COMPOSITORS : NORTH AND SOUTH.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1684, 12 July 1875, Page 2

COMPOSITORS : NORTH AND SOUTH.

It affords us very much pleasure to give insertion to the following letter. We were aware of the fact that a very large number of the best compositors in the South had their starting point in Auckland—MrDidsbury, the chief of the Government printing department, at Wellington being one of those —and though the last batch—which it appears we were instrumental in exiling from this place—have brought discredit on the craft and on this city by their loafing and mischief-making propensities, still even their disreputable character will not be sufficient to sully permanently the fair fame of the Auckland printer The letter from Mr Wright confirms our belief of this, and Southern employers are quite cute enough to distinguish the wheat from the chaff. As we stated before, the compositors of Auckland, after having got quit of the "ecum" iD the last exodus, are as respectable and worthy a lot of craftsmen as are to be found in the colonies. With respect? to the fellow LeGrove, who reviled Auckland craftsmen in his desire to fling mud at the Auckland Star, the character of his composition—which we received by telegram and published—shows him to be an illiterate booby, with self-conceit and silly vanity proportioned to his education ; and we are not surprised to find, as in the letter of our correspondent, that LeGrove is a " boisterous and very vain individual." Our Auckland printers will be pleased to see that an old friend stands up valourously for the fair fame of the craft " vegetating" in the Corinth of the South. Thus he writes :— Press Club, Dunedin, July Ist, 1875. A DISCLAIMER. (To the Editor of the Auckland Star.) Sir, — Having noticed a very scurrilous letter in the Dunedin Evening Star, signed by one E. J. Le Grove, Secretary of the Otago Typographical Association," and which has gone the rounds of the New Zealand journals, I would like to say a word in reference to it. In the first place I may state that I am informed, on undoubted authority, that Mr. Le Grove had no right whatever to sign himself as secretary of our Association. He did it solely on his own responsibility. Therefore, you will readily perceive that the opinions therein expressed were the opinions of himself alone, and not those of the Dnnedin printing trade in general. In one part of his le,tter he says -.—"The scum of the printing trade vegetating in and around Auckland are beyond redemption." Perhaps Mr. Le Grove forgets the old adage about glass houses and throwing stones. He had no need to go out of the province of Oj:ago - no further, in fact, than the Southland Times office—to find any amount of the " scum commodity vegetating," which said office has been " closed" to all Society hands for a long time past. Sir, I trust that the good sense of the cpmps. in Auckland will treat Mr. Le Grove's letter with the contempt it deserves. It is purely the bombast of a boisterous and very vain individual—one who, like a second Sir Oracle, would say— When I ope my mouth let no dog bark. Such men as Mr. Le Grove, instead of strengthening, tend very much in my humble opinion, to weaken our noble cause. Auckland has had no occasion to be ashamed of the compositors that have originated in that province, and well the Southern employers know it. It takes a great deal to "mb" them out. It is very well known that there are many worthy men belonging to our craft in Auckland, and, consequently, the wholesale stigmatising of them as " rats" by Mr. Le Grove is uncalled for and unmanly. For my own part, sir, I am in no way ashamed to confess that my "vegetation" originated in Auckland. In conclusion, I trust my brother craftsmen in Auckland—many of whom I have worked with, and entertain the greatest respect for—will not take Mr. Le Grove's sentiments concerning them as being those entertained by the Otago Typographical Association, who entirely repudiate any connection with Mr. Le Grove's letter.—l am, &c, ■■■••■ J Allah Wright, m of Auckland.) Guardian "Office, „_ IMHIf . Dunedin, July Ist, 1875.

Before Charles O'Neill and gM Marshall, Esquires, Justice of the Peace. SATURDAY NIGHT'S OUTING. There was a long list of offenders of bibulous tendencies, who were dealt with in the usual way. The roll was called as follows :— Henry Burnett* John Hinch (on bail), John Meikles (alias " H»PP^ V^" rt^lX' Charles Mellon (on bail), William Ohapell, John Quinn (alias Urquhart), Alexander Macdonald, and Joseph JNaylor. In most of the cases the occurrence seemed to be purely an accident of time and circumatanceT in one or two cases the outcome of high spirits after confinement aboard ship for a voyage. DRUNK AND DISORDERLY. Charles Millon, Maria Lysaght, H. Meyers, Peter Larkin, Thomas Tonic, Louis Lubach, Patrick Moveon, Edwin Stow, and George Fuller were Charged with being disorderly, as well as drunk. Millon said had never stood under that clock be ore. Fined 20s. and costs. Meyers denied that he was either drunk or disorderly. Constable Axam deposed that defendant had obstructed him in taking a prisoner. Fined 20s. Peter Larkin said he had no money; he had never been there before ;48 hours Edwin Stow denied the offence. Constable Axam deposed that he was called by Mr Corcoran to clear the^Greyhound of a number of men who had bflten in. There was a large crowd at the earner, and witness told them to! disperse and move on. Prisoner called out "Are we going to let a-—policeman move us on. Move on yourself." Witness arrested him.

ASSAULTING THE POLICE. Maurice Skully was charged with assaulting Constable Axam. . He did not remember the affair. The constable deposed that he was taking a drunken man up Durham-street, when accused came up and tried to rescue the man and struck witness. The constable knocked him down in self-defence. Detective Jeffrey witnessed the ottence. Accused said he did not remember anything about it. He was very sorry if he had done it. . Mr Inspector Broham said it was a very bad case. A crowd of thirty or forty men rushed Mr Riordan's Hotel, Fort-Btreet, on Saturday night. They were turned out of there and then forced their way into the Greyhound. The police were called in and were taking a drunken and disorderly man to gaol, when the prisoner deliberately attempted to rescue him and struck the constable who would probably have been greatly illtreated but for the presence of two detectives. The offence was getting a very common one. The number of police was small and must be protected. Sentenced to one months imprisonment. ANOTHER CASK. Michael Devalli was charged with assaulting Constable Winslow. The constable deposed that prisoner was one of the crowd that followed from the Greyhound and was urging the others on. The first thing he knew was. a blow on the neck and prisoner then seized him by the shoulder. Constable Axam and Detective Jeffrey stated that they witnessed the assault. Detective Jeffrey said the accused was one of the principal ringleaders in the rioting, and was notorious in connection with these affairs. He had repeatedly warned him at the request of his father. He was a printer by trade, but his father could do nothing with him. He would persist in associating with roughs and low sailors. The prisoner said he had been working night work, and could not help being out at night. He had picked up someone's cap, and was following up the crowd to feive to him, when a constable kicked him. He had no witnesses. Sentenced to two months imprisonment with hard labour. OBSCENITY. Henry Wilkinson was charged with a breach of the Vagrant Act by making use of obscene language at the corner of Shortlandstreet. He said he did not remember anything about it. Fined 203 and costs or 24 hours imprisonment. INCORRIGABLE ROGUE. John Bushnell a man who appeared to have seen better times, was charged with being an incorrigable rogue and having no lawful means of support. He pleaded guilty. Mr Inspector Broham stated that the accused loafed about public houses, and had no proper hoaae. He wa3 quite willing to withdraw the charge if Bushnell could give any guarantee of leading an honest life. He belonged to one of that class who hung about i street corners and were led into crime. He had been repeatedly convicted. Bushnell said he was not strong enough to follow his trade. Sentenced to three months' imprisonment AN UNFORTUNATE WOMAN. Mary Orr was charged with being an idle disorderly person, having no lawful means of subsistence. The police had picked her up wandering about the streets at half-past one o'clock this morning. Prisoner said if the Bench would give her another chance she would go to her husband at Riverhead. Released on that condition. POOR OLD CATHERINE DOUGLAS. Catherine Douglas, said to be connected with a good family in England, was brought up for the fiftieth time, charged with stealing a silk umbrella, the property of Mr Maxfield. She said she was in destitute circumstances, weary and hungry, seeking for work, when she was tempted to take the umbrella, which she sold for one shilling. Sentenced to six months' imprisonment. THE HAY THEFT. Charles Davis, a young carter, was brought up charged with stealing three trusses of hay, the property of Edward McGarry, under circumstances related the other day in our columns. Mr. McGarry had bought the hay at Buckland's,' and the accused was conveying it on his cart to its destination, when he was discovered selling three trusses on the road side. He pleaded guilty, and gave as his only excuse that he had been drinking. Sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour. THE ZINC CASE ' ' '. William O'Connor and James Murphy were charged with stealing some zinc, the property of Jas. Brock. Mr. Joy appeared for the defence. Mr. Brock said the value of the zinc was trifling, and if they would promise not to interfere with him again he would withdraw the charge. Mr. Joy objected to the case being withdrawn under any stipulation for the future. The defendants did not admit any offence, and had four or five witnesses to support them. The case was withdrawn This was all the buisness.

About one o'clock this, afternoon a horse and cart belonging to Mr*L*Vers, seed merchant, Wvndham-atreet, played a very pretty game in that favored locality. The horse, a young and restive animal, was standing at Mr Layers* door with the cart backed in to receive "sundry goods, which were to be delivered to that gentleman's customers. AU necessary precautions had been taken, the wheel locked with the tegulation chain, and in pursuance of the plan so successful ia keeping both babies and men and Women quiet, plenty of grub was stipplied in a comfortable nose-bag, which hung temptingly at the quadruped's head. From some cause or other the bag of provender became detached and the horse, who at that moment was just on the point oE taking in a delicate mouthful of sweet Norwegian oats, was suddenly baulked of his choice morsel. His indianatien shewed itself in a very remarkable'Vanner. Wibh a kick of his heels, which narrowly escaped smashing the cart he started off, heading first for the Star office. At the door he waa received by two printers' devils who, by their appearance alone, effectually repelled the threatened invasion. Scared at the sight the animal, turning • sharply round attempted to hide his sorrows in the interior of the Herald office. Here again he was stopped on the threshold bp the worthy proprietor and his two sons, who were fortunately at this moment about to start for lunch. Baulked in both his attempts to lay his grievances before the impartial tribunal of the Press, the animal, now fairly infnriate, dashed down WyndhamBtreefc, but with purei waywardness keeping to the pavement instead of the road. Steering a splendid course he safely grazed two or three lamp-post* ferridis evitata rotis, scattering the passengers like chaff before them. A respectable elderly gentleman, we regret to say, was unable to clear out in time, and fell on the pavement, but the wheels most providentially did not touch him. He arose when the vehicle had passed, much frightened but not hurt Arrived in Queen-street the horse shaped his course down towards the wharf. He was stopped, however, opposite the Insurance Buildings, and brought back with having inflicted or received much damage. But goodness knows what might have happened.