GRAND INAUGURATION OF THE PALMERSTON CANDLE CLUB.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 35, 16 April 1879, Page 2

GRAND INAUGURATION OF THE PALMERSTON CANDLE CLUB.

Proceedings of a highly interesting nature* took place on Monday night, when about t> dozen of the representative men of the district met m the Private Letter-box Lobby attached to the Post Office. Mr. Papaoia. was moved to the chair, but owing to the, Cimmerian darkness which prevailed, th». occupation, of the place of honor necessitated his being led by the arms by two of . those present, -while a third groped about' for the required seat.. The search proving; futile, a long discussion took p&ce its to tho legality of the actions of a chairman who fulfilled the functions of his offif c; m a\ standing position, and flt " feej, of hand* " being taken upon the point; it TOB/decided that it was a tine qua non to the bona fide». of the proceedings that the chairman shouldi he seated. Some further^ djscussien^nsued* as to whether the pres'fder should utilise, the telegraph writing-desk as hop -pfcpe. of honor, pr squat upon the step to tin*, letter boxe#,. but the, -yoices we?e unani-; mously m favor of the latter, and 'Mr. Papaoia having taken possession, proceeded' to open the meeting. A gentleman present •having suggested that it would be advisable^ to throw a light on the^ubject, the. "bell-, topper" of a well-known County Councillor, was borrowed, into which all the matches m the a ssembly were, emptied, one of the^ number duly installed as acolyte, andwitb. an illumination of two vesta-poirer the proceedings commenced. ; Mr. Maiden m scathing tevms referred) .to the contemptible meanness of the Government, which while drawing from every. ; liouaeholder £lper year ?pr_ the privilege of, • delivering their own letters, and saving the, expense, of a postman, -was actually too mean" to give them an opportunity of doing so." Me explained that while, 'the. happy resi- ■ dents at the' capital, npt' only were saved tha expense of a box,- but had their letter* 1 brought to their, very '*<loois, theunfbrtunat*^ . PsJmer9tonjanp wsi;e, e^Dec^d\ '^o' gossess" * theqjialit.ie§ of owls'or cat. ■ Mif, Qusmt .Qunjor) coincided with every. , wor^ u t fce^d by the last sneaker, vhich' woe ' true as Qcßpel. : Ih th© country. "whe'rV'he{ came. frpni { he^ had known a man left quivering- on a.daisy 16$ less.' Burthen the^ :P.O. Departme.n.t^ like corporate 'bodies^' had neither sold to be damned nor body to" b§ -kicked, and sp s^^gsum/Jd upon 'tiieir. ' cot.-* poral nonentity. ' Mr, Isaacs said he. had to come some distance for his letters, and as he was not quitfl-^ 'so tall as most people,' e.y.ep.i4 9ay-'tune he^ had some difficulty m landing she, Wy into ;the : hole safely.- "He f had- pai^ tho 'letter^ box a visit, but as it was necessary to hold* • the. match m one hand and the key m th»\ other, he found it w^a . impossible to cljng,' ,on with his knees when he had clambeWa. to the required elevation. ' ' 'l '* ' Mr. Szow suggested that the mighty lever, should be brought to bear upon the matter, followed by ' • ' ' ■ Mr, IVjts^man, who intunated th^t a political, social, and' commercial crisis was at ■hand. What; (ha asked) can ho, expected, from the. officers of, a Government whoso Chief had proved recreant, and amongst whoseranks treason and anarchy were rife? ; [The, speaker, thereupon looked round for * applaiisej but was disgusted to bft met with ? crjes of. " Question, Question !"1 Mr. Cbicijet Ball said the meeting had; 'the remedy m its. own hands.' Hie, had, it upon the, very best, authority that the .present. G^overnment had nearly finished' their "innings," and' there would be * dissolution.' The "County( should' take a firm stand, and. pledge itself to withdraw its', support from Mr. Jphnston unle9s he would give a written guarantee that a sum sufficient, to purchase at least three pounds of candlee were placed on'.nextyear.j3'l&i£matos, Meanwhile they should all try to bearth^ burden, amongst them, so that its pressure, should' not be unnecessarily severe upon any. This idea met with general approval, andi upon the motion of Mr. Italy, secondeAbjf Mr. Fhost, it was proposed — ' " That, m the opinion of this meeting, it is highly desirable to form a candle club, to. be called .'•The. Palmerstion North Candle' ; Clnb (frnii^ed^." Carried.' ~ ' ' I .Mr. W^iift. mpyed, and Mr. B^tt,B,pOj? isecoudedj— . "Thajt each member hereby iolOTmljr ; binds .himself ip aonate : one^spem candle^ per monlih forj the use of the <)E^st f Office," ' the donation to be taken. in turnß, I the chair-' man to giye/the iirst month's supj»jr. M . ; Mr. Papaoia strenuously objected to take preceSence m the inattei', hut his "sciluple*^ i were byerruh)d, and the' order of . his' «ucce.S9o?a being decided by the drawing of • lots. ' This terminated the proceedings, but be* fore separating the Chairman was' requested;" to send copies of the reebljitioi; to the Go^ vernment. '■