PUBLIC SERVANTS GENERALLY.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 6, Issue 309, 30 November 1883, Page 2

PUBLIC SERVANTS GENERALLY.

The Tetter published last issue under the above tifc'ei while being, in its main inferences qorregt, does an injustice to tbe officer most particularly concerned, It should be remembered that while our correspondence qolurnn is open for the free expression of public opinion, we do not identify ourselves with the statements made therein, and we should be sorry if what is after all only the individual opinion of one writer should be the means of 4°i n S any deserving officer an injustice. In 1 this (jase we entirely disagree with our correspondent (< A Victim." "We think he • has chosen thia method of advising the department referred to to provide additional assistance, and indeed this is the course we recommended some little time ago. As a matter of fict.the office, s$ at present mann.ed, inwt be closed at sonic portion pf the clay. Telegrams are continually coming, frequently at very inconvenient times for the postmaster, Qp4 as he is entirely imassisted he must; personally deliver them. It is unjust to make a man's absence unavoidable and then blame him. fon being away, We trust now a tangible instance off a grievance has been mentioned that the the telegraph department ' will appoint an assistant at Wyndhajn, and give a meritorious officer the help he daserves, and to which the town is entitled.

A large number of entries have been received for to-day's show at Tapanui. We shall furnish a report of the gathering at an early date. ... \ We'rcmind our readers of the concert toV.•night in connection with the* Gore Public School.. The object is a laudable one, and the performance is expected to be oi consider•able merit. -.-.' ; Eeade, Kingsland, Martin, Buchanan, Hovvofth, r-.u-lton, Turner, Kingswell, Galbraith, A. Morgan, Urquhart, Cross and Bray will rt present Invercargill in the cricket match against Goie to-day. / On Wednesday last John Burke, son of Mr P. Burke, who resides on the Pukerau-Otaria road, was kicked by a horse and sustained a compound fracture of the leg. Under Dr Macaffer's care he ia progressing favorably • He is to be removed to the luvercargill Hon* pital to-day. / Contractors wfl read with interest a portion cf our account of ihe last meeting of thiKnapdale ; Boad Board, reported on our supplement. :' Several cheques sent in as deposits on contracts were not marked by a banker as good, and the tenders were, in accordance with a resolution of the Board and with custom, deemed informal, / Great local indignation has been created in Wyndham by the appearance of a letter in Tuesday's issue signed " Victim." The charges therein made are thought by residents to be wholly unfounded or prompted by petty malice. We ourselves can without hesitation apeak of the efficiency of the ' officer referred to, and will if necessary speak to it if an enquiry is demanded. The matter is referred to elsewhere. There is trouble still at Knapdale. . The teacher of the school there holds the fort against all and sundry. For some years p.ist the Sunday school scholars, with their tea- ! chers, have met iti the school ; but last Sabbath, Mr O'Farrell refused to allow their entrance and they had to betake themselves to the house of Mrlrvine, "where accommodation was provided for them. The only public bodies allowed the school now are the church • and library, and we should not imagine that I they regard their position as a very secure ! ene, albeit ths teacher has expressed an opinion to the effect that he considers them entitled to the use of the building. . Wong Come, a Celestial who his boen working on Mclntyre's station, near Tapanui was brought up at the Invercargill Police Court yesterday on a charge ' of being of unsound mind. It was stated that accused, who had been taken te town by his friends, got into a quarrel with some Europeans about a fortnight ago, during which he received a cut on the headjjyhich appears to have affected his brain. He was remanded for medical examination. The committee of the Mataura 1\ and A Society me> at Wyndham on Thursday. A number of details in convection with the show on. Thursday ccxt were arranged. Entries were stated to be coming in freely, there being 105 already in cattle a T one, besides which a large number of certain exhibitors in these classes have not yet entered. Special train privileges have been granted for the occasion. Everything points to the Gore Show next Tuesday being highly successful. A special £rain will run on the Waimea line, and on jihe Goyerriraent lines there will be reduced fares. 'Some important additions have been made to the special prize list, Mr Henry Driver, M.H.R., having given a gold medal , for the exhibitor who scores the greatest , number of points and Mr Allison having "'given L 2 for the best contractor's team. (Messrs Beid and Gray will be large ! /exhibitors, . * , I Our little frianuthe f Courier' is ;"laughung .wild amid -severest wo^." Some time jago,mot suspecting the incipient disease, we 'iwitted him playfully for using singular •yerbjS with plural nflu^s, Ere? sjrjoe h.e has studied us/as intently. ash,e possibly could without the aid of a " jumprup," in the hope pf being' able to give us a Bp.land for our Oliver. The Ensign has been conned over . line by line. It has been taken, home and pored over, till the small hours, and then it has supplanted the well-worn Bible' under the pillow. Lindley Murray has also been carefully conned, till the pr^nt is no longer legible. Had we known the course he was , pursuing, we wo.uld have intervened to save our little friend. But, alas I beyond the fact that he was moie dreamy and misty eyery week, we knew nothing — and now it's too late. Unable to, find wh.at he sought, what was called, his mind gave way, and he published the following ? — A Libel.—' tis a wonder some of the silly bunglas of our conceited contemporary, the EN SIGH, do not land him in more frequent and serious difficulties. This is what he says (iv reference to a meeting recently held at Gore) of a no donbt reputable citizen : — » The chair was occupied by Mr Alfred Dolamore, 'president of the Athpiiamm whose funds were to be augmented by the evei^tyg's entertajnn^ent." We are glad to note that his virtue has suryived his mind. IJa.d he but placed a comma after "Athenaeum," \ye should only have taken him for a knave with a spwe of waggery in him. We can only say that the gentleman mentioned in the words he quotes from us really was in the chair ; that he is the president, nofc only of an Athenaeum, but Qf <' the Athenaeum v^ipae Jtynds were to be augmented." Our little friend must not be ve^ed because he is not a president, or be uncharitable becausq his fttndls want augmenting. Circumstances alter- oases. We live in Gore, not in Tapanui. j^ Yesterday was a red-letter day in the annals of Masonry in these parts,. witnessing a.s it did the. consecration o.£' Lodge i Harvey under the Scottish. Constitution^ with the usual elaborate ceremonies,- and th&installa. tion of R.W.M. and officers. The ceremony was conducted in the large auction rooms of Messrs) Greon an^. Squness, which had been tastefully decorated for the occasion, and gave- 'ample . accommodation for the large number of brethren present, not only from this district, but from northern and southern districts. The consecrating officers were Bro. L. Court, substitute D.G,M ; Brp..'Neill, D.q-. Secretary j Biio. Baxter, Districtr(*.M.' •pf. Ceremonies; and Bro. 'Bui-well; D.G. Steward, together with- the following acting D, G. officers ; Bro. M,. A, As.henden. W.M. 907 ,E;C.} Brqg. Little (P^.), M^arlane. (P.M.), Gijkispri, and J. A. Mitchell, all of I Lodge St. John, 610 5.0.; also Bro, W. li Hall, S.W. Lodge 997, E.G. The newly elected Master is Bro. T. HayMacKenzie, P.M., an able member of the craft of many, yeap' standing, and hels well supported by the following officers :— 8,.M., Br.p. B». S. Canning; 8.M., Brp. M. Eeginald' B.ree; S.W., Bro. T. Green ; JAY. Bro. D. Kcllie ; Tre> flurer, Brp, J, Fraaer- 5 S,p,, Bro. J, S, Millar ; J.D., Bro, T. 1. Gaz^ard ; Secretary, Bro. W. Sounees ; Tyler, Bro. E. A. Labatt. senr.; stewards, Bros. J. K. Grant' and G. Howells ; auditors, Bros. John Gee and J. floss. The ceremony — at which, by the way, Bro, Burwell had acted as organist —^concluded about midnight, and shortly before one o'clock this morning a large company sat down to a capital ■ spread provided at the Southland Ifo.tel in Bro, D. Kellie's be3t style. His large' dining room was ap-. propriately decorated, and under genial urrbundings the company had a most en- . . oyable time. The usual Masonic toasts were heartily drunk, an 4 afc intervals ex-: : cellent ,songs were contributed hy several gentl&mon preseut.' Altogether the affair i WjM» great Biiccess.

All Young hns been committed for trial at >vey mouth for the murder of Ah Jitn, and for maliciously wounding Ah Loi, who had nine cuts on his head, some of which injured &is skull, arid fcwo on.-/ : his hand and wris;t, ui'e evidence of doctors showed that the murdered ;njan had ; several., wounds, each of which was ' sufficient to cause death. The ( yrisonet!, when, brought into ■ Court, -. had be-, come so violent that his legs had lo be tied ! He was already handcuffed. A chemist in Wyndham found on Wednesday last that ammonia is not as harmless as a dove nor as fragrant as an altar "«f roses. He was uncorking a large bottle which had been standing ia a warm place. The expansive nature of the' liquor materially as- | sisted his oporations, however. While he was busy drawing that "stopper, it ceased to be a stopper in the bottle and left for the ceiling, followed by about a quart of liqror, and the sniff he got of the fumes made it necessary that, he should leave those premises on his hands and knees. When last seen he liatl not got over his scared appearance. The local poet immediately improvised the following divine melody : — There was n bold chemist one dtij Whs uncorking a bottle. Hoo.ay I I i!uu tlio voluble staff \\ itn a bang and a puff Kxpulded and. smelt him away. Chatton sports are fixed for Dec. 28. Tenders are invited for works ia Waimumu. The Key. J. Hobbs advertises dates of services. J. D. Hunter, Gore, is agent for Walter A Weio'is' binders. &c., on Wednesday. Struthtsiiuri reserves will be sold at Dunedin on January 17. Mataura Lodge, A.f, of Oadfollows, will balls will be h jld at Gore on Dec. 4, and Riversdule on Dec. 7. ' Wool sales will be held by the N.M. and A. Co. early in January. I heap railway tiros in connection with Gore show are announced. I. S. yimson sells shoe]', contractor's plant, be instituted on Wednesday.Nominations for several events, at Riversdale Kaces must be lodged 'this evening. The Rev. W. Morley, We>leyan,- preaches at Gore on Sunday and lectuies on' Monday. Mr Piller (Gore), Mrs :• Knowles] (Gore), : and Dr L. L. Smith (Melbourne); insert busi-; ne.-s announcements., . "; , Education endowments in Hokonui are for. sale on deferred payments; and the N. Zl Agricultural Company insert a special notice regarding their property in the same locality.if you w ait a fashionable- pair of bo >ts or. shoes at a reasonable price' fur the holidays^ inspect the stock at the Gore Bpot Manufactory b Jfore purchasiug elsewhere.— Advt ' "" Doctors Gave him Up,—" Is it possible that Mr Godfrey is up and at work, and cured by so simple a remedy ?" f M assure .you. it is true;that he is entirely cured, and with nothing but Hop Bitteis, and only ten days ago; his doctors gave him- up aud said-^he must die." •' Well-a-day ! ]f that is-ao-1 will go \ this rainut* and get some for my poor l.eorge.": I know hops are good," Itead, ,],■ Not a comet ! Now to ' be soen-at M.tc ; ; Gibbon &; Sons the largest, slockr-of Ymnmeiv. goods ever exhibited in Gore or, Gordon." The ladies of the district are specially iuvi nd to inspect our goods b-fore purchasing aiiy> where else. Over 100 pieces of 'print t©-' choose from. Saddle cloths and Eoslyn andKaiapoi tweed suits in stock in large quantity. Invalids can purchase hop bitters, or any other drug medicines of. us. Flower and vegetable seeds in an astonishing variety. Turnip seed, Aberdeen yellow and purple top, greystone, purple top or Sweedss, &c., <fee. Oamaru barbed wire on sale. Don't Die is the House. — " Rough on Rats " clears out rats, mice, beetles, roaches, bed-bugs, flies, ants, inseots, moles, jack rabbits, gophers. Moses, Moss, and Co., Sydney General Agents,