WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 1872.

Auckland Star, Volume III, Issue 635, 24 January 1872, Page 2

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 1872.

Oue contemporary the Herald has returned to the subject of the strike on the Waikato Railway works; We are charged with an attack on Messrs. Broaden, and with'tendering " foolish advice" to the men. We are certainly unaware of having made any attack on the contractors for our railways. On the contrary, as strangers to the colony they have been spoken of with consideration and respect; and if by an error of judgment on their own part, or "foolish advice" on the part of others, they have made the attempt to introduce unreasonable hours into the public works of New Zealand, we cannot be regarded as the

enemy, but the friend of the contractors, if we warn them respecting the struggle impending. Our contemporary says, " We do not refer to the threats which have been used in the article in question, because we cannot believe they were seriously meant." But our contemporary need have no such delicacy. There is an insinuation that these " threats " are of the nature of violence and breaches of the peace. But we have again and again throughout our two articles on the subject, said that the moment the men commit themselves to any violence of conduct, that moment will they lose public sympathy, and take the most effective steps to disappoint their purposes. At present we believe the public feeling is in favour of the eight hours' system; and the wildest "threat" that we have used has only made reference to constitutional action; and the most extreme denunciation that we can discover after a careful perusal of our articles, is in the words, "for be it known to them that, constitutionally, the people rule in New Zealand." Our contemporary appears to speak ex cathedra in the assertion " The Government are alone responsible for the nine hours' labour condition," and we shall not, therefore, offer assertion to assertion. But wo happeu to know that the statement is an error. However this may be, and whosoever is responsible, we trust that the obnoxious rule will not be pressed. Our contemporary enters on a " simple matter of calculation," and concludes that we can afford to build railways with the nine hours', but not with the eight hours' system. We are not in a position to follow our contemporary in the " simple calculation ;" but it appears very " simple." However, a cheaper way than all would be to introduce Polynesian labour ; or the large surplus population of Chinese in Otago could, we have no doubt, bo taken off the hands of our Southern friends on reasonable terms, and, by a very •' simple matter of calculation," this could bo shown to be the cheapest system of all. It has been generally considered, however, that in our colonisation scheme, thero were other objects contemplated besides the mere making of railways at the cheapest possible rate ; and among these there was not included the debasing and degrading of our working classes —a result which would inevitably arise from grinding hours of labour. We have no desire to pander to any unreasonable demands on the part of the working men : any more thau we have to pander to employers, who constitute the body of our advertisers and supporters. But the fact of our not being benefitted by the labourers on the railway, will not induce us to desert what is unquestionably the cause of mercy and humanity, and we would add, justice. Eight hours a day are enough for any freeman to toil at manual labour; and we do not hesitate to name it " nigger driving," whether on the part of the Colonial Government or the Government contractors, if either pressure or temptation is applied to working men, to wring from them another hour. We again express tho hope that the men will stand firm, and behave temperately, and we claim for them the sympathy not only of their fellow workmen, but of all in the city actuated by humane feelings.

For some time past it has been observed that on the third or fourth day after each market day, tho police court has been occupied ■with tho trial of numerous cases in which parties have been brought up undor the new regulation for omitting to chain their wheels. On looking into the matter, we find that nine out often of these are farmers and other peoplo from a distance, who could not by any possibility have heard of the law. It seems hard that these ignorant persons should be thus dealt with; and we would suggest, that onj> ftjturjj&aßgS c r "lij laST'whbh £fgfit"affoct count-y folk, should be published by being printed on large posters, and displayed on the , walls of the various toll-houses.

Messrs. Foster and Gallagher, of Wyndbain street, have the credit of introducing into this city a new and ingenious system of reflecting tho light from gas lainp3 by which it is re% peated an infinito number of limes by graved reflectors instead of tho plane surfaces hitherto used. These " crystal prismatic lights" can be made by the above named ar' T - for less than anything of the kind can "* ' for, and as a branch of eoloniax industry deserves honorable mention. One was in ful blaze last Saturday night in Friend's newly erected light-hous'?, and illuminated the wholn street for a great distance.

Wo are obliged to bold over till to-morrow an account of the efforts made by the Artillery this morning at Fort Brifcomart to bring the clouda down. Captain Lovvrio has beon appointed pilot at the Kaipara. Mr. Tayaros was well recoivod at the Thames. . As will be seen from a notice in another column, a public meeting will take place to-morrow evening on the ground opposite the Drill Shod, with reference to the strike on the railway works. Subscription lists bave been opened in Lyttelton, in Christcburch in aid of the families of the crew of the sebponer .Rifleman. Lists will also bo sont to all parts of the colony. Major F. M. Georgo's resignation a8 Deputy Commissioner of Stamp Duties has been accepted, and Theophilus Kissling has been gazetted as appointed in his stead. Dr. Pollen has been appointed as tb c Licensor of Sharebrokers for Auckland, and John Eobinson, Esq , for the Thames. By the Government Gazette of 16th Jan., we observo that Mr. Andrew Sonar's residence at Kaukapakapa has been appointed a polling place for tbo district of Koslnoy.

Mr, D. S. MacPonald is appointed Clerk of Works to the Harbour BoarslThe case of Gtaw and another v. Eraser has been dragging its slow length along in the Supreme Court all day, and is likely to occupy the attention of his Honor and the special jury for some time yet. Tenders are required for the sinking of a well at the corner of Wellesley and Barrack streets. They will be received up to 2 o'clock to-morrow. A musical and dramatic entertainment will be given at the Provincial Lunatic Asylum to-morrow evening, at 7 o'clock. The Band, under Mr. McComiah, will attend. Two sharks, measuring 12 feet |aud 9 feet, respectively, have been caught in Napier harbor. As the goods and chatties of the Theatre Eoyal Company were being convoyed in a truck along the tramway, we are very sorry to > hear that a box, containing the theatrical wardrobe of Mrs. Walter Hill, and valued at about £50, fell off the truck, and into the water. The box was fished up again, but the dresses, &c, were very much injured. Wo are sorry to hear that this loss has occurred to this lady, especially as many of the dresses cannot very well be roplaced here. — Thames G-uardian.

We observe by advertisement* that Mr. K. W. Dyson, so long and favourably known in the drapery trade, is about to relinquish the business, and consequent upon the expiration of his lease will, for the remainder of term, hold an unusually cheap sale, and Bolicits an early call to secure bargains : [Advs.]

To any one who will show a larger stock of Auck-land-made Quartz, Greenstone, and Mosaic Jewellery, within six months, I will give a rewardof fifty pounds. I also challenge New Zealand for style and beauty. Two thousand pound worth of Colonial-made Jewellery always on hand.— F. 11. Lkwisson, Qneen street. —IA dvt.]