DUNEDIN NOTES.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 135, 11 June 1872, Page 6

DUNEDIN NOTES.

By 0. P. Q. Twelve members of the Armed Constabulary who were picked in Wellington to supply the places of the Dunedin policemen who struck duty, arrived yesterday. By this illadvised action in refusing to do duty unless their rate of pay was increased, nineteen members of the old Force have lost their situations entirely. Certainly they had just reason to be dissatisfied with their pay, and had public feeling entirely with them, so far as that was concerned ; but it was hardly to be expected that Government would allow itself to be coerced into conceding a rise in their wages by a proceeding so much to be deprecated, and so subversive of all discipline, as a strike. No doubt the proceeding was hastily adopted, while smarting under the injustice done them by the Provincial Council in determining that the wages of the men should remain at a figure which is universally acknowledged to be too little ; in fact this is shown by their subsequent apology and request to be reinstated in their former positions ; yet it is necessary that the authorities should show themselves equal to an emergency such as the one which occurred. It is, of course, matter of opinion whether the .absolute dismissal of the men was not rather too harsh a course to adopt under the circumstances. The Northern men have been placed on duty, and will remain until such time as the Force is re-organised, and in a state of comparative efficiency. The Commissioner of Police has had any number of applications for enrolment in the new force, notwithstanding the low rate of pay. It seems rather strange that there should be so many men ready to embrace the irksome and disagreeable life of a policeman at such low wages, remembering that to be qualified for entering the Force they must possess a good education, a tall stature, a robust constitution, and also that they have to pay for their expensive uniforms out of their wages. It indicates pretty clearly that there are plenty of men only too glad to get anything to do, no matter how small the remuneration.

We have had quite an agitation during the past week on the subject of the storage of kerosene, consequent upon an application for a license for a new bond in Stuart-street. The proprietors of the preseut bond were of course up in arms at once when the application for a second license was talked of, and the cry of " danger to the city," owing to the situation of the new warehouse, was skilfully introduced into their opposition. It seemed to have the desired effect on the minds (if they have any) of some of the noodles who occupy seats in the City Council, and notwithstanding that public opinion was almost entirely with the applicants, these vacillating humbugs declined to recommend the Government to grant the application. Although the present licensees have in the meantime gained the day, I imderstaod that they will not long retain the monopoly they at present possess, as it is in contemplation to build another bond in a position which cannot be objected to by the City Council or the Government.

The lithographed sheet containing the portraits of the members of the Provincial Council, and known on the Gold-fields as the "Forty Thieves," has been the cause, in combination with the well-conditioned person of the honorable member for Dunstan, of some little amusement this week. Mr Thomas Luther Shepherd, M.P.C., declined to pay for the copy of the sheet which has been supplied to him by the publishers; Mills, D ; ck, Lister, and Co,, and the consequence was that Mr Shepherd was summoned for the amount. The case was gone into with considerable gusto, and resulted in judgment being given for the defendant, who denied having given plaintiffs the order for the copy which had been sent to him, and also took occasion to remark that he considered Mills, Dick, Lister, and Co. ought to be subjected to an action far caricaturing honorable members. Certainly the title which has been given to the lithograph would seem to warrant Mr Shepherd's remark. The credit of possessing the virtue of perseverance in a more than ordinary degree must certainly be given to Mr J. C. Galloway .and Mr Francis M £ Grath, two of our

citizens whose aspirations to become publicans must indeed bo great. For the ninth

time they sent in applications to the quarterly licensing meeting held on Tuesday, for licenses for their respective bouses, and for the ninth time their applications were refused. They must evidently be under the impression that they will eventually wear out the patience of the Magistrates. If they haunt the quarterly licensing meetings much longer they will become as well known in the Dunedin Court as were Dickens's "Bleak House" characters, Miss Flite and the Man from Shropshire, in the Court of Chancery.