BROUGHT INTO FOCUS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 441, 12 October 1880, Page 2

BROUGHT INTO FOCUS.

(Contributed to this Akahoa Mail.)]]

Mr Herbert. Hewer, must have marvelled what Had befallen him, and " blushed to find it fame." As the " hero of the hour," lie Would have been able, anywhere else but Akaroa, to have had unlimited credit. Oh, enviable position! But, seriously now, was it quite fair to make so much of him ? Ought not his feelings to have been consulted before making- him the subject of a public meeting ? But I forgot—of course Hewer was but the scapegoat. The true reason for calling that meeting was this—Mr Duxbury wanted to air liis eloquence, and a grievance against the Road Board at the same time. That was a happy thought, but not quite the thing, you know, on the part of one who got a salary from the Road Board. Perhaps he didn't get enough, and wanted Hewer's billet as well—ah, that's more like it! There was a time when " Dux" was chairman of that Board—he was only a " bush lawyer " then, not an avocdt —and he got no screw whatever, so he changed places with the foreman, and overlooked the roads ; consequently he feels aggrieved at any one else looking over them after him. Doesn't it sound like one of iEsop's fables? After all, the Road Board having the power to appoint a " ranger" for the purpose specified, surely there are plenty of means of confining that officer strictly to his duties, and of detecting the slightest irregularity in his proceedings, and why shouldn't poor Mr Hewer have a chance of earning the paltry pittance accruing from such disagreeable work, if he like it, as well as another here or there ? It would have been time enough to have jumped on him when he was found tripping. In the name of fair-play, give the man a chance. If the Board's choice was an unpopular one, growl at it—it is an Englishman's privilege ; but it is also an equally English social law not to hit a man after he's down. In my opinion the police are the propir persons to look after such matters, and especially in a district like Akaroa, where the Sergeant con have little else to do bat exercise his horse daily, or at such times as he thinks fit. " Uumiing in " a few cattle would keep his hand in, and prevent the too rapid accumulation of that rust which is a natural sequence of any lengthened sojourn in the somniferous vale. The conservation of the roads which have cost so much public money should outweigh in importance any petty personal feelings such as those which have evidently actuated the prime movers in this not very cred&able affair,

The Rangitikei Advocate has about the " tallest " story I ever saw outside of an American paper. It tells of a ewe which was run over by the train at Marton, the poor beast being smashed to bits and fearfully mangled. Strange to say, from the mangled remains, phoenixlike, was seen to rise a perfectly formed lamb, which is now alive and doing well. How's that lamb for high? After mature deliberation, I don't believe in it. At any rate, the consumer of that yarn will require a very huge grain of salt to savour it, but as a general thing that lamb won't go down, even with buckets of mint sauce. Asa sequel to the story, I suggest the following:—On seeing what occurred, the engine-driver stopped the train, and exclaimed to the stoker-— " Bill, revenons a nous moutons." And they did. By-the-bye, this is the first case on record of the traffic on any New Zealand line being reproductive.

Allow me to compliment The Akaroa Mail on the excellent manner it is "read ,, lately. When nearly every journal one takes up is full of the grossest misprints, defects of type, errors in letter-press, etc., it is refreshing to find your pages, as far as these defects are concerned, comparatively faultless ; and when it is remembered how few in these days can shew a " clean sheet," you arc to be especially congratulated.'—(N.B. I'm not fishing for an increase of screw. Since you took that ten per cent, off my miserable salary, in servile imitation of an effete and despotic Government, I'm mum on the pay question ; still, if you could, you know—) ASBESTOS.