BULLETIN ITEMS.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 978, 26 August 1903, Page 4

BULLETIN ITEMS.

An unimportant person named Northcote is to be Australia’s new .Governor-General.

As cx-Minister Kingston neither drinks nor smokes, no one can say that he was drunk when he threw up liis job.

There are at least three ex-Minis-ters in Adelaide whose anxiety to borrow half-a-erown, even on short accjluaintance, is almost pathetic.

According to one of the papers, N.S.W. Minister Crick has again •sworn off alcohol and tobacco. It is one of Mr Crick’s favorite diversions—teetotalism.

A certain politician who divorced his wife n few months before her. f&~ ther’s decease now finds that the lady has been left property, present value £20,000. And the ex-husband is not a rich man.

Governor Le I-lunte has been going to functions in Adelaide with terrible frequency since his appointment, and has fired off a speech at ©very one of them. Tennyson, on the contijary, when he did appear on a platform, usually kept his mouth shut. Wherefore the reporters Ipvcd him.’

One of the best-known Brislijane identities is a tall, grey-bfcarded old man, with a white apron, and a basket of sheep’s-trotters. For twenty seven years the old fellow has stood nightly on the corner of Albert and .Queen streets, in rain, hail, storm, or moonshine. For 27 weary years ■each night between ei,ght and eleven his loud, sonorous “ Sheep s trotterrrrrrs ■lt” has hv.enj heard pwei y two- minutes with deadly, regularity.

The late Walter Watson Hughes gave £20,000 long ago to found Adelaide University, and his ’ nephews, 'both' of whom are in S.A.' Parliament, 'are giving £2OOO for the erection of a statue in the University grounds. J. : H. Angles gave a sum of £15,000, and the late Thomas Elder £IOO,OOO to the same institution The Bulletin often wonders how the rich men or this country would respond to an appeal for subscriptions to start, however liumhly, a Public Debt Sinking Fund to whichi no'Government would have access (only an army, with revolvers could prevent such access). There seems to, be much money available for teaching for shifting a dead horse.

When a certain important politician visited his home for a short period recently, one of thy two local dailies sent a man down to interview him. Th? pressman knew the politician’s wife was a difficult woman to nmke friends with, mt he ■did not anticipate any untoward [fcphavior on her part. He went up to the garden gate, leaned, his bicycle against, the veranda/h-post, and ..enquired of the politician’s wife ‘it lie could nterview Mr . But the lady, without more ado, smote him with a hig stick she had concealed behind her back, and beat him from •the doorway. Continuing the attack, she forced)the newspaper mb® ■down the path, and he was all-out to flee when he bethought himself of his hike. 'Accordingly he-manoeuvr-ed to recover it, hut the lady was too much for him, and defeated him every time. At length lie'ryegan ,to run round the house, the politician’s wife in hot pursuit. Thrice he careered round, and then the distance between himself and his pursuer was appreciable enoulgh to allow of him, mounting his ! machine and scorching oflicewards. The daily said next morning that Mr was very reticent.

Victorian Government gained an unjust £60,232 hy repudiating compensation rights to certain offenders in the late strike.

Commonwealth Parliament lias resolved to enforce Hqjuor prohibition in New Guinea—on the principle _of trying it on your dog or your ni{?ger.

X do not wish to have ruy namo posted or made public in anything I do in that respect, but I will tell the honorable gentleman this : I claim to have given and contributed more than any other member of tho House or in this Parliament, aud if there is any gentleman who questions that I am quito prepared to give him proof of it,—Mr Seddon, on the Patriotic Funds Bill. , Wo fail to soo the advantage to the colony of the Opposition continuing without a leador. A headless party is not in accordance with constitutional practice ; nor does it inspire public confidence. It has resorted to similar tactics in previous sessions, with . the obvious result of strengthening the hands of the Premior. Wairarapa Times. That worthless branch linos should be constructed at vast expense in the South, while wo cannot even get urgent constructions that private companies would willingly undertake, i 3 only a phaso of the entirely partial system by which the South Island still gets the best equipment, the greatest construetion, tho cheapest rates and the most satisfactory service under a State Department for which the North Island is now taxed the most, seeing that we contribute over half of the national revenues.—Auckland Herald.

What has been our experience with the State Accident Insurance business ? The Government passed an Act compelling us to insure, and then it opened an Accident Insurance branch and collected premiums. Instead, however, of cutting down Accident Insurance rates it has raised them. An enterprising tradesman who sold sandwiches at one end of London Bridge, offered lemonade at the other end. Those who ate tho arid sandwich were compelled to purchase the lemonade 1 In much tho same way the Government forced us to eat Accident Insurance, and now seek to make us swallow its premium tipple,—Exchange. , It is understood that many of the prohibitionists of the House are not overjoyed at the prospect of licensing legislation being brought down this sesssion (says the Auckland Herald special). As a matter of electioneering tactics they would have preferred the Premier to maintain his non-intervention attitude, so that they might secure a large moderate support. At present they have little hope of the Government bringing down a Bill to suit tho views of the prohibition party, and that the party is not strong enough in the House to amend the Bill to suit their own views. However, should the Bill not meet with tbgir approval the prohibitionists may bo sufficiently strong to block it altogether.