THE GLOBE. SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 1882. OUR THOROUGHFARES.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2420, 7 January 1882, Page 3

THE GLOBE. SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 1882. OUR THOROUGHFARES.

Some little time ago, after a good deal of stirring up by the public journals, the police took steps to remove the cabs, ■which had become a perfect nuisance, to the centre of Gloucester street. For this as a small mercy, no doubt, wo ought to be proportionately grateful. This gratitude is perhaps a little modified by the fact that now knots of half-drunken men are allowed to block up the footway, rendering it necessary for people leaving the Theatre, particularly if ladies are of the party, to go into the street off the side walk. There is the choice between the possibility of being run over and the elbowing one’s way through a crowd of tobacco-smoking and profane language using men. To say that in no other part of Hew Zealand does a nuisance like this exist, is to repeat an off-told tale, and wo despair of ever seeing the traffic in this street so arranged as te allow of ladies passing to and from the theatre or elsewhere without having to run the gauntlet of a half-drunken crowd. That this is so seems the more surprising because policemen—probably being of a dramatic turn of mind—are constantly to be met with in Gloucester street. Strange to say, however, they take no interest in the clearance of the pathway, and unfortunate ladies, who are unprovided with male escort, have to endure the nuisance of fighting their way through the crowd. Nor is this state of things, though in a modified manner, confined to Gloucester street. It is true that the same amount of annoyance has not to he endured by pedeatriaus in the other portions of the city, hut here also, particularly on a Saturday evening, gangs of half-grown lads and men are allowed to congregate on the footway. Here they stand for half an hour at a time, enjoying the fun—to them—of elbowing tho passers by, particularly if it happens to ho a lady alone. There is no reason why this should be so; indeed that it exists is a reproach upon onr civilisation. Nothing would be easier than for the policeman on dnty to move these obstructors oat of the way, and allow of free passage for pedestrians. If these young gentlemen desire to discuss tho politics of the nation they must select some part of tho city where they will not, as they now do, annoy a very large section of the public. We trust that Mr. Broham, now that the subject has been brought under his notice, will see that tho evil complained of is removed. The remedy is so simple and efficacious that the only wonder is that the people of Christchurch have endured the discomfort so long as they have done, and we hope that steps will at once be taken to clear our streets of the knots of men and boys who impede the traffic and incommode the public generally.

WHO IS MR. DEELEY? Such, no doubt, was tlio question which at once arose in the minds of the majority of those reading what we may perhaps call “ The Doeley correspondence.” Mr. Howland we do know, and his latest action in the matter of the proposed Exhibition will, we should think, place him upon a still higher pedestal of somewhat unenviable notoriety. Mr. Howland is a member of the joint committee formed to secure the due representation of New Zealand at the proposed Exhibition. Tacitly, therefore, ho is acquiescing in steps being taken to render it a success. Yet wo find him in the somewhat inconsistent position of publishing a somewhat unfavorable opinion upon the conduct of, the promoters of the Exhibition, and also as to what effect it will have on the trade of Christchurch. Therefore it seems to us that the two positions are inconsistent. Either Mr. Howland should at once retire from the committee ho has formed, and declare himself hostile to the project, or he should hold his peace and work loyally with his colleagues to carry out the purpose for which they were elected. Again, in considering this matter, comes the query, “ Who is Mr. Deoloy ?” Ho is no doubt a very estimable gentleman in his own sphere, and Mr. Howland no doubt values his friendship very highly. But we object to bo asked on the more ipse dixit of an unknown person to condemn a project which has already been a great success in two cities of Australia. Had Messrs. Joubert and Twopeny been the sort of persons the letter seems to imply they are, it is very

strange that neither in Adelaide or Perth were their alleged misdeeds brought to light. On the contrary we have the opinions both of the Press and tradesmen in each of these cities to a totally opposite effect. So, as it appears wo have to set the opinions of the local journals and tradespeople against that of Mr. Dooley, wo certainly ought to know more about him than that he is a friend of Mr. Howland’s and sends friendly greetings to two others of our citizens. From the tenor of his letter, we should fancy that ho would bo tempted to exclaim, “ Save me from my friends, more especially Howland.” What wo are unable to understand is that Mr. Howland should take what every one must consider a most inconsistent, not to say ill-considered, step. No doubt the temptation to have a slap at Messrs. Jonhert and Twopeny, or rather the project of an Exhibition here, was too strong to he resisted. But Mr. Howland —perhaps rendered oblivious by the thought that hero was a complete crusher—entirely forgot one very important point—viz., that the opinion of Mr. Deeley or Mr. Anybody Else could have but little weight with a community where personally, except to a very limited circle, he was entirely unknown. Thus Mr. Howland has been “ hoist with his own petard,” and he finds himself now in the position of having taken office to help to carry out a project to a successful issue, whilst on the other hand ha publishes private correspondence with a view to frustrate in some degree, at least, the very same scheme. How he can reconcile these two lines of conduct is more than we can conceive, and we leave it to him to explain how he reconciles them. At the same time, if ho does do so, we hope he will not forget also to answer the query, “ Who is Mr. Deeley P”