A FEW THOUGHTS ON CURRENT TOPICS.

Evening Star, Issue 3769, 23 March 1875, Page 2

A FEW THOUGHTS ON CURRENT TOPICS.

MrFellows, whoprided in the name of Master Humphrey—which, by the way, was worn threadbare by some voluminous and forgotten writer of peculiarities some forty years ago—is again to the front, and this time in a magazine. He has abandoned the newspaper for what he probably thinks will not be so passing a record of his financial utterances. What a pity that such well-wishers of ours have not a little more influence in the great world; what good they might do by helping to protect us from the grasp of a wicked Government. As it is, I fear the writings of such a guarded and wellinformed man will not prevent, not only ourselves, but simpletons like the Rothschilds and others, from believing’ s that;, our! prosperity is genuine. Won’t somebody, who, like Mr Greg sees “ rock ahead,” take pity on us, and fill up any omission that MrFellows in his hurry may have made.

‘‘Well, it’s true liehasplaced the loan, but it’s a failure for all The thing ia sacrificed. >v heu a man is obliged to have recourse to the- Rothschilds, who are nothing more than pawnbrokers on a large scale, the thing speaks for itself : it is like going to a private melting shop. These and other utterances with reference to Mr Vogel and the loan. The poor man must have been hard driven to take his little bit of stiff to the Messrs Rothschild. When Messrs Finance, Shark, and others have a few moments to spare perhaps they will kindly glance at a leader in a newspaper called ‘The World,’ which is devoting its energies to weeding out financial humbugs, and there read the standmgjof the house'of Rothschild and what must be their opinion of a loan before they touch it; and however true it may be, as Oarlyle says, “ gullible, however, by fit apparatus all publics are, and gulled with the most surprising profit,’* I hardly think Mr V. would find it easy to gull the Messrs R. Those gentlemen are posted. But stay, perhaps the old sage meant public-houses! Oh ! yes, the people that keep them are easily gulled by those that patronise them.

What is this Ihufebub amongstjthe children of the mist ? Has it left off being a question of boots and other nationalities, and come down a . 7, riace pharlie business ? Can it really be that those simple and unprotected Highlanders need defenders to see that they are not imposed on? Are they so hard driven by their brother Scots; for they would scorn protection against the Saxon. The other nationalities will look with painfupon disunion amongst them. It might be the small end of the wedge that would end by destroying that kind feeling that always _ welcomed the arrival of the English or Irish wanderer to Otago. For a knack in turning trifles to account and striking the iron while ’tis hot, talk to me of Mr Samson, whose office is small, and is situate in Rattray street, and who is quite prepared to meet the needs of all who may be in want of coals, such an enterprising man deserves encouragement. His brother! coalies must feel proud of his smartness. But I notice that, however anxious he may be to give all the information about his little office and other things, he thinks it just as well not to trouble you by explaining what becomes of the 8s 6d that your correspondent wrote about. Probably he did not wish to exhaust the subject, and thought his brethren would supply the omission.

companies, I make my bow to Mr Hansford, B.M. He is what I call a sensible man. I did not wade through the mysteries of the Companies Acts. 72, and Victorian • tatutes and other light reading quoted by him in giving judgment, but glancing at the end I round that ho decided that the shareholders were not to pay. That is proper. I’ll taka shares m all the companies on those conditions. It equalises things. It happens, I won’t say in this city of ours, but it has happened in the world, that directors and managers are not so studious of the interests of shareholders as their prospectus promv.ed, and I cannot think of a better security than that a shareholder should not be compelled to pay calls. To avoid any dispute all that the directors need do is to make tlm company answer as they promised, which, seeing how true, generally speaking, are all prospectuses, should be quite simple. Can you, sir, or any of your readers, inform me whether there is any Statute, Colonial Act, bye-law, or other call it what you will, bearing on the manner in which dangerous ground is to he worked ? I have heard, but perhaps my authority knew nothing about it, that the Act provides that working with a face and undermining should not exceed tan or twelve feet in height. A good many accidents have happened lately. Should such an Act exist, I think there is room for its application amongst other places, to Port Chalmers, where I fancy a certain face is being worked by falls measuring nearer twenty feet perpendicular, and should one of those unaccountable occurrences happen, where nobody is to blame, it might, in falling, smother a few, even though they might be heathen Chinese. Icannottake up a Home paper without aprosecuuon or inquiry respecting the promoters or directors of some financial, or mining, or other enterprise. Even at the present our

Mr Hankey is putting some of the talent through the ordeal. How nice it is to know that we have nothing of the sort here. We may be flooded with larrikins, and swamped withtrothels, with a sprinkling of horse-pulling, and other trifles, but let us be tiiaukful that from financial or mining shams we are free. Dr Featherstone may have sent us professional whistlers and Italian organ-grinders by way of variety, knowing our, lack of famusemenfcs and to please the children, but he never abused his office by sending us a company projector and financial artful dodger. He well knew that the advent of such an individual would be useless in our community; or could it be?—the Doctor is a peculiar man—that he thought the market was stocked.

Prudent Sir George Grey has made a favor- - able impression, and he is to shut up—so some say. That is sound judgment. Some people look the picture of wisdom and pass for wise until they open their mouths. Sydney Smith, dining out, noted with admiration an intelligent phiz seated opposite him, and was struck with its silence and powers of listening; but it could not resist the apple dumplings, and, to Sydney’s horror, burst, .put, “Them’s the jockeys for me.’* ’Sir Gebfge would open out differently, but he might commit himself. Our red-coated functionary looks nothing like a fool; but, „dear me, I feel for the poor man when he tnes to rival Distin on his trumpet. Another time, when I feel in better spirits, I will try, sir, at greater length to express my admiratfon of other men and movements that are passing, and some of which, I grieve to say, I must for the present put off charitably. It gives a zest to anyone who stands forward to the public gaze to know that he may always rely on being met and judged in a brotherly and appreciative spirit.

Humility.