed; had been bequeathed to the iortunato disciple of Esculapius. ' >i . . A prospecting association was formed at Charleston, ou the West Coast, on Thui-sday night last. It offers a bonus of £256 tb the party who first finds a payable gbldfield .within an area situated between th? tfotara and tho range dividing the Four Mile and Tax's R'ver, and termin.-iting at the White llor'sc Trade. ' The said new goldflild -to be an area of two miles from tho prospector's claim, and to bo capable of giving continuous employment to 250 miners for six months, at current wages. The offer of bonus to extend to the • Ist' day of October. The riilo and carbine championships for 1877 have been dccided.ancl it will be seen by our telegrams that our carbine representatives have not disgraced themselves. Lieut. Paynler, of tlie Stoke Rifles, Nelson, lias been adjudged the rillo champion, t\nd with ! the belt will receive a gold medal and £10, together with Iho various prizes won by him in tho eevcra! matches. Tdc second highest

aggregate scorer is Private Richardson, of the North Diinodin liiilos, who will receive the silver uieAal of tV-e National Rifle As- , sociation and £23, together with the various prizes won by him in the several matches ■ for "the champiouslnp. At the coinincnce- ' went of the 'last match, Kicunrdsou was leading by li points, but somo person i damaged the foresight of bis rillo, and to this his defeat is no doubt owing. Volunteer McLean, of tho Auckland Navals, has managed to secure Ihe carbine championship, , and will receive with the match prizes won ' by him, the champion belt, a roUI medal, niid .t'2o. Sergeant Hill, of tho Christchurch Artillery, is the second highest aggregate scorer, for wh'ch he will receive £15. Next cornea Seaman Sykes, cf the Thames Xiwnls, ) to whom £}0 will ho awarded; aud the 1 fourth highest aggregate scorer is Corporal Liltlcwood, of, the Alexaudm Cavalry, who will receive .Co with tho match prizes lie has won durintr tho competition for tho championship. 1 Tho following pronounced seutimeuts have been expressed by the Wairarapa Stautlanl : --Next to the policy of the late Premier the 1 most baneful influence on political life, so far as the "Wairarapa is concerned, has been , that which for some time past has been 1 exercised by Mr Bunuy. Iv theory and practice he has taught tho people to tako no interest in auy other subject thaa the one which will most dircctlv advance their ohij ; sellish ends. Politically, morally, and intellectually tho lessons ho has inculcated, net less by precept than by example,could have no other thau the most pernicious effect. Forms of Government, political principles, and

popular rights have been ridiculed, or set aside, for tho sole object of retaining that position of trust, emolument, and responsibility, which his whole life and conduct, more especially since he has been unrestrained by his late chief,, haro proved he was wholly unfitted to occupy.

The Parliament of Tasmania have offered a subsidy of £1000 a year, to any live willing to carry a monthly mail between that colouy and New Zealand.

Mr Spurgcon lately prayed :■— " Add, 0 God, >,'ive our senators wisdom, especially at this critical time. Let nob the extraordinary folly of our rulers lead our country into Avar, and change our rulers, 0 God, as soon as possible."

lYillinm Ellis not producing any witnesses at the Resident Magistrate's Court ,tliis (Tuesday) morning to testify that he had been working last week, was sentenced by Mr Ilardcastle to one month's imprisonment with hard labor, for vacancy. Charles Coombes, (lie man who a short time since attempted suicide by taking strychnine, was ordered to be discharged on the certificate o£ tho medical officer. Ann Eobertson, dissolved in tears and ia V pitiful condition, was charged with being druuk and incapable, and pleaded' guilfcy. Fined /ss 'or 21 | hours. Several civil cases wore adjourned, | and the Court retired. ' The children attending the' \Yesleyan Sunday School held their annual treat-lo-day (Tuesday) in a paddock kindly lent for the oocasion by the Messrs Parkes,on tho •top 1 of St. John's Hill. During ,the. day a number of the friends and parents of the children visited the ground, and took part in many of the sanies. That all were pleased we have no doubt, and the managers, can lay. the flattering unction to themselves thut their •■ efforts' 1 to pleaso were flushed with' success, • . i ' J| ' Messrs W. D. Shaw, James Bain, and two ; or th-reb otlie'rs ' have <-fonnfe3[ a private company, and purchased the schooner Spec f6r £300. 'Capfain R. JDaniel'has been^placed, in commah'd'of her/arid she will trade, between this port, LytteUon, •andDunedin. v , ':' 'The l'egolar fortnightly 1 meeting of the A.1.0.0-.F.W ill be. held in'the^lnstikie at , 7.®ip'iiißhfi. '' ?ACLI - 1 ' j

The Key. lipßu^mv^the the traissioifcM^cb^llctMh )rMjim|Church Ta|d, a|ffeesp^re fo^V ake aprang^inpte|<?r prayidfra a tnissionf\he flelfl lef|irac||J Ibßthe/feeath of Messrs Henry Williamson, William Wilson, and C. A. Wray, E.M., have been appointed members o! the Patea Harbor Board;" * * ""-"'-- "'-' - —

' The Band oi tlie-Kifles quite Enlivened St. ing a number- of eolectioiis in capital stylo. A crowd congregated to listen to the music. Tht> Sifl'es 'MM parade at htili-j>ast bcvcu; o'clock to-ni£luV,ftt; Qook'a gardens. j