The difficulties to be grappled with by the new Hon. Secretary are_imm-usely increased by the abolition of our main source of revenue. the Local Post, a source 0 immensely greater than all others that it might fairly be called the only one. The change in postal arrangements his evoked a good deal of grumbling. as among yourselves and in other ports. The charges of the new Imperial Post, though not really high, whea compared with those of other Postal Union countries, are naturally higher than those of the now defunct Local institution, which, thanks to its simple organisation as well as to the support of the philatelists could well afford to work at very low rates. To find an adequate substitute for the Pactolus now lost in the arid d-surf of native administrative needs has been a tough problem. Has been I say, for ther. is reason to hope that our local ibas has solved it. A plebiscite of the foreign community, by circular, has just been taken, as to which of two suggested revenue schemes should be adopted, or if neither, what others could be suggested, and popular choice fell upon one involving a poli-tax of $5 upon each foreign adult, and a further tax, amount not yet decided, upon property owners. If this revenue scheme should operate ssu cessfully, as may reasonably be expect ed, the 'G.P.C. promise us an improved Police force, a bridge across tha: gully which in summer becomes a Rubicon which only the athletic ein cross, a Styx on which no Charon plies; also certain sanitary improvements; and other delights.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.