THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 1872.

Auckland Star, Volume III, Issue 636, 25 January 1872, Page 2

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 1872.

As will be seen from another column, a public meeting is convened for this evening, bo be held opposite the Drill shed, in support of the eight hours' movement. As this movement is the same in principle as the " Early Closing Movement," which has been so kindly and favorably received by all the merchants and business people, aud the community in general, we claim the public sympathy in behalf of the working men ; and we do not hesitate to say that the committe of the Early Closing Association should take an interest in the agitation. The mere fact of this movement being among the horny-handed sons of toil, should not dry up our kindly sympathies. "W"e have endeavoured to the utmost of our ability, to aid the Early Closing Association in their efforts to suppress "nigger driving" behind the counter, and we now call on the members and friends of the " Early Closing Association " to aid, in behalf of the same cause, on our public works. The eight hours' movement, based, as it is, on scientific truth, has been prevailing, and must eventually prevail universally, among civilised people; and if our public works are characterised by local peculiarities of such a nature that they cannot be carried out without doing violence to the laws of nature, it may be a question whether public works were ever intended for New Zealand. The inapplicability of "early closing" to our public works is a question of such a subtle nature that we abandon it in despair: But as it involves the struggle of the advancing enlightment of the age, with the passive inertness of old fogeyism, there is little doubt as to the manner of its ultimate solution. We do trust, however, that tho reasonable request of the men will be oar>r>ef]ftfi. an A tha.fr fha iil*n*tffiit'Pn' '">^ of class antagonism. By the temperate assertion of their claim, and even right, to this boon, the men will unquestionably succeed in establishing the eight hour system ; but the sooner the matter is gracefully concedod the better for all concerned.

We are pleased to see that we do not stand alone in our support of the cause of the men at present on strike on the Waikato Eail way. In a spirited article on the subject, our contemporary the Thames Advertise?- gives equally "foolish advice " with ourselve3, and is guilty of" a similar "attack on Mr ferogden." Wo give the following extract from yesterday's leader in our Thames contemporary :—"lt is possible that we may Soon have strikes as common in New Zealand they are in England, if Mr. Brogden, or f}he Colonial Government, insists that all men employed on public works shall work for nine fyours each day. It is pretty clear that th ljntn will not agree to any such regulation and that public opinion will back them up. It would be a curious state of things if, when the hours of iabour are being abridged in England, wo should be lengthening them in 2Gew Zealand, and should contentedly submit t;o bo no better than working men at home, a condition we have been in the habit of saying and writing was little better than slavery. But what is more, the workmen will be backed up by the state of the labour market throughout the colonies.

We have- received a letter signed "A Citizen" complaining of the action of the Rega,tta Committee, and questioning the powor of the Harbour Board in excluding the • public from fho reserved space on the wharf on Regatta Day. The Board have the power; wo believe the exercise of that power will bo to the great satisfaction of thoae connected with the shipping at the wharf; it will bo to the comfort of tlie public, to the benefit of the fuids the of Eegatfca Club, and is, we think, in every sense the right thing. Wo would ask "A Citizen" to not put up hia back about what, at most, must be*regarded as a very slight interference with the " liberty of the subject."

Tii3 traotion enguieis to be employed on the Waikato Railway works. She was brought to town from Newmarket yesterday. On passing a baker's cart in Parnoll, the horse became frightened at the engine and backed over the edge of the road. The horse and cart turned a complete somersault down the embankment a;jd alighted on the lower road without any damage boing donei The Sharebroker's Act, 1871, will come into force in Auckland from the Ist February next. . * I

The Foreign Enlistment Act, 1870, is proclaimed to be in forue in the colony.

The Wellington Evening Post reports that new 3 has been received in Waikanao that an old Maori, named Pipi, has shot himself under rather peculiar circumstances. He wae ill with a kind of low fever, which has carried off many Maoris about Otaki aud the neighborhood ; and hearing that his malady was catching, he shot himself, in order to prevent ifc sproadiug among his people.

A new alluvial goldfield is reported on the East Coast, somewhere between Whangamatu and Mercury Bay, Several diggers have left Grahamstown for tho place. A report has also reached the Thames of further discoveries of gold of a semi-alluvial nharacter fit Kennedy's Bny. The regular monthly meeting of i the Prince of Wales Lodge, 1838 E.C., will be held this evening.

Tencers for the right of charging for admission to tho end of Queen street Wharf on JKegatta Day can be sent on to the Secretary of the Club before 12 o'clook to-morrow. The Canterbury newspapers refused to report the proceedings of tho Volunteer encampment in consequence of sufficient accommodation not being provided for the reporters.—[Perfectly right, say we.—Ed. Stab.] The Wellington correspondent of the Hawke's Bay Herald says :—" Ike shareholders of the Never Despair gold mining company are true to their name. They havo just entered into a contract for taking out of their mine forty tons of stuff, which is to be sent up to Auckland to be crushed. The idea is to get the most complete test possible of the value of the stone, before erecting expensive machinery. No one who has watched the test doubts the existence of payable gold in the claim, but before spendiug £7000 or £8000 in machinery, the directors wisely wish to make assurance doubly sure. Mr Walker, who came down to examine and report upon the mine, recommended this course to be taken, and has kindly offered to superintend the crushing. It has been calculated that the claim contains stuff sufficient to last for fifty years before it is worked out. Mr. Walker's opinion, from tests taken, is that the quantity is almost inexhaustablo. I am thus par" ticular as to what is being done by this company, as I understand several of jouy readers are shareholders.

As some of our correspondents hare complained of delay iv the publication of their letters, we desire ta state that we uso every effort to give them iusortion, at aa early a date as possible. Our space is comparatively limited, and theae favors are exceedingly numerous. In as far as possiblo we give insertion in the order of their arrival, but, exceptions must be made in cafes where a delay destroys the purpose of the letter. We notice that our correspondents generally observe our request, that all letters should be brief. We aro thus enabled to afford con« sidei-able ip&ce for the expression of individual and independent views. Wo trust that this featuro will be strictly observed in writing to the Stab. A long letter runs tho chance of waiting a long time before it is inserted, and when inserted is rarely if ever read. The narrow escape this morning of a witnrs3 in the police court from the pain« and penalties imposed by law on those who aro dilatory in giving their attendance when ■£UJ£unni!£ii,_P.ujS,ht to act as a warning to carejudicial teeth with impunity. It ought to be generally known that the Justices of tho Peace Act, 1866, gives power to magistrates to issue a warrant for the apprehension of any person failing to attend when subpoenaed, in which case they would be brought before the court in custody. There was a great fall in Beodell and Watson's mild ale this morning, and Queen street was drenched with a different kind of liquid from that usually spread upon it. A cart belonging to that firm was coming down Wellesley street, when the horse, a tetchy kind of half-broken animal, took it into hi B head to make a aeries of violent plunges, which resulted in capsizing the vehicle against the kerbstone at Normaa's cornor. Out of fivo barrels, two were started, and the contents flowed down the gutter. The driver was of course, violently ejected from hit command but sustained no severe damage j and th< horse, by a continuance of his exertions, contrived to jump clear of his harness. In a short time all was put right again, and no serious mischief appears (o have been caused except by tho loss of the extract of malt. The annual meeting of the Kuranui G-.M.C. was held this afternoon. The Direotors report was passed, and W. 0. Wilson and W. Weston, Esqs., appointed Directors for the ensuing year, in lieu of those retiring. The case of G-ow and another v. Eraser is still occupying tho attention of tho Supreme Court, without any immediate prospect o^ coming to a conclusion.

The City Council have accepted Mr. Sutton's tender at 7s. per foot for the sinking of a well in Lower Barrack street.