The difficulties of maintaining discipline are insuperable. Every time some (a large proportion) of the inmates get leave they haunt the public houses and come back drunk and disorderly ; and it is impossible in most cases to get them to do any work, and to such lengths has this been carried in this country that it becomes a very serious problem whether there is any use attempting to force the residence test at all. For the future, Government ought to set tbeir face resolutely against allowing this difficult problem to be dealt with in the capricious fashion in which local bodies have in the past attempted to solve it. Some com prehensive scheme under a new law is absolutely required. The request of the society for periodical advances is quite inexcusable,

During last month the number of arrivals to the colony was 1,383, and the departures, 1,183. It is understood that the Govern ment have decided to recommend to Parlia ment that the Rev. Mr De Castro, late chief clerk of the Public Trust office, be allowed his pension of £2OO per annum. It may not be generally known (says the Wanganui Herald) that the roots of the raupo plant are edible. When cooked, after being dried and pounded into powder they are said to be delicious, very like arrowroot. Writing to a Wellington citizen by last week’s mail (says the Evening Post) a resident in Sydney states that owing partly to want of rain, and partly to over-produc tion, stock in that colony is becoming almost valueless. On the Darling river lately, really good sheep were sold for Is per head. The writer asks whether it would not pay to send a shipment to New Zealand if the sheep could be bought at that low price, and freight could be found at reasonable rates. After the hearing of a Chinese case in Sydney on March 2, the parties to the suit indulged in a street row. This led to the police making some inquires, during which information was dieted leading to the belief that the whole affair was planned by a secret society. It is reported this society sentenced to death a young China man who is taking an active part in an anti-gambling crusade, £250 being offered for his assassination. 